Monday 31 July 2017

KITE: Second Newsletter

Newsletter 2 - July 2017

1. Mobilities
2. Activities
3. IC-tools
4. Dissemination
5.Going on

Dear KITE-partners,
The KITE-project is now plenty on the move... even if it marks a little break right now because of the holidays. A lot has already been accomplished and we still have a lot of things to do.

1. Mobilities
Two mobilities have taken place since the last newsletter from January 2017. The first one in Crete (Rethymnon) and the second one in Austria (Eisenerz). Both of them went very well and brought their part of very interesting and useful knowledge and skills.

The mobility in Rethymnon has simply been great. Teachers from Austria, Italy, Slovakia, and Reunion were there with their pupils and were greatly welcomed by the Greek team. There they had the opportunity to discover a wonderful place with so kind and hospitable people. This place was really the appropriate one to tighten and strengthen the KITE-working team.
The teachers have been able to discover the Greek school-system and to exchange about the use of new technologies in the classroom (see 3. IC-tools). The pupils spent a really good time too, getting to know each other, going in class with their pairs and taking part in activities together, building an international group and making the European countries closer to each other.

The mobility in Eisenerz has simply been great too. Teachers from Germany, Italy, Greece, Slovakia and Reunion joined there together, with pupils too, to work further. The place, located in the middle of the green and astonishing mountains, was definitely amazing. The Austrian team has been so kind and solicitous, making sure their hosts were fully satisfied
Here too, the teachers really had the chance to deepen the reflexion about the convenience of IC-tools in the classroom (see 3. IC-tools). Concerning these tools, the pupils had the occasion to know each other by experimenting the COOL-Method, working in small international groups on a specific topic and then reporting the results of the group work.

2. Activities
After the great photo-marathon, each country had to build a questionnaire concerning itself in order to create the Kahoot-quiz. It has been done. The Kahoot-activity took place in Eisenerz and was a success. International groups of four teachers or four pupils were formed. Each one got a tablet computer. The questions were displayed on a huge screen with a beamer and each group had to answer the questions on its tablet computer... as quickly as possible. This recreational activity allowed to learn more about each country and was a very relevant demonstration of what can be done in the classroom with the kahoot app.
Each country had to post on Dropbox two lessons involving IC-tools. This has been done too. Each KITE-partner can now use these lessons in his own class.

3. IC-Tools
The aim of this project is to show how modern technologies can be used in a positive way in lessons, education and creativity. As well as to minimize prejudices and to enhance tolerance with students and teachers within European countries.
These are the first lines in the description of our project on our application form. And that's what we did so far. The mobilities have given the opportunity to discuss and exchange about the convenience of the use of new technologies in the classroom. Every teacher was asked to show his favourite IC-tool and the ways he/she uses it in the classroom.

Here are the highlights.

- EDMODO : An e-learning platform. A Facebook-like tool. It allows to create a private social network for each of your classes and to make every kind of documents (text, image, audio, video, link...) available to the pupils. It permits to organise discussions, debates and make the communication easier between teacher and pupils outside the
classroom. This platform can be used to put in place a flipped classroom. Another attractive feature of this platform is Facebook-like design which makes it very popular among pupils.

- WEBLY : An e-learning platform. It allows to easily create websites and interactive exercises. It permits to learn and to practice in a funny way and so it may allow to keep the pupils longer in contact with the aimed subject. Memory games, true/false questions, multiple choice questions, fill-in-the-blanks exercises, drag and drop tasks, quiz... everything is possible and is available online in a unique place.

- MOODLE : An e-learning platform. A very complete solution. Allows to set up a private social network for each classroom, to create every kind of interactive tasks, to create blogs, to enhance forums, to make every kind of document available to the pupils. Suitable to set up the flipped classroom. Permits autonomous and customized work.

- KAHOOT : An online application. Allows to create multiple choice questions. Answering time limited. If the test is displayed on a big screen, the pupils can answer the questions with a tablet computer (if Wi-Fi available) or with their own Smartphone. Results exploitable.

- POWERPOINT : PAO-Software. Allows for example to display images with text to stimulate memorization, then images without text.

4. Dissemination
Several actions have been completed to disseminate and to share the results of our work with the public.
- In Rethymnon, in April 2017 the Greek team took part in the Erasmus+ conference in the city to present and promote our project.
- In Eisenerz, during the C2-meeting, the Austrian team invited a journalist who wrote an article about the KITEproject in a local newspaper.
- The official website of the KITE-project is active: 
- Greece is still administrating the Twinspace of our project: 
- Italy is still administrating its blog: 
- Reunion is still administrating its blog too: 
- The team of Reunion took part in the "Erasmus Day", an event commemorating the 30 years of the Erasmusprogramme, and presented the KITE-project there.

5. Going on
So many good things have already been done. But there are so many exciting things to do further. Two other mobilities will take place before the end of the year. The first one in Italy (Pescara), from 6th to 10th November and the second one in Reunion Island (Saint Paul), from 18th to 22nd December. Video conferences are expected in the
meanwhile. 

So, dear KITERs, more than ever, we have to keep in touch!!!

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