Session: 13.6.2011
Researcher: Viera Blahova
Teachers: Barbora, Samuel

Scenario: Our school, our environment: using technology to raise environmental awareness

• Barbora really likes this scenario.  She is more attracted by the environmental awareness then by using technologies.
• To protect environment and give skills to students by engaging them in solving real problems is good idea. The students are very creative, highly motivated and able to do far beyond first expectations; just the teacher must show flexibility to understand their freedom for expression.
• The scenario is feasible in our context, just teachers are not very much used to collaborative projects, so some preparatory work should be considered with teachers to arise their motivation to make a team.
• Some definition of what is expected is needed.
• Students will use technology to monitor their progress, to prepare presentations, to communicate.
• It can be problem with teachers to use technology and they will not help students to use them properly.
• There is lack of real time active monitoring devices.
• Collaborative activities between the schools may be also problem.
• Students are sometimes overenthusiastic about the project and work too hard and spend too much time on it and less on other duties, time schedule is needed.
• Most of the teachers probably will not accept such way of outdoor activities and using technologies by themselves due to their lack of management and technology skills, but younger teachers will accept it, so the scenario is feasible, similar activity was conducted by the colleague of the teachers.
• Presentation of activities which students have experienced by themselves instead of just collecting information from literature and websites is of great benefit for them.

Scenario: Professional development in the global classroom

• Teacher will need to find a way how to encourage themselves to start contacts with teachers they do not know, Barbora suggested to start with workshops, where the teachers can meet first and then they continue to keep in touch virtually.
• Some teachers are involved in teacher training where they improve their digital competencies, so it could be motivating to participate in such activity; they are motivated to learn even more.
• Facebook and other social networks as tool are highly welcomed by students, some teachers hesitate to use them said Samuel. Some teachers started and then refused to continue to use them. Barbora said that she is not a celebrity and cannot prevent students to share her information from such environments.
• School provides for teachers access to commercial environments with digital learning resources, forum for teachers and test authoring system. Teachers can keep track of students progress and marks in marking schemes. They would appreciate more elaborated learning resources which they need and are not able to make by themselves due to lack of digital competencies.
• Programming is not usual to use for teachers, it is environment for IT teachers. This school can provide teachers with some support from IT staff.
• The scenario is feasible, but it is still too general, some elaboration would be necessary in order to share it with teachers.

Assumptions on what we are doing in iTEC

• Helping them in their work – to teach better by provided supporting materials and to motivate students to enjoy learning.
• To find some really good teaching/learning scenarios and provide some teacher resources.
• To give an idea of using appropriate technology in their subjects or projects.
• To show Web 2.0 based tools.
• To engage students in innovative practices using technologies.
• To share ideas with other active teachers from different schools.

The translation of the jokes were not needed, we had very good time together. The teachers were very open and share their opinion and attitudes in a very clear and friendly way.