United Nation and united cooporation

The last day of the visit was at Billingsdalsskolan where we attended a celebration of the UN-day. The children and adults were singing. Milo told us about Billingsdalsskolans engagement in giving money to projects in South Africa and Sri Lanka. Our guests surprised us with a song as well as we surprised them with a song in ukraine.
After a coffee-break with a swedish and ukrainian cake we sat down and summoned the week and listed possibilities of our future cooporation between our schools.
The week endend at Västerhöjd gymnasium where we attended a computorlesson and had a very nice lunch in the restaurant.
Now, we’ll let it all sink in and we will reflect about the week and in more detail list our next steps in our common work with ICT as an pedagogical resourse and as a mean for communication between pupils, students, teachers and principles/head masters.
To be continued…

Thomas

I want to add something amazing :), the pupils of Billingsdalsskolan were singing songs in different languages. We were really impressed by performing the song “Пусть всегда будет солнце/MAY THERE ALWAYS BE SUNSHINE!” and by the decoration of the hall, – all things (flags, dove etc) were made by the pupils!!!!! 

We liked the computerized way of registering books from the library by pupils at their schools and by the students at their gymnasiums and universities. There is such a system at several universities in Zaporizhzhia but most our schools haven’t provided it yet.

During the computer lesson at gymnasium we were observing how the students used Flash-programs in creating web-sites. As at the other schools we also had the opportunity to communicate with the teacher and his students there. They told us how long it took them to take part in the projects and create different web-sites.

Though three weeks have passed since our visit to Sweden, but we are not relaxing at home now))), we use our new knowledge which we had got during our visit in important tasks, for example, using ICT in organization of distance education, interactive communication between teachers and students and creating the common informational space.

So we’ll inform you about our achievements in this sphere and I hope we’ll see our Swedish friends soon…  

Nataliia

Day 6 – the Day of Sciences, Friendship and Entertainment /Thursday/

Let’s start my memories…

Of course, such an extraordinary mix in the program was unexpected, but it was really amazing. The day began from the introduction of the Skövde University and some information about teacher training programs. Then we visited simulation&computer games. Oh, my God! I was driving the real Volvo))). The next object to observe and discuss was the rehabilitation computer program for the people who had the heart stroke. I must admit the importance of these programs because one of them helps to avoid car accidents in real life, the other one increases the people’s interest to their life after health problems.

Also we attended the lecture for the future pre-school teachers. It was about how to use puppets in preschools to form such ideas as friendship, gender equality etc. We took part in it by using puppets which were such bright and so funny. By the way the teacher did them herself.

The young teachers of computer sciences impressed us by demonstrating the presentation of computer games which had been programmed by the students who were involved in the projects.

In the evening we visited Katedralskolan where we had opportunities to learn how the teachers use the ICT in communicating between teachers, students and their parents, to see the wonderful concert and to go for the “Ghost-walk”. There we took part in “searching the vaccine” and we were attacked by zombies but we were saved at the end of the performance. Scared but happy we got our hotel full of impressions and new ideas…

Why was everything important for me then? Because every point of the day program had its own aim, we could search the experience of our colleagues. Based upon this day we can join simple and difficult things as puppets and the friendship, games and surviving, the show and the life.

Nataliia Andrieieva.

Tuesday afternoon and evening

Tuesday was an intense but enjoyable day. After several interesting school visits we went on to dinner and art in the studio of Löfwing. But first we stopped and looked at an ancient burial ground, Ekornavallen, which is situated between Falköping and Broddetorp. We looked at the art of Göran Löfwing, while his wife Linda was responsible for the tasty dinner. We stayed in the neighbourhood of Hornborgasjön and ended the evening with a concert in church of Bjurum.

Löfwings Studio & Art café
http://www.lofwings.se/kategori/9/startsidan.html

/Yvonne Broberg

Creating the future

On Wednesday we were at Billingsdalsskolan. We had an introduction about our school and how we work with ICT (information communication technology). We walked thru the school and visited classrooms. We attended a class where the teacher Per was using the SMART-board (an interactiv whiteboard) in a math lesson with 7-year olds. Jonas had an introduction to Vikings using Power point and Michael had a computor lesson. The fifth-graders had different presentations in swedish and english and showed us how they had used Power point. We went on to handicraft and a pupil showed us how he used the camera and computor to document his work and his reflections about it.
Inga-Lena and Milo, together with pupils, told us about pupils influence and our different counsils. They also showed us their portfolios and informed us how we work with individual development plans (IUP). During the day we had several dialogs about school, ICT, pupils influence and how we work with our children to develop responsability, motivation and skills to reach our and their own goals.
Anders Carlsson from Internetresan joined us during our final dialog with a perspectiv to how attitudes forms and the importance of teachers to know Internets possibilities and downsides to be able to help children develop good attitudes and knowledge about using ICT. In the later afternoon we went to Balthazar, a sience centre and english centre. Paula and John were showing us around – a very poular ending of the day!

