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Projects

Gamification and game based learning- How to get lost in Italy!

Article avaliable also on EPALE.

Now February tends to be one of those months that never ends. Christmas is a vague memory and spring seems like it will never arrive- what better way to put a shine on this dull month than an immersive week playing games, solving riddles and exploring the riveting world of game based learning and gamification in the beautiful, ancient city of Bologna.
I arrived on the evening of the 5th after a slight mishap which saw me re-routed through Milan (tough life! :)) The sun was beginning to set and as I disembarked the train, the smells of charcuterie and fresh focaccia hit me in the food capital of Italy. Dinner was the first port of call, after which it was time to grab my first sleep in Italy and prepare myself for an exciting week.
The first day started with an ice-breaking exercise, my new colleagues and I had to write three facts and one lie about ourselves and then as we made our introductions, we had to guess one another’s lies- this set the mood for the entire week. This was followed by a tour of Bologna and a fantastic dinner. The next day the “serious” work started, Sara our trainer explained how things were going to work, the week was organized into a big game, first we had to create our player “avatars”, and then as we were separated into our respective teams the game began. Time for level 1!

We were first introduced to the differences between Gamification and Game based learning (GBL).
To keep it brief, introducing gamification into the classroom meant using techniques such as; timed challenges, point earning tasks, and other “game inspired” motivational techniques to engage students. On the other hand,” GBL” is the use of actual games in the class to promote the same goals, for example “matching crosswords”. We also delved into the pedagogical value of playing, how it promotes the acquisition of soft skills and stimulates problem solving, encourages experiential learning and increases the motivation of students.

Of course, behind all of the fun and games there exists theory, do students benefit from this type of learning? Can gamification and GBL really influence the classroom experience positively? Here we looked at the “Octalys method”, a study that looked at the motivations of the different types of players, their core drives and some real life examples. Level 2!

Level two delved into the extrinsic motivators and intrinsic motivators, how we could use “white hat” and “black hat” motivators to immerse students in their tasks, and encourage them to move through the game and accomplish their goals.

Games such as “Lupus in Tabula” were used to highlight these types of players, goals and motivations.

Level 3 started with an introduction to more traditional games and web-games that could be used in the class. From here, it was time to start the “10 quest challenge”- we were separated into teams, and each team was given the same set of “quests” to complete i.e. singing a song for 3 minutes, memorizing the core motivators etc. The benefits of this game were:

To enhances group atmosphere and energy
To create choice-based lessons and learning pathways that are both personalized and differentiated
To break down topics/assignments into a menu of choices, mission-sty
To give learners a sense of agency or autonomy!
To provide a simple way to gamify learning

In level three we looked at, and played many games “Battleship”, “Omars game”. These games are intrinsically connected with enhancing creativity and imagination, promoting positive atmosphere and energy and providing multiple and inclusive ways of expression.

Now for the last level. Level 4!

Using game-based mechanics to engage learners and motivate to act and learn outdoor
Learn to create online Scavenger Hunts to be performed indoor or outdoor
Learn to create Digital Escape Room style experiences

This was by far the highlight of the week, Sara created an unbelievably fun and interesting outdoor treasure hunt of Bologna. She imparted her knowledge and taught us how to use various applications to create these interactive activities ourselves. The main goal of this type of activity is getting students to apply acquired knowledge to real life, and at the same time, increase focus, and create a positive and fun atmosphere. During the game, we were able to consider the different motivation factors that were introduced to this activity, and see how it pushed us to achieve the overall outcome. Winning!

As we moved through the “levels”, we learnt more and more about how we can introduce these methods into our respective classrooms, and how each game can be adapted to fit the needs of our students. I was particularly interested in the online quiz making tools, the “actionbound” treasure hunt and the google sheets “escape room” activities.

Now I know this all seems like “lots of work and no play” but aside from the fantastic, interesting educational adventures we had with Sara, another person deserves a special mention- Alona. Alona facilitated our city tours, helped drive the dynamic of the group in the classroom and out of the classroom and overall made the trip extra special for all of us.

