The benefits of the Project Week at Xhelal Hajda – Toni Gymnasium

Publication Date June 06 2021

There was enthusiasm on 27 April 2021 among students of Xhelal Hajda – Toni Gymnasium in Rahovec to show the projects carried out as part of the Project Week. The school, partner in the USAID financed ’After School for Teens’’ – ASSET Program, had organized a special event to celebrate the activity, inviting other stakeholders as well in the presentation of the projects prepared.

The Project Week was organized based on the knowledge gained by teachers from the Project based teaching training, a method that allows for the concretization of theoretical learning and interconnection between different domains/subjects and the real world. The activity proved that if teachers cooperate in planning the achievement of curriculum learning outcomes and if they involve students in building their knowledge, teaching and learning process will be far more attractive and meaningful. For a 2-months period, teachers and students of this gymnasium were engaged in planning and carrying out 6 school projects that offer a variety of activities and research in Arts, Sciences, Maths and other school subjects. During this process, students had the opportunity to particularly develop and apply soft skills, which are required for life and work, such as: teamwork, problem solving, creativity, communication, responsibility toward work and others, etc., which directly contributes to the development of the key competences foreseen in the curriculum.

Of the six projects completed: Student Motivation during Pandemics, Students’ collective exhibition, PI ∏ Number, Water in Nature, Political Parties, Sports Nutrition, the program representatives monitored the presentation of the project: Water in Nature and Students’ collective exhibition.

Project Week event at Xhelal Hajda – Toni Gymnasium, Rahovec

Students and teachers had tried to explore various ways of learning, showing how valuable education experiences beyond classrooms are worthy to have students challenge themselves in different ways. During the presentation of the Water in Nature project, we understood that students had been exposed to new activities and group experiences. For Elona Spahiu, student, who presented the ’Improvised water flow’’ project, being engaged in this activity was interesting, it was not considered a work because it was attractive. Whereas, her friend - Anes Zika, who presented water sources and their importance for the Municipality of Rahovec, shared his experience in carrying out the project. ‘’We are living so close to ancient sources and there are few visitors visiting them. My wish is to promote Rahovec because it has an ancient past and particular beauties. Thanks to this activity, we learned how to better present the beauties of our country’’ – he said.

Also the students who were gathered at the school hall shared the intensive and attractive period of learning they experienced. Participants got involved by placing the paintings in the school hall. From that it was evident that cooperation between teachers and students in organising the Project Week is crucial and very important because students work closely with the others and share their opinions with the group and this wonderful experience is not offered by every school.

At the end, the school management considered the Project Week an integral part of curriculum and they said its organization will become a tradition, because this activity will be included in their annual school plans.