Week 19 - Personal and Cultural ( My Final Erasmus Blog) 16/05/12 - 21/05/12

Before we left for Norway we were told that it is two times more expensive than Sweden so we came prepared courtesy of Lidl. Luckily for us as one bottle of water cost me £4  therefore it would have been a very expensive five days.

Later we went back to the hostel where we got on the bus with a group of 40 international students and we had a long over night journey on the bus. When we got to Bergen the sunny weather we had hoped for was non existent but not surprising as it is known to be the rainiest town in the world. The lack of sun however was quickly forgotten as we were privileged to spend The 17th of May in Bergen which is  Independence day. This is the biggest celebration of the year with parades, parties and music and we were lucky that our trip coincided with such a major celebration. We got fully involved  marching around along with the crowds who were  dressed in traditional costumes and  many impressive performances took place. I am really glad we took this opportunity as National Day in Norway is something I may never experience again in my life.

 The next morning we took a boat through the beautiful Fjords of Norway. They were absolutely breathtaking and Megan and I felt like we were in the movies. We sat on the front of the boat for two hours in silence admiring the most amazing views I had ever seen. When we  arrived at Ladreal we spent another wonderful two days exploring the fjords, playing tennis and relaxing in a beautiful town and we really felt like we were on holiday. We both felt like our Erasmus experience was still going on and that we would be returning to Trollhattan. However we were going home to Ireland and the reality was beginning to sink in. We enjoyed a  lovely barbeque with a new group of international students from various university's in Sweden and Denmark. It was good to talk to them about their experiences many of which which were similar to ours. 

I am going home to Ireland a changed person as have grown so much at so many different levels throughout the past few months in Sweden. I most definitely have  become much more independent. I have improved my time management skills due to the fact that I was solely responsible for everything I had to do and the Swedish are very punctual. I also have developed more confidence giving presentations as it is something I dreaded in Stranmillis and I now really enjoy. Perhaps this is due to the laid back relaxed atmosphere in the Swedish classroom and the fact that this means of assessment is much more common. I have now done more presentations than I can even count.

I cant believe this is my last blog as time has gone so fast and I cant believe my Erasmus experience has come to an end. However, this experience has broadened  my horizons and I hope to have many more experiences like this one in the future. I have loved every minute of my time in Sweden and would recommend Erasmus to everyone. It is a great opportunity to not only enhance your CV but to meet people from all over the world and make some lifelong friends. It is hard to describe the last five months in words as it is something which you have to experience for yourself to understand. It is an opportunity I would embrace fully and you only get one chance so take it with both hands I'm glad I did.

 “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

My Erasmus experience has ended but I am going to start a new adventure in one week when I set of to Italy to teach English to foreign students. I hope to use some of the Italian which I have learned whilst in Sweden and I'm looking forward to experiencing a new culture in a new country.

                                 As the Swedish say, for the last time 'Hey da'

Week 18 – Personal Development ( Time to say goodbye to Trollhattan) 12/05/12 - 16/-05/12

This weekend I participated in Trollhattans annual Badminton competition where I had to compete against one of the Swedish National players so I lost big time. It was a great opportunity to play against a professional badminton player.  As it was my last day at the club and the  end of the year tournament, they kindly presented Robin and I with T-shirts and hoodies of Trollhattan Badminton club.  Following the presentation we had some cakes and buns and later that night we  all attended  the end of season night out. I was sad to think that this was our last night out here in Trollhattan.

Ranked number 5 in Sweden

Homemade Swedish Cakes

I am going to miss looking out of my bedroom window

The next day we spent a long time cleaning our apartment in order to receive our £200 deposit back. I think it was the most cleaning I have ever done in my entire life and have taken for granted the cleaners in Stranmillis Halls. I think that I have become much more independent here. I am now doing my own washing and cooking unlike at home where I would take home my weekly big bag of washing as most students in Belfast do. I have learned to budget my money for shopping and that these things require a lot of time and energy and will help out a lot more in the house when I return. I also had my take home exam for my Education module to complete on The differences and similarities between the Swedish Education system and the education system in Northern Ireland. Additionally I had a presentation the day before it was time to leave Trollhattan. I was very stressed trying to complete this work and pack my 5months in Sweden into one 20kg suitcase.

