Vicente López-Brea Fernández

I am so sorry to know of Richard's unfair dismissal and would like to urge IST's governing board to reinstate him and his other colleague. I met Richard in 2005 when I was an active member of the E-HELP project, as my institution , the CAP de Alcorcón (Madrid) was and is an active member. Needless to say Richard's impression was that of the highest efficency and proved extensively his talents both in History teaching incorporating IT and in coordinatiing the work of the Comenius 2.1 Project. As I see it there is NO way a professional like Richard can be dismissed on grounds of work inefficiency. Not only are his talents known to his students and student's parents, you have a list throughout this thread of international experts backing and acknowledging an outstanding expert, an efficient coordinator, a good worker whose only mistake may have been to voice injustice and unfairness. I sincerely hope there is a way back and the IST community reacts to these unfair events. All my support for Richard is his fight for rights.

No problem for the initial planning. However if you find it useful to change the order, we have no objection.

Fully agree. As far as we are concerned the language issue is no problem. We assume the French part as part of our contribution. The teaching of Citizenship is still not present in the Spanish educational system but we'll be able to benefit from other members' expertise to apply and study different cases. Any how, Citizenship wll also be a subject of interest to language and philosophy teachers, as it is the case of our institution, so we'll collaborate in this trend, apart from benefitting and collaborating with historical aspects. Again, fully committed and fully in agreement.

I agree

Fully agree, too.

Thanks

Good news.

Any information about Christiane Berton-Heinen's institution? Sort of institution? Where in Belgium?

I am awaiting this information. I will post it as soon as I get it.

Sorry to be out in these critical moments, but was out of technology. I do hope we can indeed find the right partners.

I'm busy putting together a reflection of what went on for the participants on Thursday, and I'll be happy to send a copy to anyone who wants one (just mail me - it's a fairly small Word document).

...

The bottom line for me is that the technology already exists for both teachers and pupils throughout Europe to work actively with each other from where they happen to be. Imagine a co-operative project between several European countries focussed on a specific subject, such as how you get a lower speed limit to be imposed on the street outside your school. I know that one problem would be language … but isn't the overcoming of that problem one of the things that this whole European idea is supposed to be about?

Let me first thank you for your offer (that of sending us your reflection on the activity) which I would be delighted to read. Then, regarding the technological possibilities offered today I am most inclined to thinking that any European project demands a certain technological literacy (which in a Comenius 2.1 as ours would appear in the refresher course for teachers in the end) apart from a general knowledge of English and other languages. I tend to think of languages not as barriers (technology is also a language in that sense, as it demands literacy). So whatever we may think there is a need to make our language(s) accessible to a wider community. I believe, with everybody's effort, we can make a worth contribution to "this whole European idea".

Revised figures:

IES Parque de Lisboa (Spain) 140 days at €263 = €36.820

Spartacus Educational (UK) 140 days x €310 euros = €45,400

Spanish Lycée in Neuilly sur Seine (France) 140 days at €250 = €35,000

I will not be able to fill in the application form until each member sends me the daily costs of their involvement in the project plus the number of days they wish to do. The only way to accurately to find out your daily costs is by asking your employer.

The figures are right for the Spanish Lycee and myself.

E-Citizen sounds OK.

In E-HELP the amount (if I'm not wrong was 100 days for Juan Carlos and myself) was figured out according to other criteria. I find it easier to think of 100 days throughout the three year period (Total cost: 100 x 250 = 25,000). I would not object, in any case, to raising that number of days to 140 if required.

Juan Carlos and yourself were originally down to 120 days at 150 euros a day at a total staff cost of 18,000 euros. This figure will have to be adjusted according to the number of days and costs of other members. However, I need a starting figure before making these calculations.

Concerning average day costs. Mine is high for two reasons. (1) I am managing director of a company and so therefore I am automatically placed in Staff Category 1. (2) I am based in England. For example, Andy Walker, who is a classroom teacher, is on 280 euros a day, in E-HELP. Terry Hadyn is on 300. Other examples include Spain (150), Holland (210), and Sweden (200).

As regard costs it is OK if you put me down to 150 €. The reason why I'm in Paris is because I do get those €250.

It is OK, then, €150 and the total figures to reach 18,000.

I am willing to supply 140 days over the three year period.

Total cost: 140 x 310 euros = 45,400 euros

In E-HELP the amount (if I'm not wrong was 100 days for Juan Carlos and myself) was figured out according to other criteria. I find it easier to think of 100 days throughout the three year period (Total cost: 100 x 250 = 25,000). I would not object, in any case, to raising that number of days to 140 if required.

Then my daily quota is the one I mentioned above € 250.

Thanks John.

I think that we should practise what we preach, and equip the laptops with webcams and headsets (earphones + mikes). If I were making the decision, I'd get us each one of these new Mac Intel laptops with built-in cameras … but that's just me!

