collaboration

1,2 Buckle my shoes

Mar, 21/07/2009 - 23:45

Preschool-aged children have been involved with concrete materials and hands on activities in order to build pre-math skills.

1. Sommario progetto
Sommario: 

‘1, 2 buckle my shoes’ is a project based on early mathematics. Preschools from Poland, Malta, Scotland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Romania, Lithuania and Canada, U.S.A, and England are participating in the project. A mathematical topic was planned for each month. Enumeration, comparing activities, adding, measures, space and position, shapes, comparisons, and classifications topics were carried out by the partners. Lesson plans were discussed and results of work exchanged at the end of each month. Different methodologies were observed and discussed. Young children learn best when they are allowed to construct a personal understanding based on experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. A set of topics, ‘Maths around us’ was planned and the children explored ‘Maths and our Toys’, Maths in the shops’, ‘Maths at Christmas time’, ‘Maths in the streets’, ‘Maths in the kitchen’, ‘Maths in the garden’, Maths in the gym’ and ‘Maths and water’.

The children performed a series of hands-on mathematical activities. They prepared mathematical crafts, drawings and take digital photos and video clips to share with each other. They actively participated in the preparation of presentations of activities they want to share with their new friends.
Children were encouraged to invent and play games whilst they learnt to follow rules. 
Children played online games and acquired ICT skills.
Video conferencing were held where children shared their experiences, sang number rhymes and heard the numbers in partner’s different languages. 
To realize this vision the project team worked together to raise awareness of the importance of mathematics in early education, sharing sound pedagogical approaches to mathematical teaching and learning and developing essential resources to support high quality equitable mathematical experiences for all young children. The project team shared their expertise in ICT and new ICT programs were explored. Children joined in creating mathematical digital puzzles and games. A <a href=" http://moodlepp5.webhost.pl/moodle/index.php?lang=en_utf8 "target="_blank"> Moodle platform </a>
was created where games, puzzles and interactive books were prepared for the children to access. Different European cultures and languages were also introduced to the children. The young children involved have had their natural self focus expanded to be inclusive of others and started the process of developing the early concepts of belonging to a wider national and international community with rich and diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The Wiki" created to publish and share the outcomes shows clear examples of the above but equally demonstrates through video and digital photos the confidence, motivation and early independent learning skills the children acquired. Children and staff in all partner schools have accessed and experienced an eclectic array of ICT, improving skill and experience levels exponentially as the project progressed. The shared team working of the staffs in all schools has been an enormous advantage in pedagogical advancement and staff development. The ICT developments in our early stage classrooms achieved through this collaborative eTwinning project shows a very high level of skill and experience for both children and staff.
 
2. Paese (Città / Regione)
Stato: 
Malta
Città: 
Fgura
3. Nome dell'organizzazione che presenta il progetto
Organizzazione: 
St Thomas More College Fgura Primary
4. Tipo di organizzazione
Scegli tipo: 
Scuola
5. Coordinatore del progetto
Nome e Cognome: 
Marianne Schembri
E-Mail: 
miriam.schembri@gmail.com
6. Website
Il sito web del progetto: 
http://twinmath.wikispaces.com/
7. Selezionate la categoria di appartenenza del vostro progetto
Youth Education Project. Select Project Users by age: 
Fino a 10 anni
Inserimento dei giovani nel mondo del lavoro: 
NOT Helping youth step in the job market
Creatività e Innovazione sociale: 
NOT in Creativity and Social Innovation
8. Da quando è funzionante il vostro progetto?
Da: 
17/09/2007
9. Obiettivi ed elementi di innovazione
Please explain the targets and the background of your project: 

 

 
Aims
Children will master pre-math skills
Children will foster essential skills like critical thinking, observation, problem-solving, and communication.
Children from partner schools will motivate each other.
Logical thinking skills will be encouraged
Good mathematical experiences will be provided
Pedagogical issues will be exchanged
Children will develop their skills in ICT
Children will become aware of different European cultures and languages.
Children will have fun!
 
Come, e con quali mezzi cerca di raggiungere gli obiettivi prefissati: 

 

The project encourages innovation in pedagocical methods and materials. The teachers explore international methodologies. A bank of mathematical resources is created which is available to all interested teachers through our wiki. Learning is enjoyable and successful, personal and something which the children can identify. Children and staff from the different schools have highly motivated each other. Along with mathematicals, Ict is central to our project. The children are introduced and have accessed different tools and equipment. Self esteem and personal development was achieved with the use of video cameras and digital photos.
Quali opportunità/problemi affronta: 

 

