Week 16 - Professional

History Quote

As this week approached I was very excited about the class trip on Friday to Brussels, to go and see the European Parliament! This really was because I was getting to travel and see a part of Belgium and therefore broadening my horizons and seeing more. Before this however, we still had our usual class and one class really stood out for me which was classroom of diversity when the lecturer was placing stereotypes based on our countries to try and get us to tell him our own narrative. This made me then think of how history of something will never be forgotten, especially when it is about a country. As Winstin Churchill said:

“Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.”

The class also got me to think about how questions asked by someone really is the cornerstone of a discussion as the lecturer’s questions always got a good response and the discussion itself never fell silent but only from the instruction of the lecturer himself. This then reminded me again about the numerous times we are told at Stranmillis about open ended questions. As stated, open ended questions result in children who “are able to relate something of meaning and respond to the person/people with whom they are communicating. In this way, open-ended questions are used to positively build and deepen relationships.” This shows that the method worked well on me as I now relate well with this lecturer as he interested me and helped me discuss through the use of good questioning. This again proves what many theorists say:

“Questioning. Thinking. Understanding. These three processes interact in a dynamic fashion to advance student learning, performance, and achievement.”

EU Parliament, Brussels 

As the week moved on Friday came and here I got to take my first steps into Belgium by visiting the EU parliament in Brussels. The day consisted of going inside the museum where we got to read different facts and figures all about each country that was in the EU and of course I was very eager to read about the UK. We also got to meet a politician representing The Netherlands and here eager questions again were asked… and I also put my structuring effective question skills to good use as I asked a question about the Euro.

We then also got to take part in a role-play as we pretended to be politicians for the EU and we had different roles to take and participate in. Here I fully enjoyed being a politician as I am a nerd at times when it comes to politics (don’t tell haha) but also I got to step up my game and be the person in control of what my party did. This was loads of fun as I love taking on the role of being a leader! The day was full of fun and we did all fully enjoy ourselves.

We then got to finish of the day by travelling around Brussels on foot admiring the numerous chocolate shops

Belguim Chocolates

and waffle stands… as we all know this is what Belgium is famous for! To say the least the chocolate was incredible and after we had got dinner I didn’t get to try out the waffles but this gives me a good reason to come back some day! All in all, this week kind of went past me without me realising. The week was full of me being studious, social and of course continuing to build and grow closer in friendships! I just hope that my remaining weeks continue to be brilliant and full of fun with my friends here that I know I will never forget.

P.s. Top tip for this week… Never wish your life away because someday you will realise that your life time adventure will nearly be over (you won’t understand this until you are in a similar situation.)

References

Appalachia Educational Laboratory. (1994). Questioning and Understanding to Improve Learning and Thinking (QUILT): The evaluation results. A proposal to the National Diffusion Network (NDN) documenting the effectiveness of the QUILT professional development program. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED403230) Available: http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/6605_walsh_ch_1.pdf. Last Accessed: 29/05/13

Churchill, W. Brainy Quote. Available: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/winstonchu111304.html#TRPfw0dzK5xqWiHE.99. Last Accessed: 29/05/13

Open Ended Questions (2013). Available: http://storiesandchildren.com/open-ended-questions/. Last Accessed: 29/05/13

Week 15 - Cultural

Quote on Teaching

As university and placement started back this week we really did get back into routine and this was evident that we weren’t used to it as many afternoon naps were taken when I returned from placement or class! In placement this week I continued to teach English to my group 8 class and on Tuesday ended up to be a brilliant day as we got to visit and experience a young toddler class (nursery) with children at the age of 2/3 years old. I thoroughly enjoyed this as I love playing and acting the fool with the younger kids! We also got to make a video for our teacher Ingerbord on our experience of the our school and what we were doing at The Vonkenmorgen. This was a video that was going to be presented to teachers all around the world as my teacher was going to a school conference in Northern Ireland (randomly!) and so Souzy and I were going to be movie stars! However I was excited at this because it got to show teachers why we were on Erasmus and as international students what we actually doing while staying here.

