Connecting Classrooms Project Diary. December, 2010

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More than a hundred pupils took part in the preparation of the Greeting Cards and presentations about winter holidays in Ukraine the best of which were sent to 15 partner schools. 
The registration of 15 teachers and 80 pupils on the E-Twinning platform has been finalized. 

Handmade cards, decorations were prepared with the support of  English, Art and Handicraft teachers for the partner schools to present the Ukrainian traditions of celebrating Xmas, New Year, winter season holidays.

Power point presentation, booklets, CD were prepared with the stories about the holidays and sent to the partner schools.

The greeting cards and souvenirs received from Malta, UK, Cyprus were exhibited for the school community and placed in the School Museum.

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School Fest of St Andrew Holiday.

December 13

This holiday is devoted to St Andrew – the disciple of Jesus Christ, who is considered to be the patron of marriage. Obviously, he is a significant figure not only for Scotland, Greece and Russia, but also for Ukraine. He was the person who put his cross on the deserted hills and predicted the great city –Kyiv – the capital of Ukraine. Ukrainian culture is rich, history is glorious, people are generous , language is melodious.

In parts of Ukraine superstitious belief exists that the night before St. Andrew`s Day is especially suitable for magic that reveals a young woman`s future husband or that binds a future husband to her. Many related customs exist: for example, the pouring of hot lead into water (in Western Ukraine, one usually pours hot wax from a candle through a key hole into cold water), divining the future husband`s profession from the shape of the resulting piece. In some areas, girls go out and ask the name of the first man they meet – it’ll be the name of the future husband. The other custom is to throw ashoe over one`s shoulder: if it lands pointing to the door, the woman will get married in the same year.So, girls gather together on this day. They sing, dance, talk, knit, sew…and pray to St Andrew for the fortune. Young men can be welcomed for the first part of the festivity and merry games and entertainments have place. Varenyky is a special dish for the day.

Needless to say, traditions and customs should be kept as well as passed on from generation to generation. There is no future without past.

Traditions and Holidays, "Recipe Book"

At least 140 students in the school and their families, relatives and 15 teachers prepared the material for the e-twinning space both for files and blogs.

The photo/video was added to illustrate  the community preferences in food. A contest for the best video about cooking was conducted in March-April. The best 3 recipes were sent to Kiev school # 155 for thee-version book published as a Calender «Ukrainian Recipe Book” with photos.

Students got aquainted with the food preferences in Cyprus, Malta and Wales and created their blogs on the research. 

Connecting Classrooms Project Diary. Kiev British Council

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December 9-10, 2010 Kiev British Council
The meeting in Kiev of the partner schools representatives to discuss project development was a nice time for the participants. The up-dated school website and a screenshot about our school have been presented to the audience.

Dylan Thomas Club. Students` translations

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Students organize different events on Dylan Thomas Day in our school. The contest of the young translators of his verses is one of them.

Dylan Thomas Club

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Young people learn collaboratively with peers from other cultures and communities. The focus on inclusion helps develop the cultural understanding and skills they need to live and work as global citizens. Literature is one of such powerful resources. Dylan Thomas Club was founded more then 10 years ago in our school and works with the support and helping hand of Robert Morgan, Swansea, Wales ( Project “Wales, Look East!” ) I

Connecting Classrooms Diary. November-December, 2010

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Young people learn collaboratively with peers from other cultures and communities. The focus on inclusion helps develop the cultural understanding and skills they need to live and work as global citizens. Teachers and school leaders are supported to develop international school partnerships and integrate them into school curricula and broader strategic plans. At least 180 students in 5 groups , 17 English teachers were registered  on the E-Twinning Space, about 20 parents supported their children while preparing profiles, material for the school  web page, for the CD. 

Creative writing

“My school”. “My hobby”.

The target issue was to develop understanding of the diversity in cultures and school life through Students’ Voice in letters, e-mails, student profiles, school web page, to introduce our school to partner cluster schools. School community was involed in creating the website, Project Diary in pictures with captions, a video about Rivne school # 15 was filmed.

CD (#1) with all students profiles and Project materials was compiled and sent to 15 partner schools in Malta, Wales, Cyprus. Read more...

