ICT and Language Training
Exchange of Experience in the Methodology of Teaching
Bulgaria:
Computer literacy and Information Technologies course:
• Duration of the course – 8 studying days
• Horarium – 45 studying hours: 20 hours theory and 25 practice
• Form of teaching – daily, evening or weekend – depends on the requirements of the class
• Number of people in a group - 8
• Summarie of knowledge at the end of the course: Hardware and software, File management & commands, Working with windows, MS Office: Word & Excel, Internet – surfing, download, e-mail
Methodology: Lectures, Practical fulfillment of tasks, Analysis of homework, Experiment in real time – especially with internet
Language course:
• Duration of the course – about 6 months for 3 levels
• Horarium – 300 hours
• Form of teaching – daily, evening or weekend – depends on the requirements of the class
• Number of people in a group – up to 15
• Straightforward system of Macmillan Publishing House
• Textbooks and workbooks are used, the communication method is applied
• Balanced acquirement of skills in the four components: reading, listening, speaking and writing
• Balance between grammar and lexics – both are present in each unit
• The studying material is divided into units. Each unit consistes of 4 sub-topics with different grammar and lexics but similar within the unit.
• Reviews are made at the end of each sub topic
Methods of teaching: Dictation, Dialogue representation of a real-life situation, Reading comprehension, Closed tests, Essay writing with new lexics, Situation games, Audio-video exercises
Language course - summary of knowledge:
• I Level – can communicate about simple things like his needs, family, work, easy activities;
• II Level – can understand longer sentences and lead conversations about home, family, travel, eating, shopping, etc.
• III Level – can understand most native-speakers and use language abroad in common situations.
Obstacles of senior learning
• Language - they need more visualization, they find difficulties with transcription and write it with Cyrillic letters as they hear it, they are afraid to speak and are not confident in what they have learnt
• ICT - Some of the adults have never seen how a PC works, they don’t have personal computers at home in order to train what they’ve learnt, different potential for learning of each student – more individual work is needed, practical lessons are a bit chaotic. For this reason students are left to experiment in internet – they learn by themselves
Finland
Computer literacy and Information Technologies course:
• Courses are different every year. All the courses for seniors are arranged in daytime, were as our other courses (age group 18-65) mostly are arranged in the evenings. All the evening courses are also open to seniors. The course fee is about 0,5 - 1 euro/h. Thanks to a grant from the government we can provide low fees to seniors and get the subsidy to cover the loss.
• Basic computer courses and follow up courses for seniors: about 10 different courses every year, that together gives a good introduction to ICT. The senior students can participate in just one or all of the courses.
Language courses and other type of courses for seniors:
• English level 2, level 4; Spanish, level 1-2
• Health - gymnastics for seniors, volleyball for seniors
• Music (singing)
• Handicrafts – painting,weaving, patchwork, sewing, Silver chains, joiner´s workshop, carpeter´s workshop, pottery, porcelain painting
• Third age university - lectures concerning senior citizens, memory documentation, genealogical research
Seniors ´education – how to be success:
• daytime courses
• low fees
• senior teachers (if possible 60 +)
• knowlegde & social activities
France
Innovative educational approach to senior learning:
• The network APP implements all actions to develop theirs activities and to allow the improving of the label APP across France. ( e.g : events, local exibition ). This network was born in 1983 and it grew in every territory by answering requests of the learners to learn the basic knowledges, ( acquaintance and skills). This personal approach allows to plan the individual learning in the way in order short sessions and to a public who went out the education public system.
• We propose a special pedagogic system with entrances and Exits all the year with many workshops and individual e-learnings with or without teachers.
• In the service of the success of the project of the learner the APP team makes a commitment: Propose an individualized welcome, take into account the candidate in the construction of its training courses, negotiate with him the characteristics of his contract, organize working modalities facilitating his(her,its), learnings and developing his(her,its) autonomy,insure an accompaniment personalized during all the duration of its contract, give means and resources, deliver a certificate at the end of its contract.
• SCENARIO 1 - Everybody are received in personal individual interview. Everybody are received in educational individual interview. After the signature of the individual contract of training between the center and the learner,a copy is given to the learner. After this first stage, the team communicates to the learner its future session of individualized training and personalized (rhythm, duration, level, schedule). An educational notebook is given to the learner to validate or modify its sessions. This notebook is a link between the learner, trainers and the administrative team. It is a tool allowing the learner to become an actor of his training. This notebook is individual and it is built to accompany the learner and teacher course of education. Once a month, the teaching staff meets the learner to check the course and the objectives of every learner. The coordinator can modify the terms of the individual contract of training with the elarner.
