LEARNING/ TRAINING/TEACHING ACTIVITIES

 

        At the first short- term LTT activities had participated 9 students. The activities were for five days – 7- 11 December 2105.

 Themes:

- Discover Romanian winter traditions

- Weather forecasts

- Discover Romanian folklore

 

Objectives:

O1: Collect data about the countries and schools involved in the Project

O2: Collect data about seasons and weather phenomena

O3: Discover the Romanian folklore traditions related to seasons

O4: Make artifacts related to seasons and Romanian traditions

O5: Improve English skills

O6: Exchange learning experiences

O7: Discover the Romanian culture and society

O8: Make friends- students from the other schools

 

Preparations:

Before the meeting, the coordinator did data sheets with hosting pupils and guest pupils, their addresses, their culinar customs and hobbies, their emails or Facebook pages.

Hosting school booked the transport and the participation to the activities done in other locations- Muscel Tv, Namaiesti monastery, Mateias Mausoleum, Golesti Museum (folklore masks workshop supervised by the museum's professionists and the visit of the museum+ English guide) and Curtea de Arges monastery (visit + guide), Glass and Ceramics factory (Christmas tree ornaments supervised by professionists+ materials). Also the hosting school organized the activities in school - the seminar, the workshops and the Children' Carnival.

 

Organization:

In the first and the last days, the activities took place in school's amphiteatre and library. The other three days proposed specific activities held in other locations well equipped with specific technology (tv station, glass/ ceramics factory) according the theme and the objectives of the project.

 

Day 1, Monday, 7 December 2015

Reception of guests. Students from the participant schools had the opportunity to finally meat face to face and to get to know each other better .

Seminar: Presentation of the national educational systems, the presentation of our schools, cities/ villages and countries (pupils and teachers from each school). Each team presented its own materials about the national educational systems- organization, structure of attendance levels, curricula, objects of study etc. Both students and teachers had participated to the seminar presenting also their countries, cities/ villages and schools. Pupils developed their national identity sense describing their country and town and get to know more about the other countries. They also improved their English skills participating to the presentation. The presentation of the educational systems pointed the good and lower aspects of each country.

Artistic programme presented by Romanian pupils – seasons theme (songs, dances, Romanian traditions). Guests had the opportunity to listen Romanian folklore songs and Romanian carols, to see modern dances and folklore dances put on stage by Romanian students. Also few students acted a Romanian winter tradition named  “The goat”. Pupils improved their knowledge about international folklore and seasonal traditions. They also developed their relationship with each other.

 

Workshop : “Childrens’ Club”- seasons and folklore theme. Pupils made puppets of wooden spoons dressed with Romanian like clothes, decorated with colored pencils or paintings, decorations, threads. They also made “sorcova-s”, a colored stick with flowers of corn leaves, and a star of cardboard with glitter. The explanations were in English. Students learned to sing the Romanian carol named “Sorcova”. They sang to their teachers who gave them nuts, candies and pretzels. Pupils gained practical and theoretical knowledge in the fields of fine arts, folklore, international traditions, English.

 

Accommodation at hosting families: dinner, getting to know each other; discussion about partnership countries and their traditions, hobbies, families etc. Pupils leaved with Romanian hosting families in order to know better the Romanian culture and society, the customs and relationships with pupils from the other countries. They met in several times, did visits to different interesting places in Pitesti or in Arges County, accompanyed by their hosting families.

 

Day 2, Tuesday, 8 December 2015

“Weather Newsletter”- Visit to a TV station in Câmpulung Muscel (weather studio). Professional staff of Muscel TV, a local tv station from Campulung Muscel explained to the pupils how weather forecasts are done and how they are presented. The international websites dedicated to weather forecasts are: www.accuweather.com, www.weather-forecast.com , www.weatheronline.co.uk , www.yr.no . Pupils observed the studio and the professional cameras. Muscel TV included in the journal the news about the Erasmus+ visit. Pupils improved their kowledge about weather forecasts and about seasons. They also learned how a tv studio works and how they can start a carrier in mass-media field, stimulated by the novelty of their learning space.

