Let the pools website
serve as a portal to
your results. From the
website you also have
access to
copyleft
language teaching
materials and methods
manuals that you may
include in your own
projects.
Register
here
to receive news about
pools and
information when new
materials become
available.
You may now become a
member of the POOLS
team; like all materials
in the POOLS website the
membership is free.
Enrol as a POOLS member
e-mail
ka@sde.dk
Pools-t (Producing
Open Online
Learning
System - Tools) has been approved for an EU grant in the period
2008-2010. POOLS-T is
coordinated by "Syddansk
Erhvervsskole Odense-Vejle",
the development
teams come from Denmark,
Greece, the Netherlands, Scotland,
and Switzerland. EfVET has
been chosen as
dissemination partner
with access to thousands
of vocational colleges
across Europe.
The project will
develop tools for the CLIL
methodology
(Content and Language
Integrated Learning)
as well as a
guide on how to apply
the tools in a CLIL
context.
The tools will convert
texts and web pages to
html pages where all
words are hyperlinked to
free online dictionaries
covering many
combinations of European
languages. The
application will have
support for audio, video
and graphics to enrich /
support the text
content.
Pools-t needs analysis:
CLIL and LWUTL teachers
depend on developing own
resources (EURYDICE 2005
report "Key Data on
Teaching Languages at
School in Europe"). The
proposed application
will automate part of
this process and will
also enable students to
convert authentic
technical materials into
language learning /
supporting units.
The need for a free tool
is based on EURYDICE
2006 "Content and
Language Integrated
Learning (CLIL) at
School in Europe".
The need is also
documented in the ICC
report (2003) "The
Impact of New
Information Technologies
and Internet on the
Teaching of Foreign
Languages.." concludes:
"There will be a shift
from passive consumption
of ready-made programmes
to independent building
of content, tailor made
for specifics groups or
individuals".
Target groups:
The project results and
outputs will be used by
individual language
learners, subject
teachers using CLIL, and
language teachers
preparing online
teaching materials.
Pools-2 (Producing
Open Online
Learning
Systems - 2) has been approved for an EU grant in the period
2009-2011. POOLS-2 is
coordinated by
Confederación Española
de Centros de Enseñanza
(CECE),
the teams come from
Cyprus, Denmark,
Malta, Portugal,
Scotland, and Spain. EfVET has
been chosen as
dissemination partner
with access to thousands
of vocational colleges
across Europe.
Pools-2
is a Transfer of
Innovation (TOI) project
which will exploit the
results from the "original" pools
project, which
developed materials for
language teaching and
learning as well as
teacher training
courses. Pools-2 will
transfer the core
outputs of pools to
three new languages:
Greek, Maltese, and
Portuguese
The POOLS-2 project target
group is teachers of
the LWUTL (Less Widely
Used and Taught
Languages) in technical
colleges. Due to the
limited range of ICT
materials for these
languages the teachers
often have to develop
materials themselves if
they want to exploit the
many advantages of
eLearning.
The final
products are:
1. Pools of online
copyleft materials to be
used during in-service
teacher training courses
and in teaching.
2. Flexible competence
based language teacher
course modules on ICT
methodologies and
development of ICT based
teaching resources.
3. A DVD with step by
step instructions and
examples on how to
create multimedia online
material.
4. A course book (downloadable
.pdf file) with
description of language
teaching eLearning
materials and
methodologies
Pools-m
(Pools of language
teaching methods) is an
EU supported two years
project started on
December 1st 2009. The
project seeks to
transfer the result of a
previous project BP-BLTM
which portrayed five
communicative language
teaching methods in
manuals and with
instruction videos, for
each method there are
ready to use materials
in Basque, Danish,
Dutch, English, German,
Romania, and Spanish.
Pools-m
will translate and adapt
the existing materials
into Italian,
Lithuanian, and
Portuguese as well as
prepare new materials
for the methods
The
pools-m home page is
http://www.languages.dk/methods
or you can just click on
"Teaching Methods" from
the main navigation
panel to the right.
