The project aims to foster equity and inclusion, enabling high quality learning for all pupils. It wants to develop strategies, within a 'Cultural' theme, to increase competences in digital technology and foreign language acquisition for all pupils. Inclusion will involve foreign languages, ICT skills, Music and Drama, Art.
The project 'Our Colourful World' involves five European countries (Uk - England, Italy, Greece, Finland and France) working in partnership. Our main aim is to address 'Inclusion and Equity' in our schools, through an exciting and challenging programme of activities and training. As a partnership, we are all committed (through a number of effective strategies) to meeting the specific needs of every child in our organisations, regardless of social background, ethnicity, learning disabilities etc. and therefore including and motivating every student to perform to the very best of their ability and to enjoy the activities. We will share strategies for inclusion. This work will be collated to form a collaborative policy document.
The project aims to educate all participants in terms of developing intercultural knowledge and understanding through planned activities on themes including: architecture, music, dance, drama, stories, myths/legends, and art/design/technology. All outputs will be shared, presented to partners, collated, discussed, evaluated and finally produced as one collaborative product, for example, in the form of a DVD, CD, eBook/Magazine or Tutorial, Virtual Tour or Documentary. All our results will be uploaded to eTwinning.
We value the importance of language learning as an essential skill in facilitating the development of inter-cultural understanding. Again, pupils will take ownership of this aspect of the project by creating tutorials in their own languages (i.e. their content and presentation), according to identified needs and to their relevance to the project content.
Two planned multiplier events will reach a huge audience of people outside our organisations: in the UK (march 2017) for the art gallery exhibition of artwork and digital outputs including a virtual tour and ebook presentations and in Itlay for the public showing of our documentary (May 2017).
The overall aim of our partnership is to foster equity and inclusion, enabling high quality learning for all pupils. Within this, we aim to develop strategies, within a 'Cultural' theme, to increase competences in digital technology and foreign language acquisition for all pupils.
We aim to:
-promote an inclusive school and education, where individual differences are experienced & taught
-support a democratic school, where equality is respect of diversity & diversity is considered as an added value
-reduce barriers to learning
- respond to pupils’ diverse learning needs
-ensure educators are committed to developing inclusive approaches
-promote multi-sensory teaching
-promote increased inclusion in future environments through appreciation & acceptance of individual differences
-bring together learners who are widely dispersed or who have learning difficulties & engage learners who in the past may have felt excluded
Inclusion also involves foreign language learning which is much more than being exposed to another language, but is about feeling accepted & involved in a worthwhile learning experience, regardless of the level achieved. It gives the learner the ability to step inside the mind & context of another culture. Without the ability to communicate and understand a culture on its own terms, true access to that culture isn't possible. Lack of inter-cultural sensitivity can lead to mistrust & misunderstandings; to an inability to cooperate, negotiate & compromise. Inter-cultural understanding begins with individuals who have language abilities and who can thereby provide one's own nation or community with an insider's view into foreign cultures; who can understand foreign news sources and give insights into other perspectives on international situations & current events. For survival in the global community, every nation needs such individuals. A person competent in other languages can bridge the gap between cultures, contribute to international diplomacy, promote national security and world peace, and successfully engage in international trade.
We aim to:
-raise the profile of foreign languages in all our schools in order to increase global/inter-cultural understanding & appreciation
-facilitate & develop communication skills by increasing language understanding & acquisition, spoken & written
In an extremely fast moving climate of ICT, the development of digital skills, for both staff & pupils is not only relevant but essential. All of our project work will be presented digitally, through which we aim to:
-promote inclusive practices in schools
-work together on challenging projects that have real aim and purpose.
The main users are the project partners, the school staff and working team, the stakeholders, such as local authorities and associations, experts, Education National Agencies. There were very regular communication and collaboration via eTwinning, phone and e-mail. Transnational meetings in partner schools ensured strong and long-term relationships. Online and in presence meetings with participants provided essential opportunities for face-to-face communication.
Impact at a local level:
Effective and stronger connections among schools and local communities will be forged, i.e. more support and involvement in school activities, demonstrating a real example of integration of projects and curriculum with clear evidence of the students’ and teachers’ competence development. The importance of dialogue (“two-way communication”) and respect (“receptivity and openness”) in creating partnerships are emphasised and the school vision from outside will be healthy, vibrant and positive.
At the regional level: Sharing good practice among regional school networks will provide opportunities to learn new, creative and digital methodologies and approaches and tools to deal with an inclusive education. In addition, schools can work together to elaborate on guide lines to address inclusion and how to integrate school subjects into an inclusive curriculum and plan.
Impact at a national level:
The outcomes of the project will be shared with national Education Authorities who deal with Inclusive Education; the work on the eTwinning Platform will contribute to disseminate the activities at the national level and give an idea of which competences and added value this experience will have carried out. Through on-line evaluation forms, the Agency will have the chance to assess the partnership’s involvement and development. The contact person in the Italian school partner, as an eTwinning Ambassador, will share the activities and outcomes in the Learning events, teachers’ groups and PDWs that the eTwinning Agency plan every year with all European Ambassadors.
The project can be an important input into the Inclusive National Programme which supports students going on study/work placements, helps staff prepare students and review experiences, provides a record of achievement, and provides a flexible tool to meet individual needs.
Impact at a European and international level:
There will be a sharing of resources e.g. knowledge of the school systems; creating an inclusive society, practical strategies to promote social inclusion at school and acquisition of international skills and competences. The project will enrich and improve the school partners’ inclusive activity plan and their curriculum.
