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An e-Twinning Project. Two countries, Republic of Ireland and Sweden collaborate with each other in the domains of Environmental Science and Literature/Respective Legends..

1. Project summary

Summary:

Pupils from Knockaclarig NS, Ireland and Vindängen Sweden collaborate and build knowledge together. The foundation for the project is to produce, share and give feed back on media material. Another keystone for the projects is to use ICT tools at it best. Self produced films are to be used as a didactic tool when pupils work with themes chosen from syllabus. The media material is published and discussed on the project blog “http://blog.eun.org/film2/”. Two initiating themes are set. The Irish partnership is preparing “Wild Flowers of the Countryside”. Vindänge have initiated “A study on small animals in a pond next to school.” The work with these themes is to proceed during autumn term. Yet another object added to the project is to expand the concept share. Tutorials on how our work is done will be prepared. Teacher students from University will be included in eTwinning activities. Year 2006 Pupils learn from pupils about life in different parts of Europe by sharing self-made DVD film. Pupils produce films with a DVD camera about their local community, interests and daily activities, and share it with a friend. The film can be published on a local web-site, or distribute it on CD / DVD record. The film will be first step to establish contact between pupils, and their teachers. Further contact between the participants will be proceeding by mail.

2. Country (City / Region)

State:

Ireland

City:

Knockaclarig, Mallow, Co. Cork

3. Company/organization/institute presenting the project

Organization:

Irish and Swedish Primary Schools

4. Type of organization

Select type:

School

5. Project coordinator

Name and Surname:

Tom Roche

E-Mail:

knockans@hotmail.com

6. Website

The website of the project:

http://blog.eun.org/film2

7. Please select the category in which you candidate your project

Youth Education Project. Select Project Users by age:

Up to 15 years

Helping youth step in the job market:

NOT Helping youth step in the job market

Creativity and Social Innovation:

Creativity and Social Innovation

8. How long has your project been running?

From:

01/09/2007

9. Targets and Elements of Innovation

Please explain the targets and the background of your project:

The principal aim is to do an environmental study of their respective localities under agreed headings, present the findings to each other, analyse, compare, contrast and conclude. Similar heading would be agreed in the Literature domain. It would be hoped to produce an authentic DVD of the undertaking.

A second module within the project will deal with Multimedia Authoring and Production using a WIKI as an introduction to the Swedish language.

What does it try to achieve and how:

Language development, oral and written.
Voice projection and delivery.
Graphical visualization through Art/drawing and colouring.
Curriculum Linkage and Integration.
ICT skills-Consolidation and Acceleration.
ICT integration in the Teaching and Learning environment.
Showcase stories.

Which opportunities/problems does it address to:

The Science module explores a new, non traditional methodology for teaching Science. Many countries in Europe acknowledge there is a major decline in the uptake of science amongst students. Our alternative inquiry based, teacher facilitated , student collaborative methodology hopes to show and present scientific subjects in an easier assimilated platform.

The literature module mediated through the theme of legends present a bi-lateral aspect of our respective countries cultures.

It would to extend the methodology with its strong digital mediation in other curricular areas and subjects in the different European Curricula.

Please explain what is unique or special in your project:

Integrating the project and this particular methodology into the school curriculum is one of the aims of the eTwinning project so Knockaclarig National School and Vindangen Primary School decided to align theirs with the science strand, Environmental Awareness and Care. As is often the case, however, the scope of the project was far greater. While science was the kernel of the project’s first module and it was strictly adhered to nonetheless a myriad of topics surfaced and were treated in many different formats.

One of the themes his pupils worked on was Irish wild flowers. Pupils went to a local farmer's field beside the school, captured images on still and movie cameras and handhelds of the ten flowers they had selected. As a result they became aware of the local names for the flowers, so then researched their botanical names. They found the Irish names and asked for the equivalents from the Swedish school. Each student gave an audio report on one of the flowers.

The project work then moved into other curriculum areas, drawing the plants, choosing music to accompany a journey to a field and exploring the theme of flowers in poetry, song and girls’ names. Much of their research was built into the slideshow that is uploaded to the blog.

This eTwinning project is also a great example of social networking. There was ease of communications, query and willingness to exchange and learn more about the other person’s point of view and the pupils got a perception of Sweden that could not be assimilated through an atlas or a text book.

Confidence and self esteem, ICT and technical skills all expanded in the virtual world of the lessons.

10. Results

Describe the results of your project as per today:

Interpersonal, international and intercultural development.
Team building and collaboration.
European Citizenship Awareness.
Development of trust and positive attitudes.
Sharing roles and responsibilities.
A willingness to see challenges as just problems to be solved.
Interactivity with Educational Institutions removed from one’s own educational platform and environment.

How does it fulfill the users’ needs:

We tentatively set out to develop an European relationship and hoped to set up a worthwhile international curriculum aligned project. This we did. Pedagogically, digitally and technically we progressed through sharing and while it was extensive and became intensive we thoroughly enjoyed our virtual experiences.