This week however for me mainly was to get my assignment on Dutch Culture and Society finished off completely as the assignment date was creeping up. The assignment consisted of selecting fifteen photos that I thought were typically Dutch to me. So anything that I now relate to being Dutch in my eyes was able to be selected and then I would have to write 200/300 words on why I have chosen these pictures.

My OV Chip card

One of my choices was my OV Chip card that I use for the bus for placement. The reason I picked this was because I never really use public transport at home and so now that I use it here it is a big change; making me more Dutch already as many Dutch people always use trains and buses etc. Plus the OV Chip card saves me money when travelling on the bus and this is always a big advantage! Furthermore, I will always keep this card as a constant reminder of my Erasmus stay here in Holland!

My Travel Wall

Another selection was my Travel Wall that I have decided to begin here in Nijmegen, as I have been travelling to a few places over Europe. Since being here I have travelled to Amsterdam a few times, I have been to Delft and The Hague and my favourite Berlin! It will also conatin ticket, brochures etc from Bordeaux when I go and Brussels too!  I also have kept boarding passes of flights, train tickets, museum passes etc. As much as I love to travel and see things I also love to look back and reflect of what I have done and where I have been. The wall is filled with my Erasmus memories and so when I go home and start to put the travel wall on my own wall in my bedroom I will always remember my Erasmus experience and of course my time of becoming a little Dutch here in Nijmegen.

“Some memories are realities, and are better than anything that can ever happen to one again.”

Willa Cather

Throughout completing my assignment I had fun when thinking of why the certain things were Dutch to me and made me reflect on how much fun I have had here in The Netherlands. It made me think how much I have learned and changed as a person. As Jane Austin describes in one of her books she states:

“Reflection must be reserved for solitary hours; whenever she was alone, she gave way to it as the greatest relief; and not a day went by without a solitary walk, in which she might indulge in all the delight of unpleasant recollections.”

This shows that reflection gives an unexpected sense of happiness produced by looking back upon what you have done and I completely agree with this.

By the way here’s a list of all the fifteen things that I have chosen that are typically Dutch to me:

Nijmegen Bridge

1. Half Pints of Beer being served when you ask for a beer at the bar.
2. The crazy weather that’s worse than Northern Ireland.
3. The Dutch obsession with using beer mats with every drink and bottle.
4. My OV Chip card and use of public Transport.
5. The lack of WIFI in most places.
6. “Enjoy your meal” being said before each meal.
7. My new favourite oranges; Blood Oranges.
8. Public Peeing Stations on nights out on the main street.
9. My travel wall.
10. Nijmegen Bridge that I see/cross over all the time.
11. My precious bike lock.
12. The Windmill at the top of the hill so cycling gets easier after this.
13. My towel that acts as my pillow here on Erasmus.
14. Paying to Pee – paying to use the toilets in most places.
15. Wooden structures in front of people’s houses/gardens.

P.S. Top tip for this week whenever you have to look back upon what you have done, do not think of the ‘what ifs’ but think of how much you have done and achieved in your own travels.

References:

Austin, J. Available: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/reflection. Last Accessed: 20/05/13.

Cather, W. Available: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/memories_2.html#87jSheA4VAL8talM.99. Last Accessed: 20/05/13/

Week 14- Personal

As week 14 approached I was very excited for the main fact being that I was going to see my parents for three days and this made me very happy! However, before I could see my parents I had a very sad goodbye to say as our friend Jodie (Dojo) from France had now finished her period of Erasmus and was heading back to Bordeaux on the Tuesday. So we all had a dinner together and then had a small party to spend our last night together as an Erasmus family. As soon as Tuesday came we instantly missed her as a gap now was evident in the group… the only good thing is that we are going to Bordeaux in June to see her once again!

“Good bye may seem forever. Farewell is like the end, but in my heart is the memory and there you will always be.”

