History of the JEP events*

• The Proceedings of the International Conference on: Science and Mathematics Teaching for the Information Society were published (in English and in Polish) and disseminated among science and mathematics teachers, educators of teachers and education policy functionaries from EU and Poland.
• European Credit Transfer System ECTS was implemented to all modernised courses and published as a separate ECTS Information Package for the newly created Inter-faculty Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Study.

• (22-23rd) Short intensive course on the use of modern language in science teaching was given by Mr. J. Clegg (ASE)

2000

• (28th) The Nicholas Copernicus University Senate set up an independent university unit: Inter-faculty Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Study and approved the statute of this unit.

• (1st) At the WMU Olsztyn a 3-year BSc study course in physics-mathematics has started.

• (8th) Short intensive course on assessment and evaluation theory and practice was given by Dr. R. Wallace (ASE).
• The structure of the existing curricula and the syllabi with core subjects for all courses designed for the BSc studies of physics and mathematics teacher at NCU Toruń have been published in the ECTS Information Package of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy. These curricula have been adopted at Warmia and Mazury University (WMU) Olsztyn. However, some improvements of this document have been made later at NCU Toruń.

• Educational materials elaborated within the Project or recommended by the EU experts devoted to science and mathematics education, especially the Proceedings of the International Conference on: Science and Mathematics Teaching for the Information Society have been translated (300 pages).
• Dissemination of the project results was carried out by: management of a web-site, workshops for students and teachers, publications and participation in national and international conferences as the International Sci-Math Conference on Science and Mathematics Teaching for the Information Society or international GIREP'2000 Conference in Barcelona, organising of Festival of Science and Art sessions, etc.

• (19-22) The International Conference on Science and Mathematics Teaching for the Information Society was held in Toruń. This Conference was attended by 179 participants (among them 80 school teachers), of whom 29 came from outside Poland. The representatives of Project partners were the most active participants of the Conference. Model lectures (6), workshops/intensive courses (11), seminars (4) and poster presentations were given by EU specialists. During this time some short intensive courses on: school and teacher work management, assessment and evaluation theory and practice, the use of history of science in education, Science Across Europe Project, modern languages and using computer tools and methods in science education have taking place.
• (31st) - The letter from the Commission of European Communities (Directorate-General for Education and Culture) accepting our Annual Report and Statement of Expenditure and Revised Budget and Activity Plan for 1999/2001.

• (15th) - Information from European Commision (Directore-General for Education and Culture) concerning audit visit June 1999 : "Based on all elements currently available to us we have no objections at this stage to the financal management of Your project". 

(10-26th) -  Co-operation leading to the first edition of Polish Association of Science Teachers bulletin: "Science Teaching" (ISSN 1509-6351) was successful.

• (10th) - WWW Home Page of the International Conference on "Science and Mathematics Teaching For the Information Society" has been opened: http://www.phys.uni.torun.pl/~scimath/ 
• (14-16th) -  Organizational visit of Mr Makus from the University of Oldenburg  at our Institute has taken place.
• (27th-1st April) - Short intensive course was given by University of Oldenburg specialists (Dr. P. Heering, Mr B. Wiedelah and Mr A. Makus) during the workshop for students on: The use of historical experiments in science education.
• (29th) - The book Science teacher education in some EU countries was edited in two versions: English (138 pages) and Polish (135 pages) and disseminated.

The following Laboratories were modernised:

• At the Institute of Physics, NCU Toruń: Lecture and Demonstration Room, Experimental Physics Laboratory, Physics Education Laboratory, Technology Workshop Room, Computer Laboratory and Educational Resources Reading Room as well as the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science.
• At the Department of Mathematics and Science HSP/WMU Olsztyn: equipment for Physics Laboratory, Lecture and Demonstration Room and complete educational experiments for students of physics-mathematics studies were purchased.

• (14th) - Annual Report and Statement of Expenditure (ARSE) for 1999 and  Revised Budget and Activity Plan (RBAP)  for 2000/2001 have been sent  to the Directorate - General for Education and Culture (EC Bruxelles) and European Training Foundation (Torino).

• The meetings of NCU Toruń and HSP/WMU Olsztyn staff groups working on restructuring of the existing courses of mathematics, experimental and theoretical physics, mathematics and physics education, psychology, pedagogy, philosophy of nature and computer sciences have taken place and as the result taking into account the opinions and suggestions of EU specialists all the above courses have been restructured.
• Discussion of development of new academic courses, as environmental science, science & technology in society, school management and practical astronomy has taken place and advice in construction of syllabi with core subjects for restructured and new courses was provided by EU colleagues.

