Week seventeen: (04/06/12 – 15/06/12) Personal (FINAL BLOG)

This final week has been filled with crazy Irish fans for Euro 2012, goodbyes and collecting all the final documents to finish our Erasmus experience. Now that the Euro 2012 has begun in Poznań, the city is buzzing with fans from the four countries playing in the main stadium – Ireland, Italy, Spain and Croatia. I want this final blog to be a reflection of what I have learnt and experienced over the last four months within the three categories; professional, cultural and personal. I also want to end with some suggestions and helpful tips for those students who might want to come to Poznań on Erasmus in the future!

PROFESSIONAL

The main benefit from working in the International school of Poznańhas been learning how to include children with English as an Additional Language and multiple cultures within the classroom setting (GTCNI Competencies 8 and 21, 2006). Although I have found it can be a slow and difficult process for many pupils and teachers, the rewards outweigh the worries and frustrations along the way. It has made me appreciate the Northern Ireland Curriculum (2007) and the lifelong learning skills it tries to equip children with. It has been a benefit to step outside what I am used to and reflect on how I teach and how to make it more beneficial for children. I hope that next year I can put my learning into practise.

CULTURAL

After being immersed in a new culture it has made me appreciate my own even though it has its complications. Poland is a beautiful country which has a strong sense of tradition. I like how their customs involve the community and bring people together. I think it is a shame that so many of Northern Irelands traditions are separated due to politics and religion, however, it doesn’t make it any less of my own. I have enjoyed travelling to observe the different cultures of the countries I have travelled too with DarÓma and think it has been the biggest reward of my time spent on Erasmus, as well as meeting my new friends.

PERSONAL

Spending time away from my family and friends I have learnt to be more independent and sure of myself. I wanted to learn to be more decisive and how to budget and although I like to spend money I have learnt to save for the things I need too. I enjoyed having time out of my comfort zone and having experiences I would not have got at home, like learning a new language and travelling to many different countries. I would recommend Erasmus to anyone, and although it can be difficult at times, the positives far outweigh any negatives or difficulties you have along the way. I have also gained two great friends from my university course who I didn’t know as well before but can now rely on and have fun with.

SUGGESTIONS AND TIPS

1. Before coming over to Poland email all the professors of the classes you want attend to register for them. You will have two weeks to decide whether you want to stay in the classes or change however, attendance does count.

2. Travel – travelling by train is half price if you are under twenty six and you can get to a wide range of locations from Poland e.g. Krakow, Warsaw, Vienna, Prague etc. I would encourage you to save a little extra for this.

3. If you are good at languages it is good to go for the six or ten hour course of Polish however, if you are not go for the four hours. We did six and were terrible, this made it very hard to enjoy learning the language and we lost motivation.

4. When you are choosing your university dorms chose either Jagienka or Zbyszko. Jowita has a better location but the rooms are in bad condition and you will share a bathroom with three other people which can be locked all day.

5. When you arrive in the dorms there is no oven, kettle, toaster etc, there is only four hobs and a sink, (with a fridge in your room) so be prepared to pay for utensils and essentials or bring your own.

6. Visit:

• The Concentration Camp, Fort VII
• Malta Lake (in the winter go skiing because it will then have real snow)
• Stary Rynek:- At 12 noon see the goat chimes at city hall (it will be an anti climax however, if you live in Poznan it is a must)

Look to previous blogs for more ideas!

If you are thinking of going to Poznań on Erasmus please get in touch with DarÓma, Michael or I as we will be happy to answer any questions or help with more suggestions!

Week sixteen: (28/05/12 – 03/06/12) Euro 2012, Cultural

Having spent time in Poland, it has erased many of the stereotypes I held previously of Polish people, culture and their way of life. I have found that the people here are resilient and work hard to maintain a good standard of living. Emerging from the devastation of World War Two and communism, it is seeking to become a relevant part of Europe. Euro 2012 is a picture of this emergence which will bring its positives and negatives to the city of Poznań.

The main advantage of hosting Euro 2012 is that it puts Poland on the map. Currently Poznań would not be the most popular tourist destination however, the country has invested a great deal of money ‘redecorating’ the cities: Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Krakow and Poznań to look more aesthetically pleasing by improving the infrastructure and helping the economy.

