Colegio Costa Adeje - Presentation

The “Colegio Costa Adeje” was founded in 1986 in the Southwest of Tenerife. It is a private, laic and mixed school which strives for excellence in education from Nursery school to the last year before going to university.

The philosophy of our school has always been to bring up students with a fully responsible attitude, freedom and, overall, concern about social problems with a clear idea in progress based on freedom, fairness and tolerance;
summed up in the following basic outline:

• Quality in teaching.


• Quality in education.


• Understanding and respect for values.


• Students and parents Counselling Service.


• New technologies.

In our school, there are students of more than 20 nationalities; therefore, one of our main aims is the teaching of foreign languages. That is why students of all levels have to attend lessons of German and English, and they are well prepared to participate in external exams, such as, those of the Goethe Institute and those of the Official School of Languages. Moreover, once a year some of our students have the possibility of travelling abroad to Germany or England with the aim of improving and achieving a high level at foreign languages.

Our team at the “Colegio Costa Adeje” is composed by the following teachers:

• María Dolores Mateos Peña: English teacher, responsible for English language and translation.


• María Dolores Marrero González: Teaches Mathematics and Informatics.


• Sergio Pastor: Teaches Biology, speaks English and French.


• Jorge G. González: English teacher, responsible for English language and translation.


• Nuria Marrero: Teaches Physics, Chemistry and Technology, speaks German and English.

We are going to work at the project with 30 students, who are 15 years old and attend to the third level of the Compulsory Secondary Education class.

Description of the pictures:
Top: The front of the school with the new built entrance
Small pictures:
- library
- meeting hall
- courtyard of the primary school
- kindergarden

The grammar school Bundesgymnasium Babenbergerring

Bundesgymnasium Babenbergerring: Main entrance

The BG Babenbergerring has a more than 300 years old tradition. About 770 pupils attend the school and are taught by about 70 teachers.
The Bundesgymnasium is a state-run public school and covers a range of age beginning with 10 years up to 18 years. Lessons are organized in 28 classes, there exist 8 forms. The first four school years are equal to all students. There is English as a first foreign language, followed by Latin in the third form. English is used in every class as language of instruction in one subject (this is CLIL in this specific subject).

Starting with the 5th form the students have to focus on special subjects (as a kind of specialization) to set an emphasis of education:

• There is a humanistic orientation, where ancient Greek as a third (not living language) is taught.


• As a second language French is taught.


• In an experimental stadium the emphasis is laid on Computer Science. Besides the living foreign language English Computer Science and the subject “Presentation Technology and Computer Science” are taught (in place of a further foreign language). This school type is called "Department of Computer Science".

There exists a broad range of additional educational offer to be chosen voluntarily by the students as singing in the school choir, an English drama group, volleyball, soccer, baseball and softball (thanks to Steve!) and some other non standard subjects.

The school runs an after-school care club for students younger than 14 years old to join up (it's not free - you have to pay for it). The pupils get lunch and special care by teachers (assistance for home exercises or during learning phases).

The school is well equipped with four computer labs, two gyms und special labs for chemistry, physics and biology.

There is a big assembly/celebration hall for about 300 students (well equipped with sound and light systems).

Students at the buffet at school - here you get snacks from "Elfi" (most popular person in school). She prepares lunch too.

Contact:
Headmistress Mag. Maria Kornfeld
Babenbergerring 10, A-2700 Wiener Neustadt
Telefon: +43/2622/22380; Fax: +43/2622/22390/80 (direct line)
Mail: direktor@bg-bab.ac.at, Homepage: www.bg-bab.ac.at

Christmas ...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr!
¡Feliz Navidad y un prospero Año Nuevo!
Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!
Priecigus Ziemassvetkus!

Peter

Planning Meeting in Verona

Here is a photo of the Verona staff working and planning the Tourism Project in PC lab.
You see Marisa, Paola, Enzo and Claudio.

The photo was sent by Claudio and shows the group at school (informatics lab) on Saturday, 15^th December 2007

Special Planning Methods

Bundesgymnasium Babenbergerring (Wiener Neustadt)
Special planning methodes were practiced at the BG Babenbergerring to plan specific activities. Here you see the 5C from the department of computer science practicing the method "635". The theme was "What should a game about tourism include as components". The output of this working session will be used by the "6B-Specials" as a help to develop the Boardgame about tourism.