(14-16th) Second General Meeting and Evaluation Seminar of All Partners (9)  in Padova - Italy. The minutes from this Meeting was sent to all Partners.

Regular meetings and intensive work of  the Polish board of the JEP leading to the preparation of Annual Report and Statement of Expenditure (ARSE) for 1999 and  Revised Budget and Activity Plan (RBAP)  for 2000/2001. 

1999

(1st) - The answer of the Commission of European Communities (Directorate-General Education and Culture) informing, that based on all elements available, the Commission have no further objections concerning the financial management of our project.

(3rd) - The answer from European Training Foundation (Torino), expressing the agreement for extending the equipment purchase to the year 1999/2000.

(12th) - The letter to the Commission of European Communities (Directorate-General Education and Culture), with the Commitment Letter for 3^rd year of the Project enclosed.

(12th) - The letter to the European Training Foundation asking whether the second instalment of our grant has been already transferred.

(9-14th) - The visit of Andreas Makus from Oldenburg University to prepare the Workshop on: "Historical Experiments in Science Education".

(17th) - The second instalment of the year 2 budget was received.

       November-

(14-20th) - Staff retraining visit from NCU and HSP to Oldenburg University (6 Persons).

(12th) -  The letter to the Commission of European Communities (Brussels) asking for consideration of extending Year 2, because we have not yet received either formal approval of our activities in year 1 or the second instalment of the grant.

(29th) - The letter to the Commission of European Communities asking for extension the deadline of equipment purchase in Year 2.

 

• (22-24th) - VI General Polish Association of Science Teachers Meeting, lecture of Dr Sue Tunnincliffe representing ASE and SAE Workshops supervised by MSc Grażyna Piskorska-Fijołek and Dr Jozefina Turlo.

(10-17th) - Staff retraining visit from NCU to SHU (including technical staff), attending Science Festival at SHU (6 Person).

(11-24th) - Staff retraining visit of Marseilles University.

(3-16th) - Staff retraining visit to KCL (1Person).

(26th) - SAE Solar Energy Workshop for science teachers supervised by Dr Paul Rowley, representing ASE.

July -

• (28.06-14.07) - Staff retraining visit from the NCU and HSP to UK: (KCL- 4 Persons, ASE – 4 Persons, SHU- 4 Persons, including 2 librarians and 1 technical assistant).
• (12-22th) - Staff retraining visits from NCU to Padova (2 Persons).
• (28th) - Meeting of the Polish Board of the JEP. The following items were discussed – staff mobility, purchase of books, membership at ASE, lack of news from ETF, restructuring of the higher education institutions in Olsztyn, updating of the web site, Conference 2000.

June -
 

• (8th) - The first instalment of the year 2 budget was received.
• (14th) - The European Training Foundation informed us that the evaluation procedure of our project was still in course and asked for additional information and explanation concerning some Individual Grantholder Reports and Conventions as well as equipment items, in particular tender procedure for 14 most expensive pieces. Justification of the purchase of a TV-video set was required. The response was sent to Torino on 24 June.
• (29-30th) Financial control of the JEP by the European Commission. A representative of Lubbock Fine Chartered Accountants, London, spent two days at NCU meeting the chief accountant of the University and Prof. J. Szudy – the co-ordinator of the project. After introductory explanation of his goals, he checked books, bank accounts, proofs of payment, money transfer, all bills, invoices, tickets, reports, money requests, letters, e-mails and other documents related to the project in the year 1. At the final meeting the principal comment was expressed concerning only “inexplicably" high academic staff costs of the EU experts (20-25 EUR/academic lecture) and few bank operations after the end of the year 1, i.e. after December 14^th.

• (25-27th) – Workshop for teachers organised by the Laboratory of Physics Education for 60 participants. Six lectures from EU partner institutions (Richard Walton and Ann Daines – Sheffield Hallam University, J.Dillon – KCL, Giocamo Torzo and Andrea Sconza – Padova, Falk Riess – Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, provided lectures and workshops.

April -

• (22th) The European Training Foundation addressed a letter to the contractor to congratulate us on the results of  the JEP achieved so far.

March -

• The organisational work on Educational Resources Reading Room for teachers  arrangements.
• (28.02-12.03) The first staff retraining visit in the Year 2 from NCU to Oldenburg University (1 Person).

February -

(12th) Annual Report and Statement of Expenditure for 1997/1998 and Revised Budget and Activity Plan for 1999 sent to Torino and Brussels in due time. 

The  web site of the Project,  address: http://www.phys.uni.torun.pl/~sci-math was up-dated.

Translation into Polish the Paper elaborated within the  Project  on: „The science education and Teacher Training System in different EU countries”.

