C3 - mobility in SK (09/2021)

  • 20th - 24th September 2021

    Slovakia prides with its beautiful nature, specific endemit flowers, trees and endemic species of animals. More than 50 percent of the Slovak´s land is covered by trees and mountains. Students, teachers, parents and local authorities participated in many of the activities connected with the education, care, awareness and protection of the delicate environment which is unfortunately being harmed and destroyed daily. We organized meetings with specialists about these topics, not only in the school but also in the many museums which Slovakia boasts. We visited places focused on Slovak´s fauna and flora and its protection in Turiec Region around our hometown Martin, in Malá and Velká Fatra. Students with their teachers visited Harmanecká Cave where bats live in winter time, the guide specialists gave lecture about the topics and problems that Slovakia deals with. During our filed trips in the nature we cleaned the environment from the trash, rubbish not only around the school but at some other places, where it was needed. Most of the activities were done before the mobility during the lessons of Biology, Physics and Chemistry where many of our students and teachers were involved and shared their work on the school boards, school website and local newspapers. We took advantage of the fact that the Slovak school is the only school in the project which is bilingual so the participants were supposed to attend lessons of some subjects taught in English but due to covid restrictions our presence in lessons was impossible. We celebrated and reminded students the Earth Day and the World Cleanup Day which was celebrated just a day before our arrival to Slovakia - students picked up trash around their schools.
    We think that this mobility helped the participants to understand the problem of environment protection focused on vegetation, trees, forests in Slovakia. They were able to experience the destructive impact of hurricane Kyril in 2007 in High Tatras and the effort of local ecologists to renew the forests. They also witnessed how important forests and mountains are for Slovak sheep farmers producing cheese and other typically local products depending on clean and healthy environment. The added benefit was the possibility to see typical folklore and try local gastronomy specialities like "halušky s brynzou".

    We posted all our project results, dictionary, videos, articles, evaluations, survey and its outcomes, questionnaire and the shared documents on the eTwinning platform. Before the mobility students and teachers regularly held online meetings, they were chatting, video-calling. All mobility information, such as programme, photos, newsletter, questionnaire, welcome letter, videos were posted there. All the work and all the communication was done through this platform. Before the mobility project team members worked especially with their teachers of biology on the topic of vegetation in every partner school, studying the situation in their regions. Their findings were shared on Twinspace by means of a shared google document with texts, videos, pictures etc. During the summer break they took photos of the places of natural importance which they visited and again share them on Facebook group so that others could comment them and compare the landscape to their own. Each type of vegetation is different in every partner school - from dry and hot south, mild central Europe to green north washed by the Baltic sea, so the variety of pictures was attractive. During the mobility students presented their pictures and findings, discussed it and shared experience. Students presentation skills were put into practice as well as their knowledge of English which definitely improved before and mainly during the mobility - the pinnacle of their work done before the short-term exchange.

    Students benefitted from the mobility enormously in many different ways. First, they got better in English language because all work was done in this language. Moreover, students learnt other languages along with the project - mini dictionary was created and shared online. Students, teachers, parents, public learnt a lot of information and knowledge about the Slovak´s environment, its history, protection, care and destruction - endangered species of plants and animals, about the climatic changes and its influence on nature and us. Project work was involved, students cooperated in groups, they presented their work in front of the public. Their awareness about the current problems - for example: deforestation, endangered species of plants and animals -  raised. They themselves shared this knowledge and raised awareness about these topics among all students, teachers, parents of the school and the public. They used IT skills, languages, communication skills, team skills and developed them throughout the project work. This mobility was the beginning of the second year of our partnership so the participants had a chance to evaluate and discuss the work finished so far, prepare for the second half of the project, make detailed plans personally on the spot as personal meeting is always much more productive than the virtual one on internet. The location of the hosting school was also unique as it is surrounded by the Malá and Velká Fatra with some big factories nearby like Kia in Žilina so it was interesting to experience and see the coexistence of industry and nature close to each other. We witnessed it during our visit to Strečno castle where we could see the KIA factory from above.

    Programme of the meeting in Slovakia:

    Sunday 29th August 2021

    Arrival and accommodation in hotel Čierna pani.

     

    Monday 20th September 2021

    08:00 - 09:00 – Breakfast

    09:00 departure by bus in front of the hotel in direction Vrútky where we had a guided tour of a city sewage plant.

    10:30 Turčianske Jaseno (museum of Jan Jessenius + church)

    11:00 – view point of our Turiec region

    11:30 – Gaderská valley – short hike to the ruins of castle

    14:00 – 15:00 – Lunch at the hotel

    15:00 – Team building activities in our town

     

    Tuesday  21st  September 2021

    07:00 - 08:00 – Breakfast

    08:00 departure by bus in front of the hotel in direction Harmanec (Harmanecká cave) (Warm clothes and good trainers)

    12:30 – Aquapark and spa Turčianske Teplice (swimsuits)

    16:00 – 17:00 – Dinner at the hotel

     

    Wednesday 22nd September 2021

    08:00 - 09:00 – Breakfast

    09:00 departure by bus in front of the hotel in direction Strečno (castle + the ancient village)

    13:00 – Čičmany village

    15:00 – Lunch at the hotel

    16:00 – Free time activities

     

    Thursday 23rd September 2021

    08:00 - 09:00 – Breakfast

    09:00 departure by bus in front of the hotel in direction Šútovo (a hike along the mountain creek to the waterfall – natural habitat and environment) (hiking shoes and warm clothes)

    12:30 – Trusalová mountain resorts (horseriding)

    16:00 – 17:00 – Dinner at the hotel

     

    Friday 24th September 2021

    08:00 - 09:00 – Breakfast

    09:00 – School meeting – club room. School tour, if possible participation in lessons, newsletter and questionnaire + presentation of works.

