CONTEXT/BACKGROUND: The project involves three European schools: “Liceo C. Amoretti”, the applicant organization, OLSVIKÅSEN VIDEREGÅENDE SKOLE (Norway), ZESPOL SZKOL OGOLNOKSZTALCACYCH (Poland). It aims at improving the students' performances in Science and Maths by introducing a new and innovative methodology in the schools and enhancing the students' motivation. Pupils will get to know their surrounding environment, in particular the most significant S.C.I. (Sites of Community Interest) in their regions and will become aware of the importance of preserving the natural environment through the creation and maintenance of such valuable protected areas. From an accurate analysis of the partner schools' needs and experience we believe that by sharing good practises these objectives can be achieved.The project will involve 4 teachers (Science, English language, Maths and ICT, Law. Biology) for each school, the principals and about 66 students aged between 16-18. The total number of mobilities will be 100. Although the students in the three schools attain different results, the Italian school being the weakest as for the students' performances in Science and Maths, in all of them some of the pupils appear to be little motivated and willing to learn. Besides, both the Italian and the Polish school make little use of ICT and this could be one of the reasons for the unsatisfactory performances of their students, while the Norwegian partners are more expert and already use them more systematically. We believe that taking part in an international project, will increase the students' motivation and will lead to the achievement of the objectives pursued. ACTIVITIES: 1) analysis and comparison of the European regulations of the Sites of Community Interest in the three countries 2) Research on the Internet on the S.C.I and data storage 3) Visit of the S.C.I both during the school year by the students in the respective countries and during the class exchanges. Observation and study “in situ” of the endemic species, peculiar to each site by using analytical keys, to identify the species 4) questionnaires to verify the knowledge about the S.C.I will be handed out and filled by the students' families and by samples of population in the three countries 5) The results of the questionnaires will be analysed and processed and, according to the them, conferences in the S.C.I., open to the local communities,will be organized in the three schools 6) Digital maps (with information, pictures and itinerary route) and a tutorial video of the S.C.I visited and studied will be created . METHODOLOGIES : They will be innovative such as, for example, AND OUTDOOR LESSONS; teachers will first learn or consolidate their skills in using such methodologies and new mobile technologies, such as smartphones, tablets etc and then will transfer them to the students, who will become more autonomous, and will acquire the ability to do research by themselves without being dependent on the teacher, who will monitor and provide help if needed. RESULTS we wonder to reach with the project are that: 1. New methodologies adopted will become more popular in the schools involved 2. the level of key competences of the pupils involved in the project will rise, especially in Science and Maths but also in English ; the ability to cooperate in group will also improve 3 cultural awareness among students, teachers and parents will be greater and will create friendships and bonds that will bear fruit for many years 4 NATURE AWARENESS about the existence and the functions OF SCI among all people involved in the project 5 CREATION OF A NETWORK OF INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS with the possibility of further cooperation. Expected IMPACTS: INCREASE IN BASIC and cross SKILLS in the areas involved the project (Science, Maths ) INCREASE DIGITAL COMPETENCES of both students and teachers involved in the project INCREASE understanding of EUROPEAN CULTURES among the students involved in the project and all people involved in INCREASE competence IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE of the pupils and teachers involved in the project the potential LONGER TERM BENEFITS are: - to benefit from people who have become active citizens mainly in environmental field - to share the project results with all non-governmental organizations involved with SCI (local, regional and national) hoping that they schould be usefull for protection and management of SCI - to change attitudes of local communities towards an eco-friendly way of living - to contribute to the promotion of EU values and policy connected with the knowledge and dissemination of SCI - to provide a useful contribution to local issues.
CONTEXT/BACKGROUND: The project involved three European schools: “Liceo C. Amoretti”, the applicant organization, OLSVIKÅSEN VIDEREGÅENDE SKOLE (Norway), ZESPOL SZKOL OGOLNOKSZTALCACYCH (Poland). It aimed at improving the students' performances in Science and Maths by introducing a new and innovative methodology in the schools and enhancing the students' motivation. Pupils got to know their surrounding environment, in particular the most significant S.C.I. (Sites of Community Interest) in their regions and have become aware of the importance of preserving the natural environment through the creation and maintenance of such valuable protected areas. From an accurate analysis of the partner schools' needs and experience we believe that by sharing good practises these objectives have been achieved.The project involved 4 teachers (Science, English language, Maths and ICT, Law. Biology) for each school, the principals and about 66 students aged between 16-18. The total number of mobilities was 89, 58 students and 31 teachers. Although the students in the three schools attained different results, the Italian school being the weakest as for the students' performances in Science and Maths, in all of them some of the pupils appeared to be little motivated and willing to learn. Besides, both the Italian and the Polish school made little use of ICT and this could have been one of the reasons for the unsatisfactory performances of their students, while the Norwegian partners were more expert and already used them more systematically. We believed that taking part in an international project, would increase the students' motivation and would lead to the achievement of the objectives pursued. ACTIVITIES: 1) analysis and comparison of the European regulations of the Sites of Community Interest in the three countries 2) Research on the Internet on the S.C.I and data storage 3) Visit of the S.C.I both during the school years by the students in the respective countries and during the class exchanges. Observation and study “in situ” of the endemic species, peculiar to each site by using analytical keys, to identify the species 4) questionnaires to verify the knowledge about the S.C.I were handed out and filled by the students' families and by samples of population in the three countries 5) The results of the questionnaires were analysed and processed and, according to the them, conferences on the S.C.I., open to the local communities,were organized in the three schools 6) a project website was created 7) The project was uploaded on the Etwinning, which was updated regularly 8) Information boards (with information, pictures and itinerary route) and a tutorial video of one othe S.C.I visited and studied in Italy were created. 9)translations of a lot of material from Italian, Polish and Norwegian into English (also Prau Grande Association website) METHODOLOGIES : They were innovative such as, for example, AND OUTDOOR LESSONS; teachers first learnt or consolidated their skills in using such methodologies and new mobile technologies, such as smartphones, tablets etc and then transferred them to the students, who became more autonomous, and acquired the ability to do research by themselves without being dependent on the teacher, who monitored and provided help if needed. ACHIEVED RESULTS 1. New methodologies adopted have become more popular in the schools involved 2. the level of key competences of the pupils involved in the project has risen, especially in Science and Maths but also in English ;the ability to cooperate in group has also improved. 3 cultural awareness among students, teachers and parents have become greater and friendships and bonds have been created and hopefully will last for many years 4 NATURE AWARENESS about the existence and the functions OF SCI among all people involved in the project (students, families etc) 5 CREATION OF A NETWORK OF INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS with the possibility of further cooperation. IMPACT: INCREASE IN BASIC and cross SKILLS in the areas involved the project (Science, Maths ) INCREASED DIGITAL COMPETENCES of both students and teachers involved in the project INCREASED understanding of EUROPEAN CULTURES among the students involved in the project and all people involved in INCREASED competence IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE of the pupils (both oral and written) and teachers involved in the project the potential LONGER TERM BENEFITS are: - the community will benefit from pupils who have become active citizens in environmental field - to share the project results with organisations and associations involved with the SCI - to contribute to a positve change in attitude of local communities towards the promotion of EU values and policy regarding the SCI - to continue the cooperation with the partner schools in order to possibly start another project together