|
|
|
|
|
JAK WITH THE ALCHEMIST STONE |
|
|
2. 5
TOPICS OF ACTIVITY 4. EVALUATION OF PROGRESS AND IMPACT 5. DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS/PROGRESS/END PRODUCT 7. ROLE OF PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS 8. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES 9. ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF PUPILS 10. INTEGRATION INTO PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM 11. SITUATION, THUS FAR, OF COMENIUS PROJECT AT SCHOOL LEVEL 12. SITUATION, THUS FAR, OF COMENIUS PROJECT AT EUROPEAN LEVEL
Specific Aims: - Pupils learn about other cultures, commonalities, points of difference. Pupils develop a greater understanding of other cultures and grow and develop as Europeans. - Pupils are motivated and enthusiastic in their involvement in the project. - Teachers are actively involved and develop professionally. - A transfer of information between participating schools occurs through sustained cooperation and collaboration. - Local community involvement; parent-pupil-teacher links. - Links with UCC, CIT, Dúchas and City of Culture Organisation Committee, involving the giving and receiving of information. - IT links with other schools; sharing friendship and information. A gathering of information and a body of knowledge occurs as Jak with the Alchemist’s Stone moves through time, place and space: Culture, history, song, dance, costume, sport, habitats, food, customs, music, games, instruments, jobs, dialects, religion. Impact: - Changing attitudes, ideals and opinions about what it is to be European. - Developing a sense of what it means to be a member of the European community. - Enhancing children’s outlook on themselves. - Developing a broader view of the bigger, macro picture of Europe, in the hope of gaining a deeper insight into the micro picture of our own Irish culture. - Developing the learning skills of researching, questioning, investigating, reporting, summarising, comparing, contrasting, looking, understanding and collaborating in both teachers and pupils.
Overview of Ireland/Cork location, history, culture, old & new. Douglas urban settlement, history of village, school within the area, social-cultural activities. St. Columbas history, plans, rooms, timetables, grounds, surrounding areas. Children games, lives, what they wear, play, eat. Irish language, dance, music, instruments, folklore. Above areas are general suggestions for specific areas of investigation and will occur in each participating country as they host the visit of Jak and the Alchemist’s stone (and the visiting teachers).
5 STAGES OF ACTIVITYResearch:interviews, library, archival investigations, books, photos, maps, writing for research, liasing with UCC/CIT/Dúchas, visiting speakers and specialists. Travel: pre-travel preparation and research, gathering and presenting information while away, setting up friendship links, organising activities, liaising with pupils and teachers. Reporting: written, oral, video presentation, debates, discussion, poetry, short stories, letter writing, drama, model-making, display boards in school, community (library, church, shopping centre), UCC. Performance: drama, concerts, talks, debates, costume/dance/music/customs/religion displays. Evaluation: questionnaires, interviews, pupil/teacher/parental feedback, oral & written, look and respond, appraisal of work produced, competitions.
3. END PRODUCTS A multidisciplinary portfolio of Ireland: books, charts, tapes, videos, websites, emails, samples, pictures, displays, interview transcripts. Friendship links and penpals. School drama telling the story of Jak’s journey through the participating schools in song, dance, poetry, mime and narration.
4. EVALUATION OF PROGRESS AND IMPACT Progress: end of term evaluations, questionnaires and reports. Assessment of what targets have been met. Parental/pupil feedback. Inter-European feedback. Regular meetings. Mobilities. Impacts: assessing how much children are learning, what they are enjoying and benefiting from most, their level of participation and involvement.
5. DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS/PROGRESS/END PRODUCT Appointment of designated communicator responsible for arranging: - pictorial displays and representations in school - email and website updates - local project displays - sending work home - drama presentation - publication of termly newsletter (‘Comenius Update’).
Pupils with special needs: included in group and cooperative work; physically involved in dance, music and IT activities; boys from autism centre and School for Children with Impaired Hearing integrated into classes for specific group activities (as per current school policy on integration); focus on strengths and talents of each individual (based on Gardiner’s theories of Multiple Intelligences). Pupils/Teachers of both sex: mixed committee; integration and paralleling of project with neighbouring girls school’s Comenius project. Ethnic and other minority groups: working with parents of ethnic and other minority groups (foreign nationals, travellers and refugees); including their experiences of Ireland. Others: as per concrete aim and above.
