Ballyclare Secondary School has been single out for a special award from the British Council in Tokyo for its innovative use of C2k videoconferencing technology to establish links with Japan. The school won a silver award in the British Council’s “UK-Japan 2008 School Links Competition”
The County Antrim school has been linked with Toyama National College of Maritime Technologyin Japanfor over ten years. David Farrell, the school’s Vice Principal, spent his formative years in Japan and is a fluent Japanese speaker so it is hardly surprising that he has been to the forefront of Northern Ireland’s pioneering Japanese Language Programme since its launch in 1990. He was also one of the first teachers here to recognise the potential of email as a teaching tool and, in the intervening years, has built on the success of early email links to establish videoconferencing links with Japan. His expertise on the use of videoconferencing for effective collaborative teaching is now widely recognised by his colleagues throughout the UK and Ireland
While the initial email links were very successful, it soon became obvious that rapid advances in technology were creating many new and exciting opportunities for further collaborative work between Northern Ireland students and their counterparts in Japan, says Mr Farrell who was working closely with Dr Yoshinori Naruse in Toyama Prefecture, who like himself, was enthusiastic about the use of technology in education
He says that while the videoconferencing links with their Japanese partners were both interesting and motivating for staff and students alike, they all felt a more structured approach would be even more beneficial so they worked together to identify the following three phases for effective videoconferencing between schools:
- ‘paper board’
- ‘showing artefacts’
- ‘let’s do it’ ‘
“Although designed with our Japanese partners specifically in mind, we found that the same process could be applied to other videoconferencing exercises the school was involved in, “ explains Mr Farrell.
During the first or ‘paper board phase’ students use basic communication tools like email to compose simple self- introductions.
“This phase is very important as it builds the foundation on which future work can be developed. It also gives students confidence in their ability to communicate without feeling threatened or under pressure to perform. This phase culminates with students meeting ‘face to face’ via video link and exchanging introductions in Japanese or English supported by material written on cards – hence the title ‘paper board phase’. The students learn very quickly that they need to simplify their language and speak at an appropriate pace, and the written material helps both sides communicate
“By the time they move onto the second phase, the pupils are more confident and adept in the use of video conferencing. The students in Japan show Japanese artefacts to our students with the question ‘Kore wa nan desu ka’ or ‘what is it?’ Through video conference sessions, the pupils share, examine and talk about cultural artefacts unique to the other’s culture, such as sushi and green tea and events, such as the tea ceremony.”
The ‘Let's do it’ phase - requires interaction on a fairly sophisticated scale, says Mr Farrell.
“By now the students are responsible for planning and organising the videoconference activities themselves. In the past they’ve organised a series of very successful activities such as origami displays, fashion shows and even Christmas parties.”
