Greg Quee Erasmus - Copenhagen 2010

Week 13 in Copenhagen

2010-05-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

Week 13 in Copenhagen

Personal Development

This week has been a week of savouring every moment as for many of the Erasmus students this was the last week we would all spend together. It was also my last week in school, which I honestly can’t believe how quickly the time passed. Last weekend, was very busy trying to prepare the last bits for our group presentation for Comparative Education. I also had a lot of lessons to prepare for school, so this weekend was pretty much occupied by work!

This week we were really keen to try and get together one evening, even though many of us still had school early the next morning. Claire (from France) very kindly invited us around to her flat and had cooked honestly the best crepes I have ever tasted in my life, everyone had brought both savoury and sweet treats and it was a great night, although in some ways very sad as we only had a few days left altogether. The night was spent laughing and reflecting on our time here. In many ways the three or four months is not enough time, as we have found that you only get to know each other by the start of the third month and then people are starting to think about heading home, it is very difficult to imagine Copenhagen over the next month without many of these people here. I am however, very excited about the possibility about meeting up with some of the friends I have made here in their home destinations and many of them have even said that they would like to come and visit Northern Ireland, so I very much look forward to that- Erasmus truly is the most unbelievable experience.

On Thursday, we spent the whole day together in the university as it was a day to conclude this part of the Erasmus experience, we spent the morning reflecting on all the things that we had learnt personally, academically and culturally. It was amazing to think back on all the lessons and workshops we had together and how much we have actually gained from this experience. The lecturers were also really interested in hearing about the positives and negatives of this experience and to gain our feedback for future years.

Once the conclusion of the course had finished we had a presentation of certificates and a goodbye reception for the others who were not staying, it was kind of a surreal experience as it felt like the end, however I still have another chapter of this journey to complete during the next month, and to be honest although it will be strange that the others will not be here and am not fully ready to leave this place just yet.

That night we all met at a Turkish restaurant in the centre of town, it was a great night of laughing and chatting and I can honestly say I have made really great friends here, I just want to take the opportunity to say thank you to them all for making this experience really special, I hope that you all have a safe journey home and that we all make the effort to keep in touch- I could not have thought of a better group of people to share this experience with! For those who are staying I hope to see you all next week!

Cultural Development

This week in the conclusion to our course we started to talk about the issue of culture in terms of accommodation and assimilation. I found it really interesting to note how much it has been the case that I have had to accommodate my way of thinking to some of the culture within Denmark. Simple things, which have changed my way of thinking have included recycling, public transport and even the type of food that one eats here.

In relation to cultural development I have also been reflecting on the fact that while on Erasmus I have not only experienced Danish culture but also the wide range of cultures that have been represented within my class.

Professional Development

In terms of school this week, I was really busy preparing a number of English as a second language lessons, specifically focused on tenses. It gave me a great insight and made me reflect on the challenges and rewards of teaching a second language. I really enjoyed preparing these lessons and was so impressed at how the pupils got involved in many of the active learning strategies that I tried to put into the lessons. On particular activity that I thought worked well was with a Grade 6 class, I asked them to form a circle and I placed a number of verbs in the infinitive form in the centre of the circle. Each pupil was then required to change the tense and then tell a story or sentence in relation to their chosen verb. They also had to state whether the verb was regular or irregular in the past tense. The level of imagination and correct use of verb tenses was again extremely high.

This week I also had the opportunity to take part in Christianity lessons, as they had been cancelled the last weeks for the project exams. It was really interesting to note how these lessons were very much discussion based classes, and the level of input from the class was extremely encouraging. One of the classes I was with, was considering the issue of Human Rights and Freedom, I tried to encourage the pupils to expand their answers and develop their viewpoints on the issues while in their smaller groups. After they had a chance to discuss in groups they were asked to feedback their findings to the rest of the class. It reflected the idea that each group became an expert in a certain example of Human Rights and Freedom.

I was extremely sad that this week was the end of my Danish teaching experience, I really enjoyed the chance to get a first hand look at how these schools are set up and want to thank the staff and pupils for making it such a memorable experience.

Also in regard to Professional Development we had our group presentations for Comparative Education, our group considered the issue of ‘How to teach more than words’ with an emphasis on social education. I felt that our group worked really well together and our piece of assignment work was also handed in with a more detailed analysis of our findings.

Hope everyone is well. G.

Week 12 in Copenhagen

2010-05-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

Week 12 in Copenhagen

This week has been another extremely busy, but interesting week. The majority of my week has involved school placement, however I did spend a lovely day at Tivoli gardens in the centre of Copenhagen and that evening enjoyed a meal at the Hard Rock Café, as well as enjoying a concert from a Danish Rock band. Every Friday, there is a concert on in Tivoli gardens during the season, called Friday Rock, which includes a wide variety of famous bands and musicians. You are only required to pay the entry fee into the gardens to hear the concert, which is a bargain in relation to Copenhagen prices and the bright lights of Tivoli in the evening are not to be missed.

I have had yet another week of six o’clock starts, so lots of earlier nights too. I can’t believe that I only have another week of teaching practice left. I feel like I have only got into the way of doing things and got to know the staff and the pupils and the experience is nearly over. I have also realized that this is the last full week for some of my Erasmus class, many of them are leaving at the end of next week and not staying on for the extra month to complete the individual assignment, so hoping that this coming week there will be a lot of time to socialise with them before they leave. The most amazing things about this experience is the contacts that you make across Europe, it is great knowing that you can perhaps visit them in the future. Already, I have made plans to meet up with some of the friends I have made here in the future and it is very exciting. Many of them are extremely keen to come to Northern Ireland, we must have done a good job selling the place.

I have really enjoyed the weather this week, the sun has been shining almost everyday and it even makes it easier to get up in the morning! I have loved seeing the change from severe winter conditions to the freshness of Spring- I don’t know why this has really impacted me, but I think because I have never seen a winter like that before and it has made me appreciate the seasons even more. Also I think that people in Denmark are generally healthier than people at home and they spend much more time out walking, cycling and sitting in the parks. I intend to spend a lot more time in Frederiksberg Park ( my favourite place in Copenhagen) now that the weather has improved. On Tuesday, we finished school early and myself, along with Katie and our two Austrian friends went to an Italian restaurant in the DybbØlsbro area of central Copenhagen. I really enjoyed this afternoon, we were able to sit all afternoon enjoy delicious food and it was a buffet too, so there was no need for dinner that evening!

Cultural Development.

This week, Tivoli gardens was the biggest cultural event. Everyone had told me that Tivoli is a must when you go to Copenhagen. It is only open half the year, apart from a couple of weeks in the winter for the Christmas market season. The gardens hold one of the oldest theme parks in Denmark, as well as a vast number of restaurants, cafes and even an aquarium. The park is very attractive and there are many different types of flowers, as well as a lake with its own pirate ship. I would definitely recommend that you buy the day ticket for the rollercoasters, as it is very expensive to just go on one or two rides, paying individually for them. Next time, I will definitely invest in the day pass.

The town centre has also been very busy recently due to the great weather, I have noticed that there has been a lot more tourists in the centre of town. I went to the New Harbour area on Saturday, which was packed full of tourists and locals. One of the most enjoyable places to spend an afternoon, it is a real cultural activity to prepare some food and sit on the harbour wall enjoying the view of the canal along with the vast majority of vintage ships. Often at the harbour there will be a few different musicians scattered along the harbour. Near to where I was sitting there was a great string band playing- I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world like the New Harbour in Copenhagen, it is definitely a one off.

One of the things I have noticed in Copenhagen, especially this week which has troubled and even upset me was that fact that in a country where there is so much wealth and the cost of living is so very high, there is still extreme poverty. It is very much a common practice to see men and woman looking through the bins to try and find plastic bottles. In Denmark you can take you bottles to any supermarket and exchange them for cash, or credit. Many people still throw their bottles away, in this case it provides a ‘living’ for people in poverty within Copenhagen. On Saturday I saw a Mother and Son collecting the bottles at the end of the evening in New Harbour after everyone had enjoyed their day, it really made me think how lucky I am.

