"The new social, economic and technological context stresses a fundamental transformation of education in order to address new skills. The schools' answer to the challenges of nowadays society is unfortunately delayed. There is a gap between the pace of the society and the school`s adaptation, still very rooted in tradition. Starting from the identified needs, our project aimed to develop the capacity of 4 European schools to collaborate at transnational level to capitalize experiences and best practices in order to develop transversal key competencies in students (age 12-15 years old) by developing and testing a toolkit for implementing the flipped classroom methodology, based on using ICT&OER and creating a more active learning environment, in a period of 2 years. The target groups involved not only students(age 12-15 years) belonging to vulnerable groups such as economically disadvantaged, migrants, with learning difficulties and special needs, but also high skilled students; teachers involved work with students with very different backgrounds. The project activities were organised in 3 transversal WP related to Management, Monitoring&Evaluation (M&E), Dissemination (24 months) and 6 operational WP to develop specific activities, achieve the project objectives and build the project results. The proposed activities provided a fluent development of the participants` skills and a ""psychological continuity"" of their professional growth in implementing the flipped methodology: tools preparation phase (first project year) and implementation phase (second project year). The training/learning activities, strongly embedded in the project logic, developed the participants’ skills on methodology using collaboration and shared good practices. Each transnational training activity was followed by practical activities developed locally, in order to design resources/inputs for the project results. These resources were tested and improved during the learning activities, in international groups of students, mandatory to embed the diversity of students’ needs. This strategy of the project implementation allowed the project results` building step by step, each pocket activity delivering intermediate results. Four training activities/5 days joint staff training events and four learning activities for students/5 days short term exchange of students brought the principles and necessary skills to implement the flipped methodology. That was a unique occasion for vulnerable groups students to take part in an international experience and collaborate with EU peers.The project methodology was based on the concepts and tools of the Project Cycle Management in order to provide high quality results and fulfilling the objectives. The ToolKit for implementing the flipped methodology (structured as eBook with links to the resources organised in 5 chapters) provides the methodological support for implementing the flipped classroom. The Case Study: flipped and traditional classrooms compared - specificity of the partnership schools collected conclusions of implementing the same curricula using flipped and traditional classroom, in each partner school. The Project website has been a dissemination tool as well as a space for learning for the interested stakeholders. Newsletters, press conferences, events also provided information about the project activities and its results.Students developed their transversal skills such as the ability to think critically, take initiative, problem solving and work collaboratively, taking responsibilities and decision making, ICT skills. A model of how technologies can be used in learning, personal development and lifelong learning was developed. Teachers increased their abilities in designing strategies based on using of ICT&OER, creating a more active learning environment, focused on the students’ needs. The relationship between teachers and students, based on a more deeply understanding of the students’ needs and expectations, reducing the inequity that may arise from differences between learning rhythms was reinforced. Positive changes in approaching the competence-cantered learning within the school and using different teaching paradigms, attention to vulnerable students, monitoring their progress, providing informed guidance were stimulated. The Flipped classroom methodology principles were better understood and more used in learning, even for young students, reinforced the confidence in that school equips students with the 21th century skills and prepared them better for the next stages of their learning path, equipped for lifelong learning. The capacity of EU schools to collaborate internationally, create and adapt new learning methodological approaches was improved."

PROJECT SUMMARYOur project is based on the thought, that we have to tear down prejudices, when we want to build an European Union, that is modulated to a shared identity. That identity is - among other things - related to a humanistic tradition. This particular tradition revolves around the idea of cultural diversity instead of demarcation of purely national interests. The credo of the humanistic tradition, to never feel superior above any other nation, is therefore addressed to all nations. Our assumption is, that overcoming prejudices will help to develop a suspension of judgments about each other. Our main aim is to focus on cultural diversity, which can be found in and between the schools of the participating countries: Turkey, Lithuania, Romania, Greece and the Netherlands. We believe, that we can learn from each other, once we have learned something about the very different customs and traditions. During our two year project, we wish, that our pupils will be able to embed cultural differences in a specific ethnohistorical context. The main aim of our school-to-school exchange is to create openness and tolerance between the partners, as an example of good practice in Europe.First of all, we will introduce topics, that embody the countries' diversity. The symbolic meaning of traditional Romanian folk dancing is one example; another example is the embedding of designs on Turkish carpets in their specific cultural context. Why can we find the cultural heritage of the Dutch in the paintings of their great masters, like Rembrandt? Why is the ancient ritual of baking bread so important for Lithuania's inhabitants? And why are Homer's writings an example of Greece's humanistic tradition? If we can trigger the curiosity of our pupils about the answers to those questions, we will reach a state beyond prejudice, in which we can share our cultural heritage. After having learned about the differences, we see it as the next step to name the communalities between the participating partners. What do we recognize in each other's culture and how does that bind us? In the exchanges, we hope to learn appreciation of cultural diversity and its expressions in literature, crafts and all forms of art. During every meeting, our pupils will choose two shared values, that they find indispensable in shaping a European future together. A total of 115 pupils and 50 teachers of the countries mentioned above have the opportunity to share their traditions in an attempt, to realize more social inclusion in their own schools, but especially to draw attention to the need in Europe for more tolerance instead of fear for unknown cultures. The last project week is planned in Brussels, where our pupils - in a symbolic gesture - will offer a declaration to members of the European Council, in which they describe their top ten of shared values. Methodologically, our learning experience hinges on the idea, that once we have understood unique traditions, we are able of showing tolerance. On the didactic level, the teachers involved will take care of a project-based embedding in a particular ethnohistorical context. Before and after all six project meetings, spread over two years (December 2018-December 2020), we are able to monitor every learning step by: - stimulating eTwinning and producing YouTube movies in the preparatory phase (before the beginning of the project);- holding online questionnaires about the pupils' thoughts about each other's cultures to ensure a clear view of the pursued goals; - writing special newsletters after every meeting (in English and in the national language of the participants) on a special google blog, that we will also start in the preparatory phase. - by giving the participants e- booklets with pictures and stories about the learning activities;- formulating two shared values based on the experiences with each other after every meeting. This will result in 10 shared values at the end of the project;- we will offer 10 shared values in Brussels to members of the European Council, in which we plead for tolerance for and openness to other cultures;- our didactic materials will be bundled and published on the School Education Gateway (meant for this purpose).The results and the impact, envisaged with this project, is social inclusion within our schools for different cultural backgrounds (for instance gypsies in Romania and refugees in Turkey and Greece); hereby creating more awareness about the embedding of particular cultural expressions in diverse traditions. Most of all, we want to emphasize, that the fear for each other's cultures is a threat for shared democratic values. We firmly believe, that we must uphold the idea of a shared identity in the EU, to guarantee a living environment, in which the stability of the Union will not solely depend on political agreements, but on mutual understanding of manifold participants.