Languages ICT: ICT news update

UK-Poland eTwinning project

In May 2005, Alan Crease from The Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe and Justyna Kukulka, English teacher from Polish school Zespol Szkol Zawiercie set up a link through The British Council eTwinning scheme so their pupils could learn about each other's lifestyles and their views on language learning. The project relied on a strong ICT element and proved to be very successful, winning first prize in the 2006 eTwinning Awards.

For the first six months, pupils got to know each other via email and text chat. Once the link was established, the schools decided to complete questionnaires on their attitudes to language learning including questions such as ‘How much do you like computer exercises?’ The questionnaires were written in Word and the results calculated in Excel. They also created PowerPoint presentations of their local area, which they published on the project website along with further details about the project and analysis of information. The pupils also set up a blog to make collaboration easier between the schools and discuss such topics as banning mobile phones, smoking and New Year's resolutions.

On a lighter note, The Royal Grammar School sent their globe-trotting bear Archie to the Polish school to see what adventures he may get up to. Visit his web page [http://www.rgshw.com/school/langblck/news/archie_gal/index.htm] to see how he got on!

In May 2006, pupils from Zespol Szkol Zawiercie came to England to visit the Royal Grammar School and meet the RGS pupils face to face. After winning the eTwinning Quality Label award, both sets of pupils created a film about their experiences which they uploaded to YouTube and their wiki. This also appears on the British Council eTwinning blog, which contains a wealth of information about how to get involved and link with a partner school.

In the film, one of the Royal Grammar School pupils describes the benefits he has found from taking part in the project:

"Yeah, I really enjoyed the project, but at first, I knew very little about Poland and Polish schools before we started, but now I feel very familiar with the country and our partners in Poland. Thank you"

The project has clearly been a valuable experience for all those who have taken part to date and has proven how how culturally beneficial eTwinning can be. In the words of the judges who awarded first prize to the project:

"It shows excellent examples of appropriate use of ICT in meaningful contexts, cross-curricular linking in secondary school subjects, and real creativity in using a variety of means to promote and sustain interest in the project at whole school level and beyond. This is a model project which demonstrates the strength of ICT in creating a borderless classroom experience for the children. The range of ICT strategies employed was very impressive."