Professional Development.

This week in school was extremely busy, the pupils were finishing off their projects for their presentations towards the end of the week. I was really encouraged at how hard the pupils worked on their projects and how much they had researched into their chosen topic. The start of the week was very intense as we were helping each of the pupils put their projects together and sometimes because of the language barrier this was extremely difficult. On one of the afternoons, we were asked to come and watch one of the younger Grades present their chosen topics for presentations. They were obviously not required to research in as much detail. They were asked to chose a destination and pretend that they were trying to advertise it, they had to include cultural facts, activities and history. The level of presentations was so high and they even presented in English as we were visiting their class, I was so impressed.

On Wednesday evening, we had to go straight to uni from school, so I was up at six that morning and was not back in the flat till after nine so I was very tired as you can imagine. The reason we were in uni was because some groups were presenting their Comparative Education research, my group were not expected to present until Monday evening, however it was very interesting listening to all of presentation which involved a variety of chosen topics ranging from bullying, classroom management and stereotypes.

The last part of the week, we spent listening to the presentations. I was very interested in how the teacher was going to assess each of the projects as I will be focusing on this element for my individual assignment which I will complete in May. Although Grade 7 were not expected to complete the project as an official assessment until Grade 9, they were still given feedback on their presentation. The feedback was based on a number of areas for example, how the group worked together, the research they carried out and how they presented their findings. This class presented in Danish, so at times it was difficult to understand, however I was able to get the basic outline of their presentations and I thought that on the whole the level of maturity in regards to their product was very high, if they can built upon this over the next two years before the official presentation, they will do extremely well.

Hope that you are all well!

G.

Week 11 in Copenhagen

2010-04-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Personal Development

This week, routine was well established again and early mornings (6.30am) greeted me each day in order to make it to my first lesson at school for 8am. It was great to feel a little more familiar with the routine in school and how things worked. The staff and the pupils have been so welcoming to us and I am really enjoying my placement school so far.

The weather has been so amazing this week and you could almost say that Summer has arrived. On Friday afternoon, I went to the Botanical Gardens with Katie and we sat in the sun for a couple of hours, chilling out after a busy week, the gardens were so quiet and you would not have known that you were right in the centre of town. One of the evenings, I went for a swim and the pool where I swim has a glass roof, the sun was shinning through and it honestly felt like I was in Spain- long may the good weather last! It is quite a change from the snowy Denmark I was faced with on my arrival.

Cultural Development

This week I was really looking forward to Monday night as my friend Matt was in Copenhagen with his band Two Door Cinema Club, it was great to get the opportunity to see a Northern Irish band playing in Copenhagen and also to hear a few familiar accents!

On Wednesday evening, I went to the theatre in Kongens Nytorv to see Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Nights’ Dream’. It was very interesting to go and see as this is often a text, which is studied for GCSE English Lit. The theatre was a very grand building, I even got to stand out on the balcony and took in amazing view of the New Harbour area of Copenhagen. The next night the Queen of Denmark was expected to go and see the play as part of her birthday celebrations so the theatre was already being prepared for her visit.

It was the Queens’ 70th birthday on Friday so many people flocked to the city to see her drive past in her carriage, unfortunately I did not make it to see the parade, however I made it down to the city later in the afternoon to soak up on some of the atmosphere. Many Danes also had the Danish flag on display in their homes as a sign of nationality and respect for the Queens’ birthday celebrations.

Professional Development.

On Monday, I spent the majority of the day with Grade 8- we spent most of the day preparing and discussing what they will be doing for their project exam. In Denmark, pupils get a two week period to complete a project and are taken off timetable to be given time in school to complete the project work. Most of the pupils in my class have decided to research the theme of ‘oprar and frihed’ ,which translates roughly to the concept of war and freedom. The pupils have come up with so many great ideas for their projects and I am already excited to see the end outcome of all their hard work. One group has decided to look at the troubles in Northern Ireland, so we have been helping them with ideas for the project.

On Monday, the Grade 8 class we allocated time to work in the ‘Eat Me’ café in their school. They are given the responsibility of preparing the sandwiches, salads and other healthy snacks for the pupils in the school who order food from the centre. It is a great concept and the pupils learn so many skills whilst working under the supervision of the café manager. The café is very modern, each pupil is given a t-shirt while working in the café which makes them feel part of the staff- it is a very clever and worth while initiative in my opinion. I think schools in Northern Ireland should look into the possibility of such an initiative in our schools.

On Tuesday, I had an evening class at UCC which gave us time to catch up with our Erasmus class and also to feedback on our experience in schools so far. As well as working on the projects this week, the Grade 8 class were given another task of lifting rubbish from the local community. They were given the morning to collect rubbish from a local park, in return the council gave the class a certain amount of money which they could use for a school trip. I thought this was an excellent idea and gave pupils an element of social responsibility whilst being rewarded for their efforts. This also gave us the opportunity to chat with the pupils and hear more about what it is like to go to school and grow up in Copenhagen.

I have also been working on my Comparative Education group project, we spent time this week asking teachers questions about the Danish School system in regard to the title of our project. We then have to write up our findings and also a response in relation to our home countries and give a presentation next Wednesday evening to our class. So as you can see, it has been a very busy week.

Hope everyone is well! Speak soon. G.

Week 10 in Copenhagen

2010-04-11T08:12:00.001-07:00

Personal Development

Week 10 hard to believe, over half way through my time here and this week has gone so quickly once again. This week I started at my placement school and also had a number of social things planned for the evening time. I really enjoyed getting into school and back into a routine after having a week off. It was great to see a bit more life about the city after it being almost like a vacant town for a number of days.

This week I was invited to a Danish couple’s home on Wednesday evening, who I have got friendly with from Fredricksberg, it was so kind of them to invite us to their home and it was great getting to know them a bit better. They both work in education so it was great sharing and exchanging experiences of education with them. It was also great to hear a little more about Copenhagen from local people. They also made us a lovely traditional Danish meal. Katie and I made cheesecake to bring with us to the meal, although the final product was delicious (even if I do say so myself) the state of our kitchen was similar to that of a disaster zone.

It was also really great to get back to the pool again. I am really lucky to have a 50m pool near to my flat and it is fairly cheap to go for a swim. One thing is that it is often difficult to find the time as the pool closes on a Monday and then is only open at certain periods during the rest of the week. It is amazing to have such a great facility so close.

I have loved that the weather has improved so much this week and the sun has been out almost everyday! I have even had sunglasses and flips flops on, quite a change from the hats, gloves and scarves from a few months ago.

Cultural Development.

This week we had another food event that was arranged by a number of our Erasmus classmates. Each country was to prepare something traditional from their home country. All of the recipes were put together in a cookbook and everyone helped to prepare the meals. All of the European countries made amazing meals. Northern Ireland were asked to prepare the coffee afterwards and we managed to burn the shortbread that we made and also the milk for the hot chocolate, good work team Northern Ireland! We did manage to save some of the shortbread so it was not a complete disaster, but a very funny and enjoyable evening!

I have also seen a lot of commercial areas during this week in Copenhagen, I went to Magasins and Illum two of the large department stores in Denmark, similar to that of House of Fraser or Harrods in some cases, especially in relational to the prices- they were so expensive. I also went one afternoon to Fields, which is the biggest mall in Scandinavia, it really was huge and so different to the smaller stores in Copenhagen’s city centre. On Wednesday, I also visited Bella Centre, which is on the metro line and where the Copenhagen Climate Summit took place, it was interesting to visit the newly developed area. It was clear that a lot of young professionals lived in this area and it contained a lot of very well designed apartments. A number of people from our class also arranged a trip to Ikea, as apparently you have to visit an Ikea in a Scandinavian country, however in my opinion it was identical to that of the one in Holywood exchange- it was great, however to get some cheap lunch at the store!

Professional Development.