Visit to Negru Voda monastery - a place fill with history and religion. Pupils found out theoretical knowledge about the history of Romanians and about differences and simmilarities of religions. They improved their experience in history and culture field.

Visit to Nămăieşti monastery to see an exposition of Romanian folkore clothes. Pupils visited the Namaiesti monastery sculptured in  mountain, where they saw also a beautiful exposition of Romanian folklore clothe, praised at different international contests. They noticed the traditional motives on clothe. Pupils develped their tolerance according to other cultures and religions.

Visit to Mateias Mausoleum; take pictures for the “photos winter exposition”. Mateias Mausoleum is a symbol of Romanian contribution during The First World War. Pupils found out about the international situation during 1914- 1918 and the role of Romania for the victory. Pupils also took pictures of beautiful landscapes for exposition and remarked the specific weather phenomena during winter time. They collected data about natural phenomena and they did a parallel analysis of winter in Romania and their countries.They improved their science abilities.

 

Day 3, Wednesday, 9 December 2015

Visit to “Fruit-grower and Vineyard Museum” from Golesti. Pupils visited the Romanian traditional village- old houses from different areas of Romania. It was an ethnological and hystorical practical lesson, which allowed to pupils to discover in a free way Romanian culture, architecture and history.

Workshop: “Romanian folklore masks”. Pupils made Romanian folklore masks of artificial fur, natural woll, colored buttons and materials, thread, colored tassels. Each school will expose the masks. Pupils developed their creativity and practical skills (cutting, sewing).

Visit to “Florica House”, the residence of Brătianu family, one of the most important in Romanian politics of the 1800's. Pupils had admired an woody landscape in winter time and took pictures for the “photos winter exposition”

 

Day 4, Thursday, 10 December 2015

Visit to a glass factory-workshop: “Tree globes for Christmas” . Pupils learned how tree globes are produced using glass and paint. They decorated their tree globes with help of the company's employees. Pupils developed their creativity and started to feal the Christmas atmosphere.

Visit to a ceramics factory-workshop: “Ceramics ornaments for Christmas”. Pupils made ornaments for Christmas using ceramics and molds. The ornaments are to be painted by them selves.

Visit to Curtea de Argeş monastery. They admired the architectural beauty of the monastery and learned about the history and kings of Romanians who are buried there.

Visit to Curtea de Argeş town - They admired the town in winter time and took pictures for the “photos winter exposition”

 

Day 5, Friday, 11 December 2015

“Language Club”- educational activity - observation of a Science Club activity. The plan of the activity- Anexa 1. Pupils improved their science knowledge about seasons and exchanged their learning experience in this area.

Meeting questionnaire - monitoring and evaluation tool. Pupils expressed their impressions about the quality of the activities proposed for this meeting. They were very satissfied with the novelty of information and learning events and the kindness of their hosting families.

“Children’ winter carnival” – contest of folklore and seasonal clothes, arts, songs, dances. Both guests and hosts costumed, danced and sang national dances and songs. At this activity joined also teachers who teached the other teams how to sing and dance national dances and songs. Pupils received diplomas and continued their little party with juice and cakes. Pupils developed their national identity, tolerance and trasnational friendship. They realy felt great all together. They also improved their English skills as the communication languageand learned also words and short sentences in participant languages.Accomodation at hosting families

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

 

            The 1st Transnational Meeting of Career In Art, Erasmus+ project was an event that brought together representative participants from all partner schools involved in this strategic partnership.

The 1st Transnational Meeting of the Erasmus+ project had the following objectives:

• to rearrange some of the activities in the timetable, that were delayed due to contractual issues;

• to identify the basic principles, methods and strategies for developing the action plan in order to address all workshops and activities in the next 6 months;

• to strengthen the commitment of all partner schools;

• to share experiences, challenges and technical knowledge on how to better address the planned activities, considering the need to discuss practical arrangements;

• to discuss future agreements regarding short-term students exchanges

• to discuss the evaluation and dissemination of key activities

 

The themes of the 1st Transnational Meeting of the Erasmus+ project were:

• Implementing the activities plan;

• Promoting participation of students and teachers;

• The roles and tasks of each institution in this partnership;

• Budget issues;

• Monitoring progress: measurement and analysis of finished or in progress activities, in order to insure their quality.

