Using ICT/new media

Inter-Action: sections europeennes and specialist schools

Using ICT/new media

One of the aims of the Inter-Action programme is to encourage virtual communication between schools, as no funding is directly allocated for physical mobility of pupils or staff. Both French and English partners have reported positive experiences through the use of technology. Schools are now very well equipped in this regard and participants use new technology readily to increase their communicative options. They use videoconferencing, podcasts, DVDs, wikis and blogs.
Both French and English schools develop websites to showcase their projects. Skype and other VOIP networks have revolutionised communication, supporting long distance calls at little or no cost. If you need to know how to get started with some of this technology, access the "how to" videos from this page.
Note:
You will need Adobe Flash for these videos - if this is not on your computer, here is the download link : Adobe Flash download
Blogs
Blogging is growing in popularity among Inter-Action partners and is proving to be more flexible and easier to manage than email.

There is a comprehensive, interactive table on the Globalgateway site which shows useful comparisons between differing blogging tools available.
Gray's Convent High School has used typepad for their Inter-Action partnership blog.
Podcasts
Gaining access to authentic speech by peers in a partner school in another country was once time consuming and difficult to achieve. Podcasts provide a realistic option for students to improve their listening and spoken language.
Skype
Skype website
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet.  Inter-Action partners have found it particularly useful for free calls to partners who have installed the same software.  Its flexibility lies in the ways in which additional features, e.g. webcams, can be used in conjunction with the calls.
 
Wikis
With their students contributing to collaborative wikis, Inter-Action partners have been able to share ideas easily in both French and English and have constructed joint projects for publication on the Internet.
 

Case study

Video conferencing