First week in school and I could not wait to start to see how Danish schools worked after hearing so much about them over the last two months. I am in a state school not far from my town, the school has about seven hundred pupils from six to sixteen years, schools in Denmark are not split into primary and secondary like in Northern Ireland. On the first day we meet with one of our teacher tutors, unfortunately the other was ill this week, so I hope to meet her next week. We got a tour of the school and were introduced to a number of our classes. There is a lovely relaxed atmosphere in the school and the teachers are addressed by their first names and the children and teachers dress in casual clothing- which is obviously very different from home. There is a great pupil/ teacher relationship between the pupils and staff and it is so apparent to see the mutual respect and family atmosphere in the school.

I found it great to get to chat to the pupils and I was so impressed at their English, especially the younger children. On two of the days we were asked to give presentations from our home countries in the library and a number of classes came at different times to hear the talks from Katie and I (Northern Ireland) and Julia (Austria). It was amazing how interested the pupils seemed to be, and this was shown through their many questions, which were fantastic. We also got an excellent opportunity to ask the children questions about their experience of living and going to school in Denmark.

I spent the majority of class time with Grades 7 and 8, it was interesting to note and reflect upon the structure of a lesson in comparison to lessons structures in Northern Ireland. I think I have been given such a opportunity to gain more insight into what it means to be a reflective practitioner as I now not only have one view of an education system. One of the afternoons we spent in cookery class, this was an excellent chance to talk to the pupils and get to know them as well as picking up a few cookery tips. The classes in Denmark stay together through their school career, so it was obvious to see that the pupils knew each other very well. It is common in Denmark for school to start at 8 o’clock but on some of the days the pupils leave school shortly after lunch, if pupils stay in the afternoon the often have the opportunity to take part in handicraft, woodwork or cookery classes.

This week many of the classes had taken part in a music festival where they performed songs that they had written, we got the opportunity to see the show and it is clear that pupils in Denmark are very much encouraged to be creative in school and a lot of time and effort was put into producing these songs and the final show.

Next week we are going to be helping pupils with their project exams, which is a large part of the Danish school system and I am really looking forward to seeing how this is organised and what work the pupils will produce.

Hope that you have had a great week and are all looking forward to getting back to routine after your Easter break!

Speak soon. G.

Week 9 in Copenhagen

2010-04-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Personal Development

This week has been a very quiet and relaxing week, uni has finished for Easter break, however it has been typical that the weather has been awful- it rained for a substantial part of the week. I found it quite strange to be in Copenhagen over the Easter weekend as the town was almost empty- everything closed for a number of days and there were not many people about the city. It was great however to enjoy the time to relax and catch up on things after a busy term. I spent a lot of time going for walks (as the pool was closed also). It was nice to walk through the city without the usual crowds, however at times it seemed quite eerie having so few people in the city centre. I really enjoyed having the time this week to explore a couple of new places such as the Opera House and also to prepare myself for the next part of the semester.

Cultural Development

Over the Easter weekend, I went to a number of Easter services in the town. It was great to see how Danes celebrated over the Easter period. One thing that I have noticed is that there is not the same commercial hype towards Easter Eggs, children still receive eggs, however not on the same quantity as children (and adults!) at home. I went to a service on Easter Sunday at the Vineyard church in Fredericksberg, and then also to a service at the state church on the Easter Monday. In the service on Monday, the priest was talking about new life and what the cross represented ( or what I could tell from my limited Danish) and then the congregation were asked to put a daffodil ( again a symbol of new life) into a model of the cross. I have noticed that people in Denmark are very respectful of faith and religion – the state church plays a large part in the community, especially in the town where I am living.

As you can tell from the empty city centre a lot of people tend to go away for the Easter period. It is quite often the case that people in Copenhagen have moved here because of jobs or university, so many people head back to other parts of Denmark to be with their families over the Easter break. Danish families often have a family meal (similar to Northern Ireland) on the Easter Sunday and they often display the Danish flag, many of the churches had the flag on display over the Easter period. I really like the way the Danes have pride in their country and show this pride at special occasions, it is nice that the flag can be shown without being political.

Professional Development.

This week we clearly have had no classes as it is the Easter break. I have however, been looking forward to starting my teaching placement. I have also been trying to think about what area I would like to research and write about for my individual assignment that I have to complete during the month of May. As you can tell I have lots to think about over the next couple of weeks. I am really looking forward to seeing all of the theory in practice once I start my school placement, it will be great to see how the Danish school system works.

Hope that everyone is well and has had a lovely Easter break!

Take care. G.

Week 8 in Copenhagen

2010-04-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

Personal Development

This has been a fantastic week, extremely busy, but great. I have been really busy with university work, however I have had some great evenings in Copenhagen, hanging out with friends. An added bonus has been the fact that the weather has been amazing, everyday the sun has been shinning and there have been some amazing sunsets as we walk home in the evenings. The weather has changed so quickly- it is hard to believe that only a few weeks ago there was copious amounts of snow still lying in the ground. On Thursday afternoon, I had no class and I went into Frederiksberg for a walk in the park as it was such a nice day. In previous weeks, I had told you about the huge hill were many people gathered to go sleighing, this week there was a different social gathering of people enjoying pic-nics and even ice cream whilst sitting on the hill facing Fredicksberg castle.

This week I have tried to make the most of the time in class with the Erasmus students. The reason for this is that after Easter we will all be teaching in different schools across central and suburban Copenhagen, therefore, we will not see as much of each other and many of the students are leaving after the three-month period and not staying on for the individual assignment in May like I am. I am really looking forward to some of the social activities that we have planned for over Easter and into April- We have decided to have an International food event, every represented country will be providing speciality food and drink from their culture. It is hoped that everyone from our class will attend, along with many of our tutors.

I can’t believe I am now nearly at the half way stage, it is amazing how quickly the time has passed, how many good friends I have made, how many places I have explored and seen and also how much information I have learned- not to mention how quickly I have settled into the way of life in Denmark. I am so glad I have been given the opportunity to be a part of the Erasmus International programme in Blaagaard.

Cultural Development

Talking about settling into the way of life in Copenhagen, I had to go to complete my temporary residency form this week. Within Denmark , you are not able to stay longer than a period of ninety days without applying for temporary residency- Katie and I both went and afterwards we felt very strange, especially after the lady at the desk told us our residency form would be with us in a matter of weeks. It is a pity I cannot speak fluent Danish, or I would have definitely felt Danish afterwards. This week however, a Danish person actually thought that I was from Copenhagen, I took that as a compliment!

On Tuesday evening, I went to a small theatre in Osterbro, the theatre only held about eighty people. The play was in English and it was a monologue comedy. Our land lady invited us along as her friends’ son-in-law was the actor. It was very enjoyable, I have never been to such a small theatre before , it was a really different kind of atmosphere. People in Copenhagen often have concerts, theatre, plays and musical events planned in the evening and it is surprising how well priced they are, considering we are in Copenhagen, where everything is overpriced compared to at home.

Professional Development.

Last week, I told you about the tender for the Multi-cultural classroom presentation that I had been preparing for. On Monday, we all had twenty minutes to present our findings. We had to focus on a number of key elements, policies and ethos of the school, resources and structure of the classroom as well as staffing. We had to present in a way which combined theory with practice. It was really beneficial to hear about the variety of approaches by different groups. We were really pleased to find out that our group won the tender for the school- based on the storyline method of teaching.

We spent the majority of Tuesday morning presenting the work which we had completed on the Wiki pages in relation to Visual Culture. You can have a look at the work my group had completed by following the links below. I found this task to be extremely informative, not only in the content but also in the methods used to present of research, in relation to Wiki pages and also Podcasts.

http://erasmus2010.wikispaces.com/Group+4

(Task1 – Libraries in higher institutions & Task2 – Karen Blixen Museum)

On Wednesday we spent time in our Danish class recapping on a lot of the content we have covered over the last two months, as well as explaining a little about our family trees. On Wednesday evening, Globalisation and professional change considered the issue of there being one universal approach for education, or must national priorities be taken into consideration. We spent time working in groups and then we discussed our findings through a debate.