The project concept is also easily adaptable for differentiated learning.

How many users interact with your project per month and what are the preferred forms of interaction:

We generate approx. 2500 hits per month on our website, we have constant e-mail enquiries, other school nationally and inteernationally have visite us. I have designed and delivered inservice courses for teachers and student teachers based on this methodology.

How has it improved the quality of educational and/or training services:

It has given us an international platform and a different and positive perspective on the educational curricula of other countries.

We are at the moment exploring concepts such as Problem Based Learning, Modernity and Authenticty whichwe feel can be integrated into our style of teaching, learning and research.

The partnership impacted on the students involved in the project , other classes and filtered into the greater local community resulting in the following outputs.

Official launch of project on Thursday 9th October 2008 in “Bruach na Carraige Arts and Cultural Centre” at 20:00 hours, Rockchapel, Co.Cork Ireland by The Minister for Education and Science, Mr. Batt O’Keeffe TD. followed by Press Conference.
Visit of the Swedish partners to Ireland.
Swedish-Irish Science Day in KnockaclarigNationalSchool all day Friday 10th October 2008.
Social day visiting places of scenic and historical importance in the school locality.
Reflection and Final Report was written up.

It is proposed that we enter the film at the “Tralee International Film Festival Summer 2010.”

How has it improved the participation of professionals, children, youth and other stakeholders:

We have developed in the following areas:

Project Mangement Skills
Administration Skills There has been an acceleration in our pedagogical, digital and technical skills.

How does it promote the use of ICT for the educational and cultural development by professionals, children and youth:

The following ICT tools were used:

blog; Skype; videoconferencing; podcast, web authoring, interactive generating tool; digital camera; digital camcorder, webcams and microphone, PDAs, projector; big screen.

The website of the project shows the following ICT didactical outputs.

Audio Evidence.
Video Evidence.
Images.
Environmental Science Module.
5 Exemplars therein.
History— Era of Myths and Legends Module.
Interactive Crossword Development.
On-Line Tutorials:

§ Pedagogical

§ Digital

§ Technical

On –Line Workshop.
DVD (Available on Streaming Download at the moment only).
Digital and Chronological Archives available on Blog.
Materials designed for future teacher and student teacher inservice courses.
Initial testing of emergent technology in teaching citing handhelds and dataloggers.

Describe how you measure (parameters) these results:

The project has held its momentum. We are at the moment discussing more ideas as we move on to the next development phase which will commence at the start of the new academic year 2009-2010.

We get many invitations from other schools in Ireland and in the EU to partner these schools in projects.

The project has been awarded The European Quality Label.

We have featured in inumerable media atricles, print ,audio, video internet and surveys. Our website has much activity. We have been honoured at the i-Reach Media Awards,Dublin 2006, The EMINENT Conference, Roma 2008 and at the e-Twinning Conference, Praha 2009.

11. Sustainability

What is the full duration of your project:

From 3 to 6 years

Is your project economically self sufficient now:

Yes

Insert date:

07/28/2009

12. Transferability

Has your project been replicated/adapted elsewhere:

Yes

Specify:

It has been used as a model for teacher and student teacher inservice.

Showcased in the e-Twinning portal as an example of good practice.

Showcased by The NCTE (National Centre for Technology in Education) IRELAND as an example of good practice for Digital School Award status.

What lessons can others learn from your project:

Think outside the box. It was our first international project. Many other schools throughout Europe are in the same position as were when we started. Learning does not have to always come from a textbook or atlas. Don't be totally dependant on prescriptive and expicit learning. Get into the world of implicit, participtive learning.

We are available to help others starting or working on similar projects:

We are available to help others starting or working on similar projects.

13. Background information

Background:

I am a member of the e-Twinning portal, a virtual platform where teachers are continually attempting to set up partnerships and projects. It was from this portal that Swedish teacher Fredrik Olsson from Vindangen Primary School contacted me and we then set up the partnership.

Barriers:

At the start the novelty of the undertaking was a little barrier.a perceived barrier was the language but this did not materialise such was the enthusiasm of the participants.

Poor Broadband.

Time management. As the project is running parallel with the everyday curriculum (In Ireland there are 6 curricular areas and 11 subjects therein) our daily tuition timetable had to be addressed within the context of a compressed chronological configuration.

Solutions:

Build up a strong mutual social base from the outset responding quickly to queries and e-mails.
Be diligently coherent in relation to the selected theme(s) in the project.
Keep a very firm focus at all times in the interest of strong pedagogy.
Fine tune all activities and contemplated outputs.
In order to address the time management challenge students made good use of their handhelds to complete assignments at home. This also brought the project from the school to the home generating parental interest and participation.
Don’t let digital and technical aspects interfere with the fun element of such a virtual adventure.

Future plans and wish list:

Explore further emergent technologies.

Extend from school partnerships,to partnerships with community groups, municipalities and sporting organisations in our respective countries. Develop educational tourism.

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"Make a Film and Share IT with Friends 2.0 !"