A massive thank you to Inicijativa for organizing this trip, to Sara for creating and leading an unforgettable course, to Alona for guiding us from one beautiful, interesting site to another, to the wonderful staff of Camplus who made us feel welcome in comfortable surroundings, but most of all to the colleagues I met.

Manuel and Juan- the Spanish “cheers” will never be forgotten, Gruia- you exuded positivity all week and helped cohere the group with your good humour, Alexandra- a real tem player, Cristina and Andreea- the good witches, and Edyta, Paulina, Aneta and Gabriela- you all imparted your own special touch to the week.

I look forward to using these new acquired skills to help create fun and interesting activities that engage our students in Inicijativa and promote inclusive learning. Fun times ahead.

Mobility of course participant is enabled within the project "Step up", code number: 2021-1-HR01-KA122-ADU-000018329. The project is funded by the European Union. Erasmus +: Enriching lives, opening minds.

Stephen Breslin

Projects

Knowledge transfer and workshops – part of the ‘Take Initiative’ and ‘Step Up’ projects

Article also avaliable on EPALE.

Our teachers – Adam, Maria and Tamara – participated in mobility activities through a course held in Bologna as part of the projects 'Take Initiative' and 'Step Up'. The projects were financed by the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes through the Erasmus+ Programme.
Each teacher attended one of the courses, and through an array of interesting and interactive activities, they shared the experience and knowledge they had gained with our other teachers from Zagreb in in-house dissemination workshops held at Initiative on the 17th of December, 2021.

In a workshop focused on tools for encouraging creativity and critical thinking, the staff at Initiative actively participated in solving creative tasks presented by our teacher, Maria. The activities included drawing, interpreting illustrations with the aim of reflecting emotions, as well as tasks encouraging critical thinking. Maria transferred the following to our educators:

knowledge and tools for developing creativity
experience and techniques for encouraging critical thinking
tasks focused on problem solving
the importance or creative expression and strengthening critical awareness within the group

Teachers Tamara and Adam presented the application of innovative methods in education – using new technologies and online tools in education (ICT tools). The Covid-19 pandemic brought big changes in group work, which was still predominantly focused on online learning. The challenges of maintaining group interaction and the students' focus online could be solved by using the latest information trends while teaching online, together with continually developing knowledge and skills in that area. Our educators were shown:

ICT tools for creating content to be used in virtual teaching
ICT tools for maintaining and strengthening group interaction and student focus online
The advantages of using various online tools in a bid to make learning easier
The importance of continually developing knowledge and skills for using virtual aids in their work

The workshops were held with the aim of transferring experience and knowledge to our educators so they would be able to implement it during lessons with their groups and, subsequently, improve their own way of teaching, as well as for the whole group dynamic. The implementation of these valuable methods and tools aim to improve the experience of face-to-face and online learning for our students, as well as strengthen the personal and professional skills of our teachers.

This project was financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Dženana Kalamujić

Projects

Erasmus+ Project – Intercultural Learning and Cultural Diversity

Firstly, I just have to say that my Erasmus+ Bologna experience was amazing, and I would thoroughly recommend that if you are ever given the opportunity to attend such a course to grab it with both hands.

From day one my colleagues and the staff were helpful, inciteful and understanding which only made the experience that much better. I also got the opportunity to explore Bologna and Florence which are both amazing cities with their own unique cultures and history.

Intercultural Learning and Cultural Diversity

As the title above suggests I attended a course on “Intercultural Learning and Cultural Diversity in the Classroom” and learnt a great number of skills and concepts that I hope I can one day implement in the school, the classroom and in my life in general. Some of these are:

The differences between “multicultural, “cross-cultural” and “intercultural”
The role of teachers and education in supporting students’ identities
How to break the vicious cycle of stereotypes
The link between culture and education and how we need to consider how culture influences the way we approach teaching as well as the way students interpret this approach
The importance of inclusion, membership, empathy in the classroom and outside it

Impressions of the Erasmus+ project

This course allowed me to grow as both a teacher and a person and has taught me the importance of acceptance, tolerance and understanding despite the differences that sometimes seem to divide us.

