methodological guide 8

METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE FOR TEACHERS

ACTIVITIES CARRIED BY FAMILIES

THE FAMILY AS AN EDUCATION AGENT IN INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS

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CONTENTS Prologue

Reports:

1. Welcome meeting 2. Dogs in the park and our behaviour 3. Live music days 4. Building up feeding boxes for birds 5. Making recycled paper 6. Poetry is adrift 7. Chess educational workshop 8. Debate and education encounters 9. Carnival celebration in family surroundings 10. Museum. Visiting an interacive exhibition “Elektro Baroque” 11. Kalnik. Parents and children spending time in nature 12. Night of Books 13. Travelogue. India 14. Maths as a game 15. Making strechers for recycled paper 16. Multisensory spaces 17. The world of the ants 18. Making puppets 19. Pilates workshop 20. Umbra-L 21. Chemistry 22. Fun Olympics 23. Origami 24. Second mountain trip – Medvednica 25. Spanish and flamenco 26. Traditional games 27. Visit to enthomological museum 28. Yoga 29. Dance and music from Cameroom 30. Forest for discovery 31. Heuristic play with washing up bowls 32. Light table workshop 33. My favourite animal is 34. Cooperation with the emergency service 112 35. Electronic magnifier 36. Library 37. Music 38. Plitvice lakes 39. Potok Sumi excursion

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http://issuu.com/action/page?page=4








































40. Swamp insects 41. Visit to police station 42. World snake day

Notes: Lines of action, goals and competences

Every activity report include a link to be downloaded and printed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

Contents

TUTORIAL FOR TEACHERS

S.E.L.F.

(Sharing Education and Learning with Families).

A challenge for 21st-century schools

Compartiendo Educación y Aprendizajes con las Familias.

Un desafío para las escuelas del siglo XXI

1. EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK:

“Education and Training 2020” (ET 2020) is a new strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training that builds on its predecessor, the “Education and Training 2010” (ET 2010) work programme. It provides four common strategic objectives for Member States, including a set of principles for achieving these objectives, as well as common working methods with priority areas for each periodic work cycle.

These four strategic objectives provide a European framework for the SELF Project (Sharing Education and Learning with Families). Here we highlight what we consider the main references for each of them within our particular project.

• Making lifelong learning and mobility a reality: progress is needed in the implementation of lifelong learning strategies, the development of national qualifications frameworks linked to the European Qualifications Framework, and the Mobility must be extended and the European Quality Charter for Mobility must be applied.

• Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training: all citizens need to be able to acquire key skills and all levels of education and training need to be made more attractive and efficient.

• Promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship: education and training should enable all citizens to acquire and develop skills and competencies needed for their employability and foster further learning, active citizenship and intercultural dialogue. Educational disadvantage should be addressed through high-quality inclusive and early education.

• Enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training: the acquisition of transversal competences by all citizens should be promoted and the functioning of the knowledge triangle (education-research-innovation) should be ensured. Partnerships between enterprises and educational institutions as well as broader learning communities with civil society and other stakeholders should be promoted.

For more information:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV:ef0016

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http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV:c11104

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV:c11085

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=uriserv:c11090

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV:ef0016

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2. PROJECT S.E.L.F. (Sharing Education and Learning with Families)

In line with the European Commission’s proposals for efficiency and equality in education systems, we agree that quality infant education improves children’s social adaptation and better predisposes them to lifelong learning. In our view, close cooperation is required between families and school to achieve this, taking into account the resources available in the social, educational and cultural environment.

“Educating” should not be the exclusive preserve of educational institutions. Learning is possible in any place and society. To facilitate this, there must be a connection and cooperation between family, school and community that will better enable us to develop the abilities which infant-school children need to become informed, critical, active and engaged citizens in the 21st century.

In this context, the Erasmus+ S.E.L.F Project was created to defend the idea that, in a bid to improve quality standards, education in general, and infant education in particular, should not be restricted to educational institutions. Involving parents in school dynamics will not be possible unless institutions recognise them as strategic learning agents and organise the necessary mechanisms to understand the social realities of families and students (Education Strategy 2020).

In education, this objective requires frameworks and resources that enable teachers and/or education institutions to see themselves as agents responsible for change, building new pedagogies to be shared with families and, above all, making classrooms and schools open places of learning for all sectors of the educational community and its environment.

3. FAMILIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

Implementing proposals like those included in this tutorial for teachers requires willingness on the part of educational institutions and teaching staff to rise to a new challenge and a new way of understanding the learning process, where family-school-environment cooperation introduces changes into educational contexts and generates new opportunities for the family, the school, its students and, indeed, the environment.

In the activities proposed and developed in the TUTORIAL, we pay particular attention to the degree of involvement and commitment of families and other people and institutions in our social and cultural environment. The presence of these new educational agents in schools have also brought us into contact with concerns about education experienced by all sectors in our society, enabling us to provide a more appropriate response, more in keeping with our students’ real circumstances, while giving priority to learning for life as a basic skill in education.

Moreover, open-mindedness has been a key factor in schools to move from acting on families’ behalf towards being with families, facing up, in a proactive and innovative fashion, to educational co-responsibility, cooperation and partnership between families and teachers. School has become a normal part of everyday family life and students recognise them as sources of fun and learning, in a natural way.

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4. STUDENTS:

Most of the actions described in this TUTORIAL have been aimed at infant-school children, although as adults (families and teachers), we have also benefitted from some of them in the context of “lifelong learning”.

As our point of departure, we cannot ignore the major impact on a person’s life of their earliest educational experiences. Nor can we ignore the fact that the most important physical, socio-emotional and cognitive changes take place in the early years of development. The implementation of the S.E.L.F. Project, and therefore of this TUTORIAL, is based on the conviction that educational experiences at the infant-school stage have a major effect on the subsequent acquisition of new learning for life.

5. TEACHERS AND MANAGEMENT TEAMS

As teachers, we are aware that we have to offer the necessary resources to help our students adapt to our constantly changing society, and this requires learning how to learn, learning throughout our lives and even unlearning what we have learned.

Educators and/or educational institutions which opt to implement cooperative practices like those listed in this TUTORIAL, need to consider the gradual introduction of the necessary changes in their methodology and projects.

Embarking on any of the actions suggested in this TUTORIAL requires staff in educational institutions who wish to apply inclusive models to consider at least the following:

Engage in ongoing training as the key to innovation and the search for continual improvement.

Support opening the school up to its environment as the basis for new educational models, using environmental resources, making contact with other institutions and working together.

Consider the presence of families in day-to-day classroom and school experience as part of an ordinary, everyday practice.

Listen to and respect families, ensuring they feel free to offer their own experience as this is essential for this kind of cooperation project. Working with families increases confidence both in teachers and the school as an educational institution.

Adopt a receptive attitude to families’ proposals, treating them as new experts that enrich collective knowledge.

Become facilitators of activities, preparing the time, place and infrastructure, supplying space and materials required, always coordinating with the family member who is going to conduct the activity.

Allow and encourage the family member to take the initiative in the activity, offering strategies and supporting them in getting the activity/workshop underway and the dynamics involved.

Collect and consider families’ opinions when evaluating the action undertaken.

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Prior reflection, both individually and as a team, must necessarily be the point of departure among teaching staff and in European contexts and exchange forums.

The staff of the two schools involved in this project had already worked and reflected on their understanding of education and the circumstances surrounding their social and cultural environment. Listening to families was a key and constant element in enabling us to gauge the concerns, needs, desires and challenges represented by our children’s education, transforming these into Educational Projects that help develop our students’ skills.

When developing inclusive projects, management teams must act as promoters, motivators and facilitators. They must be directly involved in both design and implementation, guaranteeing their inclusion in the schools’ Educational Projects and ensuring their continuity.

Teachers working towards a model that includes families in the teaching-learning process, require the following profile:

The flexibility and creativity to introduce the necessary changes in their methodology, facilitating the inclusion of families in the classroom.

Ongoing training Contact with the cultural and social life around them. Willingness to collect, listen to and support other proposals. The ability to listen actively to learning for life needs of today’s children.

6. METHODOLOGICAL TUTORIAL FOR S.E.L.F. TEACHERS:

The tutorial is aimed at schools, teachers and families of children in infant and primary education, with a view to providing experiences and proposals regarding activities in which the parents of each school have been involved and which have helped the students of both schools taking part in this research-action project to develop basic new skills.

It is intended as an eminently practical tool, based on reflection, observation, ongoing evaluation, team work and cooperation between schools, families and their environment in teaching-learning processes.

Other educational situations can be extrapolated from each action proposal, adapting these to the educational, social and cultural context in question. The proposals implemented are recorded in an individual model document (REPORT) organised as follows:

1. Action areas as specified in our project’s classification 2. Specific priority objectives 3. Basic skills developed by the students or adults involved in each activity 4. Brief description of the activity 5. Methodology and resources used 6. Role of teacher and families

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7. Evaluation of teachers and families involved 8. Documentary support of processes and results 9. Suggestions for improvement and related links.

In short, the proposals in this TUTORIAL FOR TEACHERS focus on a new way of understanding the learning process. It involves acceptance that cooperation between families, schools and their environment introduces changes into educational contexts and generates new educational challenges and opportunities for students, families, schools and society as a whole, undoubtedly helping to improve education as a whole and infant education in particular.

The results of these changes, which affect both the approach to the kind of schools we are aiming at and our role as teachers within them, will outlive the ERASMUS+SELF project. In order to safeguard their continuity and stability, it is therefore important that the changes be recorded in the Educational Projects undertaken by schools and in the pertinent educational documents.

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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Zaleo Infant School

Email to be used to ask questions: [email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: WELCOME MEETING. Meeting-encounter among new families, school´s teachers, current school´s families and former families.

LINES OF ACTION1: BUILDING UP AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. The families are involved in certain or annual actions at the school. PROVIDING INFORMATION IS SHARING. Our schools spread activities including our educational methodology.

KEY WORDS: Welcoming encounter, sharing, feelings, information, meeting each other.

STARTING SITUATION: In the SELF Project, this activity is designed as a key encounter to be set up in the project´s schools and to be celebrated at the beginning of the course; where new families attend to the school either to meet teachers and the educational offer from the school or having a welcome from parents in charge of AMPA, from families who go to school and from the former pupils.

GOALS2: Plan dynamic, playful, formative, and cultural meetings both in and out of the partner schools in order to

raise the cultural level of said educational communities.

Facilitate communicative and cooperative ties between the families of the institutions that participate in

the project.

Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions,

in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula.

Increase and diversify informative channels of each school with their families.

CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED:

The social and civic competence is based on stipulating the mechanisms to know and participate actively in the life´s school, spending time together, gathering each other and looking for encounter´s moments.

The nursery school has autonomy to establish mechanisms that contribute that families take part in the educational process.

The schools will cooperate intimately with parents to get a better cohesion and the same criteria in their children´s formation.

Setting up an atmosphere of confidence and suitable affective conditions to be in favour of attending to this encounter.

Being related with others and acquire the elemental guidelines of coexistence and social relationship.

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: An encounter activity is thought to be designed for families whose children attend for the first time to our school, contributing to create a suitable atmosphere of coexistence and searching the benefit for families of knowing in advanced some aspects of the organization and participation in it. That encounter consists of several actions:

1 LINES OF ACTION 2 GOALS 3 COMPETENCES

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mailto:[email protected]

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First public appearance of all the staff that works at the school (teachers, management team, services

personnel and cooking personnel). The management team summarizes our methodology, actions and leading workshops developed at the

school and they present the SELF project, encouraging to take part in it. Former students’ parents speak for their experience about the education of their children at Zaleo. AMPA families introduce themselves and speak about the cooperation at the school through working

commissions. In the room there are distributed computers which show photographs or videos of the workshops

developed at Zaleo by the teachers. There are panels and corners of parents spread along the room with AMPA working commissions. The dialogue is promoted among everybody, interacting with families, listening to their fears and solving

doubts.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Human resources: to that meeting, attend all the workers from the school, parents of former students, the representatives of Families Association, families and pupils who are already at school and new families and students. Material resources: Panels with posters of fathers and mothers Association working commission, pictures and laptops that show videos made by the children. Delivery of a notebook with the photos of all the school personnel. Spaces: The meeting is held in an interior space at the school. Timing: It takes place out from the working timetable, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in October (after a month since the beginning of the course in Spain).

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: School team role: The schools, according to their autonomy can design actions that promote encounter moments between families and educational personnel to know the center, it teachers and it methodology; as well as current projects developed by the school. Promoting a listening role for families´ doubts. Being receptive to the emotional load included in the characteristics of the encounter. Families role: They speak about how do they felt when they were involved in their children´s education along with the school and they welcomed new families, encouraging them to assume tasks and responsibilities at school and at Parents’ Association.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS:

Centre conditions of opening to the environment and an opened relation of listening with a feedback with families to promote encounters.

We consider that the most suitable date to develop this activity could be at the beginning of the course, in September, in Spain.

It might be more interesting that families attend without their children, according to feel more comfortable and interact with other families or school´s personnel; taking into account the attention to children near the school.

To promote that parents know existed commissions, it exists the possibility of delivering a list for the families to read it carefully at home.

They mustn´t coexist both presentations, the educational and from parents the same day. It could be suitable to dedicate two moments to hold separately each event.

The space to be used supposed to be the largest space provided by the centre to accommodate all parents interested in the event. It may be used another space from other institutions (libraries, leisure centres, assembly halls…) to hold either new or former parents.

The duration of the event it won´t last too much. Delivering a leaflet or a notebook with all the school´s personnel, including a summary with the main

details and a brief summary about the methodology.

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AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photographs

Families’ opinion: Families have considered suitable to celebrate this encounter in which they have met all the school´s personnel and in general, the working dynamic at the school. Along as the AMPA´s structure and its general functioning and the working commissions. Emphasizing the implication, kind and caring treat from Zaleo staff (management team, teachers, services personnel, school´s parents, former parents…)to families.

Others: Download this report Elaborating a brief assessment questionnaire or a book with comments about the event elaborated at the end when they express how they feel and their general opinion about the meeting.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4cVNCUEtTR3VyU3c/view?usp=sharing

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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Zaleo Infant school


ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: SUPPORTIVE WORKSHOPS TO THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY DOGS IN THE PARK AND OUR BEHAVIOUR

LINES OF ACTION1: ACTION 2. FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL

AGENTS: workshops or prompt actions in each school

year (of vary durations), either independently or in

collaboration with a teacher in order to support the

development of competencies, knowledge for life

and/or curricular areas.

ACTION 4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT:

Our surrounding space is recognized as a third

educational agent in our project and become learning

resource for our model of OPEN SCHOOLS

KEY WORDS: OUTDOOR CLASSROOM PARK´S WORKSHOP THE BEHAVIOUR OF DOGS AND THEIR OWNERS OUR BEHAVIOUR FACED WITH DOGS AND THEIR OWNERS

STARTING SITUATION: The initiative of creating an Outdoor Classroom at Zaleo Infant School was born thanks to the educational exchange from some European schools, among some of them was included Zaleo, linked to an European participation COMENIUS project called SMOL (Science and Mathematics Outdoor Learning). This project proposed to deepen and strengthen thoughts and experiences related to the learning of Science and Mathematics in the environment. It started in the course 2012-2013. The Outdoor Classroom activity set up in September 2013 at Zaleo school with the rooms of pupils between 4 and 5 years old, extending it later to the 3 years old children. Consisted of the appropriation of our educational community of the public space, a park located in front of our school (Parque Lineal de Palomeras), 3 times a week as an extension of the scholar spaces. It has worked incredibly to motive the learning (observing, investigating, mixing, writing, telling, solving problems…) and the responsible intervention of the environment (taking care and improving measures), discovering a new sight of boys and girls towards this outdoor space gifted by a new value to enjoy and learn. Whereas the activity is in progress, it is frequent meet citizens having a walk with their dogs. Very often, these animals get closer to us, to smell, play, eat our afternoon snack, etc. How can we react to this situation? The father of a pupil from the 3 years old classroom works as a dog instructor, environment instructor and he is so keen on activities in the nature. As a result of the survey delivered at the beginning of the course to the families about their competences and in collaboration with the educational personnel, this activity was done with the pupils of the rooms of 3, 4 and 5 years old, independently of the group.

1 LINES OF ACTION

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GOALS2: GOAL 1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions,


GOAL 6. Establish relationships from schools with our environment and surroundings, transforming ourselves into

active agents of social, cultural, and educational change.

GOAL 10. Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by

understanding that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families, professionals, and

environments with the purpose of raising the quality of the learning process.


Communication in the mother tongue, which is the ability to express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and to interact linguistically in an appropriate and creative way in a full range of societal and cultural contexts.

Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology. Mathematical competence is the ability to develop and apply mathematical thinking in order to solve a range of problems in everyday situations, with the emphasis being placed on process, activity and knowledge. Basic competences in science and technology refer to the mastery, use and application of knowledge and methodologies that explain the natural world. These involve an understanding of the changes caused by human activity and the responsibility of each individual as a citizen.

Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of information society technology (IST) and thus basic skills in information and communication technology (ICT).

Social and civic competences. Social competence refers to personal, interpersonal and intercultural competence and all forms of behavior that equips individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life. It is linked to personal and social well-being. An understanding of codes of conduct and customs in the different environments in which individuals operate is essential. Civic competence, and particularly knowledge of social and political concepts and structures (democracy, justice, equality, citizenship and civil rights), equips individuals to engage in active and democratic participation.

Learning to learn is related to learning, the ability to pursue and organize one's own learning, either individually or in groups, in accordance with one's own needs, and awareness of methods and opportunities.

Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship is the ability to turn ideas into action. It involves creativity, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. The individual is aware of the context of his/her work and is able to seize opportunities that arise. It is the foundation for acquiring more specific skills and knowledge needed by those establishing or contributing to social or commercial activity. This should include awareness of ethical values and promote good governance.

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The activity with each group is developed in the working timetable along a morning. The duration depends on the age of boys and girls and the sequence of routines.

2 GOALS 3 COMPETENCES

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As a result, we dedicate two different mornings: one for the 3 years old room in the timetable between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.; the other mornings is reserved for the 5 and 6 years old pupils from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition, this association makes easier having smaller groups and a suitable adaptation to the level of communication and exchange of information at those ages. Independently of the pupil´s age, the chosen groups and the duration, all the sessions are developed in a similar sequence of activities. The first phase: in the facilities of the school (classrooms…). Information about dogs, characteristics, behavior, way of understanding them and mixing with them. The second phase: in the park. Recognition of dogs. Our behavior. Interview with the owner and collecting information for our classroom file: name of the animal, age, breed, tastes and entertainment. In all the activities of this sequence, the educational proposal comes from the father who is in charge of the proper action. He selects and presents the information from the session, proposes questions, collects doubts from boys and girls, offers answers and proposes different ways to act according to the different situations we can face with dogs in the park.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Facing up to daily problems and looking for the best solutions at any moment to solve problems individually or in team, is the main reason of learning in life. In this permanent learning process are crucial the references provided by our families and societies. The suggested methodology chases to put in contact the information and the experiences added from an expert (in concrete, Antonio, the father of one of the pupils at Zaleo) with the observation, knowledge and previous experiences among boys and girls. Moreover, we must solve the doubts according to what to do when you run into a dog in the park. To make easier the relation between the knowledge of the expert and the real necessities of pupils, the teacher who is In charge of the Outdoor workshop does previous activities with each group. The aim is provide information about Who and when is coming to visit us and keeping company in the park, which is the reason, how important are his Teachings, etc. Furthermore, we collect in a painting and words book all the knowledge and what we expect to learn about dogs, to give it to Antonio, the father who will accompany us the day of the activity. Therefore, he may provide us all the answers. At the school, the informative session is supported by an audiovisual montage prepared by this father. It is carried out by all the group (there are 29 boys and girls in the group of 3 years old, and 40 in total taking into account the ages of 4 and 5 years old). We also add the contributions of the children. The total duration is around 45 minutes (depending on the age). Whereas, the activity in the park is run by the father who is offering answers to the various situations we must face When we see an inhabitant having a walk with the animal. Is it tied or free? Does he/she collect poo? How can we get closer to the animal?...In addition to the common resources, the camera to take pictures and the notebook/recorder to take notes/drawing all the information were essential in the activity. Considering that the activity is realized with large groups (one or two groups), it is important bearing in mind having enough adults to accompany children.

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FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: Father, who is responsible for the action, suggests, organizes and dynamizes the development of the activity as far as his personal criteria, taking into account the suggestions and the terms already decided in the meeting with the educational personnel. He will also add the specific material that he need for the presentation and the walk along the park. Teachers that take part in the activity is in charge of the previous training: who is coming to visit us and accompany, which is the reason, how important are their teaching, etc. Additionally, they prepare the moment, the location, the facilities and the material they may need always in coordination with the families. While pupils are doing the activity, teachers support parents to create an attention and concentration atmosphere and having an agile and participative dynamic. They facilitate knowledge to the session from the boys and girls.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The general evaluation has been very satisfying not only from educational personnel but boys and girls along the familiar in charge the activity. These actions make visible the presence of mothers and fathers in the school´s life. As a result, it is essential the acceptation and the naturalness in the attitude of the students for the presence of a relative in the coordination of the activity. It is accurate to dedicate two mornings (two consecutive mornings) paying attention to the age of the pupils. Making easier the organization in small groups and a homogeneous and adaptive level among boys and girls. It is necessary an enough support of adults in the moment od leaving the school and having a walk in the park. Even though separating the activity in two mornings, the groups are quite big (between 25 or 40 boys and girls, depending on the age). It is also important that the dynamic of the activity will be tightened to the available time to avoid being in a hurry at the end.


Families’ opinion: “Sincerely, the feeling of contributing with experiences and knowledge according to a topic that our children enjoy, it is an emotion hard to explain. Just seeing how since the beginning of the activity they run into me and say hello or telling their parents that I am Antonio, the dog instructor, makes me feel so pleased. Not only as the father of a pupils, but much more. In addition, the respect and the attention they pay doing the activities are unequivocal symptoms of the stunning work that teachers do every day with our children. They are always willing to help, suggesting innovative ideas and having an incredible involvement day by day. The resources are suitable, due to the majority of them are coming from the teacher´s imagination. All the activities are trained at the rooms previously and then they dedicate an ideal time for the actual activity. For my experience, I would prefer to keep on doing these activities as an upside for boys and girls rather than do just a punctual experiment. Thanks to this experience, I have decided to set up an association in which I give talks and workshops in other schools, leisure centres, companies, etc. As far as the feedback is concerned I dare to say that it has been an achievement. As a result, I see viable the establishment of parents role as an agent of education at the schools. I hope many more mothers and fathers will have the possibility of participating in these experiences providing knowledge (as long as they find the balance between their professional lives and these activities)”. ANTONIO

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Others: Download this report This punctual activity is involved in the SUPPORTIVE WORKSHOPS TO THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY. In these workshops there are also included other advices from the families. There are other actions tightened to the schedule “Outdoor classroom: the workshop in the park” which are written on the schedule of the school to put in practice along the course. In over all, there are activities thought to be realized in the facilities of the school although the aim of the activity is to be realized in the park near the school, a public space (pupils attend three times a week) where we can use the natural resources. All these workshops have an important educational weight. The most representative are: DOGS IN THE PARK AND OUR BEHAVIOUR BUILDING UP FEEDING BOXES FOR BIRDS CARPENTRY: BUILDING UP FRAMES FOR RECYCLED PAPER MAKING RECICLED PAPER

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4b0QtMmdpcmFBYnc/view?usp=sharing

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ACTIVITY REPORT



ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: LIVE MUSIC DAYS

LINES OF ACTION1: 1) CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY.

Families are involved in punctual or all year actions at

school.

2) FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL AGENTS:

workshops or prompt actions in each school year (of

vary durations), either independently or in




KEY WORDS: LIVE MUSIC LISTEN ENJOY FEELINGS HAPPINESS PARTY INSTRUMENTS SINGERS…

STARTING SITUATION: For many years we have been celebrating musical conferences, having different live performances. The type of music is so varied: Caribbean music, flamenco, pop music, chamber music, choirs, several instrumentalists (violin, saxophone, Spanish guitar, drums…), South American folklore, brass bands, batucada, etc. We always intend to classify music on a leading role in the teaching-learning process, trying to get that families and school personnel become crucial educational agents. If we are used to listening to music, singing chorus and moving our bodies follow the rhythm for a very young age, our boys and girls will have a better sensory system, have more neuronal connections and develop easier some skills (creativity, increase of self-esteem, increase of memory, attention and concentration, solving quicker Mathematics problems, extending their complex rational thought and improving their expression ability, etc.).

