The project "I see, hear and speak – the basis of communication and integration of the European youth " will be realized by three schools from rather small towns in Poland, Sweden, and Italy that regardless the distance between, share many things that make these schools similar. The project partners are interested in transnational cooperation to find more innovative and effective approaches to key competences teaching among students. The teaching stuff from project organizations have recognized that progressing digitalization in schools may have negative impact on students performance, especially, if schools do not take active stand in educating young people in media, literacy and promoting developing key competences. The cooperating schools are aware that young people who live in the world of the Internet and social media need to develop ability to think critically and properly search for information. To grasp reality they live in with current changes on the labour market and refugee crisis, students need to develop proper interpersonal relations and attitudes. We are also conscious that modern life is connected with cross-cultural society and reality, students must understand that traditions and customs are important to each society, but also cultural diversity is important and valuable. It is necessary for young people to understand and respect other cultures in order to become open-minded members of the society. Such knowledge and observations influenced the choice of issues important in this project. In order to help students build their own professional future and achieve success, schools and teachers will act collaboratively in this project to improve students' key competences and promote inclusive education as a response to the Europe 2020 strategies. Schools’ duty is also to acquaint students with necessary knowledge, skills and competences to promote life-long learning and combat racism and discrimination. The project “I see, hear and speak – the basis of communication and integration of the European youth ” is aimed to develop students' skills and key competences important to achieve success in their future lives. It is also intended to popularize good practices between the cooperating schools. The project enables them to work out valuable innovative methods of key competences teaching that will become longer term benefits. Through the project there will also be promoted long-life learning, cultural diversity and inclusive education. Directly involved into the project will be 40 students who will participate in it and pass their new skills to other schoolmates. Indirect addressee of the project will be teachers, students, parents, relatives and local society from partnering countries. The qualifications of the teaching staff will be increased due to exchange meetings, workshops and videoconferences. Students and teachers will improve their foreign language skills and learn more about each partner’s country. They will discover that cultural and social diversity unites people across Europe and is important for ensuring their integration and inclusion. The knowledge about different cultures, learning foreign languages, proper usage of ICT, source criticism, stress management and entrepreneurship will be increased and its practical aspects will be presented. Students will be more aware of their abilities and they will check their knowledge in the interdisciplinary tasks and activities will best enhance their intelligence, English language, self confidence, social, communication and creative skills. Partnering organizations are decided to cooperate in order to improve their various abilities and to overcome the social and mental barriers among the EU citizens. Schools participating in the project will promote their town and regions, due to it the students will be more confident, open and aware of the possibilities of the modern Europe. The partnering schools will be promoted in the local community and the EU programme will be popularized.
Teachers from 3 partnering schools, in northern, central and southern Europe - Poland, Sweden and Italy, so different from one another in terms of culture, society types and geographical locations, identified the common ground for cooperation and prepared an educational project entitled "I see, hear and speak – the basis of communication and integration of the European youth". It is the answer to the students’ and teachers’ needs that are similar among all three partners. According to the conducted survey - students’ needs are: making international friends, travelling, improving foreign language learning skills, language use, ICT skills, acquisition of skills that may be necessary in the future successful career. These needs are agreed by students’ parents who are aware that such skills lead to better job at the contemporary labour market. Teachers' needs are: finding innovative and more attractive methods for effective teaching of key competences among students from all backgrounds, continuous professional development and exchange of work experience. The project’s main goal is improvement of English communication skills as an important language of: international communication, ICT competence and cooperation in the international teams. Good knowledge of English helps to acquire the foreign culture and become open at Europe. It also makes students aware that knowledge of English is crucial to their future job careers. Besides, the objective is an international teachers’ cooperation aimed at creating and testing innovative methods of teaching and developing key competences. This interdisciplinary project is dedicated to both students aged 14-16, who are about to make life choices about their paths for further education, and to teachers from partnering schools, who want to develop their professional skills in more effective teaching of key competences and skills that are key to success in further education and at the labour market. During the project, students will be acquired with 3 various cultures from partnering schools. The way to get this knowledge will be different activities online (such ICT tools as Google Docs, aplikacje typu Prisma, VideoShow: Movie maker &editor, Dubsmash, ToonDoo, Pixton, portale eTwinning, Bambuser, Kahoot, Quizlet, YouTube) and during international meetings (drama, performance, round table discussion,) at each stage of the project realisation students will cooperate within international teams improving their communication in English language and creating proper interpersonal relations. They will have to learn how to be an international team leader and how to solve difficulties in a mixed environment. Students become more creative working over common tasks, they will be forced to cope with personality differences but also cultural differences, in this way they will understand that Europe is multicultural. The choice of cultural topic seems to be rather easy to run, but such terms as basic phrases, typical food, customs (cultural shock, stereotypes), holidays, weather, interesting places and monuments, famous people (artists, politicians) make students interested, according to the conducted survey. Due to it, students will be eager to work over these topics. It will be the first step to the future job in international environment that is nowadays observed at Polish, Italian and Swedish labour market. The project realisation must be conducted in the international teams online and in a traditional international meetings because it is the best way to develop the key competences, students will acquire the language in the most effective way if it is used in an interesting and i realistic situations in the international context. Face to face meeting are the best way to meet and understand a foreigner. Living with a foreign family is also the best way to acquire the foreign language and culture. Work over common tasks lets create proper interpersonal relations. Modern teenager will understand that Europe is a multicultural society to which they must belong to be successful in the future. Cooperation online is as important as international students meetings, each of these forms lead to improvement of key competences which promotion and development is the main objective of the project. In our view it is in accordance with the EU Strategy Europe 2020. To sum up, this project corresponds not only to the needs of students and labour market, but also those of teachers. It allows for an improvement of teachers' quality of school work. It serves professional development of involved teachers by exchanging experiences and new teaching methods. In the project, the teacher training meetings are scheduled, involving job shadowing and conferences on the project method, working with talented students and those with learning difficulties and effective use of ICT during classes. The organization of trips and supervision of tasks teach time and project management.