At the end of the day, we have more in common as human beings than might appear at first. It is just a matter of finding the similarities that connect us and seeing things from someone else’s point of view to gain a better understanding of them. A skill which anyone can learn with a bit of time and patience.

So, I’m looking forward to sharing the new knowledge I acquired on my Bologna adventure in a workshop I will be presenting to the staff and teachers at the school very soon.

I’m certain these new ideas and concepts can only benefit the school as a whole and create a better work and classroom environment for everyone.

Branimir Skračić

Project partners:

ELA: Erasmus Training Courses

The Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes

The project is funded by the European Union. Erasmus+ Enriching lives, opening minds.

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Projects

How to Implement the Callan Method in Your Teaching

There are some elements of the Callan method that can be incorporated into various teaching styles. Some of the most important elements are question-answer exercises, revision, and encouraging students to make mistakes.

Question-answer exercise

The teacher should prepare structured open questions to students, related to a topic (vocabulary) and grammar rule they are covering.

Then, the teacher calls out each student and asks the question. The student is expected to give the answer in full, using the learned vocabulary and grammar. If the student struggles, the teacher feeds them the answer, guiding them and supporting them in the learning.

BENEFITS of the activity:

Getting students to speak in the language they are learning, and being supported by the teacher, who, by correcting their mistakes, helps them learn the grammar, vocabulary, and correct pronunciation.
Giving each student equal speaking time in the classroom.
Boosting students’ confidence.

Revision is key

Each class should start with revision of work from the previous class, and each class should finish with a revision of that day’s work.

BENEFITS of the activity:

The more you repeat something, the easier it is to remember.
Students have more opportunity to learn. For example, if the first time they make a mistake in vocabulary, the second time in grammar, and the third time in pronunciation, by the fourth time they can perfect everything.

Making mistakes is encouraged

Mistakes are an essential part of learning, but fear of the unknown is engraved in us as human beings. In language learning, no matter how much we’ve studied or how well we know the grammar and vocabulary, we’re still scared to actually speak the language out loud.

With the Callan Method, the student is encouraged to make mistakes. In fact, it's their job to make mistakes, because teacher is there to guide them and to pick them up when they need help. They just need to build trust and let go of their fear of making mistakes.

BENEFITS of the activity:

Letting go of control in students.
Fighting the fear of making mistakes.
Students who make mistakes in the group create a stronger bond with peers and teachers.

Find out seven reasons why the Callan method is the best method for learning English online.

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Projects

Erasmus KA2: Our first hosting experience in the LTT activity – Creativity for Innovation

Reflecting on last week.

Last week our organisation hosted its first ever LTT activity within the KA2 project.

The project Creativity for Innovation is a strategic partnership project that aims to share creative methods within three sectors: creativity, adult education and language schools.

The aim of last week was to show you the Callan Method and complementary activities that we use to boost students' confidence in learning the English language, as the main objective of the project is to implement creative and innovative methods in the work of the organisations involved.

There was a lot we had to cover. Monday’s session started with a meet&greet and icebreaker activities where we all got to know each other better.

We were hosting staff from Storytelling Centre Amsterdam and Europass Teacher Academy from Florence, Italy, for the whole week.

The session started with the main methodology, getting to know the Callan Method and its principals. Participants could learn how the Callan Method of learning was akin to learning a native language in children, and furthermore, why repetition and talking is so important.

The Callan Method is a method that can shock you at first. Feeding the answers to the students and not letting you think is something most of us are not ready for when we enter the classroom for the first time. But the initial surprise was overcome when everyone got a little more familiar with it and used to it throughout the week.