GOALS2: 1. -Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational

institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula.

2. -Improve the cooperation and relationship between families and every participating institution.

7. -Plan dynamic, playful, formative, and cultural meetings both in and out of the partner schools in order

to raise the cultural level of said educational communities.


5.-Social and civic competences. Social competence refers to personal, interpersonal and intercultural competence and all forms of behavior that equips individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life. It is linked to personal and social well-being. An understanding of codes of conduct and customs in the different environments in which individuals operate is essential. Civic competence, and particularly knowledge of social and political concepts and structures (democracy, justice, equality, citizenship and civil rights), equips individuals to engage in active and democratic participation.


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6.-Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature and the visual arts).

According to these competences, some goals are defined:

Respect the basic cohabitation rules

Enjoy and involve in drama activities

Show respect towards all the musical performances

Participate actively in musical proposals

Listening carefully all the musical performances

Know the different kinds of music

Show interest to learn

Keep the attention whereas the performance is in progress

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: It consists of live musical performances, carried out by the families, school personnel and any others related to them. We use an indoor or outdoor space, depending on the type of music and the weather. Thanks to these activities, boys and girls would learn to love music, to feel it as something very closed, not only to hear it, but to see how the artists are part of their educational process. All these agents are their own relatives, families, friends; they also can play the instruments and receive information about them, etc.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Methodology: Based on all the information provided by the parents about their competences and their possibilities of participation And by tutors about musical conferences at the meeting rooms, those conferences became truth at the beginning of the course. Before the performance, teachers work with pupils the musical activity they will attend later. The coordinator, a teacher, keeps in touch with families and relatives fond of acting. The timing supposed to be decided, taking into account the criteria thought by the staff meeting. Additionally, the schedule of the performance might be fixed according to the availability of the school, setting some activities in the mornings just for the pupils and others in the evenings for the families. At last, all the performances are uploaded on the school´s website. Resources: (Indoor or outdoor) large facility, stage, fabrics, pupils’ drawings with musical symbols to decorate the stage, the suitable lightning, microphones, sound equipment…

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: Families:

They participate as musical active agents (playing instruments or singing), connecting with other outside musicians

They also take part as listener spectators Teachers:

They prepare the space for the performance and they decorate it; providing with the necessary tools to do the activity (microphones, lightning, sound…).

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Providing, coordinating, encouraging, planning and dynamizing the role of families and the rest of the educational community.

The present all the performances as well as the thanks.


The global assessment of the musical conferences has been so positive, either by the side of school personnel, or by the side of the artists in charge of the performances and families as spectators.

On the other hand, boys and girls have strongly enjoyed and put their happiness into words when they discover that the artist was a known face (the father, the mother, a friend…) as a closed experience.

Bearing in mind the number of performances, all of them have taken places in a long time.

We have tried to distribute the performances along the mornings and the evenings, taking into account the availability of musicians. It is also important to remember that it was destined for children in the morning and for adults in the evenings.

AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photographs Video

Families’ opinion: The assessment of the families is highly positive:

They agree in the differences between children and their tastes and their ways of expressing their emotions; by that way they have transmitted their feelings to the artists: “They are the most courteous and intelligent spectators to interact, spectators that express their feeling so sincerely and purely”. At the beginning of the performance they have felt a little nervous being in front of very special spectators, but later, they have been extremely surprised by their ability of listening and joy.

They have felt very satisfied because of their participation and they will repeat again. They estimate that these types of activities are essential for the pupils´ formation and for the development of their abilities in interaction with music. “It is evident that children are accustomed to take part in these activities as one more element of the educational activities held by the school”.

They consider that is a viable activity due to the affordable budget.

The value the role of teachers providing resources and their time, they have felt so welcomed and “supportive at educational terms”.

Others: Download this report The effects of music in Children Brains http://queteescuchen.com/efectos-de-la-musica-en-el-cerebro-de-los-ninos/

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https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxWwzN2xncz4fnlsM2txNzdKX1g2MEF6Q1hZbmRwQ21laVJaaXoxTzBadWVibF9FcVFWUk0&usp=sharing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpEpVDNjXPI

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4R3hyUTUyMEJ1U00/view?usp=sharing

http://queteescuchen.com/efectos-de-la-musica-en-el-cerebro-de-los-ninos/

Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Zaleo Infant School Email to be used to ask questions: [email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: SUPPORTIVE WORKSHOPS TO THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY BUILDING UP FEEDING BOXES FOR BIRDS

LINES OF ACTION1:

ACTION 2. FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL






ACTION 4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE

ENVIRONMENT: Our surrounding space is recognized

as a third educational agent in our project and

become learning resource for our model of OPEN

SCHOOLS

KEY WORDS: OUTDOOR CLASROOM PARK´S WORKSHOP BIRDS IN THE PARK FEEDING BIRDS FEEDING BOXES FOR BIRDS

STARTING SITUATION: The initiative of creating an Outdoor Classroom at Zaleo Nursery School was born thanks to the educational exchange from some European schools, among some of them was included Zaleo, linked to an European participation COMENIUS project called SMOL (Science and Mathematics Outdoor Learning). This project proposed to deepen and strengthen thoughts and experiences related to the learning of Science and Mathematics in the environment. It started in the course 2012-2013. The Outdoor Classroom activity set up in September 2013 at Zaleo school with the rooms of pupils between 4 and 5 years old, extending it later to the 3 years old children. Consisted of the appropriation of our educational community of the public space, a park located in front of our school (Parque Lineal de Palomeras), 3 times a week as an extension of the scholar spaces. It has worked incredibly to motive the learning (observing, investigating, mixing, writing, telling, solving problems…) and the responsible intervention of the environment (taking care and improving measures), discovering a new sight of boys and girls towards this outdoor space gifted by a new value to enjoy and learn. Whereas the activity in progress, it is frequent to see birds flying over, warbling, standing on the branches of the trees or resting on the grass…Which is their destiny? What are they doing in the park? Where are their nests? How and what do they feed? The father of a pupil from the 3 years old classroom works as a dog instructor, environment instructor and he is so keen on activities in the nature. As a result of the survey delivered at the beginning of the course to the families about their competences and in collaboration with the educational personnel, this activity was done with the pupils of the room of 5 years old, independently his son wasn´t a student of that group.

1 LINES OF ACTION

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GOAL 10. Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by understanding that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families, professionals, and environments with the purpose of raising the quality of the learning process.



Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology. (Understand and use numerical concepts, proportions and structures-shapes, size and volume needed to solve the making of feeding boxes).

Knowledge and interaction with the physical World. (Know the different characteristics, needs and behavior of birds). (Discover and distinguish physical and sensorial characteristics of some seeds and dried fruit and nuts) (Know and value some aliments for health)

Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of information society technology (IST) and thus basic skills in information and communication technology (ICT). Specially photographs and sounds recordings.

Social and civic competences. (Accept, understand and value the contribution of families at school to solve problems thanks to their knowledge and experience) (Understand, value and take part in some civic measures to improve our environment: feeding urban birds)


Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship is the ability to turn ideas into action. It involves creativity, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. The individual is aware of the context of his/her work and is able to seize opportunities that arise.

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The activity is developed with the 16 pupils that belong to the 5 years old room. It is realized in the working timetable, along the morning, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The activities take place according to a sequence: The first phase: in the facilities of the school (classrooms…). Building up feeding boxes for birds workshop. The pupils are divided in 4 groups of 4 students each one. We keep on using this division previously made for another activity always considering the 5 years old group, having a unique goal: being responsible and looking after one area of the park. Three different types of feeding boxes are proposed. Then, each group constructs one of them. While we are building up the feeding boxes, we listen to a recorded audio focused on birds ‘warble. The approximate duration of the whole activity is from 11´30 a.m. to 1 p.m.


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The second phase: in the park. The installation of feeding boxes in the trees from each area of the park we have been using with the groups. All together, we get around all the areas and chose the most suitable trees to place our finished feeding boxes helping us with a ladder. This process lasts from 11´30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Whereas the action is in progress, we permit children, who have interest, to take photos of the activity. In all the activities of this sequence, the educational proposal comes from the father who is in charge of the proper action. He selects and presents the information from the session, proposes questions, collects doubts from boys and girls, offers answers and proposes different ways to act according to the different situations we can face at the workshop or in the park.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Facing up to daily problems and looking for the best solutions at any moment to solve problems individually or in team, is the main reason of learning in life. In this permanent learning process are crucial the references provided by our families and societies. The suggested methodology chases to put in contact the information and the experiences added from an expert (in concrete, Antonio, the father of one of the pupils at Zaleo) with the observation, knowledge and previous experiences among boys and girls. Moreover, we must solve doubts such as which is the aspect of the birds or which are their needs in our park. To make easier the relation between the knowledge of the expert and the real necessities of pupils, the teacher who is in charge of the Outdoor workshop does previous activities with each group. The aim is provide information about who and when is coming to visit us and keeping company in the park, which is the reason, how important are his teachings, etc. Furthermore, we share opinions about all our knowledge and what we expect to learn about birds in the park, to give it to Antonio, the father who will accompany us the day of the activity. Therefore, he may provide us all the answers. At the school, the construction of feeding boxes workshop is divided in small groups to make easier the active Participation of boys and girls. It is essential to estimate the necessary material to be used by each group. The Preparation of the material is thought by the father in charge of the activity along with the teacher. Additionally, they Add all the boys and girls ‘contributions at this respect. The approximate duration lasts 1 hour and a half (considering the explanation of the proposals, the organization of the groups and the setting up of the tasks). Whereas the activity was in progress, this father was also in charge of installing the feeding boxes in the trees, Along with the teacher, who is collecting all children´s ideas at the same time that he suggests solutions to find the Best location of each feeding box. It is important to bear in mind having enough adults to accompany children to ensure a proper collection of photographic material as well as enough support in the activities developed by the children.

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The relative who is responsible for the action, suggests, organizes and dynamizes the development of the activity as far as his personal criteria, taking into account the suggestions and the terms already decided in the meeting with the educational personnel. He will also add the specific material that he need for the presentation and the walk along the park. The teachers that take part in the activity is in charge of the previous training: who is coming to visit us and accompany, which is the reason, how important are their teaching, etc. Additionally, they prepare the moment, the location, the facilities and the material they may need always in coordination with the families.

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While pupils are doing the activity, the educational personnel support parents to create an attention and concentration atmosphere and having an agile and participative dynamic. They facilitate knowledge to the session from the boys and girls.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The general evaluation has been very satisfying not only from educational personnel but boys and girls along the familiar in charge the activity. These actions make visible the presence of mothers and fathers in the school´s life. As a result, it is essential the acceptation and the naturalness in the attitude of the students for the presence of a relative in the coordination of the activity. The idea of developing the activity in small groups (4 groups; 4 boys and 4 girls in each group) makes easier the active participation of all the pupils in the construction of the feeding boxes avoiding unnecessary pauses. It is not a casualty that we reuse the same groups made at previous activities in the park to take care of its area of the park. Thanks to this measure, we reinforce the pupils ‘motivation, improving the cares of its “parcels”. The proposal of having different types of feeding boxes (in concrete three types) provides the knowledge among children that with the same object exist different ways of feeding birds successfully. It is crucial to take into account having enough adults specially to build up the feeding boxes and then, to install them safety in the park, to accompany children to ensure a proper collection of photographic material as well as enough support in the tasks developed by the children. In this case, there were 3 adults (1 in charge of photos and videos; 2 helping all the time children while pupils were doing the tasks) for a group of 16 boys and girls at the age of 5. It is also important to fit timing and activities to avoid being in a hurry at certain moments.


Families’ opinion: “I believe that the feeding boxes for birds workshop has been so welcomed by boys and girls. They have paid much attention. As usual, I have noticed their friendliness and affection due to I have felt crucial in their educational process. In my humble opinion, pupils have learnt that it is not difficult to help birds from our environment and facilitate their recover after the winter. The relationship with the educational personnel has been, as usual, so closed and positive. The resources have been suitable to do the activity. As far as the time is concerned, we were wrong initially with the timing and finally we took more. Anyway, we can see the upside of the process and think of the possibility of continue in the future. When I have the opportunity to work with the school I learn new things that I put in practice in my professional life”. ANTONIO

Others: Download this report This punctual activity is involved in the SUPPORTIVE WORKSHOPS TO THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY. In these workshops there are also included other advices from the families. There are other actions tightened to the schedule “Outdoor classroom: the workshop in the park” which are written on the schedule of the school to put in practice along the course. In over all, there are activities thought to be realized in the facilities of the school although the aim of the activity is to be realized in the park near the school, Parque Lineal de Palomeras, a public space (pupils attend three times a week) where we can use the natural resources. All these workshops have an important educational weight. The most representative are: DOGS IN THE PARK AND OUR BEHAVIOUR BUILDING UP FEEDING BOXES FOR BIRDS CARPENTRY: BUILDING UP STRETCHERS FOR RECYCLED PAPER MAKING RECICLED PAPER

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4UVNHV2lEVE1EbUU/view?usp=sharing

Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT



ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: SUPPORTIVE WORKSHOPS TO THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY MAKING RECYCLED PAPER

LINES OF ACTION1:

ACTION 2. FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL






ACTION 4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT:

Our surrounding space is recognized as a third

educational agent in our project and become learning

resource for our model of OPEN SCHOOLS

KEY WORDS: OUTDOOR CLASSROOM WORKSHOP IN THE PARK TREE, TRUNK,WOOD USING WOOD RECYCLED PAPER

STARTING SITUATION: The initiative of creating an Outdoor Classroom at Zaleo Nursery School was born thanks to the educational exchange from some European schools, among some of them was included Zaleo, linked to an European participation COMENIUS project called SMOL (Science and Mathematics Outdoor Learning). This project proposed to deepen and strengthen thoughts and experiences related to the learning of Science and Mathematics in the environment. It started in the course 2012-2013. The Outdoor Classroom activity set up in September 2013 at Zaleo school with the rooms of pupils between 4 and 5 years old, extending it later to the 3 years old children. Consisted of the appropriation of our educational community of the public space, a park located in front of our school (Parque Lineal de Palomeras), 3 times a week as an extension of the scholar spaces. It has worked incredibly to motive the learning (observing, investigating, mixing, writing, telling, solving problems…) and the responsible intervention of the environment (taking care and improving measures), discovering a new sight of boys and girls towards this outdoor space gifted by a new value to enjoy and learn. Whereas the activity is in progress, we run into with different kinds of trees. We observe, touch, play, discover (their parts, their characteristics, their shapes, their names…) What are differences between a tree and a bush? Which is the structure (rings) of a tree? What happens with the top and the leaves along the year? What is for wood? Rafa, who is the father of two girls that attend to school who are 2 and 4 years old, used to work as a free time entertainer and he knows certain technics to work paper, in concrete making recycled paper. As a result of the survey delivered at the beginning of the course to the families about their competences and in collaboration with the educational personnel, this activity was done with the pupils of the rooms of 4 and 5 years old, independently his daughters groups.

1 LINES OF ACTION

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GOAL 10. Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by understanding that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families, professionals, and environments with the purpose of raising the quality of the learning process.



Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology. (Understand and use numerical and geometrical concepts, measures and proportions to make recycled paper)

Knowledge and interaction with the physical World. (Know and distinguish trees from bushes according to their structure and physical characteristics) (Know and value the different uses of wood in our daily lives) (Know and hand safety mechanical and electrical tools to make recycled paper).

Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of information society technology (IST) and thus basic skills in information and communication technology (ICT). Specially photographs.

Social and civic competences. (Accept, understand and value the contributions of families to solve problems and propose their experience and knowledge) (Understand, value and take part in activities to respect and take care of our surroundings by recycling paper)

Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature and the visual arts).


Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship is the ability to turn ideas into action. (Solve situations and tasks individually and safety).

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The activity is developed by 24 boys and girls who are 4 years old, and 16 pupils from the 5 years old group. It is realized in the working timetable. This activity is scheduled following a sequence.


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First phase, preparing recycled paper (basically, newspapers): tearing, cutting up and soaking. To hold this process we try not to alter the daily timetable. The time dedicated lasts 30 minutes approximately. There is also a person in charge of the activity who is the Outdoor Classroom teacher. Second phase, workshop activity: producing paper´s plaster and then use it to make recycled paper. The process must be easy and handy for everyone: choosing and getting ready the stretchers, selecting the color for the plaster, straining, pouring out and stretching to get dry. For these sessions in particular we dedicate 3 mornings, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each session involved 8 boys and girls according to their classrooms: 3 groups who are 4; 2 groups who are 5. The maximum duration of every session consists of 1 hour and a half. All the activities are thought by the father that is an expert in the matter. He chooses and explains the information to carry out the activity, suggests certain questions, tries to response all the children´s enquires and proposes different ways to act while we are doing the activity. At last, we collect dry paper. Once again the Outdoor Classroom teacher is responsible for being controlling pupils´ tasks. As a result, this recycled paper will be used according to the teachers or the school schedule. Whereas the activity is in progress, we encourage children to take pictures of all the process. Anyway, there is an adult who is photographing each moment as well.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…):

Facing up to daily problems and looking for the best solutions at any moment to solve problems individually or in team, is the main reason of learning in life. In this permanent learning process are crucial the references provided by our families and societies. The suggested methodology chases to put in contact the information and the experiences added from an expert (in concrete, Rafa, the father of two pupils at Zaleo) with the observation, knowledge and previous experiences among boys and girls. Moreover, we can discover new strategies to solve doubts as far as paper is concerned: its origin, its fabrication, its preservation, or in which consists the recycling… To make easier the relation between the knowledge of the expert and the real necessities of pupils, the teacher who is in charge of the Outdoor workshop does previous activities with each group. The aim is provide information about who and when is coming to visit us and keeping company in the park, which is the reason, how important are his teachings, etc. Furthermore, we share our knowledge and what we expect to learn about trees, wood, paper, and its daily use. Therefore, we can tell everything to Rafa, the father who will accompany us the day of the activity. He may provide us all the answers. At the school, the workshop to make recycled paper it is held in small groups to make easier the active participation among boys and girls. It is essential to foresee the amount of material according to encouraging pupils to work at the same time. As usual, the father responsible for the activity will be in charge of providing all the material. The suggested process must be easy and so clear. By this way, all children may learn independently, without the help of an adult. Additionally, we must bear in mind having other parallel activities with the unique intention of not wasting time. In concrete, tearing paper for future activities at Zaleo. We also add the contributions of the children. The total duration of the workshop will be no more than 1 hour and a half (explanation of the process, division of groups and carry out the tasks).

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Considering that the activity is realized with large groups (one or two groups), it is important bearing in mind having enough adults to accompany children.

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The relative who is responsible for the action, suggests, organizes and dynamizes the development of the activity as far as his personal criteria, taking into account the suggestions and the terms already decided in the meeting with the educational personnel. He will also add the specific material that he need for the presentation and the walk along the park. The teachers that take part in the activity is in charge of the previous training: who is coming to visit us and accompany, which is the reason, how important are their teaching, etc. Within the previous preparation, the Outdoor Classroom teacher organizes the tearing and soaking of the newspapers to recycle. This process is necessary to have enough paper and plaster used at the workshop. In addition, he will get ready the timing, the place, the facilities and the material, as long as he had spoken with the father in charge. Whereas the activity is in progress, the teacher must support the father to create an atmosphere of attention and concentration and an active and participative dynamic. The teacher also divides the groups of students. He adds the contributions of the children as well. In the following days, once paper is dry, the teacher will collect it along with pupils to use it for future events.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The general evaluation has been very satisfying not only from educational personnel but boys and girls along the familiar in charge the activity. These actions make visible the presence of mothers and fathers in the school´s life. As a result, it is essential the acceptation and the naturalness in the attitude of the students for the presence of a relative in the coordination of the activity. The division of the workshop in small groups (5 groups including 8 boys and girls in each one) facilitates the active participation of pupils at any time. Whereas the activity is in progress, it is crucial to program any parallel activity in order to avoid annoying delays. In concrete, tearing paper. According to make easier the self-sufficient of the boys and girl is necessary to choose a proper size for the Stretchers. Either if they are too large, or if they are small could be useless to do the activity. The proposal of several ways of making paper (the colors for the plaster, the size of stretchers…) contributes in the Learning process when children discover that it´s not necessary having only one way, exist loads so successful. It is crucial to take into account having enough adults specially to make paper providing the suitable individual Attention that some children require. In this case, there were 3 adults (1 in charge of photos and videos; 2 helping all the time children while pupils were doing the tasks) for each group of 8 boys and girls. It is also important to fit timing and activities to avoid being in a hurry at certain moments.

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AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photograps

Families’ opinion:

“Just to start, I would like to say thank you for the opportunity to participating in the internal activities at the school sharing the daily lives of teachers and all the educational personnel. As a father and inexperienced according to nursery education, it has been a rich occasion to verify how our children work and live indoors. Above all, the joy they obtain from the school. According to the activity, I find it suitable for those ages due to it is formative at the same time is enjoyable. The relationship with Lorenzo has been so easy, allowing me to participate at any time and at any activity, fitting all the time with the children. Even, I have felt as another teacher. I strongly encourage keeping on doing this type of activities gathering educational personnel and families. I highly recommend other mothers and fathers to live experiences like this one. Thanks to this opportunity, now I can value even more all efforts from teachers”. RAFAEL BECERRIL


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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4dlpRX2ZIT2Z3N0k/view?usp=sharing

Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT



ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: POETRY IS ADRIFT LINES OF ACTION1:

1. CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. Families are involved in punctual or all year actions at school.

2. FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL AGENTS: workshops or prompt actions in each school year (of vary durations), either independently or in collaboration with a teacher in order to support the development of competencies, knowledge for life and/or curricular areas.

4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT: Our surrounding space is recognized as a third educational agent in our project and become learning resource for our model of OPEN SCHOOLS.

5. INFORMING IS SHARING: Our Schools spread activities and educational or cultural contents.

KEY WORDS: Children´s poetry Lullaby and murmur Participative art Communal art School and social environment

STARTING SITUATION: POETRY IS ADRIFT was born at the beginning of SELF Project as one of its key goals. It is an initiative that makes school turns into a promoter agent of social, cultural and educational change in our environment. Through this proposal of participative art, it has been possible to rescue from our grandparents and parents memory; all the lullabies and murmurs from our childhood. It has been either a project for Zaleo or for users at State Library and inhabitants from the neighborhood. GOALS2: 1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula.

5. Inspire action of joint training in educational institutions in order to improve educators’ and families’ skills as prime educational agents.

6. Establish relationships from schools with our environment and surroundings, transforming ourselves into active agents of social, cultural, and educational change.

1 LINES OF ACTION 2 GOALS

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7. Plan dynamic, playful, formative, and cultural meetings both in and out of the partner schools in order to raise the cultural level of said educational communities.

8. Increase and diversify informative channels of each school with their families.

10. Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by understanding that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families, professionals, and environments with the purpose of raising the quality of the learning process.

CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: 1-Communication in the mother tongue, which is the ability to express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and to interact linguistically in an appropriate and creative way in a full range of societal and cultural contexts.

5-Social and civic competences. Social competence refers to personal, interpersonal and intercultural competence and all forms of behavior that equips individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life. It is linked to personal and social well-being. An understanding of codes of conduct and customs in the different environments in which individuals operate is essential. Civic competence, and particularly knowledge of social and political concepts and structures (democracy, justice, equality, citizenship and civil rights), equips individuals to engage in active and democratic participation.

6-Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature and the visual arts).

7-Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship is the ability to turn ideas into action. It involves creativity, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. The individual is aware of the context of his/her work and is able to seize opportunities that arise. It is the foundation for acquiring more specific skills and knowledge needed by those establishing or contributing to social or commercial activity. This should include awareness of ethical values and promote good governance.

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: This Project is developed in different phases: First phase: We provide information to families about the project in which we tend to rescue the first murmurs that our parents or grandparents whispered to us and having the opportunity to share them with the other families and neighbors. The coordinator at Zaleo suggests building up a “poetic container” to keep all lullabies as glass bottles. “Authenticated” this process of rescuing the lullaby by taking pictures or recording the audio in which you can sing or whisper the murmur. Second phase: We keep in contact with the State Library from the neighborhood that supports our project since the very beginning, making easier the contribution of neighbors and library´s users and providing us its space to set up an exhibition room to reproduce a “sandy beach” to deposit our “shipwrecked bottles”.

