Sunday, January 24, 2021

22 jan 2021

TODAY THE ICELAND AND ESTONIAN PARTNERS MET WITH vENTSPILS2. VIDUSSKOLA TO GET DRIL UNDERWAY. THE TEAM AGREED -

TO CREATE A 'PROMOTIONAL' ITEM TO SHOW STUDENTS WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS EXCITING PROJECT AND TO INTRODUCE EACH OF THE SCHOOLS TO EACH OTHER.

TO CREATE AN OFF-TIMETABLE WEEK [TARGET IS] 08 MARCH!!! HERE WE SHALL TRY TO SET UP MULTINATIONAL VIDEO MEETINGS FOR STUDENTS IN THE 10TH GRADE.

THERE IS WORK TO DO!! :-)


Friday, January 15, 2021

2021 DRIL STARTS TO MOVE

 AFTER THE UPHEAVAL CAUSED ACROSS THE WHOLE WORLD BY THE CoVID VIRUS, WE SEE SOME RELIEF AND THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING ABLE TO CONDUCT THE STUDENT EXCHANGES AND TEST OUT STUDENT TEAM SELF MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. 

IT IS HOPED THAT THE TEACHER TEAMS WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO MEET [IN THE SAME ROOM] TO AGREE LEARNING GOALS AND TIMETABLES.

CONTACTS ARE NOW BEING MADE WITH VARIOUS SPECIALISTS TO LEND SUPPORT TO THE WORKSHOPS THAT ARE BEING PLANNED.

Friday, August 14, 2020

POSTPONEMENTS

 Coronovirus-19 has disrupted the planned schedule for DRIL. Meetings to initiate the project were originally set for late-August / Early September. These have now been moved back to end of 2020 / early 2021. More news will follow . . . . 

2021 - and DRIL looks like getting under way. ZOOM meetings will continue and will include students up until MAY - thereafter it is expected that real-world meetings will happen and the excitement of travel will be realised!!!

FOR MORE NEWS AS IT BREAKS PLEASE CLICK HERE

Thursday, August 6, 2020

OPENING STORY - UPDATED

NORD PLUS AWARDS 33,000 Euro to education project

The project is being administered by Ventspils 2. Vidusskola with Tallinna Kesklinna Vene Gūmnaasiumi [TKVG] and IS-Tröllaskagi Upper-Secondary School [MTR] making up the team. The project is known as DRIL [Digital Routes for Intelligent Learning] and seeks to combine many of the OECD Skola 2030 Standards with the use of modern mobile digital technologies, both in-classroom and in distance learning environments. Running through the project is the development of life-skills [in particular in the context of the modern workplace].


The principal learning themes will be – Be Daring Be Creative Be Entrepreneurial and these are married to the core values of – Be Honest, Be Responsible, Be Wise and Be Tolerant. Our hope for the project is that the students will gain strength from developing an awareness of our similarities and acceptance of our differences in order to creatively achieve goals.This is what the world of work expects and it is a fundamental life skill.


Students will have an opportunity to visit Iceland, Estonia and Latvia for one week each visit and to experience working closely with fellow students in multinational teams, therefore working in a second language. The students will be expected to develop skills in inter-personal relationship building to help make the team a success. How to deal with conflict and disagreement, time management, dealing with deadlines [set within the team], how to work in meetings AND how to do this working remotely over extended periods in different time-zones. DRIL is indeed an ambitious education project and it is a ‘big ask’ of the students.


The teachers in the team will also be looking to the future – Skola 2030, Project based learning, Distance learning, Team teaching [bringing in specialist teachers as the need arises] and trialing communication tools and technology solutions. The whole process will be documented and the reflection of the teaching team written up as a paper to contribute towards a view of best practice.


It is intended that the work produced by the students will be publicly displayed in each of the three towns, although this will be subject to negotiations as you might expect, as well as online - here and the partner schools'websites.


MESSAGE FROM DON KUKLIS - CoORDINATOR OF DRIL PROJECT

Latest News 19 Dec 2020

as of today, the COVID situation across Europe that has caused disruption to travle and closed borders means that the Teacher Team has not met other than on ZOOM and the students who might participate in the programme have yet to see each other.

We all hope that during 2021 we shall be able to get moving on this project that offers so much potential.

We wish you all a Happy Festive Season and look foward to a Happier New Year!!!