“The total cost of Poland’s key and important infrastructure projects for EURO 2012 is PLN 80bn. As for financing structure, around 60-70% of investments funds come from the state budget. The remaining 30% of funds are allocated by the local authorities. In total terms, 40% of all funds allocated for EURO 2012 come from the European Union.” Poland Consulting Services (2012)

During Euro 2012 Poznan will host four countries: Ireland, Italy, Spain and Croatia. I have already started to see the start of the expected thirty thousand Irish fans travelling to Poznań and I have enjoyed hearing accents I am more familiar with!

(Figure taken from http://www.sundayworld.com/columnists/index.php)

Euro 2012 will provide an opportunity for healthy competition. There have been many conflicts in Europe including wars. Hopefully this sporting opportunity will also promote Poland’s self confidence, being one of the top football teams in Europe, giving them a sense of pride and self worth.

"Organising this event gives us a chance to speed up development and modernisation of the country... It is also a chance to improve our brand - the image of the country." Wilson, B. (2012)

On the other hand, although Euro 2012 is seen to be facilitating progress, there are worldwide questions to whether these countries are ready to host such a prestigious event after recent acts of racism, prejudice, and bigotry in the Ukraine and parts of Poland. Reflecting on previous blogs on visiting concentration camps, Poland’s history; World War Two and then Communism and now these recent crimes have left the question, are they ready to move forward? Like Northern Ireland, it seems Poland is ready for change however; it is a minority who try to take matters into their own hands and cause problems. For Poland to become more significant in the world, change has to start somewhere, and hopefully Euro 2012 is a stepping stone towards it.

Even though there have been criticisms and drawbacks I wish Poland good luck! I have never been interested in football however, living in Poland and having it hosted within the city I have been living created a real excitement for me. I even got a Polish football shirt to cheer for them!

References:

·         Poland Consulting Services (2012)

http://www.polandconsulting.com/about-poland/trade-shows/

·         Sunday World: A Real Irish Sunday – Fan We Do It? Yes We Can. (2012)

http://www.sundayworld.com/columnists/index.php

·         Wilson, B. (2012) Poland eyes Euro 2012 football cash boost, BBC News, Manchester

BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12908348

Week fifteen: (21/05/12 - 27/05/12) Cultural

Milan

With two weeks left of our Erasmus adventure DarÓma and I set off for our last cultural experience outside of Poznań and headed to Milan. When we arrived we found the Giro d’Italia race was being held in the centre of the city, so there were huge crowds of people and sales promotions everywhere. The Giro d’Italia is a World Ranking, long distance cycling competition and the final stage was being held on the 27^th May in Milan. Although, we had not planned to see this race it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement of the crowds of people waiting for their country to cross the finish line.

                                       

Before travelling to Italy I was aware that Milan was famous for its fashion, so I knew not to expect the typical mountains and scenery I had seen from pictures. I was very impressed by the city centre with its grand buildings and high street fashion shops, such as Ambercrombie and Fitch, Prada and Versace (even though I could not afford to buy anything, I enjoyed looking!) The building that stands out is the Cathedral, Duomo di Milano, located in the centre of the main square - it is hard not to miss! Later I found out that it was the fourth largest cathedral in the world, taking nearly six hundred years to complete. Even though there were a large number of tourists within the cathedral, I liked that there were still areas where people could have privacy to practice their faith without being distracted by the visitors. I have visited many churches when I have travelled and do find it unusual that there are more tourists in them than religious people. Although the buildings are very grand and made for that purpose, they are now ‘places to see’ on tourism websites.

My teacher in school, Kasia, who had lived in Milan for a period of time, suggested we make time on our visit to travel to Lake Como, (the home of George Clooney, so how could we resist!) It was difficult to work out the train stations however; when we got there it was worth all the hassle. I can honestly say it was one of the most beautiful places I have travelled too. Poznań is very central and therefore not close to any seas or oceans. It made me realise that I missed the ease of travelling to a beach within ten minutes over the past four months, as it is something that is so quick to do at home. However, I have really appreciated the opportunities I have had to travel whilst in Poland! DarÓma and I have  traveled to Wroclaw, Warsaw, Berlin, Krakow, Vienna, Prague and Milan in less than four months, an opportunity we would not have been able to achieve otherwise.