To ease the initial shock of the Callan Method, which can sometimes feel intense, especially in the beginning, a different type of city tour was planned for the afternoon – a witch tour.

Witches have a long and very well documented history in Zagreb, thanks to Marija Jurić Zagorka, a writer and female journalist from the 19th century. Her books portray women accused of witchcraft in a positive light. If you ever visit Zagreb, you will see that the legend of witches is incorporated in a lot of the capital's stories.

On Tuesday, the participants of the project took part in 2 workshops: a Grammar Refresher, an exercise that always helps our students get their English juices flowing, and a Small Talk workshop, something that is aimed at higher stages and people who want to improve their business skills.

The aim of these activities was to show a wide range of materials that we offer to our students outside of the Callan Method.

We also partook in a roundtable discussion and talked about the principals of the Callan Method and other activities that could be implemented in the work of our partners’ organisations. The picture was still not clear on what to take from the Callan Method and how to implement it, so our job was to show the participants more depth to the method and all the possibilities it offers.

Proposed elements of the Callan Method to be incorporated into participants’ teaching styles were

QUESTION-ANSWER EXCERSISE

REVISION IS KEY

MAKING MISTAKES IS ENCOURAGED

Wednesday was reserved for our Book Club meeting. Prior to the LTT activity, at the first transnational meeting, we had agreed to incorporate Book Club as a part of the creative method of learning a language.

This adds another complementary activity to Callan. Here, students don’t have to follow the structure of the book, but can freely express their own ideas, feelings and reflect on the book in a more casual conversation, much like one that might have when they meet a friend. Book Club, needless to say, also improves their reading skills and understanding of the culture.

The book we were talking about was Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession and the session was moderated by our teacher Maria, and the topics we covered were family, isolation, friendship and mindfulness – all the main topics of the book.

On Wednesday we prepared a workshop on ICT tools in language learning and headed out to Sljeme. We took a short hike from Šestinski Lagvić to the newly restored Medvedgrad Castle. We had lunch at Sljeme, but had to leave some space for our evening activity – our Cook & Chat workshop.

The evening ended by watching the workshop at the school and eating all the lovely food we had prepared for the cultural night. There was traditional Italian Panettone and Italian sweet wine, some Croatian cheese and truffles with prosciutto, and wine again 😊

Friday was left for another session of the Callan Method and a demonstration of the exam. Here, some things finally clicked with the participants and they left hungry for more Callan demonstration, which we will incorporate in our future meetings.

To conclude the week, we had some evaluation and feedback where we heard that there is a lot more to explore in our school about the Callan Method, as well as our creative activities, and we are looking forward to hearing from our partners about what activities they want to implement in their own work.

Project partners:
The Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes
@StorytellingCentre
@europassteacheracademy

@OneDublinOneBook

🇪🇺 The project is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme.
Erasmus+ : Enriching lives, opening minds. ☺️
#erasmus+
#ErasmusPlus
#erasmuska2

Projects

Creative and Critical Thinking in Learners

At the end of this past July, I had the opportunity to attend a teacher training course, “Creativity for the future: promoting Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving,” in Bologna.

In brief, it was not the setting, though Bologna is indisputably breathtaking, it was the people I interacted with that made the experience so spectacular.

The course I attended was offered by ELA and our trainer was the ever-insightful Sara. I had the privilege to attend this course with participants from Romania, Estonia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria.

Facilitating Creative and Critical Thinking in Learners

Our main objective for the week was “preparing to foster 21st century skills in our students.” We covered topics such as 21st century skills, creativity tools and techniques, critical thinking - role to foster, problem-solving activities, and ICT tools to stimulate creativity and critical thinking.

Through these topics, we understood our roles as educators in facilitating a variety of thought processes in our learners, even if our learners vary in age. It was interesting to brainstorm and see how we could adapt our activities to reach all ages and types of learners.

Teaching Activities

During the entire training course, we were given many opportunities to learn by doing. Basically, we were given a little theory at the beginning of a topic and then were given activities to complete. The emphasis was on actually trying out concepts for ourselves, either individually or in groups.

