PLC Summary

This project is being carried out with the assistance of the Lifelong Learning Programme

2009-1-GB-COM13-03816

Promoting Language Capacity (Castilla-La Mancha/ Northern Ireland)

PLC

COMENIUS REGIO PARTNERSHIPS:Promoting Language Capacity

(Castilla-La Mancha/Irlanda del Norte)PLC


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Northern Ireland

South Eastern Education and Library Board, (SEELB) on behalf of the 5 Education and Library Boards in Northern Ireland

International House, Belfast

Castilla-La Mancha

Consejería de Educación, Ciencia y Cultura de Castilla-La Mancha

CEP de Azuqueca de HenaresCEP de Toledo CEP de BelmonteCEP de TomellosoCEP de Alcázar de San JuanCEP de Hellín

CEIP Martínez Parras, HellínCEIP Nº 8, Alcázar de San JuanCEIP Gerardo Martínez, Socuéllamos CEIP Maestra Plácida Herranz Azuqueca de Henares,CEIP La Fuente, Nambroca

Partner regions

PARTNERS

Partner institutions

Teacher training insitutions

SchoolsBallynure House,Ballynure


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Context

Priorities of the Consejería de Educación, Ciencia y Cultura de Castilla-La Mancha consolidation and ampliation of bilingual sections based on CLIL in English to promote the knowledge, exchange and dissemination of methodological strategies and teacher training in connection with the teaching of and in English CLIL/AICLE

Priorities of the Northern Ireland Education and Library Boards, following the initiative of the Department of Education

to promote languages in Primary Schools, including Spanish. to incentivate teachers’ learning of languages, Spanish among it

At the same time, knowledge of culture and society of the associated regions


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Specific Objectives

To promote exchanges, cooperation and mobility among teachers of infant and primary schools through jobshadowing activities in host schools

71 Northern Ireland teachers, from 68 schools participating in the programme promoting modern language learning in some schools in Northern Ireland 64 Castilla-La Mancha bilingual schools, out of a total 77 schools, have taken part in this activity

To promote awareness and dissemination of social, cultural and linguistic diversity of our two regions

Examples: presentation about Castilla-La Mancha by some Northern Ireland teachers


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Objetivos específicos

To support the achievement of a European area of lifelong learning to promote contacts between schools, and compare and share teaching ways and materials

The evaluations written by participating teachers emphasiza the positive aspect of taking part in daily life of host schoos

To encourage CLM students to expand their knowledge of English speaking regions, especially NI, thanks to visiting teachers in their classrooms

Example: celebration of St Patrick’s Day in some schools


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Specific Objetives

To increase the knowledge of Spanish language and culture by NI teachers and students of schools where Spanish is taught

Through courses and seminars organised in Northern Ireland Jobshadowing activities Deepening this knowledge after jobshadowing in CLM

To promote contacts between students of partner schools, by using ICT (videoconferences, emails)

Nearly resolved the initial difficulties for the use of videoconference in Northern Irlenad schools


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Specific Objetives

To exchange materials for teaching Spanish as a foreign language and for the teaching of subjects through English in primary schools of CLM

Through the Regio project web pageDuring jobshadowing activities at the schools

To establish permanent contacts and new projects among the schools taking part in the Regio

Participation of some teachers in contact seminars in NI Applying for Comenius school projcts together Work and common activities

To promote the exchange of good practice

PRODUCTS AND RESULTS

Regio project web pagehttp://edu.jccm.es/proyectos/regioplc

Exchange of good practice

Picture galleryJobshadowing activities

Links


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This project is being carried out with the assistance of the Lifelong Learning Programme2009-1-GB-COM13-03816

Files

School links and partnerships

VideoconferencesCommon projects

http://edu.jccm.es/proyectos/regioplc






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ACTIVITIES : Project meetings

Toledo. 23 – 26 September 2009: Project meeting

Toledo. 12-18 diciembre 2009: Project meeting and accompanying teachers on jobshadowing activity

Belfast. 22-26 marzo 2010: Project meeting

Toledo. 8-12 mayo 2010: Project meeting and accompanying teachers on jobshadowing activity

Belfast. 16-19 mayo 2010: Project meeting and accompanying teachers on jobshadowing activity


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Toledo. 17-23 octubre 2010. Project meeting and accompanying teachers on jobshadowing activity

Belfast. 22-25 noviembre 2010. Project meeting

Toledo. 20-26 marzo 2011. Project meeting and accompanying teachers on jobshadowing activity

Belfast. 7-10 mayo 2011. Project meeting and accompanying teachers on jobshadowing activity

Toledo. 31 mayo-3 junio 2011. Evaluation meeting


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Difficulties encountered:

During the first year, some change of dates had to be agreed due to financial regulations in Spain

Changes in NI, necessitated by the recent review of educational administration : • Staff movement and changes of responsibility. This impacted

directly on the co-ordination of this project as one of the joint co-ordinators effectively left the team before the end of the programme

• Workloads increased for others as a result making it impossible to achieve everything outlined in the original application in relation to the fliers for the website.


