Project activity experience in the basic school

Having Lithuania entered the age of rapid development the current mission of the educational system is to ensure upbringing of a comprehensively educated, adaptable and able to work in a rapidly changing environment person. For this purpose the study programs, contents are renewed, flexible studying system is developed, active teaching methods are implemented, interrelations of all chains of educational system are strengthened, contacts, co-operation projects, etc. are expanded. Active education methods are getting more popular in the educational system. One of rather popular ones - project method. Project method is "a leaching method when the pupils or students cooperating with the teachers and other people analyze and solve problems without getting detached from social reality in which those problems arise" (Stearfeldt, Mathiasen. 1999, p. 80). Developed project method is called project activity. Project activity determines personal activity, creativeness, therefore, it is relevant to this stage of the reform of educational system attempting to make school open to society. Therefore, project activity is an indication of flexibility, democracy of an educational institution, willingness to seek for new ways and possibilities for upbringing of an active, versatile personality. The article analyzes peculiarities of project activities in basic schools, development aspects are indicated, project activity partners introduced, benefits received by the school from project activities evaluated. Analysis data showed that schools take active part in project activities. In order to have purposeful project activities, when choosing the subject of a project activity the opinion of parents and students, relevance of the subject, relevant problems to be solved are regarded. The schools conduct comprehensive project activities involving various partners: parents of the students, other educational institutions, municipality, social, international partners, specialists of various fields, and public organizations. The benefits received from the school from project activities are positively regarded by both pedagogues and management. Importance of communication and communication relations, possibilities of building of communities, expanding the view, development, acquiring practical knowledge and skills are particularly stressed