- Sports & Europe in our townOn the second day of our Erasmus exchange meeting, students from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Türkiye immersed themselves in a day filled with exploration, learning, and cultural exchange. Here is a short insight: 1. Welcome Activities at the Library The morning commenced with a warm welcome at the school library. Students gathered amidst shelves of books, representing the vast knowledge and diversity of our continent. 2. School Visit Next, we embarked on a journey through the school hosting this exchange. The corridors echoed with chatter as students mingled with their peers from different countries. Classroom doors swung open, …
- Water Sports ActivityOn the last day of the meeting, students discovered several sports in the water at Torre de la Mora Beach. Some of the students came from various “colder” countries. For these, this was their first experience with such activities, making it an exciting and novel adventure. The students were introduced to several water sports, each offering a different set of challenges and experiences: Kayaking: This activity provided the students with an opportunity to navigate the waters using their strength and coordination. It was a test of endurance and a chance to experience the thrill of gliding on water. Paddle Surfing: …
- The Importance of Physical EducationMorning Session: Workshops and Debate The day began with workshops in multicultural groups. Students from different backgrounds and cultures came together to share their perspectives and learn from each other. These workshops fostered a sense of unity and understanding among the students, breaking down cultural barriers and promoting mutual respect. Following the workshops, a debate on the “Importance of Physical Education Class” was held. Participants passionately argued their points, highlighting the role of physical education in promoting health, teamwork, and discipline. The debate was a testament to the importance of physical education in the holistic development of students. The example …
- Let’s Dance!Workshop: Spanish Traditional Dances In a spacious hall and theatre, the rhythmic beat of castanets and the swish of colorful clothing filled the air. Led by a passionate dance instructor, students and teachers learned the art of Spanish traditional dances. Flamenco came alive as feet tapped and hands clapped. The workshop transcended language barriers, and created joyful moments when the results of the learning experiences were presented on stage. Afternoon Adventures Visit to Sagrada Familia Close to lunchtime we boarded a bus bound for the iconic Sagrada Familia. Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece stood before us—a symphony of stone and light. Students …
- Hike to Tibidabo MountainOn the 8th of May, students from five different countries gathered for an exciting exchange meeting. The day’s highlight was a hike up Tibidabo Mountain 🌄⛰️, a picturesque peak near Sant Cugat. Let’s delve into the details of this memorable activity. Schedule Early morning: The adventure began as students assembled at the school. Hiking Route: The group embarked on a scenic trail leading to the summit of Tibidabo. Midday: A well-deserved lunch break awaited the hikers. Everyone enjoyed a delightful picnic lunch, sharing stories and laughter – and catching their breath again. 5:00 PM: The students returned to school, their …
- Offline gamesIn preparation for the meeting, students reflected on games they know which could be played together in a (small or large) group. As the meeting was taking place in February, one prerequisite was that the games should be suitable for indoor playing (within the school). It was possible to make several interesting observations: Students from several different countries chose similar games to present and introduce to the group (e.g. dodgeball and musical chairs). Also, many games did not need explanations, as they are internationally well-known. Many games may be labelled “children’s’ games”. The teenage students, however, participated voluntarily, joining in …
- Social contactMobile phones and the content on these phones seem to be the focal point of students’ lives. They chat and share pictures with friends when they are not around. They look at pictures together, take selfies or create TikTok videos together when with friends. Activities during the meeting were chosen to bring students together, to have them have fun without mobile phones. Games & activities (see separate post) outdoor activities: ice skating, Jordaan walking tour, and canal tour Capoeira workshop Ice skating One hour of skating. Some students almost looked like professionals, gliding across the ice. Some were “amateurs”, more …
- Finding and using information
The internet provides us with a wealth of information. But what if we could not use it, if we did not have our mobile phones? Several activities included the (offline) acquisition of information and knowledge. This included for example the visit to various museums such as the Van Gogh Museum or the Anne Frank House; the walking tour of the Jordaan neighbourhood and the canal boat tour and (last but surely not least) a visit to the central branch of the Amsterdam library. Reflecting especially on the museum visits, students observed that on their phones and on the internet, they … - Creativity: What’s your motto? Wear your motto!Too often people on the internet copy pictures and slogans to express their “individuality” – only to actually do the opposite and to become one among millions with the same profile picture, motto, … In a workshop, students got creative. They reflected on what is important to them, what is an important part of their life and personality. They then set to work to show this to the world – not with the help of a profile picture, but by making it part of their outward appearance (e.g. as a label on their clothes or as their bag). They created …
