Connecting Seas Erasmus Project

Project Title

Connecting Seas

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: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Environment and climate change; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The sea – it separates and connects, has been an inspiration for poets and a challenge for scientists, a salty desert and in the same time a habitat of astonishing living creatures, starting point for migrants and conquerors, place for recreation and struggle to survive. Students from different seasides in Europe (Black Sea, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean) will work in a cross-curricular and cross-cultural manner on various aspects of the topic ‘sea’; they will combine natural sciences and humanities and they will present results of their research using both scientific and creative activities.
The age of the students involved is 14-18 years old.The partners of this project feel that today’s teenagers must be approached in a different way than the previous generations learnt. Today’s teenagers must be taught in a more inclusive and student-centred way that integrates different subjects, methods and ideas and gives them a holistic experience. We would like to present them a learning environment where they will think outside the box and leave their comfort zones, where they will develop their communicative skills, be more creative, work together with their peers from all over Europe, understand and accept each nation’s culture, roots, beliefs and traditions in the true democratic spirit of Europe.. They should find the common roots of our existence, both as humanity and as Europeans. If we can point the common traits of our ancient culture and shared geography, we can show our students, that no matter how fragmented we are now, we come from the same background and they will start their journey to become more tolerant citizens of the future Europe.
According to the online surveys conducted among students and teachers at each school during January 2019, all partners identified the following common needs:
-the need for a cross curricular approach in scientific education in order to provide a challenging learning environment for the students to express their creativity
-increase students’ motivation towards culture and creative arts
– increase students’ respect for other cultures and fight radicalism
– develop students’ ICT skills, help them to use their skills in a new, creative context
– encourage the use of productive skills in English language
-tackle poor school motivation by providing them with something challenging to study
-build stronger communities in schools, both at local and international level
-increase teachers motivation and encourage their continuous professional development of teaching skills

There will be 2 main areas of teaching,learning and training: SCIENTIFIC and CULTURAL HERITAGE. Each school year will be split in 2 main periods,with a chosen topic from each area that will be studied during the physical and virtual mobilities:
Year one: 1 – Diversity of the Sea Life, 2- Migration by sea
Year two: 1 – Sea in danger, 2 – Conquerors of the sea
In order to produce the FINAL PRODUCTS: the etwinning page, the digital brochures and the digital book, the project will be carried out transnationaly and cross-curricular. The international teams of students gather information and work together on a specific research topic and then, at the end of each school year they get together and present their research in a conference organised by the host school both as a scientific symposium and as a scene for public debate and performing arts.
This team effort, where students from different countries work together for one common goal provides a powerful experience to all parties involved that they benefit from in their later lives and careers.
It will also actively involve their school communities, scientific and cultural entities in activities for understanding the seas and oceans and its influence on our lives, while not forgetting our own impact on this natural resource. All partners have approached the universities and research centres in their cities and they have secured partnerships with them for the learning activities throughout the two years duration of the project.

The MAIN OBJECTIVES of our project are:
– to stimulate students interest in natural sciences and STEM
– to raise awareness of present environmental issues in connection with the sea
– to stimulate interest in testimonies of cultural heritage and to encourage contacts to peers from other European countries
– to promote curiosity for and broaden the knowledge of other European cultures
– to encourage the use of ICT instruments
– to promote authentic teaching and learning of a foreign language, i.e English, using CLIL method
– increase teachers’skills and competences, as well as develop their professional knowledge
– schools internationalization
Main methods that will help us meet our objectives include PBL, peer learning and teaching, blended learning, problem solving, learning by doing, workshops and public speech and debates. We believe these will develop 21st century skills in our students but also in the teaching staff.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 67681 Eur

Project Coordinator

COLEGIUL TEHNIC ANA ASLAN & Country: RO

Project Partners

• Liceul Teoretic “Avram Iancu”
• liceo scientifico statale “B.Rosetti”
• Agrupamento de Escolas Anselmo de Andrade