Short-term exchanges of groups of pupils – Italy
After postponing it because of Covid-19, the mobility to Italy finally took place in Chiavenna from the 29th of November to the 3rd of December 2021. There were 10 teachers and 21 students from the different partner schools: 3rd Gymnasium of Mytilene from the island of Lesvos, Greece; the Alexandre Herculano Elementary School of Santarem, Portugal and Publiczna Szkoła Podstawowa nr 5 from Poland. Unfortunately the students from Pohjankartanon Yläaste from Finland couldn’t be there but joined on dedicated online sessions and through Twinspace. The Italian team, 22 students and 6 teachers, organised, guided and set the activities under the guidance of the Alexandre Herculano Elementary School. At this stage the focus was on Humanitarian and Social issues related to ethnic minorities, refugees and migrants nowadays and in the past. The young students could finally meet, get to know each other and work collaboratively on different workshops and activities, comparing the different measures their countries have, improving their digital skills thanks to new digital technologies, such as the Marvel app developer. They met a cultural mediator, who through role play activities helped them to know step by step the journey of a migrant or refugee at his/her arrival in Italy. They could compare the Italian procedures to those of the other countries. They visited the Shoah Memorial “Binario21” in Milan, where the trains left and took Jews to the concentration camps during WW2. On the last day they went on a school trip to Spluga Valley, following the footsteps of many people who, above all during WW2 ran away to look for freedom and a better life.
During the whole week, students uploaded a daily journal about the activities done and at the end of the week they shared on the project platform (Etwinning) and social (FB, Instagram) documents, digital products and pictures about what they experienced together, showing also all the skills they used for it (Digital Skills, Critical Thinking, Language Skills). Both students and teachers of the project were satisfied with the mobility results. Though students didn’t have the chance to host their foreigner friends at home due to the pandemic situation, they really enjoyed the time spent together and they strengthened their friendships.
(Maria Luisa Tonali and Francesca Lainu)
