Caring/ Caring: The community was very receptive and interested in the proposal of open schooling. Initially, the participants were introspective, but after an initial dialogue and engaging activity for introduction, they became comfortable interacting with the researchers in an engaging way. The objectives of the open schooling activity were introduced. They joined the proposal of collective inquiry mapping based on an open schooling experience to identify the challenges and opportunities of the community to face adversities and enhance sustainability.  

Open Schooling Co-learning objectives were identified before and during the activity.  

The researchers and the community were interested in:    

• Understanding what it is and how to do open schooling including communities from Amazonia and universities in Brazil.  

• Identifying the important elements to continue open schooling to enhance the quality of education and in particular exploring solutions for the local issues. 
•  Experiencing an open schooling practice for the production of an ebook “Reserva Tupé 2030”: an agenda of priorities and opportunities.  

This open schooling approach using inquiry mapping and design thinking brought together researchers and practitioners  in  the area of Education, Computer Science, and Psychology as well as community members of the Tupé community and neighboring territories  including students, teachers, school head,  parents, and local citizens.

Several real-life community issues were identified. The challenges discussed were:  

• Secondary school is not offered in the community.  

• Basic Education ends in Elementary School phase II, which corresponds to the ninth school year. 
• Health service is very limited, there are no doctors and nurses.  
• Environmental problems include: reducing waste, lack of safety, the need for water cleaning, poor or lack of sanitation, and insufficient access to energy for all community residents. 
   

Some opportunities for the outside community were also identified:  

• The development of Ecotourism.  

• Communication channels uniting residents, managers, educators, professionals, apprentices. 
• Production of local products (for instance, natural repellents), jewelry, and crafts with seeds and sustainable natural resources. 
• Alternative energy as solar energy. 
• Open schooling providing projects with young people.  

The community raised questions concerning the objective of the study, what benefit it would bring to them, and what would be offered to the community through the partnership with open schooling. It was clarified by the residents and members of the school that the São João community receives many visitors for research, diagnosis, and promises of partnerships, but nothing happens for them. 

The co-authoring of an agenda to guide the community in research projects and future partnerships was an initiative well-received by the community. Participants have become very interested and also committed to sharing their local problems. The dialogue opened an opportunity for collaboration between them supported by local and external partners. The production of an ebook, a collective document of the challenges and opportunities of the community, resulted in a process of consolidating the partnership and initiating new proposals and projects. All community members and partners also positioned themselves as co-learners, i.e. one learning from the other. The activity included people of varying ages from Basic Education to Higher Education. 

Knowledge: Based on the issues that the community cares about, four curricular topics were identified to support the open schooling project. The local researchers from the university and local educators from the school considered it important to discuss the curriculum for students to develop knowledge with the connection between formal, non-formal, and informal education with real-life problem-solving experienced by members of the community of Tupé:    

• Health and well-being: nutrition, local diseases (malaria, dengue, and hepatitis), tooth care.  
• Basic infrastructure, health, river transport, sanitation, drinking water, lack of energy, poor internet connection, and regular High School system. 
• Professional training (training linked to the production chain and sustainability-focused ecotourism, fish farming, family farming, and general services for the construction and maintenance of the basic infrastructure), local public tender vacancies prioritizing community members for greater commitment. Greater incentive and resources for education and health professionals from other communities working in Tupé. 

• Fighting against pollution, care of the environment and biodiversity.  

The skills required: 

• Collaboration: teamwork, internal and external communication. 
• Digital skills: refers to the critical and creative use of local and global knowledge including the internet – reliable sources, critical thinking to detect fake news, security to enhance data protection, computational thinking for teachers and students to learn how to create, adapt and reuse APPs – applications, games, and gamification for significant development of the entire Tupé population and aggregate communities. The educational packages installed by the Municipal Department of Education (SEMED) should be expanded. The current digital resources are GCOMPRIS game packs on Linux, chess games, memory game, text editor and drawing, Google for Education package.  
• Scientific thinking for collaborative research: refers to the process of problem-solving and innovation based on evidence-based thinking and scientific inquiry-based learning involving all representatives of Tupé society: students, teachers, managers, citizens, researchers, and local professionals. 

 

Do: Participants completed all activities: 

• Individual diagnostic interview 

• Discussion and mapping of diagnostic evaluation results 

• Group conversational dynamics using research mapping and design thinking to record information needed to present the prototype 

• Presentation of the findings of each group: challenges and opportunities 

• Final reflection of the process and presentation of prototype/results including next steps 

• Local visits and testimonials 

• Agenda Review 

• Prioritization of actions 

The next steps will be discussing the outputs integrated with key local documents and scientific literature references that will be available for the community to access from the computer laboratory. 

With the purpose of guiding the teaching and learning actions of more than 250,000 students of Manaus, through the SEMED, the new “Municipal School Curriculum” was launched in 2021, with linguistic review, diagramming and better adaptation to all, including riverside communities. 

