E-journal bridges for learning foreign language and gather knowledge about cultural differences Est

Tyri Gymnasium in Estonia and 5.Gymnasio Aigalew in Greece
STARTED eTwinning project "My Week" 17.10.2005.

Teachers:

Laine Aluoja Türi Gümnaasium

Kristel Vahtra Türi Gümnaasium

Maria Tentzeraki 5.Gymnasio Aigalew

Sotiria Vasilidaki 5.Gymnasio Aigalew

Students:

There are 24 pupils (17 girls and 7 boys) from the Greece school and 18 students (13 girls and 5 boys) from Tyri. Students prepare descriptions about various subjects that we are going to publish through e-twinning space, such as our lessons (student’s view), our language and our activities for the e-journal. Students work twice a week in the computer class and if necessary at home, communicating to each other.

Project “MyWeek” websites:

for interacting the Twinspace (websites, folders, files) http://www.etwinning.net,

to get on overview of the project there is an on-line diary http://projectmyweek.blogspot.com/,

project website is http://www.hot.ee/projectmyweek,

publishing tool for the e-journal is http://magazinefactory.edu.fi/magazines/projectmyweek/

Pedagogical value:

This project aims mainly at encouraging learning language and intercultural dialogue.

Students should learn how to work together, with both their classmates and partners abroad, and publish articles on-line.

Age group: 11 – 14

Duration: a year

Tools:

for interacting the Twinspace (websites, folders, files) http://www.etwinning.net and

an on-line diary http://www.blogger.com/start and an on-line magazine creation publishing tool is http://www2.edu.fi/svenska/tidningsfabriken/international/

word processing, email, digital camera and Internet

Subjects: foreign languages, language and literature, Europe, history, geography, informatics/ICT

Aims:

§ students compare learning in the classroom and at home, free time activities in school and outside it;

§ develop friendship between the two schools;

§ teach and learn new facts about different environments and cultural background, to show an interest in Europe;

§ use ICT for interacting, collecting information, presenting information, learn about teaching methods in other countries;

§ compare the national curriculum, the school curriculum, grading, teaching methods;

§ research students´ weekly load;

§ exchange information about innovative methods and their usage.

Pedagogical objectives:

to develop writing and reading skills in a foreign language;
to develop collaborative writing and proof-reading skills;
to develop critical thinking skills when looking for, selecting and organizing relevant information on the given topic;
to write different types of articles (interview, news, advertisement, survey, essay, review, …);
to get familiar with the job of a journalist: rights and duties of journalists; respecting author’s rights;
to learn basic web writing and graphical design rules;
to take digital pictures and use them in articles;
to use ICT collaborative tools for publishing, editing, commenting and, if available, rating articles;
to communicate efficiently with both classmates and partners abroad;
to develop their inter-cultural skills.

The result:

§ an overview of the other country, school and culture;

§ an overview of the national curriculum here in Estonia and there in Greece, their differences;

§ an overview of grading (how, what, when);

§ an overview of the most often used innovative methods;

§ develop new teaching methods;

§ widen the interest circle within the school and outside it;

§ develop language learning and knowledge.

The interaction takes place between students and teachers, students and students, teachers and teachers.

The Time-table and plan of the project "My Week"

In October
The start of the project, checking out the possibilities and options of etwinning. Making contacts with schools to find the best partner for the project.
In November
Making the virtual diary (blog) of our project. Checking out the software and the usage. Creating a virtual diary (blog) for our project on the following topic "My week".
By the beginning of December
The first part in the blog would be to put up a description of the class and everyday traditions and a picture.
By the beginning of January
The next step in blog would be the description of the school.
By the beginning of March
The timetables and topic based lesson plans of our children (what are they learning and how many lessons per week).
In April
The topic is free time and hobbies.
In May
The children should be able to describe a whole week: studies, school, free time, weekends.
In June
Finishing the main idea: the e-journal on the following topic "My week" http://www2.edu.fi/svenska/tidningsfabriken/international/magazines/projectmyweek

The participants:

5.Gymnasio Aigalew in Greece

Tyri Gymnasium in Estonia

Teachers:

Maria Tentzeraki

Sotiria Vasilidaki

Teachers:

Laine Aluoja

Kristel Vahtra

Students:

Venetia Pazakou

Anastasia Papadaki

Apostolis Papadopoulos

Sofia Papadopoulou

Despina Pasalopoulou

Maria Pistikou

Maria-Georgia Pistoli

Konstantinos Politidis

Andreas Polos

Lidia Polixronidou

Eleni Rigou

Marios Pierakeas

Kaliopi Marinaki

Konstantina Maratou

Antzela Doxani

Maria Melenikou

Vasiliki Mintzi

Giorgos Mitakis

Eleni Dagianta

Niki Mosxovakou

Anastasios Moulkiotis

Anastasia Moustopoulou

Viktoria Badouna

Konstantinos Bidos

Students:

Andra Aedma

Minni Metsunt

Ege Jüris

Mikk Merisalu

Gerda Eesmäe

Karel Tamm

Silver Merevoo

Moonika Kiil

Ave Alviste

Liisa Eensoo

Agnes Müürsepp

Kätlin Luht

Riivo Tsõpp

Kadi Vill

Sille Eero

Benita Ott

Lii Lillemets

Kait Kask

Short description of the collaboration

Process

1. Getting started:

Check-list for teachers

agree on the involved pupils’ age and level of foreign language knowledge;
to choose the topics;
agree on time-tables and on ICT tools used in the project;
share their ideas on how to teach a foreign language through collaborative writing and reading; suggest activities and exercises, which will enable their pupils to write articles in a foreign language (some activities available from links bellow);
Depending on the age and the maturity of pupils, the teachers decide on how much freedom the pupils will get in the e-journal creation process and on how complex their e-journal will be;
learn to use the publishing tools like the Twinspace or BLOG, available at http://www.blogger.com/start , and other ICT tools needed for the project (word processing, email, digital camera and Internet);
plan the guidelines and hands-on activities on the use of e-journal software for their pupils; explain the way of working and the purpose of the project to their pupils.

Check-list for pupils

get familiar with the ICT tools needed for the project: Twinspace (http://www.etwinning.net/ ) and BLOG (http://projectmyweek.blogspot.com/ );
arrange for collecting informationand writing articles together, each student gets his/her own exercises. They either work with their classmates or their partners from abroad. With the help of their teacher, they decide on who will be responsible for which task (information collection, writing the draft, taking pictures, handling ICT tools, proof-reading, etc.)

The outcome of the e-journal after deviding the tasks and filling them

e-journal “MyWeek”

1st page

The descriprion of the participants and photos

The description of schools and photos

Introduction of hometown and a map

Introduction of the country and a map

2nd page

Subjects

A short description

The description of the schoolyear

The timetable

3rd page

Hobbies

Traditions of our classes

Weekend and free time

4th page

Jokes and interesting happenings

Dictionary

In English	In Greek	In Estonian
Hello!	Gia!	Tere!
How are you?	Pos ise?	Kuidas läheb?
My name is...	To onoma moy einai ...	Minu nimi on...
Good bye!	Gia sou!	Head aedga!
What is your name?	Pos se lene?	Mis Su nimi on?
Good morning!	Kalimera!	Tere hommikust!
Game	Paixnidi	Mäng
School	Sxoleio	Kool
How do you	Do ti kanis	Kuidas läheb!
etc

2. Collecting and sorting the information

Pupils find, select and organize material on the chosen topic (via Internet and/or library);
They brainstorm their ideas and prepare drafts of the article, respecting the journalistic approach they have chosen;
They decide on the layout of the article and on the pictures, which will illustrate the ideas expressed in the text;
Teachers monitor pupils´ work, guide them through the process and help them cope with challenges of collaborative writing in a foreign language.

3. Publishing articles

When writing the final version of the article, pupils take into account the comments made by the other members of the team concerning the quality of the language, content, layout and pictures;
They quote the sources of information provided in the article properly;
Pupils insert the article in the Twinspace or in http://projectmyweek.blogspot.com/ ;
Finally, teachers as administrators make their articles public in the e-journal http://www2.edu.fi/svenska/tidningsfabriken/international/magazines/projectmyweek ;

4. Learning with and from each other

Pupils read their partners’ or other teams’ articles;
They exchange comments and, if working in http://www.etwinning.net and http://projectmyweek.blogspot.com/ environments, rate them. They consider the quality of the language, content, layout and the relevance of the pictures;
The articles are put together into an on-line e-journal, if the tool used allows it. They decide and agree on e-journal design (logo, front page). They organize available articles according to the sections they agreed on at the beginning;
They try to find common features and differences in the perception of the chosen topic in their countries.

Outcomes:

Articles in a foreign language published on-line;
E-journal “MyWeek”, with an organized structure and containing articles written by all teams involved (http://www2.edu.fi/svenska/tidningsfabriken/international/magazines/projectmyweek ).

Follow-up options:

Pupils may decide to create a paper version of their magazine. They learn about the differences between on-line and paper magazines;
They may create a real cover for their e- or paper journal with the help of the application available for free at http://flagrantdisregard.com/flickr/magazine.php
They may translate the most interesting articles in their mother tongue, publish them on the school website or print them, and make available at school or in local community.