Practices

Social Mindedness In Learning community SMILY
Comenius Multilateral Project
Thematic Field: ESL
Institutions involved:
University of Catania – Dipartimento di scienze della formazione (unict)- (IT); PMF
S.r.l. (PMF) – (IT); 4system Polska sp. z o.o (4SYS) – (PL); Kocaeli Provincial
Directorate of National Education (KOCAELI)- (TR); enigma interactive (ENIGMA)-
(UK); Gimnazjum nr. 2 im. Adama Asnyka)– (PL); Colegiul National Mihai Eminescu
Iasi (CMU)– (RO).
Coordinating institution:
University of Catania – Dipartimento di scienze della formazione (unict) (Italy)
Key words: Early warning signals, Motivation, Mental health and wellbeing at schools,
Targeted educational support
Description:
Nowadays, we are used to hearing about bullying at school, vandalism and other
acts of violence in which young people are protagonists. All this lets us think that the
new generation doesn't have the basis of social awareness and civic mindedness.
Many articles and studies find that the major causes of these violent attitudes can be
traced back to the parental relationship, peer pressure, rejection and popularity,
school failure, a system of dominator values, etc.
The SMILEY project aims to reach the fundamental target of transforming the
differences that exist between pupils so that they become a resource for rather than a
barrier to integration. This will be achieved through a digital-integrated e-learning
platform and an ERPG (Educational Role-Playing Game), connecting students and
teachers from the partner countries, and promoting the use of ICT and Web 2.0
technologies in order to test a reflexive approach to effective conflict-resolution
strategies and best practices to avoid exclusion in different school contexts.
A methodology was developed on how to reach young people on important themes
such as bullying, racial/religious discrimination etc. through the use of the enjoyable
online ERPG. This methodology will help teachers to get a closer understanding of
young people and their needs. Furthermore, it was intended to train at least 160
referred teachers directly and 1600 teachers indirectly from 5 countries on how to
use and exploit ICT in education with products such as edu-games, e-Journals and
social networking for educational and intercultural purposes to make learning
attractive for young students.
Finally, the project partners created online games for young people to analyse their
level of social awareness. Thus, a new approach for each student can be developed
and so assist in preventing violent attitudes, exclusion practices and the ability to
start early re-education to foster social and cross-cultural awareness at school and
in everyday life.
Duration:
2010-2012
Webpage:
http://www.smileyschool.eu/4sch/servlet/MainServlet?wbts:page=core.article.show&
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