TRAVELLING AROUND TALES AND STORIES

As bilingual schools, we have realised that some needs of our children aren´t covered. As we are teaching two subjects in English, the students with special needs have difficulties to communicate.We think Storytelling and Tales could be wonderful resources, motivating and interesting strategies, and great tools to attend to diversity in our classrooms and solve problems between children. Stories are a continual source of learning, which allow us to work with the different intelligences humans develop.The project idea was born in the Spanish school and was proposed in the forum for the search for partners for Erasmus + projects. It is a bilingual school where students with special needs have difficulty communicating. We shared the idea and joined the project. The project is attended by Turkey, Greece, Romania, Lithuania, Italy and Spain.The aim of the project was to overcome the obstacle of communication through cooperative learning, with particular attention to the development of multiple intelligences. With the use of ICT, motivating and meaningful activities have been created, we have shared methodologies, and known other countries and their cultures. The project involved students aged 3 to 14 years. Stories, traditional stories and activities have been adapted to every level. A logo of and a leaflet of the project have been created. Digital stories with different digital tools, an etwinning platform, European Travelling Books, Stop motion films of traditional stories, A Gymkhana and Trivial Goose game of the project were formed during two years.The children learned several stories, enriching the literary, linguistic and creative level.The project gave all of us, teachers, parents, children the opportunity to learn from the diversity of cultures and to apply the best of it in our culture and education.Working in groups made us feel united and turned us in good partners and even friendsThe idea of learning so much through stories enriched our approach of future techniques. The participants became aware of the importance of living in Europe and sharing real experiences with different cultures.Objectives;- To improve the Communicative approach.- To use new technologies so as to improve the comprehensive development of students (videoconferencing, teaching applications, etc).- To use ICT in order to create motivating and meaningful activities.- To know and share different methodologies in our classrooms, which benefit the attention to diversity.- To exchange interesting activities with the members of the Association.- To create digital stories from various methodologies (Cooperative learning, project learning, multiple intelligences,…)- To learn traditional stories from the partners´ countries.- To transform different types of texts (poetry changes into fairy tale or drama).- To know other countries and their cultures (languages, celebrations, methodologies, etc.).Number and profile of participating organisations;The activities have been carried out by students from 3 to 14 years old, although they will be designed according to age. Traditional tales and stories were adapted to every level and classroom. Kids from higher levels have acted as Story tellers for younger children. We strongly believe that the proposed activities benefit our students´ basic skills. The Communication skills (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking and Talking/Conversing) are actions that 3 to 14 year-old students need to develop their literary, linguistic and creative abilities. It is essential that children learn different readings, not only to increase their literary and linguistic level but also to face a rich education that develops both imagination and creativity, strengthening their self-esteem.We want our students to visit other countries and schools, in order to become aware of the importance of living in Europe and sharing real experiences with different cultures. The students who are going to travel abroad will be the older ones, from higher levels.The schools participating in the project were six because Ireland withdrew. They are: Spain (coordinator), Romania, Greece, Lithuania, Turkey, Italy.With the help of this project the students and teachers have broden their horizons. They have learnt many methods, new techniques and technological applications which can use in their classrooms. By joining such an international project, they have experienced new countries and cultures, they have broken down the stereotypes (if there are) about other cultures and they have gained European spirit and working for a common goal with other European countries. So most of the participants decided to join more project and share their experience like this one.One very important benefit is the communication in a foreign language which made all of us, teachers and students (even parents) realize that now and in future without a foreign language at least,the communication and integration in the European dimension is ver