After a long period in which trips to Erasmus + education were prevented by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, at the end of March 2022 I attended the course 'Entrepreneurial education in school - creative and effective methods and tools' organized by 'Enjoy Italy'. The course was held in the city of Padua, in northern Italy. This course is part of the KA1 Erasmus + project 'START - Successful Teachers Achievement Ready Teachers' of Sračinec Elementary School. The main goal of attending the course on entrepreneurship was to get acquainted with the methods that develop the entrepreneurial mentality, both among students and teachers, and over time develop the skills needed for the 21st century.
After a long period in which trips to Erasmus + education were prevented by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, at the end of March 2022 I attended the course 'Entrepreneurial education in school - creative and effective methods and tools' organized by 'Enjoy Italy'. The course was held in the city of Padua, in northern Italy. This course is part of the KA1 Erasmus + project 'START - Successful Teachers Achievement Ready Teachers' of Sračinec Elementary School. The main goal of attending the course on entrepreneurship was to get acquainted with the methods that develop the entrepreneurial mentality, both among students and teachers, and over time develop the skills needed for the 21st century.
SUNDAY, March 20, 2022
I set off on the trip in the morning, in a personal car. I chose to drive on the highway through Slovenia, and along the way stopped near Postojna and visited Predjama Castle, a medieval building partly carved into the 123 meter high cliff. This building vividly portrayed the life of knights and aristocracy more than 800 years ago, and I learned the story of the rebellious knight Erasmus who defied the siege of the imperial army in this castle for more than a year.
After a halfway break, I continued my journey in the direction of Padua. For accommodation I chose a small private hotel in the suburbs. The bus stop where I could catch city public transport was a five minute walk away, and the drive to the city center took about 10 minutes. The course was held at the Galleria Ognisanti location, in the student part of the city.
MONDAY, 21 March 2022
The first lecture of the course started at 9.00 am and lasted until 1.30 pm. At the beginning, we were introduced to our teacher, Alessandro, and then all 12 participants presented their schools, the countries they come from and their school system.
Most of the participants were from Spain, four from Latvia, and two teachers were from Poland.
In the second part of the first working day, Alessandro introduced us to the key competencies and skills for the 21st century that prepare young people for future employment. He also introduced us to the characteristics, values and examples of good practice of the following teaching methods: cooperative learning and flipped classroom, which are often used in education in the EU.
We rounded off the first day of classes with socializing and a team lunch at a restaurant where we tried local specialties. We spent the afternoon sightseeing some of Padua’s most prominent landmarks: the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua and the Prado della Valle, the largest square in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. At its center is a green area surrounded by a water ring with bridges and 78 sculptures. The square is a favorite gathering place of young people in summer.
The first lecture of the course started at 9.00 am and lasted until 1.30 pm. At the beginning, we were introduced to our teacher, Alessandro, and then all 12 participants presented their schools, the countries they come from and their school system.
Most of the participants were from Spain, four from Latvia, and two teachers were from Poland.
In the second part of the first working day, Alessandro introduced us to the key competencies and skills for the 21st century that prepare young people for future employment. He also introduced us to the characteristics, values and examples of good practice of the following teaching methods: cooperative learning and flipped classroom, which are often used in education in the EU.
We rounded off the first day of classes with socializing and a team lunch at a restaurant where we tried local specialties. We spent the afternoon sightseeing some of Padua’s most prominent landmarks: the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua and the Prado della Valle, the largest square in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. At its center is a green area surrounded by a water ring with bridges and 78 sculptures. The square is a favorite gathering place of young people in summer.
TUESDAY, March 22 2022
On the second day of the lecture, we were introduced to ICT tools that we can use to develop entrepreneurial spirit in students.
The applications are divided into those we can use to create video lessons, digital books, digital lessons, applications for assesment, making smart maps and story-telling. We also participated in the blended learning and were introduced to the methodology of this way of teaching which combines traditional ways of teaching with work through electronic and online media. In this way, we combine the good sides of live teaching (motivation, personal approach, feedback, discipline) and the good sides of e-learning (mobility, independence in work).
That afternoon I visited the headquarters of the University of Padua in Palazzo Bo in the city center. I visited the oldest building of the university, which is celebrating 800 years of existence, as part of a guided tour in English. So I had the opportunity to visit the halls for the promotion of lawyers and doctors of medicine, the department from which Gallileo Gallilei taught and the oldest anatomical theater in the world.
On the second day of the lecture, we were introduced to ICT tools that we can use to develop entrepreneurial spirit in students.
The applications are divided into those we can use to create video lessons, digital books, digital lessons, applications for assesment, making smart maps and story-telling. We also participated in the blended learning and were introduced to the methodology of this way of teaching which combines traditional ways of teaching with work through electronic and online media. In this way, we combine the good sides of live teaching (motivation, personal approach, feedback, discipline) and the good sides of e-learning (mobility, independence in work).
