Did you know...

... we went to Kolding last Saturday?
... I went with Maté, Noémi, Zeb and Eliska?
... I was on time at the house to leave?
... we saw the castle, the shopping centre, the church and many more?
... we had lunch in the streets of Kolding?
... Eliska went for a swim?
... we went to a nursery museum?
... it was oké, but we won't repeat that museum?
... we went to the fjord?
... the fjord is beautiful?
... I played poker that evening?
... I can play poker now?
... I didn't lose, but also didn't win?
... we ate international food?
... it was 'njammie!
... I will cook next time?
... we had art lesson this week?
... we got coffee during the lesson?
... we had to draw portrets?
... I already did this in Belgium?
... you can see the result on the pictures?
... it was Eliska's birthday on Wednesday?
... we got a 'Werther's Original'?
... she gave a party?
... that this party was fun?
... we played games?
... it were difficult but fun games?
... we arrived late at home?
... we had to see movies in school (after this party)?
... my eyes were 'a little bit' tired?
... I joined the 'erasmuschoir' this week?
... we sang a few songs?
... it was fun?

school visit: Kristne Friskole

On wednesday the 25th of February we (Misa, Eliska and me) went to the Kristne Friskole in Harderslev. When we arrived the teachers invited us to the staff room. It's was very nice in there. All teachers spoke with us, offered us coffie, the, Danish bolls, breakfast,...This school is a smaller school then the last one we visited. This one is a private school with 150 pupils. Every morning they start with a prayer. All pupils and teachers are gathered in the hall were they sing and pray.

After the prayer we went to see an English lesson. We had to introduce ourselves in English, so that was easy. Wait till we had to do this in Danish... They had to read a text. I think this took to much time, some of the pupils started to wisper, started to move on their chairs,... . After they read the text, they had to do a grouptask. They had to combine sentences from the text. It's good that they do this in groups because they will learn from eachother. I noticed that groupwork and learning from another is very importent in the Danisch schools.

The next lesson we saw was again an English lesson with the same teacher. I don't have to teach English but I thougt that maybe I could find a new practice method to teach language. The children had to read a text and after that they had a listening exercice. In this class there were 2 teachers. The other teacher was helping 3 other pupils who had difficulties with English. Maybe it's good to have a helping hand in the classroom. The weak pupils get extra help and the stronger one's can continue on their own level.

After two lessons of English it was time for something else! A music lesson, I really looked forward to see this lesson. Maybe it will give me some new ideas! And yes, I found one! All the children listend to Vivaldi and the four season. There was a stop after every season and the children had to tell what they tought, how they feld,... Then they listend again and they had to tell which season it was. I will use this in my own music lessons. Nice detail: they had their own music class. Wauw, this was so big en so much space. There were instruments all over the place. I want this to! You have so many possibility's in a big room then in just a small classroom.

And for the last lesson, we saw English again. But this was special... We introduced ourselves in Danish. Jeg hedder Anja. Jeg kommer fra Belgien. Jeg er treogtyve ar. (It's a special a but I can't do this on my computer...) After the introduction the pupils asked if we could say something in our own languages. I said something and the teacher answered me back in Flamish... Finally, I could speak in my own language! Woehoe! After the lesson I spoke with her in my language and i turns out that she lived in Roosendaal, 5 kilometers away from the place where I live. Small world, isn't it?

I have found a few differences comparing to Belgium:

- Teachers are teaching 28 hours a week. I have to teach 36 hours. Teachers in Denmark can correct tasks and evalutions when they are free. We have to do this in the evenings.

- When teachers are free they can help weakers students in the classroom. In belgium we have special 'remedial teachers' to help those pupils.

- In the Kristne Friskole they work with grades and I still don't know what grade is what age. I know they have a primary and lower secundary school. The children are going to the same school till they are 15 or 16 years old. In Belgium that age is 12 and after that they go to the secundary school.

A colorfull lesson!

Yesterday we had a very special lesson about language and identity. In the beginning she told us what she had planned. I wanted to run away. Coloring with crayons to think about language, making a poem,... that's nothing for me. I thougt... but at the end I have to say I liked the lesson. We started to make a language portrait. You can see it in the picture. I have some explaining to do here.

Yellow: Dutch

This is my mother tongue, that's why I putted it close to my heart. But it's also over whole my body because I don't need to think about what I'm gonna say, how I am gonna say it,...

Blue: English

The English is in my brain. I'm always thinking how I'm gonna say things, what's the word for something.