Pools-t: The final quality
report from the
evaluators Angelica
Bucur and Gareth Long
has been received with
pleasure. It is for the
partnership a very
pleasant read:-)
Download from here
Pools-CX Centres of
Excellence a Transfer of
Innovation project based
on the original pools
project with a Romanian
coordinator has been
approved for funding
Pools-2: The
teams are preparing for
the workshop and pilot
courses in September.
Download the agenda
here
Pools-m: The
Danish team has had a
meeting preparing the
pilot course for the
workshop in Pistoia in
November.
A document in Danish
forms the base for
continued development
August 2010
Pools-m: The
Italian team has
finished
translating and adapting
the five method manuals
read their
Pools-t: The
project teams have
finished the work with
DIY videos
demonstrating what
the TextBlender can
do for you
(temptation), how to
make the webpages
available on the
Internet, how to use
the TextBlender, and
some case stories
with the TextBlender,
we have also updated
some DIY videos with
subtitles for Hot
Potatoes:
Pools-2: The
Cyprus team has prepared
a ready to use WebQuest
in Greek. Ξέρετε με ποιο
τρόπο ένα καγκουρό που
δεν ζει στην Αυστραλία
να μπορεί να φτάσει εκεί;
Ο Mικές Τρικοίλης του
5ου Δημοτικού Σχολείου
Καλύμνου γνωρίζει την
απάντηση. Εσείς την
γνωρίζετε:
Click here to
download
The
Portuguese team has made
three new WebQuests for
learning Portuguese,
each of them has support
texts in English,
download and test them
here:
Pools-t: Try
some of our units that
have just been updated
and now make use of the
TextBlender engine and
calls to dictionaries
through the Multidict
tool. This means that
all words are linked to
90 different
languages!-)
Gordon Wells has
created another English
unit with exercises all
based on a Wordpress
blog
try it here
All POOLS: Newsletter issue 26
is ready for
downloading here.
The newsletter is a
combined newsletter for
pools, pools-2, pools-t,
and pools-m
Pools-m: The
Italian team has
prepared a teachers'
guide for the board game
preparing students for
International Work
Placement.
Download the guide
here to order
the board game, please
contact: Stefano Tirati:
stefano@cscs.it
+39057350444 Website:
http://www.cscs.it
Pools-t:
The TextBlender has been
updated (an error with
use of embedded Youtube
videos has
been corrected) can now
be downloaded in its
"final" version. It
makes full use of the Multidict dictionary,
some problems with use
of local videos in .wmv
format have been solved.
Go to the tools
area and download the
software
Pools-t: The
manual on how to make
use of the tools
produced by the project
in a CLIL based context
can now be
downloaded in English
.pdf format, in
Word format
and
in Danish.
The procedure of
translating it into
Greek, Dutch,
and Italian has started.
On Thursday 27th May,
POOLS-2 was presented in
Arezzo (Italy) to the
workshop “An update on
the Lifelong Learning
Programme 2007-2013”,
organised by the
Education and Training
Department of Arezzo
Province. Read more
about the presentation
in the next newsletter
(July 1st)
Gordon Wells has
prepared a guide on
"Using Ipadio to create
webpages with embedded
audio". Many language
teachers and learners
appreciate teaching
materials that
incorporate both written
and spoken language.
However, it has always
seemed to be a more
complex task to create
sound files than text
files. In recent times a
number of attempts have
been made to harness
digital telephone
technology to the
purpose.
Download his guide
here
Dedicated domain for the
new dictionary system "Multidict".
In the near future the
databases running the
Multidict and Wordlink
tools will be moved to
www.multidict.net
the site is already
operational (now using a
redirect) so you can
start pointing your
favourite dictionary
link/bookmark to it:-)
The Dutch team from
Horizon college has
presented the pools
outcomes at a conference
on CLIL invited by the
European Platform.
Watch their
presentation here
The TextBlender has
(March 16th 2010) been released in
version 3.02. After
recommendations from
many users the webpages
produced by the
TextBlender now make
use of the online
dictionary, Multidict.
The Multidict (128
dictionaries) is opened
in a frame so the
student can see both
text and dictionary at
the same time. The
student can also easily
change dictionary or
target language:
TextBlender output.
