Now it’s my turn – interaction skills as a basis for participation and inclusion Erasmus Project

Project Title

Now it’s my turn – interaction skills as a basis for participation and inclusion

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Access for disadvantaged; Disabilities – special needs; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

The project “Now it’s my turn-interaction skills as basis for participation and inclusion” was based on an existing school partnership between Alfred-Delp-Schule in Hamm, Germany and Southfield School in Bradford, UK. After the conclusion of the preceding main topic, the examination of possibilities for transitioning from school to work life, the obtained insights led to the need to concentrate on communication and interaction abilities of the students for a more successful participation in society.
Both participating schools were special needs schools that are specialized on learning disabilities. All participating students therefore had special educational needs in the development of their cognitive abilities. Consequently, all students had, besides the learning difficulties and further sensorial or motorial handicaps, additional problems in their communicational skills. Part of that is the ability of reading body language and understanding communicational content.
Our project did not focus on changing social parameters for a successful participation, but on imparting communicational and interactional skills to empower the individual student for a more successful participation in society.
The exchange of good practise served as a platform to get information on how students with mental disabilities could be enabled to have positive and productive interaction. Therefore, the focus of this project was on the empowerment of persons with mental disabilities and not on developing general parameters.
Two important fields of social interaction were focused during the two project parts. Those were related and consecutive. As planned the direct and interpersonal interaction was focused first. The participating students acted in a theatre play, interpreted facial expression and gestures, and found common ground in partaking in joined activities in both countries. Based on this, the handling of information and communication technology was focused in the second project part. All our students have access to new media and use it in different ways, but the proper use of devices and software was challenging in a lot of ways. They learned how to take pictures, to shoot videos, to edit them and to use various software and apps as well as dealing with social networks in a safe and reasonable way. Admittedly there are text-to-speech functions and websites in simple language by now. Those are great opportunities for people with mental disabilities, but they are still just parameters for easier access to information and are not capable to empower a person to improve their interactional skills or competence in utilization. Again, in exchange of good practice the possibilities of teaching skills for a secure interaction and communication on the internet were compared.
Both project parts were focused in overall three short-term students exchanges and one short-term staff training for each project part. Deviating from the original planning, the last transnational meeting had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19pandemic. In collaboration with external cooperation partners the thematisation of both topics, the direct and the digital communication, were focused during the staff trainings. Central point of the project was the agreement to continue to work on the project contents between the actual meetings.
Overall, 66 participants attended the project meetings, including 14 accompanying persons. A few of the participants attended more than once.
The results of the project were revised and newly written curricula as well as the media concept, the development of presentations for the safe usage of social networks and the internet by the students and the implementation of themed parents’ evenings. Furthermore, methods and media for a systematic addressing of this topic in class were contemplated.
As anticipated, the project had the intended impact on the participants as well as the involved schools and further institutions. For the students this means especially a strengthened confidence and self-awareness. The participants learned that there are people with disabilities in other countries who are faced with similar challenges and difficulties than themselves. In consequence the consciousness for being a part of Europe could be enhanced. The students had and still have a great enthusiasm for Bradford and the students exchange, which is noticeable in the entire school community and results in a deep interest in foreign languages and trips abroad.
Students are more capable to assess their competences realistically and have more confidence, even in unclear situations. This is noticeable in school routine as well as in extracurricular situations. On part of the teachers an altered view on the students and their use of digital media is noticeable. They have more confidence in their students, so that the development of new skills increasingly came into focus. Furthermore, an increased use of digital media in lessons can be seen.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 75625 Eur

Project Coordinator

Alfred-Delp-Schule & Country: DE

Project Partners

• The Southfield Grange Trust