Intending to modernise the teaching process and transversal skills of students and teachers of hymanist disciplines from 3 high schools in Romania, Italy and Spain, the project INNOVATING DIDACTIC PRACTICES FOR A MODERN HUMANIST EDUCATION – EDU Explorer proposes to direct and indirect participants (at least 142 students/adolescents and teachers/youngsters trainers) an European framework of collaboration for the realization of a comparative study between 3 educational European systems: curriculum and quality standards. The element of innovation and the added value is represented by the synergy of formal and nonformal activities offered to the project by all the involved students and youth.The target group is also formed by the teachers of humanistic discipline who will get interdisciplinary skills (IT) in order to create and internationalize multilinguistic Free Educational ressources.The project propose 6 activities of learning and training (3 for teachers and youth workers and 3 for students).EDU Explorer 1, 3 are trainings for the application of methods who stimulate critical thinking in educational system, and conscious learning of students.EDU REL 2 is proposing to form the skills for the program IT Hotpotaoes, Didapages, Front Space, and the application Google Docs with the objective of doing free educational resources (FER) for the teachers of humanistic disciplines . Through 2 workshops FER, they will realize joint projects in international teams. The final products will be published on the platform EDU Explorer :1. PLATFORM EDU Explorer (O4 built like FER with new tehniologies, a digital interactive didactic material for teachers and students with informations with interdisciplinar character with the theme : Antiquity, Middle Age and Renaissance2. Cultural Époque -IT resurce, digital manual built like a digital resource, aplying the new tehnologies (with the aspect of a web page) with a interdiciplinar character (history, geography, culture history, art history, philosophiy, history, clasical and modern languages, ) with the theme Antiquity, Middle Age and Renaissance3.MODERN TEACHER PLUS (O2)4.Guide for the universal literature teacher. MODERN PLUS (O3)5. Brochure-Teacher on non-formal education6.Comparative study about the educational system of the countries involved in the partenership Centers of the European culture 1, 2 are the activities of formal and non-formal education who want to develop the media and journalist communicational skills to the students and in the same time to develop a proper civic attitude. Cultural adolescence will develop multilingual and public speaking skills. All the skills aqcuired by the project will be certified by Europass şi Youth Pass.The thematic liant of entire project is the stimulation of the interst of young people for a common curricular subject: Antiquity, Middle Age and Renaissance, for the humanist value , for the lecture as a knowledge way and communicational act, for the study of art and culture who are brought to trainees by new technologies, by the formal and non-formal education.

School students between the ages of 14-18 from Sindelfingen, Dronfield, Malaga, Barcelona, Idrija and Kourou worked collaboratively on the „AirNet“ project and studied the theme of air in various contexts (Science, Technology, Music and Art). The participating school students and teachers from each country were already making preparations for the project meetings. Each school had chosen its own focus, individual to each country, and was organising collective learning activities for all participants.The principle of the project meetings was that the school students from a variety of cultural and social environments got to know each other and learnt from each other. By collaborative activities in European teams the school students learnt to overcome language and cultural hurdles, to develop greater tolerance and to experience the joy of working together in heterogeneous teams. One significant aim of the project, linking many subjects, was that school students could become engaged in various interests that were linked by a common theme so that a real collective team spirit could develop. The overall aim, which was realised at the conclusion of the project, was the exhibition called “Pictures in motion” and the great public „Air-Performance“, where all the students had participated.The theme of air was chosen as it is extremely relevant for the environment yet is seen as a lesser priority in terms of environmental resources (eg Water). There are, however, many investigation opportunities in the stated subject areas and thereby many school students with a variety of interests and competences could become involved.One of the aims was that this project would stimulate the personal development of the participating school students, that they improved their professional and employment potential and that their life horizons would be broadened. Through intensive collective group work on the various aspects of the theme of Air the school students improved their subject knowledge and understanding, they broadened their linguistic abilities (English, French, German and Spanish) and they developed their creative talents. For the project ideas the school students , according to their preferences, presented their project findings via their chosen medium (Video, sound, pictures, creation of web-pages and computer applications).A further aim was the enrichment of professional competences of the teaching staff involved through new challenges and activities, increased motivation and self confidence. During the project the ideas and results of the activities were made available for colleagues in all schools so that these may be used as educational