Part 2 : Description of project activities
2.1 Summary of activities undertaken
Contractual period : Year 1 : 1 September 1997 - 31 August 1998
Activities
Co-ordinators' planning meeting December 1997
Project workshop January 1998
Development and trialling of teaching materials February - May 1998
Project workshop June 1998
Co-ordinators' planning meeting
Date/ Location : 11-14 December 1997, Belfast N.Ireland
Partner responsible : Southern Education and Library Board
Partners involved : All.
Aims
To review and confirm the project aims and objectives.
To revise and confirm the project workplan for Year 1.
To review the project finance and confirm procedures for expenditure.
To review project communications and confirm best practice.
Outcomes
Revised Year 1 workplan and allocation of roles / responsibilities.
Confirmation of procedures for financial administration of project.
Identification of best practice for project communications.
Project workshop
Date/Location : 29-31 January 1998, Granada Spain
Partner responsible : Delegacion de Educacion y Ciencia
Partners involved : All.
Aims
To determine the format and cost of Year 1 teaching materials.
To identify the content of teaching materials to be prepared by each partner.
Outcomes
Agreed format, methodology and costing of teaching materials.
Outline description from each partner of proposed content of teaching materials.
Development and trialling of teaching materials
Date/Location : February - May 1998, all partner countries.
Partner responsible : All partners.
Partners involved : All.
Aims
To develop draft teaching materials.
To trial draft teaching materials in schools in respective partner countries.
Outcomes
Teaching materials in draft form from each partner following agreed theme and format.
Project workshop
Date/Location : 3-7 June 1998, Dublin Ireland.
Partner responsible : Southern Education and Library Board.
Partners involved : All.
Aims
To present and amend the draft teaching materials developed by each partner.
To produce guidelines to accompany individual teaching materials.
To produce guidelines to accompany the collection of materials.
To review the proposed workplan for Year 2.
Outcomes
Teaching materials and guidelines on the first theme of the project.
Agreed workplan for Year 2.
2.2 Description of Activities
"A Celebration of Difference"
Partners :
Southern Education and Library Board, N.Ireland (Co-ordinator) [GB]
Delegacion de Educacion y Ciencia Granada, Spain [ES]
Académie d'Orléans-Tours, France [FR]
Arhus Skolevaesen, Denmark [DK]
Malmö Skolor (Hemspraksundervisning), Sweden [SE]
Project aim
To improve young children's understanding of and respect for the cultural diversity of peoples in Europe.
Project objectives
To support teachers with the training and teaching materials necessary to provide a structured cross-curricular perspective of the origins and resolution of cultural differences in Europe appropriate to children in primary education.
Thematic orientation
YEAR 1 "The Origins of Difference"
The development of teaching materials and training courses on the theme of "Journeys" in order to highlight the origins of cultural diversity within Europe, eg. migration.
YEAR 2 "The Experience of Difference"
The development of teaching materials and training courses on the theme of "Conflict and Settlement" in order to highlight the initial experiences of different cultures coming into contact in a European context.
YEAR 3 "The Accommodation of Difference"
The development of teaching materials and training courses on the theme of "Living Together" in order to highlight the resolution of conflict arising from cultural differences in a European context.
Objectives for Year 1
The objectives for Year 1 of the project as set out in the initial application were :
to design teaching materials on the theme of "The origins of difference : Journeys" following a common format and methodology
to translate the materials developed by each partner into each of the five languages of the project
to produce these materials in paper and in electronic format for dissemination within and beyond the project partners
to design training courses in each of the partner countries to provide teachers with the strategies and materials necessary to teach the theme to young learners.