Walt Disney Company

Wednesday soon approached and I went to Amsterdam airport to pick up my parents and as soon as I seen them it felt like I had never left them! When we finally got back to Nijmegen after the train journey, we went and got food and then went for some drinks. I got to have a proper catch up with my parents and tell them about everything I have done and everyone I have met. Through this I realised how much I have done and achieved during the past three months. I also realised the coolness of how many new friends that I have made during Erasmus and the amount of different places where everyone is from. It means that I for sure won’t be alone when travelling the different places of the world as I have friends in many places now!

The next day I took mum and dad all around Nijmegen showing them viewpoints and the different parts of Nijmegen city centre; numerous shops, main street and of course the beer brewery! The brewery really impressed my dad and we really did love trying all the different beers that the brewery had to offer. I then took my parents to Vossenveld too to show them where I stayed. Here they seen the canal and got to meet my friends, which ended up to us deciding to have drinks together later on in the night! The rest of the day we walked about, ate in restaurants and finished a day that was perfect in my eyes.

The Friday then was also a good day but was also sad as I had the thought of saying goodbye again looming over me. Nonetheless, my parents and I shopped around and bought some presents for my sisters and nieces. Again, it just felt like I was home with the general carry on

with my mum and dad and with my dad’s usual windups to me. As the day itself was gloomy and a little rainy it maybe was a sense of pathetic fallacy as my mood, like all of us was a little gloomy because no one wanted to say goodbye again but we all knew that we had too. We continued to walk around Nijmegen and visiting of course more bars and restaurants; I was happy as mum and dad continued to treat me! We then finished off with a meal in a restaurant and went back to their hotel to rest. As we sat and watched TV together I just thought “this is just like home…” and I didn’t want to leave. Nonetheless, I said the dreaded words of "okay I have to go" and then the goodbyes were said. Sad as they were I will see them in June again so its more of a “see you later”. Thankfully they landed back in Northern Ireland safe and told me they had a good time, which was the main thing.

"Family is not an important thing. It's everything."

Michael J. Fox 

Once again I felt alone, but with my Erasmus family we had a party on the Saturday night and I felt just back to normal as I knew my friends would always be here for me in The Netherlands.

P.s. top tip for this week no matter if you miss your family and you feel lonely when they leave. You have always your friends!

References:

Fox, M.J. Available: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_family.html. Last Accessed: 14/05/13.

Disney, W. Available: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/goodbye. Last Accessed: 14/05/13. 

Week 13 - Cultural

HOLLAND!

As spring break began here in The Netherlands we were very happy at the thought of being off and class free for two weeks! This was even better as we didn’t have a break at Easter so we were having our well-deserved rest now. Furthermore, we very excited for Queens Day that was approaching as we had heard so much about this day where everything turns orange and everyone just has one big party celebrating the Queen’s birthday! Even more exciting in my eyes was the fact that we were experiencing the last Queen’s Day for a while here in the Netherlands as she was stepping down and letting her son become King.

As Queen’s Day approached all the Erasmus group had decided that we would go to Eindhoven and celebrate the day. Amsterdam would have been amazing but then we also knew

Some of the Orange Army in Eindhoven!

it would be way to busy and would probably end up getting all split up… so Eindhoven seemed the best place; somewhere different and somewhere we knew that would not disappoint. Using the quote of Abraham Lincoln “United we stand, Divided we fall” was good to describe our orange looking army as we wanted to have a brilliant day with everyone together and no one left behind! So we left Nijmegen early on Tuesday morning, dressed in orange and decorated with red, white and blue (colours close to my heart haha) and we got to Eindhoven eventually after a few songs being sang on the train. As soon as we got out of the train the place was packed with people and full of music stages and decorations everywhere… something I had yet to see in The Netherlands. The only thing I could compare it too would be like Saint Patrick’s Day or The 12^th of July only multiply this by about five as everyone you could think of was there; children, teenagers, youth, adults, parents, grandparents etc. and everywhere was packed and everyone was buzzing!

The street packed full of people!

