COMENIUS MOBILITY REPORT
Type of visit: 7th mobility in Romania ( workshop and students exchange)
Period: 1-6.12.2014
Place: Craiova, Romania
Participants: Turkey ( 2 teachers and 4 students ), Poland ( 4 teachers and 6 students ), Norway ( 2 teachers ), Italy (3 teachers and 5 students), France (3 teachers and 4 students), Portugal ( 2 teachers and 4 students ), Spain ( 2 teachers and 5 students ) and Greece ( 3 teachers and 5 students )
Host school: Școala Gimnazilă “Anton Pann” Craiova
The seventh mobility in the Comenius Multilateral school project entitled “European Digital Stories” took place in Craiova, Romania. Between 1st and 6th December, Scoala Gimnaziala “Anton Pann” Craiova hosted 8 participating countries. The main aims of this mobility were the EDS- European voices contest (European Digital Story contest) including the presentation of two of the most voted students’ digital story presentation
Objectives mobility corresponded to a part of the project objectives being met fully.
Objectives of mobility:
Teachers:
- to see the Romanian teaching environment;
- to discover important elements of Romanian history, identity, traditions and culture;
- to discuss about EDS contest methodology;
- to elaborate the judging criteria;
- to create an intercultural perspective of folklore traditions and customs
- to arrange the eighth project mobility ( Poland).
Students:
- to give students the opportunity to develop team spirit by promoting EU citizenship;
- to provide facilities for students for creative exploration using art as EU statement of unity and diversity;
- to take part on different social activities together with the other students involved in the project;
- to develop students’ creativity, increase competition and team spirit;
- to increase students’ knowledge about the European Union;
- to increase students' motivation for learning;
- to develop students team spirit and their sense of belonging to common European space;
- to raise students’ awareness regarding the affiliation with the cultural spirit and the European identity;
- to develop new social and intercultural skills ( students);
- to discover important elements of Romanian history, identity, traditions and culture;
Daily activities:
1.12.2014
Activity 1: Revival story names: Icebreakers
Activity 2: Cultural visit in Bucharest: elements of national identity, Romania’s National Day
On the first day, the international team came in contact with some of the Romanian traditions. They visited the historical center of Bucharest and attended the military parade since it was the National Day of Romania.
2.12.2014
Activity 1: Reception at school
Activity 2: My suitcase with fears and expectations
Activity 3: Preparation of digital contest- programme and judging criteria (Teachers )
Activity 4: European identity, roots of our national heritage ( Students )
Activity 5 : Common language of European Union: art painting ( Students )
Activity 6: Discussion about the next project mobility in Poland- Municipality sports hall ( Teachers)
Activity 7: European enlargement through small steps- Municipality sports hall ( Students )
The second day started with the reception at Anton Pann Secondary School, the host school. The Romanian students prepared a special programme for the international team involving traditional songs and dances. The students and the teachers had to express their expectations regarding the Romanian mobility and after that several workshops were performed. Therefore, students had attended a common lesson through which they had to understand the concept of European identity through national symbols ( they had to choose pictures and elements representing their own country ) and after that, they took part in another workshop which involved painting seen as a means of creating a common image of the EU. Meanwhile, the teachers were discussing about the contest methodology and about the criteria of judging. In the afternoon, the international team went to the Craiova Municipality Sports Hall where students performed several games in order to understand better the concept of citizenship and the teachers prepared the next mobility in Poland.
3.12.2014
Activity1: Craiova IntenCity: Welcome of the authorities
Activity 2: Stories from the past: crafts and folk art- Banie House- Ethnography Section (workshop)
Activity3: European voices-European digital stories contest
Activity 4: Project stories tea press- meeting with local mass media
Activity 5: The magic sound of the winter holidays: winter carols
The whole group discovered Craiova during our third day of activities when the hosts arranged a welcome of the authorities at the City Hall. After that, the international team went to Banie House to perform two workshops involving crafting and folk art. At the School Inspectorate of Dolj County there was held the EDS contest – European Voices and also the press conference. The contest consisted of one digital story made by the students presented by each country, on European citizenship. The judges drew the conclusion that all the digital stories presented by all schools ( “Friendship”- Turkey, “European citizenship”- Norway, “Always and forever”- Portugal, “United Europe”-France, “Greek heritage”- Greece, “Human rights”- Italy, “John’s story” – Poland, “Lost travels for equality”- Spain and „Freedom”- Romania were great. Invited persons in jury: European programme inspector from County School Inspectorate and a member from Europe Direct association
The final votes nominated the as winner the Polish and Italian stories.
After choosing the winners, the participants witnessed a traditional winter carols concert at Saint Ilie Church.
4.12.2014
Activity 1: Cultural visit to Sinaia
Actvity2: Cultural visit to Peles Castle
Activity 3: Cultural visit to Bran
On 4th day, it was planned a documentary visit to Sinaia city providing participants with an effective way of learning (history, architecture and literature ).After visiting the remarkable Peles Castle, the delegations headed towards Bran.
5.12.2014
Activity 1: How to share our students’ digital stories? Types of dissemination ( Teachers )
Activity 2: It's all about Europe!: our first project dictionary ( Students )
Activity 3: Cultural visit: Brasov
Activity 4: Treasure hunt in Brasov
Activity 5: Winter traditions and customs: Saint Nicholas raffle
Activity 6: Stories by the fireside and friendship paper lanterns
The 5th day was reserved to a historical and cultural treasure hunt in Brasov. They were given some maps with important touristic attractions and they had to find them and take pictures with them. Returning to Bran, 2 workshops: one for the students ( to create their first project dictionary in a non-formal approach ) and one for the teachers who had to discuss about various types of dissemination. The students have created a short digital story based on their researches on Brasov city. After that, the delegations prepared for the Saint Nichols raffle. In the end, everyone gathered around a camp fire.
6.12.2014
Activity 1: Cultural visit: Bran Castle
Activity 2: Romanian symbols and folklore: exhibition
Activity 3: Mobility evaluation and mobility rapport
Activity 5: Mobility evaluation
The final day started with a cultural visit to Dracula’s Land: Bran Castle. The delegations were very excited about this and they met early in the morning in the hotel lobby. After visiting the Bran Castle, the teachers went to an exhibition of Romanian symbols while students went to the Horror House. The final day was an inspiration for future digital stories, mobility evaluation and rapport.
Conclusion: The mobility in Romania improved students’ awareness regarding the affiliation with the cultural spirit and the European identity through all the activities and workshops that they performed and also developed their creativity, increased competition and team spirit. They came in contact with historical and architectural elements of Romania which enhanced their knowledge regarding Romanian symbols and identity.
The most important event of our project, European Voices Contest (digital story contest) proved us that the Comenius Programme offers both students and teachers the opportunity to enchant their knowledge about European identity, citizenship and the common sense of Europe.
Ms. Mariana Becherescu Mrs. Ecaterina-Gabriela Predescu
Headmaster Romanian Comenius Coordinator