European Collaborative LEarning Network International Conference BRIDGES FOR LEARNING Charles University Prague, Czech Republic 12-14 September 2002

European Collaborative LEarning Network

International Conference

BRIDGES FOR LEARNING

Charles University Prague, Czech Republic Charles University Prague, Czech Republic

12-14 September 200212-14 September 2002


International Conference BRIDGES FOR LEARNING

Internationalisation

What do teachers look for with internationalisation?

Benefits of

being involved in international collaborative projects

Barriers to being involved in international collaborative projects

What to do?

What to avoid?

Desirable situation

Some tips

Where to find partners?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Charles University, Prague 12-14 September 2002 Francisca SoaresCharles University, Prague 12-14 September 2002 Francisca Soares




What do teachers look for with internationalisation? (1)

While developing international collaborative projects teachers wish to...

... promote diversity;

... work together with partners from other countries;

... develop understanding with people from other countries and cultures;

... debate cultural and ideological issues;

... exchange experiences about educational systems and methodologies;

... increase mutual appreciation and recognition;

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... increase students’ intercultural competence;

... help students to be able to cope in an international context;

... challenge their students;

... stimulate students’ curiosity;

... foster individual development;

...broaden students’ horizons;

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... broaden (widen) students’ cultural awareness;

... make their students learn foreign languages in a real communicative context;

... help students to use ICT in a real context;

... flexibilize their teaching;

... widen the range of activities to offer students;

...

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“It is an opportunity to make comparisons with other schools, with other

educational systems, with other models of management.” (Escola Secundária

António Gedeão)

“ Visit schools in other countries, with their specificity on human and material

resources, fosters the exchange of information about curricula, instalations and

equipment” (Escola Secundária Emídio Navarro)

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Benefits of being involved in international collaborative projects (1)

International collaborative projects give us the possibility of...... knowing the differences and similarities between different European school

systems (important both for teachers and head-teachers);

... talking and reflecting together about different teaching approaches and

practices;

... enhancing the quality of teaching through the interchanges and discussions

carried out with other teachers during the development of the project;

... producing materials with colleagues from other countries;





International collaborative projects give us the possibility of... ... knowing the general and professional aims of different schools;

... contacting diferent management models;

... creating empathy with people from different countries;

... being cooperative both in the school and outside the school;... contacting and communicating with people in different countries and from

different nationalities;

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International collaborative projects give us the possibility of...... knowing different realities from those of our own countries;... enabling students to use their foreign languages skills in real communication

situations;... participating on study trips abroad, (both for students - student mobility- and

teachers....

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”Exchanging information between school headmasters is also a strong point.

The different organization structures and rules, the relationships between school

and enterprises, or the relationships between school and local authorities are

important to foster more professional management of schools.” (Escola

Secundária Emídio Navarro)

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“Teachers and students involved (in international collaborative projects) not

only share precious experiences but also learn to be always available for new

and different learnings.”(Escola Secundária António Gedeão)

“ Schools get a different and very productive dynamic when it comes to adopt

this attitude of exchanging and intermingling with different ways of being and

acting”. (Escola Secundária António Gedeão)

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Barriers to being involved in international collaborative projects (1)

International collaborative projects... ... are very demanding (for one teacher or even for a small group of teachers);

... are time and energy consuming;

... involve a lot of work - we work more hours than we are paid for;

“Main constraints are restrictions to human mobility. We can not substitute

personal relationships with emails.” (Escola Secundária Emídio Navarro)

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Barriers to being involved in international collaborative projects (2)

Comenius projects sometimes are very bureaucratic (many papers,

applications and reports to complete) however the funds schools get are

important for the projects’ development.

“The formalities of the applications to the National Agency could be eased.”

