Migration Matters
The meeting in Andernach, Germany
23rd – 27th October 2017
The meeting in Andernach as the kick-off meeting of our partnership has been declared in our Erasmus+ application as a "transnational meeting" so that organizational issues of our partnership are addressed. During the meeting, the teachers decided on the detailed schedule, i.e. when the meeting in every partner school will take place. Also, they specified the topics to be dealt with, planned activities and results of each meeting. By working in groups, they created questionnaires for both teachers and students to be used at every meeting. However, according to the agenda of our project, we also involved teachers in activities that would contribute to their professional development. Focusing on their pedagogical skills we organized for them to share their experiences in evaluation methods. Two collections were created: evaluation methods (available here) and ice-breaking activities (available here).
Moreover, as foreseen in our application, we had students participating in the meeting. There were several reasons that we considered for their participation. The first reason was that we wanted them to negotiate along with their teachers the planned activities for future meetings. The second reason was that we asked them to suggest and decide on the project's logo (all the suggestions and the final logo chosen is available at the "Logo Migration Matters" link of our twinspace. Last, we needed students to address migration matters due to refugees and migrants nowadays so before the meeting, each partner school studied and presented issues related to refugees and migrants in our countries nowadays. The material is available at "Refugees and Migrants today" link of our twinspace.
Monday, 23rd October 2017
On the first day, students were welcomed with some icebreaker games. Everybody was having fun. At the same time, the teachers also got to know each other. Although our partnership includes 7 partners who have already collaborated in previous projects there are 2 new partner schools as well as new colleagues so we were introduced and got acquainted with each other.
Then we started doing our first task. Working in national groups we had to draw a suitcase with useful things in it. But all of these items had to symbolize something and show expectations and aims of the project. We also voted for the best logo of the project. Then the students (in international groups) went on a trip to Andernach. We were looking for answers to the questions which we had been given by our coordinators.
At the same time, the teachers had a meeting in order to inspect the project's application and the rationale of the project's implementation. We arranged practical issues such as the meeting's timetable and we negotiated on the doability of the activities described on the application. Partners suggested possible changes, alterations, and enrichment.
After these activities, some of us went to Andernach again to see the Gaysir.
Tuesday, 24th October 2017
In the morning we got our new tasks. We had to prepare some interviews. Every group had to ask some questions to migrants (mostly the teachers from the school in Andernach). Then we showed the results in the form of multimedia presentations or posters.
After lunch (prepared by our teachers and coordinators) students spent a few hours in Kandi Turm, one of the biggest local sports centers. Some of us went climbing and others played badminton. It was an amazing experience.
Friday, 27th October 2017
That day we presented the results of our group work during the project. Later we went to Andernach to meet the mayor of the town. He told us some interesting facts from the history of the town and migrants who live in Andernach. Students had the chance to talk to him and ask him any questions they wanted.
In the afternoon, the teachers gathered in the German school and had another meeting. They discussed practical issues such as the tasks that each partner undertakes and we also went through the suggested implementation and the research and activities to be organized prior to and during the meetings.
In the evening our German hosts organized a farewell party for all the students. Everybody was dancing and having fun. Then we had to say good bye to each other and go to our host families' houses.
Wednesday, 25th October 2017
All the students, working in groups, created something connected with migrations. The first group painted posters presenting the situation of migrants. The second wrote a song about migrations. The third made a model and a sculpture. The last group drew a map showing the main directions of migrations all over the world.
The teachers had a meeting dedicated to evaluation methods. They exchanged ideas and good practices regarding ways to implement icebreaking activities and to evaluate the meetings of our project. We agreed to create a common pool of suggested practices in the twinspace of our partnership.
Thursday, 26th October 2017
In the morning we had some time to finish the silhouettes whose preparation had been started before the meeting in Germany.
Then students and the teachers went together on a trip to Cochem, a beautiful town near Andernach. We all visited a beautiful castle. The building is so impressive! After the tour of the castle we went on a boat trip down the Moselle River. The last part of that day was a dinner in a restaurant. We had a chance to taste some of the most popular traditional German dishes.