Connecting Classrooms Diary. October-November, 2010

Connecting Classrooms is supported by education authorities in each country which co-ordinate clusters of schools. This ensures that partnerships address local priorities, help to achieve core educational objectives, and are sustainable in the longer term. What does the programme offer?

• Support to schools and education authorities to establish international partnerships
• Professional development for teachers and school leaders
• Training in leadership skills and cultural awareness for young people
• Recognition through International School Awards
• e-Twinning online platform to help develop and sustain partnerships.

Some ideas at the initial stages of the project
Finding out about our school
 - Tell me about your school
 - What is your timetable like?
 - What subjects do you study?

Finding out about the area I live in

 - What do you know about my country?
Our language
 - What are these phrases in your home language? Hello, thank you etc.
 - Teach me some of your language.
Establishing relationships between pupils
Each pupil writes a detailed description of him/herself. In addition to that, he/she expresses what he/she is looking for an eTwinning partner (e.g., I am searching for a pupil who likes pop music). All personal descriptions are published on the TwinSpace.
Each pupil carefully reads all the descriptions/advertisements and sends answers the pupils who seem to be the most similar/interesting to him/her.

Each pupil decides on the partner(s) with whom they would like to cooperate

Taken from http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/inspiration/modules/online_matching.htm

Finding out more about our area
Pupils upload photographs of important monuments or landmarks to the TwinSpace and pupils in other countries have to try to locate them on googlemaps for example.

Connecting Classrooms Project Diary. June-October, 2010

June 29-30, 2010 Irpen’

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The idea of CC Launch event (British Council), Irpen’ was that it is a short intense course that offered the participants of the Connecting Classroom project an introduction to a topic, stimulated new ideas, helped develop their skills. 
As we did not require a long-term commitment in terms of our time, it was designed to be an enjoyable learning experience. This well planned learning event lasted 2 days of active work and discussion, followed by days of reflection and personal work.  The materials are online and we may easily access them during our own time. It is natural and important that when we learn about global issues we get clear understanding of the root of global values and want to make some difference in the world we live. The after-event activities showed that we didn’t waste time in Irpen’.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Svitlana Istomona, school #15 principal had a meeting with the reporter from the town council newspaper “Sim Dniv” on the issues of the project Connecting Classrooms. Teachers were registered to the platform of the British Councils TeachingEnglish to get know the latest news in innovations.

Article: «Навчаймося разом!»: Україна долучилась до європейської освітньої програми.

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Friday, July 2, 2010

Round table discussion on sustainable development issues in connection with the working out the Rivne regional strategic plan considering innovations in education was held in the Rivne Regional Administration quarters. The project Connecting Classrooms was suggested to consideration as a unique example of international partnership in active development of the pupils’ global dimension awareness. Olena Franchuk, project coordinator, presented the issue to 24 members of the regional Board on Innovations in Education (Regional Administration officers, rectors and educators of some Rivne universities, NGOs’ representatives, Heads of the Rivne regional and city Dept. of Education and Science).

Friday, August 27, 2010

Annual regional Teachers’ Conference. ELT section. Rivne school # 15. More than 158 English teachers from Rivne schools had the chance to find out the information on the project development.

Monday, August 30, 2010 

75 teachers from Rivne school # 15 were informed on the project Connecting Classrooms development at the Annual Teachers’ meeting.

Wednesday,September 8, 2010

16 EL teachers from Rivne school # 15 discussed their involvement in the project work at the English teachers’ meeting.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

260 pupils from Rivne school # 15 were informed on the project Connecting Classrooms development at the Pupils’meeting.

Thursday, October 28, 2010 

Annual regional seminar of the methodologists of the rayons’ Departments of Education and Science was held in Rivne school # 15 at which 16 methodologists of the rayons’ Dept. of Education and Science, methodologist from the Rivne Dept. of Education and Science were informed on the project Connecting Classrooms development.

Friday, October 29, 2010
The material suggested by Rivne school # 15 was sent to Cluster schools’ consideration.
We sent the link inviting  to the TypeWith.me for the White Board on which the draft of the project “Cook Book” was placed. It is possible to edit it there directly that the rest of the colleagues would see the improvements and add theirs. Read more...