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“NATURE AS TEACHER” 24 months +
- Program: Erasmus+
- Sub-program: Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
- Action: Strategic Partnerships for School Education-KA229
- Application Time: March 2019
- Project Time: September 2019-August 2021
- Project Duration: 24 months
- Participant Countries: Turkey, Estonia, Norway, Spain, UK.
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PRIORITIES +
New innovative curricula educational methods/development of training courses
Health and Wellbeing
International cooperation/international relations/development cooperation -
GENERAL AIMS +
- 1. To enhance the experience, knowledge and competences of Kindergarten teachers to connect children with Nature via Outdoor Learning;
- 2. To improve children’s Health and Ecological Awareness through the variety of tasks carried out in the Nature;
- 3. To enable teachers to work in a mutual exchange with partner kindergartens’ teachers to gain new ideas, insights and experience in order to promote Nature Education across Europe.
TARGET AUDIENCE: 2-7 year old children, kindergarten teachers, educators, and parents.
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PROJECT OBJECTIVES +
- To equip teachers with knowledge and skills to connect children with nature in order to raise children’s awareness on the Circle of Life in the Nature and engage them in Nature-based Learning activities;
- To strengthen the children’s speaking, listening and comprehension skills via using Story-telling and Drama techniques in the Nature;
- To provide children with freedom to explore using multiple sense, confidence, physical and emotional resilience via plays and adventure in the Nature;
- To develop children’s creative, imaginary, inspirational and cognitive skills in Maths, Art and Music using Nature as unlimited source;
- To improve and develop together with all partners a long term strategic plan for Sustainable Nature Education;
- To enable teachers to work in a mutual exchange with other kindergartens’ teachers to gain new ideas, insights, theories and methods across Europe;
- To strengthen teachers’ skills and competences in communication, team-work, use of foreign language, problem-solving, use of ICT by encouraging them to be more open-minded and feeling themselves as part of the European Union.
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METHODOLOGY +
Brainstorming, Observation, Exploration, Learning by doing, Cooperation, Competition, Child-centered, Free-play, Guided-play, Story-telling, Drama, etc. -
DATA COLLECTION TOOLS +
- 4 Pre/Post Test for Children to be implemented after each activity;
- 1 Pre/Post Survey for Teachers to be applied at the beginning and at the end of the project activities;
- 1 Evaluation Questionnaire for Parents to be applied after the project activities have finished;
- 5 Participant Evaluation Questionnaire for participants to be implemented after each Short-term joint staff training event.
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PROJECT OUTPUTS +
- Erasmus Corners at each school, Project Brochure, Poster, Roll-up, Leaflet, etc.
- Project Web page, Facebook group, E-twinning Blog, Msn Group, Instagram.
- 1 Activity & Crafts Pack for ‘Nature Education for Kids’ (also in digital form),
- 1 Game File on ‘Life in the Forest’ (also in digital form),
- 2021 Calendar,
- 6 Train Garden Planters at partner school yards,
- 6 Mini Greenhouses for Veggies and Fruits at partner school yards,
- 6 Bee Hotels at partner school yards.
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SHORT-TERM JOINT STAFF TRAINING EVENT +
- 5 short-term joint staff training events have been planned with the participation of 25 teachers/educators from 5 countries 6 educational institutions,
- Each country will organize a different training event with different aims,
- In each training, there will be experts with strong experience in the field of Nature Education for children,
- During the trainings the participants will be equipped with related knowledge and competences required to implement the project activities simultaneously at their kindergartens during the following months,
- After the trainings, the participants will be provided with 1) the Certificate of Attendance; 2) the Pre-Post Test to be applied with kids before and after the project activity; 3) the Participant Evaluation Questionnaire to give feedback about the training they have had,
- There will be 2 parts in the trainings: Formal training (Workshop, Debate, etc) and Practical Training (Visiting kindergartens, Outdoor activities with kids, etc.)
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