British-Italian Exchange

This “Direzione Didattica C. Battisti”, together with other three Venetian primary schools I.C. G.C Parolari, D.D. Tintoretto and D.D. Diaz, joined in a formative training program for English teacher trainees from the University of Liverpool and Oxford Brooks. This jointure was run by The Ufficio Scolastico Regionale of Venice and by the University of Venice, Ca’ Foscari, Department of Language Sciences. 

Teacher trainees stayed in our school for four weeks, from January 15th to February 9th 2007 during regular teaching activities, lunch and after lunch, for 22 hours a week in addition to 2 hours of co-ordination with their class teachers and mentor the school head-master designated in order to monitor the trainees.

The trainees carried out lesson observations, taught English lessons and other subjects in Italian, completed self-evaluation sheets in relationship with the CRF targets and the training program of their University. 

On Friday afternoon, 9th February, after the English and Italian Inspectors’ visit to the schools, at the Ufficio Scolastico Regionale of Venice, there was a summit with Dirigente Tecnico dell’USR del Veneto, Prof. Anoè, Prof.ssa Miola, Inspector of MIUR, Palumbo, Prof. Carmel Coonan of the University of Venice, Prof.ssa C. Luise of the University of Florence, The English Inspector Mr Baldry, Italian headmasters, class teachers, mentors and teacher trainees. 

This first Venetian Project of a training exchange between English and Italian schools led to a positive experience on the professional cultural and linguistic point of view according to all the actors of the projects English trainees, Italian teachers and of course pupils.

At the primary school Cesare Battisti, for the two English teacher trainees from the Oxford Brooks University, were designated:

• As mentors: Margherita Fiozzo and Diana Rossato, “specialiste” teachers of English in 7 classes; 
• As class teachers:
  • Marisa Devich and Mirella Mancini, “generaliste” teachers in class 4A
  • Pino Linguanotto and Anna Ruggeri, “generalisti” teachers in 5A

However, whenever possible, English teacher trainees came into contact with other classes and teachers of this Direzione Didattica.

To the primary school Silvio Pellico Mrs Harriet Moggridge went for a visit. She joined in an hour’s English lesson in each of the five classes.

The teachers of English and pupils decided to put what they did with Mrs Moggridge on the school site in order to make a virtual bridge of contact and to remember this nice formative experience and why not, to try to go on with it.