iConnectED2: Job shadowers from Belgium

Julkaistu: 15.11.2018 klo 22.51

On Tuesday the whole school gathered together in the hall to welcome our Erasmus+ -guests from Belgium. We got three visitors job shadowing in our school this week: Hannelore Ooms, Ann Geenen and Sandra van Spreeuwel.

In the welcoming gathering in Tuesday they told us a bit about themselves and their school Rozenberg which is a great school with about 1600 students. They showed us an interesting film about Rozenberg.

Our headteacher Sari Lantto welcomed the guests warmly. Chairman of the student board Oskari Siponen welcomed also the guests on behalf of the students.

Hannelore Oomas teaches Dutch and history. Ann Geenen teaches also Dutch and supports children whose native language isn´t Dutch. Sandra van Spreeuwel teaches French and history. Their school is a secondary school so most of their students are a bit younger than ours. The teachers have been attending different classes.

The Erasmus-program contains job shadowing about digital learning with iPad.   -In that way we can integrate ICT in our classes so learning can be made more profitable, which automatically will lead to higher qualification or chances of succes, the teachers explain.

This year their other colleagues have been able to attend a job shadowing in the UK, Italy, France, Spain and the Netherlands. For the same project about digital learning other colleagues will attend a course in Italy, the UK, Austria, Cyprus and Estonia this year.

Peaceful school

- It is so calm and peaceful here, was one of the first remarks our job shadowers made. - There is a big difference between a small and a large school. In a large school there is always lots of noise. On the other hand there is a good side in having many collegues to share the problems of teaching. This school resembles rather a home than a school and the community resembles a family. The pupils and teachers seem to be near to each other.

In our school we have problems with the network which makes it difficult to work with iPads. If you have planned something it may not succeed if the network doesn´t work. This is one of the first issues that have to be solved, the guests explain.

- One significant observation is that here the teaching seems to be more structured. There is an understanding which apps will be used. All teachers use Showbie and Keynote. It certainly is more practical for the students. We have also been discussing evaluation. It is interesting that the students can decide their learning goals.

- It is interesting to see that you respect traditions but have also modern things and are open to new things, Sandra said.
- We have learned a lot, new apps like Keynote and Showbie. We are still eager to attend the English lessons, Hannelore commented. - It is useful to say the goals of each learning period. We even understood something about the language in a Swedish lesson.
- We think you are very warm hearted, the students are shy but yet you succeed to give us a warm welcome, Ann said. We had a memorable moment at Aavasaksa together with the teachers.

This job shadowing has been rewarding also for our school. It has been interesting to discuss the questions of learning and see things from a new angle. We had magical moments together in Aavasaksa by the fire eating and singing in the nature. 

Mirjami Hyttinen

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