Hope everyone is well and is looking forward to Easter break.

Speak soon. G.

Week 7 in Copenhagen

2010-03-20T04:21:00.001-07:00

Personal Development

I honestly can’t believe that it is time for another entry in the blog, the weeks here are going so fast, it is difficult to believe. The weather has definitely changed and Spring is fast approaching, for the first time in Denmark I left the house without being armed with hats, gloves, scarves and managed not to freeze. The snow was great while it was here, however it is great to feel the heat of the sun- it has been so amazing going out for walks while the sun is out and enjoying exploring a little more of Copenhagen each day. I really want to get a bike soon- everyone here travels by bike, so I am going to investigate renting a bike over the Easter break.

The weather must be affecting the transport system because on a number of occasions this week, I have experienced delays with the metro and trains. On Tuesday, I got stuck inside the metro at the one stop for about twenty minutes, there were so many people inside and it is not an experience I would like to happen again. It has been so surprising as normally the transport is so efficient here. It is funny how impatient you can become when transport is so efficient normally, sometimes I get generally annoyed if I miss the metro and have to wait three minutes for the next one, ridiculous really when you consider Northern Ireland, where you have to wait an hour for the next train!

It has also been great getting to know people in our class a lot better, and I can definitely say that we have all become rather friendly over the period of our stay. On Thursday afternoon I was invited, with Katie to our Austrian friends’ flat to work on our project presentation for Multi-cultural classroom, they prepared a lovely lunch for us and it was great to get to know them a little better – and get some work completed too! I also had a fantastic meal with Claire, Karim and Katie on Thursday evening, we had a great conversation exchanging French and Northern Irish music. It was also excellent for picking up some French cuisine recipes from Claire!

Cultural Development

On Wednesday, I was off class and I decided to investigate Malmö in Sweden. I took the bus along with some of the other Erasmus students from the town hall in Copenhagen and we arrived in Sweden in less than an hour. It was amazing passing over the bridge, which I had been told so much about. We spent the afternoon exploring the town as much as we could, as the last bus home returned at 6 o’clock. While we were in the town we were stopped by a photographer who asked us if we minded being in a couple of photos for a Swedish soap powder add. Random I know! We agreed, and spent about thirty minutes posing for endless photographs. The photographer has told us that the add campaign will include our photo and be on the bus stops over Sweden, six hours in Sweden and I was already famous! I really enjoyed my time in Malmö, we enjoyed a great lunch and some coffee, it was really relaxing to get out of the busyness of Copenhagen and experience a new country for the day. The town had so much character and there were so many shops and restaurants to explore- my favourite was Malmö’s Chocolate shop, which had a huge variety of quality chocolate! I am now however, left with a variation of Swedish and Danish Kroner in my wallet – I think it may take me the majority of the weekend to figure out which is which! I found the atmosphere and culture in Sweden to be very similar to that of Denmark and would love to explore a little more of Sweden during the Easter break.

The major cultural activity of the week included a classical and Cuban concert at Copenhagen’s new concert house- ‘K3NC2RT HUS4T’. The concert included the DR UngdomsEnsemblet (a string orchestra) and guest orchestra- Cubita (a lively Cuban orchestra). We went to the event with a number of our class and it was an excellent evening. It was very relaxing and the musicians were so talented. The building was so impressive and included a number of studios – the particular studio that our concert was in had a number of famous musicians drawn on the walls- one included a little of Northern Ireland, with a print of Van Morrison.

The building itself was so modern and the design was fascinating, definitely recommend a visit. I hope to attend another concert during April to add to my musical cultural experiences! It is obviously a very Danish evening event to attend these small concerts – as the people looked so relaxed and comfortable in this settling. It was surprising to me how the concert was laid out, there were tables in the concert hall all lit up with candles and food and drinks were available at the back of the studio- very different to the lay out in Belfast.

Professional Development.

This week at University there has been a lot of private study and group work activity. This had been in order to prepare for presentations for a number of modules during next week. We also found out about our practice schools for after Easter, so we will be contacting the schools at the beginning of the week to find out about our classes etc. I am really looking forward to getting into the classroom and getting to start teaching.

On Monday, we prepared for our Multi-Cultural Classroom assessment presentation. We have been asked to work on a tender for a multi-cultural school. We have had to make decisions on the policies and ethos of the school, as well as the core teaching principles. We have also included a design for a classroom and an advertisement for proposed staff. Our group made a number of references to the theory behind the multi-cultural classroom which we have discussed during the course such as the Banks Model. The idea behind this approach of assessment has been taken from the idea of Storyline Method. This is often used within classrooms to involve pupils in the learning process through visualization. There is a strong focus on key questioning through different scenarios.

The rest of the week, I spent time on the write up for the Wiki page from the information that we learnt at the Karen Blixen museum. We also had to spend some time recording the podcast for the Wiki page. We used the space on the podcast to create a dialogue between an interviewer and Karen Blixen. We arranged the podcast as if it were a class of pupils who had been asked to complete this task. Really hoping that both of these presentations go well- they are on Monday and Tuesday, so will let you know how they go!

On Tuesday, I went again to the course at University of Copenhagen for Comparative Education. This week we considered the American Education system. We looked specifically at the States’ Campaigns to reduce the amount of High school ‘drop outs’. It was interesting to note that the Danish people in the class found it difficult to comprehend the high cost of education – in comparison to the free higher education in Denmark and also the considerable monthly payment.

Finally, for this week we had another Comparative Education class at Blaagaard- we spent the time planning for our project assignment and had an available slot to discuss our ideas with our tutor. We then had time discussing what is expected of us during our School Based Work period.

Well I think that is about all for this week. It is raining today, luckily I am going to be inside to watch the Six Nations- Come on Ireland!

Speak soon!

Hope everyone is well. G.

Week Six in Copenhagen

2010-03-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

Personal Development.

Week six, hard to believe! I am finding it very strange that I only have two weeks left of class before Easter and following the weeks’ holiday I am straight into teaching practice (needless to say- I still have a month of research in May, but some of the Erasmus students are leaving after only 3 months, so will we probably not see much of them over teaching practice). I am still really enjoying my time here, the city is not ceasing to amaze me and I love exploring all the little streets and cafes, as I am writing this I am sitting in a little café in the central Copenhagen, which is underground – there is a huge fire blazing and the tables are all lit up by tealights. It is amazing listening to the wide variety of accents – Copenhagen is a very cosmopolitan city and you meet a lot of interesting people and the coffee is amazing (and cheaper here too!). I also love the city because there is a wide variety of live music in the city centre, one of my favourites is a band which plays almost everyday in the centre of town. It is amazing to see the signs of Spring arising, the city looks so great when all the white melts and reveals it’s hidden character. Last Sunday evening, we took a walk down to the harbour by the canal, It was so great to see the water as it has been frozen for so long!

I found Monday a difficult day this week, it was a fully intense day of class after class- all of which were very interesting, however it was a long day! I wanted to get some of my portfolio finished this week too, so I decided to stay late at the library- It wasn’t until I got home, that I realized that I had been at uni from 8.45am until 7.00pm that evening- it was a great feeling to get the work completed early in the week though. I really like the format of portfolio assessment, I think that it should be used more often, it allows you to formalise your thoughts from the weeks’ classes and to present it in a clear and coherent manner.

The cooking has also been going well, one of this weeks’ delights included baby boiled potatoes with Danish meatballs- Frikadeller (they are fast becoming my favourite Danish dish) accompanied by a mixed salad and sweet chilli dressing- impressed or what!? This comes from the guy who would rather order from the take away than cook! I even managed to make a chocolate brownie cake too- I reckon I will make someone a great husband one day, even if I do say so myself!

