6th Transnational Project Meeting, 5th Joint Staff Training Event and 3rd Pupils' Exchange

On the (unusually sunny) first week of May, the 6^th Transnational Project meeting was hosted by Viltis Progymnasium in Panevėžys, Lithuania, involving 22 teachers and 15 students from the partner countries.

Visiting students and teachers were treated to an exciting display of Lithuanian traditional dancing and music, before a welcome from school Director Danutė Valiukienė and a brief introduction to the project from Dr Claudia Sabatano. Every visitor also received a miniature birdbox (made by the Lithuanian students) and I expect these are now on display in homes across Europe!

Over the course of the week, students stayed with families of students from Viltis Progymnasium and took part in their buddy’s classes and social life. As part of the METAMINDS programme, students did activities to develop their cognitive self-assessment, discussed emotions in school and produced a collaborative artwork using colours and emotions. As well as learning about Lithuanian school life, tasting Lithuanian food and learning some “survival” Lithuanian, students made many international friends and were sad to say goodbye! 

Of course, our visiting teachers didn’t miss out! Several professional development workshops were held based around metacognition, including a seminar on reflection, led by Audronė Tichanavičienė, and a workshop on mind maps led by Asta Sakalienė (recognised as one of the top five teachers in Lithuania!). All teachers also attended Claudia Sabatano’s conference on conflict, observed several lessons in Viltis Progymnasium, and played leadership education games with students.

The scientific committee continued developing the training materials for the online teacher protocol and discussed feedback from teachers and students on metacognitive strategies. Work also began in earnest on the tasks that will form the pupil protocol and it was discussed how the project is expected to take shape over the final year.

On the final night in Panevėžys, Viltis Progymnasium hosted a public event as part of the dissemination of the METAMINDS project. Visiting teachers and students were able to show off some Lithuanian language, music and dance skills that they had learnt during the week, accompanied by the very talented students and staff of Viltis! Before the official speeches, each of the partner countries described their school and the aims and progress of the METAMINDS project was shared by Claudia Sabatano and Monica Melloni.

Few of us had been to Lithuania previously, but this trip taught us a lot about the beautiful art, delicious food and turbulent history of this intriguing country (not to mention all the dancing!). On a visit to Anykščiai, we visited a Horse Museum, made traditional bread and saw the work of local artisans, including a weaver, blacksmith and wood carver. On our final full day, we visited the picturesque villages of Kernavė and Trakai, and had a guided tour of the capital, Vilnius, including sights such as the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the artists’ Republic of Užupis.

All visitors are grateful to Jolanta and the Lithuanian students, families and staff (Eglė, Jolita, Vilma, Rasa and the others) for being excellent hosts and for teaching us about their country. The next mobility is Portugal – see you there!

Written by Rachel Blackmore

5th Transnational Project Meeting and 4th Joint Staff Training Event

19 teachers from 6 project partner countries this time gathered in 3o Gymnasio Edessa, Greece, for the 5th international Metaminds project meeting and the 4th joint staff training event, on 23rd - 28th January, 2017.

On the arrival, the visiting teachers received a warm welcome from the Greek pupils who performed their traditional dances, including syrtaki, of course! Then, they showed us their school facilities and told about school life.

The meeting started with the introduction of the teachers' pilot course on metacognition by Monica Melloni, the general coordinator of the project. Later, all the participants had a Skype conference with Claudia Sabatano, the headmistress of ICS "Giorgio Perlasca" (Rome, Italy), who also gave a lecture about emotions in learning to develop and enrich metacognitive strategies of the teachers, taking part in the Metaminds pilot course. 

Throughout the week, the visiting teachers had an excellent opportunity to do a few job shadowing activities, while the committee (coordinators) thoroughly followed their own schedule, devoting all the time to working on the present and future activities of teachers and pupils.

On Thursday and Friday, the meeting participants had a great honour to meet and enjoy the seminars, given by the expert on metacognition, Anastasia Efklides from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Not only did the professor give her valuable advice on the teachers and pupils' training courses being developed by our project teams, but she also took part in the public event for the school community.

  

The Project Dissemination Event took place on 26 January. It was attended by a huge number of 3o Gymnasio teachers, pupils and their parents as well as Edessa municipality members. As usual, Metaminds project teams introduced their schools, towns, countries and shared the joy of the joint work of seven schools from across Europe under the Erasmus Plus banner. After the official speeches and presentations, the hosts gave an unforgettable performance of Action Painting and the school choir sang songs from Greek films.

 

Speaking about the cultural experience, it is impossible not to mention Greek cuisine. During the visit, we have tried a lot of wonderful dishes representing Macedonian Cuisine as the town of Edessa, known as "city of waters", is in northern Greece. The waterfalls of Edessa are the largest waterfalls in the Balkans. The power of water is really breathtaking! To be completely amazed by the miracles of Greek nature, we had an exceptional chance to enjoy Loutraki-Pozar thermal water springs, the healing properties of which have been known since historic times.