(Escola Secundária António Gedeão)

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What to do? (1)

Try to integrate the project as part of the day-to-day life of the school;

It should be a school task and part of the school’s goals - activities should be

school-based;

Activities carried out should be part of the lessons – project integrated in the

curriculum;

Get the support and involvement of the head teacher in all the process;

“Involving the school’s responsible was important.”(Escola Secundária Emídio

Navarro) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________





What to do? (2)

Motivate your students, get them deeply involved;

Both students and teachers should feel the project as their own;

Get the support from the parents – inform them about everything that is happening

and make them aware how much the project can contribute for their children’s growth

as citizens of the world;

Get the support from the whole school community – advertise the outcomes of the

project and keep the whole school community informed (school magazine,

newspaper, the school webpage, local newspapers, other media possibillities you can

think of);__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________





What to do? (3)

Partners needed for a Comenius project are 3 – it´s advisable however to have

at least 4 partners, because one of them may drop out before the end of the

project;

Choose with your partners the themes / thematic areas you are going to work

on whithin the project;

Plan together with your partners – every detail should be discussed with the

other partners;

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What to do? (4)

All partners should be aware of the goals and deadlines established;

Establish clear and precise arrangements with your partners;

Seek support and funds – from the Comenius Programme and National

Agencies, from the regional departments (City Council, etc.);

...

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What to avoid? (1)

Avoid...... isolated activities developed just by one teacher– internationalisation should

by no means be a one man/woman job;

...a project in which only one or a small group of teachers is involved - there´s

the risk of these activities not being supported by the school (the other teachers

and the school board);

... forcing teachers to take part in a project ( it should never be a compulsory

task).__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________





Desirable situation (1)

International collaborative projects are part of the mission of the school and of its

goals;

Internationalisation is part of the teaching units;

Internationalisation is felt by the whole school;

There is a committee (a group of teachers), responsible for finding and

implementing international collaborative projects;

The projects are coordinated by a small group of teachers;

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The activities of the projects are naturally part of the day-to day of the school;

The headteacher and pedagogical committees at school actively support the

project and the activities carried out within their development;

A significant number of teachers is involved in the school in international

projects;

Extra time is given for the teachers involved in the development of projects;

Parents help and host students from other countries;

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“We have always experienced in our school a large involvement in the

process of fullfilment and development of these projects by all members of

educational community. The management Board, the various pedagogical

departments, teachers, students, parents, local authorities, as well as other

public and private institutions which have always responded to the required

appeals.... Which in our opinion is quite rich concerning the curricula, the School

Project and the school.” (Escola Secundária António Gedeão)

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Some tips (1)

Keep it as simple as possible, “don’t be too ambitious”;

Don’t make more arrangements than you can keep;

Involve other teachers, the whole school if possible, in international projects;

Inform the school board about everything that happens with the project;

Try to integrate the project in the “teaching units”;

Get the support of the head-teacher and all the other teachers at school, in

other words, get the school support;

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Some tips (2)

Keep the head-teacher and the pedagogical committees at school involved

and informed about everything that happens within the project so that they can

support you and the project;

Everybody must feel the project as their own and not have the feeling that it is

just one teacher’s project;

Motivate your students so that they can be involved and collaborative;

Get the parents’ support through their involvement in the project, if possible;

Show what you are doing to the whole school community;__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________





Some tips (3)

Discuss everything deeply with the other partners so that everybody is aware

of the goals and deadlines established and commits to them;

Exchange ideas with your partners;

Try to get funds from the school authorities (City Councils) for the development

of your projects;

The success of a project depends more on the planning and development

than on the subject.

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Where to find partners

Twin towns are a good and easy way as the involvement of the City Council can

help with monetary support, for instance. Foreign languages and cultural aspects can

be worked out in this frame as well.The ESP collaboration, where contacts have been established across Europe and

beyond. http://www.esp.educ.uva.nlThe European SchoolNet www.eun.orgComenius projects are also an excellent way of getting funding for schools. You

can find more information in the following URL - http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/

socrates/comenius/index.html __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


http://www.esp.educ.uva.nl/









http://www.eun.org/

http://www.eun.org/

http://www.eun.org/

http://www.eun.org/

http://www.eun.org/

http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/socrates/comenius/index.html


















Thank you!

Interesting and fruitful

International Collaborative Projects

for all of us!!!!!!

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Documents

European Collaborative LEarning Network International Conference BRIDGES FOR LEARNING Charles University Prague, Czech Republic 12-14 September 2002