One of mine refections about the day is, a part from being so proud about our school, that in a global perspective how important it is to cooporate between countries about attitudes towards using ICT and the possibilities is gets to both broaden and deepening knowledge and to use ICT in communications between us. It’s one world and it is our children – we must as teachers and headmasters create the best schools we can that helps our children to be a part of and eventually lead the creation of our common future. That can be possible with a curious mind and an open mindset to learn from each other and be willing to change.

Thomas Blom

SWEDEN FOREVER

It’s perfect to learn more and study new. It’s perfect to make friends. Today we’ve visited Billingsdalsskolan. We have unforgettable impressions. Our schools are quite different. So we have some ideas to make changes in Ukraine. We’ll write about them later. Nataliia and Tatiana.

A rich day!

Thuesday’s visit was located to Falköping Municipality. Here, we see interesting examples of how ICT is used as a natural tool in teaching from preschool to high school. The first visit was located in Trollets preschool where children actively and enthusiastically used the computer already from 1-year olds. Next stop was at the Vindängens school where an internationally estimated project, e-twinning, based on schools from different countries interacting digitally.

During the visit at Ållebergsgymnasiet we met both teachers and students from the engineering program focusing Game development. The students showed examples of self-designed games. At the lesson in mathematics all students used their own computer. With that possibility it was easy to pick up films that explained mathematic problems when it was necessary. The teacher said that with such support, it is easier to individualize. Last school this day was at Vartofta where we got a presentation of Teacher on Demand and it’s pedagogical benefits. /Yvonne Broberg

First day in Skövde

Tord Gustavsson, municipal in Skövde, welcomed the group and talked about the city’s history, businesses, attractions and sports. From the school’s activities told director of education Anna Sundström, school strategist Britt-Marie Bladh and headmaster Linnea Svensson, which also showed its newly built kindergarten, Rosenhaga. After lunch the group went to another preschool, Backsippan./ Yvonne Broberg

Fantastiska Stockholm!

Resan från Zaporizhia gick bra. Våra vänner började med en tågresa på 10 timmar till Kiev i fredags kväll, sedan flyg till Riga för byte till Arlanda. De landade 19.20 i går.

Vi mötte ett glatt gäng, om än lite trötta. Efter mycket kontakt och planerande är de äntligen här! Kvällen slutade med lite mat innan vi alla somnade.

I vårt projekt ingår kulturella utbyten och att lära känna landet. Idag har vi varit på Vasamuseet, Kungliga slottet, åkt båt från Djurgården till Slussen och gått i Gamla stan. Alla tycker att Stockholm är en fantastiskt fin stad och de är överväldigade av alla intryck och upplevelser.

Nu sitter vi på tåget till Skövde och det är bara en timma kvar tills vi är framme. Vi har gått igenom programmet för morgondagen.

I morgon, måndag, väntar officiellt besök i stadshuset, besök på förskolor och särskola, mm.

Vi ser fram emot morgondagen.

Thomas Blom

Timmar kvar innan de anländer

Elena och jag åker upp till Stockholm om några timmar för att välkomna våra gäster. I morgon ska vi visa guida i Stockholm med Gamla Stan och olika museeum på programmet. Framåt seneftermiddagen reser vi till Skövde.

Planeringen inför besöket har varit engagerat och på Billingsdalsskolan har barnen varit med i förberedandet på olika sätt. En spännande vecka blir det med ett varierat program.

Thomas Blom

Ankomsten

I helgen anländer våra gäster från Ukraina till Stockholm. Mitt möte med Ukraina var spännande – troligen blir deras möte med Sverige lika spännande. De ska få uppleva Stockholm under en helg innan de sätter sig på tåget till Skövde. Thomas som är rektor på Billingsdalskolan, Skövde och hans fru Elena guidar i Stockholm. På måndag väntar ett fullspäckat program.

Under the weekend there will be sight-seeing in Stockholm. Probarly an interesting experience. I hope you will have a nice weekend in the Swedish capitol. Then I look forward to meet you all on the railway station on Sunday evening.

Susanne Gustavsson