YSGOL HENDREFELIN RECEIVES A PRESTIGIOUS BRITISH COUNCIL NATIONAL ETWINNING AWARD

Teachers and pupils at Ysgol Hendrefelin have been celebrating after being awarded two highly regarded British Council National eTwinning Awards. Teachers from across all four regions of the UK came together from Friday 27 September until Sunday 29 September 2019 to celebrate the 14th annual British Council eTwinning National Conference, which was held for the first time at The Crowne Plaza in Nottingham.

The eTwinning National Award ceremony took place at a Gala dinner on Saturday, recognising outstanding international projects led by UK schools. There were 12 awards presented across various categories and one award for the overall winning project.

To secure the awards, staff and pupils at Ysgol Hendrefelin worked in partnership with ICS Giorgio Perlasca in Italy to create an outstanding project called “Our Digital Classroom” using live online international classroom activities via a range of Web 2:0 digital collaborative tools. The project entailed pupils from both schools exploring and sharing information about national customs, festivals, areas and traditional foods. The project developmentally morphed and adapted to engage with a separate eTwinning project “Hands of the World -Many Hands One Song” working in partnership with the University of Dundee and lecturer Sharon Tonner-Saunders on a project that united children around the world together through the use of music and Makaton sign language.

Both projects scored highly against each criteria of the below pedagogical framework.

• Pedagogical innovation
• Curricular integration
• Communication and exchange between partner schools
• Collaboration between partner schools
• Use of technology
• Results, impact and documentation

eTwinning, the digital community for schools has seen over 700,000 teachers from 44 countries across Europe and beyond register since 2005. The programme is funded by the European Commission as part of the Erasmus+ programme and managed in the UK by the British Council. The eTwinning National Award is issued to schools that produce outstanding work as part of their eTwinning partnership.

Mr. Ryan Duford, Deputy Head at Ysgol Hendrefelin paid tribute to his colleagues Mrs. Ruth Sanders (International Coordinator) and Mrs. Charlotte Hopkins who led the projects: “We are delighted to have been awarded two eTwinning National Awards. Everyone at Ysgol Hendrefelin has enjoyed working with schools throughout Europe and the wider world on both international projects. To secure the eTwinning National Awards is a real honour for the pupils and teachers who participated. The eTwinning projects have developed a knowledge and understanding of different European cultures and languages and has helped our pupils gain valuable skills for their future lives and careers.”

Cllr Peter Rees, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Culture offered his congratulations to staff and pupils at Ysgol Hendrefelin. He said: “This is a fantastic achievement for everyone involved in eTwinning at Ysgol Hendrefelin. These projects not only helped to develop digital skills in young people but also enabled them to learn about and engage with the cultures of other countries around the world. Well done to all concerned for achieving these prestigious awards”.

Ysgol Hendrefelin yn derbyn gwobr fawreddog e-Efeillio genedlaethol british council

Mae athrawon a disgyblion Ysgol Hendrefelin wedi bod yn dathlu ar ôl iddynt dderbyn dwy wobr fawr eu parch gan Wobrau e-Efeillio Cenedlaethol British Council. Daeth athrawon o bedwar rhanbarth y DU at ei gilydd rhwng dydd Gwener 27 Medi a dydd Sul 29 Medi 2019 i ddathlu 14^eg Cynhadledd Genedlaethol e-Efeillio’r British Council, a gynhaliwyd am y tro cyntaf yng ngwesty The Crowne Plaza yn Nottingham.

Cynhaliwyd seremoni’r Gwobrau e-Efeillio Cenedlaethol yn ystod cinio gala ddydd Sadwrn, gan gydnabod prosiectau rhyngwladol rhagorol a arweinir gan ysgolion y DU. Cyflwynwyd 12 o wobrau ar draws categorïau amrywiol ac un wobr ar gyfer y prosiect buddugol cyffredinol.

