active learning
Plurilingual, Audiovisual and Digital Competences as Means to Construct Knowledge in Multilingual and Multicultural Communities of Practice
Language teaching in today's society should consider how the use of ICT and social networking influence learning, which, due to technology, very often occurs in multilingual milieus. Issues such as the presence of immigrant students in mainstream classrooms, the opening of those classrooms to pupils from other schools (through, for example, telecollaborative projects), the use of Internet as a tool for searching information but also for sharing what one has learnt (just to cite a few examples) raise the need to redefine concepts such as literacy, communicative competence, intercultural competence, text, text genre, and so on.
This project - which develops from previous studies carried out by the same team - aims to design, experiment and evaluate in inclusive classrooms authentic methodological proposals (projects), targeted at local students and students of immigrant origin and designed to enhance the joint development of the competences listed above. The study of learners’ communicative practices during the development of these global pedagogical projects will allow the reformulation of the concept of communicative competence. It will also provide for the expansion of the types of school texts that cater for the multimodal nature of communication. Moreover, the project will endeavour to understand the development of the multiple literacies that makes communication possible. In line with the research methodology traditionally adopted by the applicant research team, the experimental part of our study will be the result of collaborative work between faculty and school teachers.
There is a need to provide a learning environment that integrates all the competences, especially in project-based classrooms where there is often a clear target audience beyond the walls of the classroom itself. For instance, when learners read and construct non-linear texts, they may be seeking information in more than one language and they may need to include audio and images. Thus, it is patently obvious that it is necessary to treat in an integrated manner all the competences that make it possible for learners to develop the skills for building content knowledge through language use: multilingual and intercultural, audiovisual, digital and other skills related to different areas of knowledge in school curricula. Such an integrative proposal is essential for both the fields of language education and of research on teaching and learning of languages.
Active Ageing
MEDEA Awards 2012
Annual competition to reward excellence and creativity in media in education.
Aim of the MEDEA Awards
The aim of the MEDEA Awards is to encourage innovation and good practice in the use of media (audio, video, graphics and animation) in education. The awards also recognise and promote excellence in the production and pedagogical design of media-rich learning resources.
In recent years there has been remarkable interest in the creation and use of digital video and audio in education, boosted by the increasing impact of multimedia and video based websites and applications on the internet and mobile devices. The pedagogical vision is clear: it is only when video and audio are routine components of education and online learning, that we will have an educational environment that reflects the media-rich world in which our learners now live.
Participation Guidelines
Before submitting a multimedia project or production, we strongly recommend that you read the Judging Criteria to understand what the judges are specifically looking for and the criteria they will use when judging your submission, as well as the Terms & Conditions of submission, where you will find the rules for participation in the MEDEA Awards. Read also the important Copyright Information page.
Entries need to be submitted via the online submission form and sent to arrive at the MEDEA Secretariat via post, e-mail or fax before the closing date: 17 September 2012 (midnight). All finalists will be notified in the beginning of November and will be invited to take part in the awards ceremony taking place during the Media & Learning Conference 2012, where the final winners will be announced.
MEDEA Awards 2012
- The MEDEA Award for User-Generated Educational Media 2012
This award honours the best entry submitted by teachers, students, learners, parents, professors, individual or organisational representatives in primary education, secondary education, higher education, adult education, vocational education and/or training. - The MEDEA Award for Professionally Produced Educational Media 2012
This award will be awarded to the best professional educational media produced by a professional company or semi-professional production unit such as a broadcaster, professional multimedia producer or publisher, professional web design company, audiovisual or media department in larger institutions or organisations such as universities, government departments, companies, multinational institutions and organisations, etc. - The Special Prize for European Collaboration in the creation of Educational Media 2012
This prize recognises excellent educational media productions and projects that come about as a result of European cross-border collaboration and recognises the impact such collaboration can have in increasing understanding and enhancing the European dimension. - The Special Prize for Educational Media Encouraging Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012
This prize will be dedicated to an entry or production that clearly uses (multi)media to encourage active ageing and solidarity between generations. All educational media productions, no matter in what format, be it website, video, game or interactive presentation, that illustrate, document or promote the active ageing and solidarity between generations. - The Special MEDEA Jury 2012 Prize
The judges may, at their discretion, present a special award to an approach or production in recognition of exceptional innovation in pedagogic or technical design.
New Extended Deadline for Paper Submission on Learning and Active Ageing: April 27!
Learning and Active Ageing
This issue of eLearning Papers will explore innovative teaching methods and new learning environments being used effectively to promote lifelong learning among older people in Europe.
The ageing of the European population raises issues in almost all aspects of life: the employment and housing markets, pension schemes, health and welfare systems, transport networks, goods and services which will have to adapt to new needs and new social and financial realities. The way European society as a whole addresses these challenges will condition our future, its capacity to create smart and inclusive growth, strengthening knowledge, creativity and innovation that will benefit citizens of all ages , while at the same time reinforcing solidarity between generations to reinvent a new way of living together.
