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November, 2010 8th issue

Connect the TEachers to reach and teach the NEt GENeration


LLP-LdV-TOI-2008-HU-016

Welcome
This 27 month-long project is a collaboration of 11 CONTENT
partners from five countries. The "transfer of CONNECT THE TEACHERS TO REACH AND TEACH
innovation" will 'valorize' the results of two earlier THE NET GENERATION ............................................... 1
successful LdV projects: SLOOP and NETIS. The WELCOME ............................................................................ 1
SLOOP project (Sharing Learning Objects in an
TENEGEN EXPERIENCES ............................................ 1
Open Perspective) demonstrates key concepts in e-
learning 2.0; NETIS provides the philosophical, ACTIVITIES ........................................................................ 1
sociological, and pedagogical basis to support new NEWS ...................................................................................... 1
paradigms of teaching and learning in the
EVENTS.................................................................................. 2
Information Society. The aim of the TeNeGEN
project is to establish an European environment of PROJECT BASICS ............................................................ 3
’connectivism’ for VET teachers and trainers, to
show the significant advantages of being connected
to the n-Gen instead of simply 'delivering'
knowledge through virtual classrooms and learning This issue was published by:
management systems. DEKRA Akademie GmbH, Germany
Editor: Ed Mahood
TeNeGEN Team Copyright © TeNeGEN Consortium
http://tenegen.prompt.hu

TeNeGEN experiences
The TeNeGEN project is rapidly drawing to a close, and this is cause for both celebration and sadness. The project
consortium has travelled a long, and sometimes difficult road due to the sheer ambition of this transfer of innovation
project. All of the course modules have been translated into English and the English pilot training has been
successfully completed. The English pilot has shown us, on the one hand, just how difficult it can be to get content
suited for one language and culture into a form that well suits others. It is well known that different cultures
approach teaching and learning somewhat differently, yet the richness of diversity that this brings should never be
sacrificed to mere technical expediency. What the project has shown is that bridges can and should be built, for it is
across such bridges that we best grow together.

The TeNeGEN project is both forward-looking and highly ambitious. The project consortium has worked hard to not
only produce results, but also to understand the underlying mechanisms and factors involved in successful online
learning and teaching. There is, of course, still much to be done. One of the by-products of a project such as this one
is the identification of things that work well, of course, but also of what does not work so well, what could be done
better, and what can be done differently. We, as a consortium, have developed a deeper understanding of the issues
involved and have identified a number of issues that can form the basis for future cooperation and work as well.
The DEKRA Akademie as work package leader for WP7 Evaluation is particularly pleased with the progress that has
been made over the past two years. We have seen a far-sighted and grand idea take on shape and form, and we
have learned a lot from our work, to be sure, but even more so from each other. And that, of course, is the cause for
sadness. Not only working relationships but also friendships have developed in this time, due to the close
cooperation that is needed to make a project like this one succeed. It is a credit to all the consortium partners that
they have been able to share a common vision and goals along with the generous contributions of each of their
individual expertise. We can be satisfied with our accomplishments, and we can be hopeful for the future as well.

Activities
The Turkish pilot training is running and about to be completed. The remainder of the consortium is busy wrapping
up all the other loose ends for the final report due at the end of the year.

News
On 1-2 October 2010, the final conference with the Hungarian vocational-school teachers and interested parties was
held at the Széchenyi István Secondary Grammar School in Pécs, Hungary. The conference was attended by around
80 participants over the two days, and it was divided into three main parts: a discussion of Web 2.0 technologies and
the Net Generation, as well as a recap and integration of project results, culminating in the awarding of certificates

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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November, 2010 8th issue

of completion to attending vocational-school teachers. All three parts of the conference were held against the
backdrop of actual classroom experiences that the presenters had made during the course of the project.

A number of oft-stated, but not soundly documented issues were raised in the first part of the conference, such as
the lack of native-language sites and the predominance of English as the language of the web, or the increased need
to have parents involved in their children's education. In addition, it became ever clearer how the role of the teacher
has changed with the introduction of the new technologies, but it was generally agreed that technology cannot – and
should not – replace the teacher in the classroom. The newer pedagogies associated with computer-supported, or
technology-enhanced learning are also placing increasing demands on teachers, a fact that has not been well
addressed in regard to the current contractual or legal requirements involving teaching personnel. Yet it was also
enriching to see the creative ways in which these new technological tools were being used, particularly by teachers
who were unfamiliar with them prior to enrolling in the TeNeGEN course.

One of the most interesting sessions of the conference was the presentation of a study on the net generation and
their use of media, including a lively, follow-on roundtable discussion. While the results of the study did confirm
some characteristics of those considered part of this generation, such as digital literacy, facility with mobile
technologies, and familiarity with audio and visual media, it became clear in the discussion that the gap between
teachers and students as far as learning with new technologies was not as great as many have maintained. In
particular, it was pointed out – and here there was general agreement among almost all conference participants –
that the most difficult aspect of incorporating new media into the classroom is the finding of quality material. It is not
hard to find things on the web, that is true, but knowing how to sort the good from the bad, the worthwhile from the
worthless, that is, how to evaluate and assess the true value of what one finds is perhaps the most needed skill that
we need to develop in both students and teachers. In other words, we are finding out that the "how" of web
technologies can be learned relatively quickly, but the "why" is still going to take some time.

