NEWSLETTER OF PRESENTATION

"LEONARDO DA VINCI" Project Results

"Leonardo da Vinci" program was initiated by the European Union in 1994 as a Community Program for international cooperation in professional training field of the workforce. Romania has participated in the "Leonardo da Vinci " as a partner from 1 September 1997.

The program aims to increase quality, innovative character and the European dimension in vocational training systems and practices. The program helps to promote European knowledge by creating an area of cooperation in education and career training. The project of the National College "Gheorghe Lazar" Sibiu ELECT (E-Learning Encompassing Choice Tasks) consisted of a period of five weeks, from 1st May to 4th June 2006, in Plymouth, United Kingdom, where 15 students of 11th grade (Băcilă Oana, Bechet Andrei, Bîldea Adrian, Bucerzan Andreea, Cristea Andrei, Gancea Andreea, Hămbăşan Bogdan, Lazăr Mircea, Măerean Andreea, Marcu Victor, Marin Iulian, Părăian Andreea, Purcărea Radu, Sopa Christian, Ţuglui Ioana) and their teacher Monica Maria Oancea travelled for experiencing something new and unique.

The project was developed thanks to the company Work Experience UK, which was selected from the list of National Agency for EU Programs in Education and Training. The management team of Leonardo da Vinci project ELECT was composed of: headmaster Gabriel Octavian Negrea, Computer Science teacher Monica Maria Oancea, teacher of English as a Foreign Language Daniela Bunea and accountant Maria Săcelean who kept to fully accomplish some professional, linguistic and cultural objectives:

· improvement of English language from intermediate to proficiency level;
· development of the skills of modern information and communication technologies;
· understanding the culture and mentality of the United Kingdom and Europe.

Before travelling, students were taught in an extracurricular course how to use modern aids of teaching and evaluating activities within the AEL frame, in Computer Studies Laboratory under the guidance of teachers of English and Computer Science.

The linguistic preparation was oriented on themes that are specific to British culture and civilisation. To fulfill this objective, at The English Centre in Plymouth, UK our students took interesting classes, which drew attention to communicative competencies related to different topics.

The project was conceived to match the training needs of students in Mathematics – Computer Science, intensive courses, which were vocational training in ICT and they could get a professional certification at the end of their secondary education. The professional training fields regarded were: software developing, web design, advertising, project development, marketing, enterprising education.

The students had specific clear tasks to perform, they had the technical and informational frame, where they were permanently guided and supervised. Some of them made web sites for the firms, in their own design, or developed a part of on-line sales on already existing sites; others created different banners and commercials on the computer; did marketing studies or learnt programs for manipulating mobiles on computers.

Living in English families, the beneficiaries have enjoyed their hospitality and joined their social life. Cultural aim of the project consisted of numerous visits to representative museums in London, Plymouth, Cornwall and Dartmouth. At the Theatre Royal in Plymouth, they have spent an unforgettable evening enjoying a musical comedy "NHS - National Hospital Service, and other places of real interest were visited such as: the historic Barbicans, National Aquarium, National Library, the University, Plymouth Dome, Tower Museum of Natural Sciences, Science Museum, Madame Tussaud’s, National Gallery, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, London Bridge, London Piccadilly Circus.

Students said travelling is knowledge, spiritual enrichment, managing to go beyond the limited horizon of one’s own existence. For the beneficiaries of this project, in addition to the professional and linguistic objectives, personal objectives were accomplished. The participants spent a period of five weeks in Plymouth, safe from all points of view, with welcome moments of relaxation and fun, being on their feet, in fact becoming responsible like real adults. In addition, increased ability for cooperation and teamwork were seen as two real goals in terms of personal development in a wider Europe.

The first target, the linguistic one, was fulfilled beyond the presumed initial level, by all beneficiaries, each obtained from the Linguistic Centre, a diploma that certifies their linguistic competencies at advanced level. All the students were little specialists and at the end they received a certificate stating their professional competencies and an evaluation sheet with their score. The immediate impact of the project on the students was, as their parents and teachers noticed, better organisational skills, increased ability in making decisions and solving tasks more rapidly.

Another remarkable result refers to the educational and professional orientation of the participants as all the competencies acquired will help them further on in their career. The project also ensures the reinforcement of the beneficiaries’ aptitudes and competencies in ICT at European standards, students having the possibility to work better in the field of technologies assisted by the computer, and also the potential to adapt to the expectations of the European area of activity.

Host partners have expressed their positive assessment of the participants’ achievements and they were satisfied with their work and level of knowledge in English. Many companies have appreciated the professional qualities of beneficiaries, who have completed advanced sites, banners and advertising, sites for companies selling on-line and various other projects required.

The experience that Romanian students had in UK will definitely be helpful for the next projects that our college will be involved in.