Interview with Meeri Sild

	In addition to teaching English to her pupils in Estonia, Meeri Sild tries to introduce them to new ways of learning and a wider view on life matters. Using ICT at school has been an interest of hers for many years. She disseminates her experience to other Estonian teachers by running in-service courses and workshops.

Meeri Sild has participated in several European school collaboration projects and has therefore been selected by the Estonian National support service to be an ambassador of the eTwinning action in her country. She teaches English at Tallinn Lillekyla Gymnasium.

What project would you like to carry out within the eTwinning frame?

We discussed the choice of project with my colleagues and came to a conclusion that a project on environmental matters would be the best for us. Environmental studies are included into curriculum of all schools and we could discuss problems of mutual interest.

You participated in the launch conference of eTwinning in Estonia, what were your impressions? What do teachers need to know to start eTwinning?

The conference was good. It was important that the participants of the conference were not individual interested teachers from schools but school teams, which consisted of students and teachers. Students can be a motivating force for teachers.

In order to start teachers need first and foremost training and promotion. I have met many teachers who would like to start a project but are afraid that the work is too time-consuming. If they are shown that eTwinning provides them with a portal to help them find partners and learn from previous successful projects they might be ready to start a project. In addition, it might help if they realize that a project does not have to last for a long time, that there are many opportunities to run a short project to give students an opportunity to enjoy project work.

Personal contacts at the start of a project are very important. Once you have met the teacher you are going to work with, it is much easier to communicate by mail later. And one more thing – a project should include not only one teacher, but teams from schools. A subject teacher to work with the topic, a language teacher to help with language, an IT teacher to solve technical problems and of course the headmaster to encourage the team and maybe provide them with some resources, or at least with moral support and acknowledgment of their work.

How do you currently use ICT in your classroom?

ICT has been a part of my teaching for a long time. I use practically every resource possible, starting from the Internet resources, language learning software, presentation tools, e-learning environment (VIKO – virtual school), and other tools to give support to my students. I feel it is very important to introduce students to new ways of learning as they are going to benefit from it in their future working life.

What are the main benefits of using ICT in language teaching?

The main benefit of course is the natural language environment. When students are surrounded with the language they learn, it encourages them to learn more and use the language. Computers might also make some tedious exercises more attractive. And when they know that they have for example an e-learning environment to support them they feel more confident about their studies.

	Web Editor:	Myriam Cornillet

	Published :	11/02/2005

	Last changed :	09/02/2007

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