Task-based learning and ICT: creative activities in the context of a European project

The dissemination of innovation at school may be supported by favouring the exchange of educational materials and reflections, leading teachers to learn from each other's experiences. This was the main goal of Efelcren, a Comenius 2.1 project which aimed to boost the creation and collection of inventive and effective ICT-based educational materials for all school levels. In this paper we describe two activities proposed by the Italian team that well illustrate the spirit of this project. Though different in aspects concerning the length of the activities, the content knowledge addressed, the kind of tasks proposed and the ICT tools used, the examples we describe share several qualities. The innovation of these examples is not the methodology nor the technology applied, but rather the way they are used. These examples suggest that working in inventive ways may actually be effective and not difficult nor expensive to implement. To this end, teachers need to use creativity in their pedagogical planning and learn to look at ordinary tools with different eyes.