‘Teaching through understanding – new technologies as a bridge of joining cultures’ was the mission statement of all the our activities during the two-year-long project financed by the funds from EU Erasmus+ Programme.The main objective of the project, which had been formed in the Group of Our Secondary Schools Number 3 in Wroclaw, Poland, was joining the two essential educational paths of new technologies and the cultural heritage of EU countries. Through the implementation of IT technologies in the educational process we converged schools that were involved in the project. It is worth mentioning here that the partner Spanish schools were themselves diverse in terms of culture and traditions due to their different geographical location ( the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands).Another still major objective of the project was digitalization and education of the teaching staff in the field of using new technologies and innovative teaching methods and then their successful implementation in the course of language teaching in the schools. The positive effect of our actions was a significant raise of our students’ language competence in English and Spanish. As we all know the ability to communicate in various languages enables one to expand their knowledge. Thus, it broadens promotes the values of EU countries.The project, which came to an end in September 2018, was implemented thanks to the great youth from 4 partner schools and the great commitment of teachers. In the coordinating facility in Wrocław, bilingual units with Spanish are very active. That is why this language was the leading language of the project.The Group of Secondary Schools Number 3 in Wroclaw was also the coordinator of the project and as such it invited the following partner secondary schools: IES Lope de Mendoza of Burgos; IES TEROR of Gran Canarias and 44 Secondary School Neofit Bozveli of Sophia. In the course of the project 8 mobility visits were organised. 5 of them involved student exchange and 3 others were training courses for the teachers. Student exchange visits activated a great number of the students and made them use Spanish actively. About 200 students took part in the 5 exchange visits, however, still as numerous number of students was involved locally. 2 out of the 5 visits were organised in Poland. In order to familiarise the Spanish and Bulgarian students with Polish cultural and historical heritage we organised some events in our school and hometown as well as coach trips to Cracow and Warsaw. The other 3 student exchange visits took place in Burgos, Gran Canarias and Sophia. Each time the hosts showed us the most significant and beautiful places as well as culture and tradition of their country and region. We could also learn about the Spanish and Bulgarian educational systems and the way the lessons are led in these countries.The teacher part of the project was as fruitful as the one involving the students. 3 methodological courses whose topics involved methodology of TIK teaching, project work, g-learning, gamification (i.e. teaching based on computer games) were carried out. The teachers shared the knowledge with the other colleagues in their schools and implemented them successfully in their teaching methods.As mentioned above, we used project work in the course of the project itself in order to complete its main objectives such as cultural education and tolerance promotion. Each stage of activities, establishing overall aims and evaluation criteria were based on project work. Moreover, the projects which the students did during the classes have their final products in the form of a multimedia presentation, a virtual book or iconography. In order to complete their projects the students used the following IT tools: ganial.ly, storybird, prezi or padlet. Besides mobility visits, we also completed a number of tasks that involved our students’ participation in various topic contests, called e-contests as they meant completion with IT tools, too. Thus, the students were supposed to prepare, e-proverbs, e-christmas. a grand Euro-Chef competition. The students of each partner schools also created their logo and mascot of the project. We there are a number of websites: “Learning to learn” - https://erasmusliceoix.wixsite.com/learningtolearn devoted to all the partner school and www.erasmusplus.lo9.wroc.pl in Polish.All the activities undoubtedly brought in a lot of benefits to both: the students and the teachers, contributed to the significant growth in language and culture competence as well as motivation in both groups. We encourage everybody to use and apply all the opportunities that Erasmus+ Programme offer. The project was a two-year-long period of strenuous work which gave us a lot of satisfaction, brought in lasting results and left all the involved with unforgettable memories.

