The project was created in response to two basic needs identified at the level of the schools involved - the need to boost students' motivation of learning and consequently their school results and then need to promote intercultural dialogue among people from different countries and backgrounds, in a European context which is now facing great challenges. Therefore, the purpose of this project consists of two apparently distinct directions. On the one hand, we want to get students more involved in their own learning by having them use the computer in their studying, thus improving their results and performance. On the other hand, we want them to experience what it means to be European, to expose them to different ways of thinking, values and beliefs. The partnership includes 5 schools – The SK, MK, LT, IT, TR. AIM: to improve students' motivation, involvement and school results and to promote intercultural dialogue The objectives we envisage are: 1. involving students in their own learning with a view to attaining better results and becoming more motivated; (at least 40 percent from the target group will improve their school results) 2. developing students' transversal skills - numeracy, computer literacy, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability; (at least 30 percent of students will improve these skills) 3. developing intercultural understanding and acceptance; (at least 60 percent of students will have better knowledge of other cultures) 4. developing communication skills in English; (the 156 participants, students and teachers, will improve communication skills in English) 5. promoting European values and develop cohesion among European citizens; (measurable by analysing students' and teachers'attitudes to other cultures, as seen in the post-LTTA feedback) MAIN ACTIVITIES C1 - November 2020 - IT - Topic: Using software to create fun lessons; Customs and traditions C2 - March 2021 - MK - Topic: Using online tools to create quizzes; Maths C3 - May 2021 - SK - Topic: Using online tools to create booktrailers; Literature C4 - November 2021 - LT - Topic: Digital tools for artwork; Religious Studies C5- April 202 – TR -The Turkish school – Teacher Training, evaluate it and write a meeting report. 120 students aged 13-17 from the 5 schools, selected from the target group of 250. The students come from very diverse backgrounds - urban and rural - and have a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, which makes the project even more appealing. 36 teachers of ICT, English, Math. The project is designed to cover 5 main areas: A1. Project management – includes monitoring and evaluation, risk management, financial management, cooperation and communication strategy that will be applied throughout the project. 1 TM is included,at the end of the project. A2. Implementation of activities - involves selection of participants, preparatory training sessions, participation in exchanges A3. Elaboration of ICT lessons - done prior to the exchanges by each partner institution A4. Dissemination - dissemination will be a continuous process that involves the sharing of both tangible and intangible results at local, regional, national and international levels, using a variety of channels and addressing school and non-school audiences A5. Follow-up and sustainability - each school selects a group of teachers to implement the new methods during regular class work. The success is measured comparatively against the results and level of satisfaction of students who learned the same contents without digital instruments. Then another school in each area will be supported to include digital tools during class work in the next year. RESULTS AND IMPACT Students will improve knowledge in terms of ICT tools for educational purposes, practical skills related to designing mini-lessons, story trailers, digital projects, online quizzes, digital artwork, motivation, school results, experience another culture, increase adaptability, self-awareness and awareness of cultural differences which make Europe so diverse, and yet unitary. Teachers will have the chance to exchange good practices, teaching methods, opinions and will improve English and digital skills, organisational skills, teaching methods and tools. Schools will promote a positive self-image and become more visible in the community. They will gain project management experience and will set examples for other schools to apply for projects. They will also become more cohesive and a positive atmosphere will be created among the members.
The project was created as a partnership involving 5 schools from Italy, North Macedonia, Lithuania, Turkey, and Slovakia. The school from Turkey had to withdraw at the beginning of the implementation phase, which affected the schedule of the educational, teaching, and training activities. Additionally, the global COVID-19 pandemic also impacted the project as a whole, requiring us to request an extension. Despite these challenges, the partnership of 4 schools successfully achieved the planned objectives and fulfilled tasks resulting in tangible outcomes, such as: - Project management document set - website - Facebook page - eTwinning project and others. The project was initiated in response to two fundamental needs identified at the level of participating schools. The first need was to increase student engagement in learning and improve school results through the use of new online applications. The second need was to promote cultural dialogue among people from different countries in the European context, which is highly relevant to contemporary life. On one hand, we wanted students to become more engaged in enhancing the quality of the educational process by using computers in their studies, leading to improved results and academic performance. We also aimed for them to experience what it means to be a European citizen, exposing them to different ways of thinking, perspectives, values, and beliefs. The main objectives of the project were to: - engage students in their own learning process and achieve better educational outcomes, making them more motivated. - develop cross-cutting skills of students - numeracy, computer literacy, critical and creative thinking, and personal and social abilities. - foster intercultural understanding and acceptance of other cultures. - enhance communication skills in the English language for both teachers and students. - promote European values and cohesion among European citizens. The main LTTAs: C1 – 11/2021 – IT – Topic: Using software for creating interactive lessons; Customs and traditions. C2 – 5/2021 – North Macedonia – Topic: Using online tools for creating quizzes; Mathematics. C3 – 11/2021 - Slovakia - Topic: Utilizing online tools for creating book trailers; Literature. C4 and C5 – 4/2021 – Lithuania – Topic: Digital tools for artistic works; Religious studies and digital tools for document creation. The project involved students aged 13-18 from each partner school. Some of these students participated in at least one LTTA (Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity) and were involved in all project steps, while others were engaged in project activities. The students came from diverse environments - urban and rural, with various ethnic and religious backgrounds, making the project balanced. This diversity allowed them to learn from each other, collaborate, and communicate in English. The international team had 8 permanent teachers. Additional teachers with the necessary expertise (IT, English, mathematics) participated based on the content of LTTAs to meet project goals. The project methodology comprised 5 main areas: 1. Project Management - including monitoring and evaluation, risk management, financial management, cooperation, and communication strategy applied throughout the project. 2. Activity Implementation - involving participant selection, preparatory training, and participation in LTTAs. 3. IKT Lesson Development - conducted by each partner school before exchanges. 4. Dissemination - sharing outcomes through various channels on local, regional, national, and international levels, involving the school community and the wider public. 5. Continuity and Sustainability - Each school chose a group of teachers who implemented new methods during the educational process. Progress was compared to results and satisfaction levels of students learning the same content without digital tools. Schools then supported and will continue to support the use of digital tools and applications in the education process. Students improved their knowledge of ICT tools for educational purposes, gained new practical skills related to designing mini-lessons, storyboards, digital projects, online quizzes, digital artworks, motivation, and school results, experienced other cultures, increased their adaptability, self-awareness, and understanding of cultural differences, showcasing the diversity within Europe yet its unity. Teachers had the opportunity to exchange best practices, teaching methods, and opinions, improve their English and digital skills, and organizational abilities, and learn to incorporate tools/applications meaningfully into the educational process. The schools supported their positive self-image and became more visible in the community. They gained project management experience and served as an example for other schools to apply for projects. The project also fostered cohesion and created a positive atmosphere among school members.