It has also been very nice having the feeling of being part of the community, especially in the little district where we live. The people in the local shops are starting to recognise us and chat to us more now- which is great, especially when we are practicing our Danish. It is funny how quickly people recognise that you have come to their shop or café on more than one occasion- the people here are so friendly and I feel very settled living here.

After last weeks’ class at the Copenhagen University, our lecturer asked if I wanted to join the module at that course also, just as a matter of interest and not as part of assessment and as I am off on Tuesday’s I decided to take the class. The class focuses on a variety of comparative education situations – in a wide variety of countries. The module has had two benefits, Firstly, I am learning more on top of my course and secondly, it has been great to meet other people from a different university, especially as the class is mostly made up of Danish students unlike the teacher’s college, where the class is all international students.

Cultural development

In terms of Cultural experiences this was the excursion I was most excited about. On Thursday morning, I took the train out of the city, to Rungsted- the home of the famous Danish writer and artist, Karen Blixen.

I am very much a fan of her writing and the incredible story of her life. Karen was born into a wealthy Danish family and was educated in Copenhagen- she later married and moved out to run a coffee farm in Kenya, Africa. This was no easy task and she faced many unstable times, as well as divorce and ill-health. Whilst in Africa, and later on her return to Denmark she wrote many books - most notably ‘Out of Africa’ – which has also been made into a famous movie.

‘ I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills.’
Blixen, K. (1939,p.13)

I am most interested in the life of the writer, because I have spent some time in the region in Kenya where she lived, and have visited the town – ‘Karen’ which is named after her. It is amazing to note the connection between a place in Africa that I love and Denmark, the place I am studying at the minute.

The reason for the visit was to gather material and non-material culture for another project that we have to complete in relation to our visual culture module. I am very much looking forward to gathering and presenting the information with our group to compete the Wiki space later in the week.

This week I also visited Christiana- the free state in Copenhagen. It is an area of the city which is not part of the EU. The community is made up of ‘hippies’ who live independently of the rest of Copenhagen – they have their own shops, bars, cafes and produce a range of specialist trades/products, including wood burning stoves, the famous Christiana bicycle and a huge selection of crafts. Unfortunately, it is not permitted to take photographs in the area- so you will have to visit for yourself to understand the unfamiliar set-up. I found it interesting to note, and slightly comical that on leaving the area, there is a huge sign stating- ‘Welcome to the EU’!

Professional Development

As I stated earlier, this week at university was incredibly busy. On Monday, we started off the morning session with Multi- Cultural Classroom – our task for this lesson was to produce a format for accessing a Multi- Cultural classroom – we then had to put this into practice whilst watching a video resource of a specific class. We had to take note of such provisions as additional language classes, visual displays, community involvement, staff support among other essentials for a successful multi-cultural classroom.

Later that afternoon, we looked at the set-up of the Danish – Folkeskole – we observed such elements as the origins of basic schools and we looked closely at the concept of project examinations which are used within Grade 9 and 10 for assessment purposes.

On Tuesday, I had the additional module at Copenhagen University. The class considered the positive and negative traits of the relationship between education and a countries’ development. We had to work in groups and feedback through a debate. We also started to look at the United States education system, which I am very much looking forward to studying in depth during next weeks’ class.

On Tuesday evening we were asked to attend one of the college’s English classes- the class had been studying the Northern Irish film, “Mickeybo and Me’. The film considers the struggle between childhood innocence and the cultural and religious segregation of The Troubles. We presented a short presentation in relation to the context of Northern Ireland and then watched the film together- afterwards the other students asked us our view of the film and then asked questions about our own experiences of The Troubles. It was really interesting to note some of the comments and questions – the international class also attended the class, so there was a diverse range of viewpoints present. It is obviously a very difficult topic to discuss, however it was great that the four of us were present as we were able to add and comment on our own experiences.

At the start of the session I asked the students to discuss in pairs and write on a post-it-note the first thing that comes to mind when hearing about Northern Ireland. We then took time to discuss the results and place them in positive or negative categories or images. I was very sure that the majority would be negative images, however a number of results focused on the positive.

Some of the comments included;

‘the forgotten part of Britain’ ‘beautiful landscapes’

‘green’ ‘Protestants/Catholics’ ‘music’ ‘polite people’

‘friendly’ ‘history conflicts’ ‘Bloody Sunday’

We took their findings and then discussed some of the key words in relation to the situation in Northern Ireland, we looked at some of the consequences of The Troubles and then considered peace and reconciliation work in the community and in education.

Danish Class this week included some more conversation techniques, and even included some Danish music, which we had to sing in our mother tongue and then in Danish- this was really enjoyable and amusing. We also took time to look at some of the classes’ observations in the Danish language- every week we have to observe language and remember a key phrase or saying which we hear in the city and bring it back to class. I think the idea behind this technique is to make our language study relevant to everyday use- it is amazing how much we have learnt in such a short period of time.

Globalisation and Professional Change was extremely relevant to me personally as it focused on International exchange and teaching-, which I am very keen to take part in, in the future. The speaker gave us some excellent resources in relation to ‘How to go global in schools and learning environments for children and young people today.’ We looked specifically about how to allow pupils to create contacts through email exchanges with partner school across Europe and Asia. The programmes we were shown looked very effective, and I would most certainly consider using them in the future. Pupils can learn so much by exchanging culture with pupils of similar age, and in the globalised world which we live, this is so accessible to organise.

Well think that is about it for this week, hope everyone is well, speak soon! G.

Week 5 in Copenhagen

2010-03-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

You could say this week has passed like a blink of the eye… I cannot believe that another week has gone by and I am now into my second month in Copenhagen. There have been so many days full of activity that one day leads to another before you can even get a chance to fully rest! This weekend, I had a really enjoyable day exploring a little more of Copenhagen. On Saturday, I went to a flea market on the outskirts of the city. The market was filled to the rims with many items ranging from ‘retro’ clothing items to antiques and alternative art. It was very interesting to explore and made me feel slightly cultured. That afternoon, Katie and I went into town and there were flocks of people walking down the road with ice cream, we couldn’t understand why, as the temperature of the city was freezing- even colder than a winters’ day on Whiterocks beach in December! However, as we walked a little further we saw a new ice cream parlour, which made their own waffle cones and unbelievably good ice cream, so we could not resist and got one too-something for free in Copenhagen is an opportunity not to be passed by! It was very relaxing walking through the small streets and getting to see the smaller businesses in the town and little cafes and bars, all very quaint and cosmopolitan. Later, we met with the others and watched the Six Nations and had something to eat in the Dubliner-Ireland won which was a great way to end another good day in Copenhagen.

I have also felt a lot happier exploring the city myself, I feel really comfortable moving around the city and everyday you discover something new. On Sunday, I had a great afternoon to myself in Frederiksberg (my favourite place!). I couldn’t wait to go for a walk in the park but unfortunately because the snow is melting fast it wasn’t a pleasant experience, due to the copious amounts of slush. I went to the vineyard in the afternoon and was able to chat with some Danish people who made me feel very welcome. I have also been practicing my Danish in town, although I had a bit of an incident in one coffee shop, I asked for ‘en lille kop’, the waitress arrived with a small empty glass, and I was wondering where my coffee was! I should have asked for ‘ en lille kop kaffe’, then she spoke to me in English and I felt very embarrassed, ah well, at least I am trying!

On Tuesday, I went to a class at the main university Campus in Copenhagen as they were discussing the set up of the British Education System and The Education Reform Act 1988. We were asked to share a little about the situation in Northern Ireland. It went well, however I was slightly nervous about speaking in front of such a large group of people. The class however, invited us out for lunch after to an amazing Turkish- all you can eat buffet. The class was attended mostly by Danish students, it was great to get to know a few more local students. It was so kind of them to take the time to get to know us, this is a general representation of how friendly the Danish people are- everyone is so kind, welcoming and helpful.

