Let's share the knowledge

Innovator: Zdravka Majkić,  https://www.linkedin.com/in/zdravka-majkic-3aa76714b

Organisation: Elementary school " Bratstvo jedinstvo", Kucura, Vrbas

Setting of the practice: hybrid 

Description of the practice:

Teachers working in small suburban schools and rural areas are familiar with the nature of the demographic social and economic issues facing them day in day out. The statistics show that 88 per cent of children living in rural areas finish primary school. We are often confronted with students’ lack of interest in learning and the absence of support on the part of their families because their parents do not emphasize or promote the importance of education. The question now arises as to what can be done to stimulate popularization of education and support the improvement of the quality of teaching in these areas. 

With implementing SEL activities into classroom we involved students into creating digital activities. Main aim is creating open educational source "Let's share the knowledge", where students and teachers and students from our municipality will share educational resources they own created. The plan is to widen the net to other towns and to raise digital literacy of all community members to higher level. Teachers and students will create digital resources and share with other schools. Teachers will also educate students and citizens about safety on the Internet at general. SEL (Social Emotional Learning) is an innovative and creative approach to learning aiming to develop social skills, independence and stability, as well as the desire to progress in all participants in the education system.

The use of web-based tools, interactive boards and mobile phones enhances the level of student interest in classes since these teaching aids are closely related to their everyday needs. This is how students are no longer simply passive participants. Instead, they become creators of the educational content and the teaching process as well. The emphasis is placed on achieving gender equality in the rural setting thereby ensuring a higher level of participation of girls in STE(A)M disciplines that used to be regarded as largely male dominated! Innovative digital activities and the application of SEL make inclusion of children belonging to vulnerable social groups easier. If we are to help students develop these skills, it is necessary to implement STE(A)M in the classroom, linking new knowledge to the existing pieces of information and the best way to do that is via an interdisciplinary approach to teaching.

The students taking part in Social Emotional Learning programs available at school learn how to identify their individual strengths and weaknesses when dealing with stress.