Project+Evaluation

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PALE: Play and Learn English, a description and evaluation of this etwinning project: Young Pupils Play and Learn English starting through on-line & off-line activities in an interactive way and using creatively with e-safety the ICT tools.

Working on this project we mainly focused on how Pupils know and love the target language through the realization of its importance and get joy of using effectively the ICT tools in order to achieve their little goals each time. Teachers supported children’s progress to higher stages aiming on each child’s language learning as it develops, and following his time needs. Our methodology was gradually to achieve specific targets in the school framework. For this we developed this project like this: __Initial stage: New to English,__ we used simple language which was supported by visual materials, we expected that the pupils will eventually respond in the target language (English) providing a wide variety of activities that encourage interaction. __ Stage,2 –Becoming familiar with English, __ Here, single words are combined to communicate ideas. Basic communication and strategies are used in group activities or for simple interaction with other children. __ Stage 3 – Becoming confident as a user of English __, Through different activities, both inside and outside the class, pupils have opportunities to practice English with adults and other children __Stage 4 – Demonstrate competency as a user of English__ Pupils feel more confident in verbal exchanges and in collaboration with their schoolmates. Now they are able to explore more complex ideas e.g: a role play. Generally Pupils used keywords & short sentences, Enjoyed rhymes and action songs, developed listening skills in order to interpret simple instructions, learnt the names of common objects around them and expanded their vocabularyEnjoying to listen to and dramatizing stories. This plan was developed in 3 terms: __ 1rst term ( September-October-November) __ Pupils become familiar with English through many creative activities, each partner was free to choose. ( Internet games & videos, action songs, rhymes, simple daily expressions, alphabet/number songs etc). Partners uploaded videos presenting simple class actio ns: http://playle.wikispaces.com/1rst+term+activities

__ 2nd term ( December- January-February) __ Pupils continued to learn through new activities, demonstrating their progress to their partners through conversation and learning from their partners achievements via Skype, net meetings, and Google+ December : GR-LV AT-PT GR-FR LV-PT January : GR-AT FR-PT LV-FR February: GR-PT AT-FR AT-LV We recorded and uploaded all the Skype meetings on the Wiki: http://playle.wikispaces.com/2nd+term+activities

3rd term ( March-April –May) Pupils improved their English skills creating Internet podcasting, and publishing them on Wiki.The Greek partner school started a narrating a story of 4-5 lines long. Austria, Latvia ,Portugal were followed up on it and France concluded it. Each partner uploaded its own part on the Wiki : http://playle.wikispaces.com/3rd+term+activities Greece: March 15th, Austria: March 30th, Latvia: April 15th, Portugal: April 30th,France: May 15th The basic character –a puppet- arrived at each school following the progress of the story, and challenging pupils to be more creative continuing the e-story. We made a CD with the integrated story, and we uploaded it on the Wiki as well. We performed this to the parents and to the local community. Using creatively the ICT tools is always a challenge to us. For this reason initially we created a __Data-Resources-Page__ where we could found a great scale of e-materials to support in the best development of this project: http://playle.wikispaces.com/Resources Later each partner enriched the data with materials already used in her classroom. __SKYPE__ was a very useful tool which gave us great experiences of learning with fun! __Wiki platform__ once more was the Free, Safe! collaborative platform we used to present our project, as well __Glogster EDU platform__ let us free to improve our creativity in good aesthetic process. __Movie maker__ & Youtube were two more great tools we used a lot for this plan. This project could be easily expand it and continue it, because of the clear methodology was followed, the specific targets were set up and the challenged activities were planned and implemented by the all pupils of the 5 involved partner schools.

Pupils generally managed: to understand that language is something they can explore, play with, and enjoy. to develop and enhance social skills, a critical part of their lives. to Improve the understanding of their native language to acquire the ability to communicate with people with whom without the knowledge of a common language would not be able to communicate to enjoy learning another language. Even it was a pre-planned project by teachers, pupils achieved to improve skills and mainly motivation, so that to expand their project with more activities off-line, on-line than those we have planned and expected initially. They created extra pages concerning learning fields about Animals, Colors, Food, Plants, Shapes, Body. Extra page presenting favorite original GAMES pupils created in the classroom and another miscellaneous page including video about e-safety: Connecting Generations which was awarded with the 1rst European Prize by INSAFE during their International Annual Conference in Larnaca, Cyprus May 2012: []