liaise with our partner school to plan and schedule a week long programme for both staff and pupils. It is very important that the visit consists of educational, social and cultural activities. During a recent exchange visit we spent a day in the school working with our partners in bilingual and cross-curricular workshops. The children worked together on maths challenges, art workshops, PE, flamenco dancing and music. We visited historical and cultural sites, such as the Alcazaba and the Picasso museum. We visited a bullring, which stimulated great discussions on bull fighting and got the pupils really thinking about different cultural traditions and expectations. Although the children learned about these in the classroom while preparing for the visit, it is even more exciting to see and experience
“Language teaching throughout
the school has flourished through communicating with partners.”
them for real. They tasted traditional Spanish food while sharing lunch in the school canteen and in local tapas restaurants. We encourage the children to use their language skills by ordering food, buying items in shops and asking for keys to their rooms, but they also learn so much simply by interacting through conversation with their Spanish partners. As a result of eTwinning and Comenius projects, the children are much
more motivated to learn as they have real Spanish partners to share their project work with. Their language, communication and social skills have really improved due to online and face-to-face collaboration. They have gained new ICT skills by using online communication tools and animation and sound software. They have learnt to co-operate with and understand children from different cultures and have become much more culturally aware as they spend time in another country and with their Comenius partners. As one of our governors and parent Mrs Manogue commented: “You have changed my child’s life.” As teachers we are all more motivated. We have acquired new ICT skills and enhanced our professional development through collaborative
Flying the flag: Pupils take part in an international presentation
work and visits. We are able to extend our knowledge of different pedagogies and learning environments and of different cultures from first-hand experience. We compare teaching methods and styles and have implemented new ideas and techniques for behaviour management and teaching resources into our classes. Language teaching throughout the school has flourished through communicating with partners. There have been so many positive outcomes as a result of our
eTwinning and Comenius projects and partnerships. My role and priorities as a teacher have completely changed. I feel motivated to educate our children about their future as global citizens and I am committed to the programmes we are involved in.
Further information If you want to register with eTwinning, join nearly 13,000 UK teachers in a network of over 142,000 teachers, find a partner and get free online training, visit
www.britishcouncil.org/etwinning To apply for Comenius partnership grants, in-service-training and
CPD opportunities, and Comenius assistants to work in your school, visit
www.britishcouncil.org/comenius
• Sarah Stead is international coordinator at Adel Primary School, Leeds.
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