The partner schools has got pupils from different races, cultures and religions. There are different social classes. Through this project we can reach the parents by motivating them. They can also use the ICT resources on our moodle with their children at home.
We also strive for our students to learn in a pleasant, enjoyable and safe school environment and develop holistically the full potential of each and every child. Working with a European dimension we will get better results through sharing pedagogical issues and methodologies. Children as well as the pedagogical staff will be more motivated. All the students and partners will be exposed to different European languages and cultures. The level of ICT skills will rise in all partner schools
 
 
Please explain what is unique or special in your project: 

 

The pedagogical issue was a special point in our project.
The schools contributed to the structure that situated their curriculum. Each school addresses the outcomes differently. They were flexible to adapt the topics to their national curriculum. We got ideas from all over Europe. We found out that we all think in the same way. If one enters our wiki one can try our work examples and practices. It is like a teacher training course for international schools.
Another special and unique point was the ICT skills the children and teachers included acquired. Teachers shared ICT skills and tools. Tutorials on Web2.0 tools which can be found on our moodle platform were prepared and shared by the teachers. The teachers were enthusiastic and motivated each other in trying out new tools. A special section on our moodle platform is called ‘Time for Children’ were games, jigsaw puzzles, quizzes and interactive books were prepared with the children’s participation. In order to comply with internet safety, assessors have to register to enter the moodle platform. Online games were followed up with hands on activities. 
 
10. Risultati
Describe the results of your project as per today: 

 

A wiki  http://twinmath.wikispaces.com/ with all our results can be accessed. This is a bank of resources which can be used by other teachers and parents.
 
The children have enjoyed innovative and creative mathematical activities. Learning was enjoyable and successful.
Thinking skills were encouraged. Children fostered skills like critical thinking, observation, problem-solving and communications.
The project has encouraged innovations in pedagogical methods and materials.
The partnership has facilitated communications between different countries.
The children have acquired Ict skills through the use of online games prepared by the teachers.
Parents were encouraged to access the wiki and use  <a href=" http://moodlepp5.webhost.pl/moodle/index.php?lang=en_utf8 "target="_blank"> the moodle </a> with their children.
Descrivete in quale modo il progetto contribuisce a migliorare l'educazione e la formazione dei giovani: 

 

The pedagogical exchanges with other European teachers have reinforced the variety of approach, quality and creativity of all the teaching staff involved. Staff motivation is high and the professional development through the exchange of ideas has added a quality dimension to all the classrooms involved. The children have engaged with others through their shared activities and the complex concepts of understanding similarity while celebrating difference have been initiated. The young children involved have had their natural self focus expanded to be inclusive of others.
Engaging in curriculum development with our partner schools across Europe opened new exciting possibilities in delivery of key curriculum objectives in many areas within and out with mathematics. Engagement in this eTwinning project with many European partners provided opportunities for cultural understanding, citizenship, language development, art and craft, technology and enterprise education all within the context of international education.
 
Descrivete in quale modo il progetto favorisce l'uso delle nuove tecnologie da parte di professionisti, ragazzi e giovani per lo sviluppo culturale e didattico: 

 

Children and staff in all partner schools have accessed and experienced an eclectic array of ICT, improving skill and experience levels exponentially as the project progressed. Specifically in all partnership schools these include internet explorer and search engines such as Google, presentation software including Power Point and PhotoStory3, communication tools including email, digital photography and digital video, interactive online games, Smart Board interactive activities and etc. Staff communication, pedagogical exchanges and project development has been facilitated through email and Wikis and pedagogical exemplars using video and presentation tools. Staff development in the use of ICT tools and also creative learning and teaching methodologies has been a significant and highly successful element within this project. Using pupil peer to peer support for the development of ICT skills and outcomes contextualized in team working between pupils has been a revelation and a transferable technique across the curriculum.
Descrivete i criteri che usate per misurate i risultati raggiunti dal vostro progetto: 

 

We assess the children development and progress. We take feed back from parents, children and other teachers.
11. Sostenibilità
Indicate la durata complessiva del progetto: 
Da 1 a 3 anni
12. Trasferibilità
Il progetto è stato replicato/adattato altrove: 
Si
Specifica: 

 

Some of the schools have continued the project by applying for a Lifelong learning Comenius grant. It has also been presented to other European pre-primary teachers at an eTwinning Pedagogical development workshop in Warsaw. It is used in our countries as an example of best practice of an eTwinning project.
Che cosa possono imparare altri soggetti dal vostro progetto: 

 

Maths can be fun and enjoyable to the children.
Maths can be creative and innovative.
Practical activities can be copied.
Ict skills can be taught to young children of 3 to 6 years old.
Tutorials on ict tools can be accessed on our
 <a href=" http://moodlepp5.webhost.pl/moodle/index.php?lang=en_utf8 "target="_blank"> Moodle platform. </a>
 
