Comenius
School partnerships improve pupils' and teachers' skills
A new study on the impact of partnerships between schools in different countries has found that pupils - particularly at secondary level - significantly improved their skills, including cultural and social skills, IT and foreign languages. The impact of the partnerships was strongest on pupils who visited partner schools. Seven out of ten schools said that the partnerships had a strong to very strong impact on pupils' cultural awareness and expression as well as social and civic competences. This was followed by computer skills (54%) and communication in foreign languages (52%). The partnerships were funded through the Comenius exchange programme, the schools' equivalent of Erasmus.
Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said: "School partnerships enable young people to acquire the basic life skills and competences necessary for personal development, future employment and active citizenship. Comenius also helps pupils and staff to get to know different European cultures and languages. These partnerships will continue to receive support under our new Erasmus for All programme in 2014-2020."
The study also found that the scheme benefits teachers and schools within their local community. Teachers said partnering a foreign school improved their knowledge of other education systems and strengthened social skills, as well as helping their language skills.
Two out of three schools claimed that the partnership had improved their image and 80% said it strengthened their European dimension. Teaming up with schools abroad also helped develop closer ties both within the school and with local authorities.
Comenius partnerships have a comparatively greater impact on teachers and on schools and their environments in pre-primary and primary schools because it is easier to mobilise and involve an entire school and to integrate new ideas and activities into curricula at this level. In contrast, the impact on pupil skills is stronger at secondary level.
For many schools in remote parts of the European Union, partnerships financed from EU funds are the only opportunity for pupils and teachers to get involved in a project abroad. 85% of schools covered by the study said they intended to apply for funding for future partnerships.
The study surveyed 50 schools in 15 European countries (Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom) which received grants from the Comenius programme to set up partnerships running from autumn 2009-2011. Monitoring the schools over the two years, and beyond, the study examined in-depth how the partnerships affected pupils, teachers and the school.
Study of the impact of Comenius school partnerships on participating schools
This study provides an analysis of the impact of Comenius school partnerships on participating institutions.
The results of the study show that these types of school partnerships have a highly significant impact on the school community as a whole: in 75% of cases observed, it was perceived as being “quite strong”, “strong” or even “very strong”. It was on pupils themselves that the impact was greatest, followed by teachers and then by the schools and their environment.
GLOSSA – Advancing the teaching and learning of less widely taught European languages
GLOSSA is a European Union education project under the LifeLong Learning Program. The project is for language educators and authorities across Europe. It is building methodologies, practices and courses specifically to help develop language learning and teaching for the less widely taught languages of Europe.
This is being completed by:
- Building methodologies for learning in online environments (advanced levels & autonomous)
Developing a Greek e-learning multimedia courses at C1 & C2 (CEFR)
Creating transferability to other European languages
Developing a common European professional profile for language teachers
Adapting an accreditation tool for non-formal and informal language teaching skills
- Creating courses for the less widely taught and learnt languages, including Greek. What courses are available do not utilize the possibilities of today's Internet (multimedia) and often use outdated methodologies
The project has now developed a Greek e-learning multimedia courses at C1 & C2 (CEFR) http://www.actione-learn.eu/glossa/mainHome.php#
You can find much more information on the project website at: http://www.ellinikiglossa.eu/
Învăţarea bazată pe sarcini precise şi TIC: activităţi creative în contextul unui proiect european
În acest articol descriem două activităţi propuse de echipa italiană care ilustrează foarte bine ideea acestui proiect. Deşi diferite în ceea ce priveşte durata activităţilor, cunoştinţele adresate, tipul de sarcini propuse şi instrumentele TIC utilizate, exemplele pe care le descriem au în comun anumite calităţi. În ambele cazuri li s-a cerut elevilor să creeze un produs anume în funcţie de aria lor de interes şi de experienţele lor şi care să se adreseze unui public din afara clasei, prin urmare real. De asemenea, li s-a cerut, în ambele cazuri, să dea frâu liber creativităţii şi au fost complet liberi în organizarea activităţii, ceea ce i-a făcut să se simtă eroii principali, dar şi responsabili pentru rezultatele obţinute. Ambele activităţi pot fi adaptate cu uşurinţă unor situaţii educaţionale diferite deoarece puterea lor rezidă în ideile care au stat la bază mai degrabă decât în produsele finite.
În cazul acestor exemple, inovaţia a constat nu în metodologia sau tehnologiile puse în practică, ci în modul în care acestea au fost utilizate. Aceste exemple sugerează faptul că activităţile inventive pot fi eficiente şi implementarea lor nu este deloc dificilă sau costisitoare. În acest scop, profesorii trebuie doar să dea dovadă de creativitate în planificarea pedagogică şi să înveţe să privească instrumentele obişnuite cu ochi diferiţi.