3 COMPETENCES

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Third phase: The interest shown by the library makes easier to connect with a communal association called “Vallecas Todo Cultura” which gathers cultural associations and educational centers from the area, along with a bookshop. Thanks to them we can add more approaches to the project. Finally, the initiative will be opened to any person interested or any neighbor. Fourth phase: Then we may explain the participative art initiative results. In consequence, we use public space from the library to install a sandy beach made of more than 3000 kilos of sand to deposit all the shipwrecked bottles. Therefore, we celebrate an opening event to spread the process and results on the sandy beach when a children´s and another adult choir sign some lullabies. They attended more than 400 citizens and we were so proud of it making visible the tight relation among school- families-environment. Fifth phase: After the success of the event, we considered to create more initiatives in which the relation between the school and the neighbor institutions still being crucial:

“Poetic itinerary to encourage reading”. The school along with the neighborhood library, the State Library and an association that supports the formation of teachers, celebrated some formative encounters with a poet and a writer about encouraging reading and poetic creation for children between 0 and 6. There were opened and free sessions for educators, teachers, librarians, reading entertainers and curious people.

At Zaleo takes places “poetic animations” such as: “The Murmurers of lullabies week”. At the school we realize a workshop along with families to

build up “whispers” (cardboard or plastic tubes) which they might use at the library “to whisper murmurs and lullabies”.

“Poetic itinerary at Zaleo”: We may open the school on Saturday morning with the unique purpose of enjoying with the poetic corners and a performance held by mothers and fathers to emphasize the social inclusion.

Sixth phase: The spread of this project to other schools or cultural centers will take place through a website that will work as a wine cellar of “emotive words containers” which have verses coming from flickering lips and tender views. Thanks to with we can share it with all around the World. METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Once the project is designed, the school counts on a coordinator to develop and put in practice all the ideas According to the SELF project: on one hand, becoming the promoter of tight relations at our surroundings; on the other hand, being a promoter agent of the social, cultural and educational change. We also choose a coordinator in charge of IT´s. Some talks are organized whereas the first term of the course is in progress to share all the information of the project “Poetry is adrift” inviting and involving all cultural and communal agents. The activities last along the course to enrich the educational center us day by day. More than 3000 kilos of sand were used for the project due to the library and community personnel gave us a help. Some volunteers advised with the installation. In addition, a photographic montage was set up to know “on site” the lullabies inside the bottles. In the opening event, participated a children´s and another adult choir, apart from some representatives of each Institution.

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FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The whole families have offered their lullabies and murmurs. They have contributed in the spread of each event encouraging citizens to take part in them. The teachers, in concrete the coordinator, have gained that our school will be opened in a huge environment for the first time, getting the tight collaboration of the main cultural, social and educational associations from our neighborhood. EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: We have asked to the manager from the State Library in Vallecas to make an assessment of the whole activity due to he seems to be an external educational agent. Lullabies and murmurs, poetry is adrift. “The current society is distinguished by promoting the communication channels, the social networks and the storage of information (individual and communal memory). However, technology has a lack of emotions. Therefore, the idea of this project consisted on gathering: social networks, individual memory and its relation with the familiar, social and cultural environment. This project links the different nodes from social networks: “Nursery school Zaleo”, primary schools, cultural associations such as “Vallecas Todo Cultura”, “Asociación Cultural Al Alba”, the state library like “Vallecas State Library” and the citizens. The memory: in which takes part families, teachers, librarians, and boys and girls; the first murmurs and lullabies are reminded and even in which situations were sung; all that ancient songs are evoked along with children getting their empathy and then keeping it inside the “shipwrecked bottles” which might be decorated by the relative and the child together. The state library, “Vallecas State Library” is turned into a “lived library” where all the educational agents participate. At this respect the main point are people and their messages; for 45 days the library users, the “shipwrecked bottles” makers and the neighbors have established vivencial links. The library has become a crucial environment of communication among inhabitants”. AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photographs Video Online vault

Families’ opinion: There have been so splendid activities that have allowed an incredible link between our childhood, through the lullabies sung by our parents, and the current childhood of our children. A mutual understanding has been generated at the educational community, particularly whereas “whispered lullabies” was in progress at the library. I find a luxury to see how these types of activities take place, not only because they reinforce the collective feelings among adults, but they establish a tight link with poetry trough affection, writing and speaking at a stage where children are learning to read. Additionally, as adults, we learn a lot doing these kinds of events, intensifying affective bonds that usually are mute. Others: Download this report Bibliography used:

Federico García Lorca talk, “The children´s lullabies” http://www.biblioteca.org.ar/libros/157654.pdf

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRL6cUH7PkA

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4SkRlTFMyYnhUTDA/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4WGh4dk1VVF95SW8/view?usp=sharing

http://www.biblioteca.org.ar/libros/157654.pdf

Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT



ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: CHESS EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP

LINES OF ACTION1: 1) CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY.


school.

2) FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL AGENTS:






KEY WORDS: EDUCATIONAL CHESS

STARTING SITUATION: The Chess workshop has been held at school for several years. In concrete, this course we have asked for volunteers at the first meeting. Additionally, we have spoken individually with families from other classrooms to support this initiative.

GOALS2:

1. -Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational


CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: According to the competences developed, we must emphasize: Mathematical competence, “Learning to learn is related to learning” competence and “Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship” competence. Among our goals we must underline:

Initiate at mathematical skills, handle some elements and collections; identify their attributes and characteristics; and establish some ensemble relations, classification and quantifying.

Point and locate at the space, the shapes, the objects and themselves. Using the basic spatial notions.

Understand, participate, respect and accept the game rules

Acquire working habits: -Organization -Perseverance -Attention -Determination -Effort -Memory


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Solve easy calculations

Learn the movement of the pieces and their positions at the board

Develop self-esteem and solving conflicts

Face frustration when you win or loose

Silence, waiting times and relax

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: All the activities developed must have this sequence, taking into account either the boy or girl individually or the team: 1.Legends about the backgrounds of chess 2. What is chess, what we need, how many players are, which the purpose is. 3. The board. How many squares do I have, which ones are white, which ones are black, the proper collocation of the board paying attention to the printed letters. 4. The pieces. What are their names, which are their colors, what is their collocation. 5. Pawns. How do they move, which is their collocation, how do they eat. Pawns race. 6. We insert the rest pieces on board by the same way. How do they move, how do they eat, what is their collocation: a. Rook b.Bishop c.Queen d.King e.Knight 7. We will focus on the knight due to it is harder to move. We do some exercises on the floor, on the floor tiles, on the board… 8. We begin by choosing first only two pieces, then three, etc until we have played with all the pieces. 9. Once we know how to play we will concentrate in the strategy (controlling the middle of the board). We also turn to other computer chess games that are so useful in case of playing in the rooms at any time. The whole activities developed will be constantly supported by pupils´ parents who will play with their children.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): The workshop is developed once a week out of the working timetable and there are five pupils per each adult. The main material to be used is the board, 1 per 3 children, which its pieces.

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The families support at any time the learning process of the game. No-one of the adults is experts on the subject, but they are willing to teach their children everything related to chess. The teacher must be in charge of dynamizing families to make they feel pleased at the workshop, they enjoy with their children and they will see the children´s achievements.

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EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The number of families that accompany us is crucial to gain a quick and successful learning process among children. With no doubt, this workshop is very individual and requires an adult per 3 or 4 pupils. It is also necessary to have constant encounters with families for the feedback related to the problems they face and possible solutions, etc., at the same time it is also important to explain them the evolution of their boys and girls and their achievements.


Families’ opinion: In over all, I find so positive to develop this sort of activities. On one hand, incorporating at the educational curriculum the chess learning from an early age. On the other hand, making easier the families’ participation.

Firstly, according to little children, it has been so illustrative the teaching methodology, the practice and the explanations provided by the teachers. It is incredible see how quick our children learn.

Secondly, see in first person the relations generated at the classrooms, the habits, and the links between the educational personnel and pupils.

It has been so interesting to spend time with boys and girls sharing spaces, activities, etc. The complicity and confidence in children has been increased.

At last, personally has been so rewarding sharing space with my own daughter. We have known each other even more. Thanks for providing me this opportunity!!

Others: Download this report

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4clpwTlFkZDFGaTg/view?usp=sharing

Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT



ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: DEBATE AND EDUCATION ENCOUNTERS

LINES OF ACTION1:

3) LEARNING COMMUNITIES: Meetings between

families or families-teachers to reflect about

common interest topics.

5) INFORMING IS SHARING: Our Schools spread

activities and educational or cultural contents.

KEY WORDS: Learning, Education, Family, School, Educational Community, Culture

STARTING SITUATION: The school, through a circular delivered at the beginning of the course, creates the necessity of having encounters between families and teachers in order to improve the evolutionary development of boys and girls. Families sign themselves up voluntarily and they reach an agreement in having a suitable space (a classroom) and time (on Tuesday from 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) in which the only aim is the reflection about educational and social topics that could affect pupils in a short or a long period.

GOALS2: 1. -Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in

the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula.


3. -Facilitate communicative and cooperative ties between the families of the institutions that participate in the

project.

5. -Inspire action of joint training in educational institutions in order to improve educators’ and families’ skills as

prime educational agents.

10. -Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by understanding

that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families, professionals, and environments with the

purpose of raising the quality of the learning process.

CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: 7. Learning to learn is related to learning, the ability to pursue and organize one's own learning, either individually or in groups, in accordance with one's own needs, and awareness of methods and opportunities.


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SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: These encounters have supplied parents and teachers the suitable academic training according to the educational process and the personal development of boys and girls from the school. At this respect, the activity has been assumed as:

An encounter space to exchange experiences and reflections related to Zaleo educational community

A way of learning along life

Working in group or in small teams to provide the opportunity to express and communicate each other and reach the collective conclusions

A way to mend wrong or unsuitable habits

A tool to improve the educational quality among families and the school

“Highly qualified” support when has been necessary

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): The activity developed consists of monthly encounters (a Tuesday per month between 4:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. out of the working timetable) along the course (from October to May) in which the attendance has been crucial along with specific contest thought since the beginning of the course that we have assessed. The timing is out of the working timetable and there are spaces for adults, therefore, we have done simultaneous activities to keep their children entertained. The main purpose is holding encounters that promote all families to be understood by the rest of parents and educational personnel. On the other side, we have developed situations to deepen in listening skills, acceptation and change roles through various dynamics to find actual solution to real problems. When we have required the help of an expert, he/she has performed as an entertainer and informant who collects the whole contributions of the group. The methodology we have developed at these encounters has been:

a) Flexible: tighten contents to the group necessities. b) Opened: allowing the interaction between parents and teachers. This aspect contributes to enrich themselves

Thanks to all contributions and suggestions. c) Dynamic: supporting new learning among parents, families and the educational community d) Theoretical- practical: in which has been crucial the experts experiences along with the suitable theory e) In favor of renovation and constant updating

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: Families have an active and participatory attitude, showing a working desire all together at this educational project. Teachers have held a hearing predisposition towards families´ necessities and they have made easier and spread reflections and encounters.

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EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: These kinds of encounters have been highly rewarding not only for families, but for adults. The main difficulties have been collecting the most demanding topics among families and maintaining parents’ assistance along the course. The main claim is, not surprisingly, the possibility of reflecting and speaking each other thank to the school.


Families’ opinion: To be honest, I consider that all the developed activities have contributed to have a global vision of the families’ requirements; however, considering its complexity it could be suitable having more time to deepen into each topic. The sessions have been developed in a relax atmosphere which have made easier the participation. A “flexible” methodology has been used in order to prepare and develop each session, approaching each topic from different perspectives with the unique purpose of taking advantage of every session:

“Tutelary” sessions held by experts who explained the topic and then, parents took part in the debate

“Free” sessions that require a previous training and reflection from participants. Then, the feedback and the debate among all members are necessary.

“Role playing” sessions which allowed us to face actual situation from the real life.

Although I wish teachers had participated more, I still considering that this opportunity to have different ways of thinking individually or at the role playing sessions have enriched each encounter. Thanks to this activity we have acquired new knowledge and vital experiences to face happily the relation and education towards our children.

Others: Download this report As Eva Kñallinsky said (1999, p.11), “sharing educational tasks must be the beginning of the relationship between families and school”.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4MmptMUhGTDVUVG8/view?usp=sharing

Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Kindergarten “Dječji svijet”

Email to be used to ask questions:

[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Traditional custom – carnival celebration in family surroundings

LINES OF ACTION1:


KEY WORDS: traditional custom, family surroundings, carnival

STARTING SITUATION: Each year in our community we have a carnival celebration. In the past, during the carnival, all the children put on the masks and walked from house to house singing carnival songs and in return they got traditional pastry – doughnut. Today this tradition is kept only in certain areas, while children from bigger towns stopped celebrating carnival in this way. The initiative for traditional carnival celebration came from the parents. To revive this tradition, we needed to teach children traditional song with dancing in the circle and organize a visit to one family. The parents took the task of making and preparing children’s masks. With this activity, children will get to know traditional ways of celebrating carnival, like their parents and grandparents did in the past. This joint activity of parents and children will help to transfer experience to younger generations, teaching them about customs of the community where they live and where our kindergarten works as educational community.

GOALS2: 2. Improve the cooperation and relationship between families and every participating institution.

6. Establish relationships from schools with our environment and surroundings, transforming ourselves into active

agents of social, cultural, and educational change.


8. Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature and the visual arts).

There is no universal recipe for applying contents of traditional culture. Each kindergarten, as well as each educational community, should find specific contents and events that are authentic for each culture. Introducing children with traditional culture is carried out by mutual deliberation and cooperation of all educational agents: children, parents, grandparents and educational workers.

By nurturing contents of traditional culture we enable successful functioning of each child’s potential. They develop curiosity and creative potential. Cognitive potential is also expanded with each specific cultural content, which is a prerequisite for acceptance and understanding of differences, tolerance and search for new multicultural experiences.


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SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Before the visit to the family, children should be familiar with traditional customs and content of the activity. Children were prepared in the kindergarten by one parent who remembers the songs and content of the activity from his childhood. During the preparation, children have learned the traditional carnival song. Traditionally, the songs are sung loudly, with children spinning in circle and making noise with different instruments. In that way, according to the tradition, they scare away winter and welcome upcoming spring. After all preparations, children visited a home of one of their friends from kindergarten. After short walk from kindergarten, children arrived at the family yard. Their hosts, parents and grandmother, prepared homemade doughnuts, traditional carnival pastry. Active involvement in traditional carnival celebration, visiting houses, singing and dancing in circle, was a new experience for children. They also gained special experience by consummating hot doughnuts and tea on their own. At parents’ proposal, they cooled their tea by putting it in the last remains of snow in the yard. After spending some time together, parents – hosts walked with children back to the kindergarten where they continued with singing traditional carnival songs.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Materials: appropriate waste material for making instruments like trumpets, percussion instruments and other objects that make noise Time: to make instruments we needed about 1 hour, for masks around 2 hours and the activity itself lasted around 1,5 hour Space: we organized instrument making workshop in our kindergarten while masks were prepared by parents (some of them made them together with children in kindergarten, some at home and some masks were bought). Visit to the family home needs to be organized in nearest proximity of the kindergarten. People/students involved: in this activity, we can involve all parents and students from one educational group or all the parents and students from the kindergarten. Number of parents that will teach the song depends on the number of involved children. For each group it is necessary to arrange host family that will make homemade pastry. Grandparents and other involved parents can also join in for the preparation and baking.

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The initiative for the activity came from the parents. They wrote down the traditional carnival song and one parent taught it to children. Another family volunteered to host the children at their home. All parents masked their children. Host family made traditional pastry and watched over and took care of children safety during their stay. At the end they reworded singing and dancing with pastry and tea. Teachers and kindergarten workers were responsible for activity coordination and making arriving schedules for parents. They also had to ensure enough time for learning songs and dancing. In addition, it is necessary to ensure the safe movement of children from kindergarten through the streets to house of families who will host children. When visiting family, depending on the conditions in which children walk from kindergarten to the family home, it is necessary to ensure the required number of followers for children and luminous markings on their clothing and masks for their safe participation and movement in the pedestrian zone.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: Parents have gained experience of planning and implementing activities of informing children with traditional practices. Walking with masks from one home to another used to be a regular child activity during the carnival. Today it is forgotten in towns and children do not attend, nor sing and dance during the carnival in the homes of their neighbors. The activity can be improved by organizing the visit to more than one family on same day. Given the interest of children in such activities, it is necessary to plan them each year during carnival. With regular organization of such activity we can revive the traditional custom, which has been forgotten in the urban areas.

AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION:

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PHOTOS

Families’ opinion: Children enjoyed and felt the festive carnival atmosphere with singing, dancing and noisy instruments. We used to visit both known and unknown families during carnival in our childhood but now it’s all gone. This renewed and revived my memories of joy we felt when we sang and danced under masks. I think children should be allowed to participate in the traditional ways in which children were involved once upon a time. (Maya's mom)

Others: Download this report Parents also suggested making a list of traditions that are part of our traditional culture. Thereby we need to ensure that all contents are appropriate for active participation of children.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4VVFOVU5FMVNFY0E/view?usp=sharing

Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: “Dječji svijet”, Varaždin


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Visiting an interacive exhibition “Elektro Baroque”

LINES OF ACTION1:

2. FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL AGENTS:






KEY WORDS: visiting an interactive exhibition, museum

STARTING SITUATION: A parent who attended the opening of the interactive exhibition “Electro Baroque” suggested the next

day in kindergarten that the children visit the exhibition. The exhibition was open in our city only for 4

days. Given the short-term of the exhibition our professional educational team had to decide the same

day whether the kindergarten should organize a visit to the exhibition. We also had to organize at least

one parent who is familiar with the exhibits, and have a minimum of two parents who were willing to be

guides for children at the “Electro Baroque” exhibition because all of the items can and should be

touched. A special feature of the exhibition are real plants that we can hear playing music. In addition,

visitors can play on unusual music boxes that play when you draw on paper or wound thread, and many

other similar items. At the “Electro Baroque” exhibition visitors get acquainted with inter-media art and

technological works. Just touching and exploring exhibits allows exploration of interesting and unusual

things.

GOALS2: 1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational


6. Establish relationships from schools with our environment and surroundings, transforming ourselves

into active agents of social, cultural, and educational change.

7. Plan dynamic, playful, formative, and cultural meetings both in and out of the partner schools in order

to raise the cultural level of said educational communities.

9. Design the use of new information and communication tools, thinking about a proper and safe use.

10. Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by



1 LINES OF ACTION

2 GOALS

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4. Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of information society technology (IST) and

thus basic skills in information and communication technology (ICT);

5. Learning to learn is related to learning, the ability to pursue and organize one's own learning, either

individually or in groups, in accordance with one's own needs, and awareness of methods and

opportunities;

6. Social and civic competences. Social competence refers to personal, interpersonal and intercultural

competence and all forms of behavior that equips individuals to participate in an effective and

constructive way in social and working life. It is linked to personal and social well-being. An

understanding of codes of conduct and customs in the different environments in which individuals

operate is essential. Civic competence, and particularly knowledge of social and political concepts and

structures (democracy, justice, equality, citizenship and civil rights), equips individuals to engage in

active and democratic participation;

8. Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative

expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature

and the visual arts).

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: At the initiative of a parent we agreed to visit the exhibition with the children. The main reason for

visiting the exhibition was to meet the expectations of children, parents and preschool professionals

who wanted the children to see a variety of objects created by innovative, creative and new way of

using used modern electronic waste to create different works of art, at the exhibition. During the child

activities with the exhibits they kept asking about the way these devices operate, what they are made

of, whether the same could be done at home or in the kindergarten. We agreed with the parents that

we should continue working with the children on the topic. We plan to collect available electronic waste

and we will try to get the desired composition of electronic elements and we will try to find new use for

them. At the same time the children will express their ideas by drawing, verbally as well as actively

participating in developing prototypes of new devices.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): 25 children, two parents and three preschool educators visited the exhibition organized in the city

museum of Varazdin in the Herzer Palace. Since the museum is close to us, we walked there (for 10

minutes). The visit lasted for 70 minutes. The children used all of the exhibits. Using the exhibits

stimulated their curiosity as well as their imagination. e has developed their interest in the use of

discarded electronic parts in a new way.

The children developed an interest in the usage of discarded electronic parts in a new way.

3 COMPETENCES

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FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The parent who proposed the visit to the exhibition was the leader of the activity while other parents

and preschool educators were partners for children in using the exhibits of the exhibition which

sometimes demanded playing. At the same time one of the preschool educators documented the

activities of the children. There was constant interaction and communication between the children and

the grown-ups. Most of the time children spent playing games with exhibits and talking to each other

about what they too could make out of discarded things, and how to use them in a new and unusual

way.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The activity was extremely interesting for the children. After visiting the exhibition, the children and

their parents will collect unnecessary electronic waste in their homes. When they collect a sufficient

amount of it, they will organize joint workshops for children and adults to explore new possibilities for

the use of electronic waste in building new toys.

AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photos

Families’ opinion: The parents are extremely interested in developing of creative thinking and innovative practical ideas of

the children. They are also very interested in a workshop for making toys for children of all kinds of

waste material.

“This way we will develop the ability to "do it yourself“ and strengthen the confidence of children in

their own capabilities. In addition to educational value there is chance of reducing the consumer way of

thinking in children." (Mark's dad)

Others: Download this report We agreed with the parents to collect various materials in order to provide the necessary and varied

materials for making toys from discarded and unnecessary parts.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4VTBsNVdfMmxFNGc/view?usp=sharing

Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Kindergarten “Dječji svijet”


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Parents and children spending time in nature

LINES OF ACTION1:


KEY WORDS: a new field of activity - learning in nature in cooperation with the community hiking, woods, trees, nature

STARTING SITUATION: Assessment of parents and professional kindergarten workers is that children spend less time outside, especially in the areas outside the city, in the countryside. Children don’t walk enough and they rarely use natural movement, down or up the hill. That is why we organized a new branch of mountaineering association, section “Cevo”, under the Mountaineering Association MIV from Varazdin. Our main goal is to organize joint field trips for children, parents and teachers from kindergarten “Djecji svijet” that will be held once a month.

GOALS2: 1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula.

2. Improve the cooperation and relationship between families and every participating institution.

10. Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by understanding that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families, professionals, and environments with the purpose of raising the quality of the learning process.

CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: 5. Learning to learn is related to learning, the ability to pursue and organize one's own learning, either individually or in groups, in accordance with one's own needs, and awareness of methods and opportunities.

6. Social and civic competences. Social competence refers to personal, interpersonal and intercultural competence and all forms of behavior that equips individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life. It is linked to personal and social well-being. An understanding of codes of conduct and customs in the different environments in which individuals operate is essential. Civic competence, and particularly knowledge of social and political concepts and structures (democracy, justice, equality, citizenship and civil rights), equips individuals to engage in active and democratic participation.

A fundamental principle of this activity is the flexibility of all the factors of the educational process: parents, teachers, professionals, wider social environment. Flexibility implies the involvement of other partner organizations in the realization of the needs of children. In such an extended cooperation of parents, educational institutions and other partner organizations preconditions are being created for the development of potential of every individual, in his own pace. Connecting kindergarten with other partner organizations in the community enables the exchange of knowledge and experience of various contents as well as methods of work with children. Staying in nature allows unfettered and free movement for children. At the same time they explore with all their senses. By being in nature, children learn through play, they connect and understand many phenomena and concepts that are introduced to them as information through various sources of indirect learning. At the same time, being


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in nature encourages children to make creative solutions and practice their leadership skills; it increases their attention and ability to listen. It is equally important, that by spending time in the nature, children increase their cooperation with each other, gain experience of the need for joint action and directing their behavior to help each other.

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Parents wanted that their children spend more time in the nature, so at joint initiative of parents and

kindergarten workers we formed new mountaineering section called “Cevo”. With this kind of organization, with

help from mountaineering guide, we ensured safe movement on hiking trails and unknown paths through woods.

Active stay in nature and hiking enabled the children to become familiar with sense of comfort and special mood

that derives from such activities. In addition, children gain experience of staying in nature which is full of

unforeseen and new experiences and they learn to react in unexpected, new situations in different ways. At the

same time, they develop sense of mutual trust, as well as development of self-esteem for overcoming mountain

ascents and various obstacles on their way. Through that whole time, parents and adults where there to secure

support for their movement on new and unfamiliar paths.

Our first trip was to local hill Kalnik, with its peak at 643 m.

Walk through woods enabled many new experiences. Children were introduced to variety of plants. They spotted

the difference between trees. They observed tree roots, how they emerge from the ground, and learned how

trees receive water and food they need for growth through the roots.

During the hike both children and adults enjoyed delicious forest strawberries and blackberries. The hike itself

ensured positive feelings of success, as well as awareness of personal physical ability and fitness.