Workplan for Year 1
The workplan for Year 1 of the project as set out in the initial application was as follows :
Date
September 1997
Meeting of project co-ordinators
Preparation for local work on Theme 1
September 1997 - January 1998
Local work in each partner country
Adaptation and trialling of teaching materials with local teachers
January 1998
Meeting of project co-ordinators
Evaluation of materials
January 1998 - April 1998
Local work : production of teaching materials (Theme 1)
April 1998
Meeting of project co-ordinators
Planning of training courses : development of common format and methodology
April 1998 - June 1998
Preparation of training courses
Training courses on Theme 1 to be delivered in each of the partner countries
Revised objectives and workplan for Year 1
In view of the reduced level of grant and the late receipt of funding, it was not possible to undertake the workplan for Year 1 as set out in the initial application (above). It was agreed that a meeting involving a single co-ordinator from each partner country would be held in order to :
review the objectives for Year 1 of the project
revise the workplan for Year 1
agree procedures for project expenditure
implement efficient communications between partners.
This meeting was held in N.Ireland 11-14 December 1997. It was agreed that the principal objective in Year 1 would be the design and trialling of teaching materials. The deadline for the submission of Comenius 3.2 courses was no longer realistic in terms of Year 1, and it was agreed that the planning of such courses would have to take place within the Year 2 workplan. The focus and content of the teaching materials would remain unaltered, ie. as described in the initial application. Each partner would identify and develop a teaching resource on a strand of the theme "The origins of difference : Journeys" relevant to that partner's national context but fully consistent with the work of other partners. On account of the reduced budget for Year 1, it was agreed that the translation and printing costs would be deferred to Year 2. However, the use of the Internet to disseminate the outcomes and materials of Year 1 was confirmed as a realistic objective.
Within the shortened timescale, it was agreed that two full co-ordinators' meetings should take place, the first in January 1998 and the second in June 1998. This would allow partners time to develop and trial teaching materials on a local basis during the period February - May 1998. It was further agreed that video-conferencing links would take place in March / April 1998 to enable co-ordinators to maintain coherence in their work.
For a full record of this meeting, see Meeting 1.
The first full meeting of all project co-ordinators took place in Granada Spain from 29-31 January 1998. The common principles of methodology and format underpinning the teaching materials were agreed, together with an outline description from each partner on the content of the materials to be produced, as indicated below.
Partner : Sweden
Booklet containing photographs of children and short text/video clip of interviews.
4-5 stories from children telling about their journey to Sweden. Every child to read his/
her own story.
Partner : Denmark
Collection of drawings, photographs, limited text and short audio tape of music from different countries.
Number of children to be interviewed. Children also interview their grandparents about their journeys to Denmark.
Partner : Spain
Brochure or wallet including maps, pictures on overhead transparencies.
Examination of peoples who have come to Andalucia: their journeys and history.
Partner : N.Ireland
Picture pack - 4 pictures or images for each of 5 periods in history, including captions and activity sheets.
Examination of peoples who have come to this part of Ireland: their journeys and cultures.
Partner : France
Posters, video.
Historical aspect - examination of common European roots. Meaning of national identity to children.
For a full record of this meeting, see Meeting 2.
During the period February - May 1998, partners worked on a local basis, developing and trialling the proposed materials in local schools. These materials were then brought to the second full co-ordinators' meeting, which was held in Dublin Ireland. Each partner presented their respective materials for comment to all other partners. It was agreed that some further evaluation in schools would be required by all partners before the teaching materials could be finalised for publication and dissemination. This would take place during September - October 1998 in preparation for a further meeting in November 1998.
The partners also designed and drafted guidelines for their individual sets of materials as well as for the overall collection of materials. It is intended that these guidelines should accompany the materials to assist teachers in their use.
A summary of the materials presented by each partner at this meeting is attached to the minutes in Appendix 1. A copy of the draft guidelines developed at this meeting is included in Appendix 2.
The revision of the objectives and workplan for Year 1 have meant that the principal objectives for Year 2 of the project now appear as follows :
to evaluate and disseminate the teaching materials developed during Year 1 on the theme of "The origins of difference : Journeys", including dissemination via the project Internet site
to design training courses on "A celebration of diversity" and to submit course information for inclusion in the Comenius 3.2 course catalogue (December 1999)
to develop and trial teaching materials on the theme of "The experience of difference : Conflict and settlement".
