Barcelona Confrence 2011 Report

Comenius Project “European Cities – yesterday, today, Tomorrow”
Barcelona Conference 28 Feb –2 March 2011

Participating Schools:
Carl Zeiss Oberschule –Berlin
Liceo Scientifico Michelangelo – Cagliari
Liceo Ginnasio Statale Augusto –Roma
Institut Joan Brossa –Barcelona

Participants:
Teachers
Achim Rohde
Thomas Schäfer
Rita Pinna
Sandro Giordano
Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni
Lucrezia Lopopolo
Lourdes Bosch
Caterina Dalmau
Patricia Mateo
Students
Saskia Armbrust
Chantal Schroeder
Agneta Bajgora
Katharina Wenk
Daniela Hess
Stefano Chillotti
Matteo Sanbenedetto
Alice Garau
Riccardo Uras
Alessandro Poddi
Marina Dibitonto
Maria Francesca Mauriello
Claudio Quaranta
Simona Sinisi

Principal, Mrs Margarida Gonzalez, and Head of Studies, Mr Jose Toro
And the kind collaboration of our colleagues from the Foreign Languages department:
Eva Brun
Carme Fernandez-Mera
Linda Gardner
Victor Pascual
Rosa M. Ripolles
Alejando Acho Nerea Martin
Ivan Alzaraz Sofia Mera
Carmen Aznar Lisa Morgades
Júlia Benet Eduard Palomar
Lorena Castillo Mireya Pérez
Sandra Clot Charity Riocaloo
Sílvia Comitre Eloi Roig
Karen Cruz Jonathan Roig
Kimberly Falconi Martí Sánchez
Agustina Fernandez Laia Ugaldebere
Sharon Flores Maria Valencia
Sandra Hernandez Ingrid Vendrell
Andrea Inarejos Sandra Zelaya
Peggy Marcos
Raquel Marín


Report on Activities
Sunday, 27th February 2011
The Cagliari delegation, which arrive one day prior to the opening of the conference is welcome by the local teachers and hosting students and families in the afternoon. They enjoy a free evening together.

Monday, 28th February 2011
9:00 Barcelona and Cagliari students attend classes together until the delegations from Berlin and Rome arrive at the school.
13:00 Opening of the conference by principal Mrs Margarida Gonzalez. Introduction of the members of the visiting delegations.
14:00 Lunch at the school canteen.
15:30 Guided biketour along the city seafront visiting some of the new neighbourhoods and recently developed areas, some of the most outstanding buildings or landmarks are explained:
1. Hospital del Mar (Sea Hospital); 2. Parc de Recerca Biomédica (Biomedical Research Park);
3. Escultura Peix (Fish sculpture); 4. Hotel Arts; 5. Torre Mapfre (Mapfre tower); 6. Barri Vila Olímpica (Olympic village neighbourhood); 7. Centre Ecumènic Abraham (Ecumenical Centre Abraham); 8. Edifici Fórum (Forum building); 9. Hotel Princess; 10. Nou edifici de Telefònica (Telefonica new building); 11. Hotel Me; 12. Torre Agbar (Agbar tower); 13. Teatre Nacional (National Theatre); 14. L’Auditori (Auditorium)

Tuesday, 1st March 2011
8:30 Meeting at school and preparation for next activity.

9:30 Guided visit to the rehabilitation works of the market building and new structure of the Born’s cultural centre (one of Barcelona’s target areas). Representatives from the team of architects and building company responsible for the project offer us a presentation both in Catalan and English explaining the historical background of the site, the initial project for a National Library which had to be modified when ancient remains were discovered, the new project for a cultural centre and the techniques used in the restoration of the iron structure of the old market. We are also given a tour of the site to have a closer view of the works being carried out.

10:30 Before heading back to school we stop for a short visit to nearby gothic church of Santa Maria del Mar.

