Richard Jones-Nerzic

Excellent. Just go to the student section of the forum using your teacher log-in. Add 'new topic' and write a short introduction to get things started. Send me a copy of what you intend to say if you'd like me to check it. I have said that the new topic might begin next Monday but you can add it at any time before then and I'll lock it until Monday.

Thanks Andy. On the site structure, this is another topic we can add to the agenda for the Toulouse meeting... A reminder to all: Please remember to send a (real) letter to me at the IST, confirming your agreement to the terms of the Comenius bid and your commitment as outlined in the application.

Time for a new topic I think. A new topic added every other week seems sensible. The students have suggested lots of ideas, but I know the issue of religious symbolism in schools has been on the table for some time. Is someone prepared to lead a new discussion from next Monday?

A new topic added every other week seems a good idea. The students have suggested lots of ideas, but I know the issue of religious symbolism in schools has been on the table for some time.

Welcome to the Spring Day in Europe online debate/discussion forum for European students aged 11-14. The Spring Day in Europe event will take place 22-28 March. If you are a teacher and would like your students to participate, please email me or use the Private Message (PM) service to contact me. If you are student, ask your teacher to register you.

200 word summary uploaded below. 200 Word Summary

The final detailed description is uploaded below. Detailed description

The final application form is below. Remember to replace page 20 with the document uploaded above. You only need to print out the first 33 pages Remember to include a copy of the detailed description uploaded in the next post an if necessary a translation of the detailed description and the 200 word summary (also uploaded below). Final Application Form

Many thanks for this Graham. John sent your advice on and it was much appreciated. You make a very good point about the Internet. I hope our project - ICT/Internet/Second Language in history - is broad enough. It is also important to note that the project will lead to a real residential course with real teachers in the real south of France. Most of our team are members of the EUN Virtual School. What works best about the VS is the part that isn't virtual. If this project gets the green light, it will be because the Swedish ministry of education had the foresight to pay for teachers from all over Europe to meet regularly and work together. Must get back to completing the application...

Anders suggested that you should also have a copy of the original signed page 20. This is attached for you to upload below. Page 20

Draft of the application ready for upload. Please check your relevant section. You only need to print the first 20 pages. If you have a moment it would also be helpful if someone would check my sums. There are a few sections missing. Is your institution eligible to recover VAT? Also the 200 word summary awaits a glass of wine an inspiration this evening.

Due to last minute changes in the Budget and consequent recalculations (all day!) the application form is not quite ready. Below for you to upload is a DRAFT of Section 4, the detailed description of the project. This is an opportunity to make any last minute (minor) changes. It includes all the compulsory sections of Section 4 2. Objectives (2 pages max) 3. Envisaged Outputs (2 pages) 4. Partnership Composition (no limit) 5. Evaluation (1 page) 6. Dissemination (1 page) 7. Planning of Activities (no limit) 8. Contribution to transversal policies There is no section 9 as yet. Section 9 'Please state any other aspects of the proposed project which you feel the Commission should take into account when assessing your proposal' (half page max) Anders met with his local Comenius rep. who suggested ways we might stregthen our application. I have tried to take on some of that advice in section 7 but here might be an opportunity to go further? Perhaps here we might emphasise the minority languages: Dutch, Swedish and (particularly) Czech? The variety of institutions involved and range of previous European experience (from none to Juan Carlos) But what else not contained in the previous sections? Apart fom the final application, there remains only the 200 word summary of the project. Very nearly complete. You should have everything ready to print out and post by Friday. Remember the absolute deadline is Monday. I can assure you that the centralised application will be in the post Friday afternoon.

It's telling me I'm allowed 48.83mb. How big an application are you expecting?

Just remembered... Red Dwarf - Kennedy shot himself from the grassy knoll In a philosophical episode about counterfactual history and time travel, Kennedy a president never assassinated, is a politician ruined by scandal. Offered the opportunity to guarantee his martyrdom he takes it. I suppose some might consider this theory only slightly more outlandish than one or two of those offered above.

Fantastic work. There can't be any other interpretations can there?

