GO 4 EDUCATION: GET CONNECTED! Erasmus Project

Project Title

GO 4 EDUCATION: GET CONNECTED!

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

All the partners of the project reached the goal to make educational process more effective and attractive through some topics as sport, music, history, art, food, traditions. All the participants had the opportunity to discover, to share, to communicate using English language. These topics played an important role in setting up and carrying out the programmed activities. In fact, it was the right way to improve in students with low academic performance motivation in studying and awareness of their abilities feeling equal with other peers. So,as underlined in the different tests before and after all the mobilities, the competences pointed out by all students are: to cooperate, to gain team abilities, to improve English language and ICTwhich helped not only the students involved but also the teachers who had the opportunity to experiment new didactic methodologies that had an impact on daily class activity too(creation of videos with Animoto; comic strips and cartoons with Scratch, Toondoo, presentations…) The monitoring of all the activities in each country, as well as the tests of the mobilities, have allowed continuously to verify and evaluate them, giving important information on the interest of the students, and the skills they reached, and on the needs of the teachers.In the same way, the realization of different products concerning the mentioned topics allowed the students to know better their region. The schedule of the mobilities and programmed activities have been respected.This project became not only the project of students with their families and teachers involved but also the project of each school. All the hosted families contributed to the success of the project and they aroused the curiosity of the other families who gave their availability for future projects.
The social networks like FB and Whatshapp have allowed to keep in touch, to have permanent contact, to create new links, strong friendships among the students the teachers and the families. The official website of the project, the blogs or website of each school have been important to illustrate to all the stakeholders the progress of the project.
The project also had official moments, all the partners were received by the municipal authorities The activities realized concerned: creation of official logos, official webpages, video presentations about important bridges of each country, language tutorial,videos about the most important festivals and about famous personalities, videos about the representation of an artwork, comic strips, videos about traditional food.
Concerning the teachers, they were both observers and protagonists, Indeed, during the mobilities, they attended lessons independently of the taught subject, they themselves worked with the classes of the different partner countries using English language . The taught subjects were: Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, English, Economics, Art History, Greek, Lithuanian. All these activities were followed by a moment of discussion concerning the teaching techniques, the instruments used, the motivation of the students.Throughout the project, the partners discovered that technological tools could also be used to favour the interest of weaker students and , in general, lessons were no longer frontal;students became the protagonists of their knowledge by conducting research, collaborating with their peers, sharing their discoveries.The impact of the project has been very significant. The students have improved their language skills in English and their knowledge about other European countries as underlined in the tests before and after the mobilities; they learned through workshops to appreciate the values of the European Union, to promote solidarity, to fight against racism and intolerance; students with economical and/or educational difficulties had the opportunity to move and to improve their own motivation. Students and teachers implemented together their knowledge about new educational programs and they opened their mind to new way of living and fostered the curiosity about different cultures.
Teachers involved in the project spoke and wrote constantly in English and some teachers improved their competences, so that some of them got a B2 certificate after following an English course. All teachers used new technologies and created digital materials on websites and platforms transferring all what they acquired in their everyday lessons and sharing it with other colleagues.
In order to disseminate the ideas of the project, in every country the school community was informed through meetings, conferences, video presentations and other. Many products have been realized as leaflets, posters, pens with the logo of the project… In Greece an olive tree was planted as a souvenir of the project and as a symbol ofour awareness of European identity, that has grown in all participants and will grow stronger and stronger with deep roots throughout time and barriers.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 91775 Eur

Project Coordinator

I.E.S. Valentín Turienzo & Country: ES

Project Partners

• 2 GENIKO LIKIO HORTIATI
• Kedainiu rajono Krakiu Mikalojaus Katkaus gimnazija
• ISTITUTO DI ISTRUZIONE SUPERIORE ERASMO DA ROTTERDAM