BACKGROUND:
Migration flows have contributed to the growing diversity of the European population and have considerably changed its dynamics in recent years. According to the reports of Tackling Early Leaving from Education and Training in Europe Report published by Europen Commision in 2014 when compared young people born abroad are largely over-represented among the early leavers from education and training in many European countries. When the early leaving statisctics in EU28 countries are examined the rate of the foreing born of early leavers(%22,6) is about twice as much when compared to native student population(%11).However, socio economic segregation, lack of parential support and accessing the good quality of education are important reasons, language and cultural barriers can lead to educational disadvantage and potential risk of early leaving most and they can also be quite easily identified and tackled.So in the age of technology ,by using innovative
practices, we need to develop digital and open pedagogies and create new platforms for immigrant learners where they can develop their language skillis and intercultural competences, media literacy.and critical thinkings.The project aims to establish a successful partnership among a variety of organisations and regions. The partner organisations have come together in an attempt to meet the desires and needs of immigrant students in terms of utilising technology in their learning endeavours.
OBJECTIVES:
-to develop a free open access digital language learning application for teenagers which enables individualized learning for immigrant learners.(A1 level in Turkish, Norwegian, Greek and Spanish and English which will be survival for the new arrived immigrants to overcome the language and cultural barrier/We expect 100 students to complete the digital course.)
– to involve immigrant students in their own learning with a view to attaining better results and becoming more motivated; (at least 40 percent from the target group will improve their school results)
– to develop intercultural understanding and acceptance; (at least 60 percent of students will have better knowledge of the country they immigrated.)
– to develop immigrant students’ transversal skills – literacy,foreign language, computer literacy, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability; (at least 30 percent of students will improve these skills)
– to promote European values and develop cohesion among European citizens. (measurable by
– analysing project participant students’ and teachers’ and researchers’ attitudes to other cultures, at the end of the project.)
TARGET GROUP and MOTIVATION:
The project is addressed to the target group of 13-17 -years born immigrants or refugees that are under the risk of early school leaving or having learning difficulty because of language and cultural barriers in each partner country (approximately 100 Students).They will be in the centre of all the activities tha is planned. There will be interviews made by the coordinator teachers to assess students language levels. And the students with basic language levels have been chosen for the project.
Non Immigrant Students:
In order to support cooperative and inclusive educatin athmosphere we think of intergrating 350 non immigrant students(250 from Turkey, to the project where the immigrant have education together at local schools.The students will support the immigrant students learning and help them to prepare the IDEAL Project Erasmus + Corners at the local schools.
Teachers:
The Project Management and Implementation Teams in Every Country choose language, IT and councelor teachers to implement the project activities.Language teachers will be responsible of modifying their courses to IDEAL assited language classes, supporting the researchers about studies and helping to prepare the worksheets and teacher guides.The councelor teachers will support the research and organize the multipler events at local levels. The IT teachers will upload the project news on the school web site, or social media, manage project’s e-twinning page.
EXPECTED RESULTS:
-A mobile application mobile language learning application(IDEAL Language Learning Application) for teenagers(A1 – level in English,Norwegian,Turkish and Spanish and Greek) where they can develop their language skillis and intercultural competences, media literacy and critical thinking.
– A need analysis research to our target group which is crutial to adress the needs of the immigrant learners while designing the mobile phone application.It will be helpful also lighting the underlying mecanism which will boost the motivation and self esteem of the students, improve their language and communication skills and overcome language barrier.
-A Study to to evaluate the effectiveness of the IDEAL Mobile Application which aims to increase the effectiveness of the app. and evaluate the challenges that the students face while they use the programme.
– Worksheets, Study Pages for students and guidelines for classroom activities for teachers which aims to support learners’ skills such as creativity, critical learning. As they will be used in classroom setting , the studenst will use it cooperatively, we belive that this will improve soft skills(personal and social capability such as peer learning and communication and team work. In order to promote diversities and social cohesion in the society we wish our materials free of discriminative discourses and racism which is an important way of creating shared vision.
– During the project immigrant and non immigrant children work together at some activities such as etwinning activities, preparing Erasmus + Corners at associated partner schools/organisations and project local multiplier events. When the students work together we expect better self confidence, the cohesion of immigrant and non- immigrant students, improved intercultural and inter-religious awareness and European Citizenship.
– All of the multiplier events and transnational mobilites will provide opportunities to cooperate and collaborate in between the project partner organisations to have better the institutions and their teachers/researchers. It will be a great opportunity for the teachers/researchers to analyze and compare the different educational and cultural realities of the European countries, to discover mutual fields of action, to develop their interpersonal, as well as intercultural and communicational skills
-. In order to examine European Added Value of the project we will conduct a research to mesure the project participants attudutes to their own culture and other cultures at the end of the project. Thus, the participants will be more aware about their own national identity with in a European Enviroment.
-Finally yet importantly, families will be invited to local multiplier event organized by the each assocaited/ partner organisation or school will be aware of the mobile based learning benefits and become more involved in their children´s lives which will also effect childrens’ academic and personal success indirectly.
EUROPEAN VALUE:
The European Added Value of the project will be given mainly by its international nature.In fact and on the other hand the project will allow the immigrants acquare languages of the host country by using the application but on the other hand they will reflect on their own culture and other cultures in Europe as the project will also be supported with virtual mobilites.It will also create opportunities for participants to have real contact with the people from other countries, giving them possibility to use their intercultural communication and language skills.