School Networks and Community Building · An online community for science education in Europe Facilitating communication and sharing of innovative science teaching methods in Europe

www.europeanschoolnet.org - www.eun.org

School Networks and Community BuildingExperiences from SPICE, Scientix, Ingenious,

Unischoolabs and U4Energy

Eloise Gerard

LITEXPO 2011, Vilnius, Lithuania, 4 November 2011

European Schoolnet (EUN)

2

Promoting the use of ICT and digital technologies

in the classroom

Promoting the Europeandimension in schools

Network of 31 Ministriesof Education in Europe

www.europeanschoolnet.org - www.eun.org

Improving the quality of education in Europe

Three areas of interest: service to schools, research and innovation,sharing of learning resources

What is Scientix? (http://scientix.eu)

An online community for science education in Europe

Facilitating communication and sharing of innovative science teaching methods in Europeteaching methods in Europe

Available in six languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian,German, Polish

Online and offline services for building an active community of users

Philosophy and target of Scientix

Teachers

Policy makers

Aimed for:A dynamic platform for knowledge

building

Find

Engage

Search

Parents

Experts in science

communication

Researchers

Scientix for teachersTeachers can find on Scientix:

Find didactic materials tested in the framework of EU funded projects

Ask for translation of didactic materials in all EU languages

Search for teaching materials by topic, age of students, language, and otherand other

Download materials and use them for your science classes

Search for training opportunities and events to participate to

Inscribe to the newsletter and receive each month all the news on projects and events http://www.scientix.eu/

Scientix for researchers and science communicators

Library of reports, case studies and projects

Library of results coming from various European projects for:

- deciding on the most innovative technique in the field of science education

- analyze the results obtained from various projects

http://www.scientix.eu/

What is Spice?

Diffusion of Inquiry Based Science

Education and the use of technology

Who?

Teachers and experts from 14 countries

What for?

Analizing , collecting, validating and diffusing

to motivate students to the path of scientific studies

http://spice.eun.org/web/spice

What?

Innovative teaching tecniques : the good Practices (GPs)

In which area?

Mathematics and Science

objective

Spice: evaluation of the GP

4 questionaires per student and per teacher were created:General PRE / POSTSpecific PRE / POST

The GPs were tested in various European countries and have been evaluated in the spirit of guarantee of quality

We compared the group of students that used the GP with those who did not use the GP to confirm their validity and utility

Once validated, the GP s will be made available for all European teachers

Spice: preliminary results

Success of the GP on the opinion of the teacher

Spice: preliminary results

PRE POST

PRE POST

6) The GP helped me understand things on the scientific method and to develop my ability to use it.

8) It helped me understand better the work of a scientist.

9) They turned on between me and my companions debates on scientific topics (and related social issues, such as ecology).

Spice: the Moodle platform & the blog

Access the Spice Moodle platform where you can find lessons and teaching materialsteaching materials

Access the blog and interact with other teachers and exchange opinions

inGenious

Reinforce the link between industries & schools

Increase interest for Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST)

Initiative:

•Collecting pedagogical practices on a web platform

•Introduce the professional reality from the industries to the students

26 partners - 16 countries – from 2011 to 2013

Take part in the community of inGenious

• Participate to the questionnaire

•Get access to interesting teaching materials for your classes!

•Each teacher will be invited to participate to the Pilots School Annual meeting!

ingenious-science.euWill arrive soon!

• Participate to the questionnaire

• Test and evaluate minimum 3 practices

• Participate to at least 2 Communities of Practice (COPs)

• Participate to at least 2 chats.

• Participate to the annual campaign and contribute to the dissemination of this activity

Task 2011-2012

inGeniousHow?

• portal: observatory of industry-education information, guidance & good

Through innovative initiatives and coordinating and building on existing school/business partnerships in the field of MST

education across Europe, via

ingenious-science.euWill arrive soon!

• portal: observatory of industry-education information, guidance & goodpractices in Europe (repository of practice, disseminate and stimulate good

practices in Science and Maths and encourage new practices)

• validation of initiatives (in 150 schools in 15 countries), design programmeof activities, organise seminars for teachers on industry-educationcooperation in Science and Maths education

inGeniousHow?

• portal: observatory of industry-education information, guidance & good

Through innovative initiatives and coordinating and building on existing school/business partnerships in the field of MST

education across Europe, via

ingenious-science.euWill arrive soon!

• portal: observatory of industry-education information, guidance & goodpractices in Europe (repository of practice, disseminate and stimulate good

practices in Science and Maths and encourage new practices)

• validation of initiatives (in 150 schools in 15 countries), design programmeof activities, organise seminars for teachers on industry-educationcooperation in Science and Maths education

U4energyEncourage the school to suggest innovative ideas on how to reduce

the energetic consumption

Make Europe more competitive and innovative by attaining the objectives of climate change

Raise awareness on a more responsible use of energy

Best campaign at school to save 1

http://www.u4energy.eu/

Three contest categories for primary and secondary schools of all 27 EU Member States, to raise

awareness among the young Europeans about a low energy

consumption

school to save energy

Best educational action to raise awareness among

students on energy efficiency

1

3

2 Best measures for energetic efficience

The UniSchooLabs project

UniSchooLabs aims to improve the quality of science education in Europe. The pedagogical

approach is based upon inquiry learning, both in in real and in virtual settings

The UniSchooLabs tool-kit supports the teacher in selecting a remote or virtual lab and

Predict

Observe

AIM

http://unischoolabs.eun.org

in selecting a remote or virtual lab and developing a lab activity based on an inquiry

model template

Observe

Explain

Example: Which of the 2 balls will reach the finish

first?

The UniSchooLabs project

UniSchoo

The

Predict

Observe

AIM

The Observe

Explain

Exa

http://unischoolabs.eun.org

Contact us

Eloise Gerard,Project Administrator

[email protected]

Àgueda Gras-Velázquez, Science Programme Manager

[email protected]