Saying goodbyes to some great and long life friends that I have made here over the past few months in Sweden has been really difficult. I know that we may never all be in the same community together but we hope to plan a reunion this summer in France. Megan and I spent our last night experiencing some Korean and Italian cuisine and signing flags as well as having a goodbye party. I am going to miss being in a group of people from all over the world who have become like a second family.

Me just after signing Jins flag a student from South Korea 

The next morning Megan and I had an early rise to meet our train and set of on our new adventure The Norway Fjord explorer. We decided whilst here In Scandinavian we should see the famous Fjords before we return so we set of  on our five day tour around Norway with all our suitcases.

When Megan and I arrived at the train station with all our bags we thought this it goodbye Sweden. We were very content on the train though as we knew we did not have to move for 4 hours however typically we had to transfer to a bus one hour later. When we arrived in Norway and found our hostel it was with great  relief that we got rid of our bags leaving us free to explore the capital of Norway Oslo. Like many big cities I noticed that there was a lot of beggars in the town center and one even stole my bottle of water whilst I was taking a photograph. We visited many places including the Harbor, The castle, and The Opera house.

The Harbor

The Opera House

 It was a great day and I'm really looking forward to starting my tour of the Norway Fjords.

Week 17 – Proffesional and Personal Development ( Trip to Lisberg and Gail comes to visit ) 05/05/12 - 11/05/12

The Staff of Fridaskolan kindly invited Emma and myself to the staff day out to play golf. Onsjö golfklubb was situated on the beautiful lake in Vansburg and we spent the evening learning to golf in groups. We practiced putting, chipping and also long drives on the driving range. The sun was shining and it was lots of fun. As well as getting time to speak to the staff of the school we had some tea and buns and relaxed.

 

The International Office at University West organized a free trip for the Erasmus group to Lisberg which is Scandinavians largest theme park located in Goteborg. The admission was free which was a good thing as the rides were very expensive but extremely fun. One ride in particular which we really enjoyed was the Balder a wooden roller coaster. We laughed a lot when we seen the picture of us appear on the screen after. The theme park had lots of nice buildings and a park which we explored and enjoyed in the sun.

 We have had a lot of work for our Education Module this week as we have to hand in an evaluation  report and also present an evaluation of a lesson to the rest of the group including our surprise visitor Gail Eason. It was strange to hear the Northern Irish accent for the first time in a few months and I could understand why the Erasmus students may have had trouble with our accents. We had the opportunity to have lunch with Gail and discuss our time and experiences here in Sweden which allowed me to reflect on how much more independent I have become whilst living in Sweden. Unfortunately this week was very rainy and Gail had packed a suitcase for sunny weather.

We visited our last school in Trollhattan this week called the Kronan school as part of our Education module. This school is a multicultural school where 98% of the pupils are immigrants and only 2% are Swedish due to the location. Due to the fact that I live in this area  I was aware that the majority of the inhabitants were immigrants however, I found it very interesting that only 2% of this school consisted of Swedes. Due to the increase in the number of EAL pupils now in Northern Ireland I have encountered many classes containing a few pupils from other countries but this was my first experience in a predominantly multicultural school. I thought the school was very modern and the resources and facilities were impressive. When we arrived we spoke to the English teacher who told us that before they moved to this area the students thought that it was a bad idea as they believed it would be destroyed. I thought it was quite sad that they did not want the school to be in the area where they lived but she said it has had a very positive effect on the pupils since moving there. The school offers lots of after school activities where the children feel save and it keeps them of the street.

I said goodbye to some good friends this week and I can’t believe that it will be me leaving this time next week.

Week 16 - Proffesional Development ( Final week at Fridaskolan) 28/04/12 - 04/05/12

I am sad that this is my final week with Grade 6 as I feel I am starting to really get to know the children and staff here.  I noticed that a majority of Swedish pupils cycle to school in comparison to Northern Ireland where most travel by car or bus. I thought the Swedish children were very physically fit in this Grade 6 class especially during PE class were children could do press ups and sit ups with ease. 

I was privileged to watch the children play Bandi (floor ball) an extremely popular sport in Sweden and a lot of the children actually played for teams. I also got to watch a gymnastics lesson which was planned by a few pupils who were talented in this sport. They left the class early to set up the equipment with the teacher. When I arrived I was surprised at the amount of great resources that was available. The children were exceptionally talented performing flips, so it was a pleasure to watch.

