Report to the project meeting in Berlin from 4th to 7th of May 2011
(by Christian Düntsch)
Students and teachers of all participating schools took part in the project meeting.
(Look on the special list of participants)
Activities
Wednesday, 4th
Arrival of the groups from Barcelona and Rome and welcome them at Carl-Zeiss-School.
In the afternoon guest and host students took part in a rally “Through the middle of Berlin” to explore the city centre of the town.
Arrival of the group from Cagliari at the airport at night and welcome it by the host students and the project’s coordinator.
Thursday, 5th
In the morning start of the conference and welcoming the guests by the headmaster of Carl-Zeiss-Schule.
In the following time the students represent their working results: Power point presentations and video clips about the future of selected areas in their towns.
After a short break with a snack the students began to build up the exhibition in the school’s library. The exhibition was expanded by digital produced posters and videos or power point presentations about the future of renovation and development areas of the four towns.
In the afternoon guest and host students and teachers took part at a walk on the “Tempelhofer Feld” – the area of the former city airport Tempelhof guided by Thomas Schäfer, teacher of Carl-Zeiss-Schule.
Friday, 6th
In the morning last preparations of the exhibition.
At noon, the grand opening of the exhibition took place by Mr. Rohde (head of junior high school) by proxy of the principal.
He remembered that the meeting in Berlin is also the final one of the project after two years. He thanked to the students, their work, energy and excellent results which one can look at the posters. He also would like to point out the special and hard work of the teachers during the two years of the project, because they were engaged in the subject added to their normal work. All have learnt much about the special locations in the other towns - but also in their own one, too.
On the other hand side Mr. Rhode underlined the big point of the project. Students came in contact with young people from other countries by working together. They got to know other countries from a point of view tourists do not – the perspective of everyday life by staying in families and they have found new friends.
But also the teachers learnt as well by organizing the project, in discussions with their colleagues.
In the end he pointed to the succeeded exhibition.
In the afternoon teachers from Cagliari and Rome and their students visited Pergamon Museum. In the evening dinner for guest and host students and teachers took place in a restaurant in Friedrichstraße (city centre). It was the official … of the project meeting.
Saturday, 7th
In the morning the group from Barcelona visited the Pergamon Museum before departure in the afternoon, departure of the delegation from Rome, too. Students from Cagliari discovered Berlin, guided by their host students.
Sunday, 8th
The delegation from Cagliari departed very early in the morning.
Evaluation on Friday
Following the opening of the exhibition the teachers met to a final evaluation conference.
All participants agreed to the positive effects of the COMENIUS project:
- the change of the exhibition material from one school to the next worked good;
- the students developed very interesting and creative products;
- the students improve their English language;
- the project meetings are irreplaceable for exchanging the different points of view and to open owns mind in the sense Mr. Rhode remembered in his speech a short time before; on the other hand side the project subject gives the students and teachers a structure for their exchanges.
On the other hand side some problems are mentioned:
- The period for the student’s exchange was too short, Christian Düntsch mentioned, but the other participants pointed out that a longer time for the exchanges would be a problem for the principals and the colleagues;
- one other problem for most of the schools was, to find enough English speaking colleagues in their school, most of the teachers, who are interested do not speak English or are not English teacher;
- The colleagues from Italy suggested that it would be better in next projects if only one school from each country will take place in the same project, especial if the number of participating schools is small (because of the number of mobilities);
- Patricia Mateo mentioned and the others agreed that teachers and students did not use the twinspace as it could be used. Never the less the coordinator of the project was requested to apply the project for an eTwinning or COMENIUS award.
Thanks for all your cooperation, patience and support along these two years while working in the project.
Christian