Digital Tools for Smart schools Erasmus Project

Project Title

Digital Tools for Smart schools

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; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

CONTEXT
We created this project for two main reasons: on the one side the idea of making our students feel more involved and interested in their learning process, thus improving their school outcomes and, on the other side, the need to promote a successful dialogue among people coming from different countries in Europe.
So our aims were:
1) encourage our students to use computers and other technological devices for study purposes in order to increase their involvement in learning, and consequently their school results;
2) make students aware of what being European means becoming acquainted with an “united diversity”.
The schools that are taking part in this project are from Italy, Portugal, Poland, Romania and Turkey.

OBJECTIVES
1)to boost students’ motivation towards learning and help them to get better school results, avoiding early school drop-out and creating a positive environment where students can thrive.
2)to work on students’ soft skills (teamwork, decision making, problem solving, flexibility); these skills are very much needed to meet the requirements of employers.
3)to increase students’ curiosity about other countries and cultures and help them to accept diversity more easily. It brings a positive attitude that can lead to better understanding the challenges of our new era.
4)to improve communication skills in English; this is a valuable ability, both for academic purposes and job roles.
5)to create cohesion among different European countries, to help building a true feeling of belonging to Europe

MAIN ACTIVITIES
C1 – Jan 2019 – TurkeyTopic: ICT tools: good friends in education (JOINT STAFF)
C2 – March 2019 – Italy – Topic: Using software to create fun lessons; Customs and traditions
C3 – May 2019 – Poland – Topic: Using online tools to create quizzes; Maths
C4 – Oct 2019 – Romania- Topic: Using online tools to create booktrailers; Literature
C5 – June 2021 – virtual -Portugal – Topic: Digital tools for artwork; Religious Studies

NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
The participants involved in this project are 15-18 years-old students (approx.250 people per school).
Some of these students participated in at least one LTTA and will take part in all the project; all the other students will be involved in some project activities that takes place in their own country. Students are from different environments (rural, urban), ethnicities and religions, so that they all could learn from each other working together.
Then 36 teachers led the students in the project, in particular ICT, Maths, Literature and English.

METHODOLOGY
The project covers the following areas:
A1. Project management: each partner was supposed to follow the agreed upon timeline that summarize the activities and fix their duration and deadline.
A2.A team of teachers (Maths, Literacy, Languages, Computer Science) and administrative staff, with the coordinator of ache school carried out and monitored the activities, starting with the selection of the students, then organizing preparatory workshop sessions and preparation for LTTA.
A3. As ICT is the main tool of the project, ICT sessions were held, both for teachers and for students before, during and after LTTA. If some partner did not have the necessary knowledge, ICT ”help” sessions were held via webcam internationally; when possible, students taught peers both nationally and internationally.
A4. Dissemination is a very important part of the project; it was be planned in each partner school towards parents, within schools in the province, involving local authorities and all the associations connected with each school; dissemination will be made through medias and internationally with every channel available. Participant students were included in peer to peer activities to share their new competences and experience, in their school and outside.
A5. In each partner school, teachers took advantage of the materials created and of the new methods throughout regular classes. Achievement was evaluated comparing results and motivation attained by other groups of students taught without digital tools. Participants (both teachers and students) peer-educated both in and outside the school ..

RESULTS AND IMPACT
Students increased their knowledge of ICT tools in learning, and acquired practical skills such as creating storytrailers, online quizzes, mini-lessons, digital artwork and projects; teachers experienced good practices, sharer teaching methods and enhanced digital and English communication skills as well as organizational skills.
Schools became more visible and improved their public image, therefore providing better opportunities for their students .Schools acquired experience in project management and raised interest towards international projects,
In each partner school a more positive environment has been the result of improved cooperation at each level among peers, so that common goals were more easily reached.

Project Website

http://digitaltools4smartschools.cba.pl/index.php

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 122897,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

Istituto di Istruzione Superiore “Stanga” & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Colegiul National Tudor Vladimirescu
• ZESPOL SZKOL OGOLNOKSZTALCACYCH I EKONOMICZNYCH
• OZEL OGUZHAN OZKAYA ANADOLU LISESI
• INSIGNARE – ASSOCIACAO DE ENSINO E FORMACAO