CASE STUDIES
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Outlined below are some details of what schools are doing to integrate the European Dimension into the curriculum.
What would you
do?
Healthy
Lifestyles
Partners in England, Germany, Holland, Hungary, and Sweden
Pupils produced videos and information booklets on meals and cookery
classes.
Benefits "..for the staff, substantial - they were able
to meet with colleagues from the other schools and for pupils, they
are aware of being part of a wider European Community. Comenius
has been embraced by the staff and pupils as a whole and we feel that
the project has been successfully incorporated into our curriculum.
The school is now starting a new project on Celebrations and Traditions.”
Trevor
Howard, Principal
Longstone Special School
European
Village, Environment, Culture and Festivals
Partners in France and Spain
Pupils got to know each other through letters, cards, projects packs
about school and the village and e-mails.
Benefits ? "..were enormous, studying another country
was a ‘real experience’, it gave us an insight into life in
another school and community, motivated the learning of another language
and allowed staff to visit other schools in a European context. We won
the International Curriculum Award for our work. We have submitted a
further application to link with three new countries.
Stanley Poots, Principal
Dromara Primary School
Myths
and Legends
Partners in Tenerife
and Germany
Cartoon strips, art work and videos were produced and exchanged in Year
1, in Years 2 & 3 the pupils created and exchanged diaries, newsletters
and a video with accompanying brochures of their local area. In January
2001 we hosted Nesire Cengiz from Germany for six months, the children
miss her entertaiing and fun classes but in January next we will have
Valerie Cau from France.
Benefits? ".. too many to count! From our experience
we would strongly advise any school to get started. We are just entering
a new partnership now with the Czech Republic, Italy and Germany.
Advice? "Don't be too ambitious, keep it simple and
your results will be all the better."
Clare
McAlister, Co-ordinator
St Aloysius Primary School, Lisburn
Creative
Arts, local artists, writers and folk music
Partners in Finland (2), Holland, Iceland and Denmark
Pupils drew and wrote in the style of their chosen artist and writer
and exchanged their work so that each school had work from all partner
countries. On permanent display in each school is an 'Art that will
Grow' mural featuring cut up pieces of cloth sent by partners and joined
up in each school as well as booklets featuring six stories, each with
chapters written and illustrated by the pupils, in their five partner
schools. Videos of all the children working have been made and exchanged.
Benefits ? "...for the school have been great and the
staff have enjoyed meeting each other while the pupils got great pleasure
in communicating with each other via e-mail and the Bulletin Board on
the project’s Website. The school has received the International
Curriculum Award and the work has been highly praised in a recent Inspection.
We are going into a new project next year, such has been the enthusiasm
within the school”
Advice? "Success depends on establishing a good
working relationship with partners and the commitment of your own teaching
staff."
Gary
Cooper, Principal
Knockmore Primary School, Lisburn
How
the Weather affects our Lives
Partners in
Finland and Spain
Pupils described to each other how the weather affected their
clothes, school, games, food and their family life. Remember that in
Finland temperatures in winter can drop to -30 while in Spain in the
summer they can rise to +35 with Ireland somewhere in between.
Benefits? " for pupils, the difference in culture, the
use of language and making penpals and friends. For staff, new friends
and colleagues as well as getting to know other educational systems."
Eamon Fitzsimons, Principal
St Nicholas'
Primary School, Ardglass
Environment
and Wildlife
Partners in France and Denmark
This was the topic for the third year of the project after having done
a European Sports Day, models of schools and videos of the pupils' homes.
A tapestry was designed and manufatured to celebrate the schools' three
years together.
Benefits? "..teachers discovered that the highs and lows
of teaching are the same the world over, a very strong bond developed
between the teachers, principals and pupils. We have hosted three language
assistants and won the International Curriculum Award. Some of our pupils
went to Denmark as guests of their penpals. We are going into a new
partnership with Denmark, France, the Czech Republic, Romania and Germany"
Advice? "We began with a three term programme of
work.. far too demanding, we should have kept it simpler. In the second
year we refined."
Adrian Moore, Principal
Londonderry
Primary School, Newtownards
