Nataša Plevnik, Danijela Radjen, Osnovna šola Globoko

Current didactical methods place a pupil in a position of active co-creator in the teaching process, which participates in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the selected tematic unit. Everything happens around the central problem, which is based on pupil’s prior knowledge, experience, individual expectations and ability. The teacher becomes a mentor who directs and coordinates lessons, he is an active observer that monitors pupil’s advancement and helps him progress. Various e-tools, such as information on the web, e-classroom or e-devices for transmitting the  information play an important role.

Elements of formative assessment mean to the teacher a framework within which he together with the students shapes the work steps that are oriented to the individual pupil’s abilities. Teacher implements elements of differentiation and individuation easier. If these steps are placed into a virtual environment, such as an electronic notebook or e-portfolio an individual approach to research the problem is enabled even more and the pupil is additionally motivated with the possibility of the use of IT technologies.

The contribution demonstrates how the lessons combine elements of formative assessment, collaboration, communication, creativity and IT technologies. The pupil acquires the knowledge and skills individually with the support of learning groups and e-tools. We found out that pupils were more motivated because they were active co-constructors of lessons. Their work has been self-evaluated and upgraded.

Tina Petkovšek, Srednja šola za farmacijo, kozmetiko in zdravstvo Ljubljana

I would like to present group assessment as a way of getting one of the grades in class and a good means of motivating students. EUfolio as a tool here enables execution and at the same time I follow the philosophy of EUfolio with my own methods of work, namely that students plan learning, take the responsibility for their own success and reflect their learning.

My intention is to encourage other teachers to introduce different assessment practices. What is new here is not only solving the test sheets as a group of tree students, but also the student’s own planning of learning and creating groups (they group according to their own aspirations), self-regulation, taking responsibility for their own success, which in this way becomes responsibility for the whole group.

I want to direct my students that the focus is not the grade but the knowledge itself. In classical assessment the grade is of essential importance with the majority of students, thus they lose motivation for the correction of the test. At my work I orientate my students to knowledge and thus the correction of the test is crucial,  which they upgrade with their own reflection in EUfolio.

The test sheet is problem-projected and checks higher levels of knowledge according to Bloom’s taxonomy. Very often the answers among the members of a group are different and they harmonize and dispute about them. Many students master and understand the subject matter not earlier than now. In this way they learn from each other. After the test, they can exchange their opinions about the correct answers in Mahara. They make the correction in the following lesson, again as a group. Each student writes down their own reflection and attaches it to the EUfolio.

Jasna Vuradin Popovič, Gimnazija Murska Sobota, Tanja Rupnik Vec, Zavod RS za šolstvo

This article shows e-portfolio introduced assessment in learning support (formative assessment) of cooperation and communication as well as deepened understanding of topic complex Feelings. Presented are all steps of formative assessment, from pre-knowledge assessment through personal goals formation, planning the strategy to goals realisation, defining success criteria, return information and self-evaluation, as well as different tools being used.

As the basic tool for the formation of e-portfolio we used Mahara web application. Students were directed into various activities to plan their work, follow and evaluate it according to the instructions in the fold My learning in the Mahara web environment. Students passed all the phases of research, from orientation in the learning context through knowledge construction, and afterwards deepening and assessment, to evaluation.

E-portfolio was used in two functions, as personal space for learning self-direction, as well as the space for common research and widening and deepening of knowledge on the studied topic ( topic complex Feelings). After the presentation of individual activities and working process in Mahara and other applications, follows the presentation of the students’ achievements and the presentation of the evaluation results which show the advantage in using e-portfolio in both functions for studying other topics. The students have given a positive feedback to their teacher on the use of Mahara for the means of planning their own praxis as well as for cooperative research and learning the topic studied.

Danijela Ledinek, Nika Grešovnik, Osnovna šola Podgorje pri Slovenj Gradcu

As a teacher of Physical education I am finding out that despite the fact that during the process of teaching and evaluating knowledge, I also consider the prior knowledge of students, their final knowledge is many times different from intended goals. Awareness, that within the development and evaluating knowledge, teacher’s conducts also have an important role, has inspired me to the idea to offer my students a completely different approach.