The approach taught me the importance of condensing the most necessary points of a subject and then allow learners to fully grasp the freshly taught material through a given activity.

The activities we were given to carry out included a variety of media. Some activities were done through online tools such as Kialo, Thinglink and mentimeter, but many were not.

I appreciated the fact that not all activities in our modern classrooms have to be done virtually and that it is quite effective to occasionally go back to basics and use some variation of pen and paper. We must, however, ensure that we present activities to our learners that will incite some form of creativity and critical thinking.

Importance of Creative and Critical Thinking

In addition to the activities, we were given time to reflect on our processes. With so much happening in such a short time, this silent activity at the end of our training days gave us a good reminder to stop and evaluate all the day’s activities.

Through these reflections, we all noticed that we were asked to tap into our own creativity and find suitable ways to bring out the creativity in our students.

Also, we were asked to think critically about events around us. As we all know, information of all sorts is available to us all in a few short clicks. For this reason, the allotted time for reflection was a good reminder to check our biases and to ensure we transfer this thinking process onto our learners.

Impression of the Learning Experience in Bologna

Overall, the experience in Bologna with ELA has forever changed me mainly because it gave me a better insight into how to effectively teach from all angles.

I was able to observe and better communicate with a variety of fellow teachers (and learners) and those skills have already been implemented in my day-to-day activities.

Whoever coined the term “think outside the box” was really onto something, it truly is incredible to see the outcomes of thinking (and doing) outside the box!

Maria Grgić Skendrović

Project partner:

ELA: Erasmus Training Courses

Find out more about the event here.

The project is funded by the European Union. Erasmus+ Enriching lives, opening minds.

1524218777_logosbeneficaireserasmus-right-hr-768x158

Projects, Uncategorized

Soft skills and emotional intelligence for teachers and education staff

The training held on 31.10. - 6.11. 2021 in the lovely city of Bologna focused primarily on soft skills, that is, knowledge that we’d have difficulty acquiring through formal education, but which is key and prerequisite to successful work - especially when working with people.

The key words of the training were: cooperation and empathy, and through implementing those we covered the issues of assertive communication, teamwork and leadership, conflict management, emotional intelligence, nonverbal communication, and public speaking.

Through the subject of assertive communication, we covered different styles of communication, ranging from passive through aggressive to assertive where the emphasis was on how to successfully say no. We have clarified the issue of conflict by explaining types of conflicts, to the reasons why they occur and the use of conflicts as opportunities and styles of dealing with them.

Teamwork on the other hand was covered through various confidence building activities with the participants of the training and through the prism of good leadership - Goleman’s leadership styles and reflection on one’s own superiors. We connected the idea of nonverbal communication as a means of communication through which we receive 2/3 of all information and advice for successful decoding with public speaking - giving speeches and evaluating aspects of a successful speech; speech preparation, structuring, use of silence and audience, etc.

Each of these individual skills can be applied in multiple ways - from communicating with our students, where assertive communication, coping with conflict, and public speaking particularly stand out as important, not only when we teach but also when we communicate with one other.

I would particularly like to emphasize the importance of exercises that were based on teamwork and leadership – where we can act as leaders to our colleagues and students - who depend on our experiences and knowledge.

How to say no and a successful assertive attitude are skills that are of great importance not only to me personally, but also to our team where in addition to sharing various ideas with each other, we are in contact with students who sometimes don’t understand why something can’t go exactly the way they want it to. Exactly for these reasons – when someone else’s opinion is valued and respected but when we cannot please everyone, it is important to know how to set healthy boundaries and by using empathy and emotional intelligence to ensure both sides are satisfied with the outcome.

Public speaking is one of the key skills for all our teachers, unfortunately currently limited due to the epidemiological situation, but perhaps exactly why it was useful to freshen up my knowledge of how body language, voice, eye contact and gesturing help to establish a positive relationship and trust.