The main difference which I have found between the teaching style of the Fridaskolan and schools in Northern Ireland  is that the teachers focus much more on the individual learning of each child. Children are allocated special time to work individually, they plan what they will work on during this time with the teacher. During individual learning the pupils can work independently on previous work they have been given in the morning. In Northern Ireland children are not given a lesson dedicated to individual learning, group learning is more common practice. ‘Lpo94 advocates pupils to be largely responsible for their own learning by being active in and being able to influence the learning process. The curriculum is based on the principles that learning happens inductively and that pupils ought to make their own discoveries as a means of reaching deeper understanding.’ p.38, SKOLE (2010) After spending time within Fridaskolan I found pupils do make their own discoveries and it is definitely a main principle within the school. This principle is one Northern Ireland should definitely incorporate into their curriculum as in my opinion the pupils do reach a better understanding when they discover something for themselves.

I also had the opportunity to give a presentation on Northern Ireland. I talked to the children about where I lived, the history, religion, popular sports, music and food. The children were very interested and asked numerous questions as they had studied London but they did not know alot about Northern Ireland. They were particularly suprised at the differences I pointed out to them about the education system when I explained that we have to wear school uniform and the fact that lunches for some, school trips and Mac books are not free.

On Friday it is a theme day therefore all the children from Grade 6 go to a larger room where they spend the day being introduced to a new theme. The new theme this month was Gustav famous king of Sweden. I found this very interesting and decided to research it to learn some Swedish history.

http://www.guildofsaintolaf.com/court_gustav.html

Every Friday in Sweden is known as Fika Friday. The teachers have Buns and cakes in the staffroom during break and lunch. Myself and Emma (the student from Manchester) decided to bake some buns  since it was our last day at Fridaskolan. Anna the cooking teacher and mentor of Emma  kindly baked us my favourite bun (name) and provided us with the recipe in Swedish to translate. I definitely will be attempting to make this when I return home. Victoria and Sandra also gave me my very own Fridaskolan hat to take home with me as it was a fashion trend within the school especially in Grade 6. Children were allowed to wear their hats all day and would never be asked to remove them and  as Sandra pointed out it wasn’t hurting anyone. I have learned a lot from my placement in Fridaskolan and will take some positive aspects from this system and use them in my future career as a teacher.

Reference List

Curriculum for the compulsory school system, the pre-school class and the leisure-time centre 2011.(2011). Stockholm: Swedish National Agency for Education. Can be accessed at: http://www.skolverket.se/

http://www.guildofsaintolaf.com/court_gustav.html

week 15 - Proffesional development ( The Fridaskolan way) 21/04/12 - 27/04/12

Although I have found some similarities between the two Education systems during this week in Fridaskolan I have noticed many differences between The Swedish Education System and our Education System in Northern Ireland. Firstly, in Fridaskolan I was shocked that pupils were provided with their own Mac books. The teacher told me it is a great resource and it allows them to have their own online email site so they can complete their work online and upload homework. I also found that children were openly allowed to use Facebook, you tube and other sites during school. I asked the teacher did she think this was a good idea to allow this during school time and she explained that the class has their own Facebook group where she can post important notifications. She thought pupils were much more informed than previously. Sandra also highlighted that the pupils use it as a discussion page for school work and to help each other with their work as they can receive instant feedback from their peers. Initially I thought this would distract the pupils however, throughout the week I noticed that this is a good strategy for promoting independent study, as the pupils must learn not to be tempted by these distractions. In the future this will help the children be better equipped for university life and to be in charge of their own learning and work.

The most noticeable difference between both systems was that children in Fridaskolan are much more independent and have much more freedom in school due to the fact there is less influence on Health and Safety Policies and they have a more laid back approach to discipline.

‘The task of the school is to encourage all pupils to discover their own unique­ness as individuals and thereby be able to participate in the life of society by giving of their best in responsible freedom.’  SFKOLE (2010, p.7)

During the different lessons such as sewing, crafts, cooking and PE I noticed children had much more creative freedom. Children were allowed to sit on the window whilst sewing, use the sewing machine and sharp utensils for cooking without any assistance.

