Small legend researchers Erasmus Project

Project Title

Small legend researchers

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

The idea of the international project comes from an kindergarten project related to the anniversary of Ajka city. During this archeology and history project we discovered the susceptibility and natural curiosity of the children to the “old times”. In the preparation of the project, we have realized that more legends are associated with our cities. We tried to choose the story closest to the age group. The towers, the giant and the ladies, are ofen in fairy tales, so they are well-known by the children. They listened to the stories with interest and actively participated in the activities. During the partnersearch, we consciously sought out kindergartens, as we wanted to know the various techniques and possibilities of legend processing. Activities with the same age group were diverse and varied. The participating kindergartens in this program were Ajka Városi Óvoda Katica, Hungary, as coordinator, Tallinn Haraka Lasteaed, Tallinn, Estonia and Materská škola – Óvoda, Tornal’a, Slovakia. In the focus of our project were the city legends which were introduced to the 3-7-year-old children throught playing activities. The project helped us to attract children‘s attention to the importance of national and local values and to exchange traditions. Children, teachers and parents’ competences grew in the field of cooperation, identity consciousness and communication by the way of common work and exchange of good practices. Children were motivated during the activities and the whole research. The new perspective and techniques has increased the quality of education in kindergartens – especially the literary and artistic education. Teachers learned about other’s pedagogical practices, project planning, applying cooperative techniques and teaching the legend with puppetry, dramatic play and diverse visual techniques. From the partnerkindergartens was Ajka Városi Óvoda the initiator and the coordinator of the projekt. 4 Partnermeeting have taken place. We processed our legends at the first meeting with co-operative and / or frontal techniques, at the second meeting with puppetry, at the third meeting with visual / art techniques and at the fourth meeting as theater play. The host country show its activity live, the other partners with the help of their video.
During the meetings the partner have the opportunity to learn from each other about the culture, legends and tradition. During the project period presentations, observations in the groups, hospitations in kindergarten have taken place.
We have prepared and translated the project leaflet, which enables us to promote the project on our professional events. We have made a legend book and a puzzle. The puppets, that were made at the first project meeting, became the legends figures. In addition to the initiative in the methodological guide, we also made videos about the activities. We got acquainted with the ways of researching the legends, we went to several museums and libraries. In the activities, every institution presented creative, unique ideas. In the puppetry perfomance we saw music-dancing performances, puppets made from waste materials. When working with art techniques, our works were characterized by diversity and works that were appropriate to the abilities of children of different ages. The processing of legends as a teather play also reflected our different views.
As a result of the project, children were more open to the culture of other nations, and their are more interested in learning foreign languages.
They know the legends of their own and the partners’ cities, they can display them in different ways: visual technique, drama, story-telling, puppetry.
They can express their feelings, their thoughts about the legends both in verbal and nonverbal forms.
Children know the geographic location of the partner countries, the name of the cities, the flag of the country.
The relationship between the family and kindergarten was strengthened, the parents were actively involved in the implementation of the project. The employees were more committed, all members of the employee community have known the goals and subtargets, and actively participated in their implementation.
The level of professional work increased. Modern pedagogical methods and ICT tools have been used by teachers during the work the project “Small Legend Researchers”. Each group expanded the content processing of the subject. The kindergarten teachers consulted with each other and discussed about the experiences. Partner meetings have expanded our knowledge about the country’s public education system, learning processes and culture.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 39525 Eur

Project Coordinator

Ajka Varosi Ovoda & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Tallinna Haraka Lasteaed
• Mary Poppin’s Land
• Materska skola – Óvoda