                                       

Bubble day

Something I like about Poznań (and Poland) is that it maintains traditions that bring people together, for example; Long Night of Museums, where all museums stay open until 1a.m. and let everyone enter for free and Juwenalia, where students are given the keys to the city and celebrate for a week with parades and parties. However, a cultural event which cannot be called ‘traditional’ is bubble day! In the main square, Stary Rynek, hundreds of people gathered to try and break a world record by blowing thousands of bubbles into the air. I think this was a great way to bring different areas of the community together and it was evident people came together to enjoy themselves. A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon :o)

Week fourteen: (14/05/12-20/05/12) Professional

The Northern Ireland curriculum (2007: 3) states that teachers should, “plan work which builds on interests and cultural diversity.” My placement on Erasmus has given me the opportunity to experience strategies to help integrate diversity into the classroom as well as build on GTCNI Competency 8 (2006:8); “Teachers will have developed a knowledge and understanding of the need to take account of the significant features of pupils’ cultures, languages and faiths and to address the implications for learning arising from these.’ In my opinion, this is a vital competency as it helps develop children’s identity, self-worth and provides them with an opportunity to feel part of the class, giving them a sense of belonging. This is delicately balanced alongside showing their uniqueness, distinctiveness and separateness from others within the class in a positive and appreciative manner, celebrating diversity.

“Knowledge of the culture and community or communities in which a language is spoken is very important in the language learning context. The learner should develop an understanding of the similarities and differences between his/her culture and other cultures. All language and intercultural competence should be acknowledged equally.”

European Language Portfolio (ELP) guidance (SELB 2003:7) sighted in the, Toolkit for Diversity: in the Primary School, (2007:37)

 In my Kindergarten class our current theme is; ‘Common songs and rhymes from around the world’. The teachers had included me in the planning of the scheme and we decided to use the different cultures of the children in the classroom. The scheme was designed around equipping the children with different attitudes, concepts, skills and behaviours (which are set out in their curriculum). The topic allows for children to form a respect for others' cultures, as well as an appreciation of their own.

In the Primary Toolkit for Diversity (2007) it suggests to introduce a world map which indicates the different locations the children are from. Taking this idea we began this new topic with introducing the world map with the different flags representing the children within the class, (e.g. Bulgaria, Sudan, Poland, Spain and Ireland). After identifying each representative country, the children stuck their flag to the map. They were also all given a sticker to put on their uniform for the day (which is shown in the picture.) As one of the boys comes from Ireland the teacher asked if I could represent the British flag being from Northern Ireland were we can have dual nationality. This caused the Irish boy to ask questions when he went home as he was confused about why I would say I have a different flag to him. The next morning his mother came to me explaining that she had a ‘political debate’ with her son to explain that I came from a special part of Ireland. This experience reinforces that celebrating diversity is not always simple, as it shows the complexity of highlighting differences in cultures that are not always celebrated, but rather have been the basis for division, war and murder. Diversity can be sensitive and challenging and is not all sweetness and light!

In order for a teacher to model the skills, behaviours and attitudes, (like respect for other cultures and understanding different faiths from their own), pupils and teachers need opportunities to be exposed to them themselves and to work through their own thoughts, feelings and prejudices. This is one of the benefits of being involved in Erasmus. It has been an eye opening experience regarding my perspective on education and culture. Although I cannot say I agree with all the methods and traditions I have been exposed to, it has given me a different perspective and appreciation for cultures, languages and faiths within the classroom. I have a better understanding of how to try and grasp a balance between exposing separateness and uniqueness alongside creating self-worth and togetherness. Due to Northern Ireland having a growing population of Polish immigrants I feel that this experience has highlighted the importance of GTCNI Competency 8 (2006), through having a greater understanding and knowledge of the Polish culture and language.

Reference

·  CCEA, (2007) The Northern Ireland Curriculum Primary, Belfast, A CCEA Publication.

· General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (2006) Teaching: The Reflective Profession: Belfast.

·  IILT and SELB, (2007) Toolkit for Diversity: In the Primary School, Dublin and Armagh, an IILT and SELB Publication.