There are more and more children, who are, despite their effort, from various reasons not very successful or convincing in their motor skills area, but they have different knowledge, competence and skills, which can all aid in the understanding and quality of knowledge about the meaning of sport in one’s life.

With this film, made by one of my students as a potential display of knowledge, we want to show how it is possible to awake student’s desire to discover, research and create as well as how to encourage and motivate within a lesson in order to achieve a worked-out goal easier.

Film entitled “When dreams become a reality” was created with the Pinacle Studio programming equipment. This film will take us through the most typical periods of the history of sport, through the viewpoint of an adolescent who accepts the world differently as our generations did.

The technology used in the process is, with the words of Aristotel (2010), of only a secondary importance: “In order to name something knowledge, it needs to establish new worlds, new horizons, it needs to contribute to a higher ethics as well as intellectual excellence.“

With this film we have opened up new worlds of cross-curricular integration.

Viktor Jemec, Srednja šola Domžale

Teachers in elementary and secondary schools are more aware that we make quality passing of subject possible for pupils and students like this in regular programs of schooling, and also at supplementary activities. With acception of declaration of European parliament of No. 50/2011 from the dating of 15th March 2012, about the introduction of program » chess in schools« to educational systems in the European Union and entry of demand in resolution on national program sports and National program of sport for period between years 2014 and in 2023, that was accepted at session of committee for education, science, sport and youth of Slovene National Assembly on March 11 this year, is enabeling that  Slovene teacher can develop competences on this field. In this document introduces chess as one of him very stimulative elements for development of competences pupil and students. I am already cooperating in e-schoolroom Chess on SIO, where competences of a teacher already are described, that is is good introduced machine he can use both didactic software and her efficiently at part in school and her also critically to think for use pupil or student. I organised two nationals for the first time in frame of chess association of Republic of Slovenia on field of corresponding chess in Slovenia on December 15, 2013, first: tournament of young until 12 years and other: tournament of young until 20 years.

Here are very exercised of competence teacher, that knows how with part on distance (explained both help through electronic mails and the introduction of e-učilnice), much part was with search, gathering, treatment and evaluation of chess Communist Parties with use of chess programs and through the chess engines choosing of best move. In frame of this competition and education at optional subject within last triadi and at chess clubs is necessary to write the manual on bases of playing of corresponding chess for young, to take part in e-učilnici, to consider legal and ethical principles and to finish still thorough evaluation at the end of competition, that bi in forward abolished of mistake and faults, that are appearing in this phase of development of development.

Mateja Pintar, Osnovna šola Dobje

Modern school strives for cooperation and participation of every individual pupil, encourages initiativity, creativity, activity, evaluation and reflexion. Formative assessment of knowledge, flexible lessons, rich store of information and constant qualitative feedback are the components of the open/modern school. In this article I present the beginnings of an open learning space initiation in the 3^rd grade. Mobile technology enabled the pupils for learning wherever, whenever, by whomever and by using different mobile devices. Pupils accepted diversity, because learning opportunity was given also to them. They were able to use a flexible, open and good ICT equipped classroom. The lessons were focused on individual’s development. Pupils were actively involved in the learning planning (what and how to learn, which tools and sources to use). Free researching was enabled to them; they developed reading literacy, observed the nature and accepted different feedbacks. They obtained the knowledge from life for the life. Pupils were able to motivate themselves for learning activities and they had the main role in learning process. They could find information and use mobile technology. I followed their learning as their teacher and adjusted it to the teaching claims. In this way pupils developed their creativity, independence and motivation for their work.

Iris Kravanja Šorli in Tatjana Božič Geč, Osnovna šola Martina Krpana Ljubljana

Lately, educational and social environment more often depends on the Internet. Pupils and teachers more often use Internet and they are becoming part of on-line social networks. School environment is spreading in virtual world in which pupils’ life is off limits for teachers.

School is a space where pupils get a lot of information and conquer knowledge in different fields. It is only correct for school to give them knowledge about safe use of Internet as well. Learning process can involve technical educations for pupils, teachers and parents and even more importantly increased sensibility of teachers and other school personnel. Abuse that is caused by other pupils must be as whole considered by school professional workers. Solving the originated problem must involve groups of pupils, class teachers, school consultative service, parents and sometimes whole classes.

