Planning your eTwinning project
Summing it all up - Some practical hints
Reims 25 May 2012
Ann-Marie Degerström
NSS Sweden
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
The four phases of a project are:
• Planning: Goals, content and method
• Process: Work and communication
• Presentation: Show results
• Evaluation: Did we reach the goals? How?
What worked(not)?
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
THE PLANNING!
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
WHY will you be doing this?
What is going to be better by doing
this specific part of the subject/s in this
way?
Set up goals that can be evaluated
Write them down!
Together – maybe in a wiki
(set up one for free at www.wikispaces.com )
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
How to collaborate
for real?
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Group work, classical way:
Teacher distribuces tasks
Students divide tasks between each
other and works parallell.
1-2 students put the results together
Result : 1 very tiny isolated bit of
learning per person
= parallell work
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
”We do something nice and show
it to you!
Let’s blog!
Let’s write about ourselves!
We read yours and you read ours!
And comment if we want to…”
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Real collaboration is all about
real communication
Aim: To avoid parallell work
To motivate all participants to
participate equally
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Solution: Task must involve a real
common problem/task to approach
together
=
All hands/brains/competences are
important and needed for the result
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Common problem is at best to be
decided by all participants* together:
Creates sense of participation,
which creates motivation
* Not just teachers – if students are
involved in the project, they must be
included!
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Which tools/software are to be used?
TwinSpace? With Blogs, Wikis, Common
spaces for documentation…
Photostory?
Moviemaker?
Video conference?
Storybird?
Vokis?
Podcasting?
Remember all the freeware online!
And all the technical devices sitting in the
pockets of the kids!
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Tips on freeware on the Swedish
eTwinning blog:
www.eTwinning.se
Irregularly updated
Available in all languages
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Certain tools are suited for
collaboration and others for
presentation
Decisions, decisions…
And they all need to be made before
you start….
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
What to work with then?
Anything that fits into the curriculum!
Add not content, but method!
Ideas can be found under the tab
INSPIRATION on www.etwinning.net
Remember involvement!
And why not start with a MODULE to
get to know one another?
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Who should be involved in the project?
Possible persons to involve/invite:
•Students
•Collegues (crosscurricular opportunity!)
•ICT resources
•Head teacher
•Parents
•NSS!
All can be invited to TwinSpace with different
rights of access
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
How to involve students in the best way?
DON’T let the students work one to one!
DO work in groups of two, three or four on each ”side”
DON’T use a language which is first language to one of the
groups!
DO collaborate in English with an British school, but let them in
that case use their second language. The same goes for Spanish,
French and other languages!
DON’T let the project be all about themselves – ”Get to know
eachother-projects”
DO use the ”Get to know” modules before the ”real content”
begins – the ”common problem” to be solved
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
WHEN is the project going to run?
Time frame? One year? One month? One week?
To what extent? All lessons? 5 lessons a week? 3
lessons a month?
When to ”meet”? Online and maybe IRL?
Set dates!
Be realistic! Be aware of each others school year!
Eurydice.org keeps facts on 38 countries.
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Results
How will they be shown?
To whom?
When?
Where?
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Results
How will they be evaluated?
Evaluation of process
Evaluation of content learned
Assessment – self assessment – test
YOU decide - before the project starts
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Risks (and how to meet them)
Illness (spreading of tasks between students)
Moving (be more than one teacher)
Disappearing partner (get emails)
Digital breakdown (back up)
What more?
(Heaven knows! Contact your NSS!)
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Project planning – in short:
Why ?
What content and which goals?
How ?
How to work? Which tools?
Who?
Who to involve?
When?
Time frame – beginning and end? Extent?
Results? How to evaluate? Did we reach our goals?
Risks?
What obstacles can occur – plan how to
handle them
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
All of the above need to be
communicated and
written down before you start - this
increases the odds for a successful
project!
Use the ”Staff room” in TwinSpace”
Or a wiki online (Wikispaces.com)
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
To increase your learning in
different topics and maybe
meet to study each other’s
every day life
Comenius in service training
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Don’t forget:
You can always call
HELPDESK!
Or your NSS…
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se
Good luck with your
eTwinning project!
Thank you for your attention!
www.etwinning.net www.programkontoret.se/etwinning ann-marie.degerstrom@programkontoret.se