11:30 Presentation of target areas by the different schools. Barcelona students have been working in two main groups studying two different areas to be remodelled or developed in Barcelona: Mercat del Born and Parc dels Tres Turons. Students introduce themselves first and then explain what the official plans are and what their proposals for those areas are. Then, Berlin students tell us about their target area: the area occupied by former Tempelhof airport. Next, it’s the turn of students from Cagliari who have chosen Poetto beach as the area they would like to remodel. Last but not least, students from Rome battling bravely against some technical difficulties share with us their findings and plans for Caffarella park.

14:00 Lunch at the school canteen.

15:00 Visit to Parc dels Tres Turons (one of Barcelona’s target areas) and Parc Güell. Because the area to be developed has been fenced it is not possible to get to the very top of the hill of Turó de la Rovira but participants are rewarded nevertheless with superb views of the city allowing them to appreciate the urbanism of Barcelona and to recognize some of the city’s most outstanding landmarks. They also visit Parc Güell, a charming park designed by modernist architect Antoni Gaudí.

Wednesday, 2nd March 2011-03-24

08:00 Students are divided in five mixed nationalities groups in order to work on the different target areas shown the day before: Mercat del Born, Parc dels Tres Turons, Tempelhof airport, Poetto beach and Caffarella park. Students are asked to discuss the proposals made by the different schools and make their own proposals for the target area assigned. They are also asked to make a DINA1 poster to illustrate their proposal.

10:30 Coffee break
11:00 Students and teachers split into two groups. Colleagues from the English department of Institut Joan Brossa take care of the students so Comenius teachers can have a working session to discuss ideas and suggestions for the last term of the Comenius project and the closing conference in Berlin. Students are asked to think of ideas on how to get people’s support for the proposals they have for their assigned target area. This can be done by designing and creating posters, websites, TV commercials, campaigns to raise funds, slogans, etc.

In their working session Comenius teachers reach the following agreements:
. Rome has to send the itinerant exhibition to Berlin to be displayed in the May conference.
. Cagliari must send the quizz for the exhibition (with answers) to Berlin, or upload the files to the TwinSpace.
. The Berlin conference with take place from Wed May 4th afternoon until Sat May 7th.
. Five students from each visiting school will participate in the conference with the exception of Barcelona which will bring six students as agreed in the Barcelona conference May 2010. Rita Pinna from Cagliari asks if they could also bring six students and the German teachers reply they will see if this is possible. No objections from the other schools.
. In the Berlin conference an exhibition will be displayed which will consist of the itinerant exhibition plus the new posters made in this second conference in Barcelona. Patricia will upload them to the TwinSpace so the team in Berlin can print them.
. If possible, digital frameworks or computer monitors will be used to show powerpoint presentations with the work of the different teams of students. These presentations must be very concise: max. 1 cover slide and 5-7 slides.
. Each school team will make three new posters for every project to be added to the final exhibition in Berlin. Files must be emailed or uploaded to the TwinSpace by April 13th so the Berlin team can have them printed before the exhibition.
. Students teams will also design an advertising campaign, this will be shown in a working session during the Berlin conference.
12:30 Joint session. Each team of students explain the results of their brainstorming session, and as usual they prove to be very creative and resourceful and the audience is greatly impressed by the wit of some of their slogans and ideas. Patricia explains then the agreements the teachers have reached concerning the taks which have to be carried out in the last term of the project and for the closing conference which will take place next May in Berlin.
Host teachers thank visiting and local students for their hard work and cooperation in all the activities carried out during the conference and also thank deeply all the visiting teachers for their help and support.

20:30 Closing dinner at a downtown restaurant.

Thursday, 3rd May 2011

08:00 All students and visiting teachers come to school and are met in the lobby by our principal Mrs Gonzalez who thanks them personally for their participation in the conference. After saying goodbye Barcelona students and teachers resume their normal school activity and visiting delegations leave the school. We all look forward to the next conference in Berlin.