A suitcase full of fairy tales travels through Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

A suitcase full of fairy tales travels through Europe

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

Our project A Suitcase Full of Fairy Tales Travels Through Europe connected two key concepts. In line with inclusive school practices and in the face of increasingly heterogeneous classes (in addition to the integration of refugee children into the general school population) we realised that we needed to seize, experiment with and render adaptable to everyday teaching life social learning methods. The conditions of learning have transformed substantially. Children lack to a certain extent the educational background, the motivation and the skills required in ordered to learn productively. In class children became familiar with diverse learning methods, on which they are supposed to be able to rely in their later educational career. Children dismantled their fear of interaction and prejudices while learning to value not only their own potential, but also that of other children. The selected open and innovative practices of the digital age assisted us in the implementation of this key concept. On the one hand possibilities, methods and communication media were identified and demonstrated. After a preliminary phase of general interaction with fairy tales and cooperative learning methods in the first year of the project, we intended to pursue concrete projects which deal with fairy tales in the second and third years (plays, recording of audio plays, production of comics with the help of a computer, production of a film etc.) On the other hand, we wished to facilitate for pupils and educators the process of learning about digital media, publicising their results (homepage, eTwinning) and communicating with each other too (Skype, eTwinning).
The second key concept focused on the attainment of greater motivation and thus improved learning outcomes beyond open and innovative learning practices. Consequently we decided to concentrate on the field ‘Foreign language learning’ and within this field the topic ‘Fairy Tales’ was selected. Traditions and language were connected through this project. Our aim was for pupils to be able to read, write and speak the German language precisely. With respect to the fairy tales being studied, pupils dealt with cultural heritage und discovered the possibilities of linking this with language, expression and documentation of the present day. Nine schools based in Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey participated in this project. The prerequisites and experiences of each individual school (along with their facilities) differed from country to country. Nonetheless all nine schools intersected at one point and that iwasthat each one was faced with the challenge of galvanising heterogenous, largely unmotivated classes to learn the German language. All colleagues taught German and were prepared to work on the acquisition of new forms of learning and learning methods, with which they were able to pave the way for social and motivated learning in their respective establishments.
At the conclusion of the we observed a high level of motivation and participation in the individual projects and new forms of teaching. We came to appreciate again the benefits of working in smaller groups with members from different subject fields. Comparing our project with a standard lesson we were able to give much more consideration to the various demands and requirements of the highly heterogeneous pupil groups. Simultaneously we managed to create a pool of materials and lesson ideas, with which we will also be able to use in the future. The ideas, experiences and results of this project are available to our interested parties on our school homepage and on Twinspace.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 219230 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gruener Campus Malchow & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Izzet Bezirci Ilkokulu
• Ritaharju school
• Osnovna skola Janka Leskovara
• Szkola Podstawowa Montessori Bona Ventura
• 1st Experimental Primary School of Rhodes
• ECOLE MATERNELLE ET ELEMENTAIRE MISTRAL
• Deutsche Schule Tingleff