On Friday, after being in the library, I had a great afternoon enjoying the atmosphere in the city centre. There was a very talented, live acoustic band playing at the fountain in the middle of the city and they were excellent! They sang covers including Jason Mraz, Bob Marley among other favourites. The weather was so nice and the sun was shining and the smell of the roasted almonds, from the street markets was blazing through the air- all very relaxing! I am definitely starting to feel at home here and I think that the experience of Erasmus has already helped me to become a lot more independent and mature. It is amazing how quickly you can adapt to another culture and I am loving living in the beautiful city. The experience of studying with other International students has helped me to gain insights into a wide range of cultures and I am learning so much from my peers within my class. I think you can tell from this I am most certainly having a great time here. It has been great to keep in contact with people at home as I am missing my friends and family a lot… please keep emailing and texting!

Cultural development.

On Thursday of this week, I had a very enjoyable tour of a number of cultural areas within Copenhagen with my Religion Class. The tour was designed to give us a flavour of the events and topics we had been discussing within our previous classes, especially in relation to Christianity within Denmark and two key figures, Grundtvig and Kierkegaard. We firstly met with our tutor at the National Museum where we looked at the Bronze Age exhibition and the Viking exhibition followed by the area which explained about Christianity in Denmark and the Reformation, it brought many of the things we had been learning in class alive. We also went to the Grundtvig and Kierkegaard research centre in the heart of the city. In the afternoon, we visited a number of Lutheran Churches which were unbelievably beautiful and peaceful places. It was so interesting to compare Danishes church buildings to those of the churches at home. We also spent some time at the Danish Jewish Museum. The afternoon was concluded by a trip to the Black Diamond. The Black Diamond is the city’s library where both old and new architecture are combined to make the most breathtakingly beautiful building. We were so privileged to get a tour of the library and were taken to the top of the building to take in the view. The tour of the city helped me to get my bearings of the central area of Copenhagen, and it is an amazing feeling to suddenly realize that a city that you thought was enormous when first arriving, is starting to feel slightly smaller! It is very hard to sum up the beauty of this place so I think that giving you a taster of my large photograph selection will give you an idea of the cultural places I visited this week.

A selection of the religious furniture from the National Museum

Statues of Grundtvig and Kierkegaard

Underwater statue of the mermen in central Copenhagen

Lutheran Churches in the city centre – note the huge organ in Vor Frelsers Kirke- the picture doesn’t give justice to its size.

Inside the Black Diamond

General Central Copenhagen

Professional Development.

This week was again another extremely busy week at university. On Monday, we continued with our Multicultural Classroom looking specifically at the idea of cultural identity and the importance of the family. We considered the Rights of the Child and what a successful family looks like. Tuesday, as I mentioned we spent some time discussing The Education Reform Act 1988 in the University of Copenhagen specifically discussing our experience of the Eleven Plus process in Northern Ireland. I couldn’t get over the quality of the facilities at the university – have a look at the amazing classroom environment these students get to study in, I actually couldn’t believe this was a classroom.

Wednesday was a very full day, but really enjoyable, it is good to be in the college for a whole day as you really get to chat with the others and spend time with them. We had Danish early in the afternoon and we got to practice some of our language skills during a conversation task with Danish students, thankfully they understood what I was saying which was definitely a bonus! In the evening class of Globalization and Professional Change we were considering the topic of ‘Learning from each other in Education’ and also ‘How to Deal with Differences in Culture’. One of the highlights of this lesson was definitely an active learning activity to show how difficult it can be for others to join cultures and the affect of those already in the culture. We had to gather in a circle and we were given three foam balls. We had to throw the balls and establish a routine without communicating. Once the routine was established (which took a very long time) someone from another circle entered and they had to try fit in with the routine- a very difficult task, however most people established the routine after while. We then had to reflect on how the task made us feel and the difficulty posed for others entering the routine of another culture. I am also working on my portfolio for this module as every week we have to write an answer to each of the challenges, I am finding this task very beneficial and interesting.

Hope that everyone is doing well and has had a great week also, please keep sending me the emails and texts and thanks to those who have sent me treats, I love getting parcels in the post!

Take care, G.

Week 4 in Copenhagen

2010-02-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

Personal Development.

I actually cannot believe that I have been in Copenhagen for a month now. It is hard to believe how quickly the time has passed. This week has gone especially quickly due to the fact there has been so much happening in university this week. I was just thinking today how great it is that in such a short period of time I feel so settled here. It has helped enormously making good friends in the Erasmus class and even better friends with the people I am living with. This experience has most certainly fuelled my ambition to travel and to see more of the world. It is such a privilege to learn from difficult cultures and we have certainly gained a lot from the Danish culture and indeed the cultures of those which we are studying with. This week I haven’t even had time to think a lot about home, although I definitely have moments when I miss my family and friends a lot – It is so great to be able to speak on Skype and to receive the parcels (keep them coming!), so that definitely helps!

My cooking skills have also been improving which will be quite a surprise to most of you! I made a delicious (if I do say so myself) pasta dish with freshly made tomato sauce- it was unbelievably good. I hope to progress to risotto in the next couple of weeks, so we will see how that goes and I will keep you posted.

I also had a bit of a disaster with my foot this week. The footpaths have been incredibly slippery due to the snow and ice. I stepped off the footpath rather awkwardly and twisted my ankle- and it was incredibly painful to walk on for a few days. I had to hobble my way to the twenty-four hour pharmacy in the centre of town and get a strap for it, Katie kindly made the journey with me to find the pharmacy. After resting it at the weekend, it is thankfully better again, however it was rather frustrating have to stay in this weekend. It made me appreciate the ability to walk about easily as you have to walk everywhere here, so having a painful foot is quite an inconvenience! This week I have also found were the 50m swimming pool is so I am going to see about joining next week and I am really looking forward to that.

Cultural Development.

One of the days after university our class organised a cultural food afternoon in a local cafe where they serve the famous Danish Smørrebrød. This is a variety of meats/fish served on rye bread and butter. I felt this was a great experience as many people refer to this when you mention Denmark, so it was great to see what they were talking about. We spent the rest of the afternoon drinking hot chocolate with our friends in the centre of Copenhagen, it is great to socialize with them outside of class time and listen to what each other had done the previous weekend. We are hoping to plan a day trip to Sweden so looking forward to that!

One of the biggest events of my week involved completing a visual culture assignment which I talked a little about in last weeks’ blog. The task involved comparisons between material and non-material culture in our teacher training institutions. We had to compare areas of similarities and differences between our home institutions. The group worked really well together and it was great to see the outcome of our work which was presented in wiki format. The task also taught me that quite often there are more similarities between cultures than you would first imagine. The second part of the task will involve exploring culture in a number of places across Denmark. Our tutor will be sending us to a number of different museums/ exhibitions for our research. Hopefully, I will be going to the Karen Blixen Museum in Rungsted. Karen Blixen is a famous Danish writer and is mostly famously known for the film and novel ‘Out of Africa’. I am particularly interested to visit the museum as I have spent some time in Kenya where the novel is set and where Karen Blixen owned a coffee farm. I couldn’t believe that there was a connection between Copenhagen and the place in Kenya where I love visiting. I am keen to find out a bit more about her life and I am currently reading one of her novels.

Professional Development.

This week at university has been incredibly busy, as I had stated earlier. I am enjoying each of the courses and I have learnt so much- both in theory and in practical and active teaching methods.

In Multi-Cultural class we looked at the concept of cultural diversity. Within the class, we also had to discover practical methods which could be used to investigate the above. The activity which really stood out for me was the idea of a ‘Me Bag’. We had been asked to bring five objects which were important to us and we placed them in a clear see-through bag. Then we (the pupils) had to explain in pairs why are objects were important to us. The aim of the activity allowed you to listen to the individual person without holding any stereotypes about them or their culture. It also made you realise that often between cultures there are more similarities than differences. I will definitely use this in the classroom, as I believe it is an excellent activity for the exploring diversity within the classroom setting and creates and excellent foundation for discussion.