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kTJ0oMA6cQk83E_YAVfLzgrdr5m0WYbv/view   

Findings related to the approach of Open Schooling: The activity was based on the open scenario – inspired by active methodologies (creative and participatory) such as consensual dialogue, co-creation, investigative mapping with design thinking for communities. Open schooling was considered useful and challenging.  The agenda began with local problems and was finalized with a representative who summarised the views of the community and the value of education for the local population. Community members became more aware of local priorities and also felt more united.  “We have to thank you. Changing is not easy. We need to be strong to want, know and do.   Having regular high school in this community is not a favor, it’s a right.” 

Results for co-learning: Participants recognized that this initiative is challenging because in order to change it is necessary to have a great connection with the priorities that the community cares about, as well as knowledge to solve problems and the development of actions for overcoming local challenges. 

Education, better teaching conditions, transportation for children to get to school, access to doctors and medicines throughout the year including during periods of drought, energy and basic sanitation are some of the community rights. All these issues they were already aware of. However, a key finding was that “something must be done from the union of all members”. This evidence of open schooling can be an approach to enhance the union among the community members from them to do the change that they need based on knowledge and what they care about. This best practice shows that the cocreation of a collective agenda of priorities, challenges and opportunities was a valuable opportunity for them to share their local wisdom and updating/expanding their knowledge including the feedback that they needed and received from the researchers. This enabled them to find alternatives to reduce the barriers, uncertainties, and unknown challenges. This shows that open schooling can be a way to increase communities’ confidence for them to go ahead with their own voices and local wisdom for identifying priorities, enhancing the quality of education, and changing public policies for equality and equity.  

The results for the participants were: involvement, pleasure and trust with science and research. Some specific learning outcomes developed were: (1) becoming aware of the concept ‘open schooling’ – both meaning and procedures. (2) identifying new collaborative approaches to explore issues supported by education for democracy, for example, inquiry mapping with design thinking, (3) greater awareness of problems and opportunities for change.  

As an example, through the open schooling partnership between the school, university and community, it was identified how and who to contact; for example, the policymakers and procedures to make the request of secondary school in the community of Tupé. ​​Another example of increasing awareness of the issues and communication skills to explore the problems and opportunities was children who voluntarily made illustrations of the problems faced and described by the adults. Using their drawings they prioritised the transportation for everyone to get to school and also the need for greater opportunities to learn outside of school, for example, with family members at home and during the transportation to the school because the boat trip from home to school is a long journey for students who live further away. 

The transport from Manaus to the Community takes about 45 minutes by speedboat but a couple of hours by normal boat.  

Because of the drought it is necessary to walk a long distance under the hot weather to get to the school. 

The school has a computer room and a library in the same space., only 1 room with air conditioner and unstable electricity  

It is the only room with air conditioning but with limited use because of the power outage. The internet “low” connection is also limited. To ventilate, the door is then kept open. 

 One of the  open schooling teams including participants of all ages. 

The result was very positive with involvement, significance and engagement. 

 Photographs taken by the community and CONNECT representative Tayanne Grazielle S. Rodrigues 

CARE: We used the animal presentation materials for voting time, with students creating their own advocacy on behalf of their favorite animal, watched the film of wolf rewilding in Yellowstone Park and made food chains.  

KNOW: We adapted and used the materials provided at the 3rd grade level so that we could complete as many actions as possible. As the children were very interested in these activities, most of the activities we did outside of class as extracurricular activities. 

DO: Apart from the resources we received, we used the wwf.ro website, we visited the Neagra Bison Reservation in Bucșani, Dâmbovița – here the children interviewed a master hunter who is in charge of the zoo, we celebrated International Laughing Day on June 11, we made flyers and posters. 

Open Schooling findings: The challenge was the guidebook we received, which I felt was adapted to the secondary school level, but the children were so excited about the project that I worked to adapt it to their level of understanding. Time was the biggest enemy. 

Students’ results: They developed their teamwork skills, interview and advertising campaign skills, acquired new knowledge, enriched their vocabulary with specific terms (food chain, renaturation, ecosystem), learned for pleasure, out of curiosity and intrinsic motivation (participation in the project was voluntary). 

CARE: In this activity the families of the students were involved in order to study the specific habitat of the Subcarpathian area of Balcani commune, as well as forestry specialists in collaboration with the Moinești Forestry School. 

KNOW: The concepts related to the geographical environment, biogeography and pollution were linked to the school curriculum. 

DO: Students no longer found science difficult and difficult to approach because the activities they did were in line with their abilities and worked differentiated for the needs of the group. 

Open Schooling findings: CONNECT resources were used to draw parallels between the species of CONNECT resources and those studied by students.  

Students’ results: Students showed willingness to learn new things, but also deepened the knowledge already acquired previously. Also, they gained knowledge about the animals studied by making practical presentations/projects about them. 

CARE: Open educational resources are a necessary part of the educational process, further contributing to learner-centered learning, access to, promotion and use of online content. 

