OUR REGIONS IN A CLICK Erasmus Project

Project Title

OUR REGIONS IN A CLICK

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: Creativity and culture; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

This project was carried out between partners from southern Europe, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. We have a remarkable cultural and environmental heritage, with great tourist potential, insufficiently exploited and a great ignorance of our own students of their heritage. Our project has had clear objectives: improve oral expression in English in the student partners, reduction of high dropout rates, inclusion of immigrant students and lack of motivation. On the dropout rates, methodologies have been exchanged and the use of ICTs promoted. Small teams of students, supervised by teachers, have investigated monuments or surroundings. They have acquired ICT skills (photography, audio and video editing) or artistic competences (photography, art, descriptive writing), stimulating their creativity. They have linked videos with QR codes and augmented reality (AURASMA), accessible with mobile devices. ICT and collaboration in groups with foreign students and immigrants, has served to include and motivate students, promoting sustainable tourism, and at the same time increasing their ties with Europe.
IES Diego Torrente of San Clemente, in Spain, has been the coordinator. It is a center located in a rural environment, in which most of the population is engaged in agriculture, with a high number of immigrants. The socio-economic conditions of the families can be classified as medium-low, their opportunities to know other countries are very limited. The Agrupamento de Escolas of Vendas Novas in Portugal shares the environment and students, primary and secondary, although they have been those who have participated in the project. The Geniko Likeio of Xylokastro in Greece is also located in a coastal rural environment, with active domestic tourism and that wants to attract foreign tourists. The Liceo Scientifico Giacomo Ulivi of Parma, Italy is an urban center that does not have the same idiosyncrasy, although they share the problem of ignorance of the heritage by the students, demotivation, early school leaving and communication in English.
The project activities have been carried out in several phases:
CREATION OF A COMMON ENVIRONMENT
* Google users, repository in Google Drive (common materials), YouTube accounts and Blogger.
* Creation of associated eTwinning project and blog.
SELECTION OF MONUMENTS, STUDENTS AND TEAMS
* Selection of monuments or environments of interest.
* Participating students according to pre-established criteria in the preparatory conferences.
* Creation of working teams: research, preparation of texts about monuments, translation; Photography; audio recording; video editing.
* Assignment of students and coordinating teachers in the groups. Planning of rotations.
PREPARATION OF PRESENTATIONS AND CONTACT
* Videos of each locality and centre.
* Video on EU visibility.
* Contest-selection project logo.
REALIZATION OF VIDEOS
* Realization of photographs.
* Research and texts on monuments or environments.
* Audio recording.
* Video editing.
COURSES AND INFORMATION EXCHANGES
* QR codes and your link to the videos.
* Augmented reality and the link of videos to auras.
* Video edition.
* Artistic photography.
* Europass Mobility / MT
* Educational systems.
EVALUATION
* Questionnaires for the educational community.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES
* Creation of brochures, posters.
* Information on the centres websites, in local and regional media.
* Informative days or galas in collaboration with local organizations.
* Information on each activity through social networks (Instagram, twitter, Facebook)
The results exceed the objectives. The students have improved their oral competence in English. Both in the academic results (all the participating students have passed English) and in the external exam (8 students have obtained the B2 level). The drop-out rate has been reduced, the positive impact of the experience has been undeniable, the desire to participate in students of lower grades has been enormous; the motivation of the students has been very high, investigating on their own about the heritage, collaborating in small teams. Art is not usually one of their favourite disciplines and in the questionnaires they value knowing about monuments.
As for the impact, it has been very high. In each mobility we have received local and regional authorities, with echo in the press and radio. In the educational community, we have received congratulations from parents, teachers and teachers from other centres. The municipal authorities have been very receptive to the initiative, QR codes are already being placed on monuments. They have also helped to co-finance activities, such as printing brochures or paying buses for small trips.
The long-term benefits will be visible when our localities can offer tourist information about each monument, quality and accessibility.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 94740 Eur

Project Coordinator

IES “DIEGO TORRENTE PÉREZ” & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Geniko Lykeio Xylokastrou
• Liceo Scientifico Ulivi
• Agrupamento de Escolas de Vendas Novas