active learning
Teachers learn communication with young children via Internet
E-learning platform developed in order to train communication skills of professionals working with children aged 0-6!
Teachers face communication problems with their pupils every day. Common understanding that in order to communicate first you need to listen, is easy to say but not that easy to apply. Especially if we want to listen to children that do not speak yet or do not know teacher’s language.
To support pedagogues struggling with this kind of difficulties, Society for the Development and Creative Occupation of Children (Greece) elaborated the course dealing with listening to children issue. Within the framework of European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme, new, on-line version of the course was designed in the partnership with: Comenius Foundation (Poland), Step by Step Program Foundation (Bulgaria), The Institute for Language and Speech Processing (Greece) and ENOROS Consulting Ltd. (Cyprus).
The training is aimed at is professionals working with children below 6 years old and educational sector trainers. The course consists of following training modules: principles of communication, verbal and non-verbal communication and Mosaic approach. It is available in Bulgarian, Greek, English and Polish language version and delivered with supervision of professional trainers.
Mentioned above Mosaic approach, first introduced by Peter Moss and Alison Clark, constitutes the methodological basis of the traning. It applies indidvidual and group in transforming communication between children and adults into an ongoing conversation about children’s lives -the spaces they use every day, their interests, their relationships, etc. In this approach, the adult ceases to be the one who has all the answers and starts seeking information from the children. It employs tools such as observation and interview, but also taking by children photos of their favourite places, making maps of the preschool, children being the tour-guides of the adults etc. Thanks to this, the information is collected together by children and adults and then analyzed - conclusions should lead to follow-up actions.
In this approach, children are experts in the field of their experiences – the task of adults is to accompany them in finding the best way to express their feelings or needs. We have a chance not only to see how the reality is in the children’s eyes, but also to support children’s identity and self esteem – they can learn that the way they see the world is important for other people and that their observations are valuable. It is crucial not only to listen to children, but also show respect to their experiences, emotions and needs. If we take one step further in the dialogue with children and take common decision (for example to change the room arrangement that children suggested), we can support also their feeling of responsibility and self-efficacy.
In order to reflect on these issues and their own practice, teachers can join „Listening to young children” course. Thanks to the design of the platform they do not only stay in touch with the trainer who leads them through the course, but also can interact with other participants and discuss interesting them problesm on forums. The interactive form of the course answers the need of peer-to-peer learning and enables sharing experiences by teachers living and working far away from each other.
If you would like to find out more about the course and „Listening to young children” methodology, please visit the project website http://www.welisten2y.eu/
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission under the Lifelong Learning Programme.
A Taste Of Maths, best eTwinning project 2012
An Interactive Learning Environment Fostering Creativity
Innovation and creativity are predictors of success in a knowledge-based. Yet the "fuzziness" and unpredictability of the creative workflow remains an obstacle for effective ICT support. Tools that require users to formalize and structure their ideas and working processes to a degree at odds with creative practice are frequently rejected. The IdeaGarden project therefore starts from an understanding of creative problem solving as a complex and situated knowledge practice rather than as a set of well-defined methods and techniques.
The project will develop a creative learning environment, capitalizing on the notion of visual information mash-ups as catalysts for creative working and learning. Adopting a practice-oriented approach will further the understanding of creativity in different settings and open up new perspectives for ICT support. This perspective will also give rise to new methods for seeding and cultivating creative knowledge practices in workplace and educational settings. To leverage the capabilities of current ICT systems, new interactions techniques will be devised that enable users to stay in control and collaboratively navigate the creative process, handling multiple types of resources. In addition, taking benefit of the "Linked Data" paradigm will provide new possibilities for creative search, the construction of knowledge as well as the reflection of the collaborative process.
The R&D work starts with research into creative knowledge work in industry (at LEGO and EOOS) and education (at the Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts and Design). Based on the careful analysis of creative practices, we will envision and implement working demonstrators. Formative evaluation combined with a two-round development process will ensure that the IdeaGarden system fits its users' needs while summative evaluation will validate the overall utility of the approach to promote nonlinear, non-standard thinking and problem solving among experts and novices.
Learning through Fairy Tales: A collaborative Storytelling Model
The webinar gives an insight into a collaborative Storytelling Model and the claim - namely that stories and in more particular fairy tales are a motivating and open minded way to learn together with others through social exchange. For that reason the webinar contains not only a presentation of the model and some theoretical aspects but also the opportunity for participants to interact and to participate actively in collaborative learning with fairy tales.
