Erasmus+ program KA229 School exchange partnership project

Slow down education in the nature No. 2020-1-LV01-KA229-077522_1

REPORT

of joint activity:

short-term exchanges of group of pupils C4 “Project work presentations” and

short term joint staff training event C1 “Study visit of STEM teaching in nature” (physical part of blended activity)

Date: C4: 4/4/2022 - 7/4/2022

C1: 4/4/2022 - 6/4/2022

Host partner: Palade School, Estonia

Partners:

Stalgene Secondary School, Latvia

OOU “Lazo Angelovski”, North Macedonia

Liceul Technologic Topoloveni, Romania

Total number of participants:

C4: 24 students and 6 accompaing teachers

C1: 16 teachers (4 of them directors)

Students were selected in each partnerschool by local contest on Project/research work (regulation of the contest was approved in project coordinators online meeting).

Before mobility students prepared video presentations about themselves and inserted videos in Twinspace. 

3/04/2022

Partner’s school delegation arrived in Hiiumaa island, Estonia. Students and teachers from Romania and North Macedonia arrived by plane to Tallinn, Latvians arrived by bus. Everyone uses a ferry to get from the mainland to Hiiumaa island. 

In the very late evening we had our first introduction with the Hiiumaa iceland - location, nature, habits of the local population by the director of Palade school Anti Leigri. Project coordinator Klaire Leigri introduced us with an agenda of mobility and support team. 

1st day 4/04

Joint mobility started with a visit to the municipal administration and Europe Direct center in Kerdla city then we went to Palade school. 

Non-formal introducing and ice-breaking activities where each participant introduced themselves was led by Klaire Leigri. 

Tour in the Palade school, surrounding, Palade Center of Nature Education was made by Palade school students and teachers.

Workshops for students and teachers took place at Palade school “How to understand instructions in pictograms. How to understand student, who can’t speak” with short introduction and story by Rudi mother:

Teachers had job shadowing activity while students participated in outdoor lesson about local rocks in Center of Nature Education Cultural Heritage studyhouse. 

The following activity of the 1st day was International evening  – every partnershool made some interactive presentation about their country (game, quiz, presentation), and also presented national and healthy food.

Latvija .pdf

Funny Estonians.pdf

Also different national folk dances were tried. 

2nd day 5/04

Workshop “Visualization tips and suggestions on how to visualize ideas and create cool posters” was led by Kati Orav

https://creativitycatcher.com/en/kati-orav/

Students got ideas and first impressions on how to make visualizations without being an artist. At the second part of the workshop students in teams prepared posters against war. 

Teachers, directors and project coordinators within this worksop got practical ideas and guidelines for visualization of planning, structuring and preparing road maps. Our brain likes stories, put them in the stories! 

In the afternoon students participated in outdoor lessons on Nature study trail, but teachers had job shadowing activity regarding outdoor lessons. 

3rd day, 6/04

Morning started with presentations of students' project works. Each team presented their project work. They did great work! Each team was so creative, they found so many different ways (games, researchs)  to motivate peers to learn STEM or how to inspire peers in healthy lifestyle and outdoor activities. 

Presentations made by students on projects about STEM and Healthy lifestyle: 

The Million dollar project.pptx

Project - From waste to food.pptx

Adventure all around.pdf

Latvian mythology.pdf

Forest and Adventure School.pptx

The STEM game.pptx

Followed project coordinators meeting, where project future activities was discussed (local and international), exchange with best practice, found solutions of problems and challenges:

coordinators_Work group_meeting.pptx

While students had a workshop at the Palade Center of Nature Education.

Flash Mob against war took place infront of the municipal administration house in Kerdla City square. 

Then we all went on a trip to another part of Hiiumaa island. We visited Lopu Lighthouse - the oldest working lighthouse in Europe.

Students had outdoor learning activities with tasks in Risna Center of Nature while teachers had job shadowing activity and got new experience on how to teach STEM subjects in nature by project based methods. 

At very late evening students had a Night tour in Suuremoisa Manor.

4th day, 7/04

Activities for students.

Visiting Suuremoisa school, Puhalepa Leisure Centre. Students had a workshop in texture painting. 

Tour in the Windtower Experience center presented us with the beauty of nature of Hiiumaa island, the humor, love of nature and resilience of the locals. But the best experience of every participant was the climbing wall - the highest climbing wall in Baltic states! A swimming pool disco made this mobility unforgettable!

Each participant got Europass Mobility Certificate and Declaration of obtained attendance and participation issued by Palade School.

Almost all participants filled an online evaluation form when they returned home. 

For 80% of students and 50% of teachers this was first mobility within Erasmus+ projects. 

Teachers admit that they improve practical skills, practice English and improve emotional skills. Upgraded their  knowledge of school education systems in other countries and professional areas. Teachers admit the following impact from mobility: they will lead to the use of new methods/approaches/good practices at their school; will lead to better motivation of their students. 

From teachers' reports: “I learned that the practical side of the exact sciences can be easily related to the theoretical part and that students need a slowing down of the theoretical notions to better understand the practical notions.” “Visualization and simplification was a new experience for me and I am very happy with that.” “Thank you for the chance to be a part of this valuable project.”

80% of students met their expectations, 20% almost met. 

Activities/ methods that students liked the most:

• Flash mob in the city center;

• activities in the forest (outdoor lessons)

• Cimbing in the wall

• drawing workshops (pictograms and visualization). Creating posters against war

• The overall friendship with our new friends from the other countries - because it is nice to learn something new from other countries.

• The activity where we were describing ourselves, because we learn a lot of other personalities and activities.

Students admit that during mobility they improve:

• Cultural awareness and expression (20%)

• Emotional skills (e.g. having more self confidence, etc.) (20%)

• Cooperation skills (13%)

• Sense of initiative (13%)

• Practical skills (13%)