5. www.britishcouncil.org Get Involved Now! Warm up for the Games Plan for your 2012 Foreign Language Assistant Bring China to the classroom with Dickens Join the Big Science Challenge Sign up for professional development courses and seminars Register now! www.britishcouncil.org/schoolsonline
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18. www.britishcouncil.org School Partnerships Deadlines Deadline - 21 February 2012 Application forms - available in November Project selection - April – August 2012 funding Multilateral Small 4-7 mobilities €10,000 Limited 8-11 mobilities €15,000 Bilateral / Multilateral Average 12-23 mobilities €20,000 Large 24 mobilities €25,000
26. www.britishcouncil.org 1. Foundation: Introducing Internationalism For schools beginning international work (no deadline) 2. Intermediate: Developing Internationalism For schools that are beginning to work with an international partner school (no deadline) 3. Full Award: Accreditation for 3 years For schools that have developed an integrated international ethos. Deadlines: Action Plan – 16 December 2011 (self evaluation submission;July 2012 full ISA)
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British Council Schools Online is a one stop global portal for teachers around the world to: Find partner schools Accredit your international work Find teaching resources Find out about CPD courses Join online international forums
1. A partner finding service. We can help you partner up with a school in a different country and share leaning activities. Link to a partner school, develop your partnership, find or plan projects and work together. You can also find lots to inspire and inform your work, from quick 10 minute activities to advice on how to build an international dimension to your school’s activities 2. The International School Award (ISA). Get recognition for your school and teachers. Raise the school's profile through local and national media. 3. Online forums. Share your knowledge and meet new people. Contact teachers from all over the world with a view to possible partnerships, shared activities in the classroom, or professional networking. Chat! 4. Project spaces. Come together in one place to share materials, activities and photos. 5. Funding opportunities. See what grants and resources are available. Learn about funding for professional development. Explore how charities and trusts can get involved. 6. Signposting to professional development and other resources from British Council and other agencies.
Go online to see how you and your school can get involved. You can also find lots to inspire and inform your work, from quick 10 minute activities to advice on how to build an international dimension to your curriculum. Warm up for the Games: teach your pupils about the Olympic Truce resolution ahead of the London 2012 Games. Get involved in The Big Dance. Foreign Language Assistant: ensure excellent language teaching in your classroom. Apply from 16 th Jan 2012 on. Dickens: discover how your pupils can compare Dickens classics with the works of contemporary Chinese authors through our free CPD courses. The Big Science Challenge: win a trip to Dubai for you and your pupils. Identify a local, national or global issues concerning water and design an innovative solution. Check online for various GPS personal development workshops in your area. Register now, it’s simple and fast, and through our new UK monthly e-newsletter and alerts we will keep you up to date with the latest news. Please note that if you are already registered on this system and can use your existing login in the login box on the right if you have registered on any of the following British Council websites: Global Gateway / International School Award Connecting Classrooms Online eLanguages.
All schools involved in Connecting Classrooms: - work with partner schools on collaborative curriculum projects, which enable learners to interact to enhance their understanding of each other’s societies, languages and cultures. - receive professional development for school staff, which builds capacity to support international partnerships and to lead the school in an international environment. - are supported to work towards full International School Award accreditation, which recognises the school’s commitment to forming international partnerships and developing global citizens. - become part of a global online community that enables teachers to network with one another in a range of teacher forums and offers guidance in the use of ICT tools that develop and sustain partnerships – BCSO.
In the UK and partner countries, a cluster of schools applies to the programme with a cluster of schools that want to work in an international partnership. The number of schools in the cluster depends on the country(ies) they choose to work with. The cluster need to identify a partnership co-ordinator to complete the application and is required to develop and manage the partnership. If the application is successful, cluster representatives will usually be invited to attend a contact seminar in either the UK or the partner country. Contact seminars allow cluster representatives from different countries to meet face-to-face and discuss what they hope to gain from their international partnerships. By the end of the seminar, all representatives will have identified partner schools and started to plan projects together. We invite applications from UK schools twice per year and open each application round two to three months in advance of the deadline. At this point we add application forms and guidance to this site and advertise the opportunity through the British Council Schools Online website and other channels. The next recruitment round for UK schools will open in the spring term of 2012. We will provide further information here early in 2012 about the partner countries available and the application process. Dickens 2012 and workshops available throughout the UK to explore Dickens work and Contemporary Chinese writers.
Global School Partnerships are between schools in rich and poor parts of the world and often between countries with colonial connections. The programme provides a range of Professional Development opportunities for teachers , Grants and Advice and Guidance to schools that are using their bilateral partnership to embed global education in the curriculum. The programme encourage schools to build sustainable partnerships founded on principles of equity , where both sides contribute and benefit from the partnership mutually.
