Our school is a komplex educational institute; we teach grades 1-12 in different types of schools. One of our strengths is foreign language teaching due to our international connections and student exchange programmes among others. However, we also have to face the challenges of the 21st century:

• motivation of students is decreasing or at least not easy to maintain
• we have to cope with the new ICT environment
• our results at the national basic competence test is not as good as expected especially at primary level
• it is more and more difficult to maintain the level of teaching and comply with the legal requirements in terms of language exams or high level final exams
• it is not easy to develop our students’ basic competencies, personal skills and problem solving skills because of the subject oriented curriculum
• there is not enough time and opportunity for cooperation among departments
• there is a threat of burn-out in the faculty
• there is an increasing demand for personal treatment and enjoyable experimental learning

During the recent years we have been doing several KA2 projects managed by the foreign language department mainly, and we saw that these projects and the programmes, lessons and student meetings motivate both students and teachers regardless their participation of the actual project. Is was also obvious that the students developed a great deal during these projects that affected positively their performance at school and improved their attitude towards studying and the school as well as their future ambitions. We would like to extend this positive effect to all students and teachers, too. Nevertheless, we would like to break with the tradition of foreign language centered projects therefore we decided to set up a project group to initiate development of cross curricular learning materials, international projects and cooperation among departments. Our team consists of 9 teachers from 3 departments and the cultural heritage will provide the context of the cross curricular activities and international project because all disciplines can be involved and it provides opportunity for learning about ourselves and others. We also would like to join the European Year of Cultural Heritage as this is going to be the main theme of the KA2 project being planned. Our aims are:

1. develop lively, enjoyable, differentiated cross curricular learning materials
2. plan and undertake international interdisciplinary projects
3. collect authentic materials, sources and experience and using them in our lessons
4. maintain and improve our foreign language competencies, learning motivation techniques; learning about current issues of the host countries
5. encourage inter-department co-operations
6. network with foreign colleagues and potential partners
7. develop ICT competencies
8. learn about alternative forms of learning; curriculum development

In order to achieve our aims we are going to take part in international courses about implementing culture and national heritage into the curriculum, developing cross curricular materials, and incorporating alternative and informal learning methods. During the courses we also aim to improve our professional network, improve our foreign language competencies and learn about the culture, current issues and educational systems of the host countries. Besides the mobilities we are planning to do activities such as organising theme days, launching international projects, developing cross cultural materials, organising open classes and workshops that help us to achieve our goals.

A successful project would improve the goodwill of our school, increase parent, partner and teacher satisfaction, develop our students’ basic competencies and would help them with creating appropriate self-image and confidence and finally, the students would learn about and understand better their peers and other cultures.

Projekt célok

1. Tantárgyközi tananyagok fejlesztése, melyek alkalmasak az ismeretek integrálására, életközeliek, élvezetesek, alkalmasak differenciálható módon az alapkészségek fejlesztésére, helyes énkép kialakítására
2. Nemzetközi projektek tervezése és megvalósítása elsősorban a kulturális örökség ápolásához és a kultúra közvetítéséhez kapcsolódóan, de bármely más interdiszciplináris témában is. KA2 és eTwinning. Kapcsolódás a Kulturális Örökség Európai Éve programhoz
3. Autentikus tananyagok, tananyag források és élmények gyűjtése és felhasználása a tanórákon: nyelvi, történelmi, irodalmi, épített és természeti környezeti, tudományos, népi kultúra elemei
4. Idegen nyelvi kompetencia karban tartása és fejlesztése, motiváló módszerek elsajátítása. A célnyelvi ország aktuális kérdéseinek megismerése, tájékozódás; a nyelvi tananyagbázis és módszertár bővítése a nyelvszakos kollégák számára
5. Munkaközösségek együttműködése, közösen tervezett programok, projektek, workshopok végrehajtása
6. Kapcsolatteremtés külföldi kollégákkal, lehetséges partnerekkel. Információ átadása magunkról és információ gyűjtése más intézményekről, oktatási gyakorlatok megismerése. Kapcsolatfelvétel az eTwinnig felületen
7. IKT kompetencia fejlesztése a kapcsolattartást, információ átadást és együttműködést támogató alkalmazások kipróbálása, alkalmazása, melyek a további közös munkát is támogatják
8. Alternatív tanulási formák megismerése, kipróbálása, tapasztalatok megosztása, alkalmazhatóság kidolgozása, tantervfejlesztés: kifordított osztályterem, kevert tanulás, informális tanulás