Evaluation of the 1st year activities

fixed during our 1st in Cáceres/Spain, November 2001

fixed during our 2nd in Oberderdingen/Germany, October 2002

Positive statements:

• planned exchanges of teachers and students

• interests of students

• water analysis

• activities around the aquatic systems

• parents meetings / parents interests

• external experts involved (Hungary)

• involved

• local sponsors involved (Azores)

 Negative statements:

• less email exchanges between students

• computer problems

• emails didn't reach their aims

• to find a common time for chats

• participation in extra hours (students often don't have the time)

• lack of external experts

• not enough communication  between the countries (teachers)

• money problems

• not the same forms and descriptions of the analysis

• ack of chemical needs for the measurements

•  not enough historical information about the aquatic systems

• (maps for example)

• English language

Hungary:

• Made regular lake studies 

• 60 children worked together on different tasks

• 8 were teachers involved

• mapped work of the protected area, for example plant identification and listing

• took water analysis

• trapped insects 

• library work

• successfully created a brochure about the first year

• created worksheets for students in Hungarian and English

• exchanged students with the Azores

Spain:

• 60 students were mainly involved in the project, depending on the activity sometimes even more and 17 teachers

•  water analysis was made from October to the end of the year

• searched for plankton, water animals and plants

•  chemical analysis wasn't possible at first, because there wasn't a kit, have made 3 so far

• created  maps in geography

• email contacts for the exchange in English lessons

• email contact was very difficult at the beginning, became easier after the exchange

• cleaning action of the area of the ecosystem

• painting action

• leaflet about the ecosystem

• very successful exchanged students  with Germany, the students are still in contact and further visits are planned

• sent 2 teachers to Azores and 2 to Padova, Italy

• Italian headmaster visited Spanish school

Azores:

• have started with parents meetings to involve them in the project

• wrote biography about Comenius

• collected legends about the area

• sent headmaster to Hungary

• had a successful students exchange with Hungary

• number of involved teachers changes temporarily

• the big yearly school project was this time linked with TAPAS

• 3 water analysis

• observed birds

• conservated fish species they've found in formaldehyde

• black and white pictures in art lessons

• colored paintings

• geography walks for orientation

• evaluated their studies

• students had to work with the results of the countries in computer lessons (but the computer room is too often busy and there're printing problems)

• wrote articles for the school newspaper

 Italy:

•  made an internet game (like a puzzle) about water

• 30 students (3 forms) and 7 teachers involved in the project

• difficulties with emailing, because the students only have 5 minutes

• created web presentations (CD)

• action: “clean up the world”

• headmaster went to Spanish school

• made chemical, physical and biological analysis in October, March, April and May

• mycology identifications-excursions to an island (Cona) in the area of the ecosystem

• reports for the newspaper (about the island, analysis and Comenius)

• evaluation with parents and the regional agency of pollution

• historical work along the river (factories)

• Spanish teachers visited

• The students visited Germany

• Spanish headmaster in Italy

• drawing animals

Germany:

• successful students exchange with Spain, the students are still in contact

• students exchange with Italy  had only a short time for organization

• problems with colleagues

•  2 forms of students and 5 teachers involved

• 8 water analysis

•  2 TAPAS afternoon clubs Presentation group for school and the TAPAS club founded a company to create a family game for water protection, called “Water Manager”)

•  water animals exhibition (art lessons)

• paintings of the environment

•  strategy game

• web creating