EUse your brain-Challenge your talent for science Erasmus Project

Project Title

EUse your brain-Challenge your talent for science

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Natural sciences; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

EUse your brain – challenge your talent for science.
Five ambitious secondary schools from Recklinghausen (DE), Dordrecht (NL), Pamplona (ES), Copenhagen (DK) and Split (HR), which have been involved in earlier European projects and exchanges, see the need to challenge their pupils and have taken the opportunity to set up this project to address low achievement in basic skills, such as science and foreign languages through more effective teaching methods and promote entrepreneurship in education and entrepreneurship among young people at their schools and local community. All schools want their pupils from different cultural backgrounds to become more involved in their school career, and to confidently take charge of their own education. The most relevant topics are entrepreneurial learning, natural sciences and teaching and learning of foreign languages. If we hadn’t included LTTAs into our ‘EUse your brain’ project, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve the results that we are aiming for now. It is through the synergy of transnational teams that all parties involved, both pupils from secondary and primary schools, teachers and school management, have risen above themselves and renewed their motivation. During those exchanges, both science skills and language skills have been practiced and improved in an authentic learning environment. The persons involved have benefited from each others’ knowhow and strengths and qualities in unprecedented and challenging ways. Working with other cultures has improved the social skills of all actors involved, as they developed a greater understanding and mutual respect for the other.This project addressed 1740 active participants. First of all, besides the 240 secondary school pupils actively involved in LTTAs of the project, an important target group was formed by the primary pupils that have been visited, 800 in all during this project, for example all the group 8 pupils from a primary school were taught by secondary school pupils from WoBoGe in Dutch during the exchange in LTTA C6 (http://www.johanfriso.nl/index.php?page=1428). Pupils who have a deficiency in numerical skills early on (e.g. in primary schools) avoid science subjects later on in their school career. In this way, they forego on interesting and important jobs in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, jobs to keep Europe smart. It can be read in the report by the primary school that all pupils participated actively in the lessons. Their interest in science has been improved. This involvement was seen again and again in the exchanges. The project has not only involved pupils, however, but also teachers from primary and secondary schools, teacher trainees, science experts, eTwinning ambassadors, peer learning experts and headmasters. Communication has taken place before, during and after exchanges and also in between, in regular intervals, using email, video conferencing, whatsapp and so on. Our project included TPMs, LTTAs, local classroom projects and virtual exchange projects. We have taken great care to also provide for pupils facing situations which make their participation more difficult. During the project and on its completion we have produced results on different levels. We have five intellectual outputs: free online teaching and learning material (O1), a manual/inspirational
book to promote entrepreneurship (O2), adaption of the individual school curricula (O3), a MINT/STEM exhibition (O4), a special collection of fun math exercises (O5). Other results include: several evaluation forms, certifcates, improvement of MINT/STEM skills and foreign language skills of the participants, new partnership contracts, best practices of peer learning, outcomes of the foreign language / MINT-STEM tests, promotional material, increased awareness of E-safety. As we want pupils to become entrepreneurs of their own education, the dissemination activities have been very important. All participants in the project have been active in the dissemination
process, both inside schools (e.g. colleagues, departments) and outside schools (e.g. public institutions, the project website (http://euseyourbrain.weebly.com), youtube). Also, This project was presented at the halfway Erasmus+ best practice conference in Bonn. Last but not least, if this Erasmus + project has inspired our pupils to change their interest in science from a situational perspective to a personal perspective, the main goal of this project will have been reached. The Wolfgang Borchert Gesamtschule will continue to work on developing peer learning, entrepreneurship and internationalisation, together with their partner schools abroad.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 109750 Eur

Project Coordinator

Wolfgang Borchert Gesamtschule & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Obrtnicka skola
• AOIZ 1 SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA (LICEO MONJARDIN)
• Insula College Locatie Halmaheiraplein
• Kildegaardskolen