Organisational approach and structure
Each of the five partners was requested to nominate two project co-ordinators who would attend project meetings. It was agreed that these co-ordinators need not be identical from one meeting to the next, but that there should be continuity in representation through at least one co-ordinator. This flexibility would enable different expertise to be called upon by the project as the need arose. In addition, co-ordinators would use teachers to trial the materials in schools in each of their respective partner countries.
It was agreed that Caitriona Hughes and Mike Donaghy of the Southern Education and Library Board (co-ordinating partner) would act as financial and curriculum administrative co-ordinators for the project respectively. Project administration,eg. records of meetings, communications, and project expenditure would be co-ordinated centrally. For example, travel and accommodation costs for all partners would be paid by the co-ordinating partner unless local costs were significantly cheaper.
Pedagogical approaches
The project identifies three principal themes, one for each of the three years of the project life span :
Year 1: The origins of difference : Journeys
Year 2: The experience of difference : Conflict and settlement
Year 3: The accommodation of difference : Living together
In relation to these themes, it was agreed at the outset that :
each partner should take an aspect of a theme which would be relevant to the national curriculum of that partner
each partner could focus on any historical period, including the present day, or on any geographical area which was related to the theme
the development of thematic materials should include where possible the perspective and experience of children.
In addition, the following pedagogical principles should underpin the development of materials:
materials should be drawn from a range of media, but should be appropriate for use in classrooms in all partner countries
materials should not be too ambitious, but should have a clear focus and be achievable within the given timescale
teachers and children using the materials should recognise the commonality of theme within and across the five individual partner components
the materials should assist children in the development of key concepts, language skills and Information Technology skills.
Project priorities
The project is contributing curriculum materials aimed at developing the European dimension in primary education.
The project is primarily concerned with improving children's understanding and respect for the cultural diversity of peoples in Europe. The project partnership is distinctive in that it includes 4 out of 5 partners from peripheral countries of the EU, both north and south. The geographical distance of these countries from the heart of Europe makes the issue of respect for cultural identity and the integration of diverse cultures in Europe all the more relevant. N.Ireland is a region with a well-publicised history of cultural division and conflict, and is well-placed both to contribute its experience to the project and to benefit from its outcomes.
Cutural identity will include the roles of both men and women within particular cultures, eg. the role of women in Moslem society, and will enable these to be set within the context of modern European society. The Swedish and Spanish partners both operate in areas with high concentrations of children from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, in particular those with a Moslem identity. The materials developed by these partners reflect this context.
The materials and training developed by the project are innovative and will use Information and Communications Technology (Internet web site and CD-ROM) in the dissemination phase, permitting access to the materials by teachers throughout Europe.
Evaluation
The appropriateness and quality of the teaching materials has been evaluated by teachers in each of the partner countries during trialling in the classroom. Further evaluation of materials has been conducted by partners during presentations to co-ordinators, who include educational inspectors from a number of national jurisdictions. Both of these evaluations have led to the amendment of materials in the course of Year 1.
Dissemination
The final materials will bedisseminated in December 1998 by the project co-ordinator to :
Socrates and Youth Office, project partners, and schools / teachers involved in the trialling of materials.
Information about the materials, together with extracts of the content, will be available via the project Internet site in December 1998.
The transfer of the materials to CD-ROM is part of the development work in Year 2. If successful, this will greatly increase the potential for much wider dissemination of the materials in this format.
2.3 Evaluation of the work undertaken
Several difficulties were encountered at the outset of the project which led to the revision of the workplan and objectives for Year 1. These difficulties are detailed below.
Grant
The workplan and objectives submitted in the original application were based on a total budget of ECU 69255 for Year 1, including a requested Socrates grant of ECU 34627. The grant allocated by Socrates for Year 1 was ECU 20000 (28.88%). The workplan was based on a project beginning in September 1998. The initial payment of this grant was received by the co-ordinating partner in November 1998, thus necessitating a revision to the workplan and objectives for Year 1.
