The role of the teacher, the parent and the learner in SimSafety

1. The role of the teacher, the parent and the learner in SimSafety Social Applications for Lifelong Learning, Patra, Greece, 4-5 November 2010 Maria Fountana RACTI

2. Different Settings • SimSafety Scenario for completely free and continuous Game (preferably with adult support). • SimSafety Scenarios played inside the classroom focusing on specific educational objectives (with the support of a teacher). • SimSafety Scenarios played at home focusing on specific educational objectives (with the support of a parent).

3. Preparation Material for the SimSafety activities • Poster Insert for Teachers • Poster Insert for Parents & Consent form • Poster Insert for Pupils/Students • System Manual • User Training Material • Frequently Asked Questions • A list of the educational activities

4. Setting up the Computer Lab or the Personal Computer • Preferable Internet Connection • Minimum and Recommended Requirements for computer Labs • Hints for common technical issues which can be easily overcome • Contact information for the SimSafety Development and Support Team

5. Guidelines to adults BEFORE a SimSafety activity • Test SimSafety after the regular school program and before actual implementation • Organise an Info Day at school and invite parents • Remember that the number of pupils involved may depend on the number of computers available • Support maybe requested by the corresponding partner in each country for: • The set up of the lab • The activities and how they can be implemented in the best way possible. • The evaluation of the venture

6. Role of the adults DURING the SimSafety Activities (1/2) • Subject (in which this activity could be taught) • Title of activity • Duration • Objectives / purpose of the activity • Learner profile •  Material resources • Methods • Expected results (what the pupils will produce)  • Communication Language • Actual Content of the activity • Stages of the activity • Teacher’s / Parent’s role • Pupil’s / Student’s role • Duration  • Instructions • Detailed Role description: • Teacher’s / Parent’s role • Pupil’s/Student’s role • Scoring criteria • Extra school work / extra tasks • Some additional comments • Instructions for Playing the Mini-game

7. Role of the adults DURING the SimSafety Activities (2/2) • Informs the pupils/students of what it is about to follow and the issue at stake is for the specific activity. • Explains the term “role – playing game” by trying out role playing in the classroom. • Has got the list of your pupils’ log in details available during each SimSafety activity. • Prints the roles of the mini-game in the mother-tongue of the pupils/children and distributes them to the pupils in paper as well. • Participates in the mini-games as an “avatar”, either as one of the five players required for a mini-game to be played each time, or as a person who is present while the other avatars are playing a mini-game and acts as the “devil’s advocate”

8. Role of the adults AFTER the SimSafety Activities (1/2) Discussion inside the classroom or at home to clarifying the following: • What was the point of this activity? What were the different views? What have been the main arguments? • Which roles among the ones attributed to the players of the specific mini game have “promoted” the issue at stake and which have done the opposite? • Explains the importance of acting the roles “properly” in order for the scoring to work. • If the scoring turns out to be unfair at some point, the teacher/parent may contact the development team and ask for a specific change in the scoring (http://simsafety-avatar.cti.gr/) • Goes through the quiz questions one by one from the corresponding scenario to check pupils’ answers and discuss the false ones.

9. The role of the SimSafety players in a SimSafety educational activity from inside the classroom or at home Remembers: • His/her log in details. • That school internet connection may not be able to support all SimSafety functionalities, especially if many computers have been logged in to SimSafety at the same time. • to wait patiently in the mini-game area until four (4) more players have joined him/her in order to play a mini-game. • to ask the teacher or parent to give him/her the description of his/her role translated in his/her mother tongue. • to pay attention to the hints that the teacher and/or parent will be giving before and during the activity. • to discuss with other classmates about the different arguments made regarding the issue at stake. • to check his/her personal score at his/her profile at the following link: http://simsafety-avatar.cti.gr/userprofile. • to check the “ranking” in relation to the performance of other players in the “Hall of Fame” in the following link: http://simsafety-avatar.cti.gr/halloffame.

10. The role of the SimSafety players when participating in a SimSafety educational activity on their own spare time • Ask parents to escort them while in SimSafety. This is a good opportunity to spend time with each other and find out more about Internet Safety Issues together! • Ask friends to join them in mini-games and other activities. Having prior experience from playing the mini-games in classroom would be preferable. • Ask other avatars from other countries to join you in some of the SimSafety activities (e.g. visit together the Info Centre, compete in answering the quizzes, report bullying together, report lost items in the Lost and Found centre etc).

11. Material Available for further study • D2.1(b): Report on Game Specification (final release). http://www.simsafety.eu. It includes the educational background of SimSafety and a list of activities similar to the ones you will find in this document. • D4.1: A number of recorded games. Available upon request at: http://www.simsafety.eu. This is a list of recorded games used for evaluation purposes but also as examples of the implementation of SimSafety that has taken place within the life of the project. • D4.2: Implementation Reports from each partner country including examples of good practice. Available at: http://www.simsafety.eu. These are reports from the teachers in each country which have participated in the implementation phase of each country and include a thorough assessment of their experience in SimSafety.

12. Thank you