We have been conducting a technical trial over the past week or so with students nominated by their teachers to participate in a regular international debate/discussion. The original idea was developed in this thread http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=116 The trial period will continue for another week to allow time for students to register and post their biographical details. The forum proper will begin with a discussion about the subject of Nationalism, led by John Simkin. Only students and their teachers will be able to participate in the debate. If you'd like to be involved please post your interest in the original thread or contact me direct.

No. They have their own user names and passwords. You should have received these. If not PM me and I'll forward you the details

Agreed. Sounds good to me. Are you proposing to chair it?

Anyone else having problems? I've not encountered anything yet. Unless I face objections, I am going to make the student forum visible on Monday, perhaps with the first of our planned debates on Nationalism? I know a lot of schools are on holiday but it doesn't seem to be stopping the posting. A reminder that even when visible, only students and their teachers will be able to post (I hope ) Hopefully this will help those who have had difficulty finding the forum.

Any objections to going visible on Monday and leaving all earlier posts intact? Only teachers and students will be able to post. Only teachers can start new threads. I have emailed join about starting the Nationalism debate Monday if he's ready. Religious symbols after that (Ulrike?) Then something the students have chosen?

Some members will be aware of the website http://www.politicalcompass.org/, through a questionnaire it locates your ideological position. Having analysed the speeches etc. of the major presidential candidates, they came up with the following conclusion. Comparing Bush and Kerry to this international chart is also interesting:

Or in this thread if your prefer. My intention is to use the Junior section of the student forum for Spring Day. Half a dozen or so topics for students to contribute to. Hopefully in two languages or more.

Have a look at the thread in the 'visible' section of the forum http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.ph...topic=116&st=60 As I wrote last Sunday: The trial student forum will have been running a week tomorrow. 29 students have registered and 65 posts have been made. The quality of contributions so far has been excellent. As a write (a European Sunday afternoon), 4 students are currently online discussing various educational issues such as 'what makes a good teacher ' and 'should we abolish exams'. I have created a thread for the students to propose topics they'd like to discuss. These topics can be added to the ideas teachers listed earlier and perhaps a 'rolling programme' might be developed with teachers taking it in turn to chair discussion for a week. Each week might have a theme with two to three question based threads as the teacher/discussion requires. At the end of the week, the teacher may choose to close the discussion or (I prefer) leave the discussion for contributions to continue to be made. I propose that the current 'invisible' trial continue for another week (or two?) and that a timetabled programme be put together to run until Easter. The first theme will be 'nationalism' chaired by John Simkin. Interesting the first suggestion by a student was: 'Since many of the people doing this debate are international, maybe we should do something on how living abroad has changed or impacted us?' Might be some overlap there. Later next month the admin team of the education forum will be meeting in Toulouse to review and discuss the future development of the student discussion/debate area

Sorry I'm a bit slow on this I'm away on holiday. Andy has also threatened to delete my account if I'm seen on here. I have to create a special teacher account for you. This will allow you to view and post in the student area. I'll PM you details.

The trial student forum will have been running a week tomorrow. 29 students have registered and 65 posts have been made. The quality of contributions so far has been excellent. As a write (a European Sunday afternoon), 4 students are currently online discussing various educational issues such as 'what makes a good teacher ' and 'should we abolish exams'. I have created a thread for the students to propose topics they'd like to discuss. These topics can be added to the ideas teachers listed earlier and perhaps a 'rolling programme' might be developed with teachers taking it in turn to chair discussion for a week. Each week might have a theme with two to three question based threads as the teacher/discussion requires. At the end of the week, the teacher may choose to close the discussion or (I prefer) leave the discussion for contributions to continue to be made. I propose that the current 'invisible' trial continue for another week (or two?) and that a timetabled programme be put together to run until Easter. The first theme will be 'nationalism' chaired by John Simkin. Interesting the first suggestion by a student was: 'Since many of the people doing this debate are international, maybe we should do something on how living abroad has changed or impacted us?' Might be some overlap there. Later next month the admin team of the education forum will be meeting in Toulouse to review and discuss the future development of the student discussion/debate area.