N.B. If you enable
cookies in your browser
you can select another
dictionary so when
clicking on a word after
changing the dictionary
the lookup is done with
that dictionary.
Try the example
output yourself
Multidict is now a
combination of +128
dictionaries. Multidict
has been developed by
Caoimhín Ó Donnaíle at
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig as
part of the European
funded POOLS-T project.
Try you new favourite
dictionary here
POOLS-M:
The project has been
presented by Serhat Tuna
on Turkish national
television
The video with Serhat
Tuna has been divided
into three parts, watch
part two
here
and part three
here
POOLS-M: The
Lithuanian project team
has finished the
adaptation and updating
of the "Simulations
Manual".
Download it here
POOLS-2: The
Portuguese team member
Ana Silva has prepared
an online exercise with
music for learning
Portuguese,
Try it here
The minutes from the
pools-2 kick-off
workshop in Madrid
(January) can be
downloaded here
Pools-t: The
Dutch team are preparing
for a CLIL workshop, and
have therefore started
preparing examples of
TextBlender and Wordlink
outputs: Here are some
examples of the web
pages they are working
on:
The second video
shows examples of
output produced with
the TextBlender. The
purpose is to show
"the cake" before
following the
"baking" recipes in
the following
videos.
Click here to
watch the
demonstration video
A new version of the
TextBlender is now ready
for download.
The February version is
close to a final version
with regards to
functions and
appearance. Future
versions will mainly be
improving outputs as
well as removing
reported bugs
Each of
the project teams have
planned to produce
sample CLIL based
lessons making use of
the TextBlender and the
Wordlink tools. The
Danish team has made a
case story telling how
the material was found
and developed together
with a lesson plan.
To read the text
click here.
Jan Hardie from the Swiss
team has prepared three
online exercises
suitable for CLIL,
try them out here
The
two main tools, i.e. the TextBlender and
Wordlink have been
improved. To follow the
development of Wordlink
please click here.
The TextBlender can be
accessed from the
Tools area.
EU grants for
course on WEB 2.0 and
Language Education.
'Designing activities
for the 2.0 Language
Classroom' (A Comenius
professional development
course)
In conjunction with the
Utrecht University
Summer School the
Faculties of Education
of Heidelberg and
Utrecht Universities of
Applied Sciences offer a
7-day, international
course exploring WEB 2.0
applications such as
Wiki
and Web-logging,
real-time communication
(Videoconferencing and
3D Virtual Worlds) and
the Language Quest
format for integrating
the World Wide Web into
classroom teaching.
Besides, the course
location in the
brand-new building of
the Faculty of Education
in Utrecht, the
Netherlands, allows for
demonstration of good
practices of and
personal training in the
use of Interactive
Whiteboards.
Intended participants
are practising (student)
language teachers,
teacher trainers and
materials developers.
Dates: 10-07-2010 -
16-07-2010
More information and
registration at:
http://www.utrechtsummerschool.nl/index.php?type=courses&code=S5
Persons eligible for EU
Comenius Grants can
apply at their National
Agency for compensation
of costs for travel,
accommodation and fees
for this course. <b>The
deadline for grant
applications is January
15</b>, 2010, but please
confirm with your
National Agency for
country-specific
deadlines.
N.B. Participants who
would like to extend
their visit to the
Netherlands can apply
for an additional period
of campus accommodation
at 135 Euro per week.
POOLS-2
Project brochure can be
downloaded in
English. It is
now being translated
into all the project
languages.
POOLS-M (Pools
of language teaching
Methods) has started the
funded period. First
meeting is in Brussels
on December 7th to 11th.
Go to the POOLS-M
main website.
POOLS-T A new
version of the
TextBlender software is
available for download
from
the Tools area.
The version now has
interfaces in the six
project languages.
POOLS-2:
(Producing Open Online
Learning Systems - 2)
has been approved for an
EU grant in the period
2009-2011. POOLS-2 is
coordinated by
Confederación Española
de Centros de Enseñanza
(CECE), the teams come
from Cyprus, Denmark,
Malta, Portugal,
Scotland, and Spain.
