The main topic of the meeting: Introductions, International quiz, Debate and Insight into Polish culture
Before the mobility, the Polish team prepared a presentation and teaching materials about how to carry out a debate (Oxford-style debate), and prepared a sort of “debate dictionary”.
FORMATIVE ACTIVITIES:
Digital skills: creating digital presentations and films
Guest speaker from Cracow Association of Speechmakers gave a preparatory workshops for debating
Live Debate 1: Live online coverage was provided for the participating schools.
WORKSHOPS: Students completed interactive cultural quizzes and games created by their peers. They participated in several debate workshops. A lesson on Polish language was organized.
The participating teachers had a project meeting to discuss and agree on issues related to project management.
STUDENTS PRESENTATIONS on the topic of the meeting: Their schools, towns and countries.
EXHIBITION of the results and collaborative products: presentation of the activities and products done during the meeting (presentations, quizzes, debate).
CULTURAL VISITS. During the sightseeing tours students acted as tour guides in order to practice their language and communication skills as well as strengthening their connection to their national heritage. - Visit to Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, former Nazi concentration camp was organised. (Topic: no more wars – the way knowledge regarding our heritage and history influences the fate of post-war generations) - Field trips to UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Kraków and Tarnowskie Góry - Visit to Industrial Monuments Route in Silesia, to see the development of the area, impact of industry on people and their lives. Folk-dance workshop with the folk band of Siemianowice, traditions related to St Andrew’s night.
- University of Third Age (a programme focused on retired citizens) – the project „I will tell you my story” – conversations devoted memories of the past - Silesian Museum in Katowice – an exhibition devoted to history of Silesia, its people, culture and its industry
DISSEMINATION The presence of foreign students and teachers was known by all school students, parents, and staff. Local authorities, representatives from the schools of the region as well as the media were invited to attend a dissemination event where the partner schools presented their institutions, school projects, programmes and activities and the Polish school gave an account of the project activities carried out so far and the impact at the school level.
EVALUATION At the end of the mobility students completed a questionnaire with observations, assessment and comments. Their experience was analysed within project teams and their reflections were collected in the project blog in the form of a diary as well as different testimonials about the experience.
During the meeting all participants had the opportunity to get an insight into the activities and programmes of the partner Polish school, the Polish educational system, customs and traditions. Members of local teaching staff and partner outside institutions were closely involved in all activities, so new contacts could be made.
Students presented their schools and towns, so all participants got acquainted with partner instituions. Several workshops on debate was organised for students, where they could successfully prepare for the live debate event, and could get tips and tools for successfully deliver speeches and develop their language and rhetorical skills. During the live debate students could experience what it is like to be part of a formal debate event and could practise and develop their communication skills. Since the topic of the debate was related to cultural heritage, all participants could exchange their views and opinions ont he topic and during the debate programme they learned how to accept views that are different from their own, hence how to be tolerant and accepting.
A Polish language lesson was also organised so students could learn some basic expression in Polish language.
During the field trips and cultural visits we gained insight into Polish history, art and architecture and got a first-hand experience on the impacts of past events on people’s lives. We visited sights that are part of the Unesco world heritage and through the detailed description given by Polish students we could expand our knowledge on them.
During st Andrew’s Eveneing we were actively involved in Polish traditions and customs and with the participation of the members of the local folk dance group we could learn some Polish dances.
All participants were asked to closely monitor and report the activities of the meeting so that a detailed report could be given to the other members of the national project teams. All project dissemination platforms were updated and all events and results were reported.