Good idea David. I need to price this for the application form. Any suggestions?

After my experience at E-HELP I am very keen that all members have a good quality Handycam. This could be used to produce citizenship resources and to record good examples of citizenship teaching. One possibility is the Sony DCR-DVD 403. The only problem about this model is that it uses mini DVD discs (these are more expensive than normal sized DVDs.

http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,121563,00.asp

Good choice. I had been reviewing about Handycam DCR-DVD92 DVD Digital Camcorder (.68MP, 20x Opt, 800x Dig, 2.5" LCD), but your choice offers a higher quality.

http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_get...asterid=7267949

As regards the costs of DVDs in comaprison to DVs I think that will be going down (most naturally). I should also recommend to acquire a long furation extra battery per camera for field recording. One battery is definitely not enough.

I will need these details from everyone on the project.

My cost is 310 euros a day.

I need to know the way to figure it out. By now I believe is about €250 per day. If you can let me know how to calculate I will give you a perfect sum.

I have but to agree with Juan Carlos. In my view and from my experience it worked for E-HELP (for the short period I was an active member), it should work for Citizenship & ICT.

Did it? My interpretation is that the system caused a great deal of resentment and bad feeling. Some people were clearly working a lot more than their allocated days and some a great deal less.

Maybe you're right, as your perspective encompasses a longer period of time. Should we suggest then, to provide products throughout the whole process, with pre-established deadlines? NO problem for that either.

Although probably is not the fairest way (institutions will get the same amount of money, even though their different perfomance), I put myself in John and Andy's shoes and I think that the egalitarian approach is the easiest to budget. Bearing in mind our salaries, calculate a number of days of work so that everybody get the same amount of money.

I would rather support a centralised financial management of the project. Delegation can lead to more burocracy and red tape.

I have but to agree with Juan Carlos. In my view and from my experience it worked for E-HELP (for the short period I was an active member), it should work for Citizenship & ICT.

No doubt you will find a number of ways of explaining Juan Carlos

However I do coincide with John that meetings do act as powerful motivators. Once again agree with him on the fact that good ideas appear at unsuspected times, whether they are attending a presentation or enjoying a bit of relax

So I go for a number of meetings similar (or slightly small) to the initially proposed

Teaching Citizenship in a Globalized Europe Using ICT

Good title.

After a telephone conversation I confirm the full availability of our institution to host one of these meetings. There is a full commitment of our institution to this project.

We will surely be able to count with Richard's intelligent distribution and expertise in dealing with this aspect. I do not really know how he did it but dealing with spreadsheets can make it easier. I will, no doubt collaborate, should that be a possibility.

Do agree in any case with Juan Carlos with the complexity of the matter.

I don't object to the proposed number of meetings (I mean John's). I will ask tomorrow (for permission) but I find it possible for us to host one of these meetings. Still I will come back tomorrow with the permission required from my "bosses".

Every member of the project should get laptop as a fundamental tool for the project. I think that the amount of money budgeted in E-HELP is OK.

Cannot but agree with Juan Carlos. A laptop is definitely a must. AS regards budget for software I think the video compressing software (and editing) should be considered in budgetting (sorry if it sounds well-known to EHELP members, but as ex-EHELP member, I consider essential to have the availability of these programs and the video equipment, however simple, we may need). All this said unless the contribution to EHELP of the equipment and software purchased was perceived insufficient or inadequate.

I accept the initial name (sorry Juan Carlos). If suggetions are considered I would omit "the" in "the internet".

Teaching Citizenship in a Globalised Europe via Internet

Or

Globalised Europe Citizenship Teaching via Internet.

Attached details of the Liceo Español "Luis Buñuel"

Participating_institution_No_2.doc

Andy has told me that Varndean School is still willing to be the lead organization of the Citizenship Project. We will try to get together over the next few days to fill in the application form.

Please do let me know if I can be of any help or if you need any information from my school. I will be in Spain for a fortnight starting on Saturday.

I would like to begin to fill in the application form for our Citizenship Project. However, I have been told by Michael Butterworth, Senior Programme Officer at the British Council who deals with Comenius Projects that the new application form has not yet been printed. He tells me that it now needs to arrive by 1st March.

As some will know, it is a daunting task to fill in a Comenius application form. I do not want to do this unless I know other members are fully committed to the project. Proposed members of the project have been fairly quiet on the Citizenship Forum. Does this reflect a lack of interest in the project?

I await your responses.

We are absolutely commited to the project. I personally would collaborate with whomever responsible to help the drafting of the project. The Liceo Español "Luis Buñuel" fully backs the project as so does the Spanish Consejería de Educación in Paris. We may use the internal network of Spanish Centres outside Spain to diseminate the outcomes.

I do apologise about the quietness on the Citizenship Forum, but I have been following the tracks of the different topics.

We clearly follow the project.