A Shared History – A Shared Future- Barcelona and Amsterdam Erasmus Project

Project Title

A Shared History – A Shared Future- Barcelona and Amsterdam

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

Title of the project: A shared history – A shared future
Countries involved: Spain and the Netherlands
Schools involved: INS Front Maritím & Berlage Lyceum
Age group of students involved: 15-16
Teachers involved: 2 teachers per school – María Pilar Espadaler and Marina Muñoz (Front Maritim, Barcelona) and Mette Marstrand and Mari Gonzales (Berlage Lyceum, Amsterdam)

Background of the project:
The foundation of this project lies in the believe that authenticity and real encounters lay at the root of global citizenship as well as (language) learning. The two central assignments involved in this project involve 1. The importance of the European Union and 2. The countries’ shared history and how this is depicted in several of the most famous paintings produced in the 17th century. Our aim is to create intercultural awareness through a virtual project that lasts the entire year and is given extra strenght by the addition of 2 student mobilities.

Objectives:
Students will enrich their cultural, euro-political and historical knowledge while in that process also learning about the importance of international cooperation. They will develop a more global and open mindset towards people from other cultures, which will foster an interest in these cultures for the rest of their lives. As all communication will take part in either their second or third language, they will also greatly improve their language proficiency allowing for open channels of conversation among the peers of these two member states. Lastly, they will work on their digital literacy and 21st century skills as all their progress will be monitored on Twinspace and shared through Weebly.

Description of Activities
Our exchange programme is a full in-depth one year experience, which centers on much more than just the two weeks of physical mobility. Two central projects are completed by the transnational pairs of students, which focus on both the future as well as the history of both countries and the role of the European Union in past and future collaboration between both nations. The first project centers on the collaboration of both pairs in designing a resolution to a European Case study and the second project centers on the students creating their own teaching materials for future students, using a piece of art that depicts the shared history of both countries. They will work together on these assignments both virtually and face to face.

During the physical exchanges, the educational focus is equally divided between authentic experiences of school life, cultural activities as well as excursions to institutions of higher learning to create and foster a longer lasting interest in the partner country.

Methodology
Students are selected based on their motivation to join the project and willingness to both learn from another country as well as teach others about their own. Throughout the year, student and teacher evaluations will help maintain the quality of the experience and rounds of feedback between teachers and teachers and students will help ensure the quality of the project. Futhermore, the usage of Twinspace will allow for a continuous cycle of output and feedback.

Results and Impact
Our students will share and log their entire experience on Twinspace. This Twinspace is maintained by their teachers, but students will have the liberty to freely work within the realms of this digital platform. Furthemore, they will create a Weebly website on which the polished products and results of the EU and ART projects will be published as well as their evaluations of the experience in light of their personal learning goals. We aim to guide our students one step closer towards them becoming true world citizens, who are open minded, curious and respectful towards other cultures and perspectives.

Dessimination
The teachers involved will attend several conferences within and without their school network to share their experiences and the materials designed and produced by their students. These materials will also be shared through the Erasmus portals. Furthermore, the students themselves will present their experiences and the materials for their classmates.
Lastly a video of the experience will be shared through the school’s newsletter, social media and youtube.

Potential Long Term Effects
Exchanges in the past have already proven a significant increase in the likelihood that students will spend part of their studies and/or future careers in a country with which they have come into contact during their high school years. We aim to foster stronger ties between these two member states as a result of this experience. Furthermore, each year that we continue our cooperation will make it possible for us to dream bigger and involve more people in the experience. In addition to that, we also aim that this project will proof the official starting point of a truly longlasting cooperation between Berlage Lyceum and INS Front Maritim.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 31430 Eur

Project Coordinator

Berlage Lyceum & Country: NL

Project Partners

• Ins Front Maritim