Sports life, P.E Hall

 Furthermore, children were allowed to cycle/walk to the PE hall which was outside the school grounds by themselves. They were given a longer lunch break so they could make their way to the P.E hall on time. This is something which would not be accepted in Northern Ireland as pupils must always be supervised during school hours. Pupils were also allowed to participate in Physical Education in their socks and climb up the walls, if you had no shoes or suitable clothing for PE in Northern Ireland you would be excluded from the lesson.

I really enjoyed teaching badminton in this relaxed environment. Grade 6 were very talented in sport therefore it was a great opportunity for me to teach the class badminton in English and try to encourage them to ask me questions about the rules of the game. At the end of the session Victoria said she was surprised to see one girl in particular talking to me so much as usually she does not speak a word during English class so I was very pleased with this. Teaching three different classes in a row was a different experience but very enjoyable. It was a great opportunity to get to know all the pupils in Grade 6 and compare the different groups. I was able to reflect and evaluate the lesson trying to improve it each time. Additionally, teaching Grade 9 pupils aged 15 – 16 was a big change as the older pupils like to do things for themselves. I found that I had to adapt my teaching style for this age group as it was more supportive than instructive.

I am really enjoying my time in this school and I'm looking forward to the week ahead.

References:

Curriculum for the compulsory school system, the pre-school class and the leisure-time centre 2011.(2011). Stockholm: Swedish National Agency for Education. Can be accessed at: http://www.skolverket.se/

week 14 - Proffesional and cultural (First week at Fridaskolan and Trip to Riga) 14/04/12 - 20/04/12

Quentin, Enrico Megan and I.

This week has been very busy and exciting as we went on a Cruise to Riga the capital of Latvia and the Baltics with the majority of the Erasmus group from Trollhattan. It was an early start as we had to take the train to Stockholm where the boat departed from.  When we arrived in Riga we explored the town, one area which I particularly enjoyed was the charms of Riga's Old town and the stunning architecture of the city especially the wooden crafts. I visited many places including the Freedom Monument, The City Dome Cathedral and The House of Blackheads.

The House of Blackheads.

The Dome Cathedral

Freedom Monument

Whilst exploring the city we found TGI Friday’s and decided to eat lunch there with the Italians and French. I ordered the house burger special and definitely appreciated the good meat. After, we made our way back to the boat where we stayed awake to watch the sunrise in the early hours of the morning. It was a fun filled trip to remember.

TGI Fridays

Lorenzo, Amuary, Rebecca and I watching the sunrise.

When we arrived home we were all very tired resulting in me nearly missing the bus to Fridaksolan the next morning, my very first day of placement. Teaching practice in Fridaskolan is a great opportunity to see how Independent schools differ from the majority of the Municipal schools here in Sweden. When I arrived at the school I was introduced to the staff and my teachers, who were extremely welcoming. I was then introduced to my class which was Grade 6 pupils aged 12 – 13, equivalent to first year students in Northern Ireland. As I am doing a  primary teaching degree this was the oldest class I have ever been placed with but a challenge and an experience that I was delighted to have been given. 

The lovely building of Fridaskolan

 I told Karin our coordinator that I was interested in PE and teaching English after completing the TEFL course. She kindly  placed me with the PE and English teacher for Grade 6. Grade 6 consisted of 72 pupils split into three classes however, the teachers see the year as one big group. There are three teachers who work together to teach Grade 6 pupils. Each teacher has 2 main subjects which they teach to all three classes. Victoria the PE teacher for Grade 6 and Grade 9 said that badminton was one of the sports the children had been learning. Due to the fact that I have my level 1 coaching certificate she organized both Grade 6 and 9 classes for me to teach during PE for the following week. I am really looking forward to this and experiencing teaching the same lesson to a variety of classes and age groups.

 
I was surprised at the standard of their English considering this consists of only 2 hours of English lessons per week. I found that some pupils were extremely shy when speaking to me in English for fear of being wrong. The teacher said that my presence in the class was a wonderful opportunity for the pupils to speak English throughout the school day, as they were just about to take their National English test. The children asked me did I speak Irish or could I speak any other languages. I was slightly embarrassed and they were very surprise when I told them that I could only speak English as most children in the class could speak at least two languages. After spending time in Fridaskolan I think there should be more emphasis on languages in schools in Northern Ireland. This again reinforces my desire to learn another language.