When thinking of our school problems we realised that ESL was one of our main problem like in EU priorities.Decreasing ESL rates and getting ready our students for the future life ,future economy were our aims in the project. To reach these aims our teachers must be ready too.Thanks to project TPMs they improved their IT skills and helped the students.We found 5 partners who had the same aims and objectives.Slovakia,Poland and Turkiye had the ESL problem .And Romania and Bulgaria ESL rates were not as bad as our.They would share their good examples.Also all partners have the sameaim to get ready the students for future life and economy. We discussed our main aim, objectives and activities ,then prepared the project.When we reached our aim to decrease ESL rate, we also had reached our other objectives.Now our students are more conscious about future life ,future smart economy and future professions. So They came to school ,joined lessons and studied more. They now use technology more in teaching process.The seminars about using technology and safe internet helped the students how to reach necessary information and use them correctly.In the Project we had 2 main aims;to decrease the ESL level and develop the teachers’professions. We have reached our objectives with the help of activities(The report is on website)The career days helped students to shape their future professions.They’ve learnt the importanceof education in every part of life.The successful members of the professions are the model for them.National/international activities have helped the students to improve their language skills,to work in a team andtake responsibility and complete on time, to learn/respect other cultures,beliefs,religions,values and life styles.They havelearnt the meaning/ importance of democracy.Now they are more conscious about national/international problems and troubles,and can offer effective solutions.Now they knowwhat steps they should follow when theyhave problems to solve.The LTTs encourage the students to be more entrepreneur.They had chance to learn ,research the region on cultural trips.LTTs showed them the importance of IT and technology,so they are much more into technological development and use it in their life.Free corner activity helped them to develop their social skills to share their ideas withour hurting others.The TPMs were all completed.The partners had chance to learn ,research, compare the definite subjects on traditional teachingmethods/approaches.We discussed and offered some new methods/approaches on teaching process.Using IT and new applications were introduced and discussed how to be used in teaching process.The participating teachers are now more open-minded to new technologies and use them.TPMs have developed their professional improvement.After the TPMs they shared their experiences with other teachers in the school and local area and also helped them to have new ideas/thoughts on their subject.The dissemination activities have helped to take attention to the ESL problem and solutions of it.Other schools ,teachers are willing to learn and be part of the EU projects.The local community, students,teachers and families have more knowledge about EU community,beliefs, traditions, values and their life styles.The participant teachers,students and also families are still in touch after the project TPMs and LTTs,they still share their experiences,ideas and plans for future.The teachers are sharing good examples,new methods,approaches in their whatsapp groups,and meeting their students on social media and courage them to speak in English and produce new projects.Also online discussions help us to meet new ideas and complete ourobjectives and tasks.Thecinema day activitiy is a good example of it.The reports of TPMs were shared with other teachers,local desicion makers by the help of teacher meeting.English,math,literature and science camp activities have made relationship stronger between teachers and students.Also these camps made the teaching process more fun, active and unforgetable.The student-centered learning made the teaching process more effective

MADE IN EUROPE - quest for a European heritage and identityAs our previous Comenius project focused on the shady side of Europe ( problems dealing with immigrants and other minorities in researching the motives of migration in Europe), we felt the need to explore the sunny side of Europe. The book 'Made in Europe' by Pieter Steinz was the main source of inspiration.From the survey which has been filled in by the pupils of the schools involved in the coming program, in The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Hungary an Turkey, a weak feeling of Europeanism became apparent. Pupils don’t seem to be Eurosceptic, but just don’t feel very connected. The pupils aren’t aware of any European roots in the areas Sports, Sciences and Arts. It became clear that there is a definite need for a quest to European heritage. The compass of this quest will be the acquiring and use of the 21st century study, social and life skills, such as creative and critical thinking, working together and communicating in transnational groups, flexibility and open mindedness.The main objective of the project is the creation of a European awareness and by pursuing this, develop and strengthen these 21st century skills, because they will be needed in international relations which get more and more important in the 21st century.Creating a European awareness can only be successfully done through exchanges of pupils from the participating schools. During such exchanges the dissemination of adaptive education will be the most effective.Six schools (Gymnasia) will participate in the project and about 800 students of the 10th and 11th grade will be involved in it for two years. The schools are from Gliwice (PL), Rotterdam (NL), Munich (DE), Budapest (HU) and Istanbul (TR). Five of them had very good experience together in the previous international Comenius project. The new partner from Istanbul has participated in many other European exchange projects. Each school has specific qualities, such as learning skills in adaptive education or experience with working in project groups, but also knowledge and expertise on the topics Arts, Sciences and Sports.Nine activities during international exchange weeks and in the curriculum of the regular lessons Arts, Sciences and Sports will be manifest in the outcome of the intellectual outputs. Teachers will provide 20 lessons in total on 4 topics: the quest for European Arts, Sciences, and Sports and the influence of the Byzantine-Ottoman culture on Europe. Students and teachers will produce the other five intellectual outputs in project activities: writing a diary booklet with reflections and reports about the activities and exchange programs; a transnational European youth orchestra; a documentary film about the topics and the quest itself for a European cultural heritage and identiy; an interactive gallery and interactive international shortlist about the topics on the project site and a blog with background information or links to other sources; a European menu in a cooking contest and recipes, which will be added to the booklet. Alle activities and outputs will be produced in transnational workgroups of students and teachers. Every workgroup will have one special task, which students can choose for themselves, but all students will take part in all project lessons in Arts, Sciences and Sports.The project should not become a one-day fly, on the contrary it has the intention to become an innovation of education in the fields of Sports, Sciences and Arts that will continue for years to come at our schools. Thus it will be a sustainable project and there will be a longer term benefit, not only for the participating schools, but also as an opportunity for other European secondary schools to teach these lessons too. Each final product will be distributed in such a way that also extern stakeholders such as schools through Europe, national musea, local sport clubs, entrepreneurs from all over Europe, restaurants, foundations for education and migrant integration, will benefit from them. This will be done during several international multplying events. External stakeholders will be approached and will be informed through an active PR policy and social and other media. Multiplying will be done by means of a number of lessons series concerning Sports, Sciences and Arts which can be used in any school in Europe. A projectsite will be installed by pupils and will be updated every three months by the students and the system administrator of each partner school.The project will have its finale during a Multiplying Event in Rotterdam in which all products of the various subjects and work groups will be presented. The products including for instance a youth orchestra performing their own European composition, and a designer contest will be presented. Besides these presentations, workshops will be given so that the result of the projects will be distributed in a very effective way.

