[Version française]

SOCRATES' Mailbox Experiment

A Geneva Classroom for Immigrants goes on-line

Name of the Participants :

Claudeline Magni and the "913 acc" class.

Subject Matter :

French for foreigners

Type of Class :

A so-called "classe d'accueil" students between 14 and 16 who are recent and precariously living immigrants: they are not always legally accepted as immigrnats and may be sent away of the school system at very short notice. The group involved is made up of African, East-European, Near-Eastern and South American nationals.

Type of School :

Cycle d'orientation - Lower Secondary School, 3-year school leading up to the end of compulsory schooling.

Age of Students :

14-16

Motivation of the Teachers :

Why do teachers use CMC ? Since when ? What do the teachers appreciate in these activities ?

• Previous projects using the "Minitel" as CMC tool in the context of the "Kalimra" network have demonstrated the pedagogic and motivational effectiveness of using ITC in the classroom.
• As a teacher, I prefer to be a facilitator of learning rather than a all-knowledgeable transmitter of knowledge. I'm pretty much in favour of "hands on" pedagogic activities.
• Moreover, I do think that it is of utmost importance to have the school system prevent the rise of a growing number of "technophobes". The only way to address this issue is to have people have access to ITC and practice them.

Objectives of the Project :

• Promote of situation of real communication.
• Help student communicate with peers.
• Provide opportunities for students to express themselves clearly and understandably through CMC.

Duration of the Project :

January 1997 to June 1997

Méthod :

Use of email, WEB pages.
Access tom the Edunet network

Equipment :

A computer in the classroom for writing activities; a computer lab for email.

Particulars :

Classe 913 Accueil
Collège des Voirets
ch. des Voirets
1228 Plan-les-Ouates

tél.: 41 22 794 33 11
fax 41 22 794 06 76

Email :

magni-c@bal.ge-dip.etat-ge.ch

Subsidiary Comments :

Observing a class for immigrants is no easy task, the level of each student is very specific and the mix is not always easy between different ethnic and cultural groups.

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last update: 15.5.97; pdf