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Past Themes - School Linking Projects
Maddie Bowe, Assistant Head at Skinners’ Company’s School for Girls, Stamford Hill, London, tells us about a Cross-Curricular School Linking Project that she has been running with her year 9 students. This linking project demonstrates a good way of using ICT, and shows how school linking can help students to develop their geographical awareness.
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For the past two years we have been running a project with Woodridge State High School in Queensland, Australia. Each student is allocated an ‘e-pal’ from the partner school and together they conduct a study. The aim is to compare how each school has adapted to its surrounding environment.
- First, the students use computer software to write a personal profile. This is then sent, with an accompanying photo, via e-mail to their designated partner. As both schools are highly multi-cultural, this generates huge amounts of excitement.
- Next, the students send a questionnaire focusing on the partner school’s adaptation to the environment. They include questions on clothing, surrounding land use, building materials, eating arrangements, local climate and the size of the school. The questionnaire is used with students in their own school then all the information is collated into a database.
- Then the students present their data in graph form using ICT. This is then analysed and conclusions are drawn relating directly to the original questions. To complete the data process, students make suggestions as to how each school can adapt to their environments more sustainably.
- Finally, students display their findings in a PowerPoint presentation. A bank of digital photos of both schools is made available on the intranet.
The project incorporates higher order thinking skills, the data process, cross-cultural and curriculum links, ICT skills and environmental awareness. Having an e-pal makes the project particularly enjoyable for the students and makes them feel accountable for their work.
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If you are interested in setting up links with other schools, here are a few possibilities:
- Plan-ed School Linking is a programme that links UK primary and secondary schools with schools in Africa. Plan-ed can put you in touch with an African school and support you to reach a partnership agreement to help you clarify mutual aims and objectives with your linked school.
- The Global Gateway is a new international website, enabling those involved in education across the world to engage in creative partnerships.
- The British Council links schools in the developed world with those in the developing world, with the intention of bringing a global dimension to the curriculum.
- Comenius is a European-based organisation that supports school partnerships, and encourages teacher training and school education networks.
- The Gemini Project featured in October 2004 Teaching Geography specialises in enabling schools in the developing world to access the internet and arranging synchronous linked projects.
- Make The Link is the TES school linking website and includes resources, teaching ideas, news and a step by step guide to starting a school link.
- WorldClass is the BBC's brand new school linking website which includes lots of advice, casestudies, an interactive map and a comprehensive selection of weblinks.
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