BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE Erasmus Project

Project Title

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE

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: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

With the project we have set out on the journey of discovered and rediscovering the pleasure of reading, as a way of improving students’ basic competences – language, communication, as well as skills such as interpretation, critical thinking and analysis. Our target group included students of the ages 13-18 with basic English skills (minimum A2 level) from our schools. Therefore, we were addressing a number of approximately 400 students (others as well, who do not have a working command of English, but were in the same age group been involved in artistic activities, cultural activities or activities which involve their mother tongue).
The project also was addressed to teachers of English from our schools who updated their teaching methods and exchanged experiences and practices with their peers, thus contributing to the creation of a professional network of English teachers.
We made 4 exchanges:
C1- 2018 – Turkey : For teachers to start on the project and the topic
C2 – 2019 – Greece: Developing literary and interpretative skills through stories.
C3 – 2019 – Hungary: Teaching reading and critical thinking skills through stories.
C4 – 2019 – Romania: Teaching writing skills and creativity through stories.
C5 – 2020 – Poland: Teaching speaking skills through stories. Developing self-confidence in the use of English. Because of appearing Covid-19 and obstacles in travelling, it was the virtual meeting. It was an innovative activity for all of the partners and interesting at the same time. All planned aims were achieved in a virtual way.
The exchanges comprised topic-related seminars and workshops, cultural activities, attending lessons. For the purpose of project management and evaluation, we organised 1 transnational meeting: at the beginning, in Turkey. Project management implied planning, organisation, implemetation, monitoring, evaluation and dissemination of results.
In the planning stage – we identified the needs and established the aims and objectives of the project. In the organisation stage, we elaborated dissemination and evaluation plans, action plans, timeline of events, distribution of tasks and resources. In the implementation stage, we organised the selection, preparation and participation in exchanges. We produced the final results of the project.
– Students became more motivated, improved their language skills and intercultural competence;
-they became more self-confident in their ability of using English, improved their literary competence, their reading, speaking, writing skills as well as their interpretive, critical thinking skills and creativity.
– Teachers as well became more motivated, improved their leadership, team work, presentation skills, improved their material base, developed language, communication skills, interpersonal and intercultural competence.
– Schools became more visible in their community, developed their human resources.
Tangible results included: Compendium of literary theory for secondary school students; Collection of story-related activities and lesson plans for secondary school students; Curriculum for optional class called TESS – Teaching English Skills through Stories.
These final products are spread in educational communities in partner schools’ countries and in the Intern et. It made them useful for those who are interested in developing students’ language skills through stories.
Dissemination was an important part of the project and activities were planned at every stage of the project, with intensificated after the exchanges. The project outputs reached the target audiences – members of the local community – educational authorities, parents, teachers from other schools.
All teachers improved communication and social skills. They had an experience to lead the lessons in international groups of students (during the meetings in partner schools and during last virtual meeting) and to observe lessons led by other teachers. It was extremally useful to develop teachers’ experience.

The evaluation instruments have been designed by the Romanian expert and applied in all the schools. Thanks to using them at the beginning and at the end of the project, analyizing the results and improving the activities we achieved our goals:
– to develop students’ taste for reading and motivate them;
– to develop students’ creativity and language skills;
– to develop understanding of their own culture in connection with other European cultures;
– to promote European values and develop cohesion among European citizens.
– to exchange teaching methods and improve the material bases of the English teachers.
– to produce sustainable teaching materials and share them with foreign language teachers in our countries and others.

Project Website

http://bcywts.com

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 118801 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zespol Szkol w Staninie & Country: PL

Project Partners

• SCOALA GIMNAZIALA “NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS” BRAILA
• Békéscsabai SZC Zwack József Technikum és Szakképző Iskola
• KOZMOS YAZILIM ANADOLU LISESI
• 3o GYMNASIO KILKIS