As the day went on we got to listen to music all day and obviously had the occasional drink. The entire Erasmus group stayed together just about as some of us did end up getting split up – no wonder with the amount of people all looking the same all dressed in orange! None the less we all had a brilliant day celebrating Dutch culture proving to us that the Dutch really are proud of their culture and their monarch. We constantly hear now about how religion really isn’t big in The Netherlands any more as most people are atheist and about how people do not support the monarchy, however this was clearly proved wrong on Queen’s Day. This could however could be people just enjoying their day off instead of showing support of their Queen but this is a debatable matter that you can decide.

“Our culture now wonderfully, alchemically transforms images and history into artistic material.”

Saltz, J

We finished off the day as we started it back in Nijmegen, at Vossenveld, at the canal. We all sat together talking at the canal and some played some music on the guitar and we all had a few drinks. It really was the perfect way to finish off the day as we all really did have an awesome Queen’s Day… a day that I will never forget. As Bob Dylan said:

“Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them.”

P.s. Top tip for this week no matter when you get split up from people and panic sets in that you are lost and what are you going to do? There is always somebody trying to ring or text or find you because they are worried about you. More or less… You are never alone.

References:

Dylan, B. Available: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/memories.html. Last Accessed: 06/05/13.

Lincoln, A. Available: http://www.searchquotes.com/search/United_We_Stand_Divide_We_Fall/. Last Accessed: 06/05/13.

Saltz, J. Available: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/culture_4.html. Last Accessed: 06/05/13.

Week 12 - Professional

This week I was able to look into different teaching styles that I was able to compare to other classes or groups that are within my placement school. For the first time this week I was able to

enter into a group 4 classroom and see what way they learn. Here my main purpose was to teach some more basic English for instance to say my name is, I am fine etc. From what I observed however was a little bit different from what our primary 4’s would be taught. Already I have seen groups 1 and 2 and the teaching style was quite similar to that of back home – keeping things basic, structured play etc. but they did get to spend more time during the day playing rather than actual academic work with pen or paper (like they do back home). It was evident in group 1 that they were more relaxed about everything but just that they focussed more on play as a learning tool.

“Play enhances every aspect of children’s development and learning. It is children’s window to the world.” Early Childhood Early Learning Centre

As I have been in group 8 the most I have seen a teaching style again that relates more with home, as the children are older they have to learn in a more formal matter. This in my opinion is so that the children can get used to this way before they enter into high school and this way they will learn. Yes there are times they learn through a different way maybe by sitting in a circle and discussing the topic or maybe through outdoors on class trips. This works along with the Northern Ireland Curriculum that states “Well planned and well-resourced outdoor play experiences allow for progression in a child’s thinking and understanding. These can provide the context in which these principles become the reality for all our children”. Many theorists also agree with the idea of outdoor play such as McMillian (1925) who says:

“The best kept classroom and the richest cupboard are roofed only by the sky.”

Then when in the group 4 classroom the teaching style was a lot different. It was a lot of ‘song and dance’ and the children did seem to enjoy it. They were actively learning and so the kinaesthetic learners were going to benefit well out of this however, the children who learned most through auditory and visual in my opinion were not going to benefit at all. In my opinion an equal balance does not seem to be carried out in each of the classrooms but again it is up to the teacher who knows their class and children the best. So maybe this way of learning that they practise is the best? All I know is that I can take a lot away with me from seeing each of these age groups as there are some differences here compared to back home with our teaching approach; however this is most likely due to the lack of a secure curriculum in The Netherlands.

The remainder of my week consisted of class which did seem to cause a little problem due to a class turning out to be something that we did not expect. This was due to the explanation of it when choosing our modules being completely different to what it actually was, including ways of assessment. However, due to our good friend Magda things have been sorted out!

This week mainly was focussed on school but we did have a leaving party as Beth left for two weeks for America and our good friend Djo is leaving soon for good back to France. However, we are already planning a trip to France to see her again before we all leave… and even better she lives in Bordeaux where there is lots of sun!

P.s. top tip for this week no matter how much a goodbye can be hard or seem difficult to say, remember that with a goodbye to someone, a hello will soon be followed as you will see that person once again very soon.

