ICT IN SCHOOLS

1. ICT IN SCHOOLS • Breaking the walls of classrooms • Crossing the borders between subjects • Melting ice among people • Bridging teachers and pupils • Promoting mutual understanding, cultural awareness and respect among people of various countries, ages and backgrounds

2. Where are we from? Jozef Lolo Erika Ľubo Slovakia

3. Teachers from the different types of schools, who teach different subjects Who we are:

4. How ICT joined us in collaboration - latest example We all participated Spring Day in Europe 2004project, together with 5677 schools from all EUcountries, ten new member states and three candidate countries. This project gives schools the opportunity to debate and celebrate the enlargement of the EU. What was the main project goal? To show possibillities of collaboration among teachers and pupils around theEuropean Union, enhace cultural awareness and the spirit of togetherness across EU.

5. Goes across borders

6. What did we do? Together with our pupils and students we participated various kinds of activities offered through the main website of project http://futurum2004.eun.org Such as: • preparing various mini projects exchanging information about culture among students to learn more about each other • participation in chats, video-conferences • organizing various debates with politicians, connected with European enlargement • painting pictures and art exhibitions • organizing sports events • environmental activities • etc.

7. What are we specially proud of? European anthem Our own idea – through the use of ICT to make a virtual choir of young people singing the European anthem together

8. Who participated? European anthem • 20 schools of various levels – from elementary through secondary up to university level • 348 pupils and students singing • 28 teachers organizing, coordinating, and processing their version of song • 34 teachers processing the song and digitally putting together all voices, creating website and making CDs • 1 sponsor to support small rewards for participants

9. What were the expected results? • To enable as many pupils to sing the European anthem “virtually” together, to celebrate the Spring day 2004 – the beginning of the first spring of newly-enlarged EU. • To create new versions of lyrics of EU anthem. • One or more versions of regional folk songs. • To collect the existing texts in various European languages. • Making a website publishing all necessary information for the activity and the expected contributions. • Preparing a CD-ROM.

10. What was the course of the project?

11. What procedures did it require? During the song recording and its digital processing it was necessary to: record the song in CD quality (44,1 kHz, 16 bit, stereo) cut out empty pieces noise reduction amplify the sound amplitude set effects to the musical file fade in or fade out record the sound to the disc compress a new file *.wav to *.mp3 upload the new musical file to FTP server

12. Which working and communication tools did we use? During the joining in teleproject we used following tools: • MS Internet Explorer for www browsing • MS Front Page Editor, Netscape Composer and Macromedia Flash for creation webpages • Paintbrush and IrfanView for drawing and converting pictures • Xara Webstyle for creation interactive push buttons • English-Slovak Lexicon for translation of the texts • CoolEdit and Gold Wave for songs recording and arrangement • BladeEnc and MP3Compressor for compressing • WinAmp and Windows Media Player for playing and listening to digital media files • Microsoft Outlook Express and Pegasus Mail for sending and receiving e-mails • FTP client for uploading files • Microsoft Netmeeting and Yahoo Messenger forvideoconferences

13. Official webpage of the teleproject http://lst.science.upjs.sk/2004/springday/index.html

14. Breaking age limits… The teleproject was suitable for whatever age category. Pupils in the first grade (forms 1 - 4) • learned and practised how to connect the multimedia equipment (microphone, headphones, loudspeakers, MIDI keys) to the mainframe computer Pupils in the second grade (forms 5 - 9) • learned how to set the loudness and quality of the recording • became familiar with SW that are necessary for recording, arrangement and compressing of the songs Pupils at secondary schools • acquired skills for the cutting out of unwanted (empty) parts of the songs, for the adjustment of sound amplitude, for parameters´ changes of the musical file (frequency, bass, channels), for various effects application, for sound converting in other file.

15. Breaking limits – pedagogic outcomes This teleproject • supported the awareness of European dimension inSlovak schools • promoted creativity and activity of pupils and students • developed their musical and esthetic feelings as well as the legal consciousness of all participants • increased their communicative abilities • consolidated teamwork and collaborative spirit • improved mutual judgement and evaluation • helped to realise and understand the enormous importance of the Internet as the means for the elimination of geographical barriers and as the means for friendship • improved computer and multimedia literacy of the participants

16. Any questions? Any comments?WANT TO COLLABORATE? • Talk to us right away • Leave us a message here • Contact us@: • erika@szs.edu.sk • lolo@zsdilong.sk • jozef@medvecky.sk

17. We believe in ICT! INTER&NATIONAL COL&LABOR&ATION of T&EACH&ERS

18. Let’s ICT TOGETHER! Inform Collaborate Teach