When we reached the top of the hill everyone received their own hiking cards and became members of

Mountaineering Association MIV.

In addition to climbing to the top, we also climbed the old city walls of fortress from 12th century where children

learned about stories connected to the fortress.

On our way down children’s attention was drawn to rock climbers in the middle of their training and it was

followed by many children’s questions. Answers to their questions provided them with new knowledge and

possibilities of different ways of organizing personal free time. They also learned about different sports that are

carried out in the nature and mountains.

Our way back in the bus was filled with excited testimonies of all the experiences they gained through the day.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Materials: it is necessary to provide adequate clothing and footwear

Time: Duration of the activity can be planned and realized in different ways. Our activity lasted 7 hours, including

2 hours bus ride. The rest of the time was spent outside, in the woods.

Space: place of visit needs to be planned ahead. The itinerary should be made by a person who knows that

particular area. It is important to choose places without steep and impassable paths, so that every child could go

through planned way and overcome natural obstacles on his own.

Number of people involved: our first trip attended 20 new members – 9 children, 8 parents and 3 teachers.

Number of adults should depend on number of involved children. It should also depend on difficulty of hiking

trails and possible emergency situations, as well as on age of children.

Route should be planned by a qualified person, such as mountain guide, while parents and teachers participate by

coordinating the trip, raising necessary money, informing all participants on the possibilities of supplying water

and food…

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FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: Parents were active involved during proposing our travel destination and organization of activity content. During

the activity they introduced children with plant vegetation which is characteristic for the spring. They also helped

the children with experience of finding a suitable stick that helps with climbing. The children adopted the skills of

natural movement at steep slopes, various natural surfaces (rocks, earth, grass) as well as the skills of descent

down the slope. Parents where there as support for the children, as well as a model of behavior in unpredictable

natural conditions.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The planned objective was achieved. This activity was first of our regular monthly stays in nature and it

encouraged learning in natural ways, in new and unexpected situations which expanded our knowledge of natural

changes as well as responsibility towards others.

The activity can be improved by equipping children with various accessories (compass, binoculars, magnifying

glass, camera) that are suitable for research in nature. It is also possible to include different sports activities in

nature. In addition to that, it can include learning about wild edible plants by which would children even better

get to know the variety of plant life, as well as distinguish edible from poisonous plants.

AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: PHOTOS KALNIK PHOTOS MEDVEDNICA

Families’ opinion: I am very pleased with this common activity in the mountains. I especially liked that I met parents and children,

which I have not seen so far in the kindergarten. I made friends with other children and their parents, and I'm

going back home refreshed and filled with new strength and vigor (Mark's dad)

It was wonderful. If I did not go to this trip I would spend time home alone with my daughter. This way we were in

good company, together with parents, children and staff from the kindergarten. We will definitely go next time.

(Marina's mom)

OTHERS: Download this report

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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Kindergarten "Dječji svijet"


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Spending time with author of children’s books Smiljana Čoh to mark the Night of

Books 2015.

LINES OF ACTION1: 1. CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY.


school.

KEY WORDS: Night of Books, copyright protection, picture book

STARTING SITUATION: April 23 is the World Book and Copyright Day, proclaimed in 1996 at the General Assembly of UNESCO. Marking

the day UNESCO invites readers, authors, translators, publishers, teachers, librarians, public institutions, non-

profit organizations and the private sector to promote the books, reading and publishing, with copyright

protection. In Croatia, the Night of Books is held since 2012. http://nocknjige.hr/

One of the parents from our kindergarten is a children’s books illustrator, so we invited her to our kindergarten so

we could mark Night of Books together with children.

GOALS2: 1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the

integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula.


CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: 1. Communication in the mother tongue, which is the ability to express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and to interact linguistically in an appropriate and creative way in a full range of societal and cultural contexts; 8. Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature and the visual arts). As a basis for the development of early literacy in children of preschool age, we need to encourage the

development of awareness of the different possibilities of recording their own ideas and their practical

application. The goal is for children to understand the importance and usefulness of writing. Children in our

kindergarten have already had the opportunity to make picture books themselves that are gladly read, even those

older, made by children who have already started school. The new generation like to read picture books that

were written and illustrated by other children or themselves. Also children's picture books are always

available to children, or are in the centre of the library, or exposed in the form of billboards.


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Cultural awareness and expression are encouraged through the children’s creation. In this activity with the author

of picture books, children were introduced to the process of creating picture books. They talked to the author and

noticed that the author shared her experiences and emotions through her picture books, and shared with her

their own picture books that they made in the past.

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The aim of the activities was to become actively involved in the event Night of Books. Since the night of the book

takes place on 23rd of April to mark World Book Day and Copyright Day with this activity we wanted to put the

emphasis on the authors of literary works. Since children in kindergarten often make picture books themselves,

which are later used in the work, they got a chance to learn directly from the author about the process of making

the book, from the idea to the illustration.

The author presented to children her picture books and children were able to shuffle through them by

themselves. She brought the empty sheath of the picture book which is still in preparation, a kind of "skeleton"

for inserting text and illustrations. Children were able to ask questions to the author. Most of the questions were

about where she gets the ideas for the themes of the books. Talking and reviewing the author's works was

followed by reading the picture books. The author left the choice of picture books that will be read to the

children.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): The activity lasted for 45 min, with 25 children, age 5 and 6 years old.

It took place in the kindergarten, with 2 teachers present.

All materials were provided by the author, mother of two boys from the kindergarten.

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The parent was responsible for the activity, while the teachers prepared a place for activity, made an introduction

and documented with photographs and video.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The objectives of activities have been achieved. The author lent one of hers picture books and gave one to the

kindergarten. Children daily read picture books with their teachers, and we have a few more borrowed from the

library at the initiative of children. Children continue to show interest in creating their own picture books and

stories with the help from their teachers.

AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: PHOTOS

Families’ opinion: Mother which conducted the activity was especially honored with our invitation and gladly accepted.

Communication with children ran very well and the children in activity were extremely interested and were asking

a lot of sub-questions. She was delighted when the children told her that they make picture books themselves,

especially when she found out that her elder son Michael took part in one illustration. In an interview after the

activity she has expressed surprise and delight with children’s creativity and their interest in making up their own

stories.

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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Kindergarten "Dječji svijet" Email to be used to ask questions:

[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Travelogue – India

LINES OF ACTION1:

1. CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY.


school.

2. FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL AGENTS: workshops

or prompt actions in each school year (of vary durations),

either independently or in collaboration with a teacher in

order to support the development of competencies,

knowledge for life and/or curricular areas.

KEY WORDS: India, travelogue, multiculturality

STARTING SITUATION: The girl Maya Diana, from kindergarten „Djecji svijet“, with her mother Natasha was absent from kindergarten

two months due to travel to India where her father lives. During her stay, she sent many postcards to her friends

in kindergarten about unusual places she has wiseted. Upon returning, her friends in kindergarten constantly

questioned where she was and what she saw there. Maya shared that she had learned a new skill of Indian

dancing and she wanted to show her dance sequence. During her stay in India Maya Diana has even starred in a

film, which was also covered by the media in our city. Noticing the interest of children, we agreed with Maya's

mom Natasha that she will prepare for interested children travel itinerary with photos and videos from the entire

course of the trip.




Aim: Getting information about the individual interests of children of India and Indian culture, dance, traditional

clothes through direct communication with persons from the direct experience and knowledge of the subject.


1. Communication in the mother tongue, which is the ability to express and interpret concepts, thoughts,

feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and to interact

linguistically in an appropriate and creative way in a full range of societal and cultural contexts;


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In order to develop this competence it is necessary in the organization of the educational process to ensure that

children get enough of stimulating linguistic environment in which they will have the opportunity to have diverse

social interactions with peers and adults. In this activity the children were practiced the culture of conversation

(not to talk all at the same time, asking questions and waiting for answers, routing communications to the

subjects that are most interested to us) and thus the language used in a positive and socially responsible manner.

2. Communication in foreign languages, which involves, in addition to the main skill dimensions of

communication in the mother tongue, mediation and intercultural understanding. The level of proficiency

depends on several factors and the capacity for listening, speaking, reading and writing;

Since preschooler foreign language learning is best in a stimulating linguistic context, through games and other

activities that are meaningful to a child, it was appropriate to include a communication in the English language in

this activity since Maya and her mother speak fluent English. For early language learning the most suitable

approach is situational learning and we used it in this activity. Through communication in English, we have further

highlighted the multiculturalism that was the theme of the activity.


competence and all forms of behavior that equips individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way in

social and working life. It is linked to personal and social well-being. An understanding of codes of conduct and

customs in the different environments in which individuals operate is essential. Civic competence, and particularly

knowledge of social and political concepts and structures (democracy, justice, equality, citizenship and civil

rights), equips individuals to engage in active and democratic participation;

Through this activity children received an insight about distant counties, inhabited by different people who speak

other languages. They also saw a variety of plants and animals that live in those areas, which at home we can only

see in a zoo. Children also noted that India has a different music from our music, different dances and clothes.

Maya was dressed for that purpose in the traditional clothes so that the children can see firsthand and hear the

music and dance moves.

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: At the beginning Maya Diana performed her dance sequence which she rehearsed in India. Then her mom

Natasha showed children footage of dance workshops and photos from their travel. Children asked questions and

Maya Diana and her mother readily responded. Children were also impressed with the recording of their flight, in

which Maya Diana sends greetings to all friends from kindergarten. Activity flowed in pleasant conversation and

ended with a joint dance of all those involved with new dance moves that Maya Diana tought them.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): The activity included twenty children and one teacher. It took place in the area of kindergarten. The girl’s mother

used the laptop and smart phone for audio, photo and video content. The activity lasted 60 minutes. The

professional kindergarten workers were responsible for coordinating activities, making room for activities and

ensuring enough time to talk and dance.

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The parent was responsible for the activity, and teacher for the preparation of space, also providing information

about the time flow of the activity and making photo documentation. Teacher also encouraged communication in

English since Maya Diana is fluent speaker. Our kindergarten implements situational learning of English so the rest

of the children were able to follow. Educator occasionally named objects and creatures in the photos in a foreign

language. Parent directs communication between the child and adult and child to child. The parent is also

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responsible for the specific stages of the activities, for example when will children ask questions or when will they

dance.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The activity lasted for quite a long time, 60 minutes, and the teacher responsible for the activity thought that it

took too long. It should take place on two occasions because some of the children were more interested in

dancing, and some for listening and viewing photos and videos. In a later conversation, Maya's mother agreed

with the teacher. She said she did not expect that the activity will go in several directions. She decided that she

needed to make a choice of video clips and places they visited, because in an effort to show and tell all we had to

move quickly to the next stage of the activity.


Families’ opinion: Time that was offered was not enough for everything that the mother had prepared. Children’s questions led her

to variety of topics and she wanted to show photos and video for each topic. Just the search for contents had

taken away a lot of time. She had a lot of materials and she got the impression that the activity is not brought to

an end as she planned. After the activities when we talked she said that she was lost in the multitude of videos

and photos and that she should have to put in a one place so that children don’t wait too long.


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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: “Djecji svijet”, Varaždin


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Math as a game

LINES OF ACTION1:






KEY WORDS: math, diverse expression, math in common games

STARTING SITUATION: The kindergarten had an evening of mathematics, a manifestation that is organized by the Croatian Mathematical

Society. Parents prepared the workshop together with the preschool educators, and the children took part in it.

Math was brought closer to children as a game, a form of fun, through the prepared materials and activities.




9. Design the use of new information and communication tools, thinking about a proper and safe use.


3. Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology. Mathematical competence is

the ability to develop and apply mathematical thinking in order to solve a range of problems in everyday

situations, with the emphasis being placed on process, activity and knowledge. Basic competences in science and

technology refer to the mastery, use and application of knowledge and methodologies that explain the natural

world. These involve an understanding of the changes caused by human activity and the responsibility of each

individual as a citizen;


individually or in groups, in accordance with one's own needs, and awareness of methods and opportunities;

It is especially important for preschoolers to learn through exploration, games and fun. By providing a variety of

materials that supports children's natural curiosity, a kindergarten is an educational community develops a variety

of learning strategies and competences to "learning how to learn". By providing a variety of learning methods,

together with adults and other children, we encourage divergent thinking, providing a variety of possibilities for

understanding the various solutions, nurturing and encouraging various forms of creation. By providing a variety

of materials to satisfy different mathematical ideas, we allow the successful functioning of each child's potential.


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In this way, we developed curiosity and creative potential of every child. Cognitive potential extends to specific

materials and didactic toys that encourage thinking and understanding of various mathematical relationships. In

addition to learning, it is important to develop sensitivity for seeing the mathematical phenomenon in everyday

life and in its natural shapes. Encouraging and nurturing mathematical perception of the world around us, we

create a base for the search for the phenomenon of mathematical forms, figures, quantities, order or other

mathematical thinking skills.

It is possible to develop mathematical competences and implement conditions which favor the emergence and

development of mathematical thinking. Basic mathematical skills refer to existing knowledge and using it to

explain the natural world that surrounds us every day. Spotting mathematical relationships in everyday situations

and in nature involves understanding of the changes caused by human activity and natural forces as well. The link

between the people and nature, the identification and understanding of mutual relationships between those two

lets you apply mathematical thinking into everyday situations.

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Parents and teachers prepared a series of materials designed for children to play with. The materials are selected

in such a way to allow the identification of mathematical relationships, the separation of geometric figures in the

images that are present every day in kindergarten and the observation of natural materials (stone - agate) in

order to notice the rhythm of repeating the same lines that form the elliptical form that naturally occurred during

the formation of stones. Additionally provided is mastering the proper use of the compass, where parents were

models and helped children in mastering the skill of handling a compass. Curve rulers are intended for drawing

curved lines of which may become usual or unusual and unexpected shapes. We used our construct center that is

equipped with materials of various shapes to develop potential mathematical skills in a place of natural games

that the children are used to.

At the appointed time all interested parents and educators gathered, who were free to choose materials involved

in a variety of math activities. In doing so, a number of activities have enabled the understanding of quantitative

or spatial relationships, identifying and naming geometric shapes and bodies. A variety of stones has prompted

parents and children to express creativity by painting. Painting different types of lines formed right visual works of

art, the joint work of children and their parents. Some parents and children were interested in solving the

mathematical problems using a variety of educational toys.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Materials: suitable material: photos of children's constructions, curve rulers, compasses, stones, paint,

paintbrushes, and didactic toys for math.

We prepared the activity for about three hours. We were actively involved in the activity for two hours.

Space: the activity was organized and carried out inside

The number of adults and children attending the activity: the activity was attended by 16 parents and 19 children

and 4 educators. All parents and children participants are included in the everyday kindergarten program and

they all know each other.

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FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The role of the professional team of the kindergarten: the kindergarten professional team arranged and

participated in the preparation and implementation of activities together with the parents. It was particularly

necessary to prepare specific materials: photos of children's constructions of various materials (children

photographed and the parents multiplied black and white photos). Parents and educators cooperated and

collected the agate - stone, on which the cross-section showed unusual curved lines. Educators and parents chose

the didactic games.

The parents initiated the activities, and ensured there were sufficient compasses and curve rulers. And they

taught children how to properly use them and hold them so that they could to the same by themselves. Parents

independently explored different ways to use the didactic toys, showed them to the children and then they

played together. Throughout the game, learning math was done naturally, in an interesting way for the children.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: Parents have experienced planning, preparing, collecting specific materials that allow math learning in an

interesting and natural way which can be present in daily activities outside as well as inside the kindergarten.

The activity can be improved by using, collecting, obtaining as many unusual materials that can initiate and

provide mathematical thinking.


Families’ opinion: Children enjoyed the games, it is an easy and interesting way to learn math in a longer period of time. Everyone

had a very interesting and enjoyable time. We were especially pleased by the image that came as a result of the

game of drawing different lines. The painting of unusual shapes and diverse lines was inspired by a variety of

natural phenomena and this time we looked at the stone – agate for inspiration. (Vid's mother)

Others: Download this report Inspired by the event "Evening of mathematics" our parents suggested a variety of activities and they also

ensured materials for further use. Their participation encouraged and supported children's games that helped

develop their mathematical skills and knowledge.

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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Nursery school Zaleo


ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: SUPPORTIVE WORKSHOPS TO THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY MAKING STRETCHERS FOR RECYCLED PAPER LINES OF ACTION1:

ACTION 2. FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL AGENTS: workshops or prompt actions in each school year (of vary durations), either independently or in collaboration with a teacher in order to support the development of competencies, knowledge for life and/or curricular areas.

ACTION 4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT: Our surrounding space is recognized as a third educational agent in our project and become learning resource for our model of OPEN SCHOOLS

KEY WORDS: OUTDOOR CLASSROOM WORKSHOP IN THE PARK TREE, TRUNK,WOOD USING WOOD CARPENTRY STRETCHERS FOR RECYCLED PAPER

STARTING SITUATION: The initiative of creating an Outdoor Classroom at Zaleo Nursery School was born thanks to the educational exchange from some European schools, among some of them was included Zaleo, linked to an European participation COMENIUS project called SMOL (Science and Mathematics Outdoor Learning). This project proposed to deepen and strengthen thoughts and experiences related to the learning of Science and Mathematics in the environment. It started in the course 2012-2013. The Outdoor Classroom activity set up in September 2013 at Zaleo school with the rooms of pupils between 4 and 5 years old, extending it later to the 3 years old children. Consisted of the appropriation of our educational community of the public space, a park located in front of our school (Parque Lineal de Palomeras), 3 times a week as an extension of the scholar spaces. It has worked incredibly to motive the learning (observing, investigating, mixing, writing, telling, solving problems…) and the responsible intervention of the environment (taking care and improving measures), discovering a new sight of boys and girls towards this outdoor space gifted by a new value to enjoy and learn. Whereas the activity is in progress, we run into with different kinds of trees. We observe, touch, play, discover (their parts, their characteristics, their shapes, their names…) What are differences between a tree and a bush? Which is the structure (rings) of a tree? What happens with the top and the leaves along the year? What is for wood? Javier, who is the father of Manuela who is 4, is a carpenter. As a result of the survey delivered at the beginning of the course to the families about their competences and in collaboration with the educational personnel, this activity was done with the pupils of the rooms of 4 and 5 years old, independently his daughter group.

1LINES OF ACTION

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GOALS2: GOAL 1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula.

GOAL 6. Establish relationships from schools with our environment and surroundings, transforming ourselves into active agents of social, cultural, and educational change.

GOAL 10. Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by understanding that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families, professionals, and environments with the purpose of raising the quality of the learning process. CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED:

1. Communication in the mother tongue, which is the ability to express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and to interact linguistically in an appropriate and creative way in a full range of societal and cultural contexts.

2. Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology. (Understand and use numerical and geometrical concepts, measures and proportions to make recycled paper)

3. Knowledge and interaction with the physical World. (Know and distinguish trees from bushes according to their structure and physical characteristics) (Know and value the different uses of wood in our daily lives) (Know and hand safety mechanical and electrical tools to make recycled paper).

4. Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of information society technology (IST) and thus basic skills in information and communication technology (ICT). Specially photographs.

5. Social and civic competences. (Accept, understand and value the contributions of families to solve problems and propose their experience and knowledge) (Understand, value and take part in activities to respect and take care of our surroundings by recycling paper)


7. Learning to learn is related to learning, the ability to pursue and organize one's own learning, either individually or in groups, in accordance with one's own needs, and awareness of methods and opportunities.

8. Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship is the ability to turn ideas into action. (Solve situations and tasks individually and safety).

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The activity is developed by 24 boys and girls who are 4 years old, and 16 pupils from the 5 years old group. It is realized in the working timetable, in concrete, in the morning. This activity is scheduled following a sequence: from 09:40 to 13:00 having different groups every 40 minutes. The activity is organized by this way to facilitate Javier, the father, combining his labor work and his role at the school. To do the workshop activity, we split the classrooms in 10 groups of 4 boys and girls each one. By this way, we will have 6 groups of 4 years old pupils and 4 groups whose boys and girls are 5. It is done 5 rotations: in each one participate 2 groups. Obviously, the space of the workshop is thought to develop the activity with 2 groups at the same time. Each rotation is accompanied by three adults: 2 adults in charge of both groups and another one to organize and facilitate the collection of the photographic material. Each activity developed by each group last 40 minutes. During that time, boys and girls build a rectangular wooden frame, paste it with glue, pin it with nails, cut out the hairnet by the same size than the frame and staple it. To make easy the autonomy and the safety of the whole actions, all children will use some wooden patterns designed by Javier at this carpenter´s workshop. These patterns consist of a frame size board fasten by some

2GOALS 3 COMPETENCES

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strips that allow pupils to use tools without harming their fingers. While the workshop is in progress, all the responsibility has been faced by the proper father. He selects and shows the contents for every activity, the carpenter´s tools, the suitable materials, asks several interesting questions and tries to answers all the boys´ and girls´ inquires. In addition, he explains pupils different ways of dealing with along the workshop. Along the entire activity, we encourage children to collect photographic documentation using the camera provided for this respect. Anyway, one adult is also in charge of this task. METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Facing up to daily problems and looking for the best solutions at any moment to solve problems individually or in team, is the main reason of learning in life. In this permanent learning process are crucial the references provided by our families and societies. The suggested methodology chases to put in contact the information and the experiences added from an expert (in concrete, Javier, a father of the school) with the observation, knowledge and previous experiences among boys and girls. Moreover, we can discover new strategies to solve doubts as far as paper is concerned: its origin, its fabrication, its preservation, or in which consists the recycling… To make easier the relation between the knowledge of the expert and the real necessities of pupils, the teacher who in charge of the Outdoor workshop does previous activities with each group. The aim is provide information about who and when is coming to visit us and keeping company in the park, which is the reason, how important are his teachings, etc. Furthermore, we share our knowledge and what we expect to learn about trees, wood, paper, and its daily use. Therefore, we can tell everything to Javier, the father who will accompany us the day of the activity. He may provide us all the answers. At the school, the workshop to make stretchers for recycled paper it is held in small groups to make easier the active among boys and girls. It is essential to foresee the amount of material according to encouraging pupils to work at the same time. As usual, the father responsible for the activity will be in charge of providing all the material. The recommended process to develop the activity must be easy and clear. By this way, we will facilitate that boys And girls do the activities by themselves, refusing the constant adult dependence. To make easy the autonomy and safety, we must insist on the usefulness of wooden patterns made by Javier at his carpenter´s workshop. We also add the contributions of the children. The approximate duration of every session doesn´t take more than 40 minutes (explanation of the process, division groups and carry out the tasks). Considering the characteristics of this activity, it is important bearing in mind having enough adults to accompany children while they are doing tasks. FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The familiar who is responsible for the action, suggests, organizes and invigorates the development of the activity as far as his personal criteria, taking into account the suggestions and the terms already decided in the meeting with the educational personnel. He will also add the specific material that is required to make stretchers for recycled paper. The teachers that take part in the activity is in charge of the previous training: who is coming to visit us and accompany, which is the reason, how important are their teaching, etc.

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In addition, he will get ready the timing, the place, the facilities and the material, as long as he had spoken with the father in charge. Whereas the activity is in progress, the teacher must support the father to create an atmosphere of attention a dynamic. The teacher also divides the groups of students. He adds the contributions of the children as well. He also incorporates to contents all the boys´ and girls´ contributions. EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The general evaluation has been very satisfying not only from educational personnel but boys and girls along the familiar in charge the activity. These actions make visible the presence of mothers and fathers in the school´s life. As a result, it is essential the acceptation and the naturalness in the attitude of the students for the presence of a relative in the coordination of the activity. The division of the workshop in small groups (10 groups including 4 boys and 4 girls in each one) facilitates the active participation of pupils at any time. Doing the workshop in a morning, from 09:40 to 13:00, having rotations every 40 minutes has been quite stressful especially for teachers. Anyway, it has been the only way to facilitate the father´s participation (at this respect, Javier) at the school life finding the balance between his labor life and his role at the school. This has been just possible, thanks to the teacher staff flexibility to fit timing and the workshop. To facilitate the self- sufficient of boys and girls has been really interesting the idea thought by the father (an expert in carpentry) of using patterns to build the stretchers: due to these patterns, we have avoided risks as far as handing tools. It has been important the selection of the stretchers to be used. Neither too big, nor too small. Therefore, it has been a good idea to make two different sizes. Equally efficient according to the child. It is also essential to fit the dynamic of the activity and timing in order to avoid unnecessary rush at last. AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photographs


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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Zaleo Nursery School


ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: MULTISENSORY SPACES FOR 0-3 YEARS OLD CHILDREN. ACTIONS AT THE VISUAL STIMULATION SPACE. LINES OF ACTION1: FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL AGENTS: workshops or prompt actions in each school year (of vary durations), either independently or in collaboration with a teacher in order to support the development of competencies, knowledge for life and/or curricular areas.