A unique opportunity to exchange ideas with people from all over Europe, including Estonia, the Czech Republic, England, Hungary, Turkey and Germany, going to Bologna was interesting not only in a professional way where I expanded my perception of the importance of emotional intelligence, empathy, teamwork and cooperation but also in a personal way because I got acquainted with the lively Italian culture and way of living that left its mark in my future thoughts on how to work and perform.

Natalija Benić

Project partners:
The Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes

ELA Teacher Trainings

The project is funded by the European Union. Erasmus+ : Enriching lives, opening minds.

Projects

Innovative Teaching Methods Course in Bologna

Choosing this Erasmus+ experience somehow came hand in hand with the ongoing pandemic situation. Since we have moved to online platforms to conduct our lessons, I have also been wondering how to contribute to creating them. Thankfully our Erasmus+ school coordinator made it happen. She sent me to Bologna, Italy to take the Innovative Teaching Methods course to expand my horizons.

Innovative Teaching Methods

The course was held in August 2021. Fifteen of us, from many different countries, explored not only these great teaching methods, but also the cultural side of Bologna and Florence. And all thanks to our educator Giulia and the whole Erasmus Learning Academy team.

A week-long course covered various teaching methods; from non-formal education, project based learning, to using ICT tools in classrooms and finally outdoor education.

Project based learning was the first method we explored. It is a teaching approach in which students themselves explore real world problems and try to raise the awareness by showcasing the problems to other students. This is done as a group project. It involves immersing yourself completely into the situation, all while developing communication skills in teams.

ICT Tools, Non-Formal Education, and Outdoor Education

Next were the ICT tools, which were my favorite part of this course. After working online for a year now, this phase of learning came as a logical continuation. To make online learning easier and effective our educators at ELA showed us some great tools: Socrative, Quizlet, Mentimeter and EdPuzzle. These tools are ideal for creating amazing content for our students.

Then we moved on with non-formal approach to education. This method generally focuses on how to make in-person lessons more engaging using various activities, such as treasure hunts, creating collages and playing games.

As for outdoor education, we combined non-formal education concepts with outdoor activities held around the center of Bologna. This way we learned a lot about the city and its rich medieval cultural heritage. The app we used here was ActionBound. If you want to know more about a city/town you're visiting, this app is THE tool to do so ☺

Impressions of the Innovative Teaching Methods Course

Along with these methods and perfect organization, it is necessary to mention all those people without whom this whole experience of unity and learning wouldn't be possible. All fifteen of us exchanged practices, ideas, past experiences and plans how to use all these new insights in our own lessons back home. We also realized that one of the most important things to take home from this course is: we can do everything if we work together.

Tamara Marček

Project partners:
The Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes

ELA Teacher Trainings

The project is funded by the European Union. Erasmus+ : Enriching lives, opening minds.

Projects

Effective Classroom Management Strategies in Bologna

Teacher's experience:Effective Classroom Management Strategies for Teachers and other Education Staff by ELA: Erasmus+ Training Courses for teachers and educational staff

Domagoj was born in Osijek. When he left for London for a few months, he didn’t expect that he would have stayed there for 14 years and that it would be an experience that would change his life forever. He completed the CELTA Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Adults. He came back to Zagreb in 2009 for love, and the first door he knocked on was that of our school, Inicijativa. Since then he has been teaching English at our school and loves his job. You can see him in the city, riding his bike speedily from point A to point B. When he isn’t at the school, he lives for music and travelling.

Domagoj Biondić

Strategies for Creating a Good Supportive Classroom

Very rarely can one say that their expectations have been exceeded, yet, that was exactly what happened to me during the time I spent in Bologna as part of Erasmus program.

The course I participated in was titled Effective Classroom Management and Strategies for Teachers. The main focus was on how to create a Good Supportive Classroom.

