Management in an eTwinning school Elżbieta Gajek PhD Eng. Cracow 25 February 2012

School collaboration models

Teachers collaboration 1 Outer project – with foreign partners Inner project - with z learners and teachers in own school In each eTwinning project there are two projects

Organizing of eTwinning projects in class, out of class, e.g. in a European club, extra media education groups, IT classes, culture or language groups. eTwinning project

Teachers collaboration 2 The role of coordinator is assigned to headmaster, language teacher, IT teacher Teachers share project work according to their subjects or specialty: IT teacher is responsible for technology: communication, blogs, films Art and Music teacher is responsible for artistic effects Biology and Geography teachers are involved in nature projects Maths teacher is the key person in maths projects Science and Chemistry teachers are involved in science and nature projects History and Social Science teachers work in culture and social projects PE teachers are involved in sports projects Language teachers either run their own linguistic and cultural projects or help in any other projects Needs to be coordinated

Teachers collaboration 3 S. Simple, also specific M. Measurable, A. Achievable, also attractive R. Relevant, also meaningful T. Timely defined, with clear deadlines Planning: aim must be SMART (ER) E. Exciting, also fascinating R. Recorded, on paper or disk

Teachers collaboration 4 Projects in kindergarten – all children are involved Projects in school libraries – volunteers Projects with learners with special needs (impaired or talented) Projects in vocational schools Projects in general education schools become everyday practice

What is known about brain ? „What drives people is not facts and numbers but emotions and stories, and most of all other people” (Spitzer, 2002, 2007) Connections in our brain are formed in actions. Mindfulness enhances the activity of brain areas. PE lessons require sweating Music lessons – playing and singing Art lessons – drawing, painting e.t.c. Maths lessons – emotional discovering of rules and principles Language, Culture and Social Science lessons – contact with cultures in foreign languages IT lessons – using IT tools in meaningful activities

Knowledge about brain Variety of experience triggers a feedback system in the brain „ a wise man will win the best education on the road” (Goethe). The more diverse views and experiences of other people's behavior, the better the ability to solve complex social relationships (Spitzer 2002). Projects reduce the monotony of the content Herodot, ……….…. Kapuściński

Brain and motivation 1 Motivation is like hunger – produces itself It requires great effort to wean children from constantly asking questions (Spitzer 2002, 2007). Everything is fascinating. Only a teacher who is enthusiastic about his or her work and subject will move this enthusiasm – emotion – onto the students. Brains cannot be given anything – even values. They produce everything on their own. Can we tell children how to talk and walk? We just need to create opportunities.

Brain and motivation 2 Master circle (for Maths Butterword 1999) Contentment Joy of Mathematics More Mathematics More learning Skills > requirements Good results Prize

Brain and motivation 3 The vicious circle of frustration and fear of school (for Maths Butterword 1999) frustration fear avoidance lack of learning skills < requirements bad results punishment

Knowledge and experience „If students are unable to bind the content of what is presented at school with their very individual life experiences - they do not learn anything.” (Spitzer 2002, 2007) Teachers as adult learners also need to bind their professional activities with their life experience Headmasters ……

Learning for life not for the class test In an international team of enthusiasts

Subjects are artifical eTwinning promotes holistic, integrated and in-block learning for learners and teachers Every 45 minutes a different world Lack of coherence between the content of subjects Little control over life and school activity Greater emphasis on the past than on the future Many negative emotions Examinations and tests

Key competences for lifelong learning defined by European Parliament and of the Council on 18th December communication in the mother tongue 2.communication in foreign languages 3.mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology 4.digital competence 5.learning to learn 6.sense of initiative and entrepreneurship 7.cultural awareness and expression.

Connectivism Georg Simens 2004 Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources. Learning may reside in non-human appliances. Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning. Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill. Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities. Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

8 big ideas of constructionism 1.learning by doing 2.technology as building material 3.hard fun 4.learning to learn 5.taking time 6.can’t get it right without getting it wrong 7.do unto ourselves what we do unto our students 8.we are entering a digital world Papert 1999

To sum up If Johnny was variant, John is tolerant What Johnny has not learned, that John will not know. Communicative, cultural, linguistic, technical, emotional diversity in eTwinning projects form the neural connections in the brains of children and will contribute to their future cognitive performance, problem-solving skills and ability to cooperate

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