Siamo disponibili ad aiutare altri soggetti a sviluppare progetti o a migliorare progetti esistenti: 
Siamo disponibili ad aiutare altri soggetti a sviluppare progetti o a migliorare progetti esistenti.
13. Informazioni aggiuntive
Background: 

 

This is an etwinning project. Partners from Malta and Scotland started working on eTwinning projects in 2005 whilst partners from Poland and Spain had been working on other eTwinning projects. Malta and Poland joined together and invited the other partners to continue the partnership. They worked together on another project. Afterwards Malta and Poland started this project and invited past partners and new partners to have a wide range of schools from all over Europe.
Future plans and wish list: 

 

Comenius project will continue for another year. Alongside maths and Ict skills, traditions have been added as topics.
We are planning a new project for the coming year and we will continue with the partnership. We enjoy working in the eTwinning sphere as we have developed professionally and acquired a lot of ict skills. We would like to try out more web 2.0 tools and their use in pre-primary classes.

 

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The School of Kindness

Sab, 11/07/2009 - 19:57

The School of Kindness shows an alliance of three schools, two from the USA and one from Israel that created a unique website together.

1. Sommario progetto
Sommario: 

Ein Ganim School Israel-Teacher Marsha Goren Harrison Elementary School Indiana, USA- Teacher Rick Glass Abraham Lincoln Elementary School Illinois, USA -Teacher Matthew Kuntz Three schools from around the world collaborated in creating this special school with the helping focus in mind. Rick and his students came up with the idea for the School of Kindness. What a great idea- to spread kindness in our schools, community, and the world- through acts of kindness. This entire project has made the teachers and kids smile from start to finish- students reaching out to help others. The GVC - Give back something international had added a new category to encourage kids to help those in need at the schools and in the different communities . The kids at Harrsion and Lincoln organized The Peanut Butter Jelly Drive - the opportunity to help others in need that were part of another community (the residents of Warsaw, Indiana). The GVC08-01 students collected over 200 jars of peanut butter and jelly to give to the CCS (Combined Community Services) of Indiana. Rick and his wife came to pick up the donations from Matt and his kids! Then came the Hungry Minds Pasta Dinner that the 5th graders at Lincoln put on for various food related charities- from the baking of the bread to the serving of the pasta meals, the students were helping others in need. The students raised over raised over $3,000 to support the charities the fifth graders selected to help feed the hungry-WOW! The 6th graders from Israel decided to start a computer club and teach the fourth graders computer skills and software programs. The sharing of knowledge among the kids was both motivating and stimulating to everyone involved. The project can be used by students anywhere. As Rick Glass sums it up so beautifully in his feedback: Kindness has become embedded in these students. They are actively seeking ways to show kindness to each other, their families, their neighbors, their communities, and their world. I am glad these students will be our future. As they continue to spread their messages of kindness and good will, I believe our world will be in good hands.

2. Paese (Città / Regione)
Stato: 
Israel
Città: 
Petach Tikva
3. Nome dell'organizzazione che presenta il progetto
Organizzazione: 
Ein Ganim School together with Harrison and Lincoln Elementary
4. Tipo di organizzazione
Scegli tipo: 
Scuola
5. Coordinatore del progetto
Nome e Cognome: 
Marsha Goren (representativie of the 3 schools)
E-Mail: 
gorenmm@zahav.net.il
6. Website
Il sito web del progetto: 
http://gvc0801.gvc08.virtualclassroom.org/
7. Selezionate la categoria di appartenenza del vostro progetto
Youth Education Project. Select Project Users by age: 
Fino a 15 anni
Inserimento dei giovani nel mondo del lavoro: 
NOT Helping youth step in the job market
Creatività e Innovazione sociale: 
Creatività e Innovazione sociale
8. Da quando è funzionante il vostro progetto?
Da: 
01/09/2008
9. Obiettivi ed elementi di innovazione
Please explain the targets and the background of your project: 

The GVC Global Virutal Classroom vision is to empower, enable and connect students around the world using Internet technology. It aims to provide students the opportunity to develop three skills that are essential in the 21st century: * Cross-Cultural Communication * Collaboration * Computer Skills The major project of the GVC is a contest in which schools from around the world collaborate to build websites that are judged on the quality of their content and presentation, and on the collaboration. The contest runs from October through April, with winners announced in May. The targets and background of our project were to encourage the children to work as a team in Global collaboration, build a website by sharing ideas and creating materials together through the power of the Internet and Nicenet the classes exchanged and shared their ideas.