Starter Grant - £250 is available for staff costs, travel and subsistence to explore the idea of long term equitable partnerships with schools in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. GSP give funding for schools involved in young established partnerships to meet face-to-face and plan future joint curricular work that embed global education in the curriculum. £2,100 grant available for two schools £6,300 for six schools or more Grants shared equally between partner schools UK schools responsible for applying for the grant Deadlines - 1 November – 9 January 2012 CPD online and face-to-face workshops GSP provides free training online or face-to-face in the UK and in partner countries. The workshops provide space for conversations to take place between teachers involved in school partnerships. Participants receive a workbook which can be used after the workshops with colleagues to replicate workshop discussions and take these further with colleagues in their own schools and partnerships. The online introductory course for any schools wishing to explore themes in more depth like motives for partnerships partners' perceptions of each other and how this affects learning , a global dimension curriculum . GSP also offer to identify accreditation options available to UK and southern country teachers. Go on www.camb-ed.com to view Universities offering accreditation opportunities for teachers. In England you can also choose to follow the professional recognition route offered by the General Teaching Council's Teacher Learning Academy.
IST – an excellent and unique opportunity for school staff to train in Europe In Service Training provides funded opportunities for: Professional development Training Courses Seminars Job-shadowing Participants can travel for up to 6 weeks Open to ALL educational staff (e.g. MFL, SEN, Early Years, ICT, Curriculum and Management Issues as well as LA) e.g. In the past Comenius has funded a school caretaker to attend a job-shadowing activity. The same school is hoping to send their school cook on a similar activity. School Partnership and IST grants are NOT mutually exclusive – schools can apply to do both simultaneously – add value to existing international work in the school.
Grant is a contribution towards Travel, Fees and Subsistence Supply cover cannot be covered by grant 80% upfront and 20% (or less) granted on submission of final report. There are 4 deadlines a year, usually January , April and September and December (2011). Next Deadline in 2012 is January 16th to travel from May 1st 2012 onwards. Application forms and guidance all on our website www.britishcouncil.org/comenius
Intending or trainee teachers – min. of 2 years undergraduate studies in any discipline i.e. could be a student of a wide range of subject areas. Work across the curriculum to provide FREE cultural and linguistic experience 13 -45 weeks (dates flexible - arranged between school and assistant) /12-16 hours per week including a minimum of 2 hours native language teaching; CA can often offer more than one language i.e. an assistant from Belguim could offer French, German and Flemish; Up to 3 schools can share – cluster applications were prioritised this year; Establish/develop international dimension in school & possible link with partner country; First stepping stone to international work; Host school will need to identify at least initial accommodation for the assistant before they arrive – the NA of the assistant will pay a monthly salary towards living costs/travel whilst on the placement; Provide a cultural resource to the schools across the curriculum i.e. not just limited to language teaching; New host schools and schools who are participating in or apply for School Partnerships 2011/12 are the priority. Schools in these categories will receive extra National Priority points. Highlight that all workshop participants fall into this category! Assistant can be a real asset to the school and a live link to a partner country within a school partnership project; Separate application for Assistant and Host School – matching process takes place to ensure both school and assistant get their preferred choice;
Newest addition to Comenius suite (started in 2009) 2 years in duration Large scale bilateral regional projects between European local and educational authorities Education authorities can build dynamic and influential partnerships A network of staff and communities can share knowledge and enjoy a truly European learning experience Regio supports the development of innovative new teaching strategies and a progressive model of intercultural understanding Regio offers an effective means through which education authorities can broaden options for school aged children At the moment only bilateral – could extend to multilateral in the future Local organisation or institution can include: (e.g. youth or sport clubs, parents and pupils associations, local teacher training institutes, other learning providers, VET institutions and local employers, museums and consulting services/ advisory boards). They should be chosen for their relevance to the theme of the project. For example if the project is on raising literacy levels then it would be appropriate to work with a library. If the theme is violence then you may work with the police Partnerships should address areas of mutual interest and relevance to their regions. Topics could include: Youth unemployment Violence Antisocial behaviour Literacy The environment Equality and diversity MFL School management Projects should help regions to improve their educational offer to young people Does not involve pupils or students directly Promotes the development of structured cooperation between the partner regions Comenius Regio intensive project work/activities could take the form of: Conferences Workshops Research Website development Study visits and exchanges Funding: Lump-sum funding (as of 2011) – up to a total of €45,000 per region for the two-year period Funding primarily awarded to fund mobility Funding levels and administrative rules may change for 2011 once the Call for Proposals has been published later in October.