    12:00 -  Lunch at the hotel, free time activities

     

    Saturday 25th  September 2021

    Departure of all participants

     

     

     

    Photogallery from the mobility is HERE.

     

    Newsletter:

    Questionnaire results:

    What was the BEST experience this week for you?

    Celebrating my birthday in Slovakia.

    Horses, Adolf the cat

    Hiking, riding horses and trying new foods AQUAPARK

    adolf the cat

    I loved every thing. The cave, the hike, the food. It was an amazing experience

    Making new friends and enjoying the time with people.

    Learning a lot of new things and having fun.

    The best experience for me this week was when we went riding horses. It was a great suprise and i had lots of fun

    i liked the views and aquapark

    The best experience for me was when we went to the Hermanecka cave and the aquapark

    the surprise was very awesome, hiking was also a great experience, aquapark

    The best experience for me was making new friends.

    Probably the Aquapark, but the Harmanecká cave and the Šútovo waterfall were awesome as well.

    The best experience for me was make friend.

    The best experience for this week was on monday when we played that city game because I learned a lot of new things about this beautiful city.

    Every day was an unforgatable experience,but the best experience I had,was the city game that the slovakia team organised for us,and we learned a lot about the city,the culture,the people,and the important people in their history.

    The best expirience was a horse ride in Trusalová mountain resort and also I like the Šútovo waterfall

    all experience was so good, but, for me, experience of turaslova mountain resort is the best i feel amazing .

     

    What was the WORST experience this week for you?

    I didn`t have a bad experience.

    Saying goodbye

    city game

    the hike to the cave

    I didn t have any worst experience. Everything was amazing and the coordinators did an amazing job

    I probably did not have any bad experience

    I don t have any.

    I didnt have any bad experiences this week. Everything was amazing

    i dont have any

    The first day I didnt take ayn warm clothes and I was freezing the whole time

    the church

    I do not have one.

    Probably the sewage plant of Turiec, although it fit the agenda of the meeting, it was quite boring.

    I do not have.

    I dont have a bad experience. Everything was perfect to me.

    I didn t had a bad experience,all the time that I spent here,was perfect.

    I like everything here

    i don t have

     

    What would you prefer to do during the next meeting? What would you change?

    This meeting was perfect and I wouldn`t change a thing.

    I would like to try Halušky and visit Bratislava

    maybe more free time and more national food

    less hiking, bigger variety of activities than just being in the mountains

    I wouldn t change anything. Everyting was great

    I would porbably do less hiking, because we were tired most of the time. Maybe trying national food.

    Nothing, it was perfect.

    I wouldn t change anything. Every activity was well organized

    less walking

    maybe less walking

    maybe some traditonal party

    It was perfect, I would not change anything.

    Definitaly more tradition food. I was very excited to finally have some slovak halušky, but that didn)t happen. The food was great, but i can have cooked chicken with rice at home.

    Meeting will be longer.

    I wouldn´t change anything because everything was perfectly organized. During the next meeting I would like to try some more traditional food and to learn some more interesting things about the culture of that country.

    Nothing.If we are doing simmilar things like we did,it will be perfect.

    I would prefer more tradicional food

    nothing, the programme and organization was amazing

     

    Was the meeting well organized? Average 4,61 out of 5,00

    4

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    Were all objectives of the meeting achieved? Average 4,67 out of 5,00

    5

    5

    4

    4

    5

    4

    4

    5

    4

    4

    5

    5

    5

    5

    5

    5

    5

    5

     

    Were all the topics from the agenda covered? Average 4,83 out of 5,00

    5

    5

    5

    4

    5

    5

    5

    5

    4

    5

    4

    5

    5

    5

    5

    5

    5

    5

     

    Did you like the programme of the meeting? Was it interesting for you? Average 4,72 out of 5,00

    5

    5

    4

    3

    5

    5

    5

    5

    4

    5

    5

    5

    4

    5

    5

    5

    5

    5

     

    What do you think is the most attractive thing about your work in this stage of the project?

    Visiting important monuments and learning about them.

    Exploring cultural differences, meeting new people

    Making new friends and experiences. My english is better

    understanding the differences between our partner countries

    The fact that we worked with so many amazing people and that we socialized so much and learned so many things

    Meeting new people

    Making new friends, learning new things and having a lot of fun.

    I think the most attractive thing about my work was the fact that i worked with so many amazing people and I improved my english skills

    spending time with my friends

    .

    getting aware of the problems of our world

    Learning new things, while making friends. Covering important topics, while having fun.

    The nature in Slovakia is amazing and i loved exploring it. Although it was a bit exhausting when we went hiking for the third time in a row

    The most attractive thing about mine work in a project is learn about coutries and make new friend.

    The most attractive thing about my work in this stage of the project is when we were working togheter at that topic about the Danube.

    I think the most attractive thing for me was the socializing,I met met people,that are different,from perspective of life,hobbies,traditions,language and so on.

    meeting new people and improve english

    i think the most attractive thing was socializing and teamwork

     

    Add any comment you think might help the coordinators to improve in their work on the project.

    The coordinators work was excellent and I don`t think of a way to improve it.

    I would not change a thing

    idk :0

    .

    The coordinators did an amazing job, I have nothing to comment. Great job everyone!

    Just be incredible as you are. And do less hiking

    I don t have any.

    Everyone did a great job.

    i think we should do partz at the end of the week

    i dont have any

    some dancing with the whole group

    Have fun.

    I can not think of anything else that I have not already mentioned.

    I do not know

    They don´t have to improve anything because the coordinators are amazing and they made such a great job.

    In my opinion,I don t think it s nothing to improve in their work,they need to keep up with this ideas and this work and it will be perfect.

    Nothing, it was awesome

    more comunication between home team

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