Slowing down – a new face of European education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Slowing down – a new face of European education

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Research and innovation

Project Summary

Six different schools from Europe found education frustrating, overloaded and tending to give uncreative and unlimited amount of homework, tests or grading. That tendency was shown by students and their parents who first gave as a sign by official disapproval of traditional school curricula. We created project goals showing respect to local communities and being convinced that curricula or approaches in teaching should have been changed to give practical knowledge instead of constant grading. We dealt with problems, searched for alternative methods, observed and systematically measured our progress. Teachers who still feel that new face of European education lays in moderating methods, thanks to international cooperation learnt to reduce stress, focused on individuals, discovering talents and healthy life style. We believe that teachers are important and very first step to alter curriculum.Thus, there were two trainings directly for 16 teachers who familiarised with alternative methods, refreshed their approaches, collaborated and analysed own workshops to sum it up in handbooks “Motivation plus, stress minus” or ‘Crumb Notebook’. Our project was a two-year research where we could study together as teachers and students to identify negative stress factors, decrease them, emphasise important aspects to live healthier, with better understanding quality of relations among people and fostering social integration. Project idea was also big social inclusion so we encouraged students with fewer opportunities, lower results or just physically weaker.To achieve above results we provided all activities in countries according to their specific or experience. In Turkey we explored traditional arts, took part in alternative workshops slowing down our life or representing joy of simple life. We settled examples of spending time among instead of rush or silent staying at home in front of digital devices. Greece helped us in comprehending life in a big city where we usually do not recognise its beauty or do not have time for it. Understanding own ‘Slowing down’ rules, exploring our senses and reading history in Thessaloniki pointed to better perception without negative stress effects. We believe that setting positive examples of spending time actively, sharing with others will have big impact for our condition, curiosity and deeper bond with people.To prove our theory, we conducted numerous activities, collaborated giving chance to respect each other, but also to have fun, find different hobbies, passion. After research in local societies, interviews with third generation, students travelled in time in Poland to get to know popular ‘Games from the Past’, their meanings, rules. They used imagination to create own game, prepared ‘Time Travellers’ comic book. Excellent chance to chill out, defeat stress was camping in Portugal, designed to find harmony with nature, understand its mechanism and have live Biology, Geography, Art or PE lessons.Benefits from that activity, ‘Happy Life’ photo album and every day blog style ‘Camp diary’ evaluated our objectives and level of satisfaction. Latvian team even with the meeting online, showed us perception of different sounds around us where participants made their own relaxing soundtrack and ‘Mandala Book’. In Italy the focus was on nutritious Slow Food and ‘Grannies Recipes’. We shared joyful meals to live happier and healthier. In whole project participated similar number of students and teachers that is about 24 students and 18 teachers from every school who took part at courses abroad. Additionally, project involved all school society during meeting in institution which organised activities. Potential benefit group was approximately 5000 European citizens. We implemented regular video project meetings, with some use of eTwinning, Padlet. Our group implemented numerous diversified methods to ensure the best process of receiving not only theory but also knowledge for potential long-life results for beneficent. Main impact was pointing valid problem for the biggest group of respondents, including Ministry of Education, local societies and involving our elaborated methods, approaches that allow to reduce stress in education. Our final result ‘Anti-stress Guidebook’ was systematically created within 23 months by all of partners who presented their best practise and alternative, creative methods to slow down life, change learn-teach approach and worked out methods to change education. Project extended in many ways, one of them is Slow Down App that also sums up our ideas giving daily challenges to enjoy life and feel less stressed. After two years of intense work, involving six nationalities, it was gratifying to be able to experience not only other realities, but also to see the enthusiasm of the participants involvement, their commitment to achieve all tasks and a pleasure to study together. usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1Euir99dywwFGt8sj_ouRZoYbt0wdY1bn/view?usp=sharing

Project Website

http://www.slowdown.fun

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 166129,6 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zespol Szkolno-Przedszkolny im. Czeslawa Milosza w Siemianicach & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas Emídio Navarro
• Blidenes pamatskola
• OPET TARIHE SAYGI ORTAOKULU
• 9th gymnasio Kalamarias
• I.T. Giordani-Striano