KEY WORDS: Visual stimulation action. Lights of colours. Hoses of light. Light and darkness.

STARTING SITUATION: The necessity of taking part in the classroom is aroused by parents. They express their lack of knowledge about the actions, the games and the activities developed in the babies´ classroom. The tutor is in charge of introducing the multisensory stimulation hideouts at this age in order to create sense stimulation spaces (visual, tactile, aural, corporal, vibratory, gustatory and olfactory) with the unique purpose of helping them to grow up and to develop their skills which let them to be opened to the feelings and emotions world. The families look for materials to stimulate their senses and they orientate as far as the development of the activity is concerned. GOALS2: Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula. CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED:

Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology, is the ability that allows interact with the physic world either at its natural aspects or at the aspects generated by the human action. This competence put in practice with babies, let them to know their environment thanks to the constant stimulus exploration through the several senses.

Learning to learn is related to learning competence according to babies is focused on the physical independence to act without the help of an adult. It is concentrated in the individual actions of the child, to promote self-learning.

Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship to self-explore the new materials. SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The family presents a visual space to work with light and darkness. The action is focused on a tent with a hose of light indoors while the rest of the classroom is completely dark. Basically, the hose is switch on and switch off most of the time. They enter and leave the tent. They touch the hose of light. Additionally, there is a subspace to project colours of lights on the floor.


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METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Methodology: let children to explore freely the different visual stimulus to encourage the self- learning. Material resources: tent, hose of light, light bulb of colours. Human resources: tutor, support, a family (father, mother and elder siblings). Timing: afternoon timetable from 15:00 to 16:00. Space: the classroom. FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: Teacher´s role: advising families to develop the action. Observing children´s reaction whereas the activity is in progress. Keeping in calm the fears of playing in dark. Accompanying families along the duration of the action. Being receptive to the emotional burden involved in these types of activities done with babies. Families´ role: they want to feel involved themselves in the development of all the actions to take part in their children´s education. Reading of the multisensory classroom document provided by the tutor. Selecting a sense just to work with. They also search and present the visual materials. Accompanying the tutor and children whereas the action is in progress. Reflecting and having a feedback according to the activity with the tutor. EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS:

The classroom conditions were suitable to present a visual space. The date was also suitable taking into account the self-motor autonomy. The duration of the activity will not take too much. It might be better to do the activity in the mornings, from 10:00 to 11:00, due to their attention is higher

than in the evenings, from 15:00 t0 16:00 after the nap. Although it is impossible to work in the mornings, the family in charge of the activity will work at that time.


Families’ opinion: “Alicia´s family had the idea to give a fairy light bulb of colours (like in a disco) to be used at the classroom because at home is really successful with Alicia and her siblings. According to this initiative, the tutor asks us to provide material for children. Because of the working reasons we couldn´t arrange the activity in the mornings; finally it was developed after the nap time. Little by little, new ideas were aroused to enrich the purpose: carry a tent to hide children inside, an outdoor light tube… We refused taking music to focus on the visual aim. The proper day to do the activity, Mila is in charge of the location of the tent, the light bulb, the hose of light and try to make the classroom, as dark as possible. Children seemed to be surprised by the new atmosphere and they run to hide themselves inside the tent, anyway, they decided to explore the environment very soon. In the end, the majority of the family participated. For instance, the elder brother (a former Zaleo pupil) surprised us suggesting brilliant ideas, helping us at any time and enriching the activity. We shared a good time all together. It has been a pleasure to feel like at home along with the school staff”. Flor Ibáñez, Alicia´s mother. Others: Download this report

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ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: “The World of the ants” LINES OF ACTION1: 1) CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY.

Families are involved in punctual or all year actions at school.

2) FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL AGENTS: workshops or prompt actions in each school year (of vary durations), either independently or in collaboration with a teacher in order to support the development of competencies, knowledge for life and/or curricular areas.

KEY WORDS: ANT ANT´S NEST

STARTING SITUATION: Antonio, the father of a 3-4 years old child kept in contact with the teachers to offer them an ant´s nest that he had previously made. We had the opportunity to leave it at the classroom (with a colony of ants inside). He will be in charge of its maintenance and to present it to boys and girls. GOALS2:

1. -Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula.

2. -Improve the cooperation and relationship between families and every participating institution. 3. -Facilitate communicative and cooperative ties between the families of the institutions that participate in

the project. 10. -Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by

understanding that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families, professionals, and environments with the purpose of raising the quality of the learning process.

CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: • The father went to the classroom and spoke about his ant´s nest. First, to the entire group and then, in

small groups. • He told us through images (selected by him and the teachers) how are the ants, where they live, types,

etc. • Each week he was in charge of the maintenance of the ant´s nest. He provided ants, food and humidity. • Once children have aroused interest, we search about this aspect on the internet, in the books, tales,

documentaries… • We set up a plastic activity: making a giant ant´s nest to play. We used a big box, paper and glue. We

made toys ants with porex balls. Previously, we had done the morphological analysis and we divided the groups according to sizes, shapes, etc.

• Besides, at the poetry workshop we learnt a poetry about ants. Some songs were related as well. Manuela´s mother went one morning to the classroom to teach them the song “Doña Inés the


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little ant”. • At the psychomotor workshop we turned into ants. We moved like them, we moved their foodstuff to

our ant´s nest. • The systematic observation of the ant´s nest, each week, was done and we discovered that one ant

carried a larva in its mouth. To see it properly we used a digital microscope along with the digital whiteboard. We took some pictures and recorded videos at that moment. Some pupils from other groups were invited to see it with us.

• We drew our ants and we played with the new ant´s nest. • We learnt how to take care of the ants. We protected the ant´s nest from the light not to stress them.

Then, we went to the park and we looked for ants there, we feed them and observed them thanks to the magnifying glasses as soon as we didn´t move any ant from their original habitat.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): The methodology has been followed has been related to a father´s idea. To develop this activity at the first term of t course has been a strong stake taking into account the early age of the pupils, 3-4 years old. It was crucial to agree at how and when to develop the activity. The motivation aroused by the group was incredible and, therefore, the project was much bigger than we expected initially. The materials have been used are written down at the “activities” section. As far as the timing, spaces and groups a Concerned, we have had absolute flexibility. FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: At any time the relation has been open and fluent, making easy their participation, helping them with the teaching transmission of contents and adapting everything to the necessities and peculiarities of the group. It has been crucial to have a feedback related to success. All in all, to value the role of families as another educational agent.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: It has been a very rewarding experience, either at acquiring learning, or providing the links between teachers and parents. Families have the opportunity to make the school bigger. Obviously, there have been some obstacles at the process. At the beginning, children had difficulties to see their parents in situations that they are not used to them. Anyway, when they finish, they feel pleased and proud such as Leo (Antonio´s son) when he checks that “his dad explains things to his mates”. As an improvement suggestion, we would recommend to look for a quieter location for the ant´s nest. In a calm area at the school. AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photographs

Families’ opinion: “I always enjoy nature and animals in particular. Since I was a child, I used to go with my father to the countryside. Nowadays, I try to instill my son love and respect for nature. This idea came up due to my fascination for social insects. It came to my mind that the best way to show this to children was through a harmless specie easy to learn, “Messor barbarous” ant. I did my best and I try to discover how to make a nest. Then, I thought for myself if my son enjoys it, the rest children from Zaleo will have fun too. Therefore, I spoke with teachers and the feedback was really positive. An online shop provided me the colony of ants for free. The ant´s nest was fascinating among children. For me, turning a simple “plaster craft” into a workshop has lived up to my expectations. I say thank you all the easiness that school staff provides families”. Others: Download this report

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ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: MAKING PUPPETS LINES OF ACTION1: 1) CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY.

Families are involved in punctual or all year actions at school.


KEY WORDS: PUPPETS THEATRE DUMMIES DRAMATIC GAME

STARTING SITUATION: In order to do the dramatic game, cooperation is asked to families to make puppets thanks to an explicative poster. Additionally, we speak with two mothers individually, to involve them in the development of the activity. GOALS2: 1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula. CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED:



SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: According to the development of the dramatic game workshop we thought about the necessity to make our puppets to work dramatization, the language and creativity. Owing to be an activity that requires an individual attention per pupil, we considered to take into account families as educational agents which offer us their knowledge and help. There were two previous meetings with two mothers to explain them which is the main purpose of the activity, the development of this one, which will be their roles and days and timetables. The school expert is in charge of providing spaces, groups and material to develop the activity.


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Once we had finished to make puppets, two mothers were invited (at the time dedicated to the workshop) to see a short performance in a small puppet´s theatre. Each child had time to introduce his/her puppet and to tell us their names and the name of their dummies while they sang or told us a story. METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Two days are required to do the activity (2 mornings, from 9:30 to 11:00) due to the group consists of 39 pupils. These two mornings aren´t included in the proper dramatic game workshop. The teacher always coordinates the activities, the children and the material. The material to be used are shocks, hot glue guns and several material to make eyes, hair, mouth, nose, etc., for our puppets. We also use a small theatre for the performance. This activity is developed out of the classroom, in a place where materials could be shown to children and therefore to elaborate their puppets without any danger of getting burnt with the hot glue guns. FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: With no doubt, families are the supporters of the knowledge process. All the adults who participate are not experts at making dummies although they are willing to help and give their all at the classroom. The teacher must invigorate the role of the families to make them feel comfortably, to make they enjoy and see the progress of their children. EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: This one has been an entertaining activity not only for families, but for students. Finally, the same families ended up making their puppets. It requires an extra time for the expert in order to look for materials, gathering with families, preparing the workshop… It is crucial the previous meeting with families to tell them which is their role and what is expected by them. AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photographs

Families’ opinion: “It has been a great and very interesting experience in which we expect children have felt as comfortable as us. The teacher has provided us all type of material and children´s creativity was the cause of the success as well. It has been very easy to work with them and taking into account the enjoyment of our daughters and the success of the results. As far as I am concerned (Pilar), I have been aware of the huge and surprising creativity I had and I am very proud of myself. We recommend this experience to all parents who might dedicate a little time to share any activity with their children”. Others: Download this report

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ACTIVITY/PRODUCT:PILATES WORKSHOP LINES OF ACTION1:


KEY WORDS: MOBILITY PSYCHOMOTOR ACTIVITY PILATES

STARTING SITUATION: In the month of April, in 2014, Sebas, the father of two pupils from the school, kept in contact with the teacher in charge of the psychomotor activity for children who are 3, 4 and 5 years old. They discussed about the benefits and the conveniences of working with boys and girls the thoracic and abdominal breathing. Sebas is an expert in Pilates and he always combines his passion with his profession as a lawyer. He suggested inserting some Pilates session for the 4 and 5 years old pupils. It was the beginning of this experience. In the month of May, Sebas run 4 sessions in each classroom. Along the course 2014- 2015, the Pilates workshop for students between 4 and 5, was involved in our SELF Project (Sharing Education and Learning with Families). That workshop was run by him and was also coordinated by the teacher in charge of the psychomotor activity workshop for 3, 4 and 5 years old students. During that course, Sebas´ son, Samuel, was a pupil from the 4 years old classroom. Sebas was doing each session with groups among 8 and 12 pupils, including his child. GOALS2:

1. -Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula.

10 -Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by understanding that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families, professionals, and environments with the purpose of raising the quality of the learning process.

CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: 1.Communication in the mother tongue. (Understand and set up verbal slogans related to Pilates). 3..Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology.(Facilitate the knowledge of the body image and motor abilities). (Control little by little the body: concentration, coordination, muscle tone, position, balance, flexibility)(Make easier the position experience and its relation with the space. The figures and the special orientation: up, down, on one side, on the other side, opposite, behind, on, under..). 5.Social and civic competences. (Cooperate with the rest according to the groups: partners, threes, small groups, big groups…). (Respect others due to their personal characteristics, actions, possibilities and motor and corporal limitations).

1LINES OF ACTION 2GOALS 3 COMPETENCES

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6.Cultural awareness and expression. (Know Pilates as a cultural manifestation which has some values to link our mind and our body: dynamism, muscular strength, mental control, breathing and relax). 7.Learning to learn is related to learning. (Know the possibilities and the obstacles, working out and bending obstacles) (Include new skills and strategies to solve proposal and concrete situations). 8.Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship is the ability to turn ideas into action. (Solve routines, situations and tasks, individually, with autonomy and conviction). SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: During the course 2014-2015, the workshop activity started in the month of February and was uninterrupted until May, when was the end of all the workshops at the school. The groups who developed the workshop were the 4 and 5 years old pupils. To do the activity in concrete, each classroom (24 boys and girls who are 4 years old; 16 boys and girls who are 5) was split in two groups, among 8 and 12 children each one. In general, all those groups kept stable the whole course. By this way, pupils could see when they may develop the activity and who their mates are. As far as the 4 years old classroom is concerned, the workshop was done every week, an afternoon from 15:00 to 15:30. The length of each session lasted 30 minutes. According to the 5 years old classroom, the workshop was developed once a month, in order to find the balance between the workshop and their specific activities. The sessions took 45 minutes. One morning the timetable was from 9:45 to 10:30 and another one, from 10:30 to 11:15. While the Pilates session are in progress, it is crucial to insist on the importance of mental concentration, relaxation, body and spinal column vertebral position, breathing, balance and flexibility. At each session they worked all the elements. Each session started and ended with some routines thought to improve the personal comfort when you behave: we needed comfortable clothes, floor mats and all children took off their shoes. Along the whole workshop, Sebas, the father, was in charge of every activity. He selected and presented the contents of each session, gave information about the actions to do, ask questions and collected the children´s opinions giving them answers and showing them the proper way to do the exercises as well. During all the activity, some photographic material was collected. An adult from the school was in charge. METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Dealing with the daily problems and looking for suitable solutions at each time to solve them individually or in group as a key to learn in life. In this learning process the familiar and social agents have a crucial role thanks to their knowledge and experience. The methodological proposal tries to connect information and experiences from an expert (Sebas, the father of one child at the school) thanks to observation, knowledge and boys and girls previous experiences. Additionally, it is important to know new strategies which let us improve the knowledge of our bodies and their control, develop the motor abilities and establish positive linkers with the others and the environment. In order to facilitate the link between the expert knowledge and the actual children necessities, the teacher in charg must do previous activities with them. The aim is providing information about who and when is coming to work with boys and girls, which is the reason and why are so crucial his lessons. It is important to promote a feedback about what we know and what we would like to find out. Therefore, we may explain that to Sebas to obtain suitable answ The Pilates workshop is organized in small groups to make easier their attention and the active participation of boys and girls. It is necessary to foresee the space and the required material (floor mats) to do the activity comfortably.

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The preparation of the space and material is done by the teacher along with the help of pupils. To get the effective preparation and collection, is important to insert and respect individual and collective routines: share and collect the floor mats; take the shoes off; tidy up clothes to pick it up. The suggested slogans to do each exercise must be easy and clear, as long as we put in practice the proper names, adjectives and verbs. By this way, we facilitate that boys and girls are used to doing these exercises in the classroom always doing these ones individually without the help of an adult. The content was growing up because of the boys’ and girls’ contributions. The duration of each session is related to the ability to concentrate of the pupils. According to 4 years old classroom The activity took half an hour approximately. Related to 5 years old students, 45 minutes. It is essential that while the activity is in progress several adults must give us a hand as far as the execution of the tasks are concerned. According to this workshop, having 2 adults is more than enough; the father in charge of Pilate Workshop and the teacher of the psychomotor workshop. FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The familiar in charge, suggests, organizes and invigorates the development of the activity according to some personal criteria, taking into account the suggestions and the points they agreed at the previous meeting. This relative also contributes with the suitable material to develop the activity. The teacher is in charge of preparing in advanced to pupils: who is going to visit the school, what are his proposals, which is the reason, why are very important his lessons, etc. Moreover, he prepares along with some boys and girls the infrastructure of the space and materials required, as long as they count of the expert relative. While the activity is in progress, the teacher supports the familiar according to students´ attention and concentration to promote a dynamic and active dynamic at the classroom. The teacher also inserts the boys´ and girls´ contributions. EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The general assessment has been really satisfying either by the educational staff or by girls, boys and families who have done the activity. These types of actions contribute to make more visible among pupils, the presence of fathers and mothers in the school life. At this respect, it is crucial to point out the children´s acceptance and naturalness according to seeing a familiar in charge of several actions at the school. The activity has been at any time split in small groups who have similar ages (between 8 and 12 boys and girls in each classroom) in order to promote an active participation in each proposal at the workshop. Additionally, it has been crucial the presence of enough adults to develop the workshop and to avoid the stops of boys and girls when they require individual attention. In concrete, we have counted on two adults: one to run and to invigorate each session; and the other one, to encourage pupils while they are doing the activities and taking pictures at any time. As far as the role of the adults is concerned, we would like to point out that their functions have been very clear and accepted since the very beginning. The father, always aware of his value as an expert, has selected the interests and contents of each session freely. He has explained easily and clearly the different proposals. He has aroused a suitable dynamic according to the groups and time getting a great link with the pupils. Therefore, the teacher has had simply a role of support. A REFLECTION. The key of success in the development of functions has been related to the frequent and stable periodicity (weekly, monthly…as long as they have a fixed date). Moreover, we have used the previous experience of this father who was in charge of the same workshop the year before in a short period of time. Thanks to the

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experience, it has facilitated a self confident, sure and determined attitude towards the proposal. It has also been important the time dedicated to the dynamic of the activity and the attention provided by each group according to the age of each one.


Families’ opinion: “In my humble opinion, the families´ role at the school is essential. In a globalized world, the role of families is so important at children´s education. My impressions, when I was teaching Pilates have been really optimistic. My son has seen really natural my role in the classroom. Boys and girls, despite knowing I was the father of one of their classmate, haven´t seen it as something weird. Mi relation with them, has been at any time, very rewarding and pleasant. Therefore, the acquiring learning has been ideal and original. The relation with the teachers has been superb due to their help has been crucial. All the school staff have provided the resources (floor mats) and timing to do the activity. Family must take part at the school life as much as possible to enrich the boys´ and girls´ creativity and get on very well with them and teachers”. SEBAS Others: Download this report In previous sections of this worksheet we have insisted on two aspects as the KEY of the Pilates workshop: the stable periodicity along the course; and the rewarding impact of the father according to his personal experience in the previous course. However, there is a third aspect that we also consider important to EMPHASIZE: the father´s proposals of celebrating an open session with the rest of pupils´ families. Although it hasn´t a great impact, with no doubt, this initiative of gathering families represent the aim of SELF project when you link the Line of Action 5 and the Goal 2. In spite of not being the main goal of the workshop, this initiative is also thought to promote the insertion of families at the school life and to make easy the relation between the lines of actions and goals. LINE OF ACTION 5. INFORMING IS SHARING: Our Schools spread activities and educational or cultural contents.

GOAL 2. Facilitate communicative and cooperative ties between the families of the institutions that participate in the project.

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Email to be used to ask questions: eei,[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: UMBRA-L

LINES OF ACTION1:

CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. Families are involved in punctual or all year actions at school.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT: Our surrounding space is recognized as a third educational agent in our project and become learning resource for our model of OPEN SCHOOLS.

KEY WORDS: Light, shadow, game, sound

STARTING SITUATION: Being involved in the continuous teachers’ formation, two educational memberships did a course about talking art where they met the artist Arturo Moya Villén. Since the very beginning, he seemed to be attracted by the way of working at our school and he offered to give up a hand. His first procedure was making his work, “Umbra-L”. GOALS2:

• Establish from the schools, links with our educational environments, turning them into agents in charge of the social, cultural and educational change.

• Plan meeting moments to promote leisure-formation-culture in and out of the educational centers with the only aim of increasing the cultural level at the educational communities.


• Knowledge and interaction with the physical world is the ability which let interact with the physical world, either at its natural aspects or at the aspects generated by the human action. This competence allows predicting incidents, understanding several phenomena and always is thought to care and respect the proper life conditions.

• Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative

expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature and the visual arts).

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: “Umbra-L” is an interactive and audiovisual installation that involves leisure, participative and communal reflection about identity, understood as a negotiation each other. The spectators are invited to use their shadows to build up a communal and alternative portrait about a secret society; unknown bodies which are free from the slavery of their own images and also project a strong otherness inside the shadow; micro-tales that generate a desire of being the other one at the environment. This installation considers shadow as an ambiguous container, not only to keep us away purely from the world, but to become fused immediately with it. A net and osmotic space


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which objectively decrease its information and provides a utopic instrument of social leveling; a neutral dimension which supposed the swoon of most signs which keep our social and economic differences and are essential for some identity building process as well”. (Arturo Moya and Álvaro Múñoz Ledo). METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Human resources: the artist was helped by the IT´s coordinator. The action was made first, by children and then, by parents in order to spread the project. Material resources: projector, computer, microphone, video camera, lights, screen…PDF. Spaces: it was made in the indoor playground at the school. Timing: along the day as long as the activity was developed by children. According to families it was necessary to take all the month of June 2015. FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: School staff role: teachers gave a hand to make the activity, to interact, to take notes about the development of the process and finally, to organize pupils so as to take part in the activity. Families’ role: all of the participated during the spreading encounter. They could see a video of the children´s interaction.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The global assessment has been really positive, both children and adults have enjoyed a lot, thanks to this activity. It has been a great opportunity to delight this educational and artistic manifestation. It had been interesting to take more time to make the activity and divided in smaller groups all the students to compare better their reactions.

AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photos Video Spreading encounter pictures Spreading encounter video Artist’ opinion: “The whole artistic works are in a certain way, interactive. They arouse a question and we are in charge of elaborating the answers taking into account our sensitiveness and our knowledge and interest field. An interactive installation is an artistic mechanism which is essential for our work. This activity will not have sense without the active participation of the observer. When I am in charge of an interactive installation I always pay attention to children and I learn a lot just observing them and their reactions. Additionally, it has a crucial role as far as their leisure is concerned. I am really interested in checking that the child discovers an individual and direct method of relate with work. As well as I do with adults. At Zaleo school they know perfectly what I mean. They learn to touch, to breathe, to see, to smell and to listen. Experience is considered the key vehicle to obtain the teaching from the environment, as a tool of knowledge that requires being stimulated. Therefore, they use artistic languages naturally and convincingly. Having the possibility of sharing this experience with them has been a pleasure. Sensitiveness, dedication and conviction are examples to be followed and their pedagogy is highly valued. We hope other teaching and learning spaces learn the procedure of this school. We hope to see that very soon due to be essential to live in a society where people learn how to know and value their world. I would like to say thank you to all Zaleo nursery school which has given me a hand during this ambitious journey. I have learnt much and therefore, I say thank you very much. In concrete, I would like to express my gratitude to people who have worked very close to me: Goya, Mariano and Ana. Thanks for inviting me and I hope to see each other in future projects. A big hug to everybody”. Arturo Moya Villén Others: Arturo Moya website Download this report

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfpPbF38WrA

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxWwzN2xncz4fkcwM3JxR3F3UWxyX0h5NTlqRFcxYVlpbUZsMHFTS2VKcUgxSG84dXlsWlU&usp=sharing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7r99T-bzZ0

http://arturomoyavillen.com/umbral.html

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4TE1sYXg2V0FYdUU/view?usp=sharing

Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: "Djecji svijet" Varazdin Email to be used to ask questions:

[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Chemistry

LINES OF ACTION1:



school.






KEY WORDS:

experiment, tubes, connections, effects, mixing,

chemical laboratory, baking soda and vinegar,

goggles and aprons

STARTING SITUATION:

Mother of a girl in our kindergarten noted that children in kindergarten have shown interest in chemistry. With

their teachers children were reading books and doing simple experiments. She agreed with the teacher to come

to kindergarten and hold the activity on the theme of chemistry.

GOALS2:

1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula.


3. Facilitate communicative and cooperative ties between the families of the institutions that participate in the project.






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Children learned that the merger of soda and vinegar produce a chemical reaction that can inflate a balloon, they

learned to make a "volcano" and a paper rocket launch…

That the purple cabbage can stain water, and that it changes color in contact with acid or alkali ...

Children learned that chemistry is part of life and that they can get items we use every day from the kitchen for

experiments.

SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

The activity started with equipping the kitchen center in the kindergarten with the necessary equipment to

perform tests - test tubes, aprons, plates, spoons... Mother brought the rest of the equipment: vinegar, baking

soda, goggles, tubes, red cabbage, lemon ...