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- Creativity: Selfie without phoneThe internet presents us with a lot of content. Apps on our mobile phones help us with many everyday tasks. Also, there are creative apps which help us to enhance our photos, which give us pictures to colour in, which help us to choose matching colours etc. A journey back in time is the question of how people would have taken “selfies” before the availability of cameras in mobile phones, before the invention of the camera. In a first step, we visited the Van Gogh museum, particularly the collection of self-portraits. Each of these self-portraits is different, in a different …
- Internet off – exploring our environmentThe online world is a big part of students’ everyday life. The different activities in this section led students to (re-)discover the offline world. Hear, See, Smell On the first day at the hosting school, students were asked to leave their mobile phones in the classroom and then to explore the school building and its immediate environment with their senses. The task was to concentrate on things you can see, hear, and smell (and remember) when not constantly being side-tracked by messages etc. – and without being able to take pictures to remember. After returning to the classroom, students discussed …
- Our rules: Table manners, etiquette, and netiquetteAt the beginning of the meeting in Amsterdam, students gave themselves rules on how to work together during this week in accordance with the topic of the meeting. Starting out by looking at table manners which they have known since a young age, they realized that those rules are there to make both children and everyone else focus on the topic (i.e. food and eating). In addition, you have to follow rules of politeness (which of course are valid everywhere but have a particular focus when it comes to behaviour at, for example, the family dinner table). Accordingly, when working …
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- Go, stop, or proceed with caution?In an activity during the meeting, students were given a number of realistic examples, some also mixing the offline and the online world. The question with each situation was whether it presented a dangerous situation. In groups, they had to agree if in such a situation, the persons in the examples could go ahead, proceed with caution, or stop immediately. While some situations were clearly safe or clearly the opposite of safe, some situations caused intensive discussions among the groups (and later in the complete group). The different possible view-points on seemingly clear situations showed students that the online world …
- Dangers of the Internet: PresentationBefore the mobility, students in each participating country looked at the dangers of the internet. While this in theory is known to them, in practice they often forget about it and do not adhere to safety rules. In each group, students reported on either having come into contact with abuse and crime on the internet or of knowing victims of internet crime. They shared, among others, stories of cyberbullying among classmates, of viruses destroying data, of goods purchased & paid for that never arrived, of cybergrooming. In some cases, students admitted to not having been careful enough and thus not …
- The internet: Both useful and not so usefulIn a survey (mostly quantitative, but also qualitative) completed by all students participating in the program, the current situation of internet use was discovered. We chose to have the same survey for every country, but to have country- specific questionnaires. In this way, each school does get a picture of internet use and abuse at their individual school. Furthermore, it was possible to compare the use of mobile phones and the internet across the different participating countries. At each school, students looked at the results of “their” survey. They critically assessed and interpreted the data, also taking into account theoretical …
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- Life on, Internet off – IntroductionThe internet – and particularly the mobile phones we use to access it – permeates our daily lives. One might even say: They dominate our lives. Wherever we go, whatever we do, they are our constant companion. Most people (particularly students) would agree to sentences like “I can’t live without it” or “Without it, I am lost”. At the heart of this part of our project was a look at the negative aspects and also the dangers of over-use and mis-use of mobile phones / the internet and to present alternatives for a life in which mobile phones might not …
- Meeting in Amsterdam – Students’ reportAt the end of the meeting, students were asked to create presentations. In these, they were to cover and recapitulate the different aspects of the meeting: Internet use, dangers on the internet & the illusion of connectivity Some impressions of the different workshops from all days of the mobility Some impressions of Amsterdam Presented here are slides from different student groups’ presentations.
