Through cultural exchange to more independence and self-responsibility Erasmus Project

Project Title

Through cultural exchange to more independence and self-responsibility

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: Disabilities – special needs; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

The special school Ottenbeck, Stade and the Traksėdžių Šilojų School (formerly Rusné Special School) planned a mutual exchange of colleagues and subsequently a mutual exchange of pupils. Both schools are special schools for pupils with a focus on mental development and additional special educational needs in the areas of communication, motor skills, behavior and sensory impairments. The colleges are made up of special needs school teachers as well as pedagogical and therapeutic professionals. These multi-professional teams train and support the pupils in grades 1 to 12. In the area of tension between participation in society and special schools, the two countries have different traditions and educational requirements that feel equally committed to the UN Disability Convention. The professional and personal exchange of colleagues about the school concepts, the curricula and methods took place through mutual shadowing and joint teaching. Your own work should be reflected on and supplemented by these experiences and insights. Particular focal points of the respective partner schools were specifically selected in order to clarify the goals of independence and personal responsibility. The sponsorship was accompanied by regional politics and administration as well as friendly associations. Publications have been made via the local press and the schools’ websites.
In summary, 2 pillars were considered for the project, which build on each other. As a result of the visits and discussions about methods and concepts by the colleges of both schools, a student exchange was planned with the aim of promoting communicative skills and thus independence and personal responsibility. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated conditions and restrictions, the further original planning and considerations, in particular the plans for the pupil exchange, had to be abandoned. There were therefore no exchange trips with pupils within the project period. Everyone involved regrets this very much.
What was successful, however, was the joint exchange between the multi-professional teams about the respective school concepts, curricula and methods. This took place through the successful shadowing of colleagues from the Traksėdžių Šilojų School and also via media exchange in the form of video lessons and/or via e-mail correspondence. The aim was to expand the methodological skills and strengthen the forms of content for developing the independence of the pupils with disabilities. In this way, it was possible for the colleagues to incorporate impressions and experiences, as well as perspectives that arose in the discussions, into everyone’s own actions. It can be stated that the discussion and comparison of the methods and the conceptual work was profitable. Thus, the first pillar of the planned project was successfully implemented and aspects emerged that are target-oriented for the other areas of the planned project. It remains to be mentioned that the implementation of the promotion of independence and communication skills was not possible through a direct personal exchange, but could take place through the respective discussions within the school communities. In conclusion, it can be stated that the two schools work on the independence of the pupils with their individual needs in a target-oriented manner with different approaches and implementations.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 15715,6 Eur

Project Coordinator

Förderschule Ottenbeck & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Traksėdžių Šilojų mokykla