How are you going to assess if the project's objectives have been met?
We are happy if our pupils are more encouraged in their oral expression in English after the project and in the course of the project than they were before starting it. We want them to learn how to learn, design their own learning, how to search for information and explore things and take responsibility of their learning. We want them to plan the activities together with the teachers and get the feeling of commitment and participation. When reaching these aims, the project’s objectives have been met for a huge amount.
Our main goal when starting the project is to increase the pupils’ interest for reading overall.
We follow up how the reading as a habit has increased among pupils; reading of different genres and comprehension of reading different kind of texts. We assess basic reading skill and the progress in it. According to our project theme, we focus on evaluating pupils’ knowledge of their own national tales and partner countries’ ones before, during and after the project. We use questionnaires, interviews, dialogue journals and portfolios for collecting useful information about learning and about pupil related factors which influence the process of teaching and learning. Pupils’ ICT-skills are applied and assessed in a cross-curricular context. Pupils will be given opportunities to develop and build on their ICT-skills as they progress through different levels. The pupils will evaluate their own studying and working processes with various self-evaluating methods. They will evaluate planning processes and implementation as well. The pupils set their own goals, solve problems and assess their learning based on targets. The assessment of learning subject areas is based on the objectives of the different subjects. The particular subject areas are English, mother tongue and literature, history, geography and visual arts. The assessment of the project will mostly be done verbally.
Two main objectives:
> Motivation and reading skills
o Progression in the 20 stories.
o Writing and effective implementation of pedagogical sequences combining literature and interdisciplinarity and having a holistic dimension.
o Survey at the beginning, mid and end of the project on the practice of reading pleasure in the daily classes, as well as at home.
> European cultural dimension
o Quantity does not make the quality, but the importance and diversity of the contents of the various media (twinspace, e-book, OWL-magazine ...)
o Opportunities to communicate between partner countries in English (read, write in particular). Use your opportunities as learning materials.
o Survey of knowledge at the beginning and end of the project on the cultural contributions received from each country.
o "Sensitive" survey on the European feeling.
SPAIN
Main objectives:
1. Improvement of skills in English. (reading, writing, oral comprehension and oral expression)
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Activities: face-to-face and online activities in English, online communication with the peers on Twinspace, preparing the activities and magazine in English, showing their own project to other partners, exchanging ideas and information during all the project.
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Measurement tools: observation of students’ work and motivation (before, during and after activities), the recordings of online activities (Twinspace), self-assessment through rubrics, kahoots, quizizz…, presentations prepared for the project.
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Indicators: the level of the language used and the level of understanding each other.
2. Improvement of ICT skills.
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Activities: using ICT tools for communication with each other, preparing presentations about the countries, recording the performances and meetings activities and uploading them on Twinspace, preparing presentations (Power point, Animoto, eEmaze, Powtoon, Padlet…).
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Measurement tools: presentations, recordings of the project’s development, self-assessment through rubrics, kahoots, quizizz…
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Indicators: the quality of the presentations, other students’ opinions of the presentations, the quality of the OWL magazine.
3. Developing social skills, learning other cultures through getting to know each other.
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Activities: socializing activities online and during the meetings, contacts with each other and with hosting families.
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Measurement tools: self-assessment with qualitative and quantitative items (SurveyMonkey, Padlet…), visual observation.
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Indicators: the satisfaction level in relationship.
4. Exchange of good practices among teachers and the improvement of teaching practices.
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Activities: online discussion and coordination using Twinspace, LTT meetings, brainstorming methods and teaching techniques, ICT workshops.
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Measurement tools: teachers assessment
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Indicators: the active and constant participation and coordination, teachers assessment results, quality and utility of the materials and resources used.
How will the participation in this project contribute to the development of the involved schools in the long-term? Do you have plans to continue using the results of the project or continue to implement some of the activities after the project's end?
In Finland, we have phenomenon-based learning module included in our national curriculum. In Helsinki, each child will study at least two long-term, cross-subject and phenomenom-based entities during the school year. This project will be a perfect cross-curricular and phenomenom-based approach to study subject areas like mother tongue and literature, foreign languages, history, geography, environmental studies and visual arts, to some point even music and crafts. The OWL-project will be a common phenom-based learning module for the grades 1-6 in entire Keinutie School (Keinutien ala-asteen koulu) in school years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Traditional subject areas are being treated in a cross-curricular way, with emphasis on developing skills and positive attitudes alongside knowledge, and with “real-life” applications. Proposed activities have a holistic approach and they include new pedagogies as well as practising ICT-competences and internationalisation to supplement single-subject teaching, and moreover, great involvement of students in the design of their own learning.
The new national core curriculum for basic education was introduced for grades 1-6 in all schools beginning on 1 August 2016. Some of the key goals of the reform are in line with the objectives of the OWL-project:
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To secure the necessary knowledge and skills as well as encourage learning: enhancing pupil participation, increasing the meaningfulness of learning and enable every pupil to feel successful. Pupils and students are encouraged to take more responsibility for their schoolwork and are given more support in their studies. The pupils set goals, solve problems and assess their learning based on targets.
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Transversal competences as part of every subject: thinking and learning to learn, cultural competence, interaction and self-expression, multiliteracy, ICT-competence, working life competence and entrepreneurship, participation, involvement and building a sustainable future.