Active ageing in Europe calls for a new vision of older people and their social roles that are more in line with the reality of the 21st century. Lifelong learning is a key component of active ageing, ensuring to develop up-to-date skills right to the end of one’s professional career and continuing post-retirement to improve an individual’s social functioning and well-being and increase the potential for older adults to contribute actively to society through paid employment, volunteering, active citizenship and self-help for independent living. The relationship between higher educational attainment and living longer with improved health has been established in many countries. Furthermore, the roles of older people in workplace, or as volunteers or informal caregivers, contribute to their personal health and the wellbeing of communities.
In order to foster active ageing, older citizens need to have access to quality employment, the means to participate fully in society and the ability to live independently a fulfilling old age. This presents a two-fold learning challenge that addresses the skills and training of this target group and also raises awareness within the greater community.
This issue of eLearning Papers explores what teaching methods and learning environments are being used effectively to promote lifelong learning among older people. Enrichment and skill building educational programmes for older people must be continuously supported, promoted and facilitated as part of the active ageing process. This issue will also consider ways in which civil society, governments and employers support learning and active ageing.
Environments can be made much more age-friendly by increasing the public's sensitivity to the needs of older citizens and fostering an awareness of what they can contribute and why we need to mobilise all the human capital they represent. Public campaigns like the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012 are giving rise to new initiatives that need to be shared and analysed.
eLearning Papers seeks submissions about learning and active ageing in the 21st century, for both sections: In-Depth and From the Field. We specifically invite contributions which address one or several of the following issues:
- Bridging the digital divide among older people paying due attention to specific challenges faced by older persons with impairments, ethnic minorities, low incomes, older women, etc.
- Open educational resources for non-traditional students
- Age-friendly environments, goods and services
- Fostering technical skills to create adept senior e-learners
- Learning environments for older learners
- Challenges for teachers and developers working with older students using ICT
- Policies and practice: institutional innovation supported by ICTs
The article submission has been extended to 27 April, 2012. The provisional date of publication is May, 2012.
For further information and to submit your article, please contact: jimena.marquez@elearningpapers.eu
Guest editor: Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General, AGE Platform Europe.
- See the complete guidelines at: Instructions for writers
Call for Papers on Learning and Active Ageing Open until April 20, 2012
This issue of eLearning Papers will explore innovative teaching methods and new learning environments being used effectively to promote lifelong learning among older people in Europe.
The ageing of the European population raises issues in almost all aspects of life: the employment and housing markets, pension schemes, health and welfare systems, transport networks, goods and services which will have to adapt to new needs and new social and financial realities. The way European society as a whole addresses these challenges will condition our future, its capacity to create smart and inclusive growth, strengthening knowledge, creativity and innovation that will benefit citizens of all ages , while at the same time reinforcing solidarity between generations to reinvent a new way of living together.
Active ageing in Europe calls for a new vision of older people and their social roles that are more in line with the reality of the 21st century. Lifelong learning is a key component of active ageing, ensuring to develop up-to-date skills right to the end of one’s professional career and continuing post-retirement to improve an individual’s social functioning and well-being and increase the potential for older adults to contribute actively to society through paid employment, volunteering, active citizenship and self-help for independent living. The relationship between higher educational attainment and living longer with improved health has been established in many countries. Furthermore, the roles of older people in workplace, or as volunteers or informal caregivers, contribute to their personal health and the wellbeing of communities.
In order to foster active ageing, older citizens need to have access to quality employment, the means to participate fully in society and the ability to live independently a fulfilling old age. This presents a two-fold learning challenge that addresses the skills and training of this target group and also raises awareness within the greater community.
This issue of eLearning Papers explores what teaching methods and learning environments are being used effectively to promote lifelong learning among older people. Enrichment and skill building educational programmes for older people must be continuously supported, promoted and facilitated as part of the active ageing process. This issue will also consider ways in which civil society, governments and employers support learning and active ageing.
Environments can be made much more age-friendly by increasing the public's sensitivity to the needs of older citizens and fostering an awareness of what they can contribute and why we need to mobilise all the human capital they represent. Public campaigns like the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012 are giving rise to new initiatives that need to be shared and analysed.
eLearning Papers seeks submissions about learning and active ageing in the 21st century, for both sections: In-Depth and From the Field. We specifically invite contributions which address one or several of the following issues:
- Bridging the digital divide among older people paying due attention to specific challenges faced by older persons with impairments, ethnic minorities, low incomes, older women, etc.
- Open educational resources for non-traditional students
- Age-friendly environments, goods and services
- Fostering technical skills to create adept senior e-learners
- Learning environments for older learners
- Challenges for teachers and developers working with older students using ICT
- Policies and practice: institutional innovation supported by ICTs
The article submission closes on 20 April, 2012. The provisional date of publication is May, 2012.