building blocks in schools. (see under results). Thereby the project is stimulating an improvement in teaching abilities in the schools.Each school acted as host school on one occasion and organised learning activities for the participating school students that was specific to the theme of that school. Thus each school had its own individual focus for the successful completion of the project. The project meetings involving the responsible coordinating teacher in each school would be held in one of the participating schools at the start (November 2014, Sindelfingen), at the mid-point of the project ( September 2016 Idrjia)and at the end of the project ( June 2017, Malaga). Communication between the teachers from the participating schools was guaranteed via the medium of Whatsapp („Erasmus-teacher-group“)and via email contact. Contact between the participating school students was realized via email contact as well and via social media networks.Results: display “Pictures in Motion“, Applications for smartphones, production of an ongoing homepage, artefacts involving Art, Music and Flight. The title “Pictures in Motion” includes creative and informative realisation of the whole project in all participating countries in a digital framework. Long term uses: sustainable information via picture screens with overall information about the project and educational building blocks on the homepage.

"By dealing with the specific topic of this project – the European Union -, students could dive into the foundations and history of the EU and its economical, educational, financial, humanitarian, environmental policies, learning about the adopted procedures and protocols, its guidelines, strengths, and weaknesses. Simultaneously, they could identify needs yet to be fulfilled. Like this, we promoted students' perception of the European cultural heritage and raised their awareness of transnational and cross European shared history and culture. We contributed to more conscious youngsters, empowering them, as knowledge provides enlightening and the power of choosing.Since the official language of the project was English and most activities were carried out in it, students' proficiency in the language was fostered and thus the importance of communicating in English was highlighted as well as the impact it can have on their future. We promoted the students’ digital literacy and developed their digital competencies grounded on more innovative, open, and inclusive learning/teaching activities by using varied platforms, apps, and digital tools required to present the result of their work. They presented that information to others, having decided beforehand how to do it, making it as varied as possible, using tools such as Prezi, PowerPoint, Google+, Office 365 (Class Notebook, Sway, OneDrive, SharePoint), and worked with digital storytelling, Infographics, cartoons, using Powtoon, for example, to produce new outcomes together: videos, posters, flyers, billboards, digital stories, magazines, and newspapers.Taking into consideration that our youngsters are 21st-century students who need to be capable of learning by themselves much more than being the mere recipients of the information, we stimulated autonomous learning. By doing research, learning, and discussing results, while developing their project works, these youngsters improved their curiosity, critical thinking, and reasoning ability, amongst others, they became more confident and responsible youngsters, who are more aware of their problems and of those around them and more capable of fighting to promote the changes they see fit. This learning process also improved their ability to perform collaborative work, to lead a team or to be led, still being able of issuing their opinions, and making suggestions, and to help build a better and fairer world.Students could realize that their education, both through school work and life experiences, greatly improves the chances of a better life for them and the communities they live in. The experience gained with the participation in this project helped them get better academic results and higher educational and cultural levels.By meeting and contacting with other youngsters from the participating schools, students also developed their social skills, increased their self-esteem and confidence, and realized that, after all, their peers from other countries are teenagers who also have dreams and ambitions, and share with them the hope of a better future.Some of the students who participated are from lower social and economic classes. For these youngsters, this project constituted the only way for them to be able to travel and get to know other countries. This was a unique opportunity for them to live a new experience and feel totally integrated.As for the teachers, they became more aware of their role as facilitators in the teaching/learning process, and that more innovative practices are required nowadays not only to promote their students’ scientific knowledge but also to foster their soft skills.Some of the most relevant outcomes of this project were the USEFUL Trivial Pursuit game, web quests, videos about the main topics, the cities and countries of the participating schools, and the ""USEFUL Wall of Democracy"", composed by the politicians chosen by the students as being an icon of democracy in their countries.In short, USEFUL had a strong impact on students and schools' communities as it promoted innovative practices in education by supporting personalized learning approaches, collaborative learning, teamwork, and critical thinking, strategic use of ICT, open and flexible learning, virtual mobility, peer feedback and communication in a foreign language both in written and spoken form."

