COMENIUS 1 - EFFECT PROJECT 2007-2009 Lithuania, Belgium, Norway, Italy

LICEO GINNASIO STATALE “G. B. BROCCHIClassico – Linguistico - delle Scienze Sociali

–Scientifico - Scientifico/Tecnologico

Fondato nel 1819

COMENIUS 1 - EFFECT PROJECT

2007-2009Lithuania, Belgium,

Norway, Italy

written by V.Dal Molin

1.THE PRESENTATION OF THE SCHOOL: 1.THE PRESENTATION OF THE SCHOOL:

” ” G.B.BROCCHI” LICEOG.B.BROCCHI” LICEO

2.THE PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT2.THE PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT

3.THE PEER-TUTORING COURSES AND 3.THE PEER-TUTORING COURSES AND ACTIVITIESACTIVITIES


THE PRESENTATION OF THE SCHOOL:THE PRESENTATION OF THE SCHOOL:” G.B.BROCCHI” LICEO” G.B.BROCCHI” LICEO

The liceo Brocchi is a modern “grammar school”because it consists of 5 courses: beyond the classics, there are: the scientific , the modern languages, the scientific- technological and the social courses.This high school is made up of 5 years/levels, it is a kind of preparatory school to university.According to the Italian system and to the last regulation of the Minister of Education , students must get positive results in all the school subjects included in their courses to pass to the next year/level.



The students 'marks are recorded four times a year: with mid_terms reportsmid_terms reports,in November and March,then at the end ofend of

the firstthe first term term: in JanuaryJanuary,at the end of the

second term and school yearsecond term and school year: in : in JuneJune. Thus, if a subject results low/weaklow/weak it needs to be recovered to get to the average/pass average/pass

levellevel which is 6 out of 106 out of 10 in the Italian school

system.



Remedial- workRemedial- work courses are usually arranged to help students to overcomeovercome their problems.It is important to stress that at the end of the fivefive school-years the students have to pass a final “ maturity” exam ,a school-leaving certificateschool-leaving certificate. It corresponds to A levelA level exams which allow students to enroll university nearly directly, except for some faculties like Medicine,Architecture, Veterinary where students have to pass an entry test, as well.


THE PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECTTHE PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT

The “peer tutoringpeer tutoring” has been oriented since the very beginning to go along other types of traditional “remedial -work” courses, the ones run by teachers of the same or of a different class. It was conceived as another or extra another or extra occasion-opportunityoccasion-opportunity.When the projet began I proposed it to the department of Englishdepartment of English.The teachersThe teachers chose the tutee-studentstutee-students, informed the familiesfamilies. As the focus is on the contentscontents of the English language I asked the collegues to select the structures and structures and functionsfunctions to revise.



The tutors had to know preciselyknow precisely what they had had to work onto work on . At this early stage of the project, we decided to make them work especially with structuresstructures rather than productive aspectsproductive aspects of the language that are less objectiveless objective and difficult to to markmark off, to delimitoff, to delimit. So the final testsfinal tests could be more objectiveobjective.



Tutors were chosen according to:

a) their school discipline results,

b) level of reliability and helpfulness,

c) communicative competence.



At the beginning The departements involved were

English

Math-Phisics

Italian

.


THE PEER TUTORING THE PEER TUTORING COURSES AND ACTIVITIESCOURSES AND ACTIVITIES

Peer tutoring in 2006-2007Peer tutoring in 2006-2007February -March-April 2007

Courses:Courses:

Ten classes/groups of remedial- work were arranged with the “new “peer tutoring approach:

5 of English,2 of math,2 of phisics,1 of latin.



Peer tutoring in 2006-2007Peer tutoring in 2006-2007February – March - April 2007

Level:Level:from elementary to intermediateelementary to intermediate for English,pre-intermediatepre-intermediate for latin,pre-intermediatepre-intermediate for math, intermediateintermediate for phisics.

Timetable:Timetable:lessons /periods of 60 minutes in the early afternoonusually once a week:5 lessons of English,7of Math,8 of Phisics 2 of latin.




Students:Students:45 all together: 20 for English (5 courses)10 for math (2)10for phisics (2 courses)5 for latin (1 course).

Tutees:Tutees:1st-2nd year/level (14-15 years old) for English and Latin 3th -4th year for Math and Phisics.




TutorsTutors: 8: 8

6 out 0f 8 were older than the tutees (cross –age tutors) for English and latin; 2 were the same age for math and phisics.




Method of teachingMethod of teaching

Mainly a circular-oriented lessoncircular-oriented lessonWith a presentation and practicepresentation and practice phaseProviding stimulusstimulus with questions, answers, examples, answers, examples,

further exercisesfurther exercises




SUPERVISOR TEACHERSUPERVISOR TEACHER: 4: 41 for each discipline. They were either inside or outsideinside or outside the classroom,

providing materialproviding material, monotoring, ready to answerready to answer the students’ requests.

ATTENDANCEATTENDANCE::nearly regular: from 75_80 % except latin which coudn't be carried out completely for problems of

timetable.




Results: Results:

65% altogether got positive resultspositive results in the final tests the most positive side of the peer tutoring was Communication:Communication: All students highlightedhighlighted the new way to interactinteract we the “teacher”:

more freely and directly, spontaneusly. There were problemsproblems connected with some timetablestimetables and prejudicesprejudices at the beginning of the course (will the peer be good enough?), balancebalance between topicstopics and timetime available.