Er mwyn ennill y gwobrau, roedd staff a disgyblion Ysgol Hendrefelin wedi gweithio mewn partneriaeth ag ICS Giorgio Perlasca yn yr Eidal i greu prosiect rhagorol o’r enw “Our Digital Classroom” gan ddefnyddio gweithgareddau’r ystafell ddosbarth rhyngwladol byw ar-lein trwy amrywiaeth o offer cydweithredol digidol Web 2:0. Roedd y prosiect yn cynnwys disgyblion o’r ddwy ysgol yn archwilio a rhannu gwybodaeth am draddodiadau, gwyliau ac ardaloedd cenedlaethol a bwydydd traddodiadol. Newidiwyd ac addaswyd y prosiect yn ddatblygiadol er mwyn cynnwys prosiect e-Efeillio ar wahân o’r enw “Hands of the World – Many Hands One Song” gan weithio mewn partneriaeth â Phrifysgol Dundee a’r darlithydd Sharon Tonner-Saunders ar brosiect sy’n uno plant ledled y byd trwy ddefnyddio cerddoriaeth ac iaith arwyddion Makaton.

Roedd y ddau brosiect wedi sgorio’n uchel ym mhob maen prawf yn y fframwaith addysgeg isod.

• Arloesedd Addysgeg
• Integreiddio Cwricwlaidd
• Cyfathrebu a chyfnewid rhwng ysgolion partner
• Cydweithio rhwng ysgolion partner
• Defnydd o dechnoleg
• Canlyniadau, effaith a dogfennaeth

Mae dros 700,000 o athrawon o 44 o wledydd ar draws Ewrop wedi cofrestru ar gyfer e-Efeillio, y gymuned ddigidol i ysgolion, ers 2005. Ariennir y rhaglen gan y Comisiwn Ewropeaidd fel rhan o’r rhaglen Erasmus+ ac fe’i rheolir yn y DU gan British Council. Caiff y Wobr e-Efeillio Genedlaethol ei rhoi i ysgolion sy’n cynhyrchu gwaith rhagorol fel rhan o’u partneriaeth e-Efeillio.

Talodd Mr. Ryan Duford, Dirprwy Bennaeth yn Ysgol Hendrefelin deyrnged i’w gydweithwyr Mrs. Ruth Sanders (Cydlynydd Rhyngwladol) a Mrs. Charlotte Hopkins a arweiniodd y prosiect: “Rydym wrth ein boddau ein bod wedi derbyn dwy wobr e-Efeillio Genedlaethol. Mae pawb yn Ysgol Hendrefelin wedi mwynhau gweithio gydag ysgolion ledled Ewrop a’r byd ehangach ar y ddau brosiect rhyngwladol. Mae ennill y Gwobrau e-Efeillio Cenedlaethol yn anrhydedd go iawn i’r disgyblion a’r athrawon a gymerodd ran. Mae’r prosiectau e-Efeillio wedi datblygu gwybodaeth a dealltwriaeth o wahanol ddiwylliannau ac ieithoedd Ewropeaidd ac mae wedi helpu ein disgyblion i ennill sgiliau gwerthfawr ar gyfer eu dyfodol a’u gyrfaoedd.”

Roedd y Cyng. Peter Rees, Aelod Cabinet Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot dros Addysg, Sgiliau a Diwylliant wedi llongyfarch staff a disgyblion Ysgol Hendrefelin. Meddai, “Dyma gyflawniad gwych i bawb sy’n ymwneud ag e-Efeillio yn Ysgol Hendrefelin. Mae’r prosiectau hyn wedi helpu i ddatblygu sgiliau digidol pobl ifanc ac wedi’u galluogi nhw i ddysgu am ddiwylliannau gwledydd eraill ledled y byd a chymryd rhan ynddynt. Llongyfarchiadau i bawb sy’n gysylltiedig â’r prosiect am ennill y gwobrau mawreddog hyn.”