Jožica Tratar, Sandra Vereš, Slavica Balek Haddaoui, OŠ Šalovci

Cross-curricular lessons offer pupils a new platform for the integration of the discussed topic and their application in new, concrete situations, thus promoting their sharing of knowledge and experience from a variety of different subjects. The information and communications technologies (ICT) are used as a learning tool to attain the set objectives and facilitate collaborative learning. Such integration of the planned teaching material with other subjects such as ethics and cultural studies, history and mathematics is correlated to the idea that the application of computer programmes and data processing in form of tables, as well as software for power point presentations and other electronic tools, i.e. Google Drive and Mahara learning environment empowers pupils knowledge sharing and peer learning. Pupils design their presentation on a selected topic on Human Values with the help of computer programmes such as Windows Movie Maker and Microsoft PowerPoint, which they later present to their classmates. Their chosen topics serve as a cue for further research work. The main objective of their studies is to establish how values have been changing with various generations and to find the reasons for their change. Part of their research is to design a questionnaire and present the data obtained in form of suitable computer tables. This is facilitated by Google Drive which allows the pupils to create a large database that serves as a platform for further data processing. Throughout the task collaborative peer work is strongly encouraged. In the concluding part the pupils relate their results to historical facts and present their findings in class.

Maruša Jazbec Colja, OŠ Naklo

The paper focuses on the use of tablet computers in German language learning as a tool, which allows students to work in small, heterogeneous groups and achieve their goal through reciprocal work and with minimal help of the teacher. The students have acquired knowledge in a different, interactive and active way. The role of the student changes completely. A passive student becomes an active student. He / she takes on the leading role in acquiring knowledge, accepts responsibility for their own knowledge and takes responsibility for the group, because the contribution of each individual is the key to the final product of the group. In this way weaker students get an important and prominent role. That is one of the reasons why it is important that the groups are formed heterogeneously. Students were divided in small groups. They took a role of a bartender or one of the guests and the cameraman. They prepared a set of applications that were used in the work and for further learning. After that, they raffled a situation (in a restaurant, in a coffee shop or at a fast-food stand), they prepared a dialogue in a group with the help of applications and Web-based dictionary and recorded the dialogue with a tablet computer. The cameraman prepared some questions for the rest of the students in the classroom. In class we watched all the videos, we did the tasks, gave critical feedback and made the evaluation. The pupils achieved the goals completely – individually, with reciprocal learning.

Špela Bagon, OŠ Louisa Adamiča, Grosuplje

Flipped learning in school course Journalism represents a combination of teaching learning materials in WordPress and active, collaborative learning in school. I provided learning material through WordPress, offered by Arnes Splet. First we developed in WordPress together with students and then in real-time editing. At the beginning I was teaching students, then students began teaching me. Students were studying material at home and they also prepared materials for school work. That is why in school remained time for the exchange of ideas and discussion, so I gathered feedback (problems, desire, initiative), based on which we jointly planned learning topics, activities, learning methods and defined expected achivements and ways to measure them. The modern ICT-based teaching of flipped learning was upgraded in the way that it was not the use of teacher’s feedback in the classroom that was stressed as usually, but mostly learners. Their feedback was used to moderate the learning, as the students, and thus the advancement of knowledge in higher taxonomic levels and continuous comprehending knowledge were enabled. ICT-supported flipped learning was turned and upgraded and thus the mutual and active learning was enabled.

