Education systems must generate new skills, to respond to the knowledge society and the need to improve education attainment. It is crucial to equip people with key competences, including the basic skills: good communication in mother tongue, foreign languages, interpersonal skills and digital abilities.The success and development of any community is brought about by affective change and development over a period of time. It is crucial to develop the young adults of tomorrow, the future leaders and entrepreneurs with the abilities to persuade, negotiate, to be flexible, be adaptable and to take sensible decisions. The demand for creative problem-solving and communication skills has risen in recent years. Allied to a more creative and imaginative use of ICT the young person, people and communities who have these skills will prosper. This project aims to develop the young people’s key competences in communication, interpersonal skills and ICT in its broadest sense. It is clear in schools that students engage with the online world at an increasing rate but the face to face contact and verbal discussion is weaker. This project will go a significant way to addressing that imbalance and skills shortage. This work will develop their understanding of speaking a common language and listening and reacting positively to different cultures, therefore improving co-operation and cohesion. The schools involved in the partnership have pupils coming from families belonging to a medium-low social economical background. The pupils experience outside the immediate area, the opportunities for travel and knowledge of other cultures are very limited. Pupils unfortunately cannot always see the use of modern foreign languages in their limited context, so therefore are not motivated to develop language skills. The current economic status of European countries is affecting the employment opportunities of all partnership pupils. The target group for this project will be students 14-16 years old, with 16 from each school being offered the opportunity to travel; whilst many more will have access to the resources, lessons and project results. The project will offer a chance to improve their social level and move up the social ladder.This project will allow pupils to experience the commonality of ICT content across five different schools, whilst developing new computing skills to address issues more creatively than merely presenting or re-presenting information. They will experience different teaching strategies and they will use foreign languages in a full immersion context, in concrete situations of learning and of ordinary life. The enhancement of communication skills will be enriched together with the knowledge of a much deeper understanding of issues which we face in Europe – for example Migration; Race; Ageing Populations; Mental Health.The groups of pupils will, hopefully as a result of this project, improve their English Language skills skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving, critical thinking and ICT, whilst developing their knowledge of other Education systems, culture, habits, and communication. The staff will improve their professional and languages skills, increase their professional development and develop skills in the learning/teaching process of partner schools. Staff will acquire new skills by Using Drama Strategies to teach English Language and European Values Through Shakespeare.An important product of the project will be the contents of The Shakespeare Code Vault. This will be filled with contributions from staff and students reflecting positive and constructive results throughout the project.The teachers will disseminate the results of the project during whole school training events, staff meetings and conferences at local, national and international level. At school level, all pupils will engage with the end product, plus the partnership staff will be users of the outcome of the project, at local level and be shared at international level by newsletter or websites. After the two years of the project, we plan to maintain the availability of the open sources in the platforms.
This has been a fascinating project be involved in. Initially there were hushed concerns about motivating students to engage with Shaesperean texts and that this might be a challenge. How wrong could we have been? Because we focused upon themes running through Shaksperean texts that are common with young people and being European it meant that ALL participants, both students and staff, were entering an arena where they had a voice and could use that to discuss issues common to us all. It soon became clear that as well as the initial drivers for this project which are mentioned later in the report, there were going to be some very potent and powerful unintended outcomes that had a significant impact on all participants. I should like to explore some of these here. Partner school teachers from mainland europe have been introduced to a dynamic set of exploratory and creative drama strategies that can be used effectively across most areas of the curriculum. An approach which was shown to be very enjoyable and highly motivational. These will continue to be developed over time. Pupils have been equipped with many transferable skills to prepare them for the world of employment. There has been a great emphasis on co-operation and collaboration in order to achieve desired outcomes. Often, individuals and groups will have had to make difficult decisions about content, ways forward or the ways in which people are working and how effective that is. These are very much people skills, but highly delicate, quite sensitive and something which many adults struggle with on occasion. The schools in the partnership, through the exploration of the themes in these Shaksperean texts, have helped both pupils and teachers to become more active citizens in their own communities and at a European level. The European identity is the result of both European history and culture. This project, in each of the explorative stages with both students and teachers, sought clarification of this identity and has led to a much better understanding of what we have in common as Europeans, in spite of national borders and cultural differences. It has also enabled all of those involved to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of other cultures, but perhaps more importantly, to look at the strengths and weaknesses of their own culture. As the future of Europe will one day be in their hands a much greater understanding and awareness of such issues is a pre requisite to ensure a strong European Community. This was particularly enlightening for the UK participants in view of the current challenges facing the UK. All participants, but particularly pupils have become more aware of the opportunities provided by Europe in order to realize their dreams and aspirations. This has been achieved through entrepreneurship (in its broadest sense), a focus and development of literacy and an awareness of what it 'means' to be a European citizen. These have been unintended but powerful drivers that have risen to the surface as we have gone through the project. The project has helped pupils to prepare for life in a mixed Europe, with its mixture of influences culturally, socially and religiously. It has helped them to improve both their spoken and written English in a most enjoyable way. This has come about through the insistence from the outset for participants to work in mixed international teams. In doing so it has raised their self-confidence and promoted tolerance with sensitivity. This has then led to an understanding for the need to eliminate prejudice and the importance for communities to live in peace and harmony. When you have a Danish student tell you "This is the most I've ever learned in a week.", or "I've NEVER spoken so much English." or a parent tell you "I've seen my child change this week." Then you know you are dealing with something that is really transformative. Both pupils and teachers have been entrepreneuring in their approaches to solutions to tasks and projects that have been set. Invention and creativity have been the hallmarks of the content of the Project Website Finding alternative ways to address an issue has been emphasised throughout. ICT skills have been used imaginatively throughout the project. Particularly so during the preparation before student mobilities and also during the week of a mobility including performance. The project has enabled teachers to compare their educational systems and discuss pedagogy. The chance to weigh up the merits of different systems and apply new ideas and approaches to their own work where possible has been invaluable. The exchange of ideas and the sharing of strategies and methodologies have left all staff involved inspired and motivated to pursue this work further. This has been an exciting project to be a part of with clear and visionary educational aims that have been addressed with energy and vitality by all participants at all levels of the process.