LEARNING TOGETHER

Project summary

The NAME OF THE PROJECT aims to promote the potential of peer learning is designed as a way of moving beyond independent learning to mutual learning. The project is the result of common work of teachers from Italy, Turkey, Poland, Portugal and Greece and is addressed to students aged 15-18. The core motivation of our project is to develop our students’ social competences in terms of social, emotional and cognitive skills necessary for successful social adaptation. The need to carry on such a project at an international level appeared from the fact that working with people from other cultures will develop participants’ ability to have another perspective when confronted with a situation, learn from others’ experiences and apply learning during social interactions. Students will work together with their EU peers to create project products; this will promote active learning, feel more comfortable and open when interacting with European citizens. We believe that peer learning is an underutilized resource especially in our times when students seem to be one more step ahead of us. It is our duty as educators to reduce the gap generation because we should keep up the pace with the new trends and our students’ needs. This project should be funded because it uses an innovative approach to the peer to peer learning topic using the digital tools and direct interaction with peers from different countries. Gathering participants with a different social and cultural background, engaging them in activities that stimulates the social and educational value of European cultural heritage will foster social inclusion and group cohesion, values promoted by the ET 2020. The EU values mentioned in the Article 2 of the Treaty on the EU are promoted at an international level. The project main aim is to boost social competences in terms of social, emotional and cognitive skills among 450 students from 5 European countries during a 24 months project. The objectives we are looking to achieve are: -to raise awareness about social competences among students from 5 EU schools -to support students social adaptation during 2 years project -to encourage peer to peer learning -to foster the students' integration in a globalized world The target groups to which our project is addressed are: -570 students (12-14 years old) -110 teachers -80 students and 44 teachers from all partner schools will directly attend the project mobilities -15 school staff (librarian, accountant, psychologist/ school counselor) -120 families -50 representatives of the local communities The concrete results we are looking to produce are questionnaires, project logo and website, eTwinning project, presentations/ audio visual materials: "Countries and schools", “My culture”, “Great people. Great communities”, “What is social learning?”, “How to combat social exclusion?”, brochure: Study buddy: Shared experience, dictionary, calendar of great people, 3D postcards, coloring posters, exhibition “Cultural diversity”, theatre play "EU heritage of Italy, Turkey, Poland, Portugal and Greece", book swap station centers, project DVD, e-guide: Practical example to support peer to peer learning. The activities will be integrated in the programme of 5 international reunions, 4 of them being meetings with students. The project activities are based on peer to peer learning and cooperative learning approach. When designing the project and its activities we followed the line how students think, feel and grow. Social-emotional development encompasses students' experience, expression and emotional management, as well as their ability to establish positive and rewarding relationships with their peers. We are going to organize workshops for our students to encourage them to work together and dare to express their creativity. The core features of social and emotional development include the ability to identify and understand the own feelings, to manage personal emotions, to express them in a constructive manner and to develop empathy for others. As it will be necessary to support each others in acknowledging that each person is responsible for his/ her own learning process, we planned interactive activities to support students in developing their social and emotional perspectives. The project will bring benefits in the long-term because the school curricula will be developed, teachers will gain hands on experience in using peer-to -peer learning and the ready made project materials (presentations, toolkit, calendar, etc.) will remain available as teaching resources in all partner schools. All schools will improve their institutional development plans and improve the quality of teaching. Teachers will gain an insight about other EU educational systems and update their teaching styles. The experience will offer an international dimension to the schools, developing the network of contacts with EU schools and increasing schools' visibility at an international level.