On the final day of the conference, in addition to further interesting presentations, there was a general assessment
and feedback round on the TeNeGEN course itself. While the participants were all thankful for the opportunity to
participate in the project's round of training, they had a number of suggestions for future versions of the course. All
were in agreement that there is a very high volume of information in the course. Consideration needs to be given to
focusing the content, or perhaps breaking the material down into a beginner's and advanced course. Teaching full
time and following a course such as this one, on the side, makes great demands on the teachers' time and energy.
What the technology can deliver, however, is a more highly structured, focused course, and it is this that the
teachers would like to see in the future. Another interesting observation was that many teachers would have liked a
preliminary course that dealt specifically with general IT topics and techniques, so that they would be better
prepared for the TeNeGEN course as a whole.

The true value of conferences such as these is in the feedback that the project team gets from real-life participants.
In this regard, the conference was an outstanding success. As mentioned above, TeNeGEN was a demanding and
highly ambitious project that has not only met its established goals, but which has gained a wealth of experience and
received excellent and constructive feedback that could well serve as the basis for follow-on projects as well. The
project has delivered a solid foundation upon which to build. Continued effort and collaboration is envisioned, and it
has become very clear that there is still a lot of work to be done in building a sound, solid, useful, and worthwhile
technology-enhanced platform for the future.

Last, but certainly not least, special thanks goes to the staff of the Széchenyi István Secondary Grammar School who
did more than just provide a venue for the conference, but who went far beyond the normal call of duty to provide a
constructive and cooperative atmosphere for the meeting, and who extended to all the conference participants such
heartfelt hospitality that we all could not but feel very much at home.

Events
The ONLINE EDUC BERLIN 2010, the 16th International Conference on Technology Supported Learning & Training,
will be held from 1-3 December at the Hotel InterContinental in Berlin, Germany. Program background and
information, as well as the possibility to register online, can be found on the event website (www.online-educa.com)
in English, German, French, and Spanish. This is the premier online-education event in Germany, and this year
promises to be another high-quality conference. The TeNeGEN project will be represented, of course, so come and
visit us! We would love to meet you in Berlin.

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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November, 2010 8th issue

Project basics
Acronym: TENEGEN
Title: Connect the Teachers to Reach and Teach the Net Generation
Duration: 1.October 2008 – 30 September 2010, extended till 31 December 2010
Action type: Transfer of Innovation
Programme: Leonardo da Vinci – LLL Sub-programme
Countries: Hungary, Italy, Germany, Turkey
Website: http://www.tenegen.eu
Contact: Mária Hartyányi, Prompt-G Educational Centre for Informatics, Hungary
email: maria.hartyanyi@prompt.hu; skype: hmaria718

Partnership
PROMPT Prompt-G Educational Centre for Informatics, HU (Co-ordinator)
CNR National Research Council - Institute for Educational Technology, IT
ISERG Information Society Education and Research Group University of West Hungary, HU
CAPDM CAPDM Ltd,.UK
DEKRA DEKRA Akademie GmbH, DE
BUNI Balýkesir University, TR
ÖJSZIGK Öveges József Vocational and Grammar School, HU
NIVE National Institute of Adult and Vocational Education, HU
BJMSZ Bottyán János Vocational Secondary School, HU
KGYGIVSZ Krúdy Gyula Secondary School, HU
SZIGSZ Széchenyi István Secondary Grammar School, HU

Target groups
⇒ teachers and trainers in vocational education;
⇒ trainers in adult education;
⇒ school-leaders (headmasters) in VET schools and the staff of higher education institutes;
⇒ students of vocational schools;
⇒ university students;
⇒ policy makers;
⇒ European e-learning providers.

Objectives
⇒ elaborate a pedagogical model of networked learning and 'connectivism';
⇒ develop an online repository of Open Source Learning Objects;
⇒ develop a TENEGEN networked learning environment based on open source LMS;
⇒ elaborate and implement five training modules in three languages (HU, EN, TR);
⇒ establish pilot training courses for teachers and trainers;
⇒ validate and verify the results in VET schools;
⇒ disseminate the results all over Europe.

Work-packages
WP0 Project management
WP1 TENEGEN System Analysis and Design based on pedagogical and sociological outcomes of NETIS
WP2 TENEGEN Systems Analysis and Design based on the SLOOP concept
WP3 Content development, review, translation
WP4 Implementation of TENEGEN networking platform
WP5 E-learning - the school of the future - Pilot course I.
WP6 Pilot course in VET schools
WP7 Evaluation
WP8 Dissemination and valorisation

Planned results
Online further training programme for teachers and trainers in five module in three language (HU, EN, TR),
implemented in a Moodle virtual learning environment, and piloted in three countries (HU, EN, TR). The Consortium
intends to deliver the new paradigm of network learning to the teachers and trainers in vocational education and
training, to help them "reach and teach the Net Generation".

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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