- Meeting in Istanbul – Students’ reportThe meeting in Istanbul took place between the 16th and 22 October 2022. There we could get to know the Turkish culture and make new friends under the motto “Happier Youth in a Healthier EU”. On October 16, the trip started with the flight to Istanbul. By the evening, each of us could meet our host family at dinner.On the first morning in Turkey we met all the participants of the Erasmus program from France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands and were warmly welcomed by the Turkish school. In the early afternoon, we all watched the movie “The Cure” together …
- Logo competitionAt all schools, students designed possible logos for our Erasmus-project. This logo should represent our topic – and the various subtopics. Some were created on the computer, others were crafted using paper, pen, glue, and more materials. For the meeting in Germany, the different designs were brought along. Voting took place by each group assigning five points to their favourite design(s). This is the winner:
- What do we eat – how should we eatIn an online survey at their individual schools, students participating in the project answered questions on their eating habits. During the meeting in Germany, students then looked at the results of the survey and deducted recommendations for the future on how to eat better in the future. The questions included aim at three different topics: “Traditional” eating schedules and eating habits in different countries. The reasoning behind this set of questions is that there are different habits. In some countries, breakfast or lunch are the main meal of the day, in others it’s dinner. The answers to these questions, especially …
- Food of the FutureAt the Futurium in Berlin, students worked in groups on several topics. In the exhibit, they collected information and pictures on their topic. These findings were than used to incorporate into further work and to create posters on several topics. Presented here are the tasks and some of the results. Where will our food come from in the future? Agriculture: Growing food (vegetables, grain, fruits, …) on traditional fields is so 19th century. Where will we plant, grow and harvest our food in the future? Can we also modernize fish production in a similar way? Farming / food production on …
- Food Waste & Food ArtIn the back of food pantries, fridges and kitchen cabinets of (too) many households, one can find food that has gone past its expiration date. Usually, that’s no problem as it is possible to eat food beyond the “Best before” date – after all, most food is still edible a few days (sometimes even weeks) after this date. But in the same cupboards, there can be almost “historic” finds of food that has been waiting to be used for years and years… Most likely not edible anymore. A lot of food gets wasted without ever being eaten. In this exercise, …
- A healthy BBQ partyDay 1 of the meeting in Germany, afternoon and evening. With the help of a dietician and in cooperation with a regional adult education center, students created a buffet style dinner. Later on, host parents and siblings were invited to school to start off the mobility together. The recipes were chosen and provided by the dietician. A main focus lay on a variety of healthy salads. These accompanied some healthy dishes prepared on the BBQ (consisting of vegetables and lean meat). As we had learned from the food pyramid in the morning, sweet treats are not “forbidden” but should be …
- Food pyramid
What’s on the top of the food pyramid should not be on the top of the list of foods you eat every day… Our food journey started out by looking at the food we might eat – and by getting to know each other. For this purpose, students were handed magnetic cut-outs of typical food items (e.g. different types of vegetables, fruits, drinks, meats, legumes, snacks). Each food item was given to two different students. In a first step, students were to find the partner with the same food item. As a team they then went on to complete the … - A healthy cookbookIn preparation for our meeting, students from all participating countries collected some of their families’ favorite recipes. The task was to identify healthy recipes, and recipes that are good for the environment for a number of reasons. The recipes were then collected in a cookbook. We had this cookbook printed professionally and distributed it to all participants at the beginning of the mobility. It will also be placed in school libraries etc. Visiting students had been asked before the mobility to plan on cooking “their” recipe together with their host families. In this way, also parents and siblings were involved …
- Participating in a European project means…The five days of our Erasmus+-project-meeting went by very quickly. On the last day, students worked in groups on an evaluation. Unanimously, they agreed that participating in a European project is very valuable and that there are many advantages, for example: getting to know other cultures improving language skills getting to know people becoming more independent / learning how to travel Pictured below are both the brainstorming process and posters created. In addition, students were asked to reflect on what they liked about the meeting in Lille. Even though this is specifically about this meeting and this location, the feedback …