For further information and to submit your article, please contact: jimena.marquez@elearningpapers.eu
Guest editor: Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General, AGE Platform Europe.
- See the complete guidelines at: Instructions for writers
Madrasah Resources Center at Butta Salewangang Maros Regency
To accommodate the learning needs of the individual and independent, it is proper School and Community Residents are given priority to get a facility that truly fit the needs of development. In this context Madrasah realize its commitment to help realize the goal of developing students' academic skills by providing support unit designed to meet the learning needs of self-insistence, Madrasah Resources Center. It is also in accordance with the Government's program in education which is translated from the word Butta Salewangang (arti kata Butta Salewangang).
Responding to local government programs Maros regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia is lifted from the sense of the word Butta Salewangang (arti kata Butta Salewangang) set a target of IT-based education. The concept is, every member of the academic is required to keep up to date information and technology to realize Butta Salewangang as supporting Cyber City District. To meet these needs, each individual is required to always adapt itself to the ability of the existing development. That process can not always be met with formal learning undertaken by each individual. In many respects, self-improvement should be implemented independently. A development capability that is necessary role in the academic world is the increase of foreign language skills.
To accommodate the learning needs of the individual and independent, it is proper School and Community Residents are given priority to get a facility that truly fit the needs of development. In this context Madrasah realize its commitment to help realize the goal of developing students' academic skills by providing support unit designed to meet the learning needs of self-insistence, Madrasah Resources Center. It is also in accordance with the Government's program in education which is translated from the word Butta Salewangang (arti kata Butta Salewangang).
Madrasah Resources Center (MRC) is one of the Academic Support Unit which is under the auspices of the Library Unit. The unit is based on the fact that the autonomous Learners (independent learners) is a demand in this global era. The new paradigm of learner-centered place of a teacher rather than as a single information for learners, but the teacher is a facilitator who will empower the potential of learners in order to have the ability to make the surrounding environment as a learning tool. MRC will facilitate these efforts and help all people in schools to improve academic skills related to primary language independently.
MRC responsibility of academic development:
- Support the implementation of competency-based curriculum,
- Support teachers in providing materials, methodology, and worksheets,
- Counselors provide Arabic and English,
- Provide literature for all classes in the form of CD, VCD, and cassette,
- Provide facilities for the remediation of students,
- Follow-up activities to support an intensive program of Arabic and English.
- Support the development of independent learning strategies of students.
This self-learning center has focused on improving language skills, both receptive and productive, which is supported by multimedia facilities both electronic and non-electronic first priority. For the long term, the development of learning tools will be provided so that madiri a healthy learning community can be realized. To deepen language competencies, residents can access a collection of school CDs, cassettes, videos, computer programs, etc.. In addition to the available media, MRC also serves difficulties encountered in the process of learning through consulting services in Arabic, English and Indonesian.
Currently MRC is constantly striving to promote the development of this unit through improved facilities and the addition of MRC, merencakana to increase the quantity and quality of activities, such as complete software support, book review, workshops, and film appreciation program bi-weekly in addition to providing daily service to its users. Besides a role in integrated with the library Madrasah, MRC also seeks to explore cooperation with other relevant institutions, in order to provide the best learning and personal development school citizen (Students, Teachers and Staff).
- Self Access Materials
This package is designed specifically with various types of materials, degree of difficulty, length of time varies, so users can choose according to their interests. By choosing to learn in this way, users will understand how far the level of their understanding of the English language individually. In addition, they can correct their own mistakes and fix the location with the key that has been available.
There are four packages offered material, namely reading, grammar, listening and general knowledge of the language material, and about the general condition of the English speaking countries.
- Computer Language Learning
Dedicated computer to learn the language or the so-called Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) into one of the options provided by the SAC. Users can utilize this tool as an alternative learning options that provide convenience in terms of information. We can update the latest information about the English language and its development, because each computer has provided software supporting the process of searching, such as Microsoft Encharta, Oxford Learners Dictionary, Linguist, etc.
- TV and Video Player
SAC is equipped with a TV with DVD player along with Headset plus a collection of various categories of language, both entertainment and teaching materials. Users can enjoy interesting films treat SAC collection. This is expected to treat the audience of the language can easily learn how the real expression of the English language through this activity.
- Reading Corner
Leisure Reading Corner is one of the corners in the SAC that allows the user to sit back while reading light reading, English-language newspapers and magazines, short stories and novels that have been available, or brochures that contain information about the activities that can help pengasaan English language. Expected by the reading corner was able to provide convenience to the user, independently of time and formality
- Listening Corner
Listening Corner, a corner of the SAC is used to study listening. With 4 Listening Both are equipped with headphones and a variety of English cassette titles, it is expected, but the user can casually listen to different kinds of listening materials, as well as listen to music in English. It is intended that the mastery of listening to the users in terms of getting trained and accustomed to so it does not feel foreign to English.