On 25th September 2018, a group of local teachers visited Szkoła Podstawowa z Oddziałami Integracyjnymi nr 21 in order to participate in workshops inspired by our Erasmus+ project. The main topic of the conference concerned the use of creative ICT tools in the classroom.
The first part of workshops was dedicated to Google Classroom, which allows a teacher to organise the process of learning in a friendly and simple environment. The participants learned how to establish a working group and prepare tasks for pupils.
Another useful application presented was Quizlet Live, which encourages students to cooperate while doing quizes. The teachers also played roles of pupils and solved some puzzles together.
The last part of workshops was devoted to Book Creator application. Thanks to Book Creator students can design their own books, while teachers can prepare their own resources.
Quite a long trip from Spain. Nearly 20 hours to get our final destination, but students, and teachers, were so excited with thw meeting. Polish team spent also 20 hrs. from Gliwice. Lucky Finnish, who were closer to Balvi.
Day 1
First of all we have been shown the work room for the week.
Then will visit the school, making a tour with the Principal and other teachers. They talk us about the students’ assembly and his/her presidents, they also have shown us pictures on the walls of corredors made by students. We visited the Principal’s office and the School Museum, whose person in charge is the History teacher, Irena Saicane, an interesting pace full of historic meaingful stuffs.
In the afternoon, students have been working with teachers. Both, students and teachers have been divided into groups and each one has been trying to look for strategies to make better oral presentations.
Two o’ clock was time to go for a walk. We move to Ausgklane, with a beautiful lake near the Estonian border, full of History. We were invited by the Latvian School to enjoy a boat trip around the lake.
And then we visited a little Nature museum with geological information, many curipus pieces of ancient seashells, fossils, fluorescent minerals…
6.10h we get Balvi and we have free time to have a deserved rest.
Day 2
We have began this second day with a workshop related to the topic of our presentations: “There is only one race, the human race“. Do you fancy doing a brainstorm? Here we go !
Even the teachers, we have a lot of work to do:
The use of mobile phones is allowed in the room, always with an educational purpose, that’ for sure ! Let’s go:
Working together to find the word that matches:
Never forget: We are the world:
During the second part of the morning we’re doing research about the human body and vital organs
IN THE EVENING the cultural night takes place. Every country present their traditional food and students are responsibles for doing the presentation of their products.
Families are welcome to join this event, and to share magic European moment.
Students introduced the traditional food they brought from their countries.
And Latvian team prepared a beautiful cake for this ERASMUS+ event.
Chocolate and liquorize fron Finland.
Chocolate, lard, dried meat and apples from Poland.
Iberic ham, chorizo, asturian strong flavoured blue cheese and hazelnut pastry from Spain.
6.30 in the morning. We leave to Riga by bus, whose historical center has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage site in recognition of its Art Nouveau architecture, widely considered the greatest collection in Europe, and for its 19th-century buildings in wood.
Nice interesting day in Riga.
We visited the Museum of the occupation, 1940-1991. Students were taught the modern history of Latvia, under both nazi Germany and USSR domination, and how Latvian people and specially Jewish were subjugated, deportated or just killed.
Then we have a guided tour trough Riga, and we could enjoy such a lively and lovely city.
13.30 was time for lunch in Restaurant Lido. And in the afternoon we were taken to know the Ethnographic openair museum, with a really funny and talkative guide who made us a really didactical visit, explaining us how ancient Latvian people lived in their homesteads.
The day finished for the Erasmus group making shopping in a mall.
Today both teachers and students have attended some lessons: Maths, Physics, Latvian Literature or Handcrafts lesson. Then they have been reviewing their presentations.
Day 5
Last day in Balvi School of Latvia. Our students are presenting today by giving oral public speeches. All of them have been working about the same topic: “There is one race: the human race”; they have talked about diversity, tolerance, respect human beings and human rights. And all of them have demonstrated that they can develope work by themselves, with autonomy, independently. This is the main goal of our project: making our students active European citizens.
Then we have taken to the Balvi Museum, where we have seen parts of the History of Balvi.
15.00h Latvian students have presented a really funny spectacular performance, with folk dances and songs.
We all the countries visiting Latvia, Poland, Finland and Spain, want to give thanks to Balvi School for the great week we have lived here, for the time they have dedicated in preparing this meeting, and for have made us feeling like at home. Thank you Irina for all the hard work you have done. Thank you Inese, for have involved your school in this adventure.
It was the trip day to get Kalajoki. It was a long long one for every delegation. But it was worth the time, since we arrive to a kind of paradise, with so exotic landscapes: frozen sea, snow on the beach or rivers melting. Spring had come to Kalajoki.
First day at Merenojan school in Kalajoki. We started the journey with the icebreaking activities so the students had the possibility to know each other. They have started to gain confidence increasingly.
Presentations about SCAMPER method came in the afternoon.
Every country presented their work using several ICT tools, like Google slides, Biteable, Powtoon, Video editors or Prezi.
Finnish teachers gave instructions to students to make different activities during the week, they were divided into five transnational groups to make easier the interaction among them.
Students have to create their own book with information about the “Straightening” exchange, answering different questions.
In the evening hosting families, students and teachers gathered in the cultural night. Every country prepared their stand with their traditional foods, so the rest could taste delicious flavours:
Finland with the raindeer or moose meat and the very famous salmiakki – only for brave people-.
Latvia presented two kinds of herrings: smoked herring in oil – a strong and specific taste and product of Latvia (in Latvian it is called “sprote”) and another version of herring in tomato sauce accompanied with pickles on a slice of rye bread as well as the drink made of rye called “kvass”.
Poland gave us the opportunity of taste the beatroot soup with so called”ears”, a type of damplings usually eaten at Christmas.
Spain offered Iberic ham, two Asturian cheeses “afuega’l pitu”, or “throat catcher” and “La Peral”, and Spanish smoked chorizo.
Last we could see the performances previously prepared by the students, folk dances, songs and games.
On Tuesday we have visited Oulu. Oulu is a city with two hundred and thousand inhabitants, located in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the fifth most populous city in the country.
We visited the Science Museum, the Tieto Maa, where many of us had the possibility of take the control of an aircraft, see what would happen if level sea increases 1, 2 or 3 meters. We also watched a 3D movie about the spacial career and the conquerors of the space, from Dedalus to now.
Then we visited the Art Museum of Oulu, a guided visit, in which we were informed about the modern history of Oulu, linked to the technology and the Nokia Company.
We started the day attending lessons. Students attended Biology, Art, Music, English, Swedish and Home Economic ones. Teachers also had the opportunity of seeing Finns school in action, and we were impressed on quiet friendly atmosphere both, teachers and students, contribute to create.
Then Student agents showed us how they nwork and what they do. They are volunteers who love IT tools and Apps and they help anyone who need to solve any problem related to technology. If you call them, they will run quickly to help you. Kind of “IT patrol”.
Today, Thursday, Finns have taken us to do hyking. We have enjoyed a long walk in nature. Then, students have explored and also have game. BBQ saussages.
