The digital world seems global and uniform with the young generation as its confident native inhabitants mastering the rules and regulations, technology and skills. However, the reality presents itself differently in school life challenging this perception. Being able to share photos, chat and tweet does not seem to imply being inherently able to use ICT tools effectively or safely for learning, nor even for entertainment, as teachers have witnessed on many occasions at school and as reports of cases of fraud and abuse in social media testify. Fundamentally, the process of growing up as human beings remains the same in this day and age as before. Young people are possibly perhaps even more insecure of themselves in this image-conscious era where one’s photos and thoughts can be commented on effortlessly world-wide in a matter of seconds.Young people are not the only ones affected by the digital era - it also poses challenges for teachers. The concept of knowledge, the theories of learning, the roles of learners and teachers are changing. Curricula and methods are being reformed all over Europe as schools try to adjust to the needs presented by this development. Thus, three secondary schools across Europe, Nurmeksen lukio in Nurmes, Finland, Crickhowel High School in Crickhowell, Powys, Wales in the UK and BG/BRG Klosterneuburg in Klosterneuburg, Austria formed a partnership to equip their students with both roots and wings to survive in the modern world. Altogether, 87 students (aged 16 - 19) and 9 teachers will be working on the project for two years. They will collaborate both online and in real life in three student meetings and two teachers' meetings.The project ‘Roots and wings – survival skills in the digital world’ has three main aims. Firstly, we aim to enable our students to better understand their identity and appreciate their background and cultural heritage. Secondly, we want to equip them with skills needed in the modern world. We wish to encourage students to be responsible, show initiative and take charge of their lives. This will be done by adopting a learner-centred approach and applying principles of phenomenon-based learning and team learning. We will work on three phenomena: 1) digital literacy, 2) identity, health and wellbeing and 3) higher education. By using various digital tools and collaborating online, we will learn how to behave responsibly and effectively in the digital world. And thirdly, we as teachers will also be learners in this project and learn from each other and students as we try out new pedagogical methods and tools. To understand one’s own background, it is useful to be able to compare and contrast it to others’ and that is why we formed this transnational network of partners. By comparing and contrasting cultures, we will also find what unites us as Europeans. In this age of economic uncertainty and increased migration it is vital to discuss why the European Union is important even to people in its border regions and in its very centre. A transnational cooperation will also highlight the importance of learning foreign languages and show that learning languages is about much more than learning vocabulary and grammar.As a result we aim to produce a website full of information for other young people wanting to discover the meaning of their roots and gaining wind beneath their wings: eg. how to be digitally literate, how to assess the validity of online sources of information, how to behave responsibly in the social media, how find and finance higher education, and other vital life skills such as how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, how to examine and strengthen one's own identity and how it can be represented through various forms of art. Another important result is aimed at educators struggling with the demands of modern society and the need to revise pedagogics. The teachers taking part in this project shall share their experiences of guiding and mentoring students both nationally and transnationally according to the principles of phenomenon-based learning and team learning. This collaboration will thus be a testing ground for the renewing curricula in partner countries hoping to establish viable working methods that shall live on even after the project itself has finished. The change from teacher-led activities to a more learner-centred approach allows educators to support the independence and life skills of our students, so that they can tackle the issues they face in this modern, digital age knowing who they are and where they come from. Thus, equip them with both roots and wings.It is also hoped that this project will be a start of continued collaboration not only among three partner schools but also among the young citizens of three European countries.
The students – the digital natives – are bored because they have to work with old-fashioned tools and archaic methods. They feel anxious and stressed because the future seems uncertain as the world keeps changing unpredictably. Teachers – the digital immigrants - are stressed because the new technology and tech-savvy students overwhelm them. They are lonely because they feel they are the only ones struggling with these issues. Surely there must be something that can be done about it? What are the survival skills in the digital world? This is what three secondary schools across Europe wanted to find out: Nurmeksen lukio from Nurmes, Finland, Crickhowell High School from Crickhowell, Powys, Wales, the UK and BG/BRG Klosterneuburg, from Klosterneuburg, Austria formed a partnership. Altogether, 60 students (aged 15 - 18) and 7 teachers collaborated both online and in real life to tackle these issues in 2016 - 2018. This myth busting rescue mission started by promising students and teachers a chance to try out modern pedagogical methods and new digital tools in a calm and supportive atmosphere. It promised to show how people from opposite corners of Europe can collaborate and learn from one another. The project was named ‘Roots and wings – survival skills in the digital world’ because, firstly, we aimed to enable our students to appreciate their roots, to better understand their identity and cultural heritage, and secondly, we wanted to provide wind underneath their wings by equipping them with information and skills needed in the digital, multicultural modern world. We adopted a learner-centred approach and applied principles of phenomenon-based learning and team learning to be able to encourage students to be responsible, show initiative and take charge of their lives. We focused on three phenomena: 1) digital literacy, 2) identity, health and wellbeing and 3) higher education. First, students investigated each topic from a national perspective and created presentations on their findings. During this phase they already were in contact with the other partners via Twinspace and Skype. They then travelled to meet with the others. The preparatory tasks formed a starting point for a week’s activities. The host students had planned a programme full of workshops, excursions and various other activities related to the topic. The tangible results of the project range from artistic interpretations of identity in the digital age and investigations on fake news to new European recipes and fitness videos, all of which are presented on the project’s Twinspace platform. By using various digital tools and collaborating online, the students learned how to behave responsibly and effectively in the digital world. By comparing and contrasting cultures, the student learned to appreciate their own background and to see what united them as Europeans. By trying out healthy recipes, mindfulness activities and other methods they gained tools to support their wellbeing. The cross-cultural co-operation improved their interpersonal skills and boosted their self-esteem and self-efficacy. The importance of learning foreign languages was also realized, and how it was about much more than just vocabulary and grammar. The teachers’ role in this project was to guide and support the students when needed. They were able to share their mentoring experiences and learn from each other. The use of digital tools was a learning curve for the teachers as well. This collaboration became a testing ground for the renewing curricula in the partner countries, which is one major long-term benefit of this project. The teachers will continue using the software and applications they found viable. The insights gained trying out new pedagogics boosted the professional development of the teachers. Hopefully the change from teacher-led activities to a more learner-centred approach allows educators to support the independence and life skills of students in future as well, so that they are better able tackle the issues they face in this modern age. The positive learning experiences and fruitful collaboration will continue in the future not only among three partner schools but also among these young citizens of three European countries.