(In the picture above we can see the first school in Geel, it is the building which is in the middle. Nowadays it is a kind of pub located in the downtown of Geel.)
Good evening,
Today I am going to narrate my experience in Geel (Belgium) in the second period of mobility experiences of Job Shadowing.
For a start, I will tell you that I have visited "Kogega" http://www.kogeka.be/home/ which is an organization of 5 private Secondary Schools and 1 primary school. Most of them are located in Geel.
My partners Almudena, Mónica and I have visited 4 secondary schools and one primary school there. We have taken part in different type of activities, since giving Spanish lessons, interviewing teachers and head master, going on trip schools, meeting the headmasters and main principals, of course, doing our job shadowing sitting with the students in front of the teachers.
The educational system that they carry out it is as follows:
a) They keep a "curriculum" established by the goverment which regulates the subjects to be given.
b) Wherereas they apply "Attention to Diversity" to primary, there is no "Attention to Diversity" in Secondary, although it will be implemented next year.
c) Regarding the evaluation, it must be continuous, and teachers are free to follow they own criteria, for example some of them told us that they apply the 70% of the final mark to an exam, by the way students do not have to take many exams, just a few, and the 30% of the final mark is based on the students' feedback during the lessons as well as the "papers" they have to do.
Thus, that means they do not have "Evaluable Learning Standards".
d) In terms of methodology, I have to say that they follow an innovative teaching technique, which is increasing popularity nowadays: "Flipped classroom or Blended Learning" here the students have to prepare the lesson previously, that is, before coming to the lessons the next day. In order to do that , the teachers provide them with some materials and links from internet, where students can watch a video or read a text about something, for example "Recycling" and the very next day they will have to carry out the activities in the classroom as well as to explain the others what they have leant, the teacher will monitor them and solve the problems they may have about the subjec. Then, the students are supposed to learn the theory at home by themselves and to practice the theory in the classroom through projects and other types of activities.
Moreover, they use different teaching-learning strategies for instance they teach students how to select the correct materials and information on internet, as there is lot of crap too. They support Cooperative learing. They carry out "Flipped lesson" methodology which is , among other things as I have just mentioned, about creating a beautiful learning enviroment. Moreover they develop the 7 key competences, which came from the European framework. The importance of students' feedback acquires more relevance. The assesment has to be continuous.
After all there must be reflections of the teachers and of the students to achieve the main goal which is an effective teaching learning process.
The secondary school is compulsory until the students are 18 years old. When they enter in the secondary school they have to take six grades: 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade and the last one 6th grade. When they finish the 6th grades just mention they get the "diploma" in secondary school. Then, for those ones who want to go to University they do not need to take any entrance exam to access to University, except for the ones who want to be "Doctors" and "Dentists". Moreover, those who want to be engineers have to take a kind of entrance test to acces to University and the same for those who want to be teachers. In the case, they do not pass, they will take some suggestions and recommendation and in specific situations, they will take one year of preparation before begining their degrees.
However as we all know, not everyone wants to go to University, this is why in Kogeka, they have different options taking into account all the different students they can have, that is to say, if the students want to go to university, they will take the sixth ordinary grades which are called "Academic studies". If the students want to take other type of courses such as Vocational or practical. They will follow either a programme named "Vocational training" or a "Technical one" which they will start on the 3rd year up to the last course, which is the 6th grade. Once they finish, they will achieve a certiificate in Secondary School but if they want to have the "Diploma" they will take an extra year, the 7th year.
Here I leave a link where you can see some of the "vocational training" courses students can follow such as to become a mechanic, a shop assintant, a carpenter, a mechanic, a farmer, a building and so on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmejFOrL-5U
Well now that I have given a brief introduction about my experience there, I will explain deeply details of stay there.
Let us start with my first week
Monday, 16th April 2018.
My partners, Almudena and I went on a tour to several Kogeka high-schools. The adjunct -directeur Bart Van Dijck (in Sint Maria Geel) introduced us to other teachers and head masters. They explained us how kogeka organization works as well as its main goals. They showed us the facilities of the schools as well as the Workshops where students can develop their skills in the Vocational training courses. For example we saw some students working in a big building, also some students were making wood pieces, others were taking care of animals as they are taught how to become a caretaker in a zoo and etc.
Some of the facilities of the high-schools are very neat since they have been recently built.
Tuesday, 17th April 2018
My partner Mónica and I gave some Spanish lessons. We taught some vocabulary and some basis of grammar. Besides the students introduce themselves talking in Spanish Language. At the end of the lesson they song a Spanish song.
We did our "Job shadowing" observing a Vocational training lesson. In this lesson, students decorated a window display with elements taking from the book "Alice in Wonderland" . Behind the window display they have a shop where they sell their own items which are produced in their own workshop. They are beautiful handcraft items for example; Scarves, socks, earrings, bags and so on. Moreover the teacher evaluates them continuosly, when they are creating their own items and when they are selling them to the public too. That is very interesting. Students are really motivated and excited.
Wednesday, 18th April 2018
On Wednesdays they do not have lessons in the afternoon. That means after having lunch which is from 12.00 to 13.00 p.m. they have the day off until the following day.
This day we went to the "Super Chouette" lessons, here the students were outside the school, playing games in French. So the target language, French is this case, was used as the instruction way too. Teachers gave the instructions in French and students follow them. Also, they sing in French and dance. They were happy because first, it was a sunny day, and second they were doing outdoor activities.
It was a funny and interesting day!
here I leave a link of " Sint Aloysius" School in Geel, which belongs to Kogeka too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feL0J5J7C6Q you will appreciate the motivation of students!!!
Thursday, 19th April 2018
We had a meeting with some headmasters and principals from the other Secondary-Schools which belong to kogeka too.
They gave us a very interesting chat about "The Quality management" they follow, the organization of the schools its methodology and so on.
Friday, 20th April 2018
We had an interview with the teacher who gives support to those students who do not have the appropriate level of "Dutch" to follow the subjects. They are usually from Arabian countries. These lessons take place once a week.
Let us continue with the second week of my stay
Monday, 23rd April 2018
We did our "Job Shadowing" , then we stayed as students in some lessons, for instance, French lessons, Art lessons and etc.
We also visited another high-school, the biggest one, where students can take a wide variety of vocational training courses, such as: cooking, farmers, computer experts and so on. This School was really big. The facilities they have to take the cooking training are amazing. They have very big and clean kitchens and two restaurants where they serve several kind of different "menu" every day. Thus, they can practice on a real context as waiters, chefs and etc.
Tuesday, 24th April 2018
We went on a school trip to Aachen in Germany. We went with two teachers and a group of students.
We learnt some historical facts about the city the view was really beautiful.
Wednesday, 25th April 2018
We did our "Job Shadowing" in some different type of lessons, such as maths, history and science. The students' behaviour was really good.
We interviewed some teachers about their job in Kogeka. We asked them some questions about the assesment they follow, the evaluation criteria they apply and Students' behaviour.
As it was Wednesday, we finish at 12.00.
Thursday, 26th April 2018
We went on a trip School to Antwerp. We were with one teacher and a small group of students who are taking a course of "vocational training".The students gave us a tour in English. The communication was fantastic!! The enviroment great. An amazing trip!!
Friday, 27th April 2018
That was our last day in the school. We observed an art lesson where the main teacher had invited a very popular artist there to share his knowledge to the students.
After that, we had a meeting with the main principal and the adjunct-directeur Bart to evaluate our experience and our job there.