In school, we came across a few Facebook abuses. Pupils were making fun of individuals. That is when we decided to make a wider survey about safe use of Facebook among pupils and teachers. The information we got was important part of preparing the strategies to address pupils to the safe use of Internet and mostly on-line social networks. Pupils suggested to create “class Facebook page” mentored by teachers. These are all different ways to the same objective, how to be safe on the Internet.

Romana Kolar, Katja Kastelic, Veronika Ciglar, Zavod za gluhe in naglušne Ljubljana, Srednja šola

Sign language is the first language of the majority of deaf people. Therefore the lessons at the Centre for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Ljubljana are conducted in the Slovenian Sign Language (SSL), either by the teachers who are fluent in the SSL or with the support of sign language interpreters.

The weakness of sign languages is that they cannot be easily notated on paper. Homework, written practice, tests and assignments usually require written records in the Slovene language. In our ICT courses/modules, we started a new project in which we exploit the strengths of new technologies and enable deaf and hard-of-hearing users of Sign Language to submit their assignments recorded in Sign Language. Following last year’s introduction of the Sign Language Glossary of computer terms in SSL we have made a step forward towards a common goal, to enable deaf people to communicate in their sign language wherever possible. In their on-line classroom, the students can find their homework instructions recorded in the SSL, and then using a camera on any mobile device, or through a web camera on their computer record their answers or assignments and submit them in the on-line classroom. The students have been interested in the novelty which has already resulted in a higher quality of their assignments. This method has also been used by other students who have difficulties in the area of writing skills. In the future, we want to be able to assess knowledge by video recordings in the Slovenian Sign Language instead of written tests.

Matija Lokar, Fakulteta za matematiko in fiziko, Univerza v Ljubljani

Electronic versions of textbooks (e-textbooks) are a hot topic in educational community. A good e-textbook should be quite different from the printed textbook. It should provide much more besides the obvious additions and improvements like interactivity, usage of multimedia, and easy navigation.

As the need for individual approach towards each student is becoming more and more emphasized, one of the crucial changes requires that e-textbook should allow customization and personalization which should be achieved on different levels: on a technical level (adaptation to different output devices, tools used in examples etc.) or (more important) on teh level of adaptation of the content. This customization will be one of the most important parts of the teacher’s work in the future. It is the teacher who is making the e-textbook suitable for the particular pedagogical situation. Therefore e-textbooks should be designed to be adaptable to the pedagogical situation and to the user, be it a learner and a teacher.

Hence e-textbooks should be quite different from the printed editions. In the talk we will show some concrete examples where some of the proposed ideas are already implemented and also a description of more concrete ways how should the others look like.

Maruša Bogataj, Katja Knific, Eva Traven, Branka Vodopivec, Osnovna šola Predoslje Kranj

In this school year our eight class students plan their work, value their knowledge and progress in an innovative learning environment  Mahara.  We are gathered together with 13 teams from 7 European countries in a collaborative research and implementation process, an international project EU-folio.

The main intention of using the innovative learning environment is initiating modern approaches into learning and teaching process, assessment and evaluation of students, emphasizing the 21^st century skills. The main skill developing through the project EU–folio is self–regulation, an active process, where a student takes control of his own learning aims, planning, monitoring, evaluates his own learning, behavior and progress. There is a special stress on the skill of a critical thinking and giving an argument.

Our conference contribution is going to show the planning of students’ learnings in their own personal environment, how do they set up their knowledge and add some more information and new topics, how do they create their own learning aims and strategies to achieve them. They are monitoring their learning progress through the whole learning process and developing. There is a stress on a cross-curricular approach to learning. Students are recording their progress in their personal learning environmnet. The most important is the process of learning and not only the result or the product of learning. We can already see the progress in students’ thinking and awarness of their own responsibility for learning and their knowledge after a few months of working in this innovative learning environment. Mahara stimulates the collaboration between the teenagers and it stimulates critical friendships. Now it is not only the feedback of a teacher important to make a progress.