Practice preschool

The second week of my practice I went in a Kindergarten, the age of the children of my group was normally 5 years.


In Denmark, pedagogues think it's really important for the children to take fresh aire (they don't care if it's really cold or rainy). Children learn a lot by playing freely in the nature, it's really good for the physical developpement of their body, they use a lot of imagination to invent new games and strategies.
I think it also explains in one way why danish children are more independant, autonome and responsible, teachers give them much more freedom!

Impressive playground

Today, during my practice I went out side at the break, I was totally shocked (in a good way) by the playground!
It's so different compared to my country...

The space
Firstly, the playgroud is huge(compared to Belgium).
There is a lot of grass, trees... the childeren have a lot of space where they can run and play, but of course they are some invisible limites.
They have a lot of "games" : swings, bridges, tunnels, climbing walls... in Belgium the playgrounds look like a prison: there are high walls, a big gate, 120 kids more or less in the same space without any grass because it brings mud!


The freedom
There is a teacher watching them, but he let the children play (some children are climbing in the trees, others are playing with branches,some of them take their shoes off while they are in the sand, they don't have to wear there jacket even if it's not that warm...)In Belgium, there are so many rules, the teacher who watchs the children has to remind the rules a lot of times.

I was realy suprised that they could go out of the school without problem, there is no gate, you can just come in or out as you wish !In Belgium there is a huge gate, that the children can't even open and the teachers are controling who comes in and out.

I think that the children are much more able to exert and then be more concentrated later in class.

Drama and theatre

Thuesday 6 of April

We went to Aabenraa to the other campus of University College South Denmark.
We started with icebreaking exercises.
For instence: the teacher says 3 colors, you choose one in your head, then all the people who took the same color, change from place.
It looks a bit stupid but it's a nice way of changing people from place and make them meet other people by sitting near to them.

We also did some improvization games.
One of them was to pass an imaginary box, which was very haevy...it was a good exercise because most of the people were not use to do such exercises, but this one was simple and funny!

What I want to remember about this, is that before working with a new group of people, or to start something new, it's very important to feel good in the group. It's important to have contact with the people by doing simple things (that makes you laugh, interact and that's able to be done by everybody)
What I could also add is that we often changed the seize of the groups (groups of 2,3,6 people, sometimes alone)thats is very benefic (and less annoying).

After a very little moment you already feel more confident and ready to work (in a better mood and spirit).

International diner

On thuesday 16 of Match, we did an international diner!
Everybody had to prepare a tipical meal from his country, of course many countries prepared different meals, we worked in groups.

We had a delicious meal, there were so many different things.
It was one of my favourite moments in the international week because, everybody did his best, worked together. Everybody knows a tipical meal from his country, so everybody could participate and chear something he liked. It helps to communicate with the other erasmus student (for 1 week), but also it's so nice to eat something you like and know so well from you country when it has been already nearly 2 months that you have been in a foreign country.
It's so an important part of your culture and of course it's so nice to eat :)
It's a way to discover and respect the other cultures and everybody is intergated in this activity !

I think it's a great and simple way to meet other cultures, I hope I will use this as a teacher later on.

Video: something special about Denmark...

International week

Didactic and pedagogy
Imagine what make people different:
-food
-education
-daily routine
-the body langage
-climate
-geography...

Imagine what people have in commun:
-a live (they are all going to die)
-have feelings
-need water and food
-inctinct
-socialeize
-humour
-have a future and a past...


You need to understand the history and the geography of a country to try to understand the people!

To teach pupils with different cultures you need to have: respect, tolerance and reflexion !

Visit of a special needs school

Today we visited a mainstream school where there were 2 kinds of integrated children:
1.Pupils with physical disabilities (exemple: blind children or in a wheelchair)but without intellectual problems.

Those children are integarted in "normal" classes, but can get some extra help from a special teacher. There was a blind child in second grade (9 years) integrated in a class I visited, he had a special teacher who was there only for him, he also had his own computer with a special lamp (on the picture)thanks to that he could read.

2. Pupils with learning disabilties .
They have difficulties to learn in many different subjects, can't stay concentrated for a long time and they mostly have social gaps (difficulties to live with others).
Those children were in special classes, with fewer students. In those classes, students can be from different levels and ages, the teacher adapts his work for each student and work a lot on social skills, to make the pupils become well intergated citizens in the society.

