European challenges and sensitive issues in the classroom and society Erasmus Project

Project Title

European challenges and sensitive issues in the classroom and society

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: Migrants’ issues; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; Romas and/or other minorities

Project Summary

The main aim of this project is for the students to acquire new skills and competences, knowledge about a shared European cultural heritage and European citizenship. This will be done through exchange of best practice and understanding similarities and differences in the approach to different relevant and sensitive topics that challenge the teaching and the fellowship in Europe.
The idea to the project stems from the challenges that teachers today meet in the classroom, both when they teach potential sensitive topics (in this context migration, slavery and minorities) or when the group of students in the classroom do not have a shared background (in this project especially concerning the topics migration and minorities) and when the society around the students have different ideas and expectations to different topics. At the same time all three schools have internationalization as a strategic aim. In this context we would all like to further build capacity for organisation in connection with internationalization and develop importance of recognition of learning periods abroad both for students, teachers and the local community (i.e. especially the parents).
English is an integral part of teaching at all schools, but very often English is limited to the English classes. This project tries to expand the use of English to all relevant subjects, and through this promote a different approach to teaching, learning and the use of the English language. In the project there will also be a focus on new methodology of teaching, since the innovative approach will be an integral part of the project both in order to secure good learning methods for the students, but also in order to make the results of the project useful for others than the participants in the project.

The topics dealt with in this project are:

1. Migration
2. Slavery
3. Minorities

The objectives in this project are for the students to acquire new skills and competences, understanding of a shared European cultural heritage and European citizenship. The project will include three classes – one from each country. The classes will consist of app. 25-28 students in each country and the relevant teachers in the classes will participate in the project. The classes are selected according to their interest in internationalization and European citizenship and at the same time present some interesting challenges towards the idea of a common frame of understanding in the classroom. The reason for building the project around existing classes is that in this context the topics and the aim of the project can be naturally integrated in the national curriculum in each country. The students will in preparation to each activity learn about the topic, find material, produce their own material (for example interviews etc.). At the activities the students will work together in groups consisting of students from all three countries. The aim is for the students to acquire new skills and competences, for example critical thinking and better understanding of others’ point of view – multiperspectivity. An important and integral part of the activities is on-site learning – the students will through visits to museums, relevant neighbourhoods, talks with different capacities in the relevant topic etc. both acquire new competences and at the same time get a better understanding of the shared European heritage. In connection with all activities there will be a focus on reaching out to the society outside the classroom – this will be done through on-site visits, interviews with local media’s etc. The aim of each activity besides for the students to acquire new skills and competences is for the students to be able to produce shared material on the topics.
The project will end with the production of shared materials that can be used in the classroom in all three countries (and eventually in all countries in Europe). The materials will have the form of learning materials, roleplaying’s, games, quiz etc. All will include an innovative approach which aim at not only recognize the problems but also should activate the participants to come up with solutions. This material will be made public and shared through the European History Educators Associations (Euroclio) learners section – historiana.eu, which is a learning platform for history and social studies teachers from whole Europe. In this way the results from the project will also be secured on a long-term basis, and not only (but definitely also) for the students and teachers and their schools who participated in the project. At the same time the project will also use eTwinning. For the schools long term values of this project will be development of new approaches to sensitive issues, building capacity for further expanding their international work (and continuing working with the projects ideas). The project leads to a better understanding of both your own local world and the world around you.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 86595 Eur

Project Coordinator

Greve Gymnasium & Country: DK

Project Partners

• Talsu 2.vidusskola
• Schoter SG