She explained to children experiment step by step, explaining the reaction, the proper use of ingredients,

including them in every step and encouraging independent conclusions... She performed several experiments.

Children were most impressed with experiment with soda and vinegar when they made a mini volcano and

experiment with red cabbage when adding various acids gave different shades and colors. This motivated them

for further investigation and making new experiments.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students

involved…):

Materials: tubes, cups, bowls, goggles, aprons, red cabbage, soda and vinegar, balloons, distilled water, lemon,

plates

Time: 1.5 hours

The space: kitchen center in kindergarten

Number of people involved: mother and two teachers

Number of children: 6-8 children aged 5 to 7 years.

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES:

The mother proposed the activity and she independently selected experiments for working with children. She

checked with teachers about children's prior knowledge about certain experiments. Teachers are responsible for

equipping the center and a sufficient number of materials, and in agreement with the mother, teachers provided

sufficient space and resources for carrying out the experiment. Also, teachers are required to arrange the time of

the activity, as well as being the activity coordinators. The role of the educator is to continue and extend

children's learning and research, to borrow books on simple and practical experiments in open daily life, to cause

amazement and curiosity.

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Parent has gained experience of planning and working with children in the kindergarten and through simple

experiments she opened new perspectives on the world around them.

The activity can be expanded by maintaining weekly activities for the chemistry in the kindergarten and involving

more parents and children ...


Photographs

Families’ opinion: I really liked working with children in the group. The children were interested in all experiments. They were

watching every step with interest. They experienced their role as chemists seriously and they approached

responsible to all materials with which we have worked. They asked me many questions which encouraged me to

come again for further cooperation with the kindergarten that my child attends.

I am surprised by their intuitive skills in the field of chemistry, especially because this is, for most of them, first

encounter with this kind of activity.

Other: download this report Parent suggested that children can independently invent and experiment with the help of teachers. They can

write down their observations and thus make a small book of their experiments ...

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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Kindergarten “Djecji svijet” Varazdin


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Fun Olympics

LINES OF ACTION1:

CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. Families

are involved in punctual or all year actions at school.

FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL AGENTS: workshops or

prompt actions in each school year (of vary durations),




KEY WORDS:

Activity polygon, Dividing in groups,

Competition

STARTING SITUATION:

Various forms of movement are very important for preschool children. Sports help in the child’s development, to

learn the rules, new skills, and most importantly all of this is done through playing. Parents suggested that we

create a mini Olympics that all children will be able to participate, compete or cheer. It all started when we

prepared our pre-school children (in the age of 6) for the County kindergartens Olympics.

Parents will work with educators to design ground activities. They will present sports to the children and practice

with them 2 times a week. Activities will be appropriate for all children, aimed to meet their psycho-motor

development and todevelop it further.

GOALS2: Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the



Learning to learn is related to learning, the ability to pursue and organize one's own learning, either individually

or in groups, in accordance with one's own needs, and awareness of methods and opportunities


At the beginning we set polygon for activities suitable for children and their age. We were careful to meet all their

needs. We agreed which days of the week we will practice. Polygon was composed of four different activities:


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• leading the ball with hockey stick between 4 cones

• driving with pushing car between 4 cones

• parent pulling two children on a sheet

• Walking with tied legs - one parent and two children

For each activity it was necessary to watch over the safety of children. The last activity with walking with tied legs

was the children’s favorite. Since we had two identical polygons, the children were divided in two groups dressed

in T-shirts of the same color, one set of blue and the other red.

Children not participating in sports sat on mats and encouraged their friends. Attention was given to how precise

tasks were getting done, not who will win in the end. We all know that the most important part is to participate,

not to win.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): Materials: cones, tennis balls, hockey sticks, pushers (toy car), fasteners, sheets for pulling, t-shirts, mats

Time: one hour for arranging and setting up the polygon

practicing with children 2 or 3 times a week

Space: school’s sports hall

Number of people involved: 6 parents

12 participating children

20 children cheering

3 teachers

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The parents have created activities and they set up the polygon for activities. One parent brought the balls, and

the other provided two little cars. They set up the polygon every time we came into the hall and with the children

they practiced certain elements of movement. One parent would always warm up the children through a game,

so they could be ready to overcome the obstacles that they had been given. Teachers coordinated children

together with parents and ensured that everything is customized and accessible to children.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: Parents have gained experience of planning and adjustment of sports activities for children. They all played in a

sports world where it is not important who will win but to participate. As a continuation of the activity, parents

proposed introducing similar sports program in the regular program so children could learn from the earliest

years about healthy and active lifestyle. Some parents said they will work in consultation with the teacher to

come and keep some sports facilities for which they are competent.

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AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photographs Families’ opinion:

This kind of cooperation we really liked. New customs, culture, language as many possible for children to broaden

horizons and become citizens of the world. Cooperation with parents was great. More and more parents should

get involved to recognize the importance of cooperation in the joint education of children. (Andro’smother)

Other: download this report

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4bERqRGF1bTNJbVE/view?usp=sharing

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ACTIVITY REPORT



ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Origami

LINES OF ACTION1:






CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. Families

are involved in punctual or all year actions at school.

KEY WORDS:

Origami, Children’s workshop, Parent as a

coordinator of the activity

STARTING SITUATION:

During individual interviews with the parents for the purpose of providing information about the child, one father

mentioned his old hobby, origami. I invited him to come to the group because the origami is current interest of

children in kindergarten and the teachers did not have the necessary knowledge and skills for successful

implementation of the activity and the raising of the same to the next level. Parent gladly accepted the invitation.

We agreed on the necessary material that we will prepare, the duration of activity and the time of arrival of

parents in the group.

GOALS2:

Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the


Inspire action of joint training in educational institutions in order to improve educators’ and families’ skills as



Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative expression of

ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature and the visual arts).

To create the conditions to encourage the participation of parents in shaping the vision of the institution and the

opportunities for participation of parents in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the educational


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process. Harmonization of educational activities for the child with a view to the child's long-term well-being.

All included children mastered the technique of origami at their level of knowledge and developmental age.


The original plan was to hold one origami workshop with children. Parent had planned the workshop, and

educator has prepared materials and space. The activity included 17 children. Some children already had certain

knowledge and they independently bent papers while others were carefully following the instructions. We have

also prepared colorful markers for decorating the origami frogs on fathers’ proposal. The children asked many

questions, and the activity flowed in a cheerful and dynamic spirit. The father tried to please all children

individually so his original plan of action soon fell apart, but he quickly adapted to new circumstances.

Aggravating circumstance was his son who was not exactly thrilled with sharing his father's attention with other

children, but he was also showing pride in his fathers’ visit to the kindergarten. After the activity, we asked the

father for feedback, his experience and review of the events in the group. He said that he thought that too many

children were involved and the fact that there were two tables made it difficult for him to commit to anyone. We

explained that the interests of children for origami are extremely high, so more children joined spontaneously

during the activity. He expressed his desire to come back again the next day and asked that children who are

participating are placed around larger table so that performance could be better. The next day, on their own

initiative, the children brought from home literature on the technique of origami as well as some works that were

created either independently or with the help of their parents. The atmosphere was calmer and duration of

activity was longer. Part of children twisted papers alone, and some kindly asked for help. Each day, the number

of children increased, because the older and more experienced children gladly helped to that less skillful and thus

developed the magical atmosphere of complete focus of all participants. The youngest children were satisfied

with painting of cranes or frogs, some have mastered the production of paper hats and they were doing a few in a

row. The most ambitious were making cranes and helped it their friends as well. Every day the father had

prepared a new animal bending. Sometimes it was realized, and sometimes the children were keen to show their

trained skills from the previous day. The activity lasted for a week and the children continued with the activity

independently. Thus, for the purpose of decorating the stage for the final kindergarten event, they made a

multitude of paper cranes.


involved…):

Workshops were held five days in a row. Time required for the activity varied between 30 minutes and then

gradually increased to 45 minutes, and even up to 60 minutes, depending on the interests of children. Number of

children involved varied from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 16 children aged 4 to 6 years of age. Adults

participating in the activity were one parent and one teacher. The workshop was held in the front area of the

kindergarten and the necessary materials were papers of various thicknesses, colors and formats, markers and

books on the technique of origami.

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Parent planned the workshops, while the teacher arranged material, place and time for the activity. The teacher

has also overcome the technique of origami together with children, and helped the children, if necessary. The

initiative for the activity came from the teacher, but the parent prolonged the duration on his own.


The parent and the teacher after each workshop discussed progress and thus planned any necessary changes or

contents that are most interesting to children. Communication was sincere and constructive and we believe that

this is one of the keys to the success of the whole activity. The fact that children continued with activity on their

own, both in kindergarten and in their homes, is a sign of a new quality in the lives of children. Children also

exchanged literature and works that they shared with each other, and even decorated the hall for kindergartens

closing ceremony. All the children involved managed to make independently at least one origami, according to

their own interests and abilities, thus we consider that the goal of the activity was achieved.


Call to conduct workshops of origami in kindergarten at the same time delighted me and scared me.

First, of course, because the activity, which can be both educational and fun, inexpensive and available at the

same time, will introduce origami to the children, among which will perhaps find someone who would like origami

the same as I am or even more.

I was scared, of course, because, as it proved, it is not easy to stand before the "pack" of children and to justify

their expectations - to get something worth their attention. How to get the attention and keep it a whole lesson.

Origami requires precision, patience and the ability to visualize, and it is a challenge to present it to those who are

still developing those skills.

In short, my experience with the workshop is great. And I learned something - I hope, that children did as well.

Certainly I have a greater respect for all those who work daily with children.


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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: "Djecji svijet" Varazdin


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Second mountain trip – “Medvenica”

LINES OF ACTION1:



school.

4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT: Our

surrounding space is recognized as a third educational

agent in our project and become learning resource for our

model of OPEN SCHOOLS.

KEY WORDS:

Learning in nature, hiking, mountaineering

society, parents

STARTING SITUATION:

By mutual agreement of parents, members of the mountaineering section "Cevo", we organized a hiking trip. The

aim is to overcome the rise of “Medvednica” and its peak “Sljeme” (1033 m). During the hike the children will

overcome various forms of natural movement, especially the movement up and down the hill, and they will get to

know new wildlife species. At the same time they will adapt and deal with a variety of unforeseen and unexpected

situations. They will be encouraged to cross natural barriers, such as destroyed trees, rocky trails, and walking on

snow. During the trip, all participants will use the time to rest and relax, socialize, get to know each other better

and provide mutual support and help, if needed.

GOALS2:

1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the







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We departed from our kindergarten at 9 am. After a short rest during the journey, we reached the mountain hut

“Puntijarka” on “Medvednica”, where we started the climb on the path through the woods to the top of the

mountain.

On the hiking trail, the children's parents explained hiking trails labels. The children were using a magnifying glass

to investigate curiosities and secrets of nature and lingered with unusual natural phenomena (e.g., visible roots of

inverted trees). With pleasure they walked by the last traces of snow in the lee of the forest, and in different ways

they overcame natural obstacles. They all enjoyed the beauty of nature, and rejoiced when they obtained their

identity cards for membership in the mountaineering section.


involved…):

• 38 members of the section "Cevo" - a mountaineering branch of the kindergarten "Djecji svijet" from

Varazdin, participated in the activity, of which 17 children, 20 parents and tour leader.

• Shuttle bus to the mountain lodge “Puntijarka” on “Medvednica”.

• Time spent on the trip: from 9:00 to 16:00.


On the hiking trail, the children's parents explained hiking trails labels. The children were using a magnifying glass

to investigate curiosities and secrets of nature and lingered with unusual natural phenomena (e.g., visible roots of

inverted trees). With pleasure they walked by the last traces of snow in the lee of the forest, and in different ways

they overcame natural obstacles. They all enjoyed the beauty of nature, and rejoiced when they obtained identity

cards for membership in the mountaineering section.


The trip has fully met our expectations. The children gained a lot of new experiences and saw a wider panorama

of their homeland, considering that from the top of the mountain there is a beautiful panorama of the Croatian

Zagorje.

During the next trip we should organize a longer stay in one place, and prepare activities for children to play in the

natural environment of the forest (preferably with water). Organize camping, lighting fires, prepare food

outdoors.


Photographs and video Families’ opinion:

Staying in nature always takes me back to my carefree childhood games. When we were kids we spent all day

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outside and together we got ideas for the games by finding items in nature which we gave a special symbolic

meaning. I think that nature encourages children, as well as adults, to think, get new ideas and to research.

Children today spend too little time in nature and therefore I think that such a gathering of parents and children

in nature is very valuable and useful for learning and growing up as healthy people. (Luke’s dad)

I'm very pleased with these trips to the mountains. I've rested, and enjoyed the fact that I spent the whole day

with my family, my grandson and his friends from kindergarten. (Mark's grandmother)


This activity was a continuation of the activities of staying in nature, which started with trip to “Kalnik” (Activity

report – “Kalnik”)

We are also planning the next trip. We developed some new facilities. With this trip, the branch of our

mountaineering section has 57 members, which is a really big number considering that we operate for only 2

months. The entire activity was initiated because of our participation in the EU project – S.E.L.F.

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ACTIVITY REPORT



[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Spanish and Flamenco

LINES OF ACTION1:






INFORMING IS SHARING: Our Schools spread activities and

educational or cultural contents.

KEY WORDS:

dance, multiculturalism, foreign language

STARTING SITUATION:

In our kindergarten's regular programs we carry out two shorter programs of foreign languages (English, German).

When we presented this new EU project SELF to our parents, one mother of a little girl immediately wanted to

include. She is a professor of Spanish language and she offered her support. As one of the points of the final

performances we imagined "multiculturalism" and mentioned mother created an activity in Spanish. Center of

activity was dance flamenco. Three times a week she practiced dance and words in Spanish with children in our

kindergarten. This activity was also presented as a part of welcoming for partners from Madrid during their stay in

Varazdin, Croatia.

GOALS2:



CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: Communication in foreign languages, which involves, in addition to the main skill dimensions of communication

in the mother tongue, mediation and intercultural understanding. The level of proficiency depends on several

factors and the capacity for listening, speaking, reading and writing;




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To learn Spanish and Flamenco was a whole new activity in our kindergarten. Children who were interested in the

activity, practiced with the mother three times a week in the kindergarten.

We got dresses for girls and belts and vests for boys. Three boys and six girls participated in the final act. She

asked them questions in the Croatian language, and they have responded in Spanish. They described what they

are wearing (dresses, ruffles, dots), whit what accessories (comb, rose, fan). At the end they all said in Spanish

that they dance flamenco and showed it to the audience - the boys clapped and banged their foot to the rhythm

of flamenco, and the girls danced the dance.

METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): MATERIALS: dresses, vests, belts, combs dryer, fan, flower for hair

TIME: three times a week for half an hour to rehearse

SPACE: kindergarten and sports halls

NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND CHILDREN: - 1 parent

- 9 children


Parent came to kindergarten with a recording of flamenco dance and showed it to the children. Those children

who were interested learned to dance and learned a few Spanish words to describe they are doing and wearing.


Parent was delighted to work with children of that age. She experienced how to prepare for the activity, how to

keep track of children's interests and how to slowly introduce into what they do.

Also, her daughter has now gone to school and no longer attends kindergarten, but she offered her help with

Spanish for all interested children.


It was a great pleasure to participate in activities with the children and my experience helped me, as a parent, to

connect with kindergarten and the teachers. When selecting activities I was led by the desire to offer children

something that will expand their horizons, in appropriate and fun way, and that is closely related to my profession

and preferences. I am very pleased with the results and the reaction of the children participating and others who

were not directly involved. I also want to point out a wonderful feeling of sharing activities with my own child,

which helped to connect and open a window to her small world and the world of her friends. And all of that

through acting, rhythm, movement, dance and of course lots of laughter. (Leona’s mom)

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Others: download this report

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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: Kindergarten “Djecji svijet” Varazdin Email to be used to ask questions:

[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT:

Traditional games

LINES OF ACTION1:



school.

KEY WORDS:

Playing outside, Tradition, Customs

STARTING SITUATION:

In celebration of important dates throughout the year (Christmas, Easter) we included a visit to the Home for

the Elderly, which is located near our kindergarten. We hung out, exchanged commemorative gifts, and sang.

We decided to expand this form of cooperation because we noticed that there are ancient recitations, songs,

traditions that have already been slowly forgotten but worth to be passed on to younger generations.

We wanted to learn the games of their youth from the users of Home for the Elderly, how they played and

where.

The most creative games were out in the yards or in the field while the adults were working and the children

would spend time coming up with different games, simple but interesting with materials that they could find.

Games were not a competition; they included the speed, agility, endurance, resourcefulness.

Characteristic of traditional games is simultaneous playing of children of different ages, older ones were

watching for younger, younger ones would learn and listen.

Parents were informed about the traditional games that we play with the children and they joined the activities,

visits and ideas.

Traditional games would be presented as part of the closing ceremony and meetings with parents.

GOALS2:


6. Establish relationships from schools with our environment and surroundings, transforming ourselves into





linguistically in an appropriate and creative way in a full range of societal and cultural contexts.


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For traditional activities on the courtyard, we selected four competitive games.

1. Wheelbarrow rides

2. Wearing balls on the racket (a modified game, originally: carrying egg in the spoon)

3. Carrying a child on your back

4. Jumping in bags

Parents were informed in advance about the collecting the "props" (wheelbarrows, rackets, balls, bags).

We selected part of the yard for the games, marked start and finish.

Based on the number of interested parents, we formed 4 teams of 4 parents.

The competition began at the same time for all the teams where parents had to do as quickly as possible on all

activities from start to finish and back and "hand over the baton" to next parent.

The winner was the team that was the fastest.

The games continued after the competition of children and parents, so everyone could try.


involved…):

Materials: wheelbarrows, rackets, balls, bags

Time: to visit the nursing home -2 hours, the duration of the activity itself -2 hours

Place: Kindergarten playground

Number of involved people: visit to the nursing home involved oldest kindergarten groups and two teachers, for

activities in the yard, depending on the number of parents, children from all groups


Teacher of the oldest group initiated the visit to nursing home, in agreement with the professional kindergarten

staff.

The parents were then informed about participation in kindergarten, collecting props for the traditional games,

the time and date of the activity.

Educators have devised the concept of games and verbally and through notices informed parents about the

details.

Parents proposed who can bring the necessary equipment, and we expanded the day with traditional cakes after

the competition.


This activity was the driving force not only for the preservation of cultural heritage of our region, but also to

involve parents maximally in pre-school activities with children: from planning and selection, collecting materials

to concrete participation.

Suggestions for improvement: we could introduce such games at the end of each kindergarten year with

socializing and gradually including other interesting games.

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Mom N.L.: "Moy son told me that they are playing games in kindergarten, and that us parents will do the same.

I was surprised how much he talked about it and asks me whether I was working that day or not. It was important

to him that I come and participate. "

Mom RJ: "At first I was embarrassed when I thought about how I'm going to jump in the sack, but it turned out

really fun, in the end we all tried, even my husband. It was crowded but the atmosphere was great because a

lot of fans applauded, shouting... We goofed around and talked with other parents, the time passed quickly. "

Other: Download this report

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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: "Djecji svijet" Varazdin


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Visit to Enthomological museum

LINES OF ACTION1:










KEY WORDS:

Museum, swamp, project, insects

STARTING SITUATION:

At the initiative of parent Marko Stančin we arranged the visit of children to Entomological Museum. The

cooperation occurred because there is a small ongoing project in the kindergarten on the topic of swamp and it is

an interesting subject to children. Mentioned parent was already engaged in research of swamps and insects, and

suggested that children visit the museum where he works so he could show them, with his expert guidance, the

insects that live in swamps.

GOALS2:

1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the


6. Establish relationships from schools with our environment and surroundings, transforming ourselves into active

agents of social, cultural, and educational change.







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individually or in groups, in accordance with one's own needs, and awareness of methods and opportunities.


Visit to the museum began with reviewing the entire material of the museum, from night insects and insect in the

deciduous forests, to bees and insects in swamps. The emphasis was on swamp insects, where we stayed for a

while because it is the subject of children’s interests due to the ongoing project "swamp" in the kindergarten. The

children also used museums audio technology and asked questions about what they were interested in. On the

way out we bought a multimedia interactive DVD ROM which children can use on the computer in the

kindergarten. Children also made lots of drawings of insects where they explained all the specific features that

they found.


involved…):

• 25 children and two teachers, together with one parent, participated in the activity.

• Since our museum is in the immediate vicinity of the kindergarten we walked there (10 minutes).

• The visit lasted 50 minutes.

• Children used all the offered materials that are accompanying museum’s collection of insects.


The parent was responsible for the activity while teachers took photos and, if necessary, directed the children in

the area. Communication takes place with each other; both the parent and the teachers answered the children’s

questions.


Activity was particularly attractive to children. This is the next step in the "swamp" project, step after studying

encyclopedia, photos and videos. After the museum, children will visit a real swamp, and thanks to this activity,

they will maybe spot and notice all the details a little better. They will be able to perceive the plants and animals

that they saw in the museum, knowing their names or important information about them.


Photographs


Parent is very interested in cooperation with the kindergarten. Every day we exchange information about new

activities for children in the project and plan new ones. Parent is also involved in the S.E.L.F. activities of hiking

with an older child.

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The parent is planning activities that will take place in kindergarten associated with the theme of swamps.

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ACTIVITY REPORT



[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Yoga

LINES OF ACTION1:






KEY WORDS:

Yoga, Final kindergarten event, Development of

children’s skills, Parent as a activity organizer

STARTING SITUATION:

When we started planning the kindergartens final event for children we decided that we could include parents in

this activity if they would be willing to take the time and if they have plan for activities in which children could

participate. On the notice board for parents in kindergarten we put an invitation for parents. The response of the

parents was satisfactory. Mother of a six year old boy arose with the idea to make a stage play with the

movements and elements of yoga with her help as a licensed yoga instructor. The kindergarten has provided a

place for the implementation of activities in the sports hall, and we have agreed terms for the activity, at least

twice a week for an hour over a period of one month.

GOALS2:



Inspire action of joint training in educational institutions in order to improve educators’ and families’ skills as





Creating the conditions for encouragement of parent participation in shaping the vision of the institution and

allowing opportunities for participation of parents in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the

educational process. Harmonization of educational activities for the child with a view to the child's long-term well-


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being.

The children were given a possibility to express themselves with their body (as opposed to verbal expression,

which is usually in the foreground). They were actively involved in the process, and have learned new moves that

can be, with a little repetition, further perfected.


In the beginning there weren’t a certain number of children with which the activity will be realized and we have

organized on two occasions games with motion to get an insight into the interests and backgrounds of the

children, not just for yoga, but also for other activities of the final event (sports, music, expressing themselves in

foreign languages). The mother of a child has formed a group of 13 children, boys and girls, who were either

physically predisposed, or by shown interest. Children first made up a story with the teacher about the forest and

animals and mother gathered ideas for stage performance. In working with children she used a lot of

improvisation and allowed children to participate on the spot. She based her work with children on a variety of

games with elements of yoga. Activity would usually be divided into two parts; the first part would be a game of

movement, and the other part execution of the game. The mother allowed that children themselves invent

movements for individual animals and she didn’t impose precisely defined movement and insisted on proper

execution. The children spontaneously perfected the moves through the game which we consider as a good

approach in working with children. The children loved those stage plays and they made themselves proposals for

their implementation. Towards the end of activity, children used movement and loud breathing that is very

important for yoga so that all the essential elements were involved. We also finally added the audio medium with

the sounds of the forest in order to better capture the movement and atmosphere of the forest. It is important to

mention the relationship which the mother made with children involved. At the beginning of the activities

children were always welcomed and arranged as a group. They had a greeting: "All for one, one for all!“. The

atmosphere at the rehearsals, as well as the final product of these activities was relaxing and enjoyable.


involved…):

The activity was held at least twice a week, for an hour, in the sports hall. Materials used in the activity were

mats, CD player for the background music and picture cards of various asanas to play with children. On one

occasion we used rolls of paper and straws which were used to blow mentioned rolls of paper. Adults included in

this activity were mother of one child and teacher. Number of children involved was 13 children, age 5 and 6.


The parent was responsible for the activity, while the teacher was a helper and a passive participant. The parent

presented the entire activity, from training to implementation. The role of the teacher was to continue the play in

the kindergarten. Since the teacher herself is practicing yoga, we could perform without fear of injury the asanas

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with the names of the animals that the children learned with the parent.


