We’ve decided to start the project titled “Through artistic abilities to developed basic skills” because the problem that many of our students have in common is low basic skills in literacy and maths, as it is shown in the diagnosis we run in every participating school (about 113 students with learning difficulties out of 245 diagnosed altogether). Most of these students are also facing many other difficulties, such as: social, as some of them originate from different nations’ minorities, economic, due to the current crisis and unemployment of their families and other, and consequently they are at the risk of social exclusion. That’s why we want to develop our students’ basic skills mostly in literacy and mathematics through multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary methods that involve their artistic abilities in drama, art, music and dance, engaging their natural need for knowledge and fun, with the usage of our national and regional heritage, cultures and traditions. By the planned activities we also wish to prevent their early school leaving. We want to provide the students with an alternative to their everyday lives and leisure activities by their participation in the schools’ and transnational workshops, motivate them to learn not only their national languages but also foreign languages by their practical usage. This experience can have a huge impact on their future labour and career as the active European citizens. Moreover, through this project, we want to share experiences with other teachers from the partners’ schools and learn good practices from each other. What is more, this project gives us the opportunity to promote our national (in the first year) and regional (in the second year) heritage and culture via incorporation of some interesting and useful elements into the workshops’ activities that are devoted to developing students’ basic skills. About 140 students will be directly involved in the project activities together with their 40 teachers. There has already been an e-Twinning project established for students and teachers to cooperate, called "Learning through art, dance and theatre" - 130 students and 6 teachers involved, and our Facebook project group profile will be created. We will organize extracurricular workshops in drama, art, music and dance clubs in each school (2 hours for each club a week – 360 hours of workshops in every school during the whole project) and incorporate the topics and content of them into our everyday school work. We will also organize transnational workshops for the students and teachers – approximately 80 hours altogether: in Greek school “Drama and ancient Greek theatre workshops with the elements of music and art”, Croatian school “Croatian art – straw sculpture, drama and different nations dance workshops”, Slovenian school “Local art in the open air, folk dance and Maths Drama workshops”, Polish school “Local folk art, stand up drama, craftwork, singing and dance workshops”. The main methods used in the project will be: the project method, drama, blended learning methods and other methods used in teaching reading, writing, and maths skills, and also ICT games and resources. We believe that the project will result with better motivated students, who will have better language (including literacy), cooperative, maths and many other skills, students who will be capable to use ICT tools to communicate and cooperate internationally. The final product of the project will be an online guide for other teachers including good practices, successful methods, interesting lesson plans and workshops programmes, which will be available on our schools' websites, on e-Twinning on Facebook, our county Education Offices' webpages and the EU Dissemination Platform. The schools will enrich their offer of new, effective ways and methods. The project will also bring new possibilities for all the stakeholders, such us: further cooperation on e-Twinning or starting a new Erasmus+ project, a long lasting change and progress in students' lives, incorporating those new experiences, ideas, methods and forms brought from the transnational workshops into the schools’ curriculums. We also believe that our project will bring the opportunity for the local authorities to cooperate internationally with each other.
Many of the pupils, in each involved in the project school, showed a low level of basic literacy and mathematics skills in the initial diagnosis (120 pupils out of 245 diagnosed had various difficulties). Most of them also faced many other difficulties: social, economic, family unemployment and other, and they were therefore at risk of social exclusion. That is why we decided to implement the project "Through artistic abilities to developed basic skills". The main objectives of the project were: To develop pupils' basic skills through multi- and interdisciplinary methods, involving their artistic abilities and their natural need for knowledge and play, making use of our national and regional heritage, cultures and traditions. Prevention of early school leaving. Developing ICT competencies. Provide an alternative to normal school work by giving students the opportunity to attend extracurricular activities in theatre, fine arts, music and dance clubs, developing and promoting creativity, responsibility and independence in learning. Enabling students to develop their skills in a variety of ways by developing their passions, by enriching the offer of schools, and by giving participants the opportunity to partake in international and school workshops that involve their artistic predispositions and other talents. To motivate students to learn not only national but also foreign languages and promote sensitivity and understanding for minorities, people with difficulties and people with disabilities. This experience has a huge impact on their future work and professional career. Participants were given the opportunity to promote national and regional heritage and culture by including some of its elements in their workshop activities. A total of 250 pupils were involved, 110 more than initially estimated and there were 47 teachers involved in the project. Prior to the application of this project, an eTwinning project was created - "Learning through art, dance and theatre" - which was in synergy with the Erasmus+ one. The project website on Facebook, the official website https://developedbasicskills.wordpress.com and the YouTube channel were created. Subpages to the project have also been set up on the websites of the participating schools. Extra-curricular workshops were organised in theatre, art, music and dance clubs in each school (2 hours a week for each club - 360 hours of workshops in each school throughout the project). The topics and content from the clubs were included in the daily classroom work. Four international workshops were organised - about 80 hours in total - at the Greek school "Drama and ancient Greek theatre workshops with the elements of music and art", Croatian school "Croatian art - straw sculpture, drama and different nations dance workshops", Slovenian school "Local art in the open air, folk dance and Maths Drama workshops", and Polish - "Local folk art, stand up drama, craftwork, singing and dance workshops". The main methods of the project: project method, drama, blended learning and other methods used in teaching reading, writing and mathematics, games and plays as well as those using ICT skills and resources. The project results in better-motivated pupils with better language, mathematical, collaborative and many other skills – pupils who can use ICT tools for international communication and cooperation. The project revealed the potential of teachers and resulted in their personal and professional development. They shared their experiences, learned from each other good practices and acquired new competencies, such as organisational skills, leadership, cooperation at local, national and supranational levels. The final products and results of the project: - the 'FOUR COUNTRIES ONE PASSION -THROUGH ARTISTIC ABILITIES TO DEVELOPED BASIC SKILLS' Online Good Practice Guide, available on the websites of schools, eTwinning, Facebook, the project website and the EU Dissemination Platform, - 3 e-books created during the project activities at www.storyjumper.com: "Myths of 4 countries", "The shepherd liar", "The greedy mouse". - A 5-language dictionary, specially created for the implementation of the project aims. The partaking schools have enriched their offer with new, effective ways and methods of teaching. The project has brought new opportunities for all stakeholders, such as further eTwinning cooperation or the launch of a new Erasmus+ project, sustainable change and progress in the lives of participants, integrating new experiences, ideas, methods and forms from transnational workshops into school curricula. It has enabled local authorities and cultural centres to establish international cooperation. International cooperation agreements have been signed between the Municipal Cultural Centre in Rozogi, Poland and the Greek Cultural Association Of Tanagra Municipality "Terpsichore", and the Croatian Dance Group - MKUD Darda.