Tell us a Story Erasmus Project

Project Title

Tell us a Story

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: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education

Project Summary

Participating Schools: Laura Vicuna, Gozo (|Malta), Our Lady of Immaculate School, Malta, St Francis Birkirkara, Malta, ICS Gandhi, Firenze, Italia, St Bridgets, Liverpool, UK and St George’s Liverpool, UK

Focus of the Project: In the vision of viewing education in the Early Years as a holistic process, we aim to focus on using Storytelling as a means to teach academic concepts and also to address personal and social issues.

The Outcomes of the project include:

• Educators to exercise a paradigm shift in the way they see possibilities out of learning instances reflecting the national discourse about emergent and holistic learning.
• Educators to re-awaken an interest in storytelling strategies and implementation.
• Educators to visualise the possibilities of teaching literacy and numeracy concepts through storytelling itself.
• Educators to be inspired by the idea of using stories as a means to an end: not just the message but as a medium to inspire/address further learning.
• Getting parents on board to revive storytelling not simply as a bond but also as a learning provocation.
• This exercise will also serve as a model of sharing the good practices as well as sustaining a network of educators followed by an Etwinning platform created just for this sole purpose.
• This experience shall provide job shadowing/co-teaching experiences to teachers through mobility exchanges.
• This project will include professional development sessions addressing numerical and literacy components through the choice of stories to tell.

Brief Summary of the Project:

Storytelling in most schools and homes is a common practice. The aim of this project is to:

• think about the reasons behind this practice
• awaken a more conscious interest in storytelling
• get educators and parents to do an exercise in a paradigm shift in the way they see possibilities out of learning instances
• encourage educators to adopt a holistic approach to the teaching of literacy and numeracy through storytelling (finding link texts)
• get parents on board to revive storytelling not simply as a bond but also as a learning provocation.
• create a network of educators where sharing of good practices is sustained throughout an online platform.

Activity 1: Setting the Scene and The Art of Storytelling

Understand the purpose of this project and give them the opportunity to reflect on where they are at right now and where they want to go. The ETwinning project will be established as the main means of communication and sharing of good practices. This will be the final product of the project and will be constantly updated throughout the 3 years.

Activity 2: Using Stories in the Classroom

The purpose of this activity is to share good practices of the use of Stories in the classroom. Participants will see how teachers in the hosting school are amalgamating storytelling within their teaching to address different objectives. The participants will also get the opportunity to stimulate their own thinking by working in groups to elicit learning opportunities and activities from a story adn shall include job shadowing opportunities

Activity 3: It is all linked!

The purpose of this activity is to highlight the interconnectedness of all developmental aspects. Even if the focus is on Mathematical concepts – by encouraging the children to speak about what is happening, to reason out processes and to discuss their choices, they are also developing their listening and oracy skills. By learning to listen to one another, take turns and show respect for different opinions, they are developing their personal and social skills. This activity is reinforcing the holistic aspect of this project. The participants will also get the opportunity to stimulate their own thinking by working in groups to elicit learning opportunities and activities from a story

Activity 4: The Home School Connection

The purpose of this activity is to address the issue of parental involvement. How can parents help their children at home? Do they have the skills to extend their storytelling sessions into learning opportunities? The participants will also get the opportunity to stimulate their own thinking by working in groups to elicit learning opportunities and activities from a story

Activity 5: Beyond the Academic.

The purpose of this activity is to address the issue of personal and social development. That aspect of learning has become more complex over time due to changing social circumstances. What are the challenges that we are facing? How can we deal with it? How does storytelling build bridges? The participants will also get the opportunity to stimulate their own thinking by working in groups to elicit learning opportunities and activities from a story

Activity 6: Our Journey, Our Story.

The purpose of this activity is to conclude all aspects of the project. It will be an opportunity to reflect upon the previous 3 years, evaluate what happened

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 79666 Eur

Project Coordinator

Laura Vicuna School & Country: MT

Project Partners

• St. Bridget’s CE Primary
• St George’s Primary School
• St Francis School Birkirkara
• Istituto Comprensivo Statale Gandhi
• Our Lady Immaculate