The video on the one hand shows the "Großen Meister" ("Great Master") at work instructing the students, on the other hand you may watch the students during work.

Vija reports from the workshop at the National Agency

I was for two days in Riga. Our National Agency organized a two days seminar about valorisation.
"Dissemination & Exploitation of results of EU projects in Education and Training - a contribution to quality in Education & Training" by Yves Beernaert & Magda Kirsch - Educonsult.

We know, that valorisation is very impotant and we have to think about how to proof it!

Creative Work about Tourism

We started to create special lists about problems of tourism and dreams of tourists with students from the 5^th form (14 - 15 years old).
It was quite an exciting job and a "best practice" example of combining project work with content of the current curriculum: As creativity methods are part of the subject matter of PTPM (Presentation Technology and Project management) we just practiced brain storming and "Kartenabfrage" (there is no equivalent in British English, maybe its "Card Inquiry" in American English).

Meeting the headmaster of the Virgilio/Rome

Harald Makl, Norbert Koppensteiner (Head of the Museum in Wiener Neustadt) and Peter Mazohl stayed in Rome for two days to discuss the situation with the Virgilio. We could talk to the headmaster – but here was no good atmosphere during the talk – we did not really feel accepted and welcomed.
We got the information that Mr. Clarizio is not further interested in the project and that the "Virgilio" will leave the partnership unilaterally without any further explanation. I’m a little disappointed about this unfair behavior – but we have to accept it (but we formed an opinion about the involved person …!).

The picture shows the headmaster Giorgio Clarizio in discussion with Peter Mazohl, watched carefully by the head of the museum, Norbert Koppensteiner.

Special "Moodle Workshop"

Saturday was a free day - but only for the students at the Bundes- gymnasium Babenbergerring - not for the project group. There was a special session planned with the first instructions about the use of Moodle - Carlos (from Sevilla) ran the course and he did a spended job!
From this start of using the e-learning platform it was easy to integrate students into our work. Besides this the platform is used for communication and document exchange.

Here is a short video of the course!

Special presentation in the "Arena Nova"

Mr. Christoph Sigmund (the manager of the "Arena Nova") invited us to a special workshop about event tourism. We had the pleasure to get a lot of interesting information about the importance of the Arena Nova for town and region.
It was a special oportunity to visit the builings and exhibition/fair halls during a running fair.
This meeting will be the start of an official partnership between the Arena Nova and the BG Babenbergerring. By this partnership a lot of knowledge will be brought into the project.

Visiting BG Babenbergerring

The participants of the meeting in Wiener Neustadt visited the school on Friday, 16th November.
The group was guided by the students of the 7B (Dep. Of Computer Science), every student got his guest to care, to inform about the special school situation and to answer questions.
The 16^th November was open house day at the Bundesgymnasium Babenbergerring, the guest could attend at a lot of activities. From teachers of almost all subjects special presentations had been prepared and there existed the possibility, to get involved actively in learning and presentation situations.

The guests had a reception with the headmistress, Mag. Maria Kornfeld, in her office. Mag. Kornfeld - busy during two school presentations - offered our guest a handsigned bi-annual report of the school as a small present.

Picture (from left to right): Jorge & Nuria (Adeje/Teeriffe), Inita & Vija (Diklu/Latvia), Enzo & Claudio (Verona/Italy). In front the headmistress signs the annual reports (Picture taken by Carlos).

Work in the museum

Our partner institution - the Communal Museum of Wiener Neustadt - enabeled us to hold our meeting in the very interesting exhibition rooms. So we had our presentations nerby the marvelous airplane of the current exhibition.
Mr. Norbert Koppensteiner - the director of the museum - supplied us with coffee and drinks.
The working session was opened by Mag. Isabella Siedl as the representative of the Mayor of Wiener Neustadt.
The session was very successful and ended with a guided tour through Wiener Neustadt.

Reception in the Neukloster

The students association invited the project group, responsible teachers of the Bundesgymnasium babenbergerring, sponsors and other people related to school to a reception in the Neukloster (an very old monastery in the east of Wiener Neustadt). In the beautiful refectory - the place where the minques still have their lunch in ower days - the group had a phantastic dinner in an impressing environment.