3. There is also special classes for pupils who have problems in one specific subject, in this case the child is taken in a special class (a few times a week) where he is going to have intensive courses in the subject in wich he has more difficulties, that lasts several months(it depends of his evolution).

Special classes to relax
The school has 2 special classes where the pupils can relax if he has behaviours problems, he can be alone or talk with a person.


Special programmes
Each year they have 10 "special weeks" (spread all over the year) in those weeks,pupils do different stuff (for instance:a play).

The school building
The school is very big and has a large garden. The school is divided into " 3 little schools" according to the age of the children. The main facilities are in the center of the school and used by everybody (exemple: the gym, the kitchens...). It's nice because verybody knows everybody of his "little school". The pupils in special classes are in the same "little school" as the other pupils of their age.

I tought this school was very interesting and in advance compared to Belgium where it's difficult to integrate special needs children in mainstream schools.

Trip to Copenhagen

In the holiday in February we went with all the erasmus students, Jette Laursen and her Brazilian exchange daughter to Copenhague for 3 days (17.02.09-19.02.09).

While we were visiting the city, each group of student presented a particular thing that they had prepared (building, important place, statue...). I tought it was a good idea, because it was mostly short, but the most important things were there, we did some research about something in Copenhagen we find interesting and it's nicer to listen to our friends explinations.

What did we do:
DAY 1
1.We went into the Rundetaarn: a tower without stairs.
2.We walked along Stroget (longest shopping street in Europe)and past the Cathedral of Copenhagen to the town hall square.
DAY 2
1.We saw the Royal Library (the Black Diamond) and we walked to the Little Mermaid.
2. We went to Amalienborg Castle (Queen Margrethe's castle)and visited the museum. At 12 o'clock I saw the change of the guards.
3.We visited Rosenborg Castle. and after we saw the jewels of the Royal Family.
4.Meeting at"RIZ RAZ ", a very nice mediterranean restaurant, where we ate all together!
DAY 3
1.We visited The National Museum and saw the History Museum about Denmark, the Childeren's Museum (it was very wel done:the childrens could play everywhere)and finally "Indians of the Rain Forest" exhibition.
2. Christiania

My feelings about this city:

The Belgian and Hungarian party

On Wednesday the 24 of March, the Belgians and the Hungarian organise the Erasmus party.
We are 11 students from Belgium and only one from Hungary.
We prepared a quiz about Belgium, the questions were about general knowledge about our country (food, geography, music...).
The students were divided into groups according to their country,and the winner was POLAND!

Then,we ate some chocolat and we drunk beer from Belgium.


Afterwards, Viki presented a Powerpoint about Hungary with a lot of pictures of important buildings, she explained us each of the buildings in a few words. I tought it was very interesting because I only know very little about this county, and I was unaware of the beauty of the patrimony!
After than, she showed us a few traditional Hungarian dances, we joined her and tried to do it all together.
It was a lot of fun !

Language and identity

My language portrait

We had to made our own language portrait, choose a color and a place for each of our languages.

French:
-green: it's my natural language
-the leg: I grow up half in French
the brain: it's my mother tongue, it's the one I speake best and it takes the most place in my brain.

Dutch:
-red: it was the language that I spoke in my primary school, I had to work hard and it was a difficult time for me
-the leg:I grew up half in Dutch
the brain: I don't think a lot in Dutch anymore, it takes less place in my head.

English
-blue: it's my favorite color, I've had very good experiences in my life with English speakers. It's an important language for me and the world, it takes a lot of space.
-the dress: it's the first language I've learned in my life. There is still a lot of white, because I would like to improve it and there is place for the other new languages that I would like to learn later.
the brain: it takes more place in my head today.

Spanish
-yellow: it's a sunny country, a happy language, I like the culture and the Spanish people.
-the dress: I learned this language, I know it a little.

Danish
-black: it's a very difficult language, I don't really like it because it's very hard for me to prononce.
-the dress: I'm learning this language.

German
-grey: all my sisters talk german, I don't (sometimes I'm a little jealous).
-the dress: I understand a little.

