More information
Description
The project aims at cooperation of institutions representing education sector of Poland and Norway, which will result in the improvement of English teaching in primary schools. The team of 17 will elaborate a teacher’s guidebook for 0-4 grades and will create an Ideas & Activities Resource Pack - information and inspirations for effective teaching of young learners. The project participants will not be the only recipients of these new developed skills - 150 others representing various educational institutions (including schools which educate children with learning difficulties) will be trained. About 6000 children will benefit from it. Project supports social inclusion, enhance the basis of knowledge in Poland, referring to a problem that schools are not able to meet the challenges of XXI century. Exchange of experience between the partners (meetings and mobilities) and joint work on innovative pedagogical materials will allow to establish constant cooperation between schools in EEA.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to strengthen the competences of early school education staff and brought the expected effect. As a response to common problems, identified by teachers, in teaching foreign languages in the youngest primary schools grades, it fostered exchange of experiences and good practices between project participants during trainings, workshops, demonstration lessons, and the joint design of educational materials based on the transferred experiences. The following actions were implemented: A) Project meetings and staff mobility in Poland and Norway; B) Individual and group work on elements of jointly created materials; C) Dissemination events. The project clearly contributed to the increase in the quality of education by providing guidance on effective teaching techniques, innovative ideas, and teaching aids. The result of our cooperation: a set of unique methodological guides for teachers of English. The three methodological guides contain the teaching methods discussed in the application, which have been tested in classrooms and are recommended by our team for implementation in foreign language lessons. The material was derived from students'' personal accounts of the use of particular techniques or tools in their own classroom, as well as references to relevant starting materials from the application or online templates. Foreign teachers, promoting the idea of student-centered education, helped to initiate real change not only in the 5 schools participating in the project, but also in many other institutions. Teachers from outside the project, inspired by the conference workshops and the national competition organized by the Applicant, got acquainted with new ideas for working with the student, implemented them in their lessons, and gave feedback on how the tested didactic innovations positively impacted the quality of education in 50 schools. At conferences, we trained 150 representatives of education staff from educational institutions, inspiring them to change the approach to teaching the youngest in grades 0-3. We contributed to the popularization of self-inquiry learning, the development of higher-order processing skills, the inclusion of formative assessment, peer learning, and stimulating students to be creative and communicative. The impact of the project on the adaptation of the Polish school to the challenges of the 21st century was definitely positive.
Summary of bilateral results
Participation in project school from Norway was extremely important. It allowed teachers from Poland to get to know the completely different work environment of an international school, to look at the standards of education in practice while respecting cultural diversity, but also to observe how the school can shape the student''s life attitude in the spirit of the values promoted in the International Baccalaureate system. This allowed for a valuable change in methodology focused on student needs. Gaining the opportunity to introduce new, interesting techniques and educational tools. was just one of the many benefits participants gained from observing a foreign partner''s activities, live and online. Cooperation with a foreign partner had an impact on broadening the horizons of building joint initiatives with schools from other countries. The international lessons initiated by the teachers from Żuromin with the participation of the Norwegian school have become a stimulus to expand contacts in the world and develop further competences, both for the participating teachers and for their students. Contact with peers from abroad, which was made possible for students living in a small town in Poland, made children aware of the practical and valuable aspect of language education. This influenced their motivation to continue their efforts. Thus, each of many events during the project could have a significant impact on the lives of students who have not yet seen the effects of their education translate into benefits (e.g. establishing interesting contacts beyond their own environment). It would not be possible without a foreign partner. It should be emphasized that the special passion for shaping the education process, which characterizes the management of Asker International School, was crucial for the success of the partnership. The cooperation will be continued at the level of partner schools. Other joint projects with Smart Panda and up!homo are also planned.