MYSTORY - THE STORY OF NOW AND THEN

Abstract

"Because history is larger than history books" this is why MyStory (Creating an ICT-based inter-generational learning environment;Project no. 511641-LLP-1-2010-1-RO-KA3-KA3MP) has been planned to explore and bring out into the light the stories of the past. Their stories matter! The stories of all those who have had history for a daily life. It is through these stories that we hope to bridge the gap between generations. Understanding the other is the first step towards embracing generations which may seem so far away or ahead of times. Seniors and teenagers - two social extremes in the present world, each of them carying an impressive load of knowledge, values and abilities. Seniors have the memories of a world slowly fading away while teenagers have the pulse of present and vision of future. It is therefore a must that these two ends bound to create a constant interconnection through sharing, input and intake on the part of both sides. Factual information is moulded by personal experice and in this particular context subjectivity brings an added value to already stored historical information. The "I" stands not for distortion of reality but for personal experience which needs to be valorised and treasured for its great potential of casting light upon present. Past itself can be updated and present technologies be put in its service. MyStory project empowers seniors and encourages them to share their stories with the young generation through interviews collected by young people. Films, the final form of these interviews, are presented to the final beneficiary on the project website at www.mystories.eu and are accompanied by complementary information on the historical and social background. This is mainly targeted at teenagers, educational institutions, museums, researchers etc who can use the processed or row material in their professional activities. On the other hand, seniors are involved in training classes to develop basic ICT skills which allow them to have access to online information and thus add a new alternative to daily activities. Training is being done with the help and support of teenagers and this ensures a bidirectional transfer of knowledge and abilities. Technology in the case of MyStory project is being used to facilitate access to online information but also to equip the user with transversal competences which can be used either on the virtual or the face-to-face medium. Combining past experiences with present innovative technologies is a means of reviving history in a functional way and making it part of the present dynamics.