The project “LOAD - Life Of A Digi” aims to promote an awareness on the responsible use of online internet resources and technology in every aspect of life keeping in mind the 9 essential pillars of being a digital citizen. The background of this Erasmus+ project is based on Europe 2020 headline targets. Living in the 21st century with continuous advancements in internet technology forces us teachers as digital immigrants and our students as digital natives to use this technology in our daily life, education, career as well as entertainment. Therefore, with this project, our students will understand human, cultural and societal issues related to technology and practise legal and ethical behaviour. In doing this students will: 1. Advocate for and practise safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology 2. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity 3. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning 4. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship. Through 9 elements of digital citizenship: Digital Access: Full electronic participation in society. Can all users participate in a digital society at acceptable levels if they choose? Digital Commerce: Electronic buying and selling of goods. Do users have the knowledge and protection to buy and sell in a digital world? Digital Communication: Electronic exchange of information. Is there an understanding of the digital communication methods and when they are appropriate? Digital Literacy: The capability to use digital technology and to know when and how to use it. Digital Etiquette: The standards of conduct expected by digital technology users. Do users consider others when using digital technologies? Digital Law: The legal rights and restrictions in governing technology use. Are users aware of laws (rules, policies) that govern the use of digital technologies? Digital rights and Responsibilities: The privileges and freedoms extended to all digital technology users and the behavioural expectations that come with them. Digital Health and wellbeing: The elements of physical and psychological well-being related to digital technology use. Digital Security: The precautions that all technology users must take to guarantee their personal safety and the security of their networks. We will also run 4 hands on workshops on web 2.0 tools in education. The methodologies to be used in carrying out the project are going to be collaborative, active and participative based on communication and sharing experiences by dialogue and the methodologies of 21st century education. It is also our hope that digital citizenship can create a base for all technology users to begin to discuss the issues that technology has brought. We need not only to educate our children on the issues that are occurring with technology but provide resources for teachers, and parents as well, by working on these topics since they are all inevitable issues in our present world. Another important aim of this project is to bring our students closer to the 21st century skills using new and meaningful methods to inspire our students using technology to intensify their learning with the help of web 2.0 tools. While doing this, we will focus on project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, design- and outcome-based learning modalities with our all activities, in a collaborative way, to enable students to create their own learnings and disseminate them through national and international level. The objectives in this Erasmus+ project are: Specifically To get to understand what it is like to live in a digital world safely and responsibly To get to know the Education in 21st century within its 4Cs, online communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity To learn about how to use technology in learning and knowledge construction To get to know and make use of virtual platforms to facilitate learning and teaching To learn that different point of views are a way to enrich us To work collaboratively doing online research about our European digital history To use digital tools in order to display information and communicate with other schools by internet, networks or mobile tools Generally 1 Development of active European citizenship, based on collaboration and problem solving in creative and inclusive ways 2 Meeting and improve our language skills, learning basic vocabulary of the languages of our partners, and fundamentally English 3 Knowing the history, traditions and culture of other European countries 4 Improving our digital skills: ICT and 2.0 web tools in education and communication 5 Practicing teamwork and researching topics to create meaningful outcomes about being a real Digi. We are 6 European countries and we have come together to prepare our students and teachers for the evolving digital world within the duration of 2 years of the project, and then beyond.
The project "LOAD - Life Of A Digi", lasting in the years 20218-2021, was based on the cooperation of 6 countries: Poland, Spain, Portugal, Romania and Turkey. Its main goal was to promote awareness of the responsible use of Internet resources and Internet technologies in every aspect of life. It was based on the 9 basic pillars of being a digital citizen: digital access, digital commerce, digital communication, Digital Literacy, digital label, digital law, digital rights and obligations, digital security. When teaching in the 21st century school, we are aware of the rapidly changing reality. The driving factor and carrier of these changes is the intensive development of information technologies, unlimited possibilities of communication and using digital resources. Our participation in the project allowed us to create an image of a teacher who efficiently navigates the digital world and increased their authority in the eyes of students, digital natives for whom the use of online tools is a part of their identity. The teachers who got involved in the project improved their digital skills and, using their knowledge and teaching experience, were able to show the students the right direction for navigating in cyberspace and using internet resources responsibly. A necessary condition of the full and conscious participation in social life of every young person well-prepared for their social role is thorough education, developed key competences, the ability to use modern information and communication techniques, the ability to use foreign-language sources of information, the ability to cooperate in both class and international teams, the ability to use digital technology and knowing when and how to use it. The main assumptions of working with the project method have been met, especially in the field of using digital resources. The students became acquainted with digital law, learned to practice legal and ethical behaviour, began to consciously use the Internet and 2.0 tools in education and communication as well as gained knowledge related to safe functioning in cyberspace. The project participants acquired the skill of active European citizenship based on cooperation and problem-solving in a creative and comprehensive way. The goals of the project were achieved thanks to the use of methods and forms of work based on cooperation and communication. It was extremely important to exchange experiences and discuss new trends in education in the 21st century, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the international environment, a discussion took place on the problems faced by education in the time of the pandemic. The conclusions have already been used to introduce modifications to the teaching process, improve school documentation and implement new working methods. The participation in the project made it possible to equip teachers and parents with the necessary knowledge about the opportunities and threats for students resulting from their use of the virtual space and this has become a part of education without which effective and attractive teaching is impossible. Thanks to the LOAD - Life Of A Digi project, we managed to combine tradition with modernity, create a database of digital tools, acquire new skills in using educational platforms, and develop the ability to search, select and analyze knowledge obtained from the Internet sources. We have managed to inspire our students using new ICT to intensify their learning with web 2.0 tools. In doing so, we focused on project method, based on inquiry, design and knowledge modelling. Group and international work has contributed to the development and improvement of the ability to formulate one's own conclusions and disseminate them through national and international channels.