"This project was a research into the past of each of the participant countries, through their history, culture, language and traditions. The main objective was to find out the links between the different cultures that make up the European Union, compare them and draw conclusions about the differences and similarities that enrich and unite us. Other goals of this project were to inspire students and teachers to contribute to our pluralistic society and to teach tolerance by recognizing and affirming the talents, cultures and individuality of all. The project aimed at developing students’ awareness of belonging to a common Europe, without renouncing their own identity and culture. For teachers and schools, this project was an opportunity to exchange experiences and good practice with partner schools and realize the importance of intercultural education in our schools, to facilitate a better understanding between the future European citizens. These goals were achieved by addressing the following topics: 1-school dropout, 2-multicultural understanding, 3-respect for diversity, 4-active European citizenship, 5-Enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training, 6-digital competence. Our project addressed a common lack of awareness of the culture of "" others"", prejudices and stereotypes against them which leads to social exclusion and early school leaving. Working with students from other countries motivated students and gave an opportunity to give extra meaning to learning a foreign language. The project was useful for building bridges between different countries, giving participants the opportunity to have a deep knowledge of their culture, language and traditions. Through a better understanding of other cultures, the project aimed at developing the value of empathy and belonging to a united Europe. Through participation in this project, we achieved to encourage cooperation and intercultural communication and strengthen the sense of European citizenship based on understanding and respect for other peoples and cultures. Pupils became more open-minded and interested in other cultures through the experiences gained in the project. We are sure that they will make use of the good opportunities offered by the European Union and become mature ""European"" citizens with and understanding of European and global issues. A very important other aspect of the project was preparing a pedagogical base including reflections and proposals of active methods invaluable to improve the Lisbon Key Competences such as: learning to learn, interpersonal, intercultural and social competences, civic competence, cultural expression and communication in the mother tongue. We believe that these methodes allow all of the students to have a better understanding of the cultures in each country by familiarizing them with the artists in their respective countries and through permanent exchange (using internet technologies) between the different schools who were involved in the project. The main target group of this project were students that are the owners of future. That is why all our activities were student-oriented and were only to be accomplished with their participation. The aim of the these activities was to enable the students gain knowledge and abilities that they can use in future. So with 6 partner schools taking part in the project and spreading the knowledge gained and involving people activity with the measures on integration put into practice, quite a number of people benefited directly from the activities. Our partners represent contrasting social, cultural and economic backgrounds, and a diverse collection of communities from across Europe. By working together to deliver our aims about human rights we were successful in showing our students, parents, staff and others, how people from different parts of Europe can work together in order to improve relations and create a more cohesive European citizenship. The project methodology was based on the concept of interdisciplinary teaching as a means to enhance the quality of education. We aimed at approaching key issues from the perspective of different subjects, cultures and languages, thus providing a more comprehensive understanding of civic issues in a European context. To assess the impact and to ensure the proper development of the project, we discussed the outcome of the project impact during Transnational Meetings among teachers, as well as with the student participants. There was a strong cooperation among institutions, municipalities, district national education directorates, NGOs during the preparation, implementation and sustainability of our project. Local authorities, organisations and institutions (NGOs, church communities) in all participating countries will be invited to learn about the project and its results."