The fourth Meeting
Wednesday 23rd January
The seminar started with a warm welcome from the deputy headmaster and the team of advisors at RZPWE to partners from Spain, Lithuania and France.
Following the agenda, the team of advisors at RZPWE together with the rest of the project team members visited RZPWE offices and classrooms where workshops are held.
Then we were travelling to Publiczna Szkoła Podstawowa in Chrząstowice. We were welcomed by the headmistress of this school Ms. Barbara Chyłka and the director of the Faculty of Education Ms. Elżbieta Kaliszan.
Ms Kaliszan provided some information about the school and the priorities she would like to implement. Students in this school not only do they learn Polish as a national language but German as well , as there is a German minority in the region.
We were divided into two groups and observed parts of two lessons: History and Mathematics. History lesson was based on authentical objects taken from ”School Room of Memory” and students job was to find information about the object chosen and present it to the rest of class. Maths lesson concerned the Arabic and Roman numerals, the exchange of these numbers and how to use the numbers to talk about the months of the year.
We have also the possibility to observe a maths lesson held at the gym where students measured steps and jumps using different kind of measure items. All observed lessons combined theory and practice.
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The headmistress was also showing us the space arrangement with alphabet letters stuck on the corridor floor and expressions stuck on the stairs. Then, following the agenda, we travelled to the Digital Park of Human Evolution in Krasiejów. This place is also called a place of „direct education”- students from our region come here and learn about archeology, participate in archeological workshops ( in this region there are a lot of dinosaurs bones), take part into workshops about Earth history- when dinosaurs lived, what happened to them, why they died, the beginning of human beings, how people changed during ages etc. After lunch we visited Opole. We started from our Centre of Science and Experiments where we were watching new laboratories about biodiversity. We were also walking around the centre of Opole and looked for QR codes- which are placed near the most important monuments and on the benches on Krakowska street. The idea is to get to better know Opole History via QR codes. This source of knowledge can be used also by history teachers who can walk with students and use this to teach about the history of Opole. |
Thursday 24th January
We spent the day outside Opole. The first point was Publiczna Szkoła Podstawowa number 1 in Zdzieszowice. We started having an interesting discussion with the headmistress of the school Ms. Beata Stadniczuk, the Deputy Mayor of Zdzieszowice Mr. Artur Gasz, the Director of Faculty of Education Mr. Miroslaw Czernysz. We were told about the school priorities and students scores.
Then we went to observe a lesson led by Ms. Irena Nocek. It was a lesson with tablets.
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The objective of the lesson was to improve students knowledge about Nobel Prices and Poles who received this reward. The teacher prepared some activities for the students to solve them and to receive a kind of Nobel prize in Maths. Students used tablets to solve a kind of escape room.
We also observed a Biology lesson where students prepared some experiments using an interactive board and smartphones.
We had also the opportunity to talk to the representatives of students.
And the last point of our visit was our taking part in a dance - we together with the students were dancing the most popular Polish dance called "polonez".
From Zdzieszowice we went to Leśnica where we spent two hours in Zespół Placówek Oświatowych. It is a boarding school for students with moderate and deep disability. In our region is the only school for disabled students.
Students prepared especially for us a Spanish and French dance and a pantomime. |
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We were observing activities prepared by the students with mild to moderate disability- We enjoyed the cooking lesson, carpentry and some artistic activities.We observed how the students work and learn to be independent in adult life.
The headmaster, Mr. Buszak, told us about the school, their challenges and how they work with students.
After lunch we visited the church of St. Ann located very near Leśnica.This is a very important place for catholics in the Opole region.
After coming back to Opole at 7 p.m. the official dinner was held in Starka restaurant.
It was a very pleasant end of the day.
It was a very pleasant end of the day.
Friday 25th January
We started visiting in Szkoła Katolicka in Opole. It is lead by the Association of Catholic School Friends. This school provides kindergarten, primary and secondary education and it is located in a very large building.
The headmistress, Ms. Maria Dragon, together with the English teachers showed us the school around.
