Tolerance In My Europe Journal
26.10.2011 г.
Local communities were informed about project progress and results
23.10.2011 г.
Analysis on the visit in Hungary/English version/
Analysis of questionnaires and survey, carried out to evaluate the 2nd working meeting in Mako, 22nd- 28th September, 2011
Parents` and local community members` viewpoint
The visit has been discussed in detail with family members, relatives, friends and neighbours . According to them , the students have been strongly impressed and influenced by what they experienced – crossing borders, the extremely warm and well-organised reception , the good relationships among partners, the interesting and meaningful events and activities and especially by The Invisible exhibition where they stepped in the shoes of blind people.
All answers to the question whether the visit has changed the kids in a way are affirmative. The visit has changed the kids for the better. It has made them more responsible, willing to overcome, to beat hardship and difficulties in general, more self-assured and respectful of other people` s opinions, culture and lifestyle. It has also enriched their general culture and broadened their minds.
The participants in the survey and especially the parents are introduced to the main ideas and aims of the project. They regularly read the information in both the project and the school websites.
The general conclusion is that students` participation in international projects is of great benefit for mainly:
- Improving speaking skills in English and communicative skills in general;
- Enriching students` general culture, broadening their minds and horizons;
- Overcoming communication difficulties – students speak more openly to parents, teachers, classmates, people from other countries, ethnic groups and religions;
- Raising students` responsibility to tasks assigned;
- Students` ability to deal with unusual situations, alone, without their parents/ incl. dealing with their budget/.
- Enhancement of motivation and initiative, participation in activities, striving for improvement and self-expression;
- Openness to the world and the European initiatives.
The students have visibly become more tolerant to everything around them. The project has influenced their upbringing in a good, positive way and helped them develop their intellectual interests.
Parents wish work on projects could go on. They appreciate teachers` work and relate their gratitude for the opportunities given to their children.
Students` opinions
All the students are extremely satisfied that they have succeeded in dealing with unusual situations alone, taking responsibility, “handling themselves”, that they have learned to work with people from other cultures ,ethnic groups and religions, people with different viewpoints and way of life. They have also learned to respect differences, to be more tolerant and work in international teams.
What they say about their partners is that they are
- Friendly and polite;
- Different in cultural backgrounds and lifestyle but their interests are alike – the interests of all young people in the world;
- “COOL” and the time spent with them is unforgettable.
They all think the Hungarian school is big, beautiful and interesting. The Hungarian partners know how to work and have fun as well.
As for the advantages and shortcomings of working in a team and an international team, despite differences at times, they learned to understand and respect others` opinions and mutual work brought them great satisfaction.
The advantages and strengths are that they have learned to work together with other people. They found out the Bulgarian slogan “Unity means power” to be true. And though a team needs time to become a good one, they all think that if everybody follows the motto/maxim/ “One for all, all for one”, they can climb mountains together. All the above counts for work in both national and international teams. Everybody agrees that it is necessary to learn foreign languages as they help communicate better with the rest of the members on the international team. Everybody should have at least language competences at working level, especially knowledge of the working language of the project, English in our case.
What students experienced exceeded their expectations. Some say that although Mako proved to be smaller than they had expected it turned to be a great town, better for living than big cities. All students define their experiences with the partners from Hungary and Poland as “unique” and “unforgettable” and would like to repeat them.
Teachers` viewpoint
Teachers` opinion coincides with that of students and their parents, relatives and friends. Despite the workload and many responsibilities, they have also improved communicative and IT skills, exchanged useful experience with colleagues from other countries and education systems. Relationships with their students improved, moving on to higher, more productive levels and they are convinced in the benefits of such projects.
20.10.2011 г.
Analysis of the survey on the Hungarian visit / Bulgarian T.I.M.E. team/
Анализ на анкетата за оценка на визитата в Унгария, Мако, 22-28.09.2011
Мнението на родителите
Визитата подробно е обсъдена в семействата на участниците.Според родителите, децата са силно впечатлени от преживяното – от преминаването на границите, от изключително радушното посрещане,от добрите взаимоотношения между отборите, от интересните дейности и мероприятия като цяло и особено от „изложбата”, посветена на света на слепите хора.
Всички отговори на въпроса, дали визитата е променила нещо у децата им, са еднозначни – да и то в положителен смисъл. Визитата ги е направила по-отговорни, довела е до по-голяма устойчивост пред трудностите и стремеж за преодоляването им, до по-голяма увереност в собствените им сили, към по-голямо уважение и зачитане мненията на другите,чуждата култура и бит.Обогатили са общата си култура.
Родителите са запознати с основните идеи и цели на проекта. Активно следят и четат информацията в сайта на проекта и сайта на училището.
Общият извод е че има огромна полза от участието на децата в международни проекти , която се изразява най-вече в :
- усъвършенстване на говорните умения по английски език и комуникативните умения като цяло;
- обогатяване на общата култура, разширяване на мирогледа и кръгозора;
- преодоляване на задръжките в общуването с другите – родители, учители,съученици, с хора от други държави, с лица от други етноси и религии;
- повишаване отговорността им към задачите,които им се поставят;
- умението им да се справят в необичайни ситуации, сами,без родители, правилно да разпределят дадените им средства.
