ERA+: Integrated Learning Challenges

Project summary

ERA+: Integrated Learning Challenges Education is a life long process still largely perceived as an ascertained knowledge in a number of isolated subjects, to be dispensed by the teachers to the students. Such an approach does not meet with the kind of challenges young people are going to face in the international job market. Rapid technological changes impose competitive educational models. Strategic partnerships between schools, aided by European funding and educational platforms such as eTwinning, give the opportunity to cross virtual and physical boarders and experiment with alternative methodologies. Our project draws from the general theme "Physical and cultural resources", dealt from an educational point of view studied in a multidisciplinary and transversal way. Each country (except Greece who is the general coordinator), will work on 4 domains (Science-Language-Arts-Sports) but concentrate and be responsible for one of them according to individual strengths and orientations: Germany and Spain-sciences, Bulgaria-languages, Slovakia-arts, Romania-sports.This kind of structuring and organization together with the continuous eTwinning publicizing, will guarantee effective implementation through various control levels. International meetings, real and virtual ones, will contribute to students' developing of the following abilities and competences: -Learning to learn -Social conscience and civic competencies -Environmental conscience and sensitivity -Cultural awareness -European identity -Communication in mother language and foreign ones -Math/science/tecnology (digital) This project will help students acquire a more thorough understanding of cultural, geographical and historical aspects of the partner countries and of Europe in general, thereby increasing their European dimension. They will enrich their social skills through cooperative work in small and large groups during the unfolding of the whole project. We will aim at focusing on developing the multiple forms of intelligences (linguistic, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, logical –mathematical) through a wide range of activities and project initiatives.This will mean a lot to students since the evolution of these personality dimensions and acquisition of skills will contribute to personal and academic development and their future incorporation into the professional world. The main directions the project follows (Arts, Science, Languages and Sports) will give each partner school the opportunity of having local partnerships with Sports Associations, Museums, Universities, in an attempt to extend the range of approaches and to enlarge the framework of the project and its impact. These local partners will give the students the chance to familiarize with different working environments and with various aspects of the realities they live in. Through international collaboration they will get a larger view upon these aspects, at a global level. Furthermore, teachers, schools and educational communities as a whole will gain benefits as well. Teachers will be able to improve their English and use it to stay in touch with the international education community once the project is finished. Education Portals will be a key factor not only in developing the project but also to keep teachers' skills, methodology, resources and ICT tools as applied to the teaching-learning process up to date. Teachers will also share experiences with colleagues from other European schools via eTwinning projects. Schools as institutions, will also receive a positive impact since all of them will see their prestige and consideration increasing, thanks to their participation in European programmes, thereby helping to create a space for shared learning which provides knowledge and experience that favors educational excellence in schools. The impact is expected to be long-lasting over time since the resulting materials may be used in similar experiences and classrooms after the project is completed. Access to these materials will be free (OER) so that other schools will be able to use them. These materials will be published at our Education Portal. The effects will be extended and disseminated to other educational communities such as centres for envinmental education, universities, sports associations, libraries and (national)art galleries, museums, philarmonics and dance schools through activities, communications and publicising. Families will also be a target audience for the dissemination of activities, initiatives and products resulting from this project. Nevertheless, the impact on them will be significant, as it will allow their children to get in touch with the lifestyle and culture of other families from different European countries. We trust that hosting and be hosted will be beneficial for all parties involved. Lastly, evaluation of the project's learning outcomes and developed competences will be guaranteed and certified with the use of YouthPass. .