Responsible Future Learners Erasmus Project

Project Title

Responsible Future Learners

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 2020

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

Responsible Future Learners -project aims at active participation of the pupils by teaching important skills and attitudes. We want to offer our pupils a possibility to improve these skills with their European peers and help them understand the importance of collaboration. On the background we follow the idea of sustainability in the widest possible way. We’re not thinking only environmentally, but also socially and behavior wise.

We live in a world with unimpeded access to digital information and experiences. New technology changes the way we live and work. Our pupils have grown to a globalized and knowledge-based world and are able to use digital tools, sometimes better than adults. Instead, they need guidance in critical thinking on how to process and create new information. This project enables teachers to update their ICT skills and pupils to use digital tools in an intelligent way. An important aspect is how to behave in virtual reality. Digital behavior is a part of the curriculum in our countries and emphasizes that it´s important to behave socially, ethically and critically in the virtual reality.

We often talk about individuality as being descriptive for our time and age: the me-generation and the lack of capability to relate to others. At the same time our pupils are protesting against climate change. On one side we have an active and aware generation and on the other the very same children have difficulties in showing consideration for others. Building identity in an inconstant world is a challenge; a challenge we have to deal with not only by ourselves, but also in co-operation with others. Our pupils have to learn to take leadership of their own lives before they’re able to sincerely relate to others. Collaboration is an angle we wish to be very visible throughout the whole project. Working together with others is an important skill for present and future learners – growing up as both individuals and global citizens.

According to studies, the pupil’s reading skills are decreasing in all our countries. Written word has to compete with Netflix, Snapchat, etc. and the time is not used for reading anymore. At the same time some would say that the world of books does not offer the same kind of rewards as the digital, and children tend to back off when there’s no dopamine rush.

Many countries in the world take democracy for granted. Even in our little group the history of our democracies is fairly new for some. Democracy can be hard work and very time consuming, but it’s the only way. As schools we’re obliged to pass on the democratic values and attempt that pupils get familiar with the thoughts and terminology, but also that we give them possibility ‘to live’ democracy.

By training teachers we can offer instruction of high standard and ensure that the activities will be implemented in all of our schools equally. Almost 100 trained teachers and teaching assistants will share their knowledge with thousands of pupils in our schools. We have planned four themes/semesters for practicing the relevant skills:

1. ICT-tools and techniques for learning:
We will learn from each other and get ideas on how to implement various programs and tools to optimize teaching in general. The teachers will be capable of using and instructing all the necessary ICT tools and eTwinning and the ICT skills of the pupils will improve. The pupils will learn critical thinking about digital world and how to behave respectfully.

2. From SoMe to SoUs:
The project aims at increasing collaboration between pupils in their own schools and their European peers. The pupils and teachers will be able to use eTwinning for communicating. Collaboration in this project will be between classmates, groups in the school, groups of students from each country, classes from each country, between teachers and also collaboration with groups of people from outside the schools.

3. Motivation for Reading and Creative Writing:
We aim at improving reading, writing and reading comprehension skills of the pupils.The teachers will learn new tools for creative writing and new ICT skills for enhancing the quality of literacy. This can be achieved by fostering the joy of reading.

4. Pupil Democracy:
The pupils will learn about democratic processes and mindset. They will learn skills how to implement democracy in their own community and at the end of the project produce their own democratic process. This project offers a possibility to improve active participation and understand that we share common concerns all over Europe.

With respect to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the project will be finalized by preparing “The World’s Largest Video” that introduces the democratic processes of each school in one video. This video will be prepared in collaboration and shows the combination of skills and ideas of various pupils in our schools all over Europe.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 120100 Eur

Project Coordinator

Marttilan Koulu & Country: FI

Project Partners

• Zespol Szkol Nr 2
• Bernadotteskolen
• IES BAHIA DE ALGECIRAS
• Hraunvallaskóli