Globalisation and Professional change is one of my favourite lessons of the week. This weeks’ challenge explored ‘how to deal with differences in cultures in a more and more globalized world’. We again explored the concept of stereotypes and we considered the idea of being able to communicate, understand and work with different cultures. In the second part of the class we had the opportunity to listen to a guest speaker (a Danish student) who told us about her work in Turkey working for an NGO – (Non Governmental Organisation) and how she was able to work and adapt within a different culture. I am really enjoying this whole experience, and I can’t believe how relevant it could be for me in the future as I would (if I got the opportunity) love to teach in other countries, especially in Kenya as most of you will know.

In Comparative Education this week we continued observing the different methods that the student teachers had practiced from their home countries in relations to making sure that every child learns within the class. Following this discussion we had another interesting discussion regarding similarities and differences between our education systems. Finally, we began looking at the Danish equivalent of the GTCNI and the ideals of Danish teachers.

Hope everyone at home is doing well, will fill you in on my adventures next week as I am now mobile again after the foot incident! Heading to a flea market in Copenhagen tomorrow and then to watch Ireland v. England in the Six Nations with some classmates. Hope you have a good weekend!

Speak soon. G.

Week 3 in Copenhagen

2010-02-21T06:44:00.000-08:00

Personal Development

This week has been hectic, I didn't know that it was possible to have so many things to do in just one week. It has been really great having the feeling of being settled somewhere new and having the confidence to move about the city on your own. Each day, things that once seem strange and unfamiliar, have slowly started to reveal themselves as the familiar. I have even managed to get the hang of the clipcard situation on the trains, it has been stressing me out for the past three weeks, however finally I think I have managed it! Going shopping has been a less stressful task also, and I now know where I can get the cheapest deals, however 'cheap' is an exaggeration in this city- every item is incredibly expensive. I had to laugh at myself the other day when looking in my basket, as the brand I have been buying here is called 'budget', and every item was from that brand- such a cheapskate ( It is honestly not even that cheap!) This week there has been even more snow , which makes the city so amazing to look at and the snow carries with it an amazing sense of peacefulness amidst a vibrant and busy city centre. The rivers, ponds and lakes are all still frozen solid which is quiet an unbelievable sight. On Wednesday evening, I took a trip up Copenhagen's Rundentaarn (The Round Tower) which was built by Christian IV following the Holland Renaissance style architecture. This amazing tower has no steps and you ascend up the tower by means of a cleverly constructed slope, once at the top of the tower you are greeted by amazing views over the city. We also got the chance to visit the observatory and gained even more spectacular views, it was unfortunate the sky was cloudy as we were not able to see any stars, I will most certainly be making another visit back during my stay. This week I also made a trip to the Frederiksberg area of Copenhagen, my new favourite place to visit. There is a huge park in the area, which is covered in a blanket of snow, there are also an number of huge hills where families gather to go sledging...we have decided we are going to join the sledging sunday afternoon gathering before the snow melts! Outside the park is a small ice rink, which looks like a scene from a movie. Katie and I also decided to visit another church in Frederiksberg on Sunday, It was really great to see another side of religion in Denmark and I hope to return to this church in the following weeks.

Cultural Development

As it is the season of Lent we decided that we would make pancakes in the flat, a great success although I have to say we did drop a number on the floor! However, this week we discovered that this is not a normal Danish activity. Danish Culture however partakes in a Nordic festival- 'fastelavn' which takes place the weekend prior to the beginning of lent. The children all dress up in fancy dress costumes and they gather to beat a large wooden barrel filled with sweets. Traditionally the barrel would have been occupied by a cat (shocking, I know!) and they would have beaten the barrel with the cat instead, the cat representing evil. However, we were assured that this took place well over a hundred years ago and doesn't happen anymore! We were invited to this festival with our landlady, Kirsten and her family which took place at the old town - Ballerup (similar to the Folk and Transport museum in Cultra).

This week we also had the opportunity to make a traditional Danish meal. We met with our class at one of the Home Economics rooms in another campus in Skovlunde, We were educated about the traditional and present eating habits of Danish culture. We were split into groups to cook an number of separate courses, from Danish meatballs (Frikadeller), White cabbage salad, red cabbage salad, Danish roulade, Danish apple cake. We were told by our lecturer that most of these would have been cooked in rural families due to the ingredients being cheap and they could also grow on their farms. The evening was a great success, and the food was delicious!

Professional Development.

This week we have been continuing mostly with our Danish language lessons, and the classes have been focusing on developing our confidence in conversation. The classes are extremely interesting and I hope that with each day the language barrier will become less. We have been also working a lot on our Visual Culture presentation which looks primarily at similarities and differences between third-level education institutions for teacher training in different cultures. Within my own group we have been comparing our home institutions, with representative countries, Northern Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. We have been using Wiki spaces and podcasts to present our work which has been incredibly useful and effective. This week we are continuing with our Multi- Cultural classrooms and Comparative Education classes along with Globalization and Professional Development, so another full week ahead.

Speak soon,

G.

Week 2 in Copenhagen

2010-02-13T05:02:00.000-08:00

Personal Development

Week two is drawing to a close and what a week it has been. I am finding it hard to believe it has only been two weeks since I arrived, it feels like considerably longer. This week I have felt a lot more settled and I am beginning to find my way around Copenhagen, although there is still much to see and do! One of the most difficult things over the past two weeks has been getting used to the transport system here, it is extremely complicated- even the residents agree that it is difficult to use! There are many zones, and you have to work out how many zones you will pass on your journey, it is much harder than it sounds! I am also slowly beginning to gain confidence using the small about of Danish language that I have picked up and I am being taught it University. I was sitting on the train the other and for the first time I was able to understand a little of what someone was saying, it felt great! I think one of the hardest things for me has been the language barrier and I hope everyday I will get a little more confident and listening to and speaking the Danish language.

This weekend we headed to the coast, Ishoj with the other Erasmus students and some of the lecturers. It was an amazing setting on the coast, where the sea was frozen. We were actually able to walk out on the sea, an amazing and surreal experience. The weekend aimed at addressing the issues in relation to cultural identity and also began looking at the multi-cultural classroom ( I will expand upon this later as there is much to say!). Personally, I gained a lot from the weekend away as I was able to get to know the people in my class a lot better. I was able to ask lots of questions and was asked lots of questions in return about home- especially in relation to the troubles in Northern Ireland. I find it sad that this is one of the most significant issues that Northern Ireland is known for, so my aim was to paint a different more positive picture of the Northern Ireland to the people I have been meeting.

I have also had moments this week when I have really missed my family and friends at home, I think for the first time this week it sunk in that I am not only away for two weeks, but for four months. I think sometimes it takes you to be removed from the familiar and safety net of home to really appreciate how lucky you are. However, I have also realized how lucky I am to be in an amazing city and the opportunities that are ahead of me here, I am thoroughly enjoying my course and it is so interesting to learn from people from other parts of the world.

Cultural development.

This week I feel that I have developed significantly- not only in relation to Danish culture but also from the cultures of the other Erasmus students. One of the most significant activities for me this weekend was in relation to a visual activity which we completed. Each of the students were asked to split into pairs, each from a different nationality and we had to draw each other and then fill the page with answers to a number of set questions, which were personal to the individual and culture that we come from. From this activity, I realized that for the majority it is about getting to know the individual person and not about stereotypes or prejudices that many hold about other cultures. I gained so much about other beliefs and practices/ rituals from this activity and was also able to share about my own.

This week I also had a class on Danish Religion in University and it gave me insight into much of the religious culture in Denmark, especially in relation to the Reformation. One of the things that I have been told is that Danes are quite reserved about expressing their feelings and especially in relation to religion, so this class gave me a great insight into Danish people and religion. Over the next couple of weeks we will visit some of the religious buildings in the town and I can't wait to learn more and these places, especially in relation to Christian III who introduced the reformed church to Denmark.