References:

Early Childhood Learning Knowledge Centre (2006). Let the Children Play: Nature’s Answer to Early Learning. Available:  http://www.changelearning.ca/get-informed/understanding-human-learning/born-learn/early-years/importance-play. Last Accessed: 29/04/13.

Northern Ireland Curriculum (2007) CCEA. Learning Outdoors in Early Years. Available: http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/docs/foundation_stage/learning_outdoors.pdf. Last Accessed: 29/04/13.

Week 11 - Personal

Okay, so this week was filled to the straps with class! We had our two days of teaching as per usual and I taught my English lesson to the children. Again it went well and I am now seeing their English improve as I am able to hold a conversation with some of the children which is helping the ‘teacher-pupil’ bond; this really was a highlight of the week for me as I miss teaching at home sometimes just as the language barrier can be so aggravating at times…

Anyway, the week continued on as we had guest lecturers from different countries this week for class. I had signed up for Educational Disadvantages in Ireland and Bullying. The Irish lecturer was great as it was nice to hear a voice that sounded similar to home. Bar that, the fact the lectures were interesting as it made us think about how we could integrate the arts into our daily

routine at school and how the Arts made more children come to school more as it was interesting for them. This also let us focus in on how art mentoring schemes could be used in schools by focussing in on a certain theme or topic that the children would be interested in and then the teacher would use music, drama and art if possible to run through the topic. An example would be using The Titanic building in Belfast and bringing your kids to the museum and letting them see the different artefacts and then at school the children could look into old clothes or objects that would have been used during that time period. Then the class could look at the type of music at that time and then act out through drama a scene or play made by the children.  We also then had to look into designing a school of the future. This in my opinion was the best! I got to focus on the outside of my group and I designed with everyone’s ideas to design a forest at the back that contained animal pens, ponds, outdoor classrooms, mazes, gymnasiums etc. The lecturers were impressed by all our ideas including the indoors of the school as it was focussed on social skills, the ethos, learning and light!

The next lecture we had was on bullying focussing on bullying issues in America and it turned out to be the best lecture by far! It told us horrifying stories from some American schools about prostitution outside Primary Schools and how schools really do not know how to get over this problem. Another issue was bullying and how to respond as teachers to the problem. So, thankfully for our future career, we found out about all the different options that we could take and proceed with if or should I say when bullying occurs in the classroom. Some examples were talking to the parents, in school suspension e.g. time out unit or even just introducing a buddy system. We also got many useful websites to look at for information and numerous twitter accounts to follow when needing advice. All in all, bulling this week was beneficial and let us gain sight into the bully and the victim and what to do.

Finally the week finished off with a pre celebration of Eimear’s 21^st Birthday on Saturday night. As her birthday is on Tuesday we will be having a proper party then but on Saturday it was good to get everyone together for a good time. Especially as the weather is getting much better now! I even got to cycle in my T-shirt... I was very shocked! Hopefully the good weather continues as it lets us have many more outdoor activities as well as the 'boys' nights that we had this week too!

P.s. Top tip for this week, no matter how boring something might seem to be, attend the class as it will be more enjoyable than what you originally thought! (Yes I am telling you to attend class… I am as shocked as you are reading this now!)

Week 10 - Professional

As week 10 loomed towards us we knew that we would have a very busy week as we had teaching at the beginning  and then our trip through The Netherlands – Tour to the West. 

Teaching this week went very well, as I found out from our teacher that she had heard good

Teaching Time

reports from the other class teacher in Groups 1 and 2 about our day spent there! This made me extremely happy as I had fully enjoyed my time there and really wanted to gain more insight into the different processes of our Dutch school. Furthermore, we also are on the school website as important news... Brilliant! Nevertheless, I continued with my teaching of English to my Group 8 pupils as we ventured into teaching Time… This I knew from the start was going to be difficult. So I began to look at days of the week, months of the year to make sure they knew the basic names of them in English and then I continued on into looking at “O’Clock, quarter past, quarter to and half past”. This relates to the Northern Ireland Curriculum as it states:

“…Sequence everyday events; know the days of the week, months of the year and seasons; explore calendar patterns;” CCEA Northern Ireland Curriculum (2007).

