Saturday, 30 April 2016
Day 7

Portfolios and Good-byes

Eduardo introduces the last day of the course with a focus on dissemination.
What practices can be more effective than others?

Addressees:   students, colleagues, headteachers, inspectors
                     members of the school board, parents, associations, ...
                     members of the professional community

Ways: articles, reviews, blogs, reports

What is important is that people know about what we are doing.
What Europe is offering us.

Colleagues present their portfolios: what will they say about our Icelandic experience?

Many colleague underline the differences in school systems, school atmosphere and behaviours.
Other prefer to point out the hints offered by the landscape or the geology of Iceland.

Michael from Germany speaks about the shoes left at the entrance of the schools and other differences form German schools that might help students formulate comparisons and interpretations.

When it is my turn to speak I prefer to point out that Iceland can be different form the rest of Europe, but so is any other country. What makes our continent special is the mutual integration of our different cultures, so that it is true that when we say geyser we speak Icelandic, but then when we say volcano we speak Italian, and when we say geology we speak Greek, and at the restaurant we all speak French when we ask for the menu.

Yesterday I spoke about this topic with José Luis. We both noticed at Keflavik airport a sentence written on a wall, attributed to a Viking leader:

It doesn't belong to any specific culture, and this is how we both would like to use it with our students. Because wisdom is everywhere, and we have to learn it everywhere.

José Luis reminds us that the week we have spent together is not just a training programme. It is much more.

Europe is one, and integration is what I feel makes it so great.

Cultural integration does not necessarily mean a political one. Iceland is very proud of its independence, and it will probably never join the European Union.

However, culturally speaking it is totally part of it, Because, in the end,

NOT EVEN ICELAND IS AN ISLAND!

Our last moment together presents the final ordeal. The school has prepared one last snack, ad this is the ultimate Icelandic ordeal: fermented shark (hakarl) with Brennivin, the local liquor.

This is also a way to know a country!

And now, time for hugs and good-byes:

Thank you Iceland, and thank you Europe!

REFLECTIVE JOURNAL

Technical school visit. Students learn a variety of subjects. The school is private, but funded by the state.

Creativity is encouraged. Students produce a magazine every year that can be used as personal portfolios.