Collaboration

International Collaboration develops relations between countries whereby teachers can share ideas, cooperate and participate in projects. In addition collaboration between schools from different countries develops children's global awareness.

Finding schools to collaborate with can be found via network systems such as Comenius (www.britishcouncil.org/Comenius), ESP 'The Image of the Other' (www.espnet.eu/image) and e-Twinning (http://www.etwinning.net/)

Project example

Topic/Theme
Developing global awareness through exploration and collaboration with other countries and other cultures.

Why did you chose this?

• Interesting and engaging topic
• Appeals to all age groups
• Inquiry based project and interactive
• Children developing global awareness and knowledge of other countries and cultures using all their senses

The students will learn:
About a countries;

• way of life
• culture
• traditions
• history
• language

Children will identify similarities and differences between country to country through the project and collaboration with other pupils.

How?
The project will take two-three weeks. However the collaboration and partnership will be throughout the school year. The children will be into groups to work together (groups of 4 or 5). The children will think of questions to ask the partner school and things they would like to find out e.g. what meals are common and a tradition? Are there any traditionally songs? What is the countries weather or flag like? The first week of the project will be used for the groups to research the countries and ask their partner school questions and vice versa. Once the pupils have gathered all information they will plan the meal to cook, decorations for the hall, songs, dances, games, traditions, facts they might want to share with the class. They plan how they want to present the findings to the class on the day dedicated to their country. The second week will be a week for the sharing of ideas and a week devoted to the International project. Each group will have a day to decorate the hall, cook and share with their classmates what they have learnt about the country from talking to their partner school and research.

How are you going to evaluate the project?
The children will be assessed on their ability to ask focused questions and research interesting facts, traditions, cultures they found out about the country. Furthermore the children will be assessed on their ability to successfully collaborate with the children from the partnership schools. Finally the teacher will evaluate the information and knowledge collected about different countries.

Who will be involved?

• Pupils
• Teachers
• Parents
• Project partners

Where?
At school: in the classroom, computer suite, library and the assembly hall.

When?
Half way through the school year when a partnership has been built between schools from different countries.

Tasks:
Pupils will write emails and skype calls will be set up so the children can build up relationships with other children and so they can successfully research the topic. The teachers role is to contact the project partners, guide and evaluate the children. Furthermore the teacher will ask parents to be involved.