Katharine Alikakou, English Teacher

1. Teacher co-operation and parent involvement in enhancing literacy and promote higher thinking in language and science • Katharine Alikakou, English Teacher • Ideas drawn from all four sessions since they are closely related and share one common goal : Taking teaching to a higher level • This programme was piloted with the science teacher and involved grade 6 students at Stavraki Primary School in Glyfada, Greece

2. Connections with Colleagues • We researched ways we could encapsulate science and language in a bilingual platform of Greek and English • We co-operated in the implementation of experiments and scientific texts that would increase their cognitive level on the subject and promote students’ initiative and creativity • We performed an end-of-task evaluation. The very encouraging feed back from staff and students persuaded us that similar projects are worth promoting and expanding

3. Successes • Students in resuming the role of the teachers and the responsibility • to present, explain and raise awareness on environmental issues to • their schoolmates (from pre-kindergarten to grade 5) used all the • methods of higher thinking • The students’ families’ very positive and discreet involvement • The freedom of choice in the way of expression (creative, scientific, literary, musical) on this one theme, produced amazing results

4. Challenges • Getting every single student willingly involved one way or the other • The uncertainty whether it would prove beneficial for everyone involved • Organization. Hard work. Lack of time. A lot of extra hours before, during and after.

5. Next Steps Your innovative ideas, your enthusiasm and practicality inspired us all. We consider it our obligation to pass on this valuable knowledge to our colleagues at the end-of-year meeting. We intend not only to give them food for thought for the new school year, but mainly, to initiate concrete steps towards the differentiation in teaching both as teams and as individuals.