 

Organization:

The 1st Transnational Meeting took place over five days consisting only of working sessions.

The working sessions included the official opening and closing of the meeting and roundtables focusing on discussing all priorities and agendas, such as development of the project and the best approach to it.

 

Day 1, Monday, 7 December 2015

Reception of guests. All partners had the opportunity to finally meat face to face and to get to know each other better.

The official opening of the 1st Transnational Meeting of the Erasmus+ project was held in the teachers room at Scoala Gimnaziala Nicolae Balcescu Pitesti and included speeches by Mr. Niculae Adrian, the Headmaster and Mrs. Balasa Iuliana, the coordinator of the project.

The tour of hosting school (visit the school, meet primary pupils during their activities). All guests had the opportunity to visit few primary classes, the ampheteatre and the library. Teachers noticed the particular aspects of the Romanian educational system.

Presentation of our schools, cities/ villages and countries (pupils and teachers from each school). Each school presented their PPT materials (teachers and students). Teachers developed their self- esteem and national identiy.

Artistic programme presented by Romanian pupils – seasons theme (songs, dances, Romanian traditions). Teachers improved their knowledge about Romanian culture and folklore which will be used during their classes.

Seminar: Presentation of the national educational systems. The seminaroffered our teachers an increased experience of European Educational Diversity, which they will be able to use in their classrooms. Teachers gained practical and theoretic knowledge in the fields of curricula, methodology, extracurricular activities, European structures of educational systems. They will apply the information and improve their teaching activities.

Select the winning logo and motto which will be on Project’s official documents and website; winning student and school were rewarded with an excellency diploma. The logo winner is Bulgaria and the motto winner is Turkey. The contests were lead by the methodology of Polish and Greek teams (responsibles) in an opened way. The responsibility of leading the motto contest was redistributed to Lithuania as Greece was not present at the meeting.

 

Day 2, Tuesday, 8 December 2015

Round table: Presentation of the results of applying pre-learning questionnaires and English and Science tests. We compared and analysed the joint results, we talked about the  expectations teachers had before the applications of tests, we analysed the most common mistakes and tasks that might have been easier or more difficult and could have the influence on poor/high results and about the realities in our schools that determined the results. We searched for possible solutions to ameliorate the causes: atractive activities, a closed relationship with participant students and their families, a good communication of the schedule of activities and tasks, propose internal contests and reward them with material prizes, not only diplomas.

Round table:  Distribution of responsibilities to each school. Distribute/ redistribute the responsibilities in management and implementation of the Project based on the submitted form. Analyse the quality of communication tools used for doing duties and search for better one. It is demanded a better implication of all partners to the discussions related to management and implementation of the project. Distribution of responsibilities and tasks for the post meeting period (two weeks - write reports, dissemination articles, award the winners of logo and slogan contests, etc.).

Round table: Learning activities- analysis of the implementation of the plan of learning activities (target groups and changes in the plan activities according to the age of students, schedule and place, possible partnership with local or national institutions of community or country, resources needed - human and material, preparation of necessary document/possible forms, analysis of the quality of the future tasks, sharing responsibilities of preparation of the segments of tasks for the implementation during 3 months period. Sharing the ideas and good practices.

Round table: The outcomes of the activities – quality, their management. Analyse the management of the results- budget, conditions, financial documents.

 

Day 3, Wednesday, 8 December 2015

Round table: The instruments of monitoring and evaluation of the results. Analyse and complete the list of the instruments for monitor and evaluation of the results: questionnaires, tests, observation. Examples of good practices.

