PLE-baum was selected for funding under the annual Call for proposals of the Lifelong Learning Programme in autumn 2009. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission within the Leonardo da Vinci programme. We started in December 2009 and will finish in November 2011. The project is managed and coordinated by LVG Heidelberg. The project partners which come from four European countries plan to develop and implement a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) in arboriculture and forestry by using Web 2,0 technologies like wikis, blogs, podcasts etc.

We focus on two target groups: one the one hand we want to create a PLE for the schools and training centers involved in this project under the context of the topic “climatical change and its consequences for urban trees”. For the students we want to build up a common infrastructure with different Web 2,0 technologies so that they are able to produce and study content on their own or together with other students. On the other hand we aim at arboricultural firms which are involved in this project as associated partners. This firms are mainly located in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the firms we also want to establish a PLE which shall improve the flow of information and enable a more productive and efficient work in the working process. A special transfer coach will counsel and coach the firms for example by checking the possibilities of supporting the communication process with different Web 2,0 technologies.

So what we expect for our target groups - mainly low-skilled workers - is a learning outcome in terms of practical media competence as well as in terms of knowledge. So the PLE which will be adapted the different needs of the target groups will improve their practical, methodo-logical, media and social skills and so contribute to a higher competitiveness and mainte-nance of the employability of the employees.

Next to the PLE and the different Web 2,0 tools we will produce and fill with content the main result of this project will be an English-language guide. In this guide we will reflect and evaluate our experiences gathered during the project and give recommendations for other persons  and institutions interested in this matter.