Happy children, cooperative pupils, efficient brains

"“Happy children, cooperative pupils, efficient brains” is an Erasmus+ project born from a partnership between four schools from Poland (Gorzow), Sweden (Stockholm), Italy (Procida) and France (Soultz). Following on from their previous project, the teams realised that the most effective and innovative pedagogies or teaching methodologies did not help all of the students if the individual student’s needs were not taken into account. In each of our schools we observed similar problems. Children today are increasingly confronted with very difficult personal and family situations that prevent them from learning. Neuroscience also attests that the brain of a child or teenager cannot function, nor even develop properly if it is subject to stress, anxiety, feelings of rejection or low self-esteem. The main objective of this project is to create a serene and calm school climate. It will be centred on COOPERATIVE LEARNING, where students know that they can count on each other and thus learn to learn TOGETHER, where they can enter calmly into the learning, acquire transversal skills and subsequent key skills. Two other schools from Ireland ( Castleblayney) and Spain (Seville), having also encountered the same problems in their schools joined the partnership, in order to bring their COMPLEMENTARY EXPERTISE to the project.In this project we want to implement cooperative learning pedagogies for subjects that are generally appreciated and liked by students. The big question for us to address is ... ""how can COOPERATIVE LEARNING promote the WELL-BEING of students and enable them to LEARN EFFICIENTLY ? "" This will be further investigated at each meeting by exploring the additional question of …….How can we , as teachers , implement COOPERATIVE LEARNING in:●- OUTDOOR LEARNING●- A DIGITAL project (using the ICT)●- A DRAMA project●- A MUSICAL project●- A VISUAL ARTS projectDuring each Learning Teaching Training meeting, the teachers will be able to enrich themselves with the theory and practice of Cooperative Learning in the Outdoors, Digital Learning , Art , Music and Drama by observing practical sessions. When we return to our own schools, the TEACHERS will use this learning in the various subject areas with their students to ENABLE their STUDENTS to create a PRODUCTION which will then be posted on a TWINSPACE dedicated to the project. Each of these productions will be an opportunity for the teachers and students to present a cultural characteristic of their own country and learn about the corresponding cultural characteristics of the other schools in the partnership (Cultural aspects will include myths and legends, recipes, interview of a famous person, traditional dance , typical houses / architecture in my country).At the end of all of this learning , these achievements and pedagogical discoveries will be combined to allow the students present a successful SHOW mixing legends, ICT, musical culture, dance and architecture of each country of the partnership.All of the- Theoretical presentations- Observations of practical sessions- Demonstrations organized in each school- Student productions- Pedagogical resultswill be posted on the project TWINSPACE and will be available to all E-twinning members. A link to the Twinspace will also allow access to it from the Erasmus + Results Platform.For this major project, each country bears responsibility for part of the partnership. Ireland and Sweden will be responsible for the areas of Visual Arts, Theatre Music and Dance and Cooperative Learning respectively . Spain will ensure dissemination of the results on Twinspace.Italy will take charge of the well-being part of the students.Poland being a pilot school in formative assessment will assume the regular evaluation of the project and will share innovative modes of cooperative evaluation.France will look after the general coordination of the project.The expected RESULTS are:For SCHOOLS- Improvement of the school climate by taking into account the physical and emotional well-being of our studentsFor the STUDENTS- Integration into the school- Self-confidence and confidence with peers- Development of transversal skills (in particular learning to learn TOGETHER)- Development of key skills - Development of regional, national and European citizenshipFor TEACHERS- Acquisition of new PERENNES work habits – new ways of teaching - New professional tools (EDUCATIONAL RESSOUIRCES on the Twinspace)- Acquisition of new skills in the implementation of artistic projects (which increase the motivation of students)All of these results should enable the students involved in the project and future students to pursue a more fulfilling school life - to be happy , to work together efficiently."