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Paths of innovation through Europe
Paths of innovation through Europe
Start date: Sep 1, 2014,
End date: Aug 31, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
Introduction - Context
The proposed Project involves six schools located in different European areas. Nevertheless all the schools involved have some common characteristics:
Most of the schools are located in isolated geographical areas which, because of this, have developed and still maintain a distinctive close knit sense of community and culture. This has value but, being somewhat inward-looking, can also depress young people's aspirations.
All our schools involve pupils with disabilities, who receive extra help by expert teachers or assistant teachers; we all have a certain number of pupils from poor social and economic backgrounds; in some of schools there are also pupils from migrant families, with low competences. Our schools try to deal with these needs by offering extra support. Some of our schools’ activities, alongside the regular curriculum, are dealing with ecology, tourism and sports.
Project aims
The proposed Project aims to broaden students’ horizons, ensure that they spend time outdoors and boost life skills that are transferable to the classroom, social life, and the wider world, through orienteering activities in a European context. Throughout this project pupils and staff involved can developed teamwork skills, improve their ICT skills and promote communication skills in all languages involved. We will use cooperative learning methods and peer education; through a pupil-centred approach to the work, we will strongly link outdoor and classroom activities, starting from practical activities to reach higher level thinking skills.
The proposed Project will involve teachers with different backgrounds and experience in European partnerships. Moreover there are teachers and experts in their respective school curricula, assessment processes as well as in orienteering activities. The core purpose of our partnership is to exchange good practice, taking advantage of the different skills that each partner brings into the project.
Project activities
During the project life cycle we intend to carry out a wide range of activities:
Study of own environment
I. Pupils will collect data, take pictures, make a Powerpoint presentation and exchange materials.
II. Teachers will prepare useful materials for learning and exchange with partners.
III. Orienteering activities will take place at school and at an outdoor activity centre in the UK, using maps, reference points.
IV. Using ICT ( Google Map, digimap and other useful tools) to calculate distances etc.
All activities will be cross curricular. At the end of the proposed project we aim to achieve the following pupil outcomes: (a) development of greater environmental awareness through studies of their own surroundings (b) propose and put in place measures to preserve their environments, including through exploiting tourism, and the following whole school outcome (c) the integration of new teaching methods experimented during the project into the curriculum of all the schools involved.