TRANSNATIONAL TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES
SHORT-TERM EXCHANGE FOR PUPILS IN CROATIA
ŠIBENIK, 22nd TO 26th MAY 2017
Croatian Team motto:
We do not stop playing we grow old
We grow old because we stop playing.
Benjamin Franklin
INVITATION LETTER
Narative description of TTALA in Croatia
TTALA in Šibenik, Croatia was held from 22nd till 26th May 2017. Croatian school project team had meetings regarding organization and implementation of the TTALA meeting in our school on a daily basis. Before TTALA we often communicated with our project partners in order to organize accommodation and transport for them and their students but also to agree on the implementation of the TTALA programme and the workshops held as a part of the International Children's Festival. We sent our partners the invitation letter as well as the programme of the TTALA in Croatia. We made arrangements and chose students who would host fellow student from other countries. Previously we held meeting with the host families in order to arrange accommodation and to make them familiar with the programme. There was a video (eTwinnig Live, Skype) meeting for the students involved in the mobility . We encouraged our students to contact with their guests frequently through the social networks.
The programme of the TTALA was conceived to have activities planned and defined by our project and its theme every day in the morning, while the afternoons were left for the sightseeing and field trips which had the aim to familiarize our guests with our history, cultural heritage and tradition of our town and region.
Objectives of the Short-term exchange with pupils, TTALA in Croatia
- Develop international and Europian dimensions of education
- Get the insight on other countries school systems and their culture and customs
- Understand the need for integration and interdependence among the European societies
- Present their school, town and country to their project partners through TTALA's activiy
- Attend lessons to learn through games
- Participate in a workshops with special needs students
- Participate in a workshop programme in the International Children's Festival (simple folk dance played by holding hands in hands, traditional and regional games played hands in hands) - - Develop student's autonomy and social skillss through playing and presenting games
- Participate in creating album of games and project activities
- Support the development of the key compentences for lifelong learning as defined in European Reference Framework
- Acquire the knowledge about Croatian cultural heritage, history, tradition, protected landscape and language
- Prepare intermediate report and the plan of the next year
- Disseminate the result of the project
On Monday, 22nd May there was a reception in our school library. There was also the representative of the municipality. We gave our guests a welcome gifts (objects with the logo of our project, products and the booklets of our town and region, the programme of the TTALA and the International Children's Festival workshops. After the introduction of all the members of the Croatian project team, the headmaster wished everybody a friendly welcome and pleasant stay in our town and country. The head project coordinator Sorana Bojuc gave everybody badges with the logo of our project. Coordinator from the school in Portugal, Maria Silva presented „Hands in Hands“ project diary and „Hands in Hands“ magazine. For all the members of the TTALA formal event was held on the stage in which student from our school presented what they have learned through the whole year while attending games workshops. Children and kindergarten teachers from the kindergarten „Šibenski tići“ were in cooperation with our school regarding this project and they also took part in our formal event. Project partners visited our school facilities. Afterwards, a school psychologist Nikolina Furčić held a workshop for students: Getting to know each other- so they could easily cooperate in further activities. During the TTALA our partners attended some classes where they could see examples of good practice or how to teach and learn through games. We presented integrated classes of Croatian and English language, religious education and Croatian language, art, computer science, maths and chemistry. There was also a workshop with special needs students. We presented Croatian school system to our project partners and we talked about similarities and differences in the school systems of all the countries participating in this project. During 23rd and 24th May our project partners, teachers and students, held a workshop within the framework of the International Children's Festival.
All the project members presented traditional dances and games as well as some international games. Students from other primary schools in Šibenik took part in this workshop. Project members thaught them how to play games and dance some simple folk dances. In that way students cooperated, they learned about the culture and tradition of other countries and they were practicing tolerance and mutual understanding. Through the examples of different games students could notice that we all have many similar games and that we belong to the same cultural circle. With this workshop we wanted to popularize different games in which you need interaction of all the participants and they are also developing motorical abilities and critical thinking. More than one hundred children took part in this workshop. During the International Children's Festival Croatian project team presented this workshop to a wider public by a short film and a booklet. Film is on the Internet (school web page, Youtube, Twinspace). We organized competition for the students in old games. We encouraged cooperation, team work and positive competitive spirit. Students got prizes for their achievements. We held two teachers meetings where we discussed the activities and project objectives done so far, preparation of the intermediate report, the next TPM in Germany, dissemination of the project and we agreed on the activities planned for the next year. We visited Memorial Centre of Faust Vrančić on the island of Prvić where our guests could learn something about Croatian Renaissance inventor, scientist and linguist Faust Vrančić. His achievements can be related to technical education and physics. We organized sightseeing of the historical old town of Šibenik, visit to the City Museum of Šibenik, visit to Etnoland Pakovo Selo, a field trip to Krka National Park and a tour around the Barone Fortress. During these visits and field trips our project partners got familiarized with Croatian cultural heritage, our history, tradition, language and protected landscape. Students and teachers communicated in English language. We spotted a positive movement among our students in knowledge and interest to learn English language. This project also encouraged teachers to learn and develop their knowledge of English language . There was a farewell party for the Erasmus+ participants and they all got Certificates of Presence. On the last day of the TTALA teachers, students and parents filled the evaluation forms of the TTALA. Croatian project team made analysis of the evaluation and accordingly we wrote SWOT analysis of the TTALA which was sent to the head project coordinator Sorana Bojuc. Activities of the TTALA meeting were covered by local, regional and national media. Project and the TTALA was disseminated on the professsional meetings. Professional meeting Erasmus+ projects where all the Erasmus+ projects of the schools in our town were presented. Member of the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes, Croatia took part in this meeting. The project was also presented on the professional meeting of the Croatian languague teachers of Šibenik-Knin County. All the activities and achievements of the TTALA were presented on the Twinspace. Until the next TTALA we need to finish our project diary pages and „Hands in Hands“ magazin. After the TTALA Croatian project team held a meeting and made an internal mobility analysis.