The project “Overcoming functional illiteracy through ICT, to ensure social and professional integration” (OFI-ICT-PSI) is a Strategic Partnerships for school education, based on cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, between Romania (coordinator), Croatia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Macedonia and Turkey, addressed to at least 70 teachers, that will benefit from 7 joint staff short term training events, at least 50 teachers inside the partner schools, that will benefit from the disseminating workshops and at least 70 teachers outside the partner schools, that will benefit from a training seminar and 3 training modules. The motivation of it is given by the results of the PISA tests. For reading literacy, Romania scored 428, North Macedonia 393, Greece 457, Turkey 466, Italy 476, Croatia and Lithuania 479, the level of functional illiteracy, in these countries being more than 40%. Romania and the Republic of North Macedonia, are situated among the 8 countries that gave the test using paper and pen instead of digital instruments. We have 2 horizontal priorities, to support staff and to have innovative practices in a digital era, and a school related one, to reinforce the development of key competences. We aim at achieving 5 objectives: conduct a scientific research, until August 2021, to identify and define functional illiteracy at the level of the countries within the partnership; strengthen and develop literacy skills for at least 20% school teachers by preparing 7 work notebooks for an optional subject, until August 2022; contribute to the enrichment of open educational resources for the 7 partner schools until July 2023, by creating an e-book which uses literacy strategies in teaching; training at least 70 teachers outside the partner schools, by August 2023; ensure long life learning, for at least 20% school teachers, by making a webinar portfolio, on contextualized learning situations, using literacy skills, until August 2023. The tangible results will be: 1 methodological guide (the intellectual output); 7 work notebooks; 1 e-book; 1 webinar portfolio; 7 diagnostic studies; 1 comparative study; 1 standardized psycho-pedagogical screening; 12 standardized tests; 168 crosswords; 168 mind maps; 168 puzzles; 168 guided reading exercises; 168 didactic games; 19 presentations and 19 workshops on web 2.0 applications; 133 exercises using web 2.0 applications; 1 training seminar; 3 training modules; 7 round tables. The intangible results will be: consolidate the European dimension; enhance the capacity for transnational and trans-sectorial cooperation; assess the level of functional illiteracy and understand its dangers; identify common causes for functional illiteracy; establish common means of action; reinforce the development of key competences; strengthen the relationships between teachers; create a sense of achievement and develop self-confidence via peer-learning; improve evaluation; consolidate the digital dimension in education; enrich OER; multiply new teaching methods; apply innovative digital practices; develop cooperative learning; develop English and ICT skills; increase the visibility and prestige of the school; facilitate social and professional integration. The main activities are: write diagnostic and comparative studies; draw up standardized tests; make presentations and conduct workshops; create exercises/tests/games; train teachers through seminars and modules; write a methodological guide, an e-book and 7 work notebooks; create a webinar portfolio on contextualized learning; organize round tables, meetings with experts and on-site workshops in sister schools or universities. For the dissemination we will use: 1 blog, 1 face book page,1 e-Twining page, 7 conferences, 7 recap videos, 49 Pecha-Kucha,49 workshops,49 article,49 film projections,21 exhibitions,21 photo boxes,7 story-telling,21 living libraries,7 festivals. In terms of impac, the partner schools will: improve their image,increase their prestige and develop their European dimension,enrich the partner's network,have human resource with knowledge and experience to combat functional illiteracy,enrich the OER,implement and integrate modern and dynamic ICT teaching methods,develop students reading habit,develop a modern learning environment,ensure cooperation with experts in the field of education. The sustainability of the project will be ensured by e-Twining, website, face book and EPRP, where our products will be published as open didactic resources. The workbooks will be used for an optional subject, „Digital literacy”. The e-book and the webinar can be used during classes, in Literature, Languages and ICT, but also into those of education for society, health education, legal education, counseling and guidance. For training others, these tangible results, along with the Methodological guide, can be subject to demonstrative lessons, carried out in front of school inspectors, for obtaining the didactic degrees
By implementing the OFI-ICT-PSI project we wanted to find innovative, digital and practical, ways to prevent and overcome functional illiteracy, to find answers to the following questions: WHO? HOW? WHEN? WITH WHAT? Three topics were addressed by this project: combating failure in education, developing digital competences and creating new curricula, teaching / training / evaluating methods and tools. We had 2 horizontal priorities (supporting educators, youth workers, educational leaders, support staff and innovative practices in a digital era) and a sectorial one (reinforcing the development of key competences). Linked to the first one we established as objectives: conducting a scientific research to identify and define functional illiteracy and training over 70 teachers outside the partner schools, in OFI-ICT-PSI courses. Linked to the second horizontal priority, the objectives were: contributing to the enrichment of open educational resources for the 7 partner schools and ensuring long life learning, for at least 20% of the teachers, in the partner schools. As for the sectorial priority, we aimed at achieving one objective, strengthening and developing literacy skills for at least 20% of the teachers, in the partner schools.
We applied for this project because of the 2018 PISA results, which showed an international tendency towards lower scores, especially on math. Students all over EU were at risk for functional illiteracy. Romania was faced with this issue, as well as the other 6 countries involved in the project: Croatia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, North Macedonia and Turkey. The statistics showed a level of functional illiteracy higher then 40% for all 7 partners. More so, Romania and North Macedonia were among the 8 countries that gave the test using paper and pen instead of digital instruments. After hearing the news, we started researching, to learn more about functional illiteracy and to look for signs of it among our students. From the Faculty of Education Sciences, we found out that functional illiteracy is an issue for those preparing to become teachers. The conclusion draw was that something had to be done to make the gap between what the teachers know and what the students want to know, how teachers are teaching and how students want to be taught smaller. So we decided to write this project focused on training staff, the main goal being to create innovative school materials and tools, using ICT, for overcoming functional illiteracy.