Signs of the times Erasmus Project

Project Title

Signs of the times

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: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Our topic of interest was the youth in the hinterlands of the EU and their experience of the surrounding world and how to (re)present it (Signs!).

The aim of the project was to study current issues in Europe with special emphasis on current topics in media. The tools were planned to be writing (genre pedagogy), art in its various forms, for example photography, short films, animation and PhotoVoice™.

There were four participating (upper) secondary schools from four European countries: Forssan yhteislyseo, Finland (an upper secondary school with 540 students, aged 16-19, and 30 teachers), Bernstorff – Gymnasium , Germany (all fields of secondary education inc. with 920 students and 70 teachers), Liceul de arte vizuale ‘Romulus Ladea’, Romania (a public vocational school with 480 students, aged 10-18) and NGHNI ‘Konstantin Preslavski’, Bulgaria (a national high school of humanity and arts with 1536 students, aged 10-18, and 135 teachers). Each school involved was responsible for teaching a tool and then it was put into action also in other schools, in between LTT`s.

The background of the project methodology and themes lies in the present curricula In Finland, and especially so in phenomenon based learning which brings different school subjects together to study the same topic. We wanted to test it in an international environment.

Fake news and the importance of media literacy. We wanted to show our students why media literacy is so important in our Europe/world in transit. In practice, they learnt how to recognize a piece of fake news.

Media skills, creating a video film and a journalistic text. Our goal was to influence the youngsters not only as consumers of media but also as producers of content.

The theme Hinterlands arose from urbanization which takes place all over Europe. Young people move to big cities and small rural communities are deserted. Therefore, it was of our interest to help the youngsters to see the special quality of these places hinterland.

In addition, our goal was empowering youth from local communities by making them produce content in and on media and take over their world instead of somebody else setting the focus on what is important and calls for attention.

Pedagogical results are as follows.

The main method of teaching was phenomenon/problem-based learning, which we were able to test in practice for three years. We found the risks and critical points in the process. The method of PhotoVoice™ was tested, as was producing and publishing an e-magazine.

Concrete results are as follows.

Short films which were produced throughout the whole project. Photo exhibitions, Photo replica in Romania and Hinterlands Photo Shoot in Finland, were both thematic exhibitions. Animations which were produced in two countries, Romania and Bulgaria. Students’ digital portfolios. E-publication.

Participants’ profile.

From 15- to 19-year-old European students. These youngsters live in different parts of Europe and come from apparently different societies but they are united by an identical media world.

Activities implemented during the project (both in and between LTTs) are as follows.

Germany: Short film workshop

Romania: PhotoVoice™ Photography workshop, short film workshop

Bulgaria: Film workshop based on folk lore, animation workshop

Finland: Lecture on media criticism, Hinterlands Photography workshop and e-portfolio workshop

Between the LTTs we shot a short film based on folk lore, wrote texts for the e-magazine, discussed the project themes on eTwinning platform.

The results and impact on students:

The European identity of the youth grew stronger, they were able to look at their home region with different eyes. Their role as an agent in media was strengthened. Their self-esteem got higher when working in an international environment.

The digital skills in filming and photography got stronger since they were making films, drama and animation throughout the whole project.

Their role of an active citizen grew stronger, too, because the method of PhotoVoice™ made them reflect on the problems in their own society/environment and solutions to them. Not so media sexy topics such as drugs arose in the process.

Through working on portfolios their comprehension of entities and phenomena got deeper, their self-esteem got higher and they were being empowered.

Through the theme Hinterlands they could see their environment with different eyes. Still another Hinterlands photography workshop was organized in Romania after LTT4.

The results and impact on teachers:

Testing a new teaching method and conclusions drawn from it. Discussions and peer evaluation in informal situations, and in teachers’ meetings more officially. This project also initiated another further application in Finland and Spain, which, however, was not funded.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 125338,26 Eur

Project Coordinator

Forssan yhteislyseo & Country: FI

Project Partners

• LICEUL DE ARTE VIZUALE ROMULUS LADEA
• Bernstorff – Gymnasium Satrup
• SU za HNI “Konstantin Preslavski”