Exchange of Traditional Dances and National Customs Among European Primary Schools
Primary School of Pteleos
Upon the beginning of the current school year, the Primary School of Pteleos, Greece, participates in the European programme ‘eTwinning’ which promotes the collaboration of European schools with common pedagogical and educational objectives. The project we submitted this year bears the title «Dancing our Way Through Tradition» and it involves learners in the exchange of national customs and traditions among participating European Primary Schools. The vehicle for each exchange will be a video-recorded traditional dance of each partner, accompanied with the presentation of a selected custom or tradition.
The primary objectives of this endeavour are: a) to raise awareness of learners’ own and others’ customs and tradition, b) to develop global understanding, c) to realize the emergence of English as an international language, and d) to motivate leasrners to learn national traditional dances. The secondary objectives are: a) to develop learners’ writing skills in English, b) to promote collaborative learning, c) to introduce the use of technology in learning (video, email, search engine, word processor, PowerPoint presentation, etc). «Dancing Our Way Through Tradition» aspires primarily to develop the learners’ awareness of the traditions of other countries. This way, they may become more tolerant with different cultures and more sensitive to different lifestyles, and generally more respectful of the diversity of cultures.
Once submitted, the programme has been approved by the National Committee and the Primary Schools involved are the following: eLearning Centre, Floriana, Malta, Karacaoğlan İ.Ö.O / Primary School, Adana, Turkey, Scoala gen. nr. 2 Codlea, Codlea, Romania, St. Clare College, San Gwann Primary A, San Gwann, Malta, TEVFİK YARAMANOĞLU İLKÖĞRETİM OKULU, MERKEZ, Turkey, Samanyolu Ilköğretim Okulu , Ankara, Turkey and the Primary School of Politika, Evia, Greece.
The first exchange among the participating schools has been accomplished prior to the closing of schools for the Christmas Holidays and it involved the learners of the Primary School of Pteleos in the creation of a video with Greek Christmas carols and songs and a presentation of the Greek Christmas and New Year’s customs. The learners taking part in this project are those of the 4th, 5th and 6th grade and the teachers who coordinated and collaborated for this first exchange are the following: Despina Founda (Physical Education Teacher), Maria Soultani (Music Teacher) and Paraskevi Hamilou (English Teacher).
