SUMMARY: Pathways to Discovery

Previous experience in a Comenius project has allowed many of our schools to see

firsthand the positive impact on learners and staff when they visit other countries. The

Pathways to Discovery team are eager and committed in developing a shared ethos of

learning across Europe. We will work in collaboration with each school community to

develop solutions that meet our real needs. The project has been designed to allow our

pupils to investigate the past and present with the goal of improving the future

prosperity of Europe. This will be achieved through a series of collaborative community

based activities set around a family of characters called the "Time Watch Team". The

"Time Watch Team" is a real family who has a strong social and moral conscience. The

family will introduce key themes and they will ask our children to select and challenge

real problems. These characters will foster creativity and communication to promote

emotional wellbeing throughout the Curriculum through the themes of Enterprise,

Myself, Health and Well Being/Environment. This journey will not necessarily be easy.

We will be tested and we will come across obstacles! This will create a real purposeful

learning journey that reinforces social cohesion as we learn from the past and the

present through communication with others. We will create purposeful learning

resources as books, songs, DVD s and gifts that will be shared across Europe. We aim to

make real changes by developing a learning community and platform that will extend

the reach of each individual school and will positively engage all members of our

extended families and embrace others along the way. We will document, justify, and

share conclusion with larger audiences.

The Time Watch Team shared slogan:

Our Learning, Our Journey, Our Way

• The Time Watch Team will allow those involved in our project to develop enquiry

based learning where the children create relevant and socially significant questions to

investigate that are open-ended, debatable and contended issued. This will develop

literacy skills e.g. to present argument and information from differing viewpoints

through stories, drama and non- fiction text types as discussion and reports.

•Subjects as Art, Design and Technology will be used to develop entrepreneurial skills

through designing and making objects that meets the children’s own brief. Creating such

a tangible artifact that addresses the issue, answers questions, and makes learning

visible and accountable. Tasks such as; logo and project object will be used to develop

knowledge, attitudes and competencies necessary for their personal development, for

future employment throughout Europe.

• Effective communication with peers and adults will allow our children to communicate

in a range of languages. This will promote speaking and listening skills where the

children acquire a bank of words and phrases, learn to listen attentively, speak clearly

and confidently. This can be carried out in their mother tongue and a foreign language

and will be achieved through promoting "exploratory talk" developing a phrase

book/speaking book, project song etc.

• To develop knowledge and understanding amongst young people and educational staff

of the diversity of European cultures, languages and values. This will be achieved by

pupils and staff as they participate in activities and mobilities, discover geographical and

environmental issues and consider historical perspectives.

• Up to date modern ICT will be used throughout the project to foster skills for the 21st

century and the E-Twinning Platform will be used to aid communication. The creative

and effective use of ICT will bring the ways of life of other countries to our pupils

immediate attention and allow us to grow together as we share pedagogy in a

meaningful way.

• To develop an ethos of ‘exploratory talk’ where children feel confident and safe when

sharing their ideas. The children will learn to discuss real issues and learn how to

constructively challenge one another’s ideas and so develop the language of discussion

that they will be able to use into adulthood. We will place the responsibility for learning

in the learners’ hands and so change the nature of their learning by requiring them to

negotiate their own criteria.

1 Nov.2011-

June2012

Nov 2011- Preparatory visit in Wales to develop ideas and

objectives. E-twinning introduced - booklet of activities

created "Health and Well Being".

2 September

2012

LOGO design competition, graphs of favourite designs, winning

country to make a digital copy of the project LOGO.

3 Oct/November

2012

Enterprise challenge - Each school to design a product

resulting in business plans, costing, spreadsheets and

advertising. Ground rules for "Exploratory Talk" posters.

4 Nov/

December

2012

Myself - children introduce themselves in mother tongue.

Creating speaking frames, vocabulary flash cards, talking

photo album (online and booklet).

5 January 2013 "The Time Watch Team":Each school to design and make their

own doll with a character profile card that will be uploaded on

our shared website and E-Twinning.

6 February 2013 To create a gift box to each country - children to choose

symbols, books, poems...What more they would like to find

out? E-Twinning activities set up to answer these questions.

7 March 2013 To share images of their locality 100 years ago, compare with

images from today taken by the children. Children to draw

images and show what it will look like in the future and

describe thoughts and feelings. Collaborative book created of

results.

8 April 2013 Pathways to Discovery - introduce the project book. World

Earth Day 22.4.13 will be used to launch the book.

9 May 2013 Time Watch Team - real life environmental/social issues.

Children to collect a bank of 5 issues and publish on the

website (used in year 2).

10 June 2013 POD CAST- How are the issues similar/different? Create a

shared list of issues

11 September

2013

Traditional song to perform during a POD CAST.

12 September

2013

Collect the traditional songs together on a CD.

13 October 2013 To write and develop a project song. A local rap artist from

Wales will produce.

14 Nov/Dec 2013 DVD/ Power Point with the project song in the background.

POD CAST/E Twinning - Used to Allow the children to evaluate

their journey in this project.

15 January 2014 Healthy living booklet - What can we do to make change

happen? Reports and instructions written. Children to take

their message out to their locality and evaluate the success of

Logo challange (September 2012):

To develop a sense of entrepreneurship and team building The London 2012 Olympic

Flag and symbolism will be used as a springboard to launch a logo competition to

promote our project. The logo will strive to aid and promote instant public recognition

of the project. Each country will choose one winning LOGO. The 7 LOGOS will be put

online via shared website and the children will be given the opportunity to complete an

online vote for their favourite LOGO. The winning LOGO will be the one with most votes.

Graphs will be created of the results and put onto the shared website with the winning

LOGO.

Enterprise Challenge (October 2012):

Each school to create one product that can be sold within the communities and the

schools. The product will incorporate the winning LOGO. This will promote a culture of

enterprise across Europe e.g. pencils, hats. T-shirts, badges, key rings etc The children

will share their designs and establish a business to produce, advertise and sell their

product.

Develop ‘Ground Rules’ for successful communication and develop a higher order

awareness of group skills (Oct/Nov 2012).

• Discuss things together

• Listen to people

• Look at the speaker

• Ask questions

• Give reasons for what you say, e.g.

• Be prepared to change your mind

• Think before you speak

• Share all the ideas and information you have

• Make sure the group agrees

Once the ground rules are established and effectively used, an ethos of working

together will be developed within and between groups. The children will understand the

importance of taking on roles e.g. leader, reporter, scribe etc and as a result a sense of

equal respect and consideration will develop.

Myself (Nov/Dec 2012):

Children to introduce themselves in their mother tongue via SKYPE. Children will share

simple phrases and record the results. The important point is sharing and helping each

other with the phrases. We will keep it simple.

Firstly, record in own language. Then listen to other languages. Next, have a go in a new

language. We will develop speaking frames for other schools to use. Children use these

and help each other.

EFL & other languages !

“Introducing yourself”

“How do you say it in your own language?”

Glossary activity in…

“Where do you come from?”

E-Twinning accounts will also be set up for the children and staff.

Languages to be explored during the mobility meeting. Can we help each other use the

key phrases and introduce the project LOGO and objects?