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Our World in Words
Start date: Sep 1, 2015, End date: Aug 31, 2017 PROJECT  FINISHED 

'Our World In Words' is a two year project. The partnership will focus on Literacy, a basic skill. The innovation is in the development of writing skills through a range of international cooperation activities as a platform to raise standards across the four participating countries. The British and Polish partners have worked together since 2008 when the Guadeloupe connection started. The Italian school joined more recently and provides another different perspective and expertise. The core activities will initially be undertaken by one class of approximately 30 pupils aged nine and ten in each school from September 2015. Participants will learn about a number of international concepts and issues, whilst maintaining a focus on writing in different genres for different audiences. Examples of genres include persuasive writing, fiction and non-chronological reports. Five activities have been planned, one per term in the typical three term year, each with a specific writing focus. Examples of international themes include the study of local environmental issues and a study of traditional tales and legends local to each partner school. However, this pattern and the exact themes may be varied where appropriate because of each school’s organization, and local and national priorities e.g. the co-ordinating school will link outputs to the International School Award. In September 2015 the first cohort in each school will progress into the second year while a new cohort enters the cycle from the beginning. Modifications to content and approach will be made as deemed necessary through on-going evaluation by class teachers, peer review through transnational meetings and progression levels judged through outcomes scored through each school’s national assessment criteria. Alongside each each of these classroom activities there will be a transnational project meeting. This will follow the classroom activity with work being produced by the children in preparation for this meeting. Staff will share expertise and practice, both at a school level and at a national level. Each of these project meetings will have a specific focus, for example planning, assessment, classroom resources, writing moderation, and each will include three phases, a review of decisions made at the last meeting and the impact these have had in the classroom and on children's learning, professional debates and discussions and classroom observations based on the planned theme, and an opportunity to think ahead as to how these will impact on our next planned classroom activity. Overall, the two year project will lead to both improved writing and also the embedding of international work in each of the schools. The age range of the pupils is such that each class will use its mother tongue for the majority of its work. However, samples will be translated so that the children themselves can share and compare. This will enhance not only the performance of pupils but also raise the professional profile of all participating teachers. As the project evolves and more good practice linking international dimension themes with enhanced writing skills can be identified, the techniques and outcomes will be written up as case studies. These exemplar materials of high class learning opportunities will be disseminated to wider local, national and international audiences through a variety of approaches to provide long-term benefits to audiences inside and outside the partner schools.
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