C3 Short-term exchange of groups of students in Estonia
The short-term exchanges of groups of pupils within Erasmus+ project "Square Eyed Students" was hosted by Tartu Raatuse School in Tartu and took place from November 19 to November 23 2018. To these dates two travelling dates were added. 30 students and 8 teachers from all five different countries participated. To them all the hosting and organizing team of Estonian teachers can be added.
From the stage of writing our project the main objective of Estonian mobility week was connected with different activities that raised from our project topics – how to use screens and computers more wisely and how to prevent or get rid of the digital addiction on the other hand. So, the production of simple computer game in the program named Scratch and Minecraft building morning were carried out. In the latter the students worked in groups and recreated various landmarks from their hometowns or countries in Minecraft.
We started our art, culture, music and digital competences-oriented program in the biggest professional theatre in Estonia – Vanemuine theatre in Tartu, that does performances in all different theatre genres – opera, ballet, operetta, musical, drama. The students were given a general introduction to the theater, they attended the main hall, stage and lot of backstage rooms, including the storage room for costumes and the decoration making workrooms. After that all the students were invited to participate in plaster mask workshop.
All the participants were given a good opportunity to have the excursion all around our schoolhouse our that has been lately totally reconstructed. Most revolutionary change in the school design the guests explored was the presence of lot of open space learning environment where there is mostly no corridors at all and all the space is one common learning environment that can be divided and separated according to the actual need during the learning process.
The school tour was followed by the orientation/treasure hunt game in Tartu old-town and was totally prepared and carried out by Estonian students. It was done in small groups and
stops were made in different important spots in the town and in every stop the group needed to carry out different tasks.
At the beginning of every day there was also one icebreaking activity. Every day different project partner leaded it so to make it even more enjoyable and fun.
Participants attended the project song workshop for what they made preparations already at their own schools. We had drummer, bass and guitar players + some additional percussion instrument players in the band. The workshop was lead by our Danish colleague and music teacher Søren Krog, accompanied by Lauri Kõlamets (music instruments teacher) and Jaana Oberst (singing teacher).
The project song was performed in front of more than 300 spectators during the Raatuse school song contest and got very worm response and welcoming. The song performance was videotaped and will be published on our project media channels. The idea is to perform the project song also all together during our next students exchange week in Hungary. During the above mentioned concert guest student Zita Hekkel from Hungary sang the medley of most archaic and popular Hungarian folk songs.
All the participating countries teams made also the short presentations of their schools, towns and countries. Also the short clips about technology obsession that were done previously at partners schools by students were watched during the week.
One of the funniest and most enjoyable activities during the week that took the students attention fully away from the smartphones and other screens was stencil art workshop that was led by professional artist Indrek “Von Bomb” Haas. During this every participant – teacher or student – made his or her own piece of stencil art that depicted their own portrait. The workshop was assisted by Raatuse school’s art and drama teacher Kadri Kosk.
During the week students and teachers had the study visit to AHHAA Science Center, the biggest in Baltic States. They participated in the planetarium show, chocolate laboratory workshop, and explored the area of main exhibition with lots of interesting things to do and observe. Also the Upside Down House and Estonian National Museum guided tour were in the program.
During all days students and teachers enjoyed the school lunches. Students stayed in the families with whom they had different activities during the evenings and free time.
The week ended by the workshops in SPARK Makerlab. First the students participated in auto engineering workshop and then they built a simple speaker for their smartphone or laptop. So they understand better how digital and analog worlds work and come together.
During the ceremony of giving the certificates every participant had an opportunity to first reflection and feedback to the whole week that was followed by the more structured feedback questionnaire filled later by all the participating students and teachers.
On the arrival or departure days most of the students and teachers had also an opportunity to have a small tour around Tallinn Old-Town and seaside. Some of them even managed to see one the most sacred place for all Estonians – the song-festival ground in Tallinn.
On November 24th 2018, all the participants safe and sound arrived to their home soil with the best memories staying in their hearts hopefully for a long time.
The coordinator of the whole Estonian mobility week was Raatuse school developmental manager Rene Leiner who was accompanied by history teacher and education technician Mihkel Laar. Math teacher and another education technician Rain Lõpp assisted and supervised the computer workshops at school.
Some dissemination links from partners countries:
From Croatia here.
From Estonia here is the link about our Tartu meeting on their school webpage. Photogallery is here.
From Denmark here.
On the Hungarian partner's website here you can read about this meeting.
From Turkey here.