Hosted by OSOS , contributed by cesarmarques on 25 October 2018
Knowledge is everywhere and just a touch way, on your mobile, in your pocket. With society’s evolution, new skills and competencies are part of our everyday life and schools have to prepare youngsters for this new reality. Societies call us to develop the so-called 21st century skills and competencies: Collaboration and teamwork, Creativity and imagination, Critical thinking and Problem solving, and guess what? We are in the 21st century. Schools have to choose to take a step into this new reality or stay away and push away the necessary transition. We have to make our choice, and this work (part of the Open Schools for Open Societies project (https://www.openschools.eu/) is a reflexion of it.
Students work in groups and search for problems in Almada. Problems that have meaning for them and that they think they can make something about. After debating and voting, students present solutions, find stakeholders and promote the change with their ideias and work.
As teachers, we just break down barriers between classes and contents and now the different subjects contribute to enrich students’ works. There is no such thing as Civics, Mathematics or Portuguese Language classes. There are classes where the students can work on their projects and those are all classes: Civics, English Language, Information and Communication Technology, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry and Portuguese Language classes.
Feel
- Prepare the field trip - Students discuss the places they want to visit to identify problems. They put stickers on the map and with that information they design the field trip.
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Field trip - The students visit the chosen city area, identify and record problems, in loco.
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Choose the main problem - In groups, the students present their findings to the class and together choose the main problem they want to solve.
Imagine
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Search for solutions - Students discuss possible solutions for the chosen problem, search for stakeholders and divide tasks.
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Meet the stakeholders - Students contact the stackeolders and prepare meetings with them.
(Education Councilor of the City Hall of Almada)
(Skype meeting with LampWave Studio, Digital Entertainment Design/Game development company) -
Talk with the population - Students prepare inquiries for the general public (locals and tourists) to help them choose the best solution for each problem. They talk with the population to answer the inquiries.
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Search for fundings - Students search for fundings.
(Students present their works in the Portuguese participatory budget public meeting).
Create
1. Work development - Students develop their work by designing and building scale models, creating videos, games, etc.
Share
Presentation - Students present their work to their peers, teachers, Almada's Mayor and Education Minister.