• SCENARIO 2 - Intermediate evaluations are realized with every trainer. A meeting with the trainer, in the middle of the period of training, allows to review and to straighten the contents and the objectives. A qualitative evaluation of the training by the trainee is realized at the end of route(course). A monthly statistical follow-up is asked by our national network, it is an excellent means of follow-up and evaluation. Then, 6 months after the training, we make a follow-up comment-action. Several times a year, we organize meetings of control with our partners. We often have phone contacts, electronic contacts with our direct and indirect partners. This work of partnership is the best means to coordinate our accompaniments because the person is followed. We wish that the person is followed in its entirety. Once a year, the Committee of Orientation and Follow-up meets to present actions and troubles. All the partners of the network APP are invited to communicate their actions. These diverse modes of management allow to have a qualitative and quantitative approach of training initiatives.
Methodology:
• THE APP is a specific activity for the learners increase their knowledge, develop their autonomy, their control of the learnings.For that purpose, we implement diversified specific educational modes:
Ø Sessions of elearnings thanks to supports chosen according to needs,
Ø knowledge, objectives and process learning of the learner.
Ø Collective time of learning, organized by field and / or by level
Ø according to the needs of the person.
Ø Methodological workshops,
Ø Advice of accompaniment, des ateliers thématiques.
Computer literacy and Information Technologies course:
• BASIC KNOWLEDGES IN THE PACK OFFICE :
• Windows : What a computer, an explorer Windows, Menu to start, dialog boxes.
• Word : Discovery of the keyboard, seized with a text, shaped by the characters and the paragraphs, the tabulations, the creation and the modification of board.
• Excel : Discovery of the screen Excel and of a screen of calculation, basic formulae, basic functions(offices), simple, graphic conditions.
• Duration : ACCORDING TO NEEDS AND TO RHYTHM OF THE LEARNER ENTRANCES & EXITS ALL THE YEAR
• INTERNET: What is the Internet? How to connect in Internet? Look for an information. Send and receive of the mail.
Language training and other courses:
• FRENCH : Basic skills, Learn to write and read in french, French for foreigners, Administrative techniques.
• MATHEMATICS : Basic skills, Financial mathematics Accounting
• We organize time of exchange, meetings: To take out the persons which are alone, To allow an access to the information, to the knowledges and to the culture, To make sensitive in the sustainable economy and to be a citizen « éco responsible »
• We choose fields and the implementation according to the visitors:
• Workshop reading,
• Discovery into the photography and Dance,
• Discovery of its body,
• Learn to manage his(her,its) stress,
• Discovery the historical heritage,visits of museum.
Czech republic:
Innovative educational approach to senior learning and cross generation activities:
• How can we help as a secondary school? HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
• and SOCIAL ACTIVITIES and PROJECTS and MUTUAL LEARNING
• Let´s do it together - Connect students with their grandparents or local seniors, provide seniors with ICT training , provide seniors with cross-generation activities
• Homework: The storytelling - stories and experiences from the past...
• School Activities : Project Me(u)mories, Theater...
• House Sharing: Students living with elders
• Individual teaching: Project „ICT to seniors“: one to one study groups.. One senior and one young volunteer. Realized at school or at senior´s homes. Students supervized by teachers. Regular meetings at school
• Group teaching: small group of seniors led by the students and adult teacher as a supervizor
• Home assistance: students as assistents
• Leisure Groups : "The Internet Tea Salon": students as hosts..seniors as listeners
• Cafe des Ages: regular meetings at school with cofee and cake. Every meeting about one ICT topic. Students as speakers
• Senior olympic games : ICT as a game (quizz), students as advisors
At school, promote:
• values of solidarity and mutual respect
• the pleasures of living together
• peaceful existence across generations and cultures
• ideas to fight against prejudice and stereotypes
Outside school, pass on:
• our heritage, our memories, our life experiences (for ex., through writing workshops to safeguard historic memories)
Lithuania
Language learning – case study
• 10 senior participants, basic English skills, methodology – a set of lessons
• 5 teenaged students, upper-intermediate English skills, methodology – a role play as a teacher
Ø Lesson 1 Level: Pre-Intermediate
Ø Vocabulary: like, enjoy, hobby, interest, spend, take up, early, late, pleasure, pastime, waste, socialize, meet up
Ø Grammar: like+..ing, Present Simple, Past Simple
Ø Skills: Listening for gist, writing an essay, monologue speaking
Ø Write down the words associated with Lifestyle
Ø Vocabulary introduction and practice
Ø Make up a story about Mr John’s lifestyle using the prompt words.