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Changing the way schools operate: Schools must provide opportunities for experimentation, exploration, active learning, physical activity and play. Cultural diversity and language awareness are also key principles that guide the development of the school culture. The use of various languages in the school’s daily life is seen as natural, and languages are appreciated.
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At least one multidisciplinary learning module a year: Each school year every school must have at least one clearly-defined theme, project or course that combines the content of different subjects and deals with the selected theme from the perspective of several subjects. The assessment of learning is based on the objectives of the subjects.
After the project we still can use the outputs of the project in daily basis, for instance the OWL-magazine. Both teachers and pupils will accomplish more ICT-skills and get to know the use of different kind of tools such as Visme and Dotstorming when for example creating a Book Club. We use eTwinning, specially Twinspace, as a part of daily school life even after the project’s end, and therefore we can keep contact with our OWL-partners in future too, and continue our co-operation on other themes and follow-on activities. Moreover, we can make new contacts and launch new projects in the eTwinning-platform. Our goal is to improve the quality of our work continuously and have a good impact on other projects, too.
> Pedagogical development of teachers.
• The participation in an European project is a great source of professional development in the way that the pedagogical and educational approach inspired by it disrupts daily practice, forces it to evolve, and above all brings new energy that is essential for quality teaching, a gain of motivation. Moreover this approach is thought by several countries. This ensures a certain quality.
• This educational perspective, born from the project, has no reason to stop with it. The project is also a professional training space whose effects will continue after.
> European cultural development of the school (teachers, children, families).
• We have so much to learn from others, but also things to bring to others. This feeling of European community is an everyday mission. It inevitably passes by the joint action of a bath of European culture and the meeting with people (at best real, at least virtual). It is this double action that gives the feeling of belonging to a community and allows open-mindness. The project, through its activities and its mobilities, gives a nice place to this dimension.
• If people living in and around the school will change with the time, they will carry with them the treasures brought by this project.
> Linguistic development.
• The cornerstone of a successful project, at the design stage or in all stages of its realization, is a good communication. The English language is an essential tool. This need to communicate is an engine for learning and strengthening language skills.
SPAIN
On school level:
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Making new friends and sustaining acquaintances with peers from other countries, being open-minded for cultural and religious differences, understanding different customs and habits offering this knowledge on school, family and local community which also means respect something different.
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Developing students’ knowledge to stimulate their motivation.
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Fostering the courage and the curiosity to explore new countries and cultures.
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Improvement of Europe perception.
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The development of students’ autonomy, critical thinking and the ability to make own decisions.
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Widening the awareness of the possibilities of using European programmes by the schools and encouraging other schools to take part in similar programmes.
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Teachers’ improvement which will be motivating for conducting future projects.
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Internationalization of the methodology used in different subjects thanks to the different projects implementation in each country.
On local level:
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The cooperation of the school with local institutions.
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Enrichment of the cultural offer of the town by offering our project tot the local community.
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Even after the project finishes the countries may still cooperate, for example as partner cities.
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The rise of school prestige.
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On national level:
On European level:
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Improvement of the consciousness that linguistic and communication skills are necessary for the citizens of EU.
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Mutual approach of different educational systems and ways of teaching.
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Internationalization of the schools thanks to the publications of texts and photos on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter as well as Twinspace.
Please describe your plans for dissemination and use of project results.
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How will you make the results of your project known within your partnership, in your local communities and in the wider public? Who are the main target groups you would like to share your results with?
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Are there other groups or organisations that will benefit from your project? Please explain how.
Helsinki has its own municipal curriculum based on the Finnish national curriculum.
In addition to national key goals, Helsinki Education Division has its own key goals for the schools of the city of Helsinki.
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Phenomenom-based learning modules twice a school year
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Thinking and learning to learn
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International education
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Digital Education
In OWL-project we have the same missions. The supreme goal is to increase the interest for reading and the knowledge of national original tales, myths and legends as well as partner countries’ ones, and alongside to develop a child’s broad-based competence and skills needed in the future. Pupils examine real-world phenomena across school subjects. Pupils are encouraged to discuss, inquire and question things. Learning occurs in all spaces in the school and its immediate environment, as well as in the city of Helsinki and in partner countries, with the help of technology.
As the basis of above mentioned things, we are happy to introduce our project and products of it to our local Education Division and they are free to disseminate it for other schools in Helsinki. It is our pleasure if they can benefit the OWL-project. As long as we succeed in the project, they can share it as an example of a good practice in reaching for key goals and broad-based competence.
Other groups:
Parents’ Association
Kontula Neighbourhood Association
Local Youth Association
British, Greek, French, Hungarian and Spanish Associations in Finland
Local and national media
We think that all these groups are interested in our project and the outcomes of it.
SPAIN
The project results will be disseminated to students, especially to those who will have the opportunity to enroll the project, to motivate them. To the rest of the teachers in order to connect more deeply this project with the rest of the learning and teaching activities of the school and also to the families in order that they can value the project as a great opportunity for their sons and daughters.
Project outcomes will be shared through Twinspace, blogs and in each schools’ website.
At local level, descriptive reviews of the results will be published in the local media (Town hall website, printed and on web local newspapers) in order to put in value the innovative actions and projects of the school in front of the community.
During the meetings in each country, specific activities and also other celebrations will take place with the participation of local authorities, parents and teachers.
At EU level, dissemination is going to be done via eTwinning as we think that the synergy between eTwinning and Erasmus+ is essential and complementary to spread the project.