Come, e con quali mezzi cerca di raggiungere gli obiettivi prefissati: 

The Kindness website has promoted kindness and has showed ways to help people all over the world through the stories, fables, and images created by the students of the three schools. Their combined effort has revealed a new way of living. It is the life of helping, giving, love, and peace. If everyone in the world understood how to live like that, there would be no more war or prejudice. The Library is a very important part of the website. The "How-To" section of the Library displays the rules of a kind world. It says not to judge someone because of how they look, to help others, and never leave anyone out of anything on purpose. The "Graphic Stories" section is an easier, more fun part of the library for kids who prefer plenty of pictures, nothing too complicated, and plenty of colors in what they read. The fable section of the library teaches people lessons, or morals, and widens their thinking and helps them to see new solutions to day-to-day problems with their friends, family, and people they run into on the street. The Team-Writing section helps kids interact with others their age through their stories, and develop creativity by continuing other kid's work. Through all the make-believe stories and drawings, the people in the project express how they think the world should be. One third of the Cafeteria is like the "How-To" section of the library with a food twist. The other two thirds are as important as the Library. They tell about food donations or food-related donations that have helped hungry families. Though not as big as the Library, the Cafeteria is one of the main wings of the website. We have learned a lot while working on this project, creating animations and pictures. It has opened my eyes to a better world- a world where we could all live in kindness and peace. By Gaya student from Ein Ganim Israel

Quali opportunità/problemi affronta: 

It addresses the opportunities of encouraging children to work together with technology skills, it encourages creativity for everyone in the project, it encourages a dialogue of a sharing of ideas. It also has improved English skills and has opened a door to new friendships and an exchanging of knowledge with kids and educators from different areas of our world.

Please explain what is unique or special in your project: 

The creativity and the unique work which the children implemented in creating this project. It includes beautiful animations made by the kids, graphic stories, movies, ipods and pictures. They have all come together and found this experience more than rewarding.

10. Risultati
Describe the results of your project as per today: 

The School of Kindness was the grand prize winner of the Global Virtual Classroom this year in the elementary school category. According to the judges: The Welcome section provided an excellent over all description of the site. It helped me understand what to expect and where to find things. I appreciated how lessons were taught in different ways to accommodate how different people learn (i.e., Graphic Stories). The credit section was straight forward, informative, and made it easy to determine the level of cooperation. I liked the graphics and I loved the topic. The content had great depth. “Entertaining opening flash; most content; most multi-media; best website”

In che misura risponde ai bisogni degli utenti: 

Since the site was entirely created by children it is rewarding and satisfying for them to contribute and take part with other kids. Some of the feedback by the kids- I think that the project has really important meaning, the meaning is that people from all around the world can work together and have fun. Ein Ganim ello. My name is Heidi and I want to talk to you about Podcasts in the Students and Staff section. Podcasts are a way that we can share the message of Kindness with other students, teachers, and students around the world. The Podcasts are a way to communicate the Kindness message through real life, like video taping. When we do Podcasts, we get to communicate real life experiences, and get thoughts on Kindness through a website, to show that Kindness through Podcasts is another way to show how Kindness has affected lives. And straight from the persons mouth, instead of typing it out on paper. Words through the mouth are better said then done on paper. Sometimes you can just pour your thoughts on video tape and show Kindness through words coming straight from your heart about things that you think of other people’s points or your own. It really helps me see that we can show Kindness through creative ways, and still get the message through. My favorite Podcast was the one when Lincoln Elementary shared the news about the package that arrived from Israel. Harrison Elementary My favorite part of GVC was making new friends from around the world and having fun together. Lincoln Elementary

11. Sostenibilità
Indicate la durata complessiva del progetto: 
Da 3 a 6 anni
Is your project economically self sufficient now: 
Si
Insert date: 
08/01/2008
12. Trasferibilità
Il progetto è stato replicato/adattato altrove: 
No
Che cosa possono imparare altri soggetti dal vostro progetto: 

Educators can find technology a tremendous way to motivate their students and improve their skills but the biggest benefit is seeing the motivation and determination the kids are willing to put into work like this.Sharing with an audience of peers from around the world is beneficial in more ways that can be written. This also improves creativity skills and has encouraged children to contribute to society and this helping focus has made an impact on their behavior.

Siamo disponibili ad aiutare altri soggetti a sviluppare progetti o a migliorare progetti esistenti: 
Siamo disponibili ad aiutare altri soggetti a sviluppare progetti o a migliorare progetti esistenti.
13. Informazioni aggiuntive
Background: 

The Global Virtual Classsroom give something back international has encouraged educators and children from around the world to work together globallly through the power of the Internet. It is an excellent program and has grown from year to year. The most important element is the learning process and everyone in the project from the three schools felt they all learned so much in so many beneficial areas.

Future plans and wish list: 

I have sent the School of Kindness to all of our partners in Globaldreamers and the feedback we received has been phenomenal and children have been implementing the project and been inspired by us. I could only wish to work with educators like Rick Glass and Matthew Kuntz. They have shared their knowledge and their friendship with me and my students and for that I am eternally grateful.

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