Among many strategies/techniques we were taught there, the skills I am particularly grateful to have acquired are:

Using Emotional Intelligence in teaching, as well as at work, and everyday life in general
The importance of Grup Dynamics, Cooperative Learning and Collaboration and how to achieve that
What language to use to encourage Growth Mindset in students, and work colleagues alike, when giving feedback or helping them overcome struggles
Conflict Management, that is, how to go about handling them (conflicts), understand them, and use them as opportunities to learn and grow
Different Instruction Teaching (Different Learning Needs=Different Learning Styles
The interconnection of the above

Applying Classroom Management Strategies

Upon returning from Bologna, I’ve been applying those skills in my everyday life, both personal
(as a partner, friend, family member) and professional (as a teacher and work colleague), whenever a suitable situation presented itself; some successfully, some not 😊.

It is my plan to pass that knowledge onto my fellow teachers and work colleagues through a workshop (and/or any additional ones if needs be). I believe it’ll help improve our work environment, communication, and understanding. It will enable us to become better teachers, trainers, managers, fellow workers and human beings for that matter.

Classroom Management Strategies Benefit Our Students

It goes without saying that our students should, or rather, will benefit the most from all this as we’ll be able to apply more student-centred approach in a class. We will cater for their specific needs, yet function as a group, and as a result will boost their self-confidence, motivation and enthusiasm. We will make them more collaborative, involved and engaging and thus making their learning experience worthwhile and appreciated.

In other words, it will be a ‘win - win – win’ (school – teachers – students) situation for us all.

In addition to the inspiring course itself, mentioned at the beginning, we also enjoyed some truly amazing out – of – class / outdoor activities that included a super interested approach to sightseeing, group’s dinners and lunches. We also visited Florence, all of which contributed to an amazing experience, made me appreciate every second of being there, and helped me grow.

As I like to say: I’m still emotionally jet-lagged from my Bologna adventure 😊.

Domagoj Biondić

Domagoj has already organized workshops on classroom management strategies for his colleagues in Zagreb and Split.

The project is funded by the European Union. Erasmus+

Projects

3rd Project Meeting – Virtual Visit to Ljubljana with the European Senior Exchange

From the 3rd to 5th of November 2021 we participated in a virtual meeting of a project we are partners of: European Senior Exchange.

The activity was led by partners from CDI Univerzum from Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Unfortunately, our meetings still cannot be held live. The project itself is aimed at activities for seniors who are a risk group at the moment, and therefore need more precautions when planning activities. Fortunately, the partners from CDI Univerzum were organised and creative enough to give us a valuable experience of their country and the city of Ljubljana in virtual form.

The virtual meeting was attended by several elderly people, one of whom is our participant. Through creative online activities, they had the opportunity to learn about some of the main cultural features of Slovenia and Slovenes.

Virtual Tour of Ljubljana and its Sights

The participants were taken on a virtual tour of Ljubljana with a personal guide, who was simultaneously walking with a camera through Ljubljana and telling the stories and tales of the city. This gave us the opportunity to learn more about Ljubljana, as we were practically right there. We also had a virtual presentation at the National Gallery. With all the art being digitized, the curator was able to show the art as if we were in a real gallery and, at the same time, tell the story of each individual piece.

We really felt like we were walking through the gallery and appreciating the art. This all gave us a better understanding of how Slovenian art and artists were being influenced and influential in their own era.

Review of the 3rd Project Meeting as Part of the European Senior Exchange

On the last day, we were given a crash course on the Slovenian language, where Croatians had some advantage, for sure. 😊 But nevertheless, we must admit that Slovenians are far better in Croatian than Croatians in Slovenian.

All in all, we take our hats off to the Slovenians for organising and mastering online tools for teaching and holding online meetings. This is one of the most valuable experiences we have had during this project.

We can fairly say that, although Slovenians are our next-door neighbours and we share a lot together, we enjoyed their simplicity, love for nature, and funny phrases.

Jelena Posavec Smilović

Visit our FB page for more information about the European Senior Exchange.

Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

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