“MY ENGLISH HOLIDAY” IS AN INNOVATIVE PROJECT WHICH TAKES PLACE IN THE SMALLEST AND FARTHEST VILLAGES IN AYTOS MUNICIPALITY, BURGAS REGION, FOR ORGANIZING DIFFERENT LEARNING GROUPS OF STUDENTS AGED TO 10 AND TO 15 IN ONE OF THE POOREST EUROPEAN AREA REGARDLESS THEIR GENDER, ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS TO TRAIN THEM IN ENGLISH IN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL WAYS THROUGH INTERACTIVE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS AND INTERNET BASED RESOURCES.
WE ARE 2 ENGLISH TEACHERS WHO DECIDED TO GO TO SOME OF THE FURTHEST VILLAGES IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF AYTOS, REGION OF BURGAS TO SHARE OUR LANGUAGE AND DIGITAL SKILLS WITH PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM. AND THE IDEA WAS BORN.
WE BOUGHT A WHITE BOARD, A PROJECTOR, AND ANY NEEDED MATERIALS; INSTALLED THE APPROPRIATE PROGRAMMES – PHOTOSHOP, POWER POINT, PRO-SHOW PRODUCER; UPLOADED INTERACTIVE TEXTBOOKS, E-BOOKS, AND MOVIES ON OUR LAPTOPS; MADE POWER POINT PRESENTATIONS AND SHORT MOVIES, AND OUR ENGLISH HOLIDAY STARTED.
THE KEY ASPECTS ARE:
- TO VISIT SOME OF THE FURTHEST VILLAGES IN BURGAS REGION;
- TO PROVE THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF DIGITAL SKILLS IN TEACHING ENGLISH;
- TO IMPROVE THE SOCIAL INCLUSION OF THE POOREST AND THE MOST NEGLECTED SOCIAL GROUPS IN THE FURTHEST AREAS IN BURGAS REGION;
- TO DEVELOP THE STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE AND DIGITAL LITERACY THROUGH PRESENTING INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING APPROACHES;
- TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE THE DISADVANTAGES OF LIVING AWAY FROM THE BIG CITIES;
- TO CONTRIBUTE FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ANYONE REGARDLESS HIS OR HER RELIGION AND ETHNICS
- TO PROMOTE NOT ONLY TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECT, BUT THE HUMAN ASPECT, TOO, WHICH MEANS TO COMMUNICATE CLOSELY WITH THE STUDENTS, TO FIND AND SATISFY THEIR NEEDS, TO CREATE STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
THE PROJECT STARTED WITH DIALOGS WITH THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES OF 6 VILLAGES TO EXPLAIN OUR IDEA AND TO ASK THEM FOR SUPPORT. IN WINTER AND SPRING HOLIDAYS WE VISITED THE VILLAGES AGAIN TO MEET THE CHILDREN AND TO PRESENT THEM THE PROJECT. THEY SAW SOME OF THE MATERIALS AND E-BOOKS AND GOT INTERESTED IN THEM.
WE FORMED 10 GROUPS IN 5 VILLAGES, AS FOLLOWING:
- AGED UP TO 10 - 4 GROUPS;
- AGED UP TO 15 – 5 GROUPS;
- YOUTH UP TO 29 – 1 GROUP. IT WAS UNEXPECTED FOR US BUT 2 YOUNG MEN AND 4 YOUNG WOMEN WANTED TO LEARN ENGLISH AND DIGITAL SKILLS TO HELP THEM TO STEP INTO THE JOB MARKET.
THE GROUPS INCLUDED LEARNERS FROM BULGARIAN, TURKISH AND ROMA ETHNICAL GROUPS.
THE PROJECT PASSED THROUGH 3 STAGES.
- FROM DECEMBER - MAY WE ORGANIZED THE GROUPS, PREPARED THE PLACES, THE CURRICULUM, AND CALENDARS.
- IN JUNE WE STARTED THE FIRST COURSE IN 10 GROUPS IN 5 VILLAGES.
- IN JULY THE PROJECT CONTINUED IN 9 GROUPS.
THE PROJECT MY ENGLISH HOLIDAY IS DETERMINED TO GIVE OPPORTUNITIES THE CHILDREN OF THE FURTHEST PARTS OF BURGAS REGION TO HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH TECHNOLOGIES AND LEARN ENGLISH IN AN EXTRAORDINARY WAY.
FOR THE USERS, IT SOLVES THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS:
- SATISFYING NEEDS OF QUALIFIED ICT AND LANGUAGE EDUCATION;
- GIVING NEW MODELS OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION;
- MAKING THE CHILDREN MORE SELF CONFIDENT.
AT THE END, THEY TOUCHED THE 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION AND FELT A PART OF THE GLOBAL TECHNOLOGICAL WORLD.
THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO TRAIN THE LEARNERS IN PRACTICALLY-ORIENTED METHODS, ACCORDING THE NEWEST TRENDS IN ICT EDUCATIONAL FIELD.
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MORE THAN 400 USERS INTERACTED MONTHLY WITH THE PROJECT. THE VILLAGES’ POPULATIONS KNEW ABOUT THE PROJECT IN DIFFERENT WAYS:
- LEARNING GROUPS;
- COMMUNITIES;
- FACEBOOK GROUP PROFILE OF THE PROJECT;
- EMAILS, OUTLOOK EXPRESS;
- REGIONAL AND NATIONAL MEDIA.
PREFERED FORMS OF INTERACTION ARE:
- PERSONAL PRESENCE - LECTURES, TEAM-WORKS, PERSONAL INTERNET RESEARCH;
- ONLINE.
CREATED BY THE STUDENTS DIGITAL AND ICT WORKS AS MOVIES, PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS, WILL BE UPLOADED ON THE INTERNET. THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT IS IN DIGITAL EDUCATION AND SOCIAL INCLUSION.
THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON, WHICH WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO THE OTHERS, IS
WE ARE WELL-EDUCATED AND WELL-SKILLED AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT.
SHARING GOOD PRACTICES IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL INSTRUMENTS IN UNITED EUROPE. WITH OUR PROJECT WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT HOW TO USE YOUTHS’ POSITIVE ENERGY AND POTENTIALITY IN A PRACTICAL WAY, HOW TO MAKE GOOD PARTNERSHIPS, AND HOW TO TARGET EFFORTS IN ORDER TO BUILD A BETTER COMMUNITY.
OUR MESSAGES:
- SHARE YOUR SKILLS;
- BE POSITIVE;
- BE CLOSE TO YOUNG PEOPLE;
- SEEK FOR KNOWLEDGE;
- BE UPDATED;
- BE FRIENDLY, BUT STRICT;
- USE INNOVATIONS;
- GIVE YOUR BEST FOR A GREAT PURPOSE.
WHEN EVERYONE IS GOOD AT WHAT HE OR SHE DOES, THE SOCIETY WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.
THE EARLIER TEACHING LANGUAGES IN HIGH TECHNOLOGIES AND THE MORE COMMUNICATIVE-ORIENTED SKILLS, THE MORE SUCCESSFUL AND SOCIAL-INCLUDED STUDENTS.