Green: French

The French part has the same size as the English part because I learned French for a long time. I can understand, speak an writh French but again, I really need to think how to express myself in French.

Dark green: German

In my hands is the German language. I don't speak but I can understand it. I have to use my hands to express myself.

Brown: Danish

The Danish language is in my feet. I'm learning it step by step.

Reflection about this task:

- I was suprised that everyone knows more then 3 languages. I also learned a few new languages like some 'gipsylanguages'. I didn't knew that it existed.

- I don't know if I will use it because children in our primary schools know only one language. When they are 11 years old they learn French. But in the last two years of primary school it's a good instrument for evaluation. You can let the children color their languages and how think about it. So the teacher can see how they're feelings are towards the languages.

After this task we had to make a poem. An 'eleven word' poem. Better known as 'een elfje'.

yellow

the sun

in blue sky

I want some warmth

happy

presentations

Last week we had two presentations. Let's start on the first one. I had to talk about the school system in Belgium. First I started to tell that we speak different languages and that has his effect on the system. After that I continued with the Flamisch schoolsystem. A difference with Denmark is that the secundary school is split up. The children go to kindergarden, the same as us. But they have primary school and lower secundary school. After that they go to the upper secundary school. When they finish that, they go to higher education or universities. It's much more complicated then in Belgium. Another difference is in the teaching. Students who want to be a teacher need to choose 4 subjects. In stead of teaching everything, like me, they teach for exemple music, art, English and Danisch. Maybe it's better, maybe not. I have to learn a bit of everything while they can specialize in their subjects. They know their lessons very well.

The day after we had our second presentation. I could make it together with Carlos from Spain. All countries could work together but we are alone here so we could make it together. Try to combine the Spanish and Belgium traditions... not easy, but we dit very well! I talked about the typical Belgium traditions like Sinterklaas, the fisherman who get shrimps out of the North Sea,... I also talked about the differences in nature like the Ardens and the seaside. I told the history of Antwerp, the town were I study. And ofcourse the Belgian bears and food were on the program. We tasted real Belgian chocolate. And I could see on every face that they liked it! We also tasted a Spanish omelet. Not bad at all...

On our own initiative

We had a few days off during the holiday here. So we searched for the adventure and founded it!

1. Trip to the sea by foot

Wednesday 11th February we were really ambitious to find the sea by foot. What an idea... It was a very nice day, sun was shining,... After a few hours off walking we saw the fjord. Very beautiful! The nature here in Denmark is really something special. You won't see this in Belgium! After we had lunch we tried to reach the sea but it was to far away... We walked for 3 hours and then we came back home. This trip made me think about the 'guerillatocht' at home. Walking trough the field, crossing a little river,... Those were my first thoughts about home and my friends...

2. Trip to the sea by bus

Saturday 13th February we went back to the sea. But this time by bus! And yes, this time we made it to the sea! It snowed the night before, so the beach was all white. It was again, beautiful! Especially because the sun was shining! And we didn't saw the sun for a long time!

Aarhus

The 10th of February we went to visit Aarhus. First we walked to 'old town'. It's a place where the houses look like lots of years ago. I really likes it. Snooping around in the small houses, walking around,...

After the visit in 'old town' we went to the cathedral. Unfortunately we had to leave sooner because of a funeral.

We walked a litte bit around in the streets and then we went to 'Aros'. An artmuseum were I would like to go back a. It is really big and we didn't had the chance to see everything. I liked this museum. It's was new, modern,... not like other museums. For this museum we had given the other erasmusstudents a task. We had to organise something at each point off the excursions and I was in the artgroup. We organised a search trough the museum with a few questions. Both groupes scored 2 points at the end so there is no winner.

Stereotypes

On 9th of February we discussed a bit more the Danish habits. We also spoke about our own culture and habits. I learned more about the other cultures:

- I'm a belgian because I like Belgian chocolate was one of my statements.
- I'm Turkish because I drink Turkish the in a special cup.
- I'm Hongarian because I like paprika and kissing in the streets.
- I'm Hongarian because I paint Easter eggs.
- I'm Polish because I drink wodka.
- I'm Czech because I play music instruments.
- ...

After this we learned about a Belgian man: Geert Hofstede. I told with a red blush on my cheeks that I have never heard of him... Bad teachers at KdG... Geert Hofstede talks about culture. There are symbols, heroes, rituals and values in every culture and all parts have an effect on another part.