April 1: First day of activities at the IIS school (Istituto di Istruzione Superiore). At 8:30 we were warmly welcomed in the Aula Patrizia Di Salvatore, a small auditorium, where presentations were made by students and teachers from the various countries involved in the project. The students of the host school presented their developed works in the field of robotics. Then, we visited the robotics laboratories, where we saw and experimented with the various projects of the school. After a break for coffee and cakes, each partner school made its presentation on personalities that were revealed in the technology / robotics area of each country. At 12:30 local time, the host school offered lunch to the teachers and students involved in the project at a restaurant. In the afternoon, the students gave a 3D workshop, where each one designed a piece for the robot OTTO DIY, a robot built in 3D by the students from school. Then the students went home with their host "siblings" and the teachers returned to the hotel.
April 2: Today we all had to get up early, because the meeting was at 7:20 at school to go to Rome. The morning was spent at the university Rome TRE, where we visited an exhibition of robotics projects developed by several universities in the country. Next, we have a lecture titled "Technologies for the Quality of Life". At 12:30 we all went to lunch in the neighborhood and in the afternoon we visited the Basilica of St. Paul. Upon returning to Avezzano, the students were handed over to their host families and the teachers were exhausted to the hotel.
April 3: The day dawned with sunshine and mild temperature. The morning was spent in school, where the students were divided into groups, each with elements of various nationalities. Using Lego EV3, they built and programmed a robotic arm and a follow-on robot. Then the students had lunch together in the center of the city. After lunch, the sky became gloomy and presented us with rain and cold. However, this did not stop us from visiting the Roman ruins of Alba Fucens and a Roman church dedicated to the god Apollo. This was built in the year 302 BC and destroyed by the great earthquake of 1950. It was completely rebuilt with the original stones and columns. The ruins also date from the same year and the inhabitants of the time dedicated their devotion to the half-god Hercules so that this one blessed his harvests and cattle. Back in Avezzano, the students returned to their respective homes and finished the day with a dinner party at a local pizzeria.
April 4: The day dawned cold and rainy. The morning was spent at the IIS school with activities for students. These were divided into groups and together they built and programmed a small robot.
While the students worked on their robots, the teachers visited the technology labs, where we learned about some of the projects developed by the school. We also had a demonstration of digital educational games created by a student. After lunch, students from various partner countries made a video saying phrases about the importance of reading in their mother tongues. At 4:00 p.m., we, the Portuguese, took the train to Rome to spend the last two days in the Italian capital. We arrived in Rome at 18:30 and were met with torrential rain and thunderstorm. (The gods must be crazy!) Tomorrow we will continue our adventure in the Rome Cup 2019 and in the afternoon we will visit some of the most emblematic places in Rome.
April 5: Last day of learning activities in Italy. Today the whole day was filled with cultural visits in Rome. Due to the fact that we were already in the Italian capital, we went to meet the group next to the coliseum. It really is a grand monument in the center of Rome that does not leave anyone indifferent! We then proceed to the Pantheon, passing through several Roman Forums, the Traiana Column and the Vittorio Emanuele II monument. We then went to Plaza de España, where we had lunch. In the afternoon we went to throw a coin in the famous fountain of Trevi and we looked out for Bocca della Verità. Then we said goodbye to our project partners: some went to Avezzano, some to the airport because they were still returning home today, and we were back at our hotel.