Round table: The instruments of dissemination. - Discussions about the opportunity of some dissemination instruments to promote our project’s results (articles in local mass- media, appearance on local TV journals, Facebook page, project’s website). Examples of good practices. The meeting in Pitesti was promoted on TV journals even during the current week at Muscel TV and Absolut TV. The outcomes of the meeting will be also disseminated on each school's website and national websites dedicated to educational field. The souvenires from each school are to be exposed in each school, on the Erasmus+ corner/ wall. The hosting school will organize in January an exposition at Children's Palace from Pitesti with whom they have one partnership.

Round table: Risk management. Analyse the possible risk situations: low interest of students and teachers for extracurricular activities and loose participant students to the project, the number of monthly activities for the project. We also discussed about the possible conflicts between partners, the conflictual situations with students and hosting families. Each coordinator will manage the risk situations in behalf of his team. Search for possible solutions/ instruments to ameliorate the causes. Discussions about our NA-s politics of Erasmus+  Programme. 

 

Day 4, Thursday, 9 December 2015

Round table: Discussions about the desired impact of the Project.

Round table: Discussions about the budget and the necessary documents for the implementation of the Project.  Discussions about the management of the budget; sections of the budget, rules of management. Documents for the implementation of the Project. Only two partners received the grant and signed the agreement with their NA. The others used personal incomes. Sharing the experience of budget management - difficulties and problems occured  during the period before the first meeting, searching for best instruments/document forms of monitoring and accounting.

The agenda of the next transnational meeting, the hosting country, the period. Lithuania can not comply with the schedule because their students got some important exams which change the period every year and Poland can not change the date for the next transnational and LTT meeting because their students and teachers are involved in some other projects in the proposed period. Both teams will find a sollution. The other partners are open for any period in May- June 2016.

 

Day 5, Friday, 10 December 2015

“Language Club”- educational activity-observation.  Exchange club teaching experiences- discussions.The aim of this activity was to exchange teaching experiences on science and English Culbs, to analyse the grade of difficulty of each learning activity, to bring new and innovative sollutions with different tools. Each school approaches the activities planned by the form in a personal way, different. All approaches give a holistic view of the subject and improve each school's learning activity. There are promoted active methods and work in team. Each student is able to discover science by his own abilities and interests.

Exchange experiences in extracurricular activities related to seasons and traditions theme .  “Children’ winter carnival” – contest of folklore and seasonal clothes, arts, songs, dances: exchange of good practices. Teachers accompanied their students and had teached the other partners national dances and songs. Teachers got new ideas of extracurricular activities with international traditions theme or seasons theme.

 

Results of the LTT activities and management and implementation of the project activities:

- artifacts: artistic show, puppets of wood, sorcova-s, decorating baskets, folklore masks, tree glass globes and ceramic ornaments;

- CD- es with Romanian traditions, working folders for each participant teacher;

- PPTX materials with presentation of countries, cities, schools and national educational system;

- science lesson (lesson’s plan and methodological discussions);

- photos, recordings, personal notes;

- winning logo and winning motto of the project, used by each partner on project’s documents;

- ideas, plans, conclusions relating to the management and implementation of the project- partners’ responsibilities, plan of learning activities, risk’s management, monitoring and dissemination planed activities, analysis of initial science and English tests etc. ;

- methodological exchanges between participant teachers;

- personal relationships between students (emails, Skype);

- Improvement of language skills (students and teachers);

- Improvement of the knowledges about European cultures and languages (students and teachers);

- Better connection between participant schools.

 

Dissemination of the results of LTT activities and management and implementation of the project activities:

- Romanian local TV stations: Muscel TV, Absolut TV, Arges TV (news)

- Facebook page of the project (photos, movies)

- Project’s site (photos, movies links)

- Children’s Palace from Pitesti (exposition of photos taken during the meeting)

- Exposition of artifacts and photos in school’ s Erasmus+ corner (each partner)

- Exposition of souvenires from the participant schools (each partner)

- articles on teachers’ websites (each partner)

- teachers’ meetings – in school and schools from the near area.