Topics of English:Topics of English:

structures and functions.For examples:the use of the basic verbal tenses (elementary-pre intermediate level),the modals, the conditional clauses (1°-2° type) (Pre-inremediate-intermediate level).




Materials:Materials:

by the supervisor teachersupervisor teacher from different books,

simple and essential charts with graded simple and essential charts with graded exercises for practiceexercises for practice



Peer tutoring in 2007-2008Peer tutoring in 2007-2008 October-November-December 2007October-November-December 2007

Courses:Courses:3 Remedial- work courses of English

Level:Level:

2 groups of the 3rd year,1 group of the 5th year

Timetable:Timetable: once a week ,6 lessons/periods of 60 minutes




TuteesTutees:: 15 altogether15 altogether5 students each, each group from the same class

selected by their teachers

TutorsTutors:: 332 of the 4th year (cross-age), (One was proposed by the teacher of the class, one by me)one of the 5th (peer).(For the 5th class by the students themseves proposed An

American school mate they had been working with previously).




Supervisor teacherSupervisor teacher : 1 (me) : 1 (me)

AttendanceAttendance: 80%: 80%

MaterialMaterial : :photocopies with charts,graded structural exercises (3rd year)literature extracts with questionnaires to answer and discuss(for the 5th year).

Method of teaching Method of teaching Mainly a circular-oriented lessoncircular-oriented lessonWith a presentation and practicepresentation and practice phaseProviding stimulusstimulus with questions, answers, examples, further answers, examples, further

exercisesexercises




Level:Level:pre-intermediate, advanced.

Results: Results: 4 out of 5 positive2 out of 5 positive3 out of five positive 60%



Peer tutoring in Peer tutoring in January 2008 January 2008

the method became officialthe method became official

the principal Ms. Maddalena Lazzarotto proposed it as another “remedial work” course which mightmight be chosenbe chosen by all the teachers of the school..

In 2008 spring the method began to spread In 2008 spring the method began to spread and became more popularand became more popular



Peer tutoring in Peer tutoring in January 2009January 2009Official procedure for the peer tutoring coursesOfficial procedure for the peer tutoring courses

A teacher proponespropones it to his/her students, from 1 to 5 (or more from 1 to 5 (or more if possible)if possible), selects the peerselects the peer from his/her class his/her class (or from others), arranges the topics, the material, the timetablesarranges the topics, the material, the timetables (usually in the afternoon, at least 5 periods).

There must be the assentassent by families and the students the class coordinator.

The tutor is given a registerregister form to record the attendance, attendance,

periods, topicsperiods, topics.The tutors get a rewardreward: they are usually paid with money to

spend freely and school creditschool credit is recorded.


THE PEER TUTORING THE PEER TUTORING COURSESCOURSES AND ACTIVITIESAND ACTIVITIES

Peer tutoring in Peer tutoring in January 2009 January 2009 It is very importantimportant that the teacher undestandsundestands

the naturenature of the tutees ' problems very precisely,

definesdefines the topicstopics to be repeted/revised,

providesprovides the the tutors with good materialgood material, there must be a balancebalance between the Tutors’ and tutees'

resourcesresources (what they can do),

LessonsLessons (available time) and the final targetfinal target. Peer-tutoring must be a positive experiencemust be a positive experience and if we

planplan it very carefullycarefully, we cancan get it.



Peer tutoring in 2008-2009Peer tutoring in 2008-2009

in January, during the meeting for the first term results, peer-tutoring courses were proposed by a lot of colleagues because the method had been presented as official choice.

So, in the schoool, a lot of courses have been organized for several subjets like, for example:

Math – informatics – chemestry – mechanical drawing – German language



Peer tutoring in February 2009Peer tutoring in February 2009

I organized 2 English courses in my 3rd year classes with a comparative approach.

One group was tutored by me,another by a student in order to compare results, draw conclusions.

Number of students: 8Level: pre-intermediateTimetable: once a week,5 lessons/periods of 60 minutes




Tutees: 4 with a peer4 with me

Place : in the same classroom

Topics: the use of basic verbal tenses (simple present, present continuos, simple past, past continuos, present perfect, simple past)

Material: simple, clear charts, graded exercises.




AttendanceAttendance: 70% with the teacher80% with the tutor




Method of teachingMethod of teaching

Mainly a circular-oriented lessoncircular-oriented lessonWith a presentation and practicepresentation and practice phaseProviding stimulusstimulus with questions, answers, examples, answers, examples,

further exercisesfurther exercises



Peer tutoring in February 2009Peer tutoring in February 2009RESULTS:RESULTS:

In the teacher’s group: 2 out of positive results (one student was often absent)In the peer’s group: 3 out 4 positive results

CONCLUSIONS:CONCLUSIONS:The response to the peer’s course has been more positive;in fact the tutees appreciated the way they worked with the

tutor:

More freely, more directly, more simplyMore freely, more directly, more simplyI witnessedwitnessed the higt level of interestinterest, collaborationcollaboration or

argumentargument, anyway the strong relationshipstrong relationship between the the tutor and tuteestutor and tutees mekes the experience intense and validintense and valid.



EXTRA PEER-TUTORINGEXTRA PEER-TUTORINGIt is important to mark that peer-tutoring

activities have been developed in different ways in our school:

1) To integrate students arriving from foreign countries (see Daniela Malpaga’s document)

2) To help and assist disabled students (see an English teacher’s document and Sergio Lucisano’s document)

3) To integrate students of the first year

Documents

COMENIUS 1 - EFFECT PROJECT 2007-2009 Lithuania, Belgium, Norway, Italy