What is eTwinning? eTwinning is part of the European Commission’s ‘Lifelong Learning Programme’ and it allows European schools to work together on collaborative curriculum projects using the internet and ICT The eTwinning programme began in 2005 and officially became a sub-programme of Comenius in 2007. eTwinning operates independent of Comenius and can be used as such, but is also flexible enough to be used in conjunction with Comenius and other school linking programmes eTwinning does not offer funding to schools but it provides tools and support to make project work possible. Because there is no contracted funding, there is no paper work or lengthy administration process. You register and away you go eTwinning involves 32 European countries (27 EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, Turkey and Croatia and Switzerland); over 135,000 European teachers are registered; over 12,000 of which are from the UK Centrepiece of the programme is the eTwinning Portal www.etwinning.net
www.eTwinning.net The Public homepage ( www.etwinning.net ) has a huge amount of information about the programme and is a great place to get ideas and inspiration for projects. There are ready made project kits and modules some of which could be used as ‘ice-breaking’ activities in your Comenius project. This is the page that you register on and also where you go to log in. Desktop: Once you log in to your eTwinning account you are taken to the ‘Desktop’ area which is your own personal teacher profile. This is also the area where you can search through the 135,000+ other teacher profiles to find prospective partners. The Desktop allows you register your project with your partners to gain access to the Twinspace The Twinspace is your own dedicated online workspace for your project, like a ‘virtual classroom’ really. It is safe and secure; you and your partner schools are the only ones who have access to this space. You and the coordinating teachers from your partner schools control the Twinspace, you can choose then if you give pupils direct access to this area. There are communication tools to help you as well as the facility to upload and share documents.
Bilateral partnerships are open to all secondary and special schools, as well as sixth form and further education colleges. The partnerships last two years and include a reciprocal exchange, each lasting a minimum of ten days, between the UK institution and another European partner school. Students need to be over twelve years of age at the time of travel. The partnership benefits include increased motivation for, and skill in, language learning coupled with valuable exposure to other European cultures and education systems. Working towards the creation of an end product provides a great opportunity for team-building and results in real friendships between staff and students. What funding is available? Funding is awarded as a fixed lump sum amount based on the number of mobilities (staff and pupils travelling abroad). More about funding for school partnerships in the next slide. You will need to find a partner school to work with (we can help you with this).
Multilateral partnerships are cross-curricular projects that involve at least three schools or colleges from at least three European countries. They enable staff and students in the UK to work together with partners in other Comenius eligible countries for the duration of the two year partnership.
What makes a good Comenius Application: Clear, realistic aims and objectives Genuine partnership – active, balanced and equitable Meets the needs of all the schools involved Embedded in curriculum/life of schools Effective, planned communication teacher to teacher, pupil to pupil (including mobility) Innovative use of ICT where possible
The most obvious starting point is to use eTwinning to find partner – huge extensive database. As a communication tool: Using eTwinning’s Twinspace tools teachers can communicate easily together by utilising the mailbox and live chat facilities aswell as a dedicated Staff Room area. Pupils can use live chat , blogs , wikis and forums to work and communicate together in a safe and secure online environment in their own dedicated Pupil’s Corner As a planning tool: Utilising Twinspace functionality like the shared calendar , blog and Activity Pages teachers and pupils can plan aspects of the project together online As a place to share and store your work online: Using the Twinspace allows teachers and pupils to upload project outputs like documents, photos, videos etc building up an online library of your project work As a tool to disseminate your work: Publish individual pages of your Twinspace making your project work public. You can also publish your blogs to keep the world up to date with the progress of your project As an evaluation tool: By using the communication tools available in the Twinspace as well as using the document upload facility both teachers and pupils can easily participate in the evaluation of your project and its activities What else can eTwinning offer you? Support: Each country involved in the programme has its own dedicated National Support Service (British Council is the UK NSS) who can give technical support, project support and run workshops amongst other things; Each region of the UK has its own dedicated regional officer to offer local support to teachers; Part of NSS support includes a selection of web resources to aid teachers with their eTwinning experience Awards and recognition: Apply for a Quality Label to gain extra recognition for your project; this can then allow you to be eligible for the prestigious National and European Awards ceremonies Professional Development: Increase your ICT skills by working with new tools and resources; attend or even host free ‘hands on’ eTwinning professional development workshops; get involved as an eTwinning Ambassador presenting your project as a case study, getting other local schools involved and generally being an advocate for eTwinning and what it can offer eTwinning Events: Apply to attend Professional Development Workshops around Europe aswell as local and regional workshops and conferences; come to our National Conference held every June and take part in a weekend of exciting workshops and activities.
