VET Schools' Collaboration
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Collaboration among teachers, students and vocational training schools involved in an Erasmus KA210 for VET project and an eTwinning project can be multifaceted, focusing on enhancing digital, green, and entrepreneurial skills of students. These collaborative efforts not only enhance the learning experience but also build a strong network of teachers and students dedicated to improving digital, green, and entrepreneurial skills.
Here are some ways developed along the project to facilitate this collaboration:
Virtual collaboration platforms: TwinSpace, to create a shared virtual space where teachers and students can interact, share resources, and collaborate on projects in real time. It was also used for online meetings, discussions, and sharing digital products created during the project. To communicate, teachers used a very active WhatsApp group, jit.si meet https://meet.jit.si/ and Teams https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software
Joint curriculum development: teachers created easy and meaningful MOOC modules content integrated in the professional courses curriculum or as transversal skills focused on digital literacy, green awareness, ecofriendly plans, and entrepreneurial skills, ensuring these modules are adaptable to their different vocational contexts. Teachers shared teaching materials, lesson plans, and best practices among partner schools to standardize the learning experience.
Collaborative projects and assignments: Collaborative digital projects where students from different schools worked together were assigned by teachers teams. Students, eTwinners, created a variety of digital content, such as website, videos and/or multimedia presentations.
Green initiatives: Organize joint green plans to offset their carbon footprint, calculated and analysed along the project. eTwinners teams thought and present in different digital products their ideas and tips on recycling programs, eco-friendly attitudes, or school sustainability campaigns to promote environmental awareness at school and in their family and community context. All the research and plans were finished and presented in the groups meeting in Valencia (April 2023)
Entrepreneurial research and challenge: eTwinners grouped in international teams researched Media Markt company within a video challenge proposed by the company BCG (Boston Consulting Group. eTwinners were inspired by BCG staff and accepted entrepreneurial plan challenges where students develop business ideas, pitch them to a panel, and receive feedback from BCG staff and teachers from the three schools in the group’s meeting in Düsseldorf (January 2024)
Professional development of teachers and other partners in the project. Workshops with eco-friendly companies to plan visits of students in the groups’ meetings. The workshops conducted by companies staff were aimed at sharing knowledge, experiences and skills related to digital tools, green practices, and entrepreneurship education.
Student exchanges and mobilities: there were multiple virtual sessions where students grouped in international teams participated in joint activities, fostering apart from knowledge and skills, cross-cultural communication, and collaboration.
Students physical mobilities were students visited partner schools, cities, key points of old town cities and some ecofriendly companies. They participated in workshops onsite to finish the tasks of the MOOCs and engaged in hands-on learning experiences related to digital, green, and entrepreneurial skills.
Collaborative assessment and feedback mechanisms: Teachers developed collaborative assessment criteria that were used by all participants to evaluate meetings. Regular feedback loops were stablished y students and teacher in a positive learning atmosphere to always improve our project and check process and procedures.
Celebrating achievements like virtual or physical events to showcase student products, results and achievements, celebrating milestones and fostering a sense of accomplishment.