SOCIAL AND COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTIVISMS IN PRACTICE ON THE BASIS OF ETWINNING PROJECTS IN SCIENCE

1. SOCIAL AND COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTIVISMS IN PRACTICE ON THE BASIS OF ETWINNING PROJECTS IN SCIENCE Elżbieta Gajek PhD. e.gajek@uw.edu.pl egajek@oeiizk.waw.pl http://www.ils.uw.edu.pl/~egajek/

2. Multidisciplinary perspective on ICT-based education Biographical note • National expert of the eTwinning programme • In-service and pre-service teacher educator interested in CLIL – Content and Language Integrated Learning • Electronic engineer by first profession • Linguist by second profession

3. Constructivism - theory • Cognitive (Piaget) • Social (Vygotsky) • Constructionism by Pappert

4. How to put constructivist ideas into practice? • To assign tasks meaningful to learners • To equip students with ICT tools for learning • To arrange a learning environment with extended social contacts • To enhance cooperation between learners • To give them freedom – autonomy • To accept learning on mistakes

5. eTwinning projects • For schools – 52 000 of schools participate • Teacher friendly – over 64 000 of teachers got involved • English as the main means of communication • ICT based, safe learning environment

6. Characteristics of eTwinning programme • Flexible • Engaging – learner friendly • Empowering teachers and learners • Emotional, linguistic cultural stimuli in contacts with partners • Lack of bureaucratic procedures

7. Culture determines interest in science, innovations and technologies Source Eurobarometer 224:7

9. Examples of eTwinnig projects in science How to integrate culture and science to make science attractive to young people? • 1, 2 Buckle my Shoe • The Entertaining Physics Class • The world is more than catches the eye • We are so different, but the same sky touches our faces • Magic but real experiments European and National awards for projects with Polish schools in science Science is less popular as a theme of eTwiningprojectsthanlanguages, culture and ICT

10. Common features • Enhance learning by doing • Help teachers to share various methods of teaching • Add fun • Provide opportunity to build knowledge and skills • Create socially and culturally rich learning environment • Introduce holistic approach to learning – integrate various skills and attitudes • Help to combine soft skills with subject knowledge in science and technology skills

11. Conclusions • Constructivist approaches find a sound implementation in eTwinning projects: learning environment extends, social contacts are more intensive, cultural mediation is more conscious, the processes of adaptation – assimilation and accomodation take place. • Project work in an international team makes work on science meaningful and more attractive to young people, particularly to those who are not attracted to new inventions and technologies for cultural reasons.

12. Bibliography and webgraphy Etwinning http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/index.htm Gajek, E. 2009 (ed) eTwinning a way to education of the future http://www.etwinning.pl/files/e-bookENpoj.pdf Gajek (2005, 2006, 2007) eTwinning partnerships in schools http://www.e-learning.org.pl/publikacje

13. Websites of the projects • 1, 2 Buckle my Shoehttp://twinmath.wikispaces.com/ • The Entertaining Physics Class http://twinspace.etwinning.net/launcher.cfm?lang=en&cid=34218 • The world is more than catches the eyehttp://more-than-catches-the-eye.blogspot.com/ • We are so different, but the same sky touches our faces • Magic but real experiments

14. Project’swebsites 1, 2 Buckle my Shoehttp://twinmath.wikispaces.com/ http://twinspace.etwinning.net/launcher.cfm?lang=en&cid=34218

15. Thankyou