NachHALTigkeit bestimmt unser Leben – unsere private Entscheidungen, die Firmenkultur, das gesellschaftliches Handeln und unser lebenslanges Lernen Erasmus Project

Project Title

NachHALTigkeit bestimmt unser Leben – unsere private Entscheidungen, die Firmenkultur, das gesellschaftliches Handeln und unser lebenslanges Lernen

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: Energy and resources; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Reading skills and the reading comprehension of texts are two basic qualifications that are essential for success in school. This is not only important in languages but also in nearly all other subjects as texts are very often the basis of teaching. Nowadays students’ problems concerning these two basic qualifications have been steadily increasing. This development is, on the one hand, based on the students’ rising reluctance to read books as well as the extensive usage of digital media. On the other hand it is sometimes the result of poor language skills of people with a migrant background. Their language acquisition sometimes is partially incomplete and they drift away from the learning process and the aspect of lifelong learning due to negative feedback (poor marks, no apprenticeship or training).

One aim of the project was to focus on effective teaching methods (how a text can be read or cooperative learning). With these methods the students were able to participate in class and they were enabled to extend their language skills. We linked this methodological approach with the topic of sustainability. In the course of the project the students realized that, in every social context, sustainability is the guiding principle. Therefore we examined personal decisions as well as the social context. Furthermore, we paid special attention to companies: how do they deal with sustainability and what have they done so far. Our pupils – at the threshold of their professional life – realized that also as employees they are confronted with sustainability.

With chosen aspects of sustainability we concentrated on the primary areas of the participating schools and/ or their closeness to different kinds of companies:
Palffy Miklos Kereskedelmi Szakkepzö Iskola Györ (Hungary) – food/ trade
Fachschule für Mode der Stadt Wien (Austria) – textile/ fashion
Aron Tamasi Gymnasium Odorheiu Secuiesc (Romania) – building/ living
Robert-Schuman-Berufskolleg Essen (Germany) – electronical equipment/ energy

In between every teaching and learning activity (TLA), the pupils and teachers worked together on factual issues. These results were put into presentations (homework) via informative texts, power point presentations or video clips. Furthermore, teaching materials with ‘cooperative learning’ methods were developed. To assure that all participating schools have a common methodological basis, the project started with a transnational teacher conference. At that time a workshop about reading techniques and cooperative learning took place.

The presentation of the different homeworks, the testing of the created teaching materials in international groups as well as the resulting evaluation were the key aspects of the transnational teaching and learning activities. Furthermore, depending on the focus of our host schools, we visited at least one company.

The 5 TLA’s were about:
1. Sustainability as basis for our behaviour – current subjects discussed in the participating countries
2. How do political decisions affect our individual decisions?
3. How do our personal decisions make an impact on available resources?
4. How does sustainability show in a company’s culture?
5. How does sustainability dictate the social/political action on a macroeconomic scale?

In the course of the project a workbook was developed (printed, on DVD or as download from the project website www.nachhaltigkeit-lernen.eu). The workbook is structured as follows: firstly, according to the professional focus of each participating school and secondly, according to the topics of the 5 TLA’s. With each chapter there are precise examples for the methological implementation in class. This way other teachers have quick and easy access to the topics and to the methodology.

Sustainability is a topic in many syllabuses. Therefore the workbook will be a great help for many colleagues. Moreover, it is a topic further generations will have to deal with and that is why the workbook can be used for many years. Our vision is that the workbook will be used as a “dynamic book” in many schools, i.e. new working materials regarding this topic will be collected in this book.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 133185 Eur

Project Coordinator

Robert-Schuman-BK-Essen & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Fachschule für Mode der Stadt Wien
• Robert-Schuman-Institut
• Györi Szolgáltatási SZC Pálffy Miklós Kereskedelmi és Logisztikai Szakgimnáziuma és Szakközépiskolája
• Liceul Teoretic Tamasi Aron Odorheiu Secuiesc