Description
The project objective is to prove that schools are the platform for student and teacher development, for encouraging mobility, teaching independence, cooperating with others, sharing experiences, while enabling the verification of work methods. The school as ‘the teacher of life’ is a reference to teachers being responsible for the passing of knowledge, as well as for effects of their work that contribute to maintaining an adequate standard of education. The aim will be to broaden knowledge of various domains to develop skills, to teach sensitivity and a sense of aesthetics, a sense of identity, and how to look after the environment. The project is a chance to obtain a variety of experiences, knowledge and skills, both for teachers and students.
Summary of project results
“The project was a response to the changes observed in the education system, social and cultural changes,” says Małgorzata Kulesza, project coordinator. She also adds: “We wanted to show that school is a place, which provides conditions for teacher and student development, which motivates to improve teaching methods and which teaches self-reliance and cooperation, in addition to preparing the ground for understanding the modern world. Here I mean cooperation that inspires action and makes it possible to interact with others, exchange experience and thus verify our existing work methods whilst opening us to new and different experiences.” The activities included the implementation of several mini projects. Two of them were addressed to teachers only and the remaining ones both to students and teachers. The mini project High standard of education – opportunities for young people included the organisation of a Polish-Norwegian conference in Krakow. In “How good is our school?” the participants examined the development of students’ key competences. The mini project We are learning how to think globally – water as a common treasure made the participants aware of how important it was to think about the problems of the modern world, of the correlations existing within it and of how systemic measures or the lack of thereof affected everyday life. Another challenge was presented by the project Our myths and your myths possess their own history, in which the participants worked together to create a play called To the myth and back based on Nordic and Slavic myths. This was a huge undertaking that required complex conceptual work and long preparation before the effects could be transferred to the stage. Project partners used their experience resulting from many years of international cooperation. This included their teaching, organisational and management skills, as well as their expertise in various fields and knowledge of teaching methods. The most important outcomes and impact: (1) higher teacher and student activity, greater openness to new methods of teaching and shaping young people’s attitudes; (2) students established contact with their Norwegian peers and learnt to cooperate; (3) a Polish-Norwegian play entitled To the myth and back; (4) a conference: High standard of education – opportunities for young people attended by Polish and Norwegian teachers.
Summary of bilateral results
The project resulted from earlier cooperation within the Lifelong learning programme. Through the project “School - the teacher of life” cooperation skills were developed and a high level of communication and mutual understanding was achieved. During Polish-Norwegian meetings work results were compared, outcomes juxtaposed, and conclusions drawn. The teachers will use knowledge and experience gained in the course of cooperation in their educational work, whilst the students will learn more consciously and with the conviction that they will be able to use the new skills in the future. The Polish-Norwegian partnership helped to broaden the perception of a school as an institution, enriched the participants’ knowledge about the identity of the two nations and provided inspiration for further activities. The concept of school as “a teacher of life” will be further implemented and elaborated, whereas the outcomes achieved under the partnership will contribute to improving the quality of teaching and learning.