The Magic of Sound Erasmus Project

Project Title

The Magic of Sound

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Natural sciences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

The partners are four grammar schools from Germany (Neusäß), Romania (Arad), United Kingdom (Plymouth) and Croatia (Zagreb), among the best in their countries.
Under the name “The Magic of Sound” we created teaching/learning materials which make education more interesting for all, even for less motivated students with lower achievement. The materials come from the existing curricula of all participating schools, so they are applicable in different EU countries, independent of their school systems. They are shared on a broad base and we hope that they will be further developed.
As ICT has a great potential in enrichment of ways of teaching and learning and making them more efficient, we enhanced digital integration in learning and teaching in general.
Sound as a topic (our choice) can be perfectly integrated in the subject curricula of physics, mathematics, music, languages, biology, history and psychology in all four countries. Our organizing the sub-topics in four groups around the main subjects (Magic of Music, Sounds in Nature, Sounds of Europe, Theory of Sound) allows us to establish a good basis for the exemplary interdisciplinary teaching. Finally, we show some techniques and examples to recombine the materials and give the teaching an arbitrary context, according to teacher’s wishes and student needs. Magic arises from sudden understanding of apparently totally different points of view, all describing the same thing and presenting the same truth but only when put together inevitably giving deeper insight. The activities are so designed that even prejudices about physics and mathematics being absolutely rational can be broken as they are connected to emotional experience.
The point of the project is not only to give strategies of teaching to reach the objectives in all covered subject, but more to present strategies how to give simultaneously our students deeper insight in the global image and provide them with the tools to interconnect their knowledge and apply it in different fields, which is still one of the biggest problems in education.
Each context was approached through the same implementation phases. In each phase we organized particular learning activities which helped in gathering corresponding knowledge and skills to be used. In Zagreb the curricula and strategies were examined in more details, the necessary ICT knowledge was exchanged and acquired, academic honesty was discussed. In Plymouth the communication skills were discussed in more details, using different media to communicate and collaborate (deepening of ICT skills addressed in Zagreb and solving some problems). The next phase (Neusäß) stressed dispute settling and coordination of ideas, putting ideas together to produce the new quality, going in the direction of interdisciplinary teaching and learning, which was fully addressed in the last such session in Arad.
One part of the learning activities was connected to the collection of materials needed for specific contexts, exploring of cultural differences and similarities and employment possibilities and one part covered general knowledge and skills needed independent on the context. The knowledge and skills acquired in these activities were disseminated, developed and applied in the work according to the project objectives and individual responsibilities at home in individual schools. Also, our activities included visits to relevant institutions, factories and other places of interest, as well as presentations of cultural heritage connected to the project. It allows students to see the opportunities for future employment within the EU in the context and in the same time to realize that being a part of Europe does not mean losing their identity, but can enhance it in positive way.
Evaluation activities were implemented during the project meetings, which were used to discuss, evaluate, modify and finalize the prepared materials. Also, new ideas were born and followed during these activities.
We presented our work at the Section of International Mathematical Conference with the same name in Arad, we had the open professional teacher meeting and the international exhibition “The Magic of Sound” in Zagreb, with promotion of our new methods and materials, and at the end we held the general evaluation and sustainability reflection meeting in Plymouth.
Possible trans-national discussions and exchange of best practice supported not only teachers’ competencies but also their enthusiasm and encourage the further development and implementation of modern, intriguing and innovative teaching/learning methods on all levels. Along with developing skills and competencies, students were motivated to use their imagination in approaching school topics and encouraged to maintain contacts in the intercultural environment. The materials and experiences are included in the taught curricula in our schools and shared on the broad base, which assures the sustainability.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 110457,96 Eur

Project Coordinator

XV. gimnazija & Country: HR

Project Partners

• Colegiul National “Moise Nicoara”
• DEVONPORT HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
• Justus-von-Liebig-Gymnasium