Project work – The EU student exchange

1. The EU students exchange project

The project is based on the EU programmes of students’ exchange, such as Leonardo da Vinci and is part of the English course at the secondary technical-vocational level. Students choose the project from their field of expertise and decide upon the mentor of the subject. Together with the English teacher as their mentor they divide the class into groups of 5 students. Each group chooses the leader, the secretary and the time keeper for each of the group meetings. The group meetings take place during the English lesson for about 20 minutes. The roles are exchanged at each group meeting. The secretary of each meeting writes the minutes of each meeting. The Agenda of the meeting should be as follows:

1. present and absent students
2. division of the roles for each meeting
3. accomplished tasks and evaluation
4. future tasks and division of the tasks
5. Date of the next meeting.

Each group of students chooses the school from the EU member states and contacts the school by writing a letter to the class of their choice, and the management of the school. After establishing the contact, the group has to agree with the partners upon the nature of the project. They present the school, SŠER Ljubljana, Slovenia and their project. After agreeing upon that, they contact the chosen mentor from the field of expertise. They have to present the project to the technical-vocational expert, who gives his opinion and assesses the project.

After careful research each group has to organise a trip of 25 students to Slovenia. Their tasks are divided into:

1. travel arrangement,
2. accommodation, host families,
3. finding sponsors providing finances,
4. panning a week stay and work,
5. arranging trips and other activities to present the country, the school and the educational system,
6. Present their joint work from the field of expertise to the school experts, parents, management, and public.
7. write a report,
8. Write a self-evaluation and peer evaluation essay on the work done.
9. Finish and hand in their work in 45 days to be assessed by the English teacher.

The teachers of technical vocational subjects and English teachers function merely as mentors and partners in the project. The project is managed, completed and presented by the students. Teachers are also joint assessors of the work, and advisors during the preparation of the final documents.

Each member of the group bares responsibility for his tasks and work appointed to him by the group decision, as well as responsibility for all the members of the group so that they complete their part of work. Each member’s completition of the tasks and the final mark is co-dependant from the group mark and successful work of the group as a team.

2. CONTENTS

1. Choosing the school.
2. Writing the letters to the class, their mentor, the headmaster of the school.
3. Choosing the project for cooperation.
4. Transport to Slovenia and accommodation.
5. Organization of a week's stay.
6. Description of the country, places of interest.
7. Organizing the spare time, trips around Slovenia.
8. Writing an essay for self-evaluation and peer assessment