Brainstorming - Mind maps

Partners

• GREECE: LYCEUM "MILTOS KOUNTOURAS" (3ο ΓΕΝΙΚΟ ΛΥΚΕΙΟ ΝΕΑΣ ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΕΙΑΣ "ΜΙΛΤΟΣ ΚΟΥΝΤΟΥΡΑΣ"), Katerina Fyssaki, Stavriana Soubassi (FOUNDER)
• TURKEY: Altιnsehir Anadolu Lisesi, Umut Tanriverdi (FOUNDER)
• TURKEY: Adιyaman Anadolu Lisesi, Hadi Firat
• LATVIA: Daugavpils 12 Vidusskola, Inese Sinavska
• FYROM: SSOU Kole Nedelkovski, Mira Tashkova
• ITALY: ISTITUTO D'ISTRUZIONE SUPERIORE "Della Corte-Vanvitelli, Gianna Barrella
• IRELAND: Castletroy College, Patrick Dundon

eTwinning Certificate

Twinspace: http://new-twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p98164/homepage

Project description & schedule

Title * 

Don't ring the bell!

Short description * 

Self-regulation as well as self-evaluation skills are proportional to the level of success and happiness students will experience in their lifetime. Self-discipline and self-control is not about punishment or even about an abstinent lifestyle. It is the ability of the individual to set priorities and consciously decide on actions, thoughts and behaviors that result in personal development instead of instant satisfaction.

What does the “ringing of the bell” mean?

In fact, bells are alarms that go off before and/or after a period.  They are time signals that signify a start, a stop, an obligation, a transition, an order that must be obeyed or a warning. At school the bell usually defines learning time to achieve some goals.

Do students need bells?

Do we need bells at school?

Do bell ringers play an important role in our everyday life? (Advantages/disadvantages)

How far is the school bell to blame for our students’ lack of responsibility, self-confidence, self-discipline, self-control and readiness for decision-making and initiative-taking?

Curricular integration

This project entails applying skills that are related to Language, Literature, English as a Foreign Language, ICTs and Mathematics. In addition, some insight can be drawn from the subjects of European Studies, Sociology, Philosophy, Economy and Psychology.

Communication language(s) * english , ελληνικά (gr), Türkçe

Age* 14-18

How many pupils* 30-50

Aims * 

Doing this project we would like to “ring a bell” for our students!

This etwinning school project aims at our students’ improving their sense of responsibility, self-control, self-discipline, self-confidence, behavior and time management capacity and as well as at developing their learning skills. We would like to Build Educated Leaders for Life (BELL). Also, we hope to limit truancy, distractions and bullying at school. Therefore, the general aim of the project is to encourage students from different countries to work together and exchange views of themselves and of the level of responsibility required in order to survive in the adult world. Also, we aim at encouraging them to teach themselves and one another the necessary skills in order to become independent and active European citizens. The main objectives are: to improve communication skills in English, to improve reading writing skills, to participate in virtual learning environments, to learn how to organize an opinion poll, to cultivate the sense of world citizenship as well as values such as respect.

Work process * 

We’ll (both virtually and physically) meet the students in our school and in other schools of our region to talk about their experiences with “bell ringing”  by means of pictures, drawings, diagnostic test, opinion poll, charts and discussion. 

Can we change the current situation? Can we enhance our students’ sense of responsibility so that we can have schools with no bells, where everybody is responsible and knows what to do and when? 

Could the virtual classes of the digital school perhaps help us in this direction?

Expected results * 

First of all, the participating students introduce themselves by means of uploading their self-portraits on a common blog. 

Afterwards, they shall reflect and brainstorm on the meaning of the “bell’ in their lives and create mind maps on the different functions of the bell. 

Then, our students are going to prepare an on-line questionnaire in order to survey the other students’ views and attitudes. The survey data will be displayed in the form of diagrams and a report will be written.  Next, they will come up with good practices of becoming more responsible by cultivating self regulation and self evaluation skills. 

Last, the whole project will be presented in the form of a PowerPoint presentation/video. 

Schedule

First steps during October:

• we welcome any other partner-schools to participate and

• students awareness - all partners (teachers) inform the participating students about our partnership, the project description and their duties

during November: 

• we introduce ourselves through a presentation or a video (each person) and present our school and our town (only a video/presentation) 
• we answer the question "What is a bell for us in everyday life through texts, paintings, illustrations, mind maps, presentations, videos etc...
• upload the above results on a common platform and comment them.

Every school is developing the same job and the others read and comment the works of their "classmates".

 during December: we build (we gather the questions) and fill in an on-line questionnaire, 

during January: we make the data analysis and we present the results  on the common platform

during February: we present the results  on the common platform

during March: we present our work to the other pupils of our schools and school authorities and we upload the documentation of these actions, 

during April: we make a chart or a list etc with tips on how we could become more responsible  

during May: we evaluate the project and disseminate our experiences 

Good Luck! 

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