alphabets of europe - icem conference in eger, hungary
DESCRIPTION
This is the presentation the CARDET team gave at the ICEM conference in Eger, on the project Alphabets of Europe (www.alphaeu.org)TRANSCRIPT
AlphaEU: Implementation of Digital Alphabet
Books and Activities in Cyprus
Charalambos Vrasidas, Christiana Aravi, Katerina Theodoridou
http://www.alphaeu.org/
WHY MULTILINGUALISM IN EARLY CHILDHOOD Education?
• Proficiency in literacy,
numeracy and problem
solving in technology-rich
environments is positively
and independently
associated with the
probability of
participating in the
labour market and being
employed, and with
higher wages.
6
Contracting Authority
Education Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
Programme Lifelong Learning Programme (centralized)
Action KA2 Multilateral Projects
Coordinator P1: CARDET LTD (CYPRUS)
Co-beneficiaries P2: The Language Center S.L.R (ITALY)
P3: Meath Partnership (IRELAND)
P4: Instituto Politecnico de Castelo Branco (PORTUGAL)
P5: INNOVADE LI LTD (CYPRUS))
P6: International Council for Educational Media (AUSTRIA)
P7: University of Pitesti (ROMANIA)
Duration 1 Jan 2013 – 31 Dec 2014 (24 months)
About the project
Rationale of the project
According to the Policy Handbook on Language Learning at Pre-Primary School Level (EC, 2011), opening children’s minds to multilingualism and different cultures:
• Enhances individual and social development.
• Increases their capacity to empathise and interact with others.
• Enhances competences such as comprehension, expression, communication, and problem-solving.
• Can increase concentration and strengthen self-confidence.
Rationale of the project
Through ELL…• Children’s progress is shaped while they are in a
dynamic developmental stage.
• Learning can take place over a longer period, supporting the achievement of more permanent results.
• Children develop an enhanced capacity to learn languages throughout life. (EC, 2011)
• Young children develop positive attitudes towards other languages and cultures; raising awareness of diversity and cultural variety, fostering understanding and respect (Eurydice, 2009).
Innovative aspect of AlphaEU
• AlphaEU is intended to be used mainly within the existing model of “Language Awareness-raising or Exposure”: the central aim is “to develop the perception and recognition of different sounds and concepts of one or more languages and the ability to understand and reproduce them in an interactive way” (EC, 2011).
• AlphaEU is the first project of its kind to utilise ICT for comparing alphabets through digital alphabet books.
• AlphaEU encourages the involvement of family members, mediators and/or other stakeholders in supporting ELL, enabling an effective integration between school and community.
Digital alphabet books
http://alphaeu.org/alphabet-books*City also available on Android in GR and EN
Digital activities
http://alphaeu.org/activities
Implementation of Digital
Alphabet Books and Activities
Context of implementation
• 10 teachers and 10 parents of children aged 2-6
participated in the implementation
• Regular observation of 4 of the teachers at Heidi
Land private kindergarten
• Classes observed – children aged 3-4, 4-5
• Lesson plans created by teachers aiming at
exploration of all Greek alphabet books and
matching activity EN-GR
• Regular observation of 4 of the parents (1 male, 3
female) with their children
• Children aged 3, 4, 5, 6
• Flexible use of books and activities based on
children’s wishes
Methodology
• Driving RQs:
1. How can the AlphaEU books and activities be
integrated by teachers in the National Curriculum
for kindergarten?
2. How can parents use the AlphaEU books and
activities at home with their children for learning
and fun?
3. How do children use the AlphaEU books and
activities and what are their reactions towards
them?
Data Collection and Analysis
• Participant profile
• Teaching material (lesson plans)
• Photos of students’ interaction with the material
• Researchers’ observation notes
• Semi-structured interview with teachers
• Semi-structured interview with parents
• Teacher’s log
• Parent’s log
• Data analysis: Content analysis using open
coding techniques
Photos from the implementation
Research findings - Successes
• Excitement about the availability of material for this age group
• Material can support and reinforce what children learn in class/at home
• “Fun learning” for children, while constructive and well-structured
• Promotion of awareness of other languages and matching of words between them
• Active participation, enthusiasm, excitement for material by students
• Children looking forward to next session with books/activities
• Collaboration and interaction among students
Research findings - Challenges
• Novelty effect of digital material
• Students getting used to equipment at school
(keyboard, mouse)
• Small number of computers at school
• Some design shortcomings (e.g. too many items
on one page, suggestions for more items)