Schoolscape | Pen Pals | Laptops | Report on the 1st Year
A presentation to CAL03 on the schoolscape@future project
C. Preston (MirandaNet, UK), M. S. Baker (MirandaNet, UK),
A. Wells, (MirandaNet, UK), M. Bostock (MirandaNet, UK),
M. Chrystie (MirandaNet, UK), J. Cuthell (MirandaNet, UK),
F. Howlett (MirandaNet, UK), C. Webb (MirandaNet, UK),
P. S. Lynch (Trinity College, Dublin),
B. Holmes (Trinity College, Dublin),
C. O'Sullivan (Trinity College, Dublin)
J. Ramos (Universidade de Evora, Portugal)
I. Huet e Silva (Universidade de Evora, Portugal)
Key words: networked knowledge, emergent technology, case studies, classroom practice.
This EU Minerva Project, which has now entered in its second and final year, investigates a vision for the 21st Century School in which ICT is integrated into ICT practice in schools. Through working with successful schools and industrial experts, the project has identified examples of innovative practice identified in the three member countries (Ireland, UK, and Portugal). This presentation will focus on the recent contribution of the UK team.
The project is reaching the final stages of the building process of a database of best practice thus creating an extensive quantity of "networked knowledge" between teachers, researchers and industry in order to finalise the teacher briefing packs which are due for publication in the autumn 2003. The packs will contain new models of practice for schoolteachers as well as a series of case studies which will benefit teachers, researchers, teacher trainers and learners across Europe.
The presentation will commence with a short overview of the project's activities to date followed by selected highlights from the three expert seminars hosted in each of the three countries over the past two years. Specific reference will be made to recent work on capturing best practice in the UK.
In the UK, detailed case studies have been carried out that reflect on innovative learning experiences in a number of different learning environments. The first case study is an examination of the potential of the use of interactive whiteboards. Digital video cameras are also a new technology being used in interesting ways in several UK classrooms. Web-based learning environments are constantly evolving and examples of their potential to help structure learning are presented here. As part of a move to on-line materials, curriculum resources are increasingly easily available for teachers to expand their own repertoire of teaching ideas. Mobile computers and wireless technology move the learning into the hands of the pupils. Another project is the use of computers in early reading projects. The impact on the pupils of the creation of a sense of ownership of the technology is being recorded on video clips. Drawing all this together is a project in London about international citizenship. Citizenship in London. Teachers and heads who have been promoting a culture of active citizenship have felt that their work is more necessary than ever in the current climate. Teachers who wanted a means of meeting this professional challenge have been working with their classes express their ideas of good citizenship using digital resources on citizenship to publish for students all over the world.
This project has been funded by the EU Minerva Open and Distance Learning Initiative. Some of the key recommendations that arise from teachers' opinions about this self evaluation process will also be discussed in preparation for the schoolscape@future Final Report to be published in the autumn 2003. (Download report - 2MB)
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