Andreja Rajh, Srednja ekonomska šola Maribor

I have been active in the area of team teaching and cross curricular connections from the beginning of general high school curricular reform. I have established that students are not able to connect knowledge of different subjects in one unit. It seems that students might know more about using ICT, however, it is not always like that. Therefore, I have decided to invite a colleague mathematician to my chemistry lessons with specific topics (such as abundance of substance, solution, and pH). Team teaching has not only been used for new theoretical contents but also with obligatory laboratory exercises which are a basis for better understanding of theoretical contents. Such exercises are: • Preparation of solutions where I connect with a mathematician who helps the students using equation with single fraction. • Measurement and calculation of pH where I also invite the mathematician to help the students with practical examples of logarithm usage. • Energy changes with chemical reactions where I connect with a colleague teacher for Slovene who helps the students with the description of the procedure. • Speed of chemical reaction where I connect with a colleague teacher of ICT for computer drawing of graphs and tables. I can conclude that students connect the contents at chemistry with other knowledge better when we have lessons connected with other mentioned subjects. The students who decide that one of their subjects at the matura exam would be chemistry have less problems with writing reports for laboratory exercises. At the same time, I can also say that my knowledge of ICT usage has increased because of cooperation with colleagues.

Aleksandra Vadnjal, Mojca Stergar, OŠ Dekani

It can be frequently noticed in school that younger pupils are really pleased when they attract attention of the older ones. They like it when someone dedicates his/her time to them, so peer-learning is a perfect possibility bringing benefits to all – pupils who teach as well as those who are taught. Seneca, a Roman philosopher, already defended the statement: “To teach is to learn twice.” (Deutch, 2008). Each pupil who teaches needs first to learn his/her part of the task, then to pass that knowledge in a sound way, and, finally, to check if the other pupils gained that knowledge. An example of peer-learning was also performed at our school. The aim of the activities was to find out how pupils learn from each other, what is their motivation for teaching each other and what can teachers as planners and observers learn from these activities. Firstly, with the help of pupils, video instructions how to make origami boxes were shot, then the activity was carried out with 4th-class children with the help of older pupils as volunteers. Children developed in the activities where they played an active role as teachers and pupils higher-order thinking, since they needed to adapt the way to deliver the information to the experience and prior knowledge of the other pupils. They improved also various social skills, good cooperation, mutual help as well as values and beliefs they learn from each other.

Katja Knific, Branka Vodopivec, Maruša Bogataj, OŠ Predoslje, Kranj

Our contribution for this conference presents examples of cross-curricular integration between Slovene, English and Geography and cross-curricular learning, learning between students and teachers, which consists the elements of formative assessment and takes place in the internet environment called Mahara. The main common aim of our cross-curricular integration was to encourage and stimulate the students to think in a more critical way and on the other hand prepare a safe environment where they can express their own opinion and thoughts and share them with their school friends. At the very beginning formative assessment represented a big challenge to our students. They had some difficulties placing the aims and the strategies how to achieve the aims. But step by step their work was becoming easier. They became good critical friends to each other, so they could practice standing the arguments for their opinion. Students’ feedback on the work they had done became more important. We will present the learning between each other, students and teachers through three different tasks: a board game called Slovangea mania, made by students working in groups, an exhibition of poems, again made by our students, and a signpost of Slovenian traditional food. That was the way how we, the students and the teachers, prepared some opportunities to spread our knowledge to other participants in school too. All they needed to do was to take a few minutes to read a poem, maybe two, or read the QR code on our signpost.

Elvira Čengija, OŠ Belokranjskega odreda, Semič

This paper includes a good example how different approaches can be used in early literacy teaching. This school year I am teaching 14 children that have different prior knowledge as well as various reading and writing competence. When I was planning my lessons, I thought of each child’s capabilities individually, so that every one of them could reach their maximum progress regarding to their prior knowledge. I devoted my special attention to the three Romani pupils that come from poor underprivileged homes; such was also their prior knowledge. The Romani pupils mother tongue is Romany, therefore their understanding of Slovene, as the language of the environment, is weak. Working with hard of hearing pupil, I started using a phonomimic literacy development method, which has proven to be very successful with other pupils and their different learning styles. Literacy activities were conducted over long periods, during which each pupil got to learn a gesture for the manual alphabet and a short song. With the help of the ICT, especially tablet computers, we were able to record the pupils. They were working in pairs, one of them was showing a word using only gestures for individual letters and the other pupil was trying to identify the given word. All taken videos will be used for further discussion. This newfound knowledge helped my pupils to recognise letters and words written classically and with using tablet computer or smart board. In this way, I achieved greater motivation, cooperation and better concentration, especially among Romani pupils.