Ø Listen to the teacher’s story about her lifestyle.
Ø Make up your own story about the lifestyle.
• Lesson 2
Ø Vocabulary: learn, study, complete, graduate, placement, a job, choose, change
Ø Grammar: Past Simple
Ø Skills: Listening for details, writing an essay, dialogue and monologue speaking
Ø Put the words in the quotes about past and present into the right order.
Ø Listen to your classmates’ stories about their lifestyles and ask some questions.
Ø Choose the one you like mostly and tell why.
Ø Find out the similar one in the mother tongue.
Ø Find out differences by asking your classmate questions past
Ø Write a story about your time at school
• Lesson 3
Ø Vocabulary: continue, embroidery, choir, paint, perform, stage, costume, go out, decorate
Ø Grammar: Past Simple
Ø Skills: Listening for gist, writing an essay, monologue speaking
Ø Finish the famous quotations about past and present
Ø Listen to your classmates’ stories about thei school years and ask some questions
Ø Design a Christmas greeting for your project partners
Italy
Learning offer to senior citizens:
• Età Serena is a non- profit community involved in volunteer actions in Trebisacce. We are one of the most successful non-profit associations in our area. Our members come from the surroundings towns, too. Età Serena encourages members that their knowledge, experience, competence and attitude is worth to be spent. It seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its constant work.
• Due to the fact of ageing of the European society, there is a growing need to develop educational offer for senior citizens. To stay an active member of society, member of family and to be a successful human being seniors need to have positive approach, knowledge and skills necessary in modern society. Our organisations helps elderly people to learn more, stay active, so improving quality of seniors’ lives. We want to develop a Grundtvig Learning Partnership project focused on sharing good practice and improving learning opportunities for senior citizens.
• Our aim is to:
Ø Gather and exchange culture knowledge in partners countries
Ø Acquire competence in Information Technology
Ø Transmit experiences between senior people and young generations
Ø Make senior people feel active members of the society
Ø Gain self esteem both in senior and young generation
Ø Transmit moral values to young generation
• We meet in our community room and socialize. We do great activities outdoor.
• Above all ,we love to spend our time together. We care about each other and feel as one family. We help people in need and doing that, we help ourselves. That is the why we feel useful. That is the way we live our life.
• Stereotypes linked with traits of older adults:
Negative Stereotypes -> Traits
Ø Severely impaired -> Slow-thinking, feeble, senile
Ø Despondent -> Sad, hopeless, afraid, lonely
Ø Shrew/curmudgeon -> Ill-tempered, stubborn, bitter
Ø Recluse -> Quiet, timid, naive
Positive Stereotypes -> Traits
Ø Golden-ager -> Active, independent, happy
Ø Perfect grandparent -> Loving, supportive, wise, kind
• Ways to enhance a sense of competency in senior citizens: Be respectful—recognize independence and autonomy. Recognize abilities and skills—wisdom. See development occurring despite disability and infirmity. Respect cultural differences in reaction to changes in life.
Greece
Computer literacy and Information Technologies course:
• The aim of this course is to provide learners with the skills, and knowledge of basic functions in a range of software applications.
• Other support:
• Technical supports: IT equipment and internet access, Human supports: trainers to guide and teach the trainees, Multiple supports: books,files
• ICT course Modul 1: Concepts of Information and Communication Technology Participants attended a computer course, on how to use the office application packages word, presentation, internet & e-mail
• ICT course Module 2: Using the Computer and Managing Files - The learners are able o operate effectively within the desktop environment and work with desktop icons and windows. To manage and organise files and folders, to know how to duplicate, move and delete files and folders, To use simple editing tools to scan and print
• ICT course Module 3: Word processing - The learners are able to use a word processing application, to accomplish everyday tasks associated with creating, formatting and finishing documents, to duplicate and move text within and between documents, to use word processing applications such as using pictures and images within a document
• ICT course Module 4: Presentation - The learners are able to accomplish tasks such as creating, formatting, and preparing presentations using different slide layouts for display, to duplicate and move text, pictures, images and charts within the presentation and between presentations. To use various slide show effects.
• ICT course Module 5: Web Browsing and Communication - The learners are able to understand some of the concepts and terms associated with using the Internet and to accomplish common Web search tasks, to bookmark Web sites, and to print Web pages
• to communicate by e-mail, to attach files to mail messages
• BENEFITS - Active involvement of learners, Motivation to participate in non-formal education, Cooperation with local organizations, Increase of ICT skills
• PROBLEMS - Learners were completely illiterate of ICT, Learners live in a disadvantage rural area, Little free time, Little increase of language skills