A short-term exchange of groups of pupils - Ljubljana
Seventh graders from Gračani Primary School, Zagreb visited Ljubljana, Vižmarje Brod Primary School as a part of a project Erasmus +: The Green Micro:bit, project activity The Green wall. They stayed in Ljubljana from 7th to 11th April 2019. The hosts were pupils and teachers from Ljubljana, Vižmarje Brod Primary School. The topic of the exchange was the green wall, one of the project results, which was created by pupils and teachers before the exchange. Pupils who participated in the exchange were Lara Radanović, Iva Perčin, Filip Felja and Ivor Matovinović. Teachers who accompanyed pupils were their class teacher Jelena Andrić and a project coordinator Tanja Đurić. They went to Ljubljana by train. Pupils who attended the project activity were chosen according to their motivational letters and project activities.
Before the mobility, pupils participated in workshops about micro:bits, e-books and the green wall in the school and helped to created the green wall in their school. The green wall is made from plants that are planted in the wooden pallet planters, and the plants are watered by micro:bits programmed by pupils. By creating the green wall which decorates the main school hall, following project aims are accomplished: the use of innovative technology in teaching and learning and raised awareness about taking care of nature. During the exchange, pupils presented their school and project activities they had made and shared their experiences with pupils from Ljubljana, Vižmarje Brod Primary School and Slavonski Brod, Đuro Pilar Primary School, who are also project partners. Pupils stayed at hosts' homes because that was the best way to learn about Slovenian culture and lifestyle.
The first day of the exchange was reserved for pupils' presentations of schools and project activities done so far. Afterwards they had a short Ljubljana tour. The hosts welcomed the guest schools with their school band and a popular escape room activities. Pupils successfully presented the school and project results so far.
The second day of the exchange pupils had an educational workshop about creating a school garden and decorating the school educational path. The workshop was conducted by PAZ!PARK association. The educational path is the second project result that follows project aims. Afterwards, pupils and teachers visited a green hanging garden in Jožet Plečnik Grammar School, where wooden pallets are used. Pupils learned how to create an educational garden made of recycled material. Then a trip to Bled was organized, where pupils could see different examples of gardens and educational paths.
The third day pupils and teachers had a lecture about plants that are suitable for the green wall and the educational path and about the ways how to take care of them with micro:bits. Pupils programmed the program for watering the plants. They also created additional possibilities how to water the plants with micro:bits. The last project activity was creating first pages of an e-book, which is also one of the project results. Pupils wrote and edited a text about their exchange in Ljubljana. The e-book will follow all the project activities and the book will comprise them alltogether.
The exchange ended with a spring concert in the school and the certificate award. Pupils used last hours in Ljubljana for another walk and sightseeing. They came back home 11th April 2019 by train. Pupils and teachers came back to Zagreb with new international experiences, and further project work continues. The next exchange will be in September 2019 in Zagreb and our pupils and teachers will be hosts this time.