Innovative Schools Together Erasmus Project

Project Title

Innovative Schools Together

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Inclusion – equity; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

According to the recent results of the OECD-PISA tests, the general educational performance level of students in European countries is low to average. The main objective of the partner institutions is to help students maximize their basic skills acquisition by the inclusion of innovative teaching/learning methodologies and ICT in the classroom.

The project objectives:
– to improve the schools’ approaches and teaching methods in key competences education by sharing good practices
– to increase children’s motivation for learning by using technology, theatrical play, outdoor games and board games in teaching and learning process
– to improve teachers’ skills in providing the appropriate, individualized education for children of different learning abilities, social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds
– to achieve better learning outcomes for all pupils in a long-term perspective
– to promote inter-competencies and knowledge

Our project will establish a cooperative partnership of students and teachers from five European partner countries: Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, Croatia and Germany.

The planned activities include:
-learning and teaching about Literacy, Numeracy, Celebrations, Promoting Regions
-development of a Digital Competencies Guide for teachers (Kahoot, Plickers, QR Codes, Robotics, Pod Casts, Storyboard, Padlet, Zoom, KineMaster
-active participation in a number of classes of different subjects
-learning common phrases of the languages of the partners and their cultural heritage within the context of multilingualism and multiculturalism

METHODOLOGY:
The partner schools cooperated in order to exchange good practices and applied new teaching approaches and methodologies that improved basic skills acquisition and development. The partnership project was pupil and teacher-oriented; it applied “learning by doing” instead of traditional lessons, task-based and formal/informal learning, transversal and life skills contribution and practice of innovative methods of teaching: use of reality, ICT, eTools and Media, blended learning, group work and peer work with attention of mixing different learning levels.
Five LTTs gave students and teachers the opportunity to work together at transnational level, improve key competencies and develop teaching skills.
Intensive training courses were held by teachers who werer experts in ICT specific programs, software and Media.

RESULTS
Qualitative:
-pupils abilities to apply knowledge to practice were improved
-students developed emotional and social competences
-students broadened their knowledge about the European regions
-pupils developed life and transversal skills
-teachers enhanced their professional development

Quantitative:
We have created:
-a portfolio of educational material and teaching/ learning guidance through practice in digital and paper work. Also, we gained knowledge of the 5 regions that participated in the project.
-a collection of Literacy activities
-traditions and legends from the 5 countries in paper and digital form
-a collection of Numeracy Activities
-Board Games: Numeracy Games, Outdoor Games, Geography Games, Coding Games.
-a collection of special days: International Day for Tolerance, International Day of People with Disabilities, Book Day, Earth Day, Europe Day, A local Day
-a tourist guide and DVD guide presentation of the 5 cities
-a recipe book with local specialties
-a Digital Competencies Guide Book with the digital tools used in the lessons and project activities
-a compilation of lesson plans
-an evaluation among parents, students and teachers who participated in the project
-Twinspace for our project
-Facebook group page
-Project website www.innovativeschoolstogethererasmus.eu

According to the results of the project evaluation, the project had a high impact on pupils, teachers, parents and other stakeholders at local/regional/national/transnational level. Students acquired knowledge and understanding about the partners’ countries/regions and learned how to make school learning applicable and meaningful to their everyday life. By working together with their European peers they improved collaborative skills and became more flexible in adopting new learning methodologies and techniques. All the activities and their results were being constantly communicated to the local press, respective stakeholders and students’ parents.

LONG-TERM BENEFITS:
Pupils became more responsible for making decisions that affect their own life in present and future; the level of educational achievement increased; the quality of education improved; the Digital Guide Book is a tool available for teachers to enrich their teaching methodologies, techniques and skills; the tourist guide and the video guide are useful tools of interest to the wider community.

Project Website

http://www.innovativeschoolstogethererasmus.eu

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 121996 Eur

Project Coordinator

Lykavittos K.A Elementary School & Country: CY

Project Partners

• Istituto Comprensivo Martin Luther King
• Eb1/PE Visconde Cacongo
• Brecht Schule Hamburg GmbH
• I. OSNOVNA SKOLA VARAZDIN