One of my favourite places to visit in Copenhagen is a small cafe in the centre of town. There are many small cafes like this in Denmark, however we have become quite fond of this particular place. Danes seems to love relaxing in the afternoon with endless cups of coffee and various types of tea whilst sitting in dimly lit cafes with candles...as you can imagine a very relaxing scene. One of the problems is, as with most things in Copenhagen- the price! it is unbelievably expensive so we may soon be on the hunt for a cheaper place to enjoy this cultural danish daily activity.

Professional Development.

As I have previously said I am really enjoying the courses that I am studying at UCC. The weekend gave us a great insight into our course especially in relation to 'multi-cultural education' ( as I explained earlier) and 'comparative education'. It was incredibly interesting to note the similarities between the education system in Northern Ireland and Denmark, and indeed with other parts of Europe. One of the main questions we considered this week referred to ' How to teach in such a way that every child learns?'. This lecture opened up a huge area of discussion from differentiation, professional development, active learning to the inclusion debate. I am really looking forward to the progression of these lectures as I find comparing education systems an essential part of improving and reflecting upon our own.

This week we also were split into our groups for our teaching placement and I can't wait until the block placement in schools to get an opportunity to see first hand what Danish schools are like. In these groups we again got to discuss what teaching practice entails in different parts of Europe. One of the most significant features that I have found out is in relation to substitut e teaching, in many cases, especially in Denmark student teachers can have the opportunity to work on their days off in schools and get paid for it also- this must be a great experience.

Within Globalization and Professional change we addressed the issue of Culture Shock. It was very interesting to note the changes that people go through when beginning to live in another culture. We looked specifically in relation to what we feel a school should look like, and were able to compare our knowledge of schools to different schools and their setups across the world. Danish class has also been excellent this week and I love learning new phrases which I can use on my travels into Copenhagen town!

Speak soon. G.

Week 1 in Copenhagen

2010-02-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

Personal Development

So, the time has finally arrived, the months of form filling, phone calls, google map searches, emails and conversations have all paid off and it is time for the adventure to begin! My last week at home was unbelievably busy. There was lots to organize and lots of goodbyes to say, however I couldn't wait for the moment when I actually arrived in my new home for the next four months. The night before I left, I didn't sleep a wink! I had a lovely meal with my family and said the last goodbyes before catching the bus to Dublin airport with the others. On Thursday 28th January at eleven o'clock we set off for Denmark and we got the first flavour of the Danish accent as we boarded the plane.

Once we arrived in Copenhagen, we were met by a student from UCC and she took the four of us to our accommodation. This was so kind of her, as the train and metros are not easy to use in Denmark, especially when you have to work out which zones you are traveling to and work out what you have to pay, (we are still trying to get the hang of this!). It was so great to arrive at the flat and get things unpacked and get settled. Our accommodation is really nice and feels like home for now! The first evening we endeavoured to go to the local shop, we have all been laughing at how such simple things at home are made into missions when you first arrive in a new country. In a book I have been reading it sums our experience up really well, ' Even commonplace activities become extraordinary, routine choices become adventures, and are often experienced with a sense of heightened clarity.' Young (2007, p.15). We have also found that shopping is very expensive here too, so we have spent a large majority of the time trying to find the best deals and cheapest options, very much the student approach!

One of the most pleasant experiences about this week as been the amount of snow, the place is covered in a blanket of white. Apparently there hasn't been this much snow in over twenty years in Denmark. One of the evenings we were caught in a snow storm as we walked home, a truly amazing experience! Katie and I also spent a large part of Sunday afternoon building a snowman, it was quite the challenge and I think we became rather competitive, however we were rather pleased with the result!

I have found Copenhagen to be a very modern and well organized city. Everyone here can only be described as very cool and fashionable. The people have been very helpful towards us and are always keen to give directions and advice. I feel that I have settled here extremely quickly and it is so great to have the company of the other Stranmillis students in my flat. We have all found it great to have each others' company, especially in the initial stages of our stay. It was also great to see the bigger picture of this experience during our welcome talk at uni. We met with the other Erasmus and Danish students and have already had some great conversations and we are looking forward to getting to know them more this weekend during our residential weekend away this Saturday. I am really excited about the modules that I am taking in University and can't wait to discover more of this amazing place.

Cultural Development

My first cultural experience has been in reference to food, typical in relation to me! On our arrival our ladylady very kindly set up some "afternoon tea' for us which included bread, cheese, cakes and Earl Grey tea (they drink that a lot here). The room was very dim and had small tea light candles lit. She explained that because it is often expensive to eat out in Denmark, people often invite people for 'Hygge'. The word does not translate easily into English, but basically means 'cosy'. We all really enjoyed the experience and are keen to Hygge again soon! On Sunday evening, we were again invited for tea, the meal included an amazing traditional Danish dish, Frikadeller (a type meatball) which was so tasty. One of our course involves learning to cook traditional meals and I can't wait for that!

Our first trip into the centre of Copenhagen opened our eyes to the vastness of the city, the beautiful buildings and endless museums all waiting to be discovered over the next four months. On Tuesday we headed to see Den lille Havfrue (the little mermaid), one of the most famous sights in Denmark. Unfortunately, we chose one of the coldest days of the year to visit the mermaid and the water had even frozen in parts of the marina! However, on the positive side there were very few tourists so we got a great view, however we were keen to escape the minus temperatures and made our way back to the station!

On Sunday, Katie and I went to the local Luthern Church ( Hedegardskirken ) with our landlady, we really enjoyed the service and people were so welcoming. We hope to get involved with some of the events over the next couple of months at the church, we feel that this is a great way to get to know the local people. The service itself was very traditional, and involved a lot of hymns, more than would be the case at home. The Hymns were sung by three extremely talented musicians and there was a lovely atmosphere during the service, even though the language barrier was somewhat of an issue; we still gave the singing a try! I cannot wait to learn a little more Danish, as I find it extremely frustrating at times not understanding what is being said. The minister spoke to us after the service and explained a little about the format of the church in Denmark, especially in relation to their Parish. The parish includes two churches, the East and West and the church has four, full-time ministers who take one service each month. We are keen to visit a few more churches during our stay so that we can getting a bigger picture of the religious culture in Denmark.

Professional Development

On Monday, we arrived at Blaagaard/ KDAS and met with the other Erasmus Students and were introduced to the course. There are students ranging from Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Norway, Germany, Belgium , France and of course four from Northern Ireland! The university format is similar to Stranmillis, with the exception that the course classes are not set times each week, there is a different schedule for each week. Classes are split into day and night classes for students, which gives those who are working during the day; the opportunity to study full-time for another career path during the evening. We have had one night class this week and it went on until 9.30pm, something that we are definately not used to at home!

So far this week we have had two modules, Danish and Globalisation and Professional Change. The Danish class for me was extremely well taught and interesting, I found that already I have grasped a few key phrases, we even practiced the whole way home in the bus and I can't wait to learn some more phrases. One of the most difficult aspects of the Danish language is the fact that the spelling and pronounciation are in no way related, a challenge which will be difficult to overcome. We have been told that is essential for us to grasp a level of Danish which we can use during our school placement. Each of us are eager to meet this goal during the duration of the four months.

Globalisation and Professional change has a number of aims which we are going to consider over the next couple of weeks. The module investigates the issue of discovering other professionals in other cultures and countries. The emphasis deriving from the fact that we as student teachers will inevitably come into contact with other professionals from other cultures and we need to know how to relate, communicate and learn from each other.

The course focuses on English as a global language, it was extremely interesting to note how essential the other Erasmus students place on their ability to learn English and how talented they were at reading and speaking the language. In many ways it made me embarrassed at my ability to only speak English fluently and my poor grasp of languages that I learnt at school. It made me reflect on how important the initiative of introducing languages in primary schools in Northern Ireland is, many of the Erasmus students told me how they had been learning English from a very early age, and this was essential for the development in the language.

I am looking forward this coming week to learning a bit more about the Danish school system. We have an Erasmus residential weekend this coming week and I feel this will be an excellent way to hear more about other school systems and share our own experiences.

More to follow after week 2! Speak soon,
G.

2010-01-22T11:12:00.000-08:00