2023 4-COD: Session 10 by STOSKIENE RITA

Eliza

2023-03-16 00:08:39 UTC

The course I took in Guadeloupe was an extraordinary course from start to finish. First of all, the place where I found myself was absolutely amazing and magical, and the training I attended was a very rich experience. I gained valuable information, participated in many interesting discussions, learned about the culture and customs of people living very far from me, and all this took place in an amazing scenery in the bosom of nature. This training will always remain in my heart and I hope that it will not be the last training with Rita in Guadeloupe, because she is an extraordinary teacher with a lot of experience, who in a natural and very open way provides valuable information for everyone, not only teachers, but also a man. Too bad it's time to say goodbye.

Maria

2023-03-16 00:13:46 UTC

The very place where the school was created under the palm trees gave me a sense of closeness to nature. All this was combined in a natural way with the host who introduced me to the beauty of Guadeloupe. People, place and time will remain in my heart forever, I will do anything to do here again.

Wioletta

2023-03-16 00:16:13 UTC

A unique course, great surroundings, natural wonders, diversity and openness to new experiences. Great organizer! It's a pity that time is running out so fast, I'm sad to leave here.

Judith

2023-03-16 02:11:39 UTC

If I had had more time, I would have written less. I have learned many words of wisdom like these in the last week. And not just words. Also places. (This sentence sounds good in German - in English it's just any sentence: Nicht nur Worte. Auch Orte). But I also learned that: English. So far my French has always been better than my English. But I think this week I've caught up on a lot of what I had neglected for the last few years. Just writing these words - and not typing it into a translation program in my native language... It was very exhausting. But also very productive. I'm a bit proud :)

Since I am a foreign language teacher, I did not think that I could learn so many new things about interculturality and multiculturalism. Maybe it's not the content at all, but rather the arrangement of the content and its connection to the place where this course took place. Beforehand, I thought about whether taking the course on the other side of the world might not be exaggerated. Now I know: no, it's not. Only through the connection to the Caribbean culture (Creole - multicultural by nature) and nature (symbioses as far as the eye can see) can the theory be experienced and thus become tangible. I will take up Rita's motto "learning through experiences" even more for my lessons than I have done so far. Thank you for these wonderful 10 days, which I will not soon forget.

Michaela

2023-03-16 11:59:17 UTC

I had actually already booked the course for spring 2020, but then Covid came along and ruined all plans. While many meetings in real life were not possible, people moved closer together - digitally and online. Borders were irrelevant and cultural differences were more of an enrichment than an obstacle. Let's learn from this time and accept that collaboration and exchange across borders and cultures is enriching for everyone.
The course dealt with the interaction of different cultures and nations. Using various examples from nature, it became clear that this can be a win-win situation for everyone. Knowing one's own identity is an essential part of this. Even before the course began, I was convinced that there is no such thing as a national identity. This conviction has solidified during this time here.
In summary, I can say that I learned a lot about Guadeloupe, its history, traditions and customs, but also about food and drink or music and I see the island with different eyes. Also the exchange with some participants was very good.
I would have wished for more discussion and exchange between ALL participants in the course, more ideas for innovative teaching methods and maybe also to use them in the seminar.

Anne

2023-03-16 12:29:21 UTC

In the course I learned a lot of new things about Gouadeloupe. Besides inputs about climate, history and geography, cultural aspects such as language, music and food were very impressive for me. But also problems that are pending on the islands were addressed. The responsibility of each individual for a multicultural society became clear to me once again. On numerous excursions, I was able to see, experience and experience for myself much of this beyond this theoretical knowledge.
The exchange about the differences between the school systems with the Finnish teachers was very interesting and informative.

Paulina

2023-03-16 14:45:43 UTC

I liked the course very much, I learned international methods in the work of a teacher. Talking about key competences confirmed my belief that in my lessons I implement them and it is good. The place where the training took place was beautiful, noise of judgement, animals, nature - for the first time I saw Iguane in a natural environment. All the places we visited were magical. I got to know the culture, traditions, climate and society of Guadeloupe, as well as the most beautiful places on its map, including Ilet Caret. I got to know the education system in Germany and Finland, the differences made me reflect on changes in Polish schools. I would love to come here again.

Sari

2023-03-16 14:45:54 UTC

On this course I have learned how different cultures affect each other and how we live in a global, ever changing world.

The forming of national identity from personal identities was a new thing to me, and it got me thinking about cultures on a whole new level. We talked a lot about the sense of belonging and how important it is. Without sense of belonging there is no place to form identity, and rootless people are unhappy people. Unhappy people act in destructive ways.

There has been a lot of youth gang activity in Finland and many cases of violence among the young. This is mostly because the young don’t have a feeling that they belong in our society, and they see no other alternative to belong in something. People need to have a “home”, a place where they truly can feel the sense of belonging.

I have also learned some French due to the fact that almost no one here speaks English. This has been an eye opening experience, because I understand my students and their parents a lot better now than before. It is frustrating to be able to almost understand what people are saying, but not being completely sure about it, and being totally unable to answer in the same language.

I have also learned a lot about local culture, flora and fauna. I deepened my knowledge in the history of slavery, and how it affected the culture, especially here in Guadeloupe.

From the conversations with our colleagues from Poland and Germany I learned about the differences and similarities in our school systems: Poland system is quite similar to ours.

Maija

2023-03-16 14:48:32 UTC

The course was amazing in a very different place than I'm used to being. I did learn globally and act locally. Concept of "sense of belonging" is something that I want to take with me to school. I also learned a lot about how to make a good Erasmus project, how to apply, and how to write a report. So next time it's so much easier to act globally.

I did learn a lot about local nature. About all the animals and plants. Also about global warming and the climate that is changing all around the globe. I also learnt about the culture both practically and theoretically. We talked about different cultures and identities, but we also drummed go Kwa and ate local food almost every day.

There was some exchange of knowledge between the participants, but it could have been more.

Thank you Rita for taking us to all these amazing places and being such a good teacher!