7. ROLE OF PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS Participants: our school (pupils, teachers, parents), neighbouring girls school, UCC, CIT, City of Culture Organising Committee, Dúchas Heritage Board, local committee, participating schools. Roles: - making specific contributions - maintaining open communication lines - outlining clear tasks and objectives - appointing liaison person to ensure equal and equitable distribution of tasks.
8. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Email, websites, reports, diaries, software programs, presentations, photos, CD-ROM. Extensive use of IT will greatly enhance every aspect of the Comenius project and the learning it hopes to cultivate.
9. ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF PUPILS Implementation: - group work and project work, as per activities. - propose setting up of Pupil Council, a body of pupil representatives from 5th/6th class, who will contribute the ideas, opinions, interests and choices of the pupils. This will ensure the focus of the project is kept in tune with the real interests of the pupils. Evaluation: as above.
10. INTEGRATION INTO PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM Full and complete integration into following subject areas: Gaeilge, English, Drama and Oral Language, History, Geography, Science, Maths, Visual Art, Music, Physical Education, Social, Personal and Health Education. Active participation of pupils and consideration of their interests and opinions in the project ties in appropriately with the child-centred, constructivist nature of our Primary School Curriculum.
11. SITUATION, THUS FAR, OF COMENIUS PROJECT AT SCHOOL LEVEL As part of the on-going project, the area of focus for this initial phase has been Sicily. Here the emphasis has been on language, physical features and cultural aspects of Sicilian life. The following areas and topics relating to Sicily were covered by the various classes at St. Columba’s Boys’ National School, Douglas, Cork, Ireland: As an introduction a staff note was given to each staff member outlining the Comenius Project and its application within the school. Subsequently, a follow up handout relating to information on Sicily etc. to be used as lesson information, was distributed. All classes were taught lessons involving Italian phrases, numbers, colours and shapes – the detail depended on the level of the class involved. Classes also studied maps showing the location of Sicily as well as its flag and general geographical information. Junior classes were told the story of Jak as well as colouring his picture. One class also made a large crystal which was used in the story telling and later displayed. Middle classes studied volcanoes as well as making models of Mt. Etna. A DVD of Etna was also shown to these classes. Senior classes covered various aspects of Sicilian life, food, history, cities, tourism and agriculture. Many of these activities were enhanced by the books, pictures, photos and information that was obtained by the school representatives on their visit to Sicily. We are, at present, organising a number of Italian days which will allow students to use their acquired knowledge of Sicilian language and life at a practical level as well as experiencing various aspects of Italian culture.
12. SITUATION, THUS FAR, OF COMENIUS PROJECT AT EUROPEAN LEVEL The first Comenius meeting on the project took place in Enna, Sicily between the 29th November and the 5th December 2004. This allowed the various representatives from participating schools to meet, compare “notes”, plan future activities and obtain information relevant to the project’s activities. At a European level the various countries have also followed the same pattern of activities. These have included “Italian Days”; days devoted to historic, geographic, linguistic and cultural studies; music appreciation; learning Sicilian dance (eg the Tarantella) and learning to cook Italian dishes. All these have included full pupil and teacher involvement as well as the use of various activity stages, such as researching, reporting, performing and evaluating. Our school has previously organised an in-school competition to find the best pictorial image to represent “Jak”. This has subsequently been used in all Comenius activities within the school. Some of the other school have also followed and created “logos” and similar characterisations. We, in conjunction with the other members, have also set up a Comenius website which allows greater communication, sharing of ideas, work presentation as well as encouraging greater pupil and teacher involvement. As we are the host country for this year, we are in the process of organising and researching the various activities we would hope each country would undertake prior to their visit to Cork in October ’05. This will be distributed in the form of an Education Pack. Part of this organisation also involves detailed preparation for the visit of the various school representatives ie the itinerary for the week which entails a number of activities to give our visitors a comprehensive picture of the cultural and social life of Douglas, Cork and Ireland. |