EfVET is a
dissemination partner
with access to thousands
of vocational colleges
across Europe.
Pools-2 is a Transfer
of Innovation (TOI)
project which will
exploit the results from
the "original" pools
project and transfer the
core outputs of pools to
three new languages:
Greek, Maltese, and
Portuguese
POOLS-T: The pools-t interim
report has been
submitted to EACEA. The
report comprises a
public and a
"confidential" part, but
in line with the policy
of pools-t both files
can be downloaded from
the website:
Download the
"confidential" file
and
Download the public
file
POOLS-T: An up-to-date copy of
the Wordlink and
Multidict program source
online is available at:
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~caoimhin/obair/pools-t/wl/
It includes for the
first time dictpage.php,
the program which allows
lookup of words in
page-image dictionaries,
such as those available
on the Web Archive, and
also a complete sql dump
of the database,
including the parameters
needed to for about 100
different online
dictionaries, and the
indexes to several
page-image dictionaries.
It isn't recommended
reading! It is simply to
ensure that the project
is "open source" as
promised in the POOLS-T
application
After a full project
year the external
quality evaluators
(subcontracted) has
submitted their
assessment of the
pools-t partnership and
achievements.
Download and read it
here:-)
The project blog (a
Wordpress blog) has
problems with Internet
Explorer v.8. For now
please use another
browser when you visit
the blog. OR email
ka@sde.dk with
advice on how to solve
the problem:-)
During Eurocall 2009 Dr
Caoimhín Ó Dónaill gave
an inspiring
presentation titled
"Integrating computer
assisted task-based
learning into the
language curriculum".
Caoimhín has allowed
pools to share his
presentation with our
users.
Click here to
download his PowerPoint
presentation:-)
We have just finished
the first version of a
manual for the
TextBlender, the version
has been compiled by
Frans van Schaik and
Kent Andersen with
Gordon Wells as the
proof reader. The manual
is a step by step guide
through the software and
also gives ideas for
application in classes.
Download the manual here
as a .pdf file (12Mb)
or
as a .docx file (11Mb)
A new feedback form
is available for sending
us feedback so we may
improve the tools:
Download the feedback
form
POOLS-T to be
presented in a workshop
at the Eurocall
conference in Gandia,
Spain on September 12th
with the title "Tools
for producing CLIL
(content and language
integrated learning)
materials" by Kent
Andersen. Read the
abstract
here or find
more in the Eurocall
website
www.eurocall-languages.org
A new version of the
TextBlender v.1.0 (which
replaces the older
versions like WPTB 15)
has been compiled based
on feedback from our end
users. The software has
been constructed in a
step by step approach
towards generation of
web pages with graphics
and texts where all
words have been linked
to an online dictionary
The current version
(1.0) can include up to
five graphic images.
Copying of media files
like video is now
automatic. Go to the
Tools area to test the
new version either
as an online tool
or as a
stand alone software
POOLS and POOLS-T was
presented in Prague at
the the Innovation and
Creativity in the
Lifelong Learning
Programme conference.
POOLS was awarded the
silver medal in the
category of "innovative
outstanding European
projects or actions
which will serve as a
good motivating example
to wide public.”
Roberta (pools-t project
officer), Kent Andersen,
and Alison Dix with the
Leonardo da Vinci silver
medal
SUPSI the Swiss
POOLS-T member has
translated the project
brochure into German and
Italian. The brochures
were handed out in 50
copies during the the
Innovation and
Creativity in the
Lifelong Learning
Programme conference in
Prague.
Download the Italian
version or
the German version
Jubilation, POOLS has
been chosen to be
awarded during the
Innovation and
Creativity in the
Lifelong Learning
Programme conference in
Prague. The awards will
be given by the Czech
Minister of Education,
Youth and Sports Ondřej
Liška and the European
Commissioner Ján Figel’.
www.llp-conference.eu/
“Part of the conference
will be dedicated to
awarding outstanding
European projects or
actions which will serve
as a good motivating
example to wide public.”