Finally, we explored Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece, a port on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. The emblem of this beautiful waterfront city is the White Tower, a 15^th century fortification, which is contemporary used as the exhibition space of the Byzantine Museum of Thessaloniki.

The meeting in Edessa has ended, but not the project. We have bid farewell to fantastic Greece and said many thanks to our Greek partners Eyanθια Σοφια and Eleni Kalaitzi, knowing that we will meet again. This time in Lithuania.

4th Transnational Project Meeting, 3rd Joint Staff Training Event and 2nd Pupils' Exchange

The fourth transnational meeting of the project, together with the third joint staff training event and the second exchange of pupils, took place in Institut Aubenç in Oliana, Catalonia, on 3 - 9 October. 

While the coordinators of 7 partner countries were mostly engaged in planning and discussing the project work and task division of the second year, 24 visiting teachers enjoyed job shadowing activities and 17 pupils attended lessons and spent time socializing with the hosting buddies.

During the meeting, all present teachers were introduced to the pilot teachers' protocol by Claudia Sabatano, the headmistress of the coordinating school IC Giorgio Perlasca (Rome, Italy). Visiting teachers also took part in Glória Farré's conference "Emotional Intelligence" and had a workshop on the self-reporting tool.

Students were involved in PE games, Art activities, where the emphasis was put on emotions in learning. That is how nice collages of their feelings were created. Another heart-warming workshop for students was organised by Catalan teachers and pupils' grandmothers - they made bath salt with local herbs, which later served as souvenir gifts for all the guests.

Visiting pupils, together with their buddies and accompanying teachers, prepared not only school presentations, but also performances of dancing, singing and poetry reading in Catalan for the public event which took place on Friday, 7 October. During the event, the students' video, filmed in Tonbridge, England, was presented as well as the logo contest winner and participants awarded.

Finally, cultural activities, so much enjoyed by everyone, should be mentioned. Catalonia has so many things to offer! Children were amused by the dinosaurs' museum in Coll de Nargo, which is one of the three most important sites of its kind in the world. We also visited La Seu d'Urgell cathedral and the old town, went rafting in the olympic park del Segre.

The last day was dedicated to sightseeing in beautiful Barcelona.

Oliana is a small town, situated in the Segre valley, surrounded by the Pyrenees. Institut Aubenç is a small secondary school with only 15 teachers and 125 students, so it was like visiting a big friendly family! Thanks to Joseph Maria and all the community for their hospitality and great experience imprinted in all Metaminds project participants' minds and hearts!

3rd Transnational Project Meeting, 2nd Joint Staff Training Event and 1st Exchange of Pupils

The English partner of the project, the Hillview School for Girls, in Tonbridge, was the host of the third transnational project meeting,the second staff training event and the first pupils' exchange, which took place simultaneously between 18th and 24th April.

 

The 7 national coordinators of the project were present at the third transnational project meeting, 20 teachers of different subjects participated in the second staff training event and 22 students were hosted for the whole week by the English pupils and their families.

The Hillview School for Girls is 40 km south from London, in the county of Kent. It is a school mainly for girls, specialising in the teaching of arts, namely visual arts, music, theatre, dance and fashion design.

The first morning, as usual, was dedicated to a guided tour of the school. Each group/ delegation was hosted by a group of students, who were proudly holding a badge with a word "Ambassador". We could witness a very important aspect of the school organisation, when students are divided into groups, each one with specific tasks to be performed. The "Ambassadors" represent their school and always guide visits whenever there are interested guests. They showed the whole school efficiently and patiently, answering all the questions. The visitors were particularly impressed by the great variety and quality of the specific art classrooms.

Everyone had lunch at the school canteen, together with the students: the visitors, participating in the exchange programme and their English buddies, present all the time. The English pupils were excellent hostesses not only at school, but also in their own homes along with their families.

The school organised a wide range of activities accordingly to the project. A workshop in Shakespeare's Globe theatre was one of the highlights, as well as a choreography performance, rehearsed during the week, with the older students' support,which was presented in the public event at the end of the week, introducing the project to the school community. There was also time for filming a students' video, in which they express their opinion on the best and worst things at school and share their idea about the perfect school.  

As a whole, it was a memorable week for the pupils,who "grew up" with this amazing experience, helping them to face the world as one. 

The participants of the staff training event, once more, focused their attention on the teaching process and different methods, used in this school. They attended several job shadowing sessions and various lectures, based on the Hillview School for Girls teaching projects: Student Leadership, Teaching and Learning, A Performing Arts College. The project coordinator, Monica Melloni organised a workshop on thinking styles.

At the same time, national coordinators were working together on the project development. An important step was taken towards the definition of the reference system of competencies, which will be fundamental to all the project activities in the next two years. 

A cultural programme of the meeting included a visit to Tonbridge and Tonbridge Wells, a short tour to London, and a walk in Brighton on the last day, allowing the visitors to know a bit more of Kent.

This meeting was a close up of one more chapter of the Metaminds project, a moment of sharing and learning for everyone. 

Written by Joao Pereira Santos