Twinbus Travel Agency (TTA)

Project Location

Country: 
Romania
City: 
Brasov

Organization

Organization Name: 
Scoala Gimnaziala Nr. 9 Nicolae Orghidan
Organization Type: 
School

Website

http://twinbustravelagency.blogspot.ro/

Privacy Law

Consenso al trattamento dei dati personali
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I do authorize the FMD to the use of my personal data.

Project Type

Education up to 10 years

Project Description

Description Frase (max. 500 characters): 

Twinbus Travel Agency is an eTwinning project. It was a interdisciplinary project so it involved several study objects: Art, Foreign Languages, Geography, History, Informatics / ICT, Language and Literature, Mathematics / Geometry, Media Education, Technology. The main aim of the Project is learning about important places to visit in project’s partner countries

Project Summary (max. 2000 characters): 

The aim of the Project is learning about important places to visit in project’s partner countries. The students present to their partners typical or important places for their country, capitals, places for spending holidays, places they live. They also learn about history, legends, food, monuments, typical architecture for chosen places. They create a virtual travel agency and as travel agents they want to attract partners-travelers to visit their country. The students also plan a trip to the partner’s country, ask for suggestions and ,,go” a virtual trip.They learn how to find information on the Internet for developing their critical thinking and learning skills. Students works in groups, so they can develop their social skills, communication and problem solving.
Beside that they became familiar with ICt and different web 2.0 tools.
We decided to choose tools familiar to our student ( PPT, Google Docs, PictureTrail, zondle ) to let them create their own materials for the project and for school subjects as well. Using of particular ICT tools was very important for us and we discussed them before using when we started to plan the project. Every time we focus on aesthetic of created materials, so we used tools they could help us achieve this aim.

How long has your project been running?

2013-08-30 22:00:00

Objectives and Innovative Aspects

To exchange information about children's living places, to practice their communication and collaboration skills, to work in group, to improve their emotional intelligence skill, to prove critical thinking and autonomy, to become familiar and attracted with other European cultures and enhance the understanding and knowledge of them, to encourage pupils to learn to know and respect each other, to broaden minds due to online cooperation between the schools, to develop the entrepreneurial skills.
The project was a good opportunity for the students involved to accomplish the pedagogical aims. All the materials and products uploaded on the blog prove this.

Results

Describe the results achieved by your project How do you measure (parameters) these. (max. 2000 characters): 
The project was a great oportunity for developing the 21st Century skills to our students. We used TS, google drive and blogger for carrying out the tasks and a seamless communication flow and that proved that project work could be used in learning. In all tasks and activities we used technology and this helped students work in project based and inquiry based learning and using these methods fostered students creativity while carrying out the activities. The students did the activities and tasks in their own pace and that helped them learn how to learn new things in Personalized learning method. We used The TwinSpace as a learning platform and that was certainly an innovation. We invited parents to take part in some activities and share results with them too. Finally since the students worked in teams with a teacher responsible with them gave them the opportunity to work in collaborative learning style. Using ICT and 2.0 web tools enabled students to understand how technology can be used to work creatively, effectively and in a time saving way. All the aspects mentioned above proves that the project is both innovative and has positive pedagogical effects on students and teachers involved in. The projects has awarded with the Quality Label in QL in Cyprus, Poland, Greece,Spain, Romania and Portugal and national prizes in Cyprus, Poland and Portugal. The Romanian team participated in MATHEXPERIENCE international competition -the section for young students with their Mathematics quiz created for TTA partners and they won the first place.
How many users interact with your project monthly and what are the preferred forms of interaction? (max. 500 characters): 

We created some final products: the dictionary, the booklet, the journal. We are a team because we met each during one Comenius visit and at the European eTwinning conference. The pupils knew each other from the photos, the presentation and online meetings we had organized. They were young children but they visited with their teacher the TwinSpace and the project’s blog and they could share their work and their experience with the other partners involved into the project.
The projects’ blog has more than 17. 100 visits, 9 members and a lot of comments appreciated our work and materials.

Sustainability

What is the full duration of your project (from beginning to end)?: 
From 1 to 3 years
What is the approximate total budget for your project (in Euro)?: 
Less than 10.000 Euro
What is the source of funding for your project?: 
Other
Specify: 
Primary and secondary general education
Is your project economically self sufficient now?: 
Yes
Since when?: 
2013-12-30 23:00:00

Transferability

Has your project been replicated/adapted elsewhere?: 
No
What lessons can others learn from your project? (max. 1500 characters): 

The project is appropriate for young children because it is related to their age and interests. They love travelling so they were motivated and they had a lot of fun working for all project activities. They made new friends and they found new partners. They developed their communication and their ICT skills. They proved critical thinking and creativity. The teachers improved their teaching skills and methods. They shared good practice and experience. All the materials are available on the external blog and in the TwinSpace. The team involved in the project can be sustained by the other classes and they can take part into the project too. We could invite older children to be partners and they could contribute to the final products too as we are very young and we need help in reading and writing. The project’s TS and blog can be used by other teachers and students in Pre-primary and Primary class lessons and activities.

Are you available to help others to start or work on similar projects?: 
Yes

Background Information

Barriers and Solutions (max. 1000 characters): 
We did not face many problems in the project because the participant teachers used to work before in some projects. The project was developed in consultation between the founders and the partner schools. We worked according to the plan: each activity has it s plan uploaded on the TS. We used emails and Google Docs to cooperate and establish goals and planned collaboration. The children and their parents also added their ideas to the project.
Future plans and wish list (max. 750 characters): 
We are planning to apply for an Erasmus+ grant on a project idea based on our TTA. We want to find a way for students to meet each other and to make them collaborate and work in face to face meetings. We are still using the strategies and materials uploaded on the project's blog and I am presenting the products in teacher's meetings and teachers' trainings as I am a trainer and a mentor too.
eTwinning primary education