Good practices
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Working Group:Low Achievers in ScienceCountry:Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United KingdomLanguages:Croatian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Romanian, Slovene, Spanish, SwedishAge of students (target group/s):13-14, 15-18Links, resources:http://www.co2nnect.org CO2nnect is a school campaign for education for sustainable development on the theme of climate and transport. The aim of CO2nnect is to support learning activities that provide pupils with abilities, skills, and awareness of issues related to sustainable development. CO2nnect was developed as part of the “SUPPORT: partnership and participation for a sustainable tomorrow” project, which aimed to improve knowledge about and practice of education for sustainable development (ESD) and to integrate the principles, values and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. The main tool is the CO2nnect website, which help teachers to organize teaching activities and school projects on the topic. The website contains a CO2-from-transport calculator, a shared database for the results, and tools to compare results in order to analyse and discuss the outcomes.Strong points and opportunities:• Science is related to everyday life and linked to the local community.• Project linked to climate change, thus able to be linked to biology, chemistry, physics, geology, mathematics.Limitations:No particular limitations are recognized.Added value with regards to the 3 topics of the MASS project:Within the project, students participating are encouraged to work closely with local authorities, parents, businesses, organisations and of course other students and teachers They can be involved and present and discuss their findings. They can explore together how the local transportation systems could be made more sustainable. They can develop ideas for reducing climate emissions from transport and upload your climate idea and photos from their work. This creative, participatory and collaborative work creates n ideal environment for low achievers who are usually detached from their teachers and classmates and fail to see the link between science and every day life.Any prerequisites needed:PCs and Internet connection. | ||
Teaching materials
MASS project intends to identify, analyze, evaluate and disseminate practical tools and methods in teaching science which will effectively lead to arise students' motivation and acquire higher level of basic skills in science. We will explore what happens in science lessons at schools and increase the knowledge of good practice in teaching science in three research areas: Science for Digital Learners, Early Inquiry and Low achievers in Science (See more: Main topics).
Main project activities include:
1. Identification of the national examples of good practices
The initial phase of the project is to analyze the strengths, weaknesses and potential in the particular area of science education method in each partner country. It will include identification of good practices on raising students motivation for science on the national level. Examples identified will be collected in the online database.
See more: Good practices repository
2. Development of pilot teaching materials and testing phase
Findings from the research phase of the project will form the ground for development of the pilot version of educational materials in each Working Group.
Piloting stage of the project, with the involvement of target group, will raise the quality and exploitability of the products.
3. Development of the final version of teaching materials
Final version of educational products will be developed after summing up the piloting phase. They will be available in each partner language. The final project results will bring a change at the classroom level. Teachers will be aware of the key factor for motivation of their students to learn science. They will use a wide range of methods effectively and appropriately to the learning needs and preferences of their students. More teachers will be confident and successful in use such of methods. They will make teaching science more relevant and accessible to students.
Final products will be widely presented and disseminated during the Open Conference III in the middle of 2016.
Pilot materials
To help teachers to become empowered, skillful and self-confident, we work on:
- Study (recommendations)
- Examples of good practices
- Module of teacher training
- Hands-on lessons / tutorials
for Digital Learners, Early Inquiry and Low Achievers in Science.
If you want to help us to improve these materials by taking part in piloting, please contact leader of each Working Group:
Leonie de Vries (Digital Learners), e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Lenka Pachmanova (Early Inquiry), e mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Daiga Kalnina (Low Achievers), e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or the MASS project partner in your country:
Czech Republic, TEREZA Educational Center
Lenka Pachmanova e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cyprus, Cyprus Center for Environmental Research and Education (CY.C.E.R.E.)
Chrisis Kleovoulou, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Estonia, Estonian Physical Society
Kaido Reivelt, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Germany, University of Cologne Geographical Institute
Astrid Hensel, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Greece, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Thalia Mavrakou, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Latvia, Children's Environmental School
Inese Liepina, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Netherlands, SME Advies
Bregje van den Brand, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Poland, UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre
Elżbieta Wołoszyńska-Wiśniewska, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.