FIFTH WEEK

Monday, 25/02                          EDUCATION AT A GLANCE:

We had to compare the education in differents countries. We started with an introduction and then we put in countries groups and we interpreted all these points in our countries:

• ARTEFACTS - SURFACE
• loudly, noisy, talkative
• cheater
• lazy
• all teachers have nicknames ridiculous
• teachers = controller

• VALUES - NORMS
• cooperation
• work in groups
• inclusive
• final marks more than the process

• BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
•  crisis = private schools
• politicians use the education system in order to have the society in their control.
• lack of authority and trust in the teacher and educative system.

• STRUCTURE
•  Kindergarten _ 3 years
• Primary school _ 6 years
• Secundary school _ 4 years

THE ENCYCLOPEDIC APPROACH - FRANCE, ITALY, PORTUGAL, SPAIN AND BELGIUM

1. Uniformity
- All children should acquire knowledge on as many issues as possible (encyclopaedically).
- Teaching of equal quality: the same curriculum, same methods, same books, same progression.
- Standardised and centrally managed tests to ensure the same quality.

2. Rationality
- Logical way of thinking, no religion, no emotions.
- Exactness in language and arguments.
- Clear precise demands.
- Understanding of structures and systems.
- Science, Mathematics, French...

3. Elitism
- Competition as a method in teaching and career (no cooperation).
- The private school and grand ecoles as a parallel system to the public.

THE HUMANISTIC APPROACH - GREAT BRITAIN, AND EMPIRE. THE IDEAL: THE GENTLEMAN

1. High moral standard
The individual will develop empathy, sense of duty, responsability. Prepared to take leadership.
History, literature, philosophy.

2. Individualism
Close contact between student and teacher. The tutor system. Learning is an individualised inductive proces and cannot be uniform and systematic.

3. Specialisation
Very early: 16 years. You choose the few subjects you want to study. Nobody should force you to waste time os issues you do not feel for.

THE NATURALISTIC APPROACH - GERMANY, THE NETHERLANDS, SKANDINAVIA

1. Community needs form the structure of the educational system (economic viewpoint). The teachers stream the children: Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium (only 5%, the rest is waste). School prepares for future jobs. Everyone has a function in the community. Every job has its own dignity.
Shared values: Duty, industriousness, cooperation.

2. The school imitates the parents' way of the socialising. Parents have much influence. Learning by imitating. "Master learning". Proces is as important as product. Skills oriented.

Thursday, 28/02                          ERASMUS TRIP:

Today, we did a study trip to Bakkeskolen in Kolding. This visit was very interesting for me because this school will be where I will do my school experience in 3 weeks.
At first, we went inside in a class mixing with international students. In my group was Nele, Ramona and Christina (danish student). We talked a little about all kinds of things that we were interested. she told us that all classes are enabled to connect laptots and normally, the children start tot use at seventh grade.
The international students study 5 languages (includind Spanish). They start tot study English at 9 years old (third grade), but before they know how to speak because all television is in english or with subtitles.
They have not exams all years. So all students are very lazy and they have not a lot of homework..
They can do wherever they want. they respect the teacher and the teacher respects them. The relationship with the teacher are very friendly, but they cumply always with the rules.

After lunch, we visited the rest of the school (library, children's part, kindergarten...) and at 10 o'clock we worked together about Human Rights with the international students. They were 16 years old:

 

 Then, the visit around the school. All the children's part is decorated with pictures about Andersen:

 

 In the afternoon, we went to visit Koldinghus Castle: