On May 28 and 29, we met at the final meeting in Ploče. A report was submitted on all intellectual results and we discussed the activities that should be carried out before the end of the project. As part of the meeting, we visited the Krka National Park, where we had excellent lectures on ecosystem services. After the meeting in Ploče, the international conference “One Europe, different relationships of European cultures with nature. Ecosystem services and biodiversity under climate change” continued. (read more) With guests from Spain, Greece, Greenland, Poland, Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, we spreaded awareness about living in harmony with nature and valuing the ecosystem at the two-day conference.
On January 26 – 27, our working group held the 3rd project meeting of coordinators in Covasna. The first day was spent getting to know the School and methods of working with students. The working meetings were spent in the presentation of our intellectual outputs, working agreements, dissimilations and planning of upcoming events. A version of the mobile application, which should be used for teaching activities on a digital platform, was also presented. The teachers got to know the wonderful, snowy landscapes of Covasna and its surroundings and drank mineral water from numerous natural springs in the town and its surroundings. We were also preparing for the next meeting and international conference in Ploče.
From 26.09.- 30.09. 2022. teachers where at the University of Nuuk, where they had a three-day training as part of the Give value to nature project. The subject of the seminar was the Arctic ecosystem and the Anthropocene in Greenland. Local scientists gave a general description of the ecosystem in Greenland and the way of life in the Anthropocene. They pointed out the importance of self-sustainability for local regions and introduced us to the dangers of ecosystem changes in Greenland. The teachers also gained insight into teaching strategies about anthropocenia and changes in ecosystems that should be introduced and taught at the school and university level, as well as the importance of making the population aware of these changes and the dangers they bring
Teachers training in Greece – Plato School – Katerini From April 6. to 9. our project partners met in Katerini, Greece. The host was the Plato School where they had three days of training.
This training activity was especially focused on the use of the APP and the web platform created in the project. This knowledge is necessary so that these technological resources can be integrated into the design of the activities that will finally be included in the web platform. The conferences will be used to go deeper into the inclusion of new technologies in the classroom, how to get the most out of them, and to show examples of good practices and successful projects that can serve as inspiration.
The training met all our expectations. We worked on intellectual outputs. A web educational platform was presented and all partners worked on digital tools that could be included in the content. We spent our free time socializing and having fun in beautiful Katerini.
As having been planned, the first Follow-up meeting was held in Poland, and it was hosted by Zespol Szkol w Zychlinie (high school in Zychlin). Educators from eight partner educational institutions (two universities and six schools) were invited to attend the meeting. Victor J Colino Rabanal, Fernando Rodriguez and Jose Maria Mezquita delivered lectures and organised workshops during the meeting.
In the first session at school, the current status of the project and the MOOC for teachers were considered in detail. Previously, each partner school had presented their ecosystems and ecosystem services on Padlet, consequently, their presentations were also discussed.
Side by side with the duties and tasks for the future cooperation, the sessions on the 16th of November aimed mainly at the O3 Web Platform.
The participants had in-depth discussions on: designing teaching materials and activities to be carried out in classrooms, organizing the work of the groups by subjects, and analysing the activities already created. Not only did the participants watch the video how Jose Maria Mezquita’s students made soap during their economics lessons, but they were also invited to “test” the soap. Everybody was impressed.
Despite the hectic schedule, the participants also had an opportunity to get to know the Polish culture while exploring Warsaw, visiting Torun, having a guided tour in the Oporów Castle and tasting Polish food.
Thanks to Iwona Kciuk (the Project Coordinator at school), Tomasz Rapsiewicz (the Headmaster) and the staff members of Zespol Szkol in Zychlin, the Follow-up meeting was highly successful, and everybody had a productive and enjoyable time.
During the period between 12 March and 12 April the Web platform working group was created, and the participating teachers joined eTwinning project in order to be part of the project:
This working group is in charge of designing, and creating the activities to be carried out in classrooms. (The tasks/ materials created are due to be uploaded on eTwinning platform first.) Their other duties include evaluating how these activities function and deciding which activities are to be included in O3 Web Platform.
The first meeting of The Web Platform Working Group took place on 12 April, 2021. The plan is to meet online on a weekly basis and work on activities for the educational platform.
Web platform working group
The Agenda of the Meeting on 12 April:
1. The objectives of the intellectual product “O3 Web Platform”.
2. Design of the initial activities to be carried out with the students.
3. Operation of the eTwinning platform.
4. Preparation of the next work meeting.
Two surveys – Student Awareness Survey and Activity Evaluation Survey- were presented and discussed in the meeting (26.4.2021.) Both Surveys were created by Jose Maria Mezquita, IES Aliste, Spain.
During April and May the partners communicated by emails, giving proposals how to improve the Surveys. In the meeting the Surveys were approved. It was also agreed that the teachers of the partner schools would do the Initial Environmental Awareness Survey with their students by the end of the school year, and the students would be able to do it either in English or in their native language.
The Web Platform working group discussed the activities already created in order to improve them. Groups by subjects were analysing a variety of possibilities how to design classroom activities so that they would be universally interesting to the students to carry out in class.
Finally, on meeting (31.5. 2021.) the participants reflected on the work online, and made plans for the coming academic year.
On the 12th of March partners were invited to an online meeting. During the meeting some issues were discussed. The first point considered was distribution of the tasks to be carried out. Then, the creation of the working groups to design and create the intellectual products of the Project was discussed and agreed on. As the Covid -19 pandemic still continues, it was agreed to postpone the Greenland training course to the following academic year.
It was also agreed that all the members of the working groups will have online meetings till summer holidays on wich they would work on intelectual outputs.
After having held the kickoff meeting at the end of 2020, the next major joint activity carried out by the partners participating in the project has been the initial training.
This initial training in ecosystem services has been given by the Environmental Faculty of the University of Salamanca. Fernando and Victor have been in charge of providing an approach to the benefits provided by nature to human beings. More than 20 teachers and students from the eight partners of the project (University of Salamanca, IES Aliste, Srednja skola fra Andrije Kacica Miosica, Platon M.E.P.E, Liceul Korosi Csoma Sandor Covasna, Utena A.Sapoka gymnasium, Ilisimatusarfik (University of Greenland), Zespol Szkol w Zychlinie) have participated in the training.
Initial training – Benefits provided by nature
The next activities will be to develop the various working groups of the project.
The Erasmus+ KA201 project: Give value to nature: learn how to measure what ecosystem services do for us has started to develop with the kickoff meeting
On the 15th of December the members involved in the project had their initial meeting with the aim of developing the first collaborative work actions to make the project successful. Members of six schools from different countries participated in this meeting:
IES Aliste (Spain)
Srednja skola fra Andrije Kacica Miosica (Croatia)
PLATON M.E.P.E (Greece)
LICEUL KOROSI CSOMA SANDOR COVASNA (Romania)
Utena A.Sapoka gymnasium (Lithuania)
Zespol Szkol w Zychlinie (Poland)
The Ilisimatusarfik University of Greenland also participated in this meeting as a partner and the University of Salamanca of Spain as a coordinating partner.
Although this meeting was initially planned to be held in Salamanca and Alcañices, due to the health situation it was decided to hold it virtually.
The activities carried out at this initial meeting, as well as the great enthusiasm shown by all the members of the project, make us consider the future of this project with great enthusiasm and desire.