January -

• (10-11th) First General Meeting and Evaluation Seminar  of All Partners in England. The minutes from this Meeting was sent to all Partners.
• Regular meetings and intensive work of  the Polish board of the JEP leading to the preparation of Annual Report and Statement of Expenditure (ARSE) for 1998 and  Revised Budget and Activity Plan (RBAP)  for 1999. 

1998

December  - 

 

Visits from France and Italy to Poland. 

Visits of the Dean of the Department of Mathematics and Sciences HSP at Olsztyn and the Director of the Institute of Physics NCU at Toruń to Padova. 

Curriculum development - discussion of the systems of teacher education in EU partner countries completed. 

Purchase of equipment for 1998 completed. 

Staff costs paid and accountancy completed by December 14. 

Preparation of materials for the General Meeting and discussion on financial and activity plan for 1999. 

November  - 

 

Description of the existing curricula in the form to meet the ECTS requirements as the introduction to the next steps of Project. 

Visits from UK, F and D to Poland. 

Discussion of the paper on : „Description of the science-mathematics teacher training system in EU countries”. 

Purchase of equipment - continued. 

General Meeting and evaluation seminar convoked to Reading, UK on January 10, 1999. 

October  - 

 

(16-18th) The paper on: „Standards for the Qualified Science Teacher Status in   Poland ? ” at the Symposium Education of Science Teachers, Nałęczów was delivered. 

First pieces of equipment received and installed. 

(1st) Beginning of 3 visits to Poland from UK and Germany (2 teaching assignments). 

Visits from PL to Padova and Oldenburg. 

September  - 

 

(20th) Beginning of staff visits to Marseille, including an organisational visit from the 

contracting institution to the University and MPT. 

(16-29th) Staff exchange to UK (12 people). 

August  - 

 

Staff exchange continued from PL to Marseille, Oldenburg, Sheffiled. 

Project of equipment purchase completed and orders placed at chosen firms and suppliers. 

July  - 

 

(22-29th) Visit from Padova to PL. 

First half of the month - holiday season. 

June-July  - 

 

(29th-3rd) Visits from ASE to Poland, model lectures at the General Polish Workshop for Science Teachers in Toruń. 

June  - 

 

(26-30th) Visits from KCL to Poland, model lectures at the General Polish Workshop for Science Teachers in Toruń. 

(15-28th) Staff exchange from PL to UK. 

May-June  - 

 

(31-6th) Contractor's organisational visit at the University of Padova, elaboration of structure of the paper on: „Description of the science-mathematics teacher training system in selected EU countries” and discussion of the content related to Italy. 

May  - 

 

(27th) Beginning of the first East –› West staff exchange - a practical placement 

to ASE Hatfield. 

(16-22th) Teaching assignment from UK to PL. 

April  - 

 

(9th) The first instalment paid to the contractor by the European Commission. 

(8th) The first installment of the 1st year budget transferred to the project account. 

(1st) The contractor and 3 staff members from NCU Toruń paid a fact finding visit to HSP Olsztyn. They visited The Department of Mathematics and Sciences, met the colleagues involved in the project and discussed local tasks and details of staff mobility. 

March  - 

 

(14th) Revised Budget and Activity Plan for 1997/98 sent to Torino and Brussels in due time. 

February  - 

 

(17-18th) Particiapation of the contractor and the Polish partner representative from HSP Olsztyn at special training seminar organised for newcomers by the Polish TEMPUS Office in Warsaw. 

(10-25th) The project web-site designed and opened as an element of management, transparency and dissemination of results. 

INTERNET address: http://www.phys.uni.torun.pl/~sci-math 

January-March  - 

 

Regular weekly meetings of the Polish board of the JEP leading to the preparation of new Revised Budget and Activity Plan for 1998. 

Revision of the budget and mobility plans due to substantial delay of the beginning of the project. 

Verification of equipment needs of the PL partners. 

A change of the contact person at HSP Olsztyn - Dr. Szczepan Brym will take over from Dr. Wojciech Chyla, who has changed his place of employment. 

January  - 

 

(8-10th) Meeting of the contractor - Dr. Józefina Turło with UK partners during the Annual ASE Meeting in Liverpool. 

1997

December  - 

 

Contract accepted by the co-ordinator/contractor, signed by the Rector of Nicholas Copernicus University and sent back to ETF. 

September  - 

 

Unofficial and informal results of selection. Preliminary approval of the JEP. 

May  - 

 

The receipt of application acknowledged. 

The number given: S_JEP-12667-97. 

January  - 

 

Consortium of  9 partners established. 

Preparation of the application. 

1996

October  - 

 

TEMPUS Guidelines published by the ETF Torino and priorities for Poland established.