Analyse of the activity:
I think it's a great idea to do with kids, today there is a lot of nationalities in the same class (really usual in the Belgiam cities).
By doing this excercise children can be aware of the knowledge of all they langages, and take time to think about their place in their lives, it's another way of knowing yourself and your identity.
For once the children who have more difficulties at school because they get confused by all the langages they know, are highlighted.
It helped me to put my life in order...

"Hyggelig"

This is one of my first Danish words, I'm really glad I know it, beacause in my opinion that's the word which explains the best the Danish culture.
Hyggelig= agréable (in French)
= gezellig (in Dutch)
I think the Dutch word is the nearest to the Danich meaning, in French this word doesn't really existe.

Danish people like to be in their house, with their family, enjoying being simply together, light candles...
It has been neary 2 weeks that I've had arrived here and I also want to be "hyggelig" with this cold weather.
It also explains a bit the inidvidualisme of the Danish people, you don't need the others, you are happy in your little house (and life).


I start to have dinner early (at 6 o'clock) and when we did a little party at the residence we invited our guests at 8 PM, we turned the lights off, put candles everywhere, played cards, chated, had some drinks, it was very simple and relaxed, the party finished at 12 PM... we all became a bit Danish !

Danish and European stereotypes

Danish and European stereotypes

On the 10.02.2010 we had a lesson called "Danish and European stereotypes",we discussed about what we tought about Denmark before we came at this Ersamus.

What I thought about Denmark before I came here:

Firstly, I have to admit that I had not a lot of ideas of what it would be like, I was excited to go in a foreign country where I only new very little about the country and the culture, so I didn't have so much special expectations our ideas.
Indeed, mostly when you try to imagine how it's going to be, you are usually disappointed, I wanted to discover everything in Denmark and I'm not disappointed at all!

But of course I had a few ideas and images, what I thought about Denmark before I my Ersamus:

1. I had read a article about the Danish happiness. So I though everybody was always happy, all the time. I thought it was like a perfect country in all the fields, but I realise that it takes sometimes a long time to be get treatments when you are ill, which is important problem to me, my country is performant for that point.
It's true that people are simling much more, they look more confident and satisfied about their life (even little job's).

2. I thought it will be a very ugly country, because it's flat country (if there is a ugly building you see it from far away like in Flandres)and I thought there will be windmills everywhere (and I think that's really ugly, in my opinion it destroys the landscape) but I haven't seen any (they are more near the sea). In reality the buildings are quite nice and there are a lot of fields and there aren't as much houses as in Belgium, the town is pedestrianized, the houses are mostly colorful.

3. I thought Denmark liked his royal family a lot, but I didn't imagine that it was that much (nearly in every lesson, we talk once about them) for me it's very surprising, when you compare to Belgium, where we use to make fun and destroy our royal family daily.


Belgian stereotypes

I'm Belgian because:

1. I don't take myself seriously. I easily make fun of myself.

2. I always criticize the chocolate, chips and beer of other countries. When I leave my country for a while, I've always a stock of Belgian chocolate in my suitcase. I always eat my chips with mayonnaise.

3. When I travel more than a hour, it's already a long trip.

Frist visit in a danish school

Today we visited a danish school, I was really chocked but in a good way of course!
The 3 things that impressed me the most:

1. The ambiance:
everybody (teacher and pupils) are so relax and smiling all the time. You directly noticed that they are happy to be there, they take time (not always in a hurry, there is no stress... The relationship between the teacher and the puplis is really close,

2. What's the most important:
The teacher doesn't play attention to little things like ask the children to stay still or to be quiet. They are can move on their chair, sit where they want but their work.

3. Pupils attention
Pupils play attention, they look really interessted all the time! I asked if they liked to go to school, and they all replayed with no hesitation: "yes!"

My residence

My residence
I live in a residence with 6 other people.
A other Belgium boy (Cedric), 3 spanish girls (Maria, Isabel, Carla), 2 Turksh girls(Sinem and Seyhan)and one Hogerian girl (Viki). It's a nice place to live in, but it's far away from the university (35min walk), there is a good atmospher!


The aderess:

EUC syd, Chresten Kolds vej 18,

Haderslev

Danmark

My first day

I arrived on sunday evening, the journey was long and I wae really tired. When I arrived at my residence people were very welcoming.