Light My Engine! – Motivating students towards theoretical subjects and study in general as a way to contrast early school leaving (ESL). Erasmus Project

Project Title

Light My Engine! – Motivating students towards
theoretical subjects and study in general as a
way to contrast early school leaving (ESL).

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: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

Light my Engine! is a project whose name recalls the famous Doors’ song “Light My Fire”; its phases are named after the four phases of the four-stroke engine: Intake, Compression, Power and Exhaust. This because its main topic is obviously the engine meant as the mechanical device that makes a car move but also because we want it to be a metaphorical engine able to light the fire of our students’ curiosity and interest for subjects that they usually consider worthless and boring, such as History, Literature, English and Physics.
Our project is, therefore, focused on trying to tightly link these theoretical key subjects to the vocational ones as much as possible through interdisciplinary approach, use of technology and cooperation with foreign partners so as to show their importance and relevance to our students and to make them more motivating and stimulating in their eyes.
This, in turn, should lead the students to commit more and to find satisfaction in their results therefore increasing their self-esteem and competence in crucial subjects and combating early school leaving and failure in general in the long term. This will also lead the teachers to find more satisfaction in their job as they will sense it as more useful and fulfilling.
Other objectives of the project are:
– improvement in the English language (vocabulary, listening, writing, reading and speaking);
– deepening of the knowledge in History, Art and Literature;
– increase in scientific competences;
– improvement in digital competences (including the use of programmes such as Auto Cad and 3D printer softwares as well as other programmes such as PowerPoint and similar).
– development of social skills through cooperation and team work, also in a multicultural context;
– raising of an environmental consciousness and of critical thinking;
– development of entrepreneurial competence;
– widening of our students’ cultural horizons.
The students participating in the project will be 12 for each partner school, from 16 to 17 years old (specializing in Mechanics/Mechatronics).
Of these 12 students taking part in the preparatory phases, 6 will participate in the first mobility and the other 6 will be involved in the second one.
Two of the 12 students will be chosen among those with learning or social difficulties.
The students will carry out the different planned tasks of the project during one two-hour extracurricular lesson a week; they will then participate in the three mobilities during which they will be accompanied by 2 teachers.
They will be selected on the basis of their grades, of a motivational letter and of their behaviour and personality since they need to be interested, reliable, open-minded and with good social skills.
The project will be structured as follows:
– PREPARATION PHASE (10/2019): Creation of an E-Twinning space and of a website where to upload the produced materials and where both teachers and students will be able to get in contact with each others; exchange of e-mails and/or Skype calls among the partners.
– INTAKE (10/2019): Research on the history of the engine trying to connect it with History in general, Literature and Art. The film “Race the sun” and the documentary “Who killed the electric car?” will be watched. The students will work in groups and produce a Powerpoint presentation in English outlining the history of the engine as they have researched and studied it.
Production of an audio-guide in English and of video tutorials in English for the second and third phases of the project.
– INTAKE MOBILITY TO CROATIA (12/2019): Oral presentations on the history and evolution of the engine through time and quiz in teams (using Kahoot).
Selection and preparation of some of the contents for the final exhibition. First phase of the design of the parts of the scale prototype (using Auto Cad).
– COMPRESSION (01/2020): Production and construction of the parts of a scale prototype of an ultra-low consumption vehicle (using 3D printing) following video tutorials in English created by the Spanish students and teachers.
– COMPRESSION MOBILITY TO SPAIN (04/2020): exchange of ideas and advice on the ongoing work. Participation in Mechanics and Physics workshops.
– POWER (05/2020): POWER: Debate on environmental issues and on pros and cons of ultra-low consumption vehicles; production of a commercial.
– POWER MOBILITY TO ITALY (10/2020): evaluation of the best commercials and organization of the final exhibition. Assembling and testing of the prototype.
– EXHAUST: FEEDBACK AND DISSEMINATION (12/2020): Questionnaires about the experience for the students and the teachers.
Dissemination of the results of the project with final exhibition and through the website. Organization of conferences and meetings with other schools and organizations to spread and share the project’s results and accomplishments.
This project will surely have a positive impact on the participants but also on the school community in general.

Project Website

https://sites.google.com/view/ka229-light-my-engine/main-page

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 51440 Eur

Project Coordinator

ISTITUTO ISTRUZIONE SUPERIORE B.PADOVANO & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Strukovna skola Durdevac
• IES La Marxadella