New member of the
pools-t project
consortium: SUPSI, the
University of Applied
Sciences of Southern
Switzerland (one of the
8 Universities of
Applied Sciences in
Switzerland) has now
joined the POOLS-T
project, in order to
test the tools developed
and to create its own
CLIL materials (texts
and videos), which will
also be used for tool
testing. SUPSI will
enrich our language
collection with Italian
and German:-) SUPSI
participation in the
project has been funded
by the State Secretariat
for Education and
Research in Bern
Some extra logic has
been added to the
program to better detect
character encodings, and
most pages now seem to
be working with
Wordlink4 including
those with iso-8859-7
and windows-1253
encoding.
The projects teams are
now preparing for the
second project workshop.
This time in Brussels.
Main issues for the
workshop are:
-Dissemination
-Quality control and monitoring
-Development evaluation
The workshop / project
meeting has been divided
into two separate parts
starting with a
pre-meeting workshop
(March 23rd and 24th )
with participation of
the software development
partners, i.e. Caoimhín
and Kent supported with
catering by Gordon and
Stefan. The main
workshop with
participation from all
teams (excepting EfVET)
is from March 24th to
March 27th
Read the first report
from the external
quality evaluators. The
report reflects the
project quality system
and compares our efforts
to the planned
milestones and outputs:
Download report here
New browser based
versions of the Text
Blender are now
available including a
Greek font version (only
Arial ISO fonts).
Try the tool
here
The number of grass
root members has just
reached 75. You too can
become a member of the
pools teams and exchange
views and ideas with
other members.
Go to the membership
area.
A summary of the
first three months
project period is now
available online.
The summary is part of
the project quality
monitoring and
management system.
New version of the
Web Page Text Blender
(the desktop tool) now
supports Youtube videos.
Remember to find the url
for such videos by
clicking "Share" and
select e-mail then the
url can be copied into
the Text Blender:-) Try
the Text Blender in
either
online version
(Neuron plugin required)
or
installed as a desktop
version
The CLIL Cascade Network
- CCN -
(133377-LLP-1-2007-1-FI-KA2-KA2NW)
is organizing a pilot
course on CLIL Materials
Production in Eichstätt,
Germany , 1-4 April
2009. The course is
jointly planned and
organized by Lapin
kesäyliopisto, FI,
University of Jyväskylä,
FI and Bayerisches
Staatsministerium für
Unterricht and Kultus,
DE.
Download program with
information on how to
participate
Learn about CLIL through
a presentation compiled
by the Dutch team for
the kick-off workshop in
Hoorn.
Download the
presentation
We are looking into the
possibility of
extending the POOLS-T
partnership with one or
two Swiss partners from
The University of
Applied Sciences of
Southern Switzerland (SUPSI
–
www.supsi.ch ) and
USI (Universita’ della
Svizzera Italiana,
www.unisi.ch
). USI’s expertise about
usability evaluation and
about testing and
analyzing the impact of
ICT onto given contexts
is expected to strongly
enhance/improve the
project outcomes. SUPSI
will be a major benefit
for the project and its
European dimension; the
inclusion of one more
language as well as the
extensive testing and
piloting of the project
outputs will further
enhance the project
outcomes..
The pools collection
of languages is now
increasing;. Jean-Marie
Nau from Luxembourg has
offered us +300 five
minutes radio programmes
in Luxembourgish,
broadcasted over seven
years and even better
they are complete with
transcriptions :-)
Have a look
Caoimhín Ó Donnaíle,
SMO is working on a
browserbased tool "Wordlink"
with functionality like
"Babelfish" i.e. a web
based application which
can convert web pages to
pages where all words
are linked to online
dictionaries.
Go to the tools area
to test his work
The desk top software
tools the "Web Page Text
Blender" is CopyLeft and
may be improved,
modified, reprogrammed,
distributed, and used in
any way you find
suitable as long as new
versions and derivates
from the original are
also CopyLeft.
Download the
algorithm with
description of functions
etc. (only suitable for
programmers:-)
Please comment on the
algorithm and assist
with further
development.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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