We observed a part of English lessons where students revised vocabulary using Quizlet Live and we watched the performance prepared by students on Catholic Women’s Day ( 6th December).There is a theatre studio at school and the performance was prepared in the studio.It was very touching and professionally prepared.
After that we went to RZPWE and were working on the diferent evaluation forms that exist in each our institution. We were discussing about the documents and decided to prepare a presentation about them for the next seminar that will take place in Kaunas on 18h-22nd March 2019. The coordinator told us about the project responsibilities and what is done and what should be done.
The final point was distribution of certificates of attendance and the final photo.
Thank you Opole partners. We felt like home!
The third Meeting
The third transnational meeting of Sharetrain Project was held in Pau, France, on 19th, 20th, 21st September 2018 and was hosted by our partner ISFEC Aquitaine.
The main aims of this meeting have been to carry out the follow-up, evaluation and dissemination measures requested in this phase of the project; to make the necessary modifications and readjustments of planned activities; to plan the pending tasks to produce a useful, fine-quality tangible outcomes during the following seminar in Valladolid.
The transnational meeting took place at Pau, North of Aquitaine, instead of Bordeaux, as a way to show the variety of schools and educative contexts in the area in which ISFEC Aquitaine takes part. Thus, this meeting was a bit specific, as it did not take place in ISFEC Aquitaine’s proper building. The major part of the meeting was host by “Immaculée Conception School”, in Pau.
Workshops
Two workshops were dedicated to the project’s follow up: one on the first day (Wednesday 19th), the second one on Friday 21st. We were thus able firstly to discuss about the progression of the project, to discuss about the next meetings and training session and fix their dates.
We also worked on the construction of comparative document needed for the training session which will be held in Valladolid: definition of mobile learning and criteria for the comparative documents.
School Visits
The first day, we visited the primary, lower and higher secondary schools of the Immaculée Conception. We observed an art course, a biology session based on autonomous learning; we discussed about the use of i-pads during biology courses with a biology teacher in Higher Secondary school. We finally observed 3 maths courses at primary school.
On Thursday 20th, we visited the western part of Pyrénées Atlantiques: firstly, we went to “St Francois Xavier” in Urrugne, a trilingual school from kinder garden to Primary stage. Here, the students start learning Basque in kinder garden, then they start learning Spanish during the second year of kinder garden, and finally English during the 3rd year of primary school. The method developed by the RTIGAL method. We observed three lessons, and then we had the opportunity of discussing with the headmasters and the teachers.
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In the afternoon, we visited a lower secondary school, where a project of teaching with i-pads and the empowerment of students are implemented. We had a long debate with teachers and the headmaster about the projects and innovation proposals. The last day, we visited again the school “Immaculée Conception” in Pau, specifically the vocational school. We had the chance to visit the workshops for manufacturing, electricity, heating, nursing, etc. We could see students at work and could exchange experiences and good practices with the teachers. |
Finally, we finish our meeting by the visit of school “Joyeux Béarn”, in a popular area of Pau. There, after a presentation of the school, we observed two workshops of philosophy with children, with a final debate with the teachers. We also visited the music project “El Camino”, in a school adjacent to the previous one, related to the use of music to develop values and get a better social inclusion.
School visits were varied to show to our partners a range of schools in this area, and above all, in Aquitaine. For each visit it was asked to the participants to write a note about their impressions. This note will be transmitted to each team. We are very grateful to the headmasters, the teachers for having taken time to welcome us, to explain how they work and exchange good practices.
Visit of “Gan wine cellar” in English;
An official dinner in a Restaurant of Pau.
Social time
During the training session, two main social times were planned:
Visit of “Gan wine cellar” in English;An official dinner in a Restaurant of Pau.The visit of surroundings in Basque country was included between the school visit. These social times were much appreciated by all participants.
As for each session, the general atmosphere was relaxed and friendly.
Thank you Pau partners. We felt like home!
The second Meeting
The second transnational meeting of Sharetrain Project was held in Kaunas, Lithuania on 25th, 26th and 27th April 2018 and was hosted by our partner KPKC Kauno Pedagoty Kyalificacijos Centras.
All partners of the consortium were present and actively contributed to make the meeting useful and successful.