Our project is called “Food in our lives“, a theme with many facets. The participants come from schools in Germany, France, Romania and Spain. In all, at least 130 students aged 14 – 19 years, most of them 16-17, as well as approx. 30 teachers participated in the activities, and as they are all multiplicators in their private and classroom environment, the impact of the project could be enormous. Besides, some 800 students (200 before each mobility) took part in surveys about food.We hope that the newly-gained awareness with respect to food and meals and also responsible consumption and buying habits will bring down some of the problems (waste, obesity, careless buying and eating...) we addressed.The project started with a Short-Term Joint Staff meeting of the teachers in Germany. Besides the “technical” aspects about working out details of the project activities, there were also meetings with various representatives of organizations like the local Fair Trade shop and “Die Tafel”. We also visited local food and drink producers (a cheesemaker, a distillery of spirits) to give the participants an idea of different types of local food production.The first LTTA in France dealt with the aspect of FOOD AS PART OF OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE. Since the food culture and tradition of France have been UNESCO world heritage since 2010, it made sense to choose this country as the starting point. Before the meeting, the participants examined and documented their eating habits under a social point of view (when, how, with whom…). In France these results were compared and presentations about similarities and differences in food traditions were made (e.g. wedding and Easter dishes). We also visited traditional food producers (cheese, candy) and learned about the history of French culinary tradition. There were also activities revealing the mutual prejudices about the food preferred in the partner countries. Furthermore the students had the chance to cook and eat regional dishes together. This was to enhance their awareness of FOOD AS AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL AND SOCIAL FACTOR.The next “pillar” of our project is HEALTH. Before meeting in Spain for the second LTTA, students carried out surveys about the food they prefer. During the meeting, there was a lecture about the latest findings concerning healthy eating and the food pyramid by a nutritionist. We also visited a fishing port where fish auctions take place (Celeiro), and walked a part of the “Camino” to Santiago de Compostela to point out the importance of exercise for well-being. Finally, in groups, the students prepared weekly programmes that combine healthy meals with daily moderate exercise. Hopefully they will follow the good examples seen here.The third “pillar” of our project is the aspect of WORK. Students should realize that food is not primarily made in factories, but it takes people and hard work to cultivate or raise it. As all our schools have an economic orientation, MARKETING FOOD was another obvious element to include. The entrepreneurial spirit of the students may be stimulated through the observation of marketing strategies and a practical assignment at the end.Before the third LTTA in Romania, students took part in surveys about food marketing and distribution and about their preferred places for food shopping. In Romania, we visited those places, like the huge local market and many local producers (a bakery, where the students got to make the local specialty, pretzels ), a sausage maker, a fruit canning firm) who told us about their work, their products and their marketing channels. We also got a tour of a Research Center for (rare) Vegetables. - Finally , in international groups, the students developed a marketing strategy for a traditional product.The fourth “pillar” of our project is ETHICS. This covers a lot of aspects; we focused on food waste, bio-food and animal welfare. Before the LTTA in Germany, all member countries prepared presentations on ethical initiatives in connection with food. This knowledge was enhanced through visit at the Fair Trade shop, “Die Tafel”, a bio-farm and a bio-wholesaler. In the end the students were motivated to plan a project week for each school aiming at promoting ethical aspects of food.In the final Short-Term Joint Staff meeting in France the teachers intended to devise lessons about food based on the results of the project work. Due to the Corona travel ban, this meeting was cancelled. However, the teachers continued to work together virtually to develop lessons based on the project activities.Some PRODUCTS were made in the course of the project: a European cookbook, a vocabulary booklet about food in five languages, a booklet with lesson plans on food-related topics and a video clip about our activities. Especially the vocabulary booklet and the lesson plans can be used in numerous classrooms. The EU-cookbook can inspire schools to try new dishes in a certain context, e.g. on Europe Day.