That afternoon I visited the headquarters of the University of Padua in Palazzo Bo in the city center. I visited the oldest building of the university, which is celebrating 800 years of existence, as part of a guided tour in English. So I had the opportunity to visit the halls for the promotion of lawyers and doctors of medicine, the department from which Gallileo Gallilei taught and the oldest anatomical theater in the world.
WEDNESDAY, 23 March 2022
Wednesday morning was reserved for a tour of the Botanical Garden in the heart of Padua. This site, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the oldest university garden in the world, was established in 1545 so that students could explore rare and medicinal plants. The oldest plant in the garden is the 'Goethe's palm', a tree whose longevity was admired by the famous poet after whom it is named. We were most impressed by the Garden of Biodiversity, a greenhouse with tropical conditions that also allows visitors to walk through the treetops. Before lunch, we also visited a large student campus by the river.
Lectures that day were dedicated to the Project based learning method, and in international teams we learned how to do problem tree analysis, which I will be happy to apply in working with students in the classroom.
Wednesday morning was reserved for a tour of the Botanical Garden in the heart of Padua. This site, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the oldest university garden in the world, was established in 1545 so that students could explore rare and medicinal plants. The oldest plant in the garden is the 'Goethe's palm', a tree whose longevity was admired by the famous poet after whom it is named. We were most impressed by the Garden of Biodiversity, a greenhouse with tropical conditions that also allows visitors to walk through the treetops. Before lunch, we also visited a large student campus by the river.
Lectures that day were dedicated to the Project based learning method, and in international teams we learned how to do problem tree analysis, which I will be happy to apply in working with students in the classroom.
THURSDAY, 23 March 2022
On Thursday morning, our instructor Alessandro introduced us to the concepts of participatory budgeting and association games that we can use in classroom work. Most of the morning was set aside for the Padova Bingo game, during which we researched information about the city in an informal atmosphere in international teams, both online and offline, on the field. It was an exercise of teamwork and the use of new presentation tools that we had the opportunity to get to know during the lecture. At the end of the day, each team presented their findings.
Also, it was on this day that all the participants were presented their course attendance diplomas.
The afternoon of the penultimate day of the course I set aside to visit the Capella degli Scrovegni painted by Giotto, a famous late medieval artist. The frescoes inside this chapel are considered one of the masterpieces of Western art, and are not to be missed while visiting this city.
On Thursday morning, our instructor Alessandro introduced us to the concepts of participatory budgeting and association games that we can use in classroom work. Most of the morning was set aside for the Padova Bingo game, during which we researched information about the city in an informal atmosphere in international teams, both online and offline, on the field. It was an exercise of teamwork and the use of new presentation tools that we had the opportunity to get to know during the lecture. At the end of the day, each team presented their findings.
Also, it was on this day that all the participants were presented their course attendance diplomas.
The afternoon of the penultimate day of the course I set aside to visit the Capella degli Scrovegni painted by Giotto, a famous late medieval artist. The frescoes inside this chapel are considered one of the masterpieces of Western art, and are not to be missed while visiting this city.
FRIDAY, 24 March 2022
We spent the last day of the course in the field, getting to know the cultural sights of Padua. We were guided through the city by our instructor Alessandro, who explained the development of the city since Roman times and showed us some of its oldest churches. So, in an informal tone, I ended a five-day gathering with friends from Spain, Poland and Latvia, with whom I exchanged contact details so that we could continue to work together on the topic of our course some time in the future.
In the afternoon I took advantage of the fact that Padua is only half an hour away by train from the city of Venice, so I headed to visit my favorite sights of this city. On this occasion, I focused on the Fortuny Palace where the painter, fashion designer and inventor Mariano Fortuny lived in the early twentieth century.
We spent the last day of the course in the field, getting to know the cultural sights of Padua. We were guided through the city by our instructor Alessandro, who explained the development of the city since Roman times and showed us some of its oldest churches. So, in an informal tone, I ended a five-day gathering with friends from Spain, Poland and Latvia, with whom I exchanged contact details so that we could continue to work together on the topic of our course some time in the future.
In the afternoon I took advantage of the fact that Padua is only half an hour away by train from the city of Venice, so I headed to visit my favorite sights of this city. On this occasion, I focused on the Fortuny Palace where the painter, fashion designer and inventor Mariano Fortuny lived in the early twentieth century.
SATURDAY, 26 March 2022
After breakfast, I headed to the Slovenian border, and then further ahead to Varaždin, full of ideas for passing on new knowledge to my team and students of Sračinec Elementary School, both through lectures and as part of extracurricular activities next school year.
After breakfast, I headed to the Slovenian border, and then further ahead to Varaždin, full of ideas for passing on new knowledge to my team and students of Sračinec Elementary School, both through lectures and as part of extracurricular activities next school year.