One World: one Organism! A modern way of exploring processes, phenomena and changes in the geographical environment. Erasmus Project

Project Title

One World: one Organism!
A modern way of exploring processes, phenomena and changes in the geographical environment.

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Natural sciences

Project Summary

Our project ‘One World, One Organism’ is an international initiative of teachers and high school students aimed at learning and implementing innovative solutions in the field of teaching geographic and natural sciences in schools. It provides support for traditional teaching and is a response to the needs of teachers and students participating in the project.

Project goals:
– exchange of experience during international meetings: familiarizing partners with innovative teaching methods in the field of geographic and natural sciences
– analysis of the elements of the natural environment characteristic for a given region/country and changes occurring in it, with the help of innovative methods, eg: karst and mass processes on the slopes (Poland); volcanic activity (Italy); climate change and watermanagement (the Netherlands); change of coastline (Portugal); issues in the field of cognitive tourism as an idea for enriching knowledge about the natural environment; cities as a manifestation of anthropopressure on the natural environment.
– improvement of the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning of natural sciences
– knowledge and improvement of digital skills. the use of innovative programs and tools for computers: uMap, Nearpod (Italy), GE-graph, ArcGIS (Portugal), Edcite, Testico (Poland) Qgis, OSMAND (the Netherlands)
– theoretical and field studies for teachers and students
– improving the use of English
– shaping attitudes of openness and tolerance
– creation – by international cooperation – of “a bank of innovative teaching methods and materials”

Three of the schools started cooperation years before submitting this application, the fourth school (Portugal) joined our effort. Project partners contacted each other over Skype, by phone, e-mail and what’sapp. They agreed that the project will be attended by 100 people (26 teachers, the rest are pupils together with guardians)

The following activities are planned:
– 4 short-term exchanges of student groups; 2 short (staff) training programs
– partner activities between the project trips by each school, dissemminating results of a previous exchangeweek, preparing a coming one.
– project management and control activities: budget control and time management using tools created for this purpose, monitoring and assessing the quality of project activities and results, reports on implemented activities
– designing ways to prevent risks and problem situations
– dissemination and ensuring accessibility to the project results (eg. creation of the project website, YouTube channel, e-Twinning platform, blog, Erasmuscorner)

In the project, we will use a variety of working methods, including:
– exchange of experiences by project partners – presentation of innovative, proven ways of transmitting and testing educational content by means of innovative computer programs and tools (eg: Edcite, Testico, Qgis, OSMAND, uMap, Nearpod, GE-Graph, ArcGIS); practical workshops using this software; discussions; quizzes
– workshops in the field – field observations; measurement; analysis of documents and maps; brainstorm; quizzes; field interviews; educational games; Research methods; Troubleshooting; analysis
– working with a computer/laptop and mobile devices (mobile phone, tablet)
– work in a national and international group

We anticipate achieving the following results:
* among students:
– greater interest in geographic and natural objects; learning a foreign language
– more effective learning and better results from exams and tests
– increase in the ability to use innovative programs, technologies and computer tools (greater opportunities to studies and a job in the future)
– the level of knowledge about the natural environment of partner countries; environmental problems; increase of ecological awareness
– development of the ability to cooperate in an international team, analyze, draw conclusions, develop research skills; increase in tolerance

* among teachers:
– improvement of teaching quality by enriching teaching methods with innovative ideas
– more effective teaching thanks to the use of modern ICT’s and increased skills in using them
– enriching the workshop with specialized field activities; cognitive tourism
– development of the ability to communicate freely in English and development of specialistic vocabulary
– promoting the professional status of teachers

* impact on the school:
– popularization of innovative teaching methods
– more advanced learning through the use of innovative programmes and computer/digital tools
– improving the quality of education, improving the image of the school in the local environment
– promotion of the school, city, region on the international forum

The long-term benefits of the project will be visible in the change in the attitudes of the recipients of the project results, but also in the choices of students in the field of study, the passing of examinations and the ways of teaching in European schools.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 101072 Eur

Project Coordinator

Liemerscollege & Country: NL

Project Partners

• ITET Marco Polo
• Agrupamento de Escolas de Vilela
• Zespol Szkol Ogolnoksztalcacych i Zawodowych w Monkach