Once upon a time... this sentence brings us right into the magic wonderland of fairy tales where everything is possible, where dreams come true and where our hope, our engagement and our involvement are rewarded with a happy ending. Human beings love fairy tales, and adults are not an exception! Fairy tales are about each of us and our individual experiences and knowledge, our fears, wishes and dreams. Cinderella - that are we! - because we all know the feeling of being unjustly treated by others...
Since fairy tales give us the opportunity to become part of the story itself, the question arises why we do not use fairy tales in order to learn with others - by exchanging ideas, knowledge and experiences within a constructive and motivating learning environment.
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2012
Time: 11h00 - 12h00
Place: online with SWITCHinteract Web Conferencing
You can have more information and register here:
ICT4eTwinners - Innovation Curation Teach for eTwinners
After I was leader in Community of Practices 2 in Smile project managed by European Schoolnet http://bit.ly/collaborationincop2smile I decided to launch eTwinning project ICT4eTwinners http://ict4etwinners.blogspot.ro/2012/10/ict4etwinners-innovate-curation-teach.html . You can read more about SMILE project here http://leedu.eun.org/web/smile/home .
In XXI Century Education and around the social web new Social Media King is Curation who is about adding value for humans because only they can do what no computer can possibly achieve . The Internet Curator’s role is to seek on the web information related to a specic domain,fillter them, select them, organise, share, present them in a unique mode. Nowadays when informatics and science developed spectacular and the use of new online technologies aren’t regarded like a avangardist movement new tools and apps Web 2.0 and social media can bring a new dimension and can reform education around the world because electronic communication helps teachers and students to learn from each other. These technologies can stimulate discussion, open gateway to knowledge, promoting creativity and innovation for effective lifelong learning . Teacher and also students should have an entitlement to safe internet access at all times. Pulling Piaget and Papert , the use of participatory media tools in education is typically geared towards, creating a more student centered, adaptive environnement where learners can contribute to the course material, formulate and express their own insights and opinion, construct their own understanding of material by connecting concepts, to personal experience or current events, and learn from one another in collaborative environments .Web 2.0 , social media and other digital and online technologies are powerful and interesting tools, which open up new opportunities for everyone and for this reason teachers must learn how to use it in a creative mode and integrate in their classroom with students .
Subjects:Citizenship, Design and Technology, Economics, European Studies, History, History of Culture, Mathematics / Geometry, Religion, Social Studies / Sociology, SEN, Technology
Languages :EN
Pupil's age:18 - 20
Tools to be used:Audio conference, Chat, e-mail, Forum, MP3, Other software (Powerpoint, video, pictures and drawings), Project Diary, Twinspace, Video conference, Virtual learning environment (communities, virtual classes, ...), Web publishing
Aims:Teachers discover why Curation is Social Media King who restart XXI Century Education and how curation tools open gateway through knowledge for educators and students worldwide . •Teachers will discover and explore the power of Web 2.0 tools and apps for education and learn how to use statup tools creativelly • Acquire skills for the XXI century , new tehnologies can stimulate discussion, open gatewaythrough knowledge, promote creativity and innovation for effective learning. •Learn to communicate and work collaboratively
Work process:Activities in school year 2012-2013 Octomber - we launch the project on eTwinning and we invite new parteners to join ICT4eTwinners .Founders of the project will make a blog http://ict4etwinners.blogspot.ro/ , a wikispaces http://ict4etwinners.wikispaces.com/ where all the parteners will be invited to join . Founders will make for sharing a group on scoop.it http://www.scoop.it/t/smileprojectcop2 and on pinterest. November - Let's present ourselves , our schools , studens and activities . In this mounth we will discuss and share our favorite tools and apps to make presentations and every teacher involved in this project must share minimum a presentation using a favorite tool December - Let’s celebrate together with our students the Birth of Son of God, Christmas and New Year using Glogster EDU Every partener must make a GlogsterEDU , interactive poster with school activities in December and if a partener want he can make also a GlogsterEDU students portofolio . January - Buildining a Powerful PLN ( Passionate Learning Network ) in XXI Century Education . We discuss about new edtools and apps for online collaboration . February - Sharing is caring .We discuss about startup curation tools and apps who will make you a Social Media Curator Teacher . Mars - Google in education . Let’s find and discuss about our favorite google tools and apps and the best way to integrate in our classroom . April - Let’s collaborate , discuss and share in the cloud . We will discuss about our favorites apps to collaborate in the cloud like evernote, box, dropbox,fetchnotes, box and also what are the best way to integrate in the classroom . May - mindmapping and brainstorming in XXI Century Education . Every partener must make a mindmap using a favorite app or tool June - Every partener must make a video using different tools or apps entitled ,, connected learner and social media curator in XXI Century Education hide
Expected results:The final product will be a eTwinning twinspace, a public blog http://ict4etwinners.blogspot.com/ and wikispaces http://ict4etwinners.wikispaces.com/ with the work of all the project partenrs, a collection of social media good practices and social media startup tools shared on our groups on scoop.it http://www.scoop.it/t/smileprojectcop2 and pinterest http://pinterest.com/lucianecurator/cop2insmileproject/ . Teachers can use relevant sites and share their ideas and teaching modules, in Facebook, Twitter and GlogsterEDU . We want also to oraganize on twitter #ict4etchat for eTwinners
Creative Classrooms: Rethinking How We Teach and Learn
What are ‘Creative Classrooms’ and how can they be successfully implemented? Stefania Bocconi and Panagiotis Kampylis work at the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, and have been researching how to innovate teaching and learning practices at a system level. They co-authored an article with Yves Punie on this topic, recently published at eLearning Papers.