We think that the mother worked excellent with children. It is commendable that she treated everyone the same

way, not excluding anybody in particular, which is sometimes difficult given that her son also attended the

activity. We have noticed that she valued more the relationships with children than the final outcome of the

action. From the start, she approached the activity in a way that the process is important, not the result, hoping

to get yoga closer to children through the game. Her approach was extremely warm and the children loved

working with her. She carried the activity without the interference from teachers.


“Time spent with children in yoga gatherings, as part of the SELF project, was first of all a lot of fun and a

wonderful experience :-) It gave me the opportunity to remind myself that the priceless value of the game-based

learning, but it also gave some new aspects of self-knowledge, insight into the parent-child and teacher-child

relationship given that one a child from the group was my son. At the same time I received a new view of the

teachers who work in a kindergarten ... a little deeper insight into their daily work and particularly large

involvement in activities that need continuous planning and implementing. Once again I confirmed the great

value of yoga for children (and not only them) in the development of important skills, in the supportive and non-

competitive environment.

Personally, it means a lot to get such a possibility of cooperation of parents in the educational process that

normally is performed by teachers. Through interaction with children I also got positive feedback from their side. I

believe that through this, and other activities (which includes the parents) strengthens the relationship and trust

between child-teacher-parent.

With gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the project SELF.”


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DOCUMENT OF ACTIONS TAKEN


EMAIL FOR ENQUIRIES: [email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Dance and music from Cameroon

LINES OF ACTION1:

1. BUILDING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY.

2. FAMILIES AS EDUCATORS.

KEY WORDS:

• Music • Dance • Get together • Africa • Multiculturalism • Diversity • Enjoyment

STARTING SITUATION: Annie came to her daughter’s class to familiarise the children with lullabies and nursery rhymes from her home country, Cameroon. The enthusiasm that was generated amongst the children and families was so great, that she was invited to dance in front of the whole school so we could get to know the bands that are currently fashionable in Cameroon. GOALS2:

• To improve the relationship and cooperation between families in each of the participating centres. • To design educational spaces of communication between families of the cooperating centres. • To plan fun/informative/cultural meetings inside and out of educational centres to raise the cultural

level of the educational communities. CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: The competences worked on in this activity are: Social and civic Cultural and artistic SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Annie brought us a morning of laughter and complicity, inviting us to join in with the rhythm of African dance. On that day we created a stage in the inside hall of the school, our meeting space. Annie turned up with her daughter, both dressed in traditional African costume. They started to dance and gradually the children joined in. From the babies to the older 6 year old kids, teachers and all the school team, from the administration to cleaners.


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On the last day of the year, during the ‘community paella’ that is held with all the families, Annie came with her friend Marie-Claire (both dressed in their best costume) and got everyone going again, encouraging nearly all of the families to participate and enjoy the dance party. Annie opened our ears to unknown music that connected our emotions and bodies. We discovered new music and we danced to different artists and types of dance from Cameroon.: Talla André, Mari (Beniskin), Henri Dikongué, Sergio Pollo (Makossa), Lady Ponce y Mary Bella (bitkutsi). METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): The family contributed all the materials used: Music, costume, dolls and food from Cameroon.. The enjoyment was intense and lasted a long time, around 45 minutes with the whole school participating.

FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: Teachers helped out with technology: computers, speakers, platform and time and space management.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: The knowledge and desire that Annie provoked in us, with her eagerness and happiness filled her daughter with pride about her culture and gave an example for the whole educational community. It enlightened our society making us participate because of our admiration, enjoyment and respect and making other cultures more visible. Audiovisual Documentation: PHOTOGRAHS

Opinion of the families:

OTHER: download this report The school as a place that embraces all cultures that make up our educational community. The school, a place to spot distant worlds that one day we may decide to travel. Multiculturalism: the shy part of social cohesion. Unstoppable and essential.

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SCHOOL/S: Zaleo Infant School EMAIL FOR ENQUIRIES: [email protected]

ACTION: FORESTS FOR DISCOVERY

LINES OF ACTION1: 1. BUILDING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY.

The families are involved in specific or annual activities in the School.

1. FAMILIES AS EDUCATORS. Families perform workshops or annual activities (of a varied length) every year. They can go ahead independently or with the collaboration of the teachers. The idea behind this is to develop life skills and the different curricular areas.

KEY WORDS:

• Expression in Arts and Crafts for infants

• Collaborative art • Collage

STARTING SITUATION: For the art workshop in the 4 year old group, we decided to look at some ideas for collages. We liked the result so much that we asked families to create something new with their children’s collages by writing something above the piece of art. GOALS2:

1. To promote the role of families in our European educational centres as active educators in the integral education of their children and the development of the curriculum.

2. To plan fun/informative/cultural meetings inside and out of educational centres to raise the cultural level of the educational communities.

CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: The competences worked on in this activity are: Cultural and artistic: This includes the ability to appreciate and enjoy other cultural expression, as well as generating an open attitude to participation in cultural life. SHORT ACTIVITY/PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: In the art workshop with the 4 year olds, we decide to investigate ways of using the leftover Christmas wrapping paper form the Christmas party to make collages. We used different objects as stencils for our investigation. One of the students, Rocío, discovered that stones that we had from the river could be trees. We decided to get inside these trees. At the end of this workshop, another student said “words are missing, like in stories”. We realised that it was true, each composition needed words, so we decided that the families could incorporate whatever they fancied to the image that their child had created.


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The idea was to create the opposite process that writers follow with their illustrators, the image of the text. When all the pieces of art were finished, this intergenerational piece of creativity was displayed under the name “FORESTS FOR DISCOVERY”

METHODOLOGY AND RESOURCES USED (material, human, space, time, number of students, ...): The collages were created with card and recycled wrapping paper. The stencils were stones collected from the river. A painted trunk was added to the tree top. Families used pens to write, sometimes people added their own piece of paper on top of the already created work.

THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY AND THE TEACHER Families acted as necessary collaborative artists in this proposal that arose directly from the mouths of the children. The teacher is the middleman between the students and the families.

ASSESSMENT AND PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

Audiovisual Documentation: PHOTOGRAPHS

Opinion of the families: “To narrate a graphic story that my son had previously developed was an exercise of reflection about what he was trying to say, and what I, as a mother, wanted to tell him. It was an enriching experience, like many other activities that we’ve had the pleasure of participating in with our son in the school. The “FORESTS FOR DISCOVERY” activity really helped us find ourselves in the fresh, green depth of Antonio’s amazing forest. Marta María Guerra Garijo, madre de Antonio Mangas Guerra OTHER: download this report

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EMAIL FOR ENQUIRIES: [email protected]

ACTION: HUERISTIC PLAY WITH WASHING UP BOWLS



2. Families are involved in specific or annual events in the school


KEY WORDS:

• Free play • Experimentation • Washing up bowls

STARTING SITUATION: A mother from the 2-3 year old class suggests to the class teacher the possibility of repeating an activity that she had done at home with her daughter. Allowing her to play with different types of plastic bowls and experiment with their possibilities. GOALS2:

1. To promote the role of families in our European educational centres as active educators in the integral education of their children and the development of the curriculum.

2. To increase and diversify the channels of information between the schools and the families

CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: The competences that worked on in this activity are: Social and civic Cultural and artistic Autonomy and initiative Learning to learn METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): The teacher suggests that the mother take charge of this activity, with any necessary support that she needs from the teacher. The mother gets all the families in the class to bring a couple of washing up bowls each, of varying sizes.


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The activity is carried out with the 2-3 year olds in two groups, each group participates for 30 minutes. The workshop is divided into two parts:

• The first part without stages and giving them the freedom to do whatever they want. They are given the bowls and allowed to explore and use them freely and spontaneously.

• The second part consists of the students expressing their opinion about the activity during the assembly.

Resources: Washing up bowls (at least one each), a big room where they can move about freely, the mother responsible for the activity and the teacher. FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The mother that was responsible for this activity gave pertinent instructions, and only intervened when necessary during conflicts or disputes that the children weren’t capable of resolving alone. The teacher was there to support the mother at any moment necessary and intervene in the cases that needed their role.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: Despite the simplicity of this activity, it was extremely gratifying for the children and adults involved. Very important to have time before and after the activity to coordinate and evaluate the activity properly.

Audiovisual Documentation: Photographs Video

Opinion of the families: Free play with specific materials fascinates me. I wanted to strengthen this activity in class involving all the families. The idea was to bring an object from our daily life, which we use at home, but without having to buy or make anything. Participation was essential but at the same time effort was hardly required.

I felt very happy doing the activity, when I suggested it to Loli, she didn’t doubt it; “Do it”. After that I asked families what they thought and they loved the idea. That helped me feel sure in setting up the activity.

My relationship with the kids consisted of presenting the activity with a sentence and afterwards allowing them to observe, and enjoy what they created. They built, transformed, laughed, invented, smiled, imagined, cried and resolved problems without hardly any adult intervention, only on one or two occasions when we thought there could be a problematic conflict. I also accepted anyone that needed comforting.

In this case we used washing up bowls, but it could have been anything. The activity could easily be carried out during the year with any type of material that families decided, and they take turns in carrying out the activity.

What was learnt: It was fantastic to be able to share the classroom with your own daughter and teacher. Confront and enjoy different ways of doing something together. Regarding the kids, I think that this activity promotes autonomy, imagination and a never ending set of skills that enrich the presence of family members as a new reference in the classroom.

Sara, Julia’s Mum. (Ramón the Horse class)

OTHER: download this report

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Contents


SCHOOL/S: Zaleo Infant school EMAIL FOR ENQUIRIES: [email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Light table workshop

LINES OF ACTION1: FAMILIES AS EDUCATORS:

1. BUILDING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. Families are involved in specific or sporadic actions in the school.

2. FAMILIES AS EDUCATORS: Every year families hold workshops or small activities (of differing length) They often take shape independently or sometimes together with teachers in order to support the development of abilities, life skills and / or curricular areas.

KEY WORDS:

• Light • Shadows • Opaque • Translucid • Experiment

STARTING SITUATION: The need to incorporate a Light table into the classroom is discussed. The classroom tutor makes one in the trimester teacher-parent meetings. The tutor prepares all materials in this meeting and families are set to work in two groups to create the light table. One of the groups creates the Light table, and in the other group the families think of ideas of how to use it in class activities. Once finished, we evaluate every way it could be used as a classroom tool. The group really enjoyed the experience of investigating and using this resource. They were offered the possibility of a weekly workshop where families were responsible for implementing it, obviously using the support of the tutor. This workshop started off very enthusiastically. GOALS2: To promote the role that families have in European schools as active educators in the education of their children and the development of the curriculum. CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED:

The competences worked on in this activity are: Social and civic. Mathematical communication. Autonomy and initiative. Learning to learn. Knowledge of and interaction with the physical world around us. METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students

involved…):

Families held a weekly workshop that lasted 1 hour and 30 minutes, aimed at the 19 children from the 2-3 year old group. The groups consisted of 5 children in each group; each group participated for 20 minutes. Each family member prepares and brings the material that students work with: The workshop is divided into two stages:


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1. Part one: unmarked guidelines, allowing for freedom of action. They can use the materials in any way they wish and explore them freely. 2. After that the tutors make a specific proposal in which the light is the protagonist in relation to the objects that have been brought into the workshop. Construction of light boxes, One of the Mum’s in the Light table workshop with 2-3 group proposes an activity with the students of the class of 5-6 year olds. Each child constructs a light box using shoe boxes, this takes place one afternoon. Materials: Light Table: Wooden boards, tools, fluorescent lights, electronic material, transparent acrylic sheets, greaseproof paper and different objects to experiment with. Light Box: Shoe boxes greaseproof paper, torches. Teachers, support teachers and families in the in the 2-3 and 5-6 year groups, different materials and products. A camera was used to record the actions carried out during the workshop. The activity ran for 5 months, 20 families have participated as workshop leaders; each session has been different due to the fact that the materials have never been repeated. Each family prepared the material used for each session. FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES:

Families propose the content of the session and then together with the teachers decide on the viability of the session related to the materials available. The tutor supports the workshop and the proposals that the families come up with on a pedagogical level, making sure that the activity is related to the curricular contents.


It is important that the space where the activity takes place allows for sufficient autonomy but doesn’t interfere with other activities that are happening in the classroom. It is also important to make sure that there is enough time to coordinate the activity between the teachers and the families. Audiovisual Documentation: Photographs Opinion of the families:

OTHER: download this report In general, they have expressed their satisfaction and surprise at being able to perform the activity, the challenge of the changing roles that firstly made people feel insecure then led them to change their perspective of the children’s skills and possibilities. They assessed the opportunity of working with the educational team on the education of their children very positively. Something that stood out was the students’ attitude to treat them exactly as the tutors. Also their autonomy and capacity for working and the desire they have to experiment and discover.

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SCHOOL/S: Zaleo Infant School EMAIL FOR ENQUIRIES: [email protected]

ACTION: My Favourite animal is...




2. RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR SURROUNDINGS. Our surroundings are recognised in our project. They are used as a third educational agent and have become a learning resource.

KEY WORDS:

• Animals • Rhymes • Chain story • Theatre

STARTING SITUATION: For the didactic unit about animals and their characteristics, the activity My Favourite Animal gets underway. Each child chooses the animal that they like most from the basket of animals that is played with in the symbolic games. During the image and sound workshop, the idea arises of scanning the animals chosen. Then using a photo of the child, they then replace their head with their favourite animal’s head. All the photos are displayed in the classroom so that families can see them. The families really like this activity and suggest that they participate too by making their own versions. GOALS2: • To improve the relationship and cooperation between families in each of the participating centres. • To promote the role of families in our European educational centres as active educators in the integral

education of their children and the development of the curriculum. • To plan fun/informative/cultural meetings inside and out of educational centres to raise the cultural level

of the educational communities. CONECTION TO CURRICULA/PUPILS’ COMPETENCES3/SKILLS DEVELOPED: The competences worked on in this activity are: Linguistic communication Social and civic Cultural and artistic


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Learning to learn Knowledge and interaction with the physical world METHODOLOGY AND RESSOURCES (materials, times, spaces, people involved, number of students involved…): To be able to meet the family’s needs, the project had different phases and activities:

• Create the animal that your child chose using art materials. Each family designed and created their animals with Goma foam or felt. The animals were then displayed in the classroom.

• Creating Stories that Rhyme Workshop Mar Benegas, a childrens literature writer and trainer, gives a stories that rhyme workshop in the local library. This starts the initiative in the school to start using some of these techniques in class.

• To create a rhyme in which the name of the child appears Families create a rhyme that the kids learn, it should be short and easy to memorise. It learnt and worked on at home. When they’ve remembered it, they take it in to class.

• Another activity is added: The Rhyme Tree Taking advantage of a storm that breaks off branches from the trees, families build a rhyme tree from these stray branches. The students paint and ‘plant’ in a big pot, then all the kids can hang their rhymes from the tree.

• Chain story With these rhymes and animals, we make a chain story in which the families and teachers participate.

• Staging: Where are my animals? For the whole community, this story represents the closure of the activities that have taken place during the year.

Human resources: In this Project, 19 families and children took part. Timing: The time allocated to this activity grew as new ideas arose. Materials: Computer, camera, scanner, animals for the symbolic game, art material. Space: Mainly in the 2-3 classroom, the school ‘hall’, and the public library. FAMILIES AND TEACHERS ROLES: The families’ role in this project was crucial. Firstly, the desire to participate was what made the project change into something beautiful and also meaningful for the students. On the other hand, the families work with the rhymes and the creation of animals from art materials, and their participation in the final show was decisive.

EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS: A relationship of trust and commitment was created from the daily participation and communication between the families in the classroom. This relationship allowed families to propose their ideas and wishes, expanding them and creating better results. The teacher’s role was to enhance the flow of human resources, boost and help pin down activities that complemented the curriculum and syllabus that was being developed in the classroom. This work is an example of how families and specific situations in any given moment can help enrich the everyday life that is happening in the classroom. Audiovisual Documentation: Photographs Video

Opinion of the families: All the children’s families were very enthusiastic about the activity, fully appreciating the opportunity that was given to them to actively participate in life at the school. OTHER: download this report

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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S:"Djecji svijet" Varazdin Email to be used to ask questions:

[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT:

Cooperation with the emergency service 112

LINES OF ACTION1:





KEY WORDS:

112 single European emergency number,

children visit, when to call 112, public service

visit

STARTING SITUATION:

The teachers and the administration of our kindergarten agreed with the service 112 in Varazdin to visit their

center. The purpose of the visit was to introduce the children that there is a unique number that can be called

in case of an emergency.

GOALS2:





competence and all forms of behavior that equips individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way

in social and working life. It is linked to personal and social well-being. An understanding of codes of conduct

and customs in the different environments in which individuals operate is essential. Civic competence, and

particularly knowledge of social and political concepts and structures (democracy, justice, equality, citizenship

and civil rights), equips individuals to engage in active and democratic participation;


In agreement with the service in Varazdin, children at the age of 6 visited the center 112 service. During the visit,

the children met the people who work there. Office manager Zdravko Lazar told the children examples of when

to call 112. With this he also informed the children about proper behavior in certain situations in order to avoid

possible accidents.


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He especially mentioned that large number of fires occurs as a consequence child's play, and that children should

not play with fire, nor objects that can catch fire.

Moreover, he gave the detailed information how to proceed in case of storm and thunder. The children learned

that in the case they got caught in the storm while in the woods, they should take shelter under the small trees

or bushes. If they were out in the open they should seek shelter from a thunderstorm in the lowlands,

immediately to be lowered from the top of a hill or mountain, to seek shelter on soil in ditches or ravines. If they

were in the water, at sea or river, and the thunder begins they should immediately get out of the water.

In all cases where they feel that they are in danger they should call 112.

The aim of the visit was to show the children how they can get help in accidents from people who are organized

and trained for that. The children remembered 112 number during the visit.


involved…):

The activity was conducted in the premises of the 112 center in Varazdin. Visit was attended by 28 children and

two teachers. The head of center informed the children about behavior in case of an accident. Besides him the

children met other staff members of 112 center.


Educators have organized a visit. Parents were introduced with the plan and purpose of the visit, and gave their

written consent for children's participation.


The activity can be adapted to children by organizing symbolic games in kindergarten, using the symbolic number

112 and playing to call it, where a group of children is treated as those who seek help, and the other group as

those who provide help. Through play, children can naturally overcome fear and gain confidence in the people

who can help them in the case of accident. It is important that children are informed and to remember the 112

number.


Photos Families’ opinion:

It is very useful to familiarize children with the dangers they may encounter. It is very good that they hear it from

the person who is trained for that, so children don’t feel fear of possible danger. I feel that is very good that the

child knows number of emergency services. (Daniel's mother)


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Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT:

The introduction of new technical devices in the process of working with children

LINES OF ACTION1:



school.


workshops or prompt actions in each school year (of vary

durations), either independently or in collaboration with

a teacher in order to support the development of

competencies, knowledge for life and/or curricular areas.

KEY WORDS:

electronic magnifier, a new device, learning to

use, creative use

STARTING SITUATION:

For the purpose of improving the educational process, our kindergarten has bought an electronic magnifier. The

device is in the form of a computer mouse connected to the computer. Any object can be put below the device,

thus getting magnified portion of the object on the computer screen. In order to introduce children with the use

of this new device, we agreed with the parent who is a computer technician to show children the way and the

possibility of using the device.

GOALS2:

1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in





situations, with the emphasis being placed on process, activity and knowledge. Basic competences in science

and technology refer to the mastery, use and application of knowledge and methodologies that explain the


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natural world. These involve an understanding of the changes caused by human activity and the responsibility

of each individual as a citizen;

4. Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of information society technology (IST) and thus

basic skills in information and communication technology (ICT)


At the teachers proposal, parent of a 3 year old girl from the kindergarten, prepared the activity for children of

the age 5 and 6. He prepared in advance for the work with children, so he could get them acquainted with the

way of use of electronic magnifier. He had to demonstrate how to use the magnifier and allow them to use it so

children could master the art of handling it. After this first phase, the parent has suggested that children choose

an item from the kindergarten that they want to watch using the electronic magnifier. After the children brought

different objects and looked at the parts using electronic magnifier, their interest soon focused on the

observation of various natural objects. Natural components have more prominent texture and the image on the

computer monitor was in very interesting shapes and textures. The children could see for the first time parts of

objects that were invisible to their eyes. That awakened their curiosity and increased their interest in research

what is all hidden in the particular object.

When children started to work with the magnifier, one part was interested in the magnifiers way of work, while

other were interested in what exactly will they do. When they got a task to look for one thing that they would

like to view with a magnifier, you could divide the children into two categories: a) those who were looking for

objects with form (eg. book with a cartoon character or plastic animal figurines) and b) those who chose

materials from nature (wood, pine cone, partially treated paper). There were children who first reached for the

form (eg. a toy bat) but the object that was selected was made out of a natural material (eg. wool), which is

important for subsequent changes in their interest.

Children who primarily reached for the form didn’t search for new details to be revealed, instead they were

more focused on retaining the form, for example where is the eye or a leg. Children who chose natural materials

were much more focused on the exploration and discovery of new details that are not clearly visible with the

naked eye. It is interesting that in children, who selected form that is made out of natural materials, the initial

focus was on the form (eg. where is the eye of the bat), but later prevailed interest in new details, eg. what does

wool looks like when we see small details.

Most of the children showed an interest in research work. They were pleased that the object that they have

chosen can further be explored and they can see something new.

While working with children parent noted that younger children do not conclude that the image on the computer

monitor is part of the object under the magnifier. That became a new challenge, for both the parent and the

teachers, to enable children to understand that object looks different when we look at only its fragments. In

addition, it is necessary to continue to find methodical ways to enable children to realize that object they hold

in their hands under the magnifier is the object visible on the computer monitor. Children do not perceive the

image on the monitor as an object that is "transferred" from the real world into the virtual. The way how to

present to children and make them understand the process of converting an object into the picture has remained

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a challenge for parent who plans to continue working with children on the problem situation perceived during

this activity.


involved…):

Electronic magnifier, computer, a variety of materials and objects, area of the kindergarten.

The activity included one father and 20 children aged 5-6 years, some of whom have been in activity all the time

(90 minutes) and some occasionally left the activity but were back again.


Teachers have initiated cooperation with the parent to assist them in introducing children to the use of a device

that builds on ICT technology. Parent prepared for the activity before coming to the kindergarten. Before

activities with children he gained personal experience of objects and materials which can, according to their

structure, be researchable or creative challenge for children.


Parent adequately and thoroughly prepared for the implementation of activity with the children. He predicted

possible problem situations which has greatly raised the level of understanding of children on the use of new

devices as well as their motivation to explore different objects and materials using electronic magnifier. The

activity can be continued as we spotted new opportunities for learning and development of children by using

electronic magnifier.


Photos


"Prior to conducting activities I felt uncertainty whether children have an interest in the planned activity. When

I saw a large number of children who were interested in working with a magnifier I needed to solve a completely

different challenge - how to organize children and ensure that everyone can experience working with a

magnifier. As a parent, it was very interesting to observe the perception of the child - what is important to them.

I was intrigued by the change of interest in children who chose object with a form made out of natural materials,

which was clearly visible transformation from the learned "adult" point of view, to pure children's curiosity. I

was impressed by the research nature of children who immediately reached for natural materials.

Having participated in the activity together with a boy with special educational needs, the openness and

accessibility of children to their friend extremely impressed me, as well as fully equal treatment. In this respect

I am sure that we can learn from children more than they do from us. " (Aurora's father)

Other: : Download this report

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ACTIVITY REPORT


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Organization of children's library in the kindergarten

LINES OF ACTION1:


4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT: Our surrounding space is recognized as a third educational agent in our project and become learning resource for our model of OPEN SCHOOLS.

KEY WORDS:

Library in kindergarten, donating books, book

exchange, connecting children and parents by

reading

STARTING SITUATION: In one of the towns where our kindergarten works, there is no library and children are limited to reading books

available at kindergarten or at home. When children started to bring picture books and books from home on

their own initiative, and they began to talk about mutual borrowing books from home, educators had a joint

meeting with the parents and suggested a joint activity of parents, primary schools and kindergartens in the

collection of books and organizing children's library in kindergarten.

GOALS2:














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8. Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative expression

of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature and the visual arts).


The activity started in late September 2015, when the idea of forming a library in kindergarten was proposed at

parents' meeting. The parents accepted the idea and together agreed that everyone, according to their ability,

will donate children's books, picture books, encyclopedias or other printed materials to organize the library in

the kindergarten. Each child will be able to borrow a book from the kindergarten library and bring it home. In

mid-October 2015, teachers have organized a visit for the librarian and students from nearby primary school

Vladimir Nazor from St. Elias. During the visit the librarian introduced the children with librarians work, and

students have read books to the children which they have selected. On that occasion, the school library donated

20 picture books to the kindergarten, and every child got a bookmarker. Thus, with the help of parents and

school library, the number of books in the kindergarten library has increased.

