Finding identity in times of social media Erasmus Project
General information for the Finding identity in times of social media Erasmus Project
Project Title
Finding identity in times of social media
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 2020
Project Topics
This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Creativity and culture
Project Summary
In today’s world, in which children and young people are increasingly digitally networked, it seems more and more difficult for them to clearly define their own identities. Many young people lose themselves in the manifold opportunities that social networks offer them. The problems that arise from excessive media consumption by adolescents has not only been proven by numerous studies, such as the JIM study, but also by the experience of teachers. They are required to integrate media topics into their lessons and at the same time deal with the problems of their students that occur through involvement in social networks.
As a result of this situation the idea of initiating an Inter-European project was born during a contact seminar in Düsseldorf in October 2019, between different schools of the following countries: Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Macedonia and Ireland. The aim of the project is to enable young people to develop a healthy and stable (European) identity, despite or perhaps because of the massive influence of social networks.
For this purpose, both the possible potential and the dangers of social networks are being examined and an appropriate way of dealing with them discussed. Pupils should be encouraged to critically question their media consumption, particularly the relevance and quality of social media. They should also learn about the usefulness for intercultural communication in order to better locate themselves in the European community structure as well as to better understand their own role in it.
Through the cooperation between the different countries, cultural differences can be worked out and common “trends” discovered. These will, in turn, contribute to the development of an awareness of the individual identity, while, at the same time, equally broadening the (cultural) European horizon of the students.
Twenty-five students aged between 13 and 15 years from each participating country will join in the Erasmus+ project entitled “Finding Identity in Times of Social Media”. In addition to two staff meetings, which serve to assist in the planning, further training and organisation of the responsible teachers, a total of six student mobilities with different focal points are planned. Each host country is an expert in one of the following digitally relevant topics: fake and real news, cyberbullying, influencing, addiction, pressure to reach perfection and political commitment through and with social media. Five students from each school will travel to each country to participate in various workshops and the cultural exchange programme. Before, after and between the mobilities, pupils will be able to communicate with each other through eTwinning and work on the same tasks in their home country.
The project is advertised at the home schools and the students apply for it by means of a letter of motivation or self-made videos. Furthermore, the project is designed in such a way that the pupils deal with the topic of identity and the influence of social media and publish the results with the help of these “social media”. In this way, digital media are not only used to exchange information, but also to learn through and with them. All schools participating in the project have a department of “Creative Arts” or offer this as a learning focus. Therefore, the above-mentioned questions are to be processed and transferred artistically and aesthetically in the performing arts and expressed through other creative forms (“creative arts”). In the course of this project various skills and abilities will be acquired and deepened, ranging from technical execution (stage technology, dubbing of videos, recording of clips) to creative applications concerning the dramaturgical
realisation (e.g. writing small scenes, stage design, language and movement).
Throughout the entire duration of the project, the participants will develop a manual on the safe use of social media, in which they will collect the results of their work and findings, which will later be made available to other schools and educational institutions. The manual will contain questionnaires on the pupils’ own use of media and their identity therein, an information sheet, and a quiz for about/on identifying real and fake news, information on influencing, behavioural tips, reflection sheets on the category and quantity of media use, educational videos, collages as well as technical manuals on video and film technology. In this way, pupils, teachers or parents who have not taken part in the project will also be able to analyse their media use and receive suggestions for safe dealings in and with social networks. In addition, the pupils will record their activities during the project in a booklet (“Project Booklet”), in which they can write articles about the individual activities and meetings, as well as which documents the joint inter-European work of the participants.
EU Grant (Eur)
Funding of the project from EU: 167880 Eur
Project Coordinator
Gesamtschule Norf & Country: DE
Project Partners
- Gorgi Sugarev Primary school
- Tyndall College
- Fortes Lyceum
- Agrupamento de Escolas de Torrão, Alcácer do Sal
- Istituto Ferraris-Pancaldo