IES ISLA DE LA DEVA - SPAIN (MAIN COORDINATOR)
http://www.isladeladeva.es/iesdeva/
IES Isla de la Deva is an educational center supported by public funds, located in Piedras Blancas, Castrillón council, in an industrial zone of the center of Asturias, although it counts with numerous students from nearby rural centers, lower and upper secondary education with health sciences, technology, humanities and social sciences branches. We also have the PMAR, Program for Improvement of Learning and Performance, within ESO. We also have Middle and Advanced Vocational Training Cycles of Electricity, Maintenance and Services to Production and others related to Family of Health.
It has about 900 students enrolled, five hundred of which correspond to lower upper Secondary Education. We have 88 teachers.
The center has the Erasmus University Charter since 2011, having obtained the ECHE for the period 2014-2020, and since 2012 has participated in student mobility projects for internships. During the courses 2013/14 and 2014/15 he participated in a Comenius project called "Youth News Europe" together with schools in Belgium, Finland, Ireland and Sweden.
In addition, our IES participates in the European Sections Program with a bilingual program in Secondary School since 2008, in which students, from 1st to 4th receive subjects such as Music, Technology and Mathematics in English and in recent years participate in Usual way in the e-Twinning Program.
On the other hand, our Institute takes part in the eTwinning community and it is also a member of the Schools associated to Unesco and develops specific programs of Health and school garden.
We began our international experience by participating in the Erasmus mobility project Trasiegu 2012, within the consortium of the Management of Vocational Training of the Principality of Asturias, where two students of the Training Cycle of Pathological Anatomy and Cytology ran a formative stay of 2 months in a hospital in Reggio-Calabria.
For our organization it was a very enriching experience since it was a push to the internationalization of the center and we experienced a great improvement in the assessment has been made about Vocational Training within and outside the IES. In addition, it has allowed us to broaden our understanding about how Italian people work and live.
MERENOJAN KOULU - FINLAND
https://kalajoki.fi/yhteystiedot/merenojan-koulu/
The Merenojan school is a junior highschool with approx 300 students aged 11-15 years old, located 130km south of the city of Oulu in Northern Finland. As a result of its rural location wishes to further broaden its horizons on an international level. The school has approximately 300 students with students coming to the school from the town of Kalajoki as well as neighbouring towns and villages. The students at the school mainly come from the local agricultural industry with little chance of learning about foreign European countries. Through such a partnership it is hoped that this situation could be changed and the students attitudes reflect more of an open European mindset.
The schools main focuses relate to, internationalisation, ICT in education and entrepreneurship with a focus on tourism.
The schools focus has been towards the internationalisation of subjects through the use of International projects and activities. The school has achieved this through a number comenius projects and Nordplus projects as well as recruiting international assistant teachers in association with the University of Edinburgh.
Through the use of international partnerships the school hopes to raise the awareness of its students on an international level and help to create a more open and extroverted atmosphere to inspire students to excel in the European community. Merenojan school has previously been the coordinating school for a comenius projects and has gained great experience in the management of international educational projects.
The school is currently one of the few schools in Finland to adopt the Google education ICT system and specialises in online courses and the use of ICT in education. The school also actively takes part in the producing and teaching of online courses which are used as a means for students to undertake distance learning and add additional themes to the subjects.The school has also organized a two week Comenius in-training seminar based on drama and motivation in the classroom.
SZKOŁA PODSTAWOWA Z ODDZIAŁAMI INTEGRACYJNYMI - POLAND
Szkoła Podstawowa z Oddziałami Integracyjnymi nr 21 im. Henryka Sienkiewicza is located in Gliwice, approx. 40 kilometres westward from Katowice, the capital of the voivodship. Historically, the city of Gliwice is situated in the eastern part of Silesia region. In the Polish system of education, the school is recognized a state primary school with integration classes at all grades.
There are about 80 teachers employed in the organization including those trained to work only with integration classes. The school has more than 500 pupils among which there are 32 students with special needs (hard of hearing, ADHD, Asperger's syndrome and other autistic spectrum disorders). It is confirmed that more than 20 students come from disadvantaged background. Moreover, some female pupils attend handball classes.
The age of students ranges from 6 to 13, but after upcoming changes in the Polish system of education, 14-year-olds and 15-year-olds will join the school.
The students come from urban areas, but the school is located in the suburbs of Gliwice. The district is surrounded by industrial zones including coal mining and logistics. The uncertain future of Silesian coal mines causes such economical and social problems (low income, unemployment, negative patterns of behaviour) that the school must participate actively in dealing with local community issues.
In recent years the school participated in Comenius projects:
- "Beyond diSTances" (2008-2010) with schools from Romania, Slovakia, Great Britain and Bulgaria focused on building tolerance and combating discrimination and xenophobia,
- "Towards a greener future" (2010-2012) as an applicant with schools from France, Spain, Greece, Romania, Slovenia and Italy was designed for students with special educational needs and focused on promoting environmental issues,
- "Pathways to discovery" (2012-2014) with schools from Finland, Spain, Sweden, Wales and Italy based on developing linguistic competences and discovering new cultures.
As the result, there is a group of teachers open to new challenges and experienced in cooperating with foreign partners.
The school was also engaged in the project "Akademia Kluczowych Kompetencji Sośnicy - Stawiam na naukę" (2013-2015) financed by the EU Operational Programme Human Capital. The project offered a vast of therapeutic, artistic and educational activities for children of different backgrounds.
In 2014 a group of teachers visited Portugal during the project "In search of changes" financed by the EU Operational Programme Human Capital. The teachers learnt about methods of teaching the talented as well as the less able students. They also developed interpersonal skills useful in everyday teaching.
The school is a member of "Pozytywni" group which was created to support Gliwice schools in dealing with discrimination, bullying and violence. The integration classes programmes are designed with the help of school specialists trained to work with disadvantaged students.
Last year all the staff attended a series of professional training about children with special needs. As the result they increased their knowledge and developed teaching skills (including cooperation and motivating students).
BALVU STATE GYMNASIUM - LATVIA
301 students (forms 7-12, aged 13- 18/19) study in Balvi State Gymnasium and the staff includes 46 teachers. There are 18 groups – 10 forms at a primary level and 8 ones at a secondary level. In 1930 the school was established as Balvi Town Gymnasium but in 2009 the school was renamed Balvi State Gymnasium occupying the premises of this building in 1977. Since that time school has been twice renovated and is going to have the third renovation of interior rooms and sports ground next summer.
The process of learning is based on the students and teachers`mutual understanding, respect and the students` interests, therefore the students of our school are open to face new approaches, they are able to adapt to new situations and are not afraid to accept challenges.
Balvi State Gymnasium offers the following educational programs:
On primary education level students can choose: second stage of primary education (forms 7-9) program with focus on the humanities and social sciences (with in-depth studies of the English language), second stage of primary education (forms 7-9) program, second stage of primary education (forms 7-9) program with a focus on mathematics, natural sciences and technologies (with in-depth studies of Mathematics and Science subjects).
On secondary education level they can study: arts and social sciences education program, educational program with focus on mathematics, natural sciences and technologies, educational program with focus on mathematics, natural sciences and technologies(with subprogram in computer design), general Education program.
The students learn English as the first foreign language and Russian or German as the second foreign language.
There is at least one student from every class represented in the Students` Council. The Council plans and organizes different activities at school to make the students` life at school more interesting. Except good achievements in their studies the students are active at sports and get the first places in different competitions in the country, they are good at art and music as well.
Traditional school events are: Knowledge Day, Teachers’ Day, Parents’ Days, Christmas Celebration, Valentine’s Celebration, Badge Evening and others.