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7th January 2019, Plage de Bois de Jolan

The first day of the training course took place in a relaxed and motivating environment. Eight people from different European countries shared their understanding of the notion of identity and the meaning of their names. For the concept of identity, I have learned that there are features that last for years and that profoundly shape the identity of an individual, e.g. learned traditions of childhood. On the other hand, there are also fluid features that result from the changing influences of friends, profession or hobbies. The name also shapes the identity of an individual and the meaning of the name is, for example, closely linked to emotions, favorite numbers or music. Starting from myself, my specific characteristics, which are culturally shaped to look at the diversity of the world, was a good start.
Thanks also for the small delicacies for lunch which you brought along.

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Does our name make us what we are ?

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Session 1: Plage Bois Jolin

Our first day on the course was 'A Classroom with a Door to the World'! Our outdoor classroom, with a group of strangers from a range of countries, set the scene wonderfully for a morning of discussion and learning.

It was very apparent that the course has been superbly created to lead by example. The outdoor environment provided a learning space that was away from the confines of 4 walls in a classroom. The importance of starting from the individual, was reflected in our focus for day 1 relating to personal identity.

It was fascinating to hear each member of the group talk about their identity. We considered that whilst we were all different, some of the features of our identity were fundamentally the same. We reflected on how it is the combination of these features that made each of us unique. We considered how personal identity changes over time, which is also true for national identity too. The international lunch reinforced the learning further and provided an excellent way to build on the personal identity work with food carefully selected to represent the home country of each individual.

A fantastic start to the course!

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.I really enjoyed listening to everyone’s stories about the meaning of their name and what it means to them personally, as all is not as it seems initially, you have to look deeper. It stirred up some emotions in me and brought back memories of my dad who named me.

A persons name is part of their identity, it is part of what makes them them as individuals, sharing all our stories about what makes us, us.

The task today made us all look at things about ourselves that make us individuals, Rita made us realise how we view ourselves and the importance of these things.

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Location Plage Bois Jolin

First day on a dream island, Guadeloupe.
Although the sandy beaches and the oceanfront is not something new for a Greek woman who spends her summertime in the Greek islands, there is something unique on that Guadeloupian beach with the white sand and the blue waves of the Atlantic  ocean.
Eight different people, eight different cultures showed me today that we are all alike in our diversity.
Sitting on a beach, sharing things about ourselves and our identity is what democracy is about. Standing for our beliefs and accepting other people s.
Thank you Rita for giving us the chance.

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The first session was really interesting and inspiring. I've learnt a lot about Guadeloupe and the development of its culture which is special because of its extraordinary history. I could apply its consequences to the German situation even if our growing cultural diversity has taken much more time, is still going on and will continue. The questions about one's identity (personal,  national and international), how can attitudes  develop and  change, how can we learn and how can our pupils learn have been stimulating further reflexion.

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Report eTwinning: Monday, 7.1.2019

Place: Plage Bois Jolan, next to Sainte-Anne

In the eyes of an European, Guadeloupe is a perfect image for a paradise, where you want to spend time. Even in wintertime the climat is warm and the beaches are splendid. But by living here you have to learn to deal with things which are take for granted as the water for a shower is limited and the Internet is not working reliable.

Today I make acquaintance to the other members of our group. It is a nice little group with collegues from Greece, England, Polish and Germany. With the presentation of everyone I realized that we are individual because of our background, Family, activities, work and interests. But just ohne criteria is not enough to describe the own identity, like loving sport or being a mother. Only the combination of several typical things reveal our unique caracter.

But it is evident that our identities are not fix, they change with the time and with the conditions. And as the personal identity is fluent the national Identity change automatically too and it is not a fixed definition.

I learnt that it is difficult to think about my own person. It is not easy to find the right responses for a personal identity.

Another input is the fact that outdoor activities are very important for the motivation of pupil and teacher. The ideas should come from the pupils themselves. A problem that we realized is that most of the intercaultural projects at school are in a short term and rarely with a repetition.

Conclusion: What a great day with great people. Looking forward...

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It was a great introduction to the course. Sitting in the shade, listening to the calming waves of the ocean, I learnt a lot today. First of all, since our personal identity is not fixed and can change, the same applies to the national identity. Also, with all the busy daily routine that each of us has, and different roles that we're trying to fulfill, sometimes we forget that we just need to be who we really are. I am who I want to be, and not who the people around me force me to be. Talking about the meaning behind our names, made me realize what is important in my life. Finally, it was a great experience to listen to other participants talk about themselves and different aspects of their identities. Thank you, Rita, for creating such a nice atmosphere.