‘Simple steps, endless possibilities.’ Erasmus Project

Project Title

‘Simple steps, endless possibilities.’

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: Pedagogy and didactics; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

There has been an increased focus on improving Early Childhood Education at European Level due to this stage of education being identified as a key to success and fulfillment in later life. Therefore, improving the quality of teaching and learning in early years and pre-school education by developing the skills of those involved in providing such education is paramount in achieving excellence in education and increasing the participation rates of children.
The aim of the project is ultimately to let teachers reflect in order to ask themselves significant questions on life in the community, the relationships with other people and with diversity, the knowledge about themselves, the acceptance of shared rules, the respect of the environment, the management of emotions and conflicts and the need of taking decisions in difficult situations.
The project key objectives are:
* Improving outcomes by developing new learning methods and strategies through sharing of practice between the schools in the partnership
* Develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning
* Developing collaboration and cooperation to support teaching and learning in school in early childhood education
* Improving teaching and learning by raising staff expertise and competences within a European context
* Share existing pedagogical methods across the partnership and outside the partnership
* Understand the learning process by a implementing a detailed collection of the process through a detailed documentation
The target group of the project is staff and learners in early years and preschool education (age range: 3-6 years old).
Through collaboration and sharing of good practice, the project aims to develop and enhance the understanding of how children think, learn, collaborate with their peers and become resilient learners. Ultimately, the project foresees a better understanding of how to implement strategies that explicitly promotes metacognition skills and how staff and educator can support learning to ensure all children are fully integrated into education and better prepared for compulsory education.
The project will achieve this by implementing a strategy that foresees:
* In school research on interaction between adult and children and between adult to adult and children and children (schools will be conducting simultaneous projects which are child-led activities and through the use of observational strategies to identify learning processes that can be evaluated in order to better understand how to support children’s learning and development and increase their participation)
* 3 Join staff training events (3 across the lengths of the project in 3 different countries – UK, IT, SE)- attended by 20 staff from the 3 countries in addition to local staff from the hosting schools
* In schools training to cascade learning to other staff (3 events in each school after each joint staff training)
* 2 International Partnership meetings (Italy and UK- One at the beginning of the project and 1 at the end of the project)
* Development of teaching guidelines to document the project processes ( this will be part of the documentation of work in school and linked to the research aspects)
* Dissemination activities which include a project website, projects newsletters, project flyers, social media
The project will generate a number of outcomes:
Improve the provision for our pupils and improve the teaching and learning through an active research and internationalisation plan that supports the development of skills and expertise.
Developed outstanding teaching and learning practices across our school
Enhanced pedagogy in teaching creatively both indoor and outdoor
Enhanced ability to work collaboratively within a European context
Developed an innovate and lead by example
Enthused staff and pupils
Raised levels of competencies across a range of audiences
Enhanced cultural understanding
Raised skills levels of educators across different stages
Sharing good practice
Better understanding of creative methods
An increased awareness of the culture and languages of other countries
Increased level of understanding of teaching techniques and methods
Increase in teachers’ confidence, expertise and knowledge
Understanding of educational systems in other countries
Enhanced leadership skills at European level and an increased ability to work collaboratively with partners in Europe.
The education is based on the children’s world of experience, interests, motivation and drive to seek knowledge. Children seek and conquer knowledge through play, social interaction, exploration and creation, but also by observing, talking and reflecting. With a thematic approach, children’s learning can become versatile and coherent. Ultimately, the project will impact at various levels from staff to pupils and it will improve the skills of those engaged in teaching and learning in education, which in turn will provide scope for changes directly into the wider community.

Project Website

https://simplesteps.edublogs.org/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 40100 Eur

Project Coordinator

Short Wood Primary School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Jungs friskola ekonomisk forening
• Scuola d’infanzia comunale Forghieri