You can apply for your 2012-13 Foreign Language Assistants from 16 January to 28 February 2012. We can recruit assistants for your school from French, German and Spanish speaking countries and from Italy, China, Japan, Oman or Russia. ENGLAND AND WALES (2011/2012) Period of appointment – 1 October to 31 May* (8 months) Gross monthly payment - £879.00 Standard hourly rate - £16.74 Total cost - £7,030 (exclusive of National Insurance contributions). The hourly rate is calculated as follows: If you are employing a Chinese assistant, the official period of appointment is 12 September 2011 to 30 June 2012, therefore the total cost to a school outside London will be £8,436.40. If your school is in London your assistant must be paid an additional allowance. SCOTLAND (2011/2012) Period of appointment – 1 September to 31 May (9 months) Gross monthly payment - £879 Standard hourly rate (for any extra hours worked over the standard 12/week ) - £15 Total cost - £7,911 exclusive of employers' National Insurance contributions. An additional monthly Islands Allowance is paid in the Orkney Islands. You assistant may start in August or stay up until the end of June- this must be by mutual agreement and at additional cost. NORTHERN IRELAND (2011/2012) Period of appointment – 1 September to 31 May (9 months) Gross monthly payment - £879.00 Standard hourly rate - £16.90 Total cost - £7,909 (exclusive of National Insurance contributions).
UK/Irish citizens who are current full-time teachers in the UK Qualified teacher status or equivalent 5 years full-time teacher experience by time of exchange 2 years experience teaching in the same institution at time of exchange Teachers continue to receive their salary from their UK employer The exchange last the full academic year Autumn term/US semester 18 November 2011 deadline for exchanges that will take place the following academic year Selection Meetings are held in January in Belfast, Edinburgh, Manchester and London If you are interested please call Email [email_address] Visit our website britishcouncil.org/ learning-fulbright
Of course there are other programmes and opportunities outside British Council for UK schools to engage in global citizenship and international education. Here’s a snapshot of some main UK-wide programmes and initiatives that may be of interest: Eco-Schools - If you’re interested in Sustainable Development education, the Eco-schools programme may be for you. It is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world, currently running in 43 countries. European Studies is a post-primary programme linking schools in Ireland with other schools across Europe. The initiative offers Resources and projects Communications platform Partner finding Relates closely to citizenship and to learning about the European Union Other school linking programmes exist– they work directly with schools overseas in specific countries and in the UK they provide more hands-on support for schools like communication, project work. There is usually a fee attached to their services. They usually don’t provide any funding for partnership work. Global Teaching support The Global Dimension portal is a comprehensive website that enables you to browse through an online library of global teaching resources. You can get ideas and inspirations from other teachers’ examples of work in schools. it is also a great source to respond to global events Think Global is the umbrella organisation in England that supports global learning in schools. Support is provided through DECs (Development Education Centres) which form a network of independent centres working directly with schools, youth projects and the local community. A wide range of national NGOs working in the education, international development, environmental and other fields are Think Global members and provide varying levels of support, resources, speakers and ideas for educators. Think Global has sister organisations in the other UK nations. In Scotland, IDEAS (International Development Education Association of Scotland). In Wales, Cyfanfyd . In Northern Ireland, it is the Coalition of Aid and Development Agencies Northern Ireland (CADA), and has its secretariat c/o Concern in Belfast. Contact Karen Gallagher, Regional Manager, Concern, 47 Frederick Street, Belfast, BT1 2LW, Tel: 02890331100, E-mail: [email_address] .
All inclusive; covers 3 - 18 age range Open to ALL schools in the UK Audit of international work in the school and an opportunity to disseminate and showcase good practice in terms of international work Flexible framework for developing international work, increased motivation, an enriched curriculum, a whole school ethos Recently merged into SchoolsOnline to streamline process. Three levels of accreditation: Foundation Level No deadline – apply any time via online form (guidance on USB) To obtain the foundation level, you must show evidence of the following: Write a basic international policy Assign an International Coordinator/Committee online submission of letter of intent to develop the international dimension across the school / school development plan Intermediate No deadline – apply any time online; What you should be doing to qualify: Up-to-date international school audit Finalising your International Policy – thinking about aligning it with your School Development Plan Details of at least 4 international activities and evidence of one active link with a school overseas. Full Award Accreditation for three years as well as receive a certificate and use of logo on school website, stationery and promotional material – great accreditation for Comenius work. Submission of action plan by 30 November 2011 and self-evaluation by May 2012. Online applications for Full ISA Contact us for any help/advice/clarification