Meeting, Estonia - May 2012

Agenda

  1. Outline Progress and identify items to be completed
  1. Agree evaluation priorities and tools
  1. Reflection on project objectives
  1. Strengths of the project work across all schools
  1. Challenges (ICT /  Communication, etc)
  1. Extra Success and added value
  1. ICT review
  1. Healthy Living and awareness of health
  1. Lasting Impact across all partners
  1.  Final Meeting in Austria (June 2012)

Item 1

All groups on task as per the action plan.

All schools following the notes in ACTION PLAN FOR YEAR TWO

Scottish to finish and submit their interviews with local businesses

Estonia to add English or German to their film

All schools to submit a simple ethics code as per item 8 on the Action Plan for Year Two.

Note – good films are available on the internet about issues within fair trading.

2. Evaluation

  1. Discussion about proposed questions
  1. The 4 countries have undertaken trading tasks in different ways. We will focus on the project experience as a whole
  1. One sheet for pupils and children
  1. New evaluation sheet produced and distributed to all partners

 Next Steps

 Evaluation – next week

All results to Ali Günay

3. Reflection on Project Objectives

Trading

  • Trading was a good language focus for the project.  There was lots of opportunity for pupil / staff interaction.
  • It provided a good framework for pupil presentation/ confidence, fostered a ´have a try` attitude.
  • It provided a good focus for communication and project interest
    • There was lots of interest in each other´ s products (triggered by Photostories)
    • Also interest in other ways of living / shopping / trading
    • Pupils wanted to try out one another`s ideas
    • There was good parental interest stimulated in some countries
  • It provided a good format for linking.
    • there were links to each other, such as swapping instructions
    • video conferencing for talking and displaying products
    • emailing
    • website for collation
    • photostory and film proved to be very popular
  • Trading provided a very real experience for every child at local level, and at the Berlin market stall.
  • Berlin Market Stall – offered a chance for a fully co-operative Trading event.
  • Provided a good vehicle for exploring ethics and social conscience, related to a wide range of issues about trading and sharing.

 

Teaching Modern Languages by using Storyline

Germany
This was very successful, was taught by two teachers and led to lots of teachers becoming involved through training.  Teachers were involved in training at conferences in Bayindir and Seferihisar, in Turkey.

Estonia
Pupils enjoyed Storyline.  Two teachers tried using the materials provided for support, children created identities and shops.

Scotland
Gerda, from Germany, visited the school for a week, to work successfully with staff and pupils.

Austria
Storyline was taught by the Comenius assistant.  Exciting shops were established, interviews between shop owners and customers were posted onto Youtube.  The Scottish teachers interviewed shop assistants on their Austrian visit.

Turkey
Turkish schools joined in and tried the new ideas.

Belarus
The Belarus pupils benefited from Storyline for one year, as a club. Excellent results were achieved in the improvement in language skills, the pupils enjoyed the process very much, and participated enthusiastically. The experience led to the teacher taking the Storyline approach to the Education Ministry in Minsk, where it was highlighted as an exciting learning experience.

4. Strengths

We kept to the plan.

We explored using ICT creatively, to link and support the project.

Collegiate support in languages was highly valued.  (ie,colleagues visiting each other to help with language teaching.)

Schools were stimulated to take forward the learning experience through visiting ´work experiences´ and idea sharing (into a new project.)

Teacher involvement has increased, eg, the Turkey teachers´ Conference, with German teachers joining the group.

More pupil mobility, linking and communication

Photostory has stimulated an interest in the work of the project group.  (eg, pupils taking a lead role in suggesting trying other countries` work, such as trading in a Free Shop.)

Extending enterprise activities and trading activities into new ideas, like having a free swap shop, which is run and managed totally by the children, and also the construction of a Code of Behaviour in Trading,  (dealing with issues, such as fairness/greed, the exercising of community trust.)

5. Challenges

  • ITC-Compilicated platforms which proved difficult to develop
  • Limited  Access of available linking  (ie Video Conferencing / skype).
  • Difficulty supporting a foreign language beyond a certain point without skilled helpers.
  • Turn around of pupils / staff caused problems.
  • Erratic response issues (see below)
  • General issuses of some partners responding and others not
  • Differences in expectations of communication
  • Very staggered start:   only 3 partners initially accepted and then Estonian accepted in September – missed 1st meeting, etc
  • Polish/Turkish not in, but they tried to stay with us.