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ACTIVITIES : Teacher training

Language training for Northern Ireland teachers, organised by the Northern Ireland Education and Library Boards and International House Weekend seminars prior to jobshadowing actitivities

Training sessions about Spanish language and cultura as preparation for jobshadowing activities This knowledge was deepened and reinforced with a

training sesssion at the Consejería de Educación, Ciencia y Cultura, Toledo, as first phase of the jobshadowing activity in CLM


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ACTIVIDADES : jobshadowing

Jobshadowing activities of Northern Ireland teachers in Castilla-La Mancha

78 NI teachers in 61 CLM infant and primary schools. Six groups:

19 teachers, 12-18 December 2009 19 teachers, 14-20 March 2010 6 teachers, 8-14 May 2010 11 teachers, 18-22 October 2010 17 teachers, 20-26 March 2011 6 Principals, 31 May - 3 June 2011


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Guided visits around Toledo for Northern Ireland teachers

Training sessions on the history and culture of Spain and the education system, for NI teachers at the Consejería de Educación, Ciencia y Cultura, Toledo

6 Principals of Northern Ireland schools took part in a visit to CEIP La Fuente in Nambroca y CEIP Alfonso VI in Toledo, and to a training session organised by Toledo Teacher Training Centre


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Previous regular contacts between education authorities and host schools to arrange the jobshadowing activity

Previous contacts between host schools and visiting teachers

Principals or coordinators of host schools took part in the sessions about contact activities at the Consejería and lunch

Evaluation of all jobshadowing activities Both, host schools and visiting teachers


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Problems encountered: During the jobshadowing visit to CLM by NI teachers in December 2009, heavy snow prevented some teachers reaching their intended host school. Replacement of host schools had to be found very quickly. All visiting teachers completed their visit successfully

Extra group of NI teachers visiting CLM in May 2010. CLM staff accommodated this group willingly


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Jobshadowing activities for Castilla-La Mancha teachers in Northern Ireland

58 CLM teachers took part in this activity and visited 48 schools

24 teachers, 15-22 May 2010 22 teachers, 8-14 May 2011 7 teachers from CLM completed four-

week jobshadowing activities with regional funds. October 2009 and 2010

Seminars delivered on the education systems in both jobshadowing activities on Northern Irish culture and history for CLM teachers


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Previous regular contacts between education authorities and host schools to arrange the jobshadowing activity

Previous contacts between host schools and visiting teachers

Principals or coordinators of host schools met the visiting teachers at Antrim (May 2010) and Belfast (May 2011): lunch together

Evaluation of jobshadowing activities Visiting teachers

5 teachers from CLM partner schools attended project visits (March 2010 and November 2010) and spent time in NI schools


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Summer course about CLIL for 7 Castilla-La Mancha teachers. Organised by International House, 5-16 July 2010

The Vice Consejero and senior officers from CLM attended and addressed the Regional Principals Conference in NI in November 2010 outlining support and enthusiasm for the partnership

All teachers from both regions prepared Powerpoint presentations for their host schools as well as lessons and materials in the target language

FURTHER ACTIVITIES


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Session about the use of digital whiteboards for Castilla-La Mancha delegation, project meeting, Dundonald, 25th March 2010

Session about the use of European Portfolio in CLM; Principal of Ballynure PS y coordinators of CEIP Martínez Parras, Hellín and CEIP N. Sra de la Salud, Yunclillos. Toledo, 10th May 2010

Exchange of good practice throughout the project

Creation of a teachers group in CLM. They have worked on specific material for the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language for young students. (Teacher training centres at Tomelloso and Azuqueca de Henares)

This projct is being carried out with the assitance of the Lifelong Learning Programme

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It will be active once the project has finished

Design, build and maintenance of the project website: Consejería de Educación, Ciencia y Cultura y CEP de Belmonte y Tomelloso

Contents • Information about activites organised • Bank of resources and links useful for teachers • Presentations made by participant teachers • Picture gallery and graphic materials• Files

REGIO PROJECT WEB PAGE







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Videoconferences between the schools participating in job shadowing activities, at those moments and afterwards

Technical problems, as Nothern Ireland schools do not use Skipe, but Marratech

Security problems, as Northern Ireland parents do not always authorise this activity

Videoconferences between schools taking part in jobshadowing activities and afterwards

Very satisfying and enriching activity Instructions to carry out videoconferences can be found on http://

edu.jccm.es/proyectos/regioplc . Tomelloso teacher training centre provides assistance

CONTACTS: VIDEOCONFERENCES







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On the PLC project web site http://edu.jccm.es/proyectos/regioplc. There is also access to it through the official website page of the Consejería de Educación, Ciencia y Cultura, section making reference to Life Long Learning programmes

Invitation to attend Comenius Regio Contact Seminar: Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Toledo, 27-30 September 2010

Invitation to attend Comenius Regio Conference – Creating European networks of regions , 11-12 May 2011, Bordeaux, France

Information about the project provided to some other education authorities from other countries visiting the Consejería de Educación

DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES



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Interim evaluation

Information and assistance has been given to schools about the project, language materials, school links of funding opportunities

Press notes on the Portal de Educación de CLM about jobshadowing activities

Sessions to disseminate Long Learning Programmes, organised by the Consejería de Educación in every province of the Autonomous Community organiza en cada una de las provincias de la Comunidad Autónoma (5 en December 2008/January 2010 and 5 en December 2010/January2011)

Información and assistance provided to schools and teachers by the advisers of partner teacher training centres


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Relationship between education authorities of partner regions: Letter of intention

Schools working on common shared tasks and projects

Videoconferences

Relationship among schools to apply for Comenius school assiciations and exchanges

More teachers applying for further jobshadowing activities and willingness of schools to host them

CONTINUACIÓN OF PARTNERSHIP IN THE FUTURE