Meeting: Visititing Vienna

Wednesday, 14th November 2007:
Meeting at school to go to Vienna. We had an interesting tour through the oldest part of town, fine lunch and e very exciting exhibition in the "Albertina" (Collection Batliner, modern arts).
About 50 students from the 6th and 7th form acompained us. This was the first contact between the students working at the project in Wiener Neustadt and the teachers of the partner institutions.

Meeting: Design of Schedule

Meeting 14. – 17. November

Tuesday, 13th November
Arrival

Wednesday, 14^th November (encounter day)
9:00 Meeting at school
9:30 Excursion to Vienna together with 50 students
This excursion will be used to get an impression from Vienna and to get in contact with each other.
Evening: Official Welcome Dinner (refectory of our partner monastery “Neukloster” http://www.neukloster.at/ [GE])

Thursday, 15^th November (working day)
Morning: Working session in the communal museum of Wiener Neustadt (http://www.stadtmuseum.wrn.at/ [GE] [EN])
Lunch
Afternoon: Guided Tour through Wiener Neustadt with Norbert Koppensteiner
Free evening

Friday, 16^th November (working day)
Morning: Guided tour through school (students). At this day we have “open days”.
The tour is followed by another working session in the communal museum of Wiener Neustadt.
Lunch
Afternoon: 15:00 Meeting with Christoph Sigmund at the wellness fair in Wiener Neustadt: He will give us a lecture about “Eventtourism” and guide us through the fair and present the event hall “Arena Nova” (http://www.arenanova.com/ [GE])
Free evening.
Optional: visit of the “Bermuda triangle of Wiener Neustadt” (you must have been in the "Orange" - beeing there you will know why ...)


Saturday, 17^th November(working day)
Morning: Introduction in the use of ICT during the project, presentation of the exchange platform. This session will run in the Informatics Lab III at school (school closed on Saturday).
Lunch
Free afternoon
Evening: Official “Heuriger” to conclude the meeting (“Altes Zechhaus” in Gumpoldskirchen http://www.krug.at/ [GE] [EN]).

Sunday, 18th November
Departure day

Accomodation:

The partipants from Latvia and Spain got rooms in the Thairestaurant (http://www.thairestaurant.at/indexx.htm) all others will use the Bildungshaus St. Bernhard (http://www.st-bernhard.at/ [GE])

[GE] = Webpage in German language
[EN] = Webpage in English language

Clean up environment - report from Dikli

Clean and clean up environment around Jura Neikena Elementary school 16^th October 2007.

Our school had the first Comenius activity on 16^th of October. We all together - teachers and all pupils cleaned our school’s surrounding.
It was a nice day. Pupils after lessons went out and cleaned - raked leaves and then boys brought them away with various methods - by wheelbarrows, put leaves in the sacks or on the covers and then brought them away.
Some boys dug flowerbeds and took away old flowers. Headmistress showed how to do it the right way.

Even our headmistress took part in these activities. Pupils liked when the teachers worked, too.
It was very good feeling to work together . And pupils did it with enthusiasm. Our pupils undertook to do this cleaning and after this job everybody got tired . Our school’s surrounding was clean and it was so good to understand that we could do it.
Now our school’s surrounding will be clean till next autumn.
In spring we are going to clean our Dikli Folk Song park.
There are some pictures of our work.
Report from Vija (teacher of English)

Presentación - presentation - Vorstellung

I plan to prepare a presentation of the participating schools in Internet. I want to ask you to prepare some (typical) pictures from your school and some text information. I will collect everything at our meeting and care for publishing. I think it is a good solution to deisseminate information about the project and the involved schools. The target groups may be: students, parents (and even other teachers of the diverse schools) - and other prospects/interested parties like sponsors.
It may make sense to send text (no pictures!) with email in the prefield (preparation phase) of the meeting (Text schould be in English and your mother language).
For individual arrangements consultation is recommended ...

Ich plane eine Vorstellung der teilnehmenden Schulen im Internet. Ich möchte euch um einige (typische) Bilder von eurer Schule und eine Textbeschreibung bitten. Ich werde alles einsammeln und für die Veröffentlichung sorgen. Ich denke, es handelt sich um eine brauchbare Lösung, um Information über das Projekt und die beteiligten Schulen zu verbreiten. Bei der Zielgruppe handelt es sich um: Studenten, Eltern (und auch Lehrer der einzelnen Schulen) - und andere Interessenten(Sponsoren?).
Es macht durchaus Sinn, den Text (keine Bilder!) im Vorfeld des Meetings mit Email zu schicken (Text sollte auf Englisch und in der Muttersprache sein).
Für besondere Gestaltung bitte ich um Rücksprache!