The first meeting took place in Kaunas center and started with a revision of completed tasks.
Partners were also informed about dissemination activities and coordination and decided strategies to use the Twitter account as a means of disseminating activities from the schools in our regions.
We also agreed on ways to contribute to the project with experiences worth sharing using the website as a platform to host videos and presentations.
On the first day, 25th April, the director of Kaunas Rasa Bortkevičienė gave us a warm welcome. Ginta Tarankiene showed us around the different departments and we also had the opportunity to see the exhibitions that were held in the building.
Dr. Ona Visoka, Deputy Head of Kaunas City Division of Education, presented the report “Management System for the improvement of students’ achievements based on data analysis and self-evaluation” followed by a debate among the participants.
School Visits
We visited Kaunas Saule Gymnasium where students presented how with the help of 3D glasses they can explore visualized processes. For example, they can perceive how people brains are working or to see the fission of molecules. The 3D software is used in Mathematics, Information technologies, Biology, Chemistry and English.
They pointed out the importance of using 3D for pupil motivation, inclusive education, and students higher achievements.
Visit to Kauno K. Griniaus progymnasium.
The Head of the school, welcomed us and told us about the history of the school and the importance of promoting democratic values in their school. The school takes its name from Kazys Grinius, the 3rd president of Lithuania from June to December 1926 and who is considered a national hero and an active promoter of the Lithuanian language.
After a warm meeting at his office with the deputy head and other members of the faculty, we were shown around the school facilities. The English teacher together with some of her students talked about how they are using Minecraft in the English classroom.
Two students from the last course, who are the students council representatives, talked about their roles in the school, their active participation in assisting and organizing fund-raising events for charity and how their opinions and work is taken into account in school decision making committees .
KTU engineering lyceum is a secondary school for the last 3 courses of secondary school. The school is now in the process of rebuilding and improving some of the facilities. The headmistress shared this video with us as an introduction of what the school.
It is worth mentioning that they also presented the different clubs students might take part into, like Robotics or Chess.
Robotics and technologies are key in the school. They collaborate with the Engineering University of Kaunas KTU.
We had the opportunity to see and talk to some students who were working on some projects like robotics, watering systems for greenhouses and smart clothing , just to name a few.
Visit to Kauno Panemune Pradine
The head of the school was the hostess and show us around the school facilities . Kauno Panemune Pradine , a Primary School that is an example of the importance of effective leadership
Kaunas Panemune Primary school is part of a national network and collaborates with the Teacher professional development center in Kaunas, our partner in Sharetrain. They also collaborate with the University of Kaunas and next year they will be collaborating with the School of Agriculture in Kaunas for a Project to improve their Greenhouse.
What makes a difference in Kaunas Panemune?
· Learning spaces matter English lessons focusing on oral competence for 7 and 8 year-olds. At that age, English language is not compulsory but the school supports this initiative as a way to improve communication skills from early age.
· Coding.
· Dance and Art
· Sports
· Gardening
· Math
· Library as an open space
· Traditions are also important and Encouraging the idea of belonging to a school
· The school has also a long history of involvement in international and European projects
Culture
Kaunas will become the European Capital of Culture in 2022.
We had time to enjoy a guided tour around Old Town, visiting Kaunas Castle, and some of the oldest monuments in Lithuanian Gothic style, walk under an umbrella in Santaka Park and around Kaunas Town Hall and Square as well as go up and down Vilnius Street. We also enjoyed strolling down some streets where large format drawings are decorating some buildings like the one in Nemunas waterfront.
On the last day we visited Stumbras, the biggest and most popular producer of spirits in Lithuania and enjoyed a spirits tasting.
We learned about its history, and traditions and tasted Lithuanian food and drink . The International jazz festival , which is organized each spring, was taking place during our stay and we had a great time listening to wonderful music in Vilnius Street. And last but not least, we should mention, Basketball and Kauno Zalgiris, Kaunas basketball team and we had the opportunity to talk with people from Kaunas about Arvydas Sabonis, the basketall player who played for Valladolid in the 90´s.
Have a look at the following photo gallery to see some videos and photos of the visit.
Thank you Kaunas partners. We felt like home!