"Virtually 100% of the 0bjectives pursued in the application have been developed as follows:1) In each meeting country the first meetings were aimed at the visit of each educational center, its customs, facilities and later we met in a classroom for the host country to explain the rules of each country in relation to the FP The positive aspects of each system.2) Know the existing legislation in the EU and in each country on efficient building.The students have known through the first meeting of all the participants in Spain the existing legislation in the EU and in each country on efficient building, for this it is established papers from each of the participating countries supported by their teachers where it is explained the Regulations of each Country to the rest of the participants. The Rosaleda took place in an IES classroom on March 5, 2018, as set out in the document ""schedules and activities in Spain"".There was also an extension of this knowledge in the activities of the institute of secondary education VTI Brugge, in Belgium on June 7, where the Legislation was complemented and extended in each Country, explained by the students of each center.3) Know the elements that participate in an energy efficiency in the building and the benefits that this produces on societySince the beginning of the Project in September 2018 and throughout its two-year duration, the faculty of each center has explained to the students participating in the Project ""the elements that participate in an energy efficiency in the building and the benefits that this Produce about society ”, through lectures, visits and presentations. This topic has been addressed mostly in the day to day of the students in class.4) Know how to take advantage of renewable energy, depending on the local climate, to increase energy self-sufficiency.For the design of an efficient house, students were explained how to take advantage of renewable energy, depending on the local climate. This was carried out in Spain at the meeting on March 5, 2018 at the point of the agenda: “ Exposition of ""Traditional construction in our country"" from the different countries ”.5) Know the appropriate materials, according to different types of weather, to build efficiently from an energy point of view.In the preparation of the Project students have investigated in their area what materials are suitable, according to different types of weather, to build efficiently from an energy point of view. In Spain, cork was chosen as a thermal insulator, brick as a structural element, green roof as an ecological solution and materials, in other countries wood as an enclosure and mineral wool as an insulator. These subjects were studied in the normal classes of the most related subjects with the collaboration of other professors of the corresponding Department of each Center, as well as the considerable collaboration of professors of the University of the different participating countries. Malaga University. Mr. Alberto García Marín (architect and professor from the University of Málaga)University of Bruges Dr ir Hilde Breesch. Passive cooling of homes.Visit to the Department of “Sustainable Materials” of the University of Stuttgart Prof.Dr. Garrecht6) Know the Passivhaus certification and requirements to obtain it.This issue of Passive house Certification and its construction parameters was addressed during the Project in several meetings:In Spain: On March 8, 2018, all the members of the Project of the participating countries attended a talk about the concept of “Passive house Certification” and we visited a house with said certification. This matter was planned on the order of March 8 “Visit to the first efficient house in"" Costa del Sol "". Lecture on energy efficency by the architect Mrs. Katrin Falck Szenessy.7) Know how to design and build according to the Passivhaus Certification and Activities parameters.The students learned in this talk how it is built according to the Passivhaus Certification parameters.In Spain:On March 9 in Spain: Talk by the prestigious German architect Mr. Alexander Lange: Lecture on energy efficiency by the German architect.In Belgium: on June 7, 2018 in the talk: “Sustanaible buildings design from ingenium Brugge in KuLeuven Campus Brugge (KUlab) planned on the agenda of activities in that Country.In Germany:Visit to a building designed under passive house standards, explanations about the construction of this building, as it was on the agenda of activities in this Country.“Visit of the"" Technical Town Hall ""8) Design for each country of an efficient house according to its climate.9) Design of a Project web page. https://casaeficiente.wixsite.com/misitio"