Comenius 3.2 Courses
The original project application proposed the design and delivery of training courses in each partner country in June 1998 as part of the Year 1 workplan and objectives. The deadlines for inclusion of course information in the Comenius 3.2 course catalogue made this objective unrealistic. In fact, the first deadline which this project could realistically meet for the submission of course information based on the project outcomes is 15 December 1998 for courses taking place in the period 1 September 1999 - 30 June 2000. In addition, revised Comenius guidelines provided to the co-ordinating partner at a UK Co-ordinators' Meeting in London in June 1997, shortly before the start of the project, indicate that each partnership is entitled to organise one course per project year, and not the five proposed in this project's original application.
These difficulties led to the revisions in the workplan and objectives for Year 1 indicated below :
focus on the development of teaching materials only in Year 1
design of the project-related training course in Year 2 for delivery in Year 3
two full meetings of project co-ordinators rather than three as planned
deferment of final production / dissemination of materials (printing costs) to Year 2
development of an Internet site in Year 1 to disseminate immediate project outcomes.
One further difficulty was encountered in the course of Year 1. It was agreed at the first meeting of all co-ordinators in January 1998 that materials would be designed by partners and trialled by teachers in each of the partner countries prior to the second meeting in June 1998. The use of local teachers for trialling of materials is included as part of the project partners' contribution to the costs of the project. The Danish partner encountered difficulties with this aspect of the project, as Danish teachers apparently require additional payment for any developmental work such as the trialling of teaching materials. The Danish co-ordinators were unable to present materials at the second meeting, although these were forwarded to the co-ordinating partner at the end of June 1998 and will be included in the outcomes of Year 1. As this situation will arise again in Year 2, the difficulty has led to the Danish partner withdrawing from the project. With the permission of the Socrates office, the Danishpartner will be replaced by a German education authority (details included in Part 1).
The only other difficulty encountered in Year 1 has been the use of video-conferencing as a project communication medium. It had been planned to hold a video-conferencing session between the January and June 1998 meetings in order to ensure that development work on the teaching materials was proceeding according to the agreed principles. In the event, difficulties were encountered by a number of partners in gaining access to video-conferencing facilities. This is a difficulty which it is hoped to resolve in Year 2, as this medium of communication is already used by two of the partners in connection with other projects.
The partnership has achieved much in a limited space of time. The teaching materials designed by each partner, and presented at the second meeting in June 1998, are at an advanced stage and will be finalised ready for production and dissemination at the next meeting in November 1998. These materials were successfully trialled by teachers in schools in each of the partner countries between January and June 1998. Following comments and amendments proposed at the meeting in June 1998, the materials will have been subject to a second round of trialling where appropriate between September and October 1998. Copies of draft materials are included in Appendix 3 in order to give the Socrates office an indication of their eventual final format and content.
As indicated in the Reapplication Report (February 1 1998), the materials will be disseminated in December 1998 to :
Socrates and Youth Office
project partners
schools / teachers involved in the trialling of materials.
The transfer of the materials to CD-ROM as part of the development work in Year 2 of the project (rather than Year 3 as indicated in the original project application), is now a possibility following the acquisition by the Schools' Computer Unit of the co-ordinating partner of a CD-ROM writer. While not directly involved in the project, this Unit has the expertise to assist the partners with the CD-ROM development at no additional cost other than officer time.
The partners have worked well together, ensuring that the benefits of this networking are passed on to schools in each of the partner countries. Partnerships have been established between primary schools in each of the partner countries, leading to the exchange of materials between children and teachers and, in a number of cases, to Comenius Action 1 projects. Together with the teachers who have been involved in the trialling of materials, this represents a good base in each of the partner countries of teachers who will use the finalised materials and who will have an interest in attending the Comenius 3.2 course to be designed by the project in Year 2.
The project Internet site will be fully operational at the end of September 1998 and will enable details of the teaching materials to be more widely disseminated. The site will also afford greater networking opportunities to schools in each of the partner countries, offering teachers the facility to communicate details of existing school projects and to seek partners for new projects. The use of email for project communications still faces some difficulty in the case of one partner, but much progress has been made in the use of email since the beginning of the project. It is anticipated that remaining difficulties will be overcome in the course of Year 2. A project handbook, giving details of project aims / objectives and project members has been produced as part of the Year 1 work and is included in Appendix 3.