What does a Creative Classroom look like?
Stefania: By 'creative' we refer to new practices. These can include collaboration, peer to peer collaboration, connection with the outside world, use of open education resources, and more.
As far as ‘classroom’, in this case we refer to all learning environments, both formal and informal, which take advantage of optimal use of ICT. The way we see it, however, is that the innovation of practices is at the core of everything.
How does your approach differ?
Stefania: We’ve come up with a multi-dimensional framework, one that addresses key dimensions such as curriculum and content, assessment, learning, teaching, and organizational practices, leadership and values, connectedness, and infrastructures. The idea is to depict a systemic approach, which is what is needed to undertake and sustain ICT innovation.
When you say ‘systemic’, what exactly do you mean? How does a multi-dimensional approach fit the reality of practitioners on the field?
Stefania: The truth is, there is no single measure that fits all. But what we’ve found is that the cases that have successfully survived the initial pilot phase are those in which all these dimensions are present at a very local level, from the bottom up.
Panagiotis: It’s common for schools to focus on just one or two aspects, but this doesn’t translate into sustainability, so they often have to change their approach after the initial phase of implementation.
What's the status of Creative Classrooms in Europe?
Panagiotis: There are actually a lot of initiatives, but they’re currently fragmented, kind of like islands of innovation. The missing element is learning from each other, finding ways to sustain them, and making them mainstream.
To what extent has ICT changed things? Are creativity and innovation necessarily at odds with traditional teaching methods?
Panagiotis: Well, we have to understand that ICT is not an end in itself, but a means to innovative pedagogy. It’s not an imperative, but technology can help us do new things in a better way. Essentially, we’re at a point in time in which we have to rethink what, how, why, with who, and when we learn.
Stefania: From what we’ve seen, the common thread of successful Creative Classrooms is placing the learner and the learning process at the center of everything, and that sometimes means blending ICT-enabled learning practices with traditional methods.
Technology is constantly and rapidly evolving—in this context, have you encountered sustainable models of innovative teaching?
Panagiotis: Again, it’s not a matter of technology, but how you use what’s available to you. For instance, if you have an interactive whiteboard, but you use it in a traditional sense—the teacher lecturing, the students sitting in rows, listening—you’ve got a scenario in which you have the best technology, but you’re using it in a way that isn’t innovative at all. It’s just not as effective.
Stefania: When innovative pedagogical practices lie at the center of your philosophy, this means that the entire practice—teaching, learning, organization—is more open to experimentation and flexibility. That’s when you can put technology at your service, to reach your ultimate objectives, even when technology changes.
What needs to happen in order for more Creative Classrooms to be implemented?
Stefania: The next step is to combine the existing bottom-up approach with top-down support. The European Commission has already made a move in this direction, by specifically targeting Creative Classrooms as part of its LLLP project. Generally speaking, we envision an experimentation process that will involve actors at all different levels and across different countries, so as to learn from each other at a local and national level.
Panagiotis: We’ve developed this conceptualization not only based on desk research, but on an ongoing consultation process with specialists and teachers with real classroom experience. We’ve had very positive feedback, and we’ve found that stakeholders on all different levels agree we need to act, and change the way we teach the next generation.
