Enhancing ICT skills through Exploring our European Cultural Identity Erasmus Project

Project Title

Enhancing ICT skills through Exploring our European Cultural Identity

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: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage

Project Summary

“Enhancing ICT skills through Exploring our European Cultural Identity” is our proposal of a project from the school education area within the Erasmus+ programme which numbers five organizations from the European Union with common identified needs that can be stated, in short, by mentioning the urge to face successfully the constant progress of digital technology, the necessity of adapting the learning process to the increasingly culturally heterogeneous groups of pupils, the placing an emphasis on instilling in our young collaborators the European values such as: tolerance, understanding of other cultures or human rights. After having identified those desiderata for our schools and communities, we deduced the objectives and they are also worth being revised:
To raise awareness and communicate on the importance of the cultural diversity to combat social exclusion and discrimination;
– To introduce new teaching and learning methods based on ICT techniques and tools;
– To recognize and assimilate the values of national culture in the European context.
Then, we showed the reasons why our project should be funded and stated that we were going to highlight, explore and exploit for educational purposes the similarities and differences related to our cultural values, and that it was possible only through this partnership, not being the kind of work to be done solely. One partner only would not be going further than the surface of things, we are not talking about impersonal reports, we are proposing real experience, feelings and people interactions to be fostered.
Furthermore, we divided the two year project span into four stages corresponding to four project stages of activities, each having subdivisions which were detailed in the timetable:
1. SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES
2. OUR CULTURAL IDENTITY IN THE EUROPEAN FAMILY
3. ICT – THE BEST CULTURAL AMBASSADOR
4. LET’S SHARE OUR TREASURE
All partners expressed their will to contribute to the project progress by taking responsibility for chunks of implementation, coming to the following distribution: first stage- responsible Romania and Cyprus; second – Latvia and Finland; third – Portugal and Cyprus; fourth – Romania and Finland. Cyprus is the main coordinator, experienced, and former partner of Romania in a previous project, an important aspect when talking about group cohesion.
As a most important target group we estimate five hundred students and teachers to be directly involved in activities and the corresponding communities for support, these being made up of parents, local authorities, school inspectorate representatives and different collaborating bodies such as cultural centers or Europe Direct centers.
As results, we want to create substantial learning experiences for students, mainly, with a view to preparing them for the successful approaching of job market and living as reliable and decent citizens in the multicultural society. The outcomes will range from theoretical knowledge about other cultures and educational computer applications to enhancing abilities and changing attitudes towards culturally different peers, if we mention the intangible outputs. The tangible ones are: brochures, newsletters, eTwinning journals, teaching approaches focused on using ICT tools and culture elements, project sites. There will also be a smartphone application containing the most representative materials, quizzes, stories and other links.
The results are the way to reaching our objectives, steps towards our aims. By working on similarities and differences of our cultures, the students become more aware of the cultural diversity and more able to to combat social exclusion and discrimination. Also, teachers will introduce new teaching and learning methods based on ICT techniques and tools having as raw material the student work on cultural items. Throughout the activity implementation, all participants will become better connoisseurs of the values of national culture in the European context as they will be searchers and promoters of such assets.
Finally, there is a well-discussed dissemination plan and an outcome exploitation plan provisioning the benefit from new materials, teaching methods and digital tools i.e. to be utilized within our organizations and for sharing. These will be used both during regular classes and in making up proposals for optional courses. Our plans are to exploit the project outcomes in various future Erasmus collaboration programs: eTwinning, KA1 and KA2, depending on opportunity, convenience and partner.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 131340 Eur

Project Coordinator

GYMNASIUM PANAGIAS THEOSKEPASTIS & Country: CY

Project Partners

• Scoala Gimnaziala Magura
• Agrupamento Vertical de Escolas da Sé
• Eurajoen yhteiskoulu
• Pales pamatskola