Good news from Italy - gute Nachrichten aus Italien

I got the information from Claudio, that both italian schools are granted by their National Agency. They have to wait for their contract - but it will come end of October.

Ich habe die Nachricht erhalten, dass beide italienische Schulen von ihren Nationalagenturen gefördert werden. Sie müssen lediglich auf ihren Vertrag warten - der wird Ende Oktober kommen.

Additional Information

The Austrian National Agency informed me, that the Fernando Lopes-Graça school (in Parede - Lisbon/PT) and 6 Gymnasium Katerini (in Katerini/GR) are definitly declined as partners for our project.
I regret that new situation. You may take part at the project (as silent partners) and you are heartily welcomed, but you will not get financial support by your NA and you have to travel to meetings at your own expense (That means on the other side that you must not organize a meeting and will not have to accept visitors).
As the Italian schools are accepted (but not granted) they are "sitting between two chairs". You should not spare money for the project till you get a contract from your NA (otherwise you have to pay these things by your own expense).

Die Österreichische Nationalagentur hat mich informiert, dass die Fernando Lopes-Graça Schule (in Parede/Portugal) und das Gymnasium 6 (in Katerini/Griechenland) definitiv nicht für unser Projekt angenommen wurden.
Ich bedaure das zutiefst. Ihr könnt natürlich am Projekt teilnehmen (als stille Partner) und seid herzlich willkommen, aber ihr werdet von eurerNA nicht unterstützt und müsst zu Treffen auf eigene Kosten reisen (Das bedeutet auf der anderen Seite, dass ihr kein Meeting organisieren und keine Gäste empfangen müsst).
Nachdem die italienischen Schulen zwar angenommen wurden, aber noch keine Förderzusagen erhalten haben, sind sie in einer Situation "zwischen zwei Stühlen". Ihr solltet kein Geld in das Projekt investieren bis ihr nicht einen Vertrag von eurer NA habt (anderenfalls müsst ihr selbst für die Kosten aufkommen).

Current situation 4th September 2007 - Aktuelle Situation

I got the information, that our project is applied at the Austrian national Agency as follows:

• Wiener Neustadt: coordinating school
• Dikli/Latvia: project accepted
• Adeje/Spain: project accepted
• Sevilla/Spain: project accepted
• Rome/Italy: project accepted / waiting list
• Verona/Italy: project accepted / waiting list
• Katerini/Greece: project accepted / waiting list
• Lisbon/Portugal: decision missing

Waiting list means that lack of money prevent the NA's to grant the promised funds.
Neither we nor the NA's know exactly how to handle the current situation.

Ich habe die Information erhalten, dass unser Projekt von der Österreichischen Nationalagentur wie folgt genehmigt wurde:

• Wiener Neustadt: Koordinierende Schule
• Dikli/Lettland: Projekt angenommen
• Adeje/Spanien: Projekt angenommen
• Sevilla/Spanien: Projekt angenommen
• Rom/Italien: Projekt angenommen/ Warteliste
• Verona/Italien: Projekt angenommen/ Warteliste
• Katerini/Griechenland: Projekt angenommen/ Warteliste
• Lissabon/Portugal: Entscheidung ausstehend

Warteliste bedeutet, dass Geldmangel die Nationalagentur abhält die vorgesehenen Mittel zuzusichern. Weder wir noch die Nationalagenturen wissen, wie mit dieser Situation umzugehen ist.

Welcome - Willkommen!

What's this about? - Worum geht es?

The planning of our joint project will start now. As we will meet in Wiener Neustadt in November (planned: 14^th - 17^th) we should prepare the basics of our project in the run-up to the planning phase. I will post several main topics with proposals we should discuss and fix as proposal for the meeting.

Die Planung unseres gemeinsamen Projekts beginnt nun. Nachdem wir uns in Wiener Neustadt im Oktober treffen werden, sollten wir die Grundlagen für unser Projekt im Vorfeld der Planung vorbereiten. Ich werde verschiedene Hauptthemen veröffentlichen, die wir diskutieren und als Vorschlag für das Meeting fixieren sollten.