Funktion Zusammen: Two Schools, One Class and German LOTE in Rural Queensland

Searle, G. and Ward, R.

Working together in an online environment provides teachers and students with a fantastic opportunity to collaborate, interact and learn in an innovative manner. This paper focuses on lessons learned from a project that involved a German 'Languages Other Than English' (LOTE) teacher teaching language to a face to face primary class whilst simultaneously teaching another class in a primary school 56 kilometres away. Curriculum delivery involved synchronous (school to school Internet Protocol videoconferencing and data transfer) and asynchronous (language practice and development) components. One teacher, from a school-based location, teaching face-to-face and remote students simultaneously using Internet Protocol (IP) seems to have been a rarely used delivery model in Australia. The viability of this delivery option was explored and the perception that online delivery consists of individual students sitting in front of computers 'looking up stuff' was challenged. The model worked and made the students focus and listen. When comparing the model used with a face-to-face classroom model currently experienced by the class teacher, this reflection was offered-I didn't realise how good what we did was.

Cite as: Searle, G. and Ward, R. (2002). Funktion Zusammen: Two Schools, One Class and German LOTE in Rural Queensland. In Proc. WCCE2001 Australian Topics: Selected Papers from the Seventh World Conference on Computers in Education, Copenhagen, Denmark. CRPIT, 8. McDougall, A., Murnane, J. and Chambers, D., Eds. ACS. 99-103.

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