6. Added Value and Celebrating Success as a Project Group

The group has continued to demonstrate strong commitment to working together and has extended links between existing partners, new interested colleagues and associate partners.

Only four partners received funding, but unfunded partners (including our Belarus Associate Partner) continued to work with the group.

Continuation of work to our Comenius Community Garden started in 2009 in Spandau , Berlin.  This continues to link the local neighbourhood.

Germany have had competition success linked to project work –

  1. Winner BUND Prize (1000 Euros) for Flashmob Earthsong (can be viewed on YouTtube)
  2. Winner for Sustainable Environmental (2000 Euros) Thoughts for their TAU (Free Shop)
  3. Japanese TV filmed project work linked to Eco themes.

Pupil Mobility has increased.

Good evidence of pupil leadership and participation as key partners in Trading Fayres and other staged or organised events, including sports events.

The project work has reached wider educational groups and has been recognised, with interest being expressed in our ideas

  • The Scottish Co-ordinator was invited to the European Commision’s Brussels Conference exploring school linking and Comenius partnerships (May 2012) to join discussions about future policy direction.
  • Germany have given presentations to teacher groups interested in developing new teaching methodologies.

And as stated above in our report

  • Belarus  (Curriculum Development)
  • Turkey   (Adaptation of new methodology)
  • Turkey   (Our teacher training conference)

All schools report good community participation in Trading Events and interest in project productions such as events in the communities / theatre productions.  Project work has had a high profile in all communities.

7. ICT use in the Project

ICT

  • Very interesting – creative use but frustration at the complications with some ICT platforms

Platforms explored

  • Moodle (too complicated for virtual trading centre)
  • Etwinning previously set-up couldn’t be accessed - too much work for one country to manage and coordinate
  • Edicy (everyone except the Scottish managed to access and use this.)

Training

  • The above all had training and ’man power’ issues. We returned to our project website to collate our work.
  • Future priority- identify a structure for ICT  training - uploading / etc. And agree strategy for teacher development.

Video conferencing for  linking

V.C. / Skype / GLOW/ google

  • All of the above explored for video conferencing – linking, but GLOW developed between Austria / Scotland with limited success
  • Key point – have an agenda for all video conferencing meetings
  • Skype useful (but the Scottish can’t use)
  • Linking – posted items were popular
  • Email linking started between some countries. Pupils needed teacher support – although support resources made by the group were useful.

Photostory

  • Huge success. All pupils loved this medium. Happy making and watching photostories.
  • Still exploring the potential uses of this medium when project came to an end.

8. Health Aspect of Project Work – good events for gathering pupils

  1. Estonians held a sport festival used to promote Comenius activity.
  1. Scotland / Austria and German joined a sports event in Austria.
  1. Scottish pupils joined the German School Sports Day (Berlin 2011)
  1. Social/Tour event “fun time”
  1. Ceilidh- Scottish Dancing (Healthy socialising / fun event)
  1. Trading shops had a health focus. Eg The Austria school- food/sports etc
  1. Waste was an issue which was explored in various ways across project schools.
  • Free shops(recycling products)
  • Ethical trading
  • Global trading waste issues
  • Energy issues in making products.
  1. Healthy eating events ( a healthy breakfast) was linked to aspects of topic work in various ways
  1. Shopping ethically and healthily
  1. Shared information has triggered enthusiasm for future learning. Pupil choice has featured highly in the project framework.

9. Lasting Impact

Storyline is being extended as a methodology.

Increasing good relationships between the countries- joint projects, outside of Comenius, taking place.

New teaching approaches being adopted, in class and by using ICT.

Interest in Comenius project, particularly storyline, stimulating an interest in new members of staff, who have not previously been involved.

Increasing pupil participation and contribution. Pupils working in partnership with staff, and pupils taking leading roles in project development and off-shoots.

Growing awareness of global issues with Global Citizenship

  • Children questioning current trading practices, local / regional carbon footprint, and seasonal reasons
  • Also trading without money (linked to above)

Pupils/staff confidence in ‘having a go’ with a modern language

Interest/ knowledge of  enterprise and a growing interest in pupils towards developing their own business

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