View from the Church Spire in Delft

The week continued on with preparation for us all going on our class trip on Friday. We left Nijmegen on Friday morning and made our way to Delft. Here we were instantly met with the famous blue and white ceramics that you could see all over the city. We also were met with the historical knowledge of the city about the different Kings of Orange, murders and the Royal burial ceremonies.  From our guide, we then were given the task of splitting into groups and carrying out a photo scavaging hunt all around the city, making sure we copied the photo on the page to what it was today, ensuring the angle was correct for extra points. The activity was full of fun and adventure as we managed our own way around the beautiful city that reminded me in structure to that of Amsterdam. My favourite part of Delft was going up the church spire and being able to stand outside on a small balcony around the spire, gazing upon the view of the city. Here we could look at the Geography of the city of how it too had many canals, a main square to where it’s city hall stood and also the injection of culture through tulip and cheese (kaas) shops. It then appealed to me as many groups of children walked by, that a class activity like this would be brilliant to carry out back home for pupils to be able to see the city for themselves and with them having lots of fun.  

“Memories of school Educational trips are among the most prominent of the formative years, largely because they are a welcome break in the routine for both students and teachers. While their purpose is essentially to educate, they can also be a fun bonding experience for everyone involved.” Educational Tourism (2011)

The inside of the beautiful City Hall in Den Haag

We then moved onto that evening to the wonderful city of Den Haag. Here we were instantly met with the impression of a main city full of skyscrapers, wealth and class. It was not until the next day we got to experience this more as another task was set to us in groups; a treasure hunt. Through this though we got to see more perks of the city and gain more knowledge, for instance, seeing their city hall, China Town and of course their Queen’s working palace. This also made me remember the advantages that are always being promoted back home about outdoor learning and that how the child is continually being benefited when educated outside the classroom. As a report by the Magilligan Field Centre , linked through the N.I. Curriculum states:

“Students are given opportunities to work together, to take responsibility, to assess, understand and manage risk, to apply their knowledge to what they see in the field, to identify and classify, to understand cause and effect and to face problem solving opportunities.” Cross, M (MFC 2008)

One of many picturesque scenes in
Den Haag

Our stay in Den Haag really and truly was my highlight of the trip as it really appealed to me as I myself am a city lover. Continually my memory of being told how Den Haag was meant to be the capital of The Netherlands kept going around in my head and I could understand why it would be through its beauty and magnificence.

The Clogs or Klompen in Dutch

We continued on to finish our tour on Sunday to Zaanse Schans where we got to see once again more stereotypical dutch houses, businesses etc. The highlight here was to see the making of the clogs and that the wood used to make them is so wet you could blow the water out! This was a resounding astonishment as all our class gave an “Ohhhh” when the water gushed out.

My week was full of enjoyment and travel and again meeting new friends. The weeks to come are about to be more difficult as works starts to pile up and more classes begin. No matter, it still cannot take the enjoyment out of my Erasmus experience.

Cheese! (Kaas!)

P.s. Top tip for this week, If you see a cheese (kass) shop in any Dutch city, make sure you go inside and try as many free samples as possible! They are delicious!

References:

CCEA Northern Ireland Curriculum (2007). Cross, M (2008). Outdoor Education and the Revised Curriculum.  Available: http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/pmb/0906/outdoor_education_and_the_revised_curriculum.asp. Last Accessed: 16/04/13.

CCEA Northern Ireland Curriculum (2007). Mathematics and Numeracy KS1 Requirements. Available: http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/docs/key_stages_1_and_2/statutory_requirements/ks1_mathematics_numeracy.pdf. Last Accessed: 16/04/1.

Educational Tourism (2011). Available: http://www.educationaltourism.org/why-us.html. Last Accessed: 16/04/13.