Teaching maths through innovative learning approach and contents
European Ministers set the target to reduce the average of students with difficulties in reading, maths and science in order to reach fewer than 15% by 2020. The project aims at investigating different ways of the mathematics representations, in the topics, already, defined in the PISA, IEA TIMSS and National surveys concerning the maths skills of 15 years-old students. The worldwide surveys report that European students often lack mathematical competence and key basic competences in science and technology. The learning of the mathematics literacy enables students to contribute effectively in actual society, improving their employment prospects. In this context, the project intends to develop with the teachers more attractive and fun pedagogical tools for the maths literacy delivered in two virtual environments: e-learning platform and 3D world. These innovative pedagogical tools are based on the topics defined in the PISA, TIMSS and National surveys in order to enable 15 years-old students to acquire mathematical literacy improving attractiveness and efficiency in the ISCED levels 2 and 3 of compulsory education.
The TALETE project aims at improving the quality and efficiency of education and training as follows:
- identifying and developing teaching and learning method in the field of mathematics with a focus on the geometry;
- improving the quality of learning in order to support the development of students’ basic and transversal competences (mathematics literacy, learning to learn, social and digital skills, English communication);
- improving attractiveness and efficiency of ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education) levels 2 and 3 of education and training (nearly the end of compulsory education) through the 3D virtual world;
- supporting high quality teaching and teacher training;
- supporting schools to establish partnerships and improving teachers and pupils’ skills favouring the integration of the European dimension in teaching and learning.
The impacts on the target groups are:
- - as to the students, to improve mathematical literacy skills (key competences especially in geometry), contrasting with the interest lack among students to start up scientific studies and supporting the development of the scientific and technical culture in European countries;
- - as to the teachers, to provide innovative contents strictly connected with national school curriculum in mathematics, in order to improve the quality of teaching making it more flexible and fun and reducing the number of low-performs of students.
Technology Enhanced Learning 'Stories'
If you worry that a lot of knowledge about how technology can enhance children’s learning seems to be rather anecdotal, you will probably appreciate this conference. Taking place from 3pm till 8pm in London, this event “showcases research and prototypes that could revolutionise UK education with technology”. During this event, you will be able to:
• Meet the pupils and teachers who are using technology to transform their learning
• Discover how it feels to drill into a virtual tooth
• Interact with artificially intelligent characters on a touch screen
• See algebra in a whole new light
• Experiment with a portable science kit for teenagers
• See the networked touch-table classroom
This event is for anyone interested in learning, and how digital technologies can help: teachers, students, parents, developers, academics, policy makers, journalists, publishers, technologists…
The 5th widget competition by the ROLE Project is now open!
The ROLE project opens the 5th competition on the development of widgets useful for self-regulated learning. You have three weeks to submit your widget specifications. The winners will be announced on November 5th and will then have two months to develop their widget, after which they will receive their prize in value of 500€ or an IPad. The winner of this second round will be announced on 22nd January 2013.
The ROLE project is an international initiative centered around the idea of helping teachers create open personal learning environments for their students. The widget competition is based on this philosophy and is aimed at developing widgets that would be useful for employees of a company involved in a self-regulated learning process.
The widget specifications, that should include a description, a screenshot, a use case, and a link to a prototype (if available), can be submitted until October 21st. The jury will select the winners of this first round who will then have two months to develop their widget under the support of a ROLE Partner. Each of them will then receive a prize in value of 500€. The winner of this second round will be announced on January 23rd 2013. The widgets should enhance the learner’s experience in activities such as planning and organizing learning process, creating and manipulating learning content, training and testing, reflection and evaluation, etc.
IMPORTANT DATES
Submission Start: 20 September 2012
Submission Deadline (Widget Specifications): 21 October 2012
Winners Announcement (Round 1): 05 November 2012
Submission Deadline (Widgets): 06 January 2013
Winner Announcement (Round 2): 22 January 2013
More information on terms and conditions can be found at http://www.role-project.eu/WidgetCompetition.
Outliers School Educación: ideas sobre el futuro
Outliers School Educación es una iniciativa sincrónica online de 30 días para 40 participantes. Se trata de un proyecto on-line multiplataforma “en vivo” sobre nuevas ideas y modelos de Diseño Educativo con aprendizaje basado en resolución de problemas y prototipado de soluciones. Las áreas para resolver los problemas de diseño educativo serán: 1) Desintermediación en el diseño educativo; 2) Aprendizaje Invisible y no-formal y medios sociales en educación; 3) Narrativas transmediáticas aplicadas a la educación y; 4) mobile learning.
Preinscripción hasta 10/11/2012