Darja Farič Klemenčič, OŠ Šalovci

Critical thinking skills can be developed with the use of question cards from Bloom’s taxonomy in the ICT tool Mahara. With questions on the cards pupils are learning to develop critical skills by asking questions, analyzing, developing logical arguments, predicting, relating the text to themselves, evaluating, drawing conclusions, forming opinions, comparing characters with each other, creating extended thinking by making a new ending for the story or making up a new problem for the characters and acting out the stories. Pupils evaluate fairytales in order from their favourite to their least favourite and recommend the stories to others. “Tutoring” is a very appropriate way of working in the classroom because the pupils of the 3th and 4th grades of primary school are not used to ICT tools. The older pupils share the knowledge about ICT tool to the youngest. The work in the classroom was systematical: from profile setting in ICT tool, making critical friendships between pupils to creating a new problem for the Ugly duck fairytale in ICT tool and sharing a document about evaluated story with each other and filling the rubric My learning for the fairytale Rainbow fish. Here pupils are following the steps of formative assessment. They are setting the goals and criterias, establishing their prior knowledge about characters in the story and choosing strategies (role playing game), collecting evidence (video of role playing) and evaluating their assessment. The advantages of learning with ICT tool Mahara consist of in-depth view of self-learning and self-progress. They offer a different approach in the classroom for both teachers and pupils in the elementary school as the pupils evaluate their knowledge and get a feedback from other pupils as well as the teacher. The response from the teacher inspires pupils’ motivation and the wish for achieving set goals.

Andrej Nemec, Klementina Weis, OŠ Prežihovega Voranca, Bistrica

Modern information technology makes it possible for pupils to learn about the true nature of the outside world, even if they stay in their classroom. A tool that makes the mentioned possible is Google Street View. Street View is a free, accessible and easy to use tool with a 360 degrees natural view on a certain location. With this tool, we performed a lesson in society in the 5th grade and integrated it with the pupils role play. Pupils took over the role of classic tourist guides and their role play was combined with Google Street View in the role of an interactive guide along the presented destinations. With this kind of an interactive approach pupils develop their public speaking skills and their digital competences, they undertake individual and group research, learn the basics of critical friendship and experiential learning and participate actively in the whole lesson. In the process of preparing, research and performing classroom activities the pupils provided important feedback and shared their own ideas, which will contribute to a more efficient teaching process. A class teacher has a very important role in digital competences teaching, since he/she is responsible that pupils learn about the correct and reasonable utilization of ICT. The latter is a challenge for schools, parents and the whole society in terms of developing young personalities and their future.

Petra Kastelic, OŠ Belokranjskega odreda, Semič

In the workshop my contribution to the topic Learning-to-learn according to the principles of formative assessment in Mathematics by using e-portfolio will be presented to all the participants. All the activities for the development of Learning-to-learn competence were performed in grade 8 in Mathematics for unit Expressions. Pupils used tablet computers and e-portfolio in Mahara, where all the steps of formative assessment were performed: activation and identification of pre-knowledge, defining learning objectives, planning learning strategies, collecting proofs of learning, peers feedback, ongoing and ultimate self-evaluation of pupils own learning and progress. All this activities were performed during their learning process, when the pupils were developing competences of exploring, investigating and creating in Mathematics.E-textbook helped the pupils to explore and investigate the principles, definitions and examples.Word application tools for writting mathematic texsts were used to construct and solve exercises.Geogebra program was used to create graphic presentation of expressions with variables.The pupils knowledge of expressions was checked by a quiz in online-classrooms.The achievement in the process of learning about the expressions is created in e-portfolio under the view Expressions, here, all the steps of formative assessments can be seen.Pupils were given feedback on their work, progress.They were also given some guidelines to improve their ways of learning.