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- Learning with movies: A Journey towards Mental Well-BeingEven though movies are made primarily for entertainment, they also show us real life problems. One example is “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”. Working with excerpts and quotations, students reflected on possible themes and topics of this movie. They reacted to it with a piece of creative writing. Moreover, they conducted a survey on what for them personally is important for their mental well-being. It is interesting to observe that in this survey, many students put friendship first. Even more interesting to see is that also health in general (so the well-being of the body) is in the top …
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- Mens sana in corpore sanoWhen asked what is important for their mental and emotional well-being, students name (among other things) physical well-being. The Erasmus+-meeting included a both theoretical and practical program. Sports, exercises are sometimes seen as boring. The school in Lille, its gym offer a variety of sports opportunities, in this way enticing students to discover new sports and to do these together with friends in a good spirit. For most students, it was their first encounter with climbing. While they were very skeptical, even afraid at first, they quickly overcame their fear and followed the example of their already experienced partners. In …
- Rooting ourselves: Being a part of Europe and European historyTo feel at ease with oneself is a necessary prerequisite for emotional and mental well-being. Knowing one’s origins helps to understand oneself. What has shaped me? Which influences have created the person that I am today? These are questions people can ask. As a person, we are influenced by our closer environment, such as families, our friends, other close people we come into contact with. Both in a positive or negative way. But also our wider environment does have a large influence on us, on our lives, our well-being. This aspect is often enough ignored when talking about identity. During the …
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- Radio Podcast: Meeting in FranceIn the podcast, students present the Erasmus+-project in general (the different topics covered during the complete duration of the project) and the activities of the meeting in Lille. They speak about their intercultural experiences of travelling to another country and being a guest in a host family – or of welcoming guests into their family. Also they discuss the similarities and differences between the different participating schools. This radio programme is available here.
- Messages of KindnessBe kind to your mind – and be kind to other people’s mind! It is easy to help someone feel better – be it a stranger or a friend. All it takes is a smile or a kind word. However, too often we forget about this in our daily lives. Often enough, people also are at a loss of words and do not know what to say. Students collected kind messages, compliments both in English and in their mother tongue. These were written onto slips of paper, which were then glued together to form the rings. Gradually, a long “Chain …
- Writing about identityHow do I write about my own identity?Who am I anyway?How can I express my feelings, my self? When confronted with these questions, people quite naturally do not know how to answer. Still, when working on a “concentrated” / “distilled” text like short stories or poetry about one’s own identity, it is possible to focus, rewrite, and come to a deeper understanding of oneself, one’s feeling, the “essence” of oneself. The hardest part is always getting started. To ease the beginning, we used a number of auxiliary methods and writing exercises. Some results can be seen here. What shapes us? It is …
- Be Kind To Your Mind!The main focus of our work during the meeting in France was that of emotional and mental well-being. In different activities, students worked on the topic both practically and theoretically. In the following subpages a few of our methods, activities and results can be found. Moreover, there’s an insight into other activities which took place. Writing about identity: Poetry Messages of Kindness: The importance of compliments Learning through movies: The Perks of being a Wallflower Beyond mental well-being: Mens sana in corpore sano Documentation: Radio Podcast recorded during the meeting Rooting ourselves: Being a part of Europe and European history …
- Exchange in a BoxEven if meeting in person in a “traditional” exchange is difficult due to restrictions (Covid-19), we are still staying in touch. Letters, postcard
- Word clouds – RelationshipsAfter watching the movie “The Cure” and during a time of “homeschooling”, students created word clouds on the topic of “Relationships”. Here are just some examples.
- “Freundschaft” – Friendship in another LanguageExpressions one can use when talking about friendship in German.
- Friendship – An exploration of words and feelingsEverybody is talking about friends – but how would you define friendship? Which elements are important for a good friendship? And what is better to avoid? Which words and expressions can one use when talking about friendship?
- Off to a bumpy start…
When we started planning our project, back in “the good old days”, we had high-flying ideas about travelling and meeting new friends. Little did we know that a new virus would appear to change our lives… Now, at the beginning of our project, we are faced with a new reality. The plans that we made three quarters of a year ago seem almost impossible to realize. Travelling right now, especially with student groups, is nearly impossible as numbers of infections are on the rise again. This is why we have postponed our first meetings. Instead, we are going to be …
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- Sports & Europe in our town
- Water Sports Activity
- The Importance of Physical Education
- Let’s Dance!
- Hike to Tibidabo Mountain