KNOW: CONNECT resources provided opportunities for a cross-curricular and inter-disciplinary approach, students consolidated and applied their knowledge of ecology, biology, ICT, in a wider context by producing information materials: leaflets, posters, posters, posters, calendars, etc. 

DO: Pupils have established and applied their knowledge of trophic relationships; developing digital skills, technology, presenting information using different methods of communication. 

Open Schooling findings: Useful and accessible information for students increased their confidence that they could handle tasks effectively and overcome difficulties. The scientific actions contributed to a responsible attitude on the part of students, the formation of research and investigation skills in the field of Science. 

Students’ results: Students worked in teams and produced several products (leaflets, posters, posters, banners, calendars), which they presented during an activity in which three experts from Valahia University in Targoviste participated. 

CARE: The resources were very useful as they motivated the teacher to rethink the lesson and increase the students’ input in their learning process. The STEM lesson becomes motivating not only for me as a teacher, but also for the students by developing students’ ability to collaborate with others when tackling a problem and formulating solutions. 

KNOW: The activities allowed us to take a modern, transdisciplinary approach, room classroom thus transforming it into a creative learning environment where students and learnt new ways of solving problems, acquired those skills targeted by the curriculum, created and used tools in an innovative way. Science and technology are part of our lives and using them in a way that adds value is important. 

DO: The students were really engaged in the new activities proposed by the new type of lesson, and through direct observation we recorded the students’ willingness to participate in a greater number of lessons designed on the new structure, the students felt attracted by the new learning/expression possibilities. The challenges and opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic, led to the unprecedented use of digital technology during this period. Even though at first students wondered “Can I do this?” “Will I be able to do it well?” “How can I do it better? “, the freedom to experiment, the accessibility of the platform, the ease of use and their engagement led to positive feedback. 

Open Schooling findings: Open educational resources are useful for designing a modern, interactive lesson, involving rethinking the classic lesson. The use of OERs aims/has aimed to increase student motivation, adapting the instructional-educational approach in the manner of a modern, interactive lesson. 

Students’ results: Through CONNECT resources, the lesson became cross-curricular, following the STEM model. Students improved their ICT skills, using different platforms (PREZI, ANIMOTO; MIND MAP) to document and present different case studies. 

CARE: We created a course on Google Classroom platform to facilitate teacher-student, student-student, teacher-student-parents interaction. The course is entitled CONNECT with SCIENCE. The support materials offered within the project were presented. The choice of the representative species for the study was based on a Google forms questionnaire. Following the analysis of the questionnaire, the species chosen by the students was the Lynx. 

KNOW: The activities proposed in the project were in correlation with the specific competences of the Biology subject and contribute to the formation of the profile of the secondary school graduate. From this point of view, the activities developed in the students the ability to 

• solve problems and problem situations in everyday life;
• design and carry out an investigative approach to test a working hypothesis;
• process, graph and interpret experimental data and evidence;
• imagine and make some useful products for current activities;
• show an interest in healthy living and keeping the environment clean.

DO: The students actively participated in all the proposed activities and showed interest and enthusiasm. They worked as a team and successfully completed the proposed activities. Among the activities carried out: 

• reading texts from atlases, magazines, etc. in order to extract information, summarise or make a logical outline of the content;
• watching films of different ecosystems/living environments to observe the characteristics of this species;
• completing worksheets and observation sheets based on information from various sources;
• graphical representation of food webs and food webs in which the species of interest is included;
• analysis of problem situations using graphical models (e.g. identification of the consequences of the disappearance of a species from a food web/introduction of a new species on the other living organisms in the food web).

Open Schooling findings: The project activities were attended by students who are interested in studying, students who like science and therefore the project activities were not stressful. In the first stage of the project, the students were satisfied with the activities carried out, they did not express any dissatisfaction, on the contrary they are looking forward to new topics of discussion to direct them in research and investigation activities. 

Students’ results: The pupils adapted to the project activities along the way. They worked as a team and helped each other, cooperating successfully within the group. They produce promotional material for the species of interest – flyer.  

CARE: It was difficult at first to get them interested, but with patience, slowly, things started to come together. Of course, there was also competition between teams, who could make the most successful plea for the introduction of a species, who made the best campaign, etc. 

KNOW: The most important relationships that are established between living things in a biocenosis are feeding relationships, also called trophic relationships. Students were able to highlight food chains in different possible scenarios depending on the species proposed for rewilding. Applications such as this were very well folded into the respective biology and ecology curricula. 

DO: The students worked in teams and tried to document and analyse evidence provided by researchers to support different claims. The results were presented in an activity attended by three experts from the Valahia University of Targoviste. 

Open Schooling findings: The open educational resources were a support for teachers as they followed the competences of the curriculum in several subjects: biology, ecology, biodiversity conservation. Most of the activities carried out used open educational resources because they were easy to use, we had free access and they were in an accessible format. 

Students’ results: The students have produced various products as a result of this project, such as posters, posters for the promotion of animal species, a poster and a calendar for the year 2022 with the species canis lupus. They worked in teams and tried to document and analyse evidence provided by researchers to support different claims.