In accordance with information about the library and the librarian jobs that educators and children got from the

school librarian, we organized a space for "children's library" in the area of kindergarten. The parents and

children agreed that they can borrow any book from kindergarten and take it home, and bring it back to

kindergarten within 7 days. In order for children to adopt the principles of borrowing and returning books to the

library, we made cards for each child in kindergarten that needs to be shown when borrowing and returning

books. We also incorporated a special notebook with records of borrowing and returning books in which each

child has his own page with his name and surname, the date and the name of the borrowed book, and date of

return.

The kindergarten library was well accepted by children and parents. Books are being borrowed by children of all

ages, while for the youngest child in kindergarten (14 months) picture books appropriate to his age are borrowed

by his mother. According to the information in the notebook records, each child on average lends 2 books a

week, and from time to time they bring more books for the donation.

In addition to improving the quality of educational practice in kindergarten and contributing to the overall well-

being of children, the activity contributes to the higher quality of spending free time for children and parents

through shared reading, browsing and chatting about books. Thus parents became involved as active

participants in the realization of the curriculum in kindergarten.

Activity of organization and work of children's library in the kindergarten was presented in the elementary school

Vladimir Nazor in St. Elijah.

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involved…):

Children's books, picture books, encyclopedias.

Necessary cooperation with parents and primary school.

The activity includes all children from the kindergarten.

24 students and two teachers from elementary school were included.


The activity was organized on the initiative of teachers, with the agreement and cooperation with the parents.

Borrowing books is the responsibility of children, while parents are involved in activities with children at home.

It is particularly valuable that the activity of reading brings parents and children closer together, and contributes

to the education of children, development of pre-reading skills, language development and creativity.


Extending the fund of children's libraries, and eventually opening the library for children who do not attend

kindergarten.


Photos


The teachers’ idea of launching children's library connected the children and parents by participating in the joint

action of collecting the books. We have gained new experience of joint problem-solving, and at the same time

all of us together contributed to the quality of education for our children. I'm particularly looking forward to the

amount of books that we can now read to our child at home, as well as the time spent reading with the child.

We are now connected by a common experiencing of emotions and talking about books we have read. With

picture books and stories, education of the child is also expanded by reading various information from the

encyclopedia and by talking and answering questions after reading. (Mother Natasha)


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ACTIVITY REPORT


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Musical activity – Rainfall improvisation

LINES OF ACTION1:






KEY WORDS:

musical improvisation, rain, rhythm,

instruments of natural materials, making

music with our own body

STARTING SITUATION:

Kindergarten has accepted the initiative of parents to take children to the world of music by improvisation and

expression of rhythm and sound with objects from everyday life, natural components, as well as their own

bodies. In addition to that, children will gain the experience of working together in a group and learn necessary

adjustment of each individual with the group for a joint creative expression and experience.

GOALS2:




8. Cultural awareness and expression, which involves appreciation of the importance of the creative expression

of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media (music, performing arts, literature and the visual arts).


The parent, who plays instruments as a hobby, suggested that all children from the age of 5 and up, as well as

other interested parents, participate in joint activities in which they will improvise and express rhythm and sound

of rain. The proposal was accepted in kindergarten. Necessary materials for carrying out activities were

collected, and it was agreed that the activity will take place twice a week for a total of six joint meetings.

The activity was attended by a total of 56 children and 12 parents. The number of children and their parents was

not always the same during all the activities – involved were the children who were that day in kindergarten and

parents who were able to organize their arrival.


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The activity was carried out in the school sports hall. The activities simultaneously involved all present

children and parents, with one parent having the role of a coordinator of activities and all others

performed rhythmic sounds together, harmonizing and complementing each other in musical expression,

mimicking the rhythm and the sound of rain.

All participants expressed their individuality through the rhythm of movement, with volume that was

appropriate for their sense of expression of music. The joint experience was the harmonization of the rhythm,

thus creating a sense of synergy with the group.


involved…):

Given the number of participants it is necessary to provide a larger space, like a sports hall. Besides that, we

used sticks, cans, hand-made instruments like “rain stick” and finished musical instruments that can be used to

improvise the sound of rain, waves and thunder. The number of participants may be different but the effect of

rhythm and sound, as well as the unity of the group, is better as the number of participants is increased.


Parents and teachers need to provide space, instruments, and additional materials.


Activities of improvising rhythms and sounds of nature could be extended to other natural phenomena, not just

the rain. Extending the content of activity would also expand the creative possibilities of expression as well as

finding new ideas and possibilities for participation of every individual.


Photographs and video


“A special experience! Free expression of rhythm and sound that is harmonized with the group is very relaxing.

It's fun and relaxing. Very nice new experience. I was particularly inspired with how easily children accept new

ideas and engage with joy and full commitment in new activities that didn’t have a pre-determined outcome.

The activity is very good for children who have special needs because they can participate according to their

ability as equal members of the group, which contributes to the development of their self-confidence and self-

esteem.” Vid’s mother


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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: "Dječji svijet" Varaždin Email to be used to ask questions:

[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: A trip to the National Park Plitvice Lakes

LINES OF ACTION1:



school.





KEY WORDS:

National Park, Family Day, preserving

untouched nature, wildlife in its natural

environment

STARTING SITUATION:

National Park Plitvice Lakes organizes every year the action "Family Week" which allows all visitors who come

with their family members free entry. This special offer is to encourage families, individual guests to visit the

Plitvice Lakes and enjoy the beauty of nature of largest and oldest national park in Croatia.

GOALS2:





7. Plan dynamic, playful, formative, and cultural meetings both in and out of the partner schools in order to raise

the cultural level of said educational communities.





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Our kindergarten, in collaboration with parents and Mountaineering Association MIV, organized trip on Saturday

24.10.2015. to Plitvice Lakes National Park. We set off from the kindergarten’s parking lot in Varazdin at 7.30.

Total of 11 children and 18 adults participated in the activity.

Specific contents related to spending time outdoors were realized by visiting the Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Spending time outdoors had an impact on personal responsibility and timely recognition and response to the

unexpected situations in nature, the acquisition of new information, experience, knowledge and appreciation of

unspoiled nature and education for nature conservation. This excursion achieved movement, beeing outside in

fresh air, increase of fitness, and directing attention. By socializing and sharing experiences we increased

competence and social development of children and adults. National Park enabled the acquisition of new

experiences, such as boat and an electric train ride, and careful movement in nature with numerous waterfalls

and large amounts of lakes with diversified flora and fauna. Preserved nature had a positive effect on the

sensory-motor development: the smell and touch.


involved…):

To organize the excursion we had to contact the management of the National Park Plitvice Lakes, organize the

transportation, and regularly inform all participants about the transportation costs, as well as food availability.


Parents and teachers have organized, by mutual cooperation, a trip on which all participants have acquired new

experiences, stimulated by the scents, sounds and visuals pristine beauty of the National Park.


It is necessary to make detailed preparations and organization for such a trip. Each individual participant should

be thoroughly informed about the ways of movement, given that due to the specific narrow paths and numerous

possibilities of directions.

3 COMPETENCES

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Photos


"A visit to the National Park is always a special and impressive experience. The beauty of the Plitvice Lakes in the

fall is in many colors, waterfalls, and green plants that grew in the golden colors of autumn. Children enjoyed in

diversity of flora and fauna that was constantly at hand. Despite the length the road trip was not tiring, and

comfortable bus enabled the rest during the trip. I recommend visit to Plitvice Lakes National Park to everyone,

especially during the Family week, when the unique beauty of unspoiled nature can be experienced in its full

autumn splendor.” Rija’s mother


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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S:"Dječji svijet" Varaždin Email to be used to ask questions:

[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Excursion to “Potok Sumi”

LINES OF ACTION1:



school.





KEY WORDS:

creek, being outdoors, campfire, hiking

STARTING SITUATION:

Monthly hiking trip of Kindergarten “Djecji svijet” as part of a mountaineering society MIV

GOALS2:





7. Plan dynamic, playful, formative, and cultural meetings both in and out of the partner schools in order to raise

the cultural level of said educational communities.





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and civil rights), equips individuals to engage in active and democratic participation.


A group of 34 people (kindergarten students, their families, employees of the kindergarten and their families)

went on a monthly hiking trip. Destination was Potok Sumi, located at the foot of Ivancica mountain, above town

Ivanec. After the walk, the group settled next to the creek where they spent the afternoon. Lunch was prepared

by the campfire, in which participated both adults and children. Adults played different games with the children.

On the way back we visited the resort on Ivancica mountain and have thus completed the trip with learning

about new places suitable for family visits and meetings.


involved…):

The activity was attended by 14 children with their families and 4 employees of the kindergarten also with the

families (a total of 20 adults). Duration of the activity was unexpectedly extended because of the desires of the

participants to continue socializing in nature.

This excursion was different from the others because the whole day was spent entirely in nature, without a visit

to the mountain hut, so everyone had to prepare whole lunch for themselves (from burning campfire to

preparing meals).

Teachers brought balls needed for the game, and all the adults brought everything needed for a longer stay in

nature.

3 COMPETENCES

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Adults have organized mobile games, ball games and board games, and they played together with the children.

Two parents at a nearby meadow organized a time of relaxation with yoga for the interested adults, while the

children were under the supervision of adults who were not involved in this activity.


On this excursion, apart from socializing and sharing free time, we learned about fellowship and sharing our

space with others. Children have studied the nature and life in it and also learned responsible behavior. Staying

in nature enables children to deal with numerous unforeseen activities, encouraging them to self-organized

activities that were inspired by the current attitude of children to new and challenging situations, eg. playing

with water, crossing streams using poles, climbing steep slopes with small waterfalls, identify and distinguish

different plants. We taught each other, we learned from each other, we learned in nature and in harmony with

it.

One of the most beautiful features of these meetings is to share care for each other, the division of tasks and

responsibilities.


Photos


"A trip to Potok Sumi was very impressive, partly because of applied life in nature, partly because of a very

impressive landscape (large glade, forest, stream and small waterfall, all one next to each other and the

possibility to be in the shade or in the sun, to actively walk and exercise or to passively sit and watch nature).

Children have acquired a very useful experience of living in nature, nature conservation, and saw fire and water.

Walking on stream and throwing stones, leaves and twigs in the stream, as well as the detection of animals that

live in their natural environment was great fun. With the help of parents children made campfire and watched

how the food is prepared, but they also participated, under the supervision of parents. They learned about

responsible ignition and extinguishing the fire, and that the sweetest meals are prepared in nature, without

undue dishes and accessories. The sound of the stream and shade provided by a grove of trees next to it were

the perfect lullaby for children who took their afternoon sleep in the fresh air, while others played various games.

Wonderful experience of socializing, sharing, joint preparation of meals and games, finding their place in nature

and practical learning about the importance of nature!"

Vito Fran’s and Grga Leon’s mother


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ACTIVITY REPORT

SCHOOL/S: "Djecji svijet" Varazdin Email contact:

[email protected]

ACTIVITY: Swamp insects

ACTION1:






KEY WORDS:

insects, the importance of wetlands,

transformation

INITIAL PHASE:

After the successful Entomological Museum visit led by a parent who works at the museum, the same parent

suggested to familiarize children further with the insects, but this time at the kindergarten. He decided to show

the children the interconnection of insects and wetlands, with an emphasis on the importance of the wetlands.

The parent prepared appropriate literature, some specimens of live and preserved insects as well as

photographs and videos on wetlands and the insects living there.

GOALS2:



5. Inspire action of joint training in educational institutions in order to improve educators’ and families’ skills as


CONNECTION WITH THE CURRICULUM/ABILITIES OF THE CHILDREN ATTENDING THE KINDERGARTEN3/ ACQUIRED SKILLS:





1ACTIVITY 2SPECIFIC PROJECT OBJECTIVES 3ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES

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The children have learned why wetlands are so important. They had an opportunity to see, touch and closely

examine the wetland insects. Furthermore, they showed interest in such animals and lost the fear of unknown

insects.

SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITY:

During the meetings at the museum workshops, children showed a greater interest in insects that live in

wetlands. The above mentioned parent presented the insects, plants and the swamps at the workshops in the

way that was not possible in the museum. The children were able to observe with magnifying glasses the

complex insect eyes, the tiny scales on butterfly wings or a flower of the wetland plant. Furthermore, the

children were shown the insect preservation process and they were able to hold a preserved insect in their

hands. They also observed a few living insects in jars which they released into nature after the examination. The

children were fascinated by the life cycle of the insects they watched in a documentary and the fact that the life

cycles differ for each group of insects. They were particularly fascinated by the insects that can hibernate frozen

in the snow. The children were surprised by the fact that wetlands are actually very important for the purification

and filtration of groundwater. The parent also explained them how they can contribute to the preservation of

such areas.

METHODOLOGY AND RESOURCES NEEDED (materials, time, space, the number of people and

children involved …):

Materials: the books on wetlands and insects, the species from nature (insects or wetland plants), magnifying

glasses, the documentary on the wetlands and the life cycle of insects, pins, Styrofoam, and glass jars for the

insects

Time: the preparation time was about 4 hours while the activity itself took about 1 hour. The children watched

the entire documentary later with their educators, which took about 1 hour

Space: the preparation was taking place at the parent’s home, however, the kindergarten provided three work

stations and a computer desk.

Number of people and children included: the parent prepared the activity under the kindergarten’s guidance

on the appropriateness of the prepared material. In the activity participated a mixed-age group of about 10

children, two teachers and the parent who organized the activity.

THE ROLE OF PARENTS AND EDUCATORS:

During the visits to the museum workshops the parent noticed increased interest of children in wetlands and

insects living there and therefore suggested to the educators to take this interest to the next level. The parent

also prepared the workshop materials. The educator suggested that the workshop on wetlands could take place

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in the kindergarten and also monitored the preparation process. Furthermore, the educator coordinated with

the parent the workshop session as well as the management of the workshop itself.

ASSESSMENT AND SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

The parent explained the children the importance of preserving wetlands and all the creatures that live there.

The children showed a great interest in live insects which they also had opportunity to release back into nature

after the workshop. This act of releasing the insects back into nature impressed them the most. They have

learned that it is possible to examine the insects just by holding them in the hands without killing them.

As the next possible step, the parent proposed the children’s visit to a nearby swamp, as well as a get-together

of the children and their parents in nature.

AUDIO-VISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photographs OPINION OF PARENTS: The children followed explanations with a great interest. They asked many interesting questions and exchanged

their previous experiences on insects and swamps. Frequently asked questions were: "Can this insect hurt you?”

Or “Is this a dangerous insect? ..." It is important that children get rid of this unnecessary fear they have learned

from the elders and to familiarize themselves with the importance of the ecosystems such as swamps.

OTHER: Download this report The activity is continuing the activity "Visit to Entomological Museum"

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Contents

ACTIVITY REPORT


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Visit to the police station

LINES OF ACTION1:





KEY WORDS:

Police Day, a visit to the police station, getting

to know the work of police officers and police

equipment.

STARTING SITUATION:

At the initiative of one parent (police department employee) we were called to the police station Varazdin on

the occasion of Police Day, which is traditionally celebrated every year on 29th of September.

GOALS2:
















On 23rd of September we accepted the invitation and visited the police station in Varazdin for the occasion of

Police Day. The program was prepared in the courtyard of the police station in order to introduce us with all

areas of police work. At the beginning we met and tried out police cars, motorcycles, cars, vans and interceptors.


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After that, we were welcomed by a criminal investigator who introduced us with all tasks and supplies they need

for the job and introduced us to another important member of the police team - police dog Rex. A police officer

explained in which jobs can Rex help and how they trained police dogs. The children were also able to visit the

exhibition with a variety of explosive devices. A police officer trained to work with explosive devices showed us

how they handle and activate these devices, and what to do if we accidentally come in contact with one of the

explosive devices. In the end we gave our fingerprints, which were required for production of our identity cards

which are still in use in our kindergarten activities for getting to know the importance of personal documents.


involved…):

MATERIALS: equipment necessary for the work of police officers

TIME: we spent an hour at the police station

ROOM: the courtyard of the police station

NUMBER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED: Employees from different areas of police service, 4 teachers

NUMBER OF CHILDREN: 45


One parent, in collaboration with his colleagues and kindergarten teachers, organized the visit to the police

station in order to show the children their work.

Educators are the ones who will support and corroborate future children's activities related to the experiences

gained during this visit because this way the children will create an image of police work in their own

understandable way.


Lessons learned during this visit helped the children to clarify the uncertainties related to the work of police

officers, for example, some children were afraid of police officers and now they changed their minds. This visit

is a positive example to be followed.

AUDIOVISUAL DOCUMENTATION: Photos


Children’s visit to the police station has many benefits. Children learn about police officers, recognize their

uniforms, and experience them as people who can help them in different situations. Besides that, during the

visit, children were given information about different dangers they may face in their environment.

We consider especially valuable the socializing of children and police officers, not only in order to obtain the

trust of children towards persons in uniforms, but to also get new information about what the policeman are

doing, as well as the phone number at which they can be called.

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The positive experience we have gained during this visit is an encouragement for us to organize visits to various

institutions, as well as meetings with people from different occupations present in the immediate social

environment (bank, post office, bakery, bus station, railway station, fire station, doctor, dentist ...) to help

children meet important factors of their own environment.

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ACTIVITY REPORT


[email protected]

ACTIVITY/PRODUCT: Marking the World snake day

LINES OF ACTION1:



school.



agent in our project and become learning resource for

our model of OPEN SCHOOLS.

KEY WORDS:

Snakes, pets, overcoming fear, behavior in

nature

STARTING SITUATION:

Due to the expressed interest of one child for the snakes, his mother came to the idea that kindergarten marks

the World snake day.

GOALS2:

1. Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different curricula. 6. Establish relationships from schools with our environment and surroundings, transforming ourselves into active agents of social, cultural, and educational change. 7. Plan dynamic, playful, formative, and cultural meetings both in and out of the partner schools in order to raise the cultural level of said educational communities. 10. Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by understanding that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families, professionals, and environments with the purpose of raising the quality of the learning process.








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The activity was organized and carried out at the initiative of the mother of a child who is intensely interested

in the life of snakes. We invited Ms. Spomenka Lazar with her two pet snakes, royal python and corn snake, to

our kindergarten so children could get the opportunity to see a live snake. We collected the written permission

of parents before children contact with pet snakes.

Activity was joined by several parents who wanted to participate primarily because they are afraid of snakes,

and they believed that getting new information about the way to behave around snakes will reduce their fear.

In addition to satisfying the interests of children about the life of snakes, the goal of this activity was not only to

reduce children's fear of snakes, but also to provide information on the necessary caution in possible contact

with wild snakes in the nature.

Most parents think that touching and holding snake in their hands allowed them to reduce fear. In addition,

both children and adults have expressed their surprise about the feeling of touching snakes. They found out that

snakes have a very muscular body and were surprised that her skin is dry and warm, as the majority thought it

was moist and cold.


involved…):

Children prepared for the activity by studying encyclopedias, reading the articles, and making cards with

interesting facts from the life of snakes. The activity was held in the kindergarten and lasted for about 2 hours.

The headmistress, two kindergarten teachers, administrative workers, and seven parents participated in the

activities. Besides them, in the activity was the owner of the snakes and two news teams that accompanied the

event. The activity included 25 children (students of our kindergarten and brother of a girl). The youngest child

was two years, and the oldest 12.


One mother was the initiator of the activity, while other parents joined as spectators. They also participated in

the games that were specially designed by the teachers. Teachers were preparing children and materials for the

activity. During the activity they also appeared as support for children, teammates in the game, and

photographed the entire activity.


We think that this activity should become a kind of tradition in our kindergarten. Apart from the opportunity for

children, it is also opportunity for parents and educators to socialize and learn together. It is also a great chance

to deal with any possible fear of snakes and get information about proper behavior in nature, necessary clothing

and caution in areas where snakes live.

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Photos

http://www.evarazdin.hr/index.php/component/k2/item/9222-foto-malisani-iz-djecjeg-svijeta-neustrasivo-prihvatili-kraljevskog-pitona http://varazdinski.rtl.hr/drustvo/piton-mali-princ-odusevio-malisane-iz-djecjeg-svijeta


"I commend the idea of this workshop which gave us parents a great experience of dealing with prejudices and

beliefs related to these animals. At the same time I think it is very important for children to get the correct

information as early as possible about this "dangerous" species, and learn about how to behave in their natural

environment. " Mark's mother


After the activity, cooperation with the wider community was achieved and for the first time in Varazdin we

marked the World snake day. All kindergartens from town of Varazdin, as well as the citizens and children of the

city, met in city streets to make “human snake”.

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http://www.evarazdin.hr/index.php/component/k2/item/9222-foto-malisani-iz-djecjeg-svijeta-neustrasivo-prihvatili-kraljevskog-pitona

http://www.evarazdin.hr/index.php/component/k2/item/9222-foto-malisani-iz-djecjeg-svijeta-neustrasivo-prihvatili-kraljevskog-pitona

http://varazdinski.rtl.hr/drustvo/piton-mali-princ-odusevio-malisane-iz-djecjeg-svijeta

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWwzN2xncz4SUM5UWJyQlNZRG8/view?usp=sharing

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1. - LINES OF ACTION:

1) CONSTRUCTING AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. Families are involved in punctual or all year

actions at school.

2) FAMILIES AS MAJOR EDUCATIONAL AGENTS: workshops or prompt actions in each school year (of

vary durations), either independently or in collaboration with a teacher in order to support the

development of competencies, knowledge for life and/or curricular areas.

3) LEARNING COMMUNITIES: Meetings between families or families-teachers to reflect about

common interest topics.

4) RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT: Our surrounding space is recognized as a third

educational agent in our project and become learning resource for our model of OPEN SCHOOLS.

5) INFORMING IS SHARING: Our Schools spread activities and educational or cultural contents.

2. - SPECIFIC GOALS IN S.E.L.F PROJECT:

1. -Encourage the role of families as active, educational agents within our European educational

institutions, in the integral education of their children, and in the development of different

curricula.


3. -Facilitate communicative and cooperative ties between the families of the institutions that

participate in the project.

4. -Incorporate efficient channels of communication and the use of technological resources and

social networks among all of the sectors within the different schools implied in this project.

5. -Inspire action of joint training in educational institutions in order to improve educators’ and

families’ skills as prime educational agents.

6. -Establish relationships from schools with our environment and surroundings, transforming

ourselves into active agents of social, cultural, and educational change.

7. -Plan dynamic, playful, formative, and cultural meetings both in and out of the partner schools

in order to raise the cultural level of said educational communities.

8. -Increase and diversify informative channels of each school with their families.

9. -Design the use of new information and communication tools, thinking about a proper and safe

use.

10. -Distinguish ourselves as European educational institutions that value their centers’ projects by

understanding that children’s education is a shared responsibility between families,

professionals, and environments with the purpose of raising the quality of the learning process.

3. – KEY COMPETENCES:


2. Communication in foreign languages, which involves, in addition to the main skill dimensions of communication in the mother tongue, mediation and intercultural understanding. The level of proficiency depends on several factors and the capacity for listening, speaking, reading and writing.

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3. Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology. Mathematical competence is the ability to develop and apply mathematical thinking in order to solve a range of problems in everyday situations, with the emphasis being placed on process, activity and knowledge. Basic competences in science and technology refer to the mastery, use and application of knowledge and methodologies that explain the natural world. These involve an understanding of the changes caused by human activity and the responsibility of each individual as a citizen.

4. Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of information society technology (IST) and thus basic skills in information and communication technology (ICT).

5. Learning to learn is related to learning, the ability to pursue and organize one's own learning, either individually or in groups, in accordance with one's own needs, and awareness of methods and opportunities.

6. Social and civic competences. Social competence refers to personal, interpersonal and intercultural competence and all forms of behavior that equips individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life. It is linked to personal and social well-being. An understanding of codes of conduct and customs in the different environments in which individuals operate is essential. Civic competence, and particularly knowledge of social and political concepts and structures (democracy, justice, equality, citizenship and civil rights), equips individuals to engage in active and democratic participation.

7. Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship is the ability to turn ideas into action. It involves creativity, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. The individual is aware of the context of his/her work and is able to seize opportunities that arise. It is the foundation for acquiring more specific skills and knowledge needed by those establishing or contributing to social or commercial activity. This should include awareness of ethical values and promote good governance.


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