- повишаване на общата им активност и мотивация, стремежа към усъвършенстване и себе изява,инициативността им;
- отвореност към света и европейските инициативи.
Децата видимо са станали по-толерантни към всичко в заобикалящата ги действителност. Проектът е дал добра основа за възпитанието им, те са израснали много в духовно отношение.
Родителите желаят работата по проекти да продължи.Изказват голяма благодарност на ръководителите , а някои дори ги определят като народни будители.
Мнението на децата
Всички деца са изключително доволни,че са разбрали,че могат да се справят сами в необичайни условия, че могат да поемат отговорност и да „се справят със себе си”, че могат да работят и общуват с хора от различни култури, етноси и религии, с различен мироглед и начин на живот. Научили са се да уважават различията , да бъдат по-толерантни и да работят в международен екип.
За партньорите казват, че са
- дружелюбни и учтиви;
- че са различни по бит и култура, но интересите им са еднакви – като на всеки млад човек на тяхната възраст по света;
- „страхотни” и времето, прекарано с тях, е незабравимо.
За унгарското училище мненията им също съвпадат - голямо,красиво, интересно.Унгарските партньори знаят как да се забавлявaт и работят.
Що се отнася до предимствата и недостатъците на работата в екип и международен екип, въпреки,че не винаги са били съгласни едни с други, са се научили да се разбират,уважавайки мнението на другите и съвместната работа им е доставяла голямо удоволствие. Предимствата са, че са се научили да работят с други хора, разбрали са ,че поговорката”Съединението прави силата „ е вярна . И макар че е нужно време един отбор да стане добър екип, смятат,че ако всеки работи по максимата „Един за всички,всички за един” могат „да повдигнат планини „ заедно. Всичко това важи и за работата в международен екип. Всички смятат, че е необходимо да се учат чужди езици, защото за да можеш да комуникираш добре с останалите членове на международния екип е нужно всички да владеят поне на работно ниво работния език на проекта, т.е. английски език.
Преживяното е надминало очакванията им.Някои споделят мнението ,че макар че Мако се е оказал по-малък от очакванията им, той се е оказал и страхотен град, много по-добър за живеене от големите градове. Определят преживяванията си с партньорите от Полша и Унгария като „уникални”, неповторими, незабравими и биха искали да ги повторят.
Мнението на учителите
Мнението на учителите съвпада с мненията на деца и родители по всички въпроси. Въпреки голямото натоварване и отговорности, те също са усъвършенствали комуникативните си умения, обменили са полезен опит с колегите от другите държави и образователни системи, отношенията им с учениците им са преминали на ново, по-високо и по-добро ниво и са убедени от ползата от такива проекти.
9.10.2011 г.
Day Six, 12th May
We said goodbye to each other and through tears promised to keep in touch until we meet in Hungary .We are already looking to seeing each other again in October!Day Five,11th May
We took part in the parade to the memorial plate of St.Cyril and St. Methodius. All the teams put flowers there to show their respect to the creators of the Cyrillic and their deed. Back at school we all signed a copy of the Declaration of Tolerance, put it in a bottle and buried it in the roots of the first tree we planted in the Alley of Tolerance. All this heightened the sense of going in the right direction ,of fulfillment and satisfaction , of having achieved all the goals we set for that meeting, the feeling that we have gone far along the road to tolerance.And at the party in the evening we were closer to each other than ever and we simply loved having such a fun together!
4.10.2011 г.
Hungarian meeting
The meeting of T.I.M.E. teams led us further along the road to tolerance. It was full of meaningful events that put us in unusual situations,like stepping in the shoes of disabled people and exposure to cultural differences.We enjoyed every minute of it and especially our partners` warm reception .We are becoming better and better in working in teams,esp.international ones,interpersonal relationships, language competences,communication skills,etc. with each meeting.
29.08.2011 г.
Evaluation Reports
We are already halfway through the project.It is time to make evaluation of what we have done so far.
Evaluation report 2 SURVEY ON THE VISIT IN BULGARIA
BECAUSE IT COUNTS WHAT YOU THINK
The second survey was carried out among members of the Bulgarian T.I.M.E. team. There were eleven questions which were meant to find out whether the visit changed the participants for the better, building up and improving personal qualities and interpersonal relationships, opening their minds to broader horizons .
All the participants find the visit useful. It has helped them develop their language competences and enrich their knowledge in English, practice what they have learned at other subjects and language classes. They all point out improvement of skills for team work, in both Bulgarian and international teams.
Most of the participant overcame the language barrier and their reluctance and “fear” to talk to foreigners in English, having conversations on different topics of interest. They all admit they have been reassured as to their language competences and motivated to study the language harder. Besides, they have learned to work in teams and appreciated the benefits of team work better. There are some, however, who have given no or negative answer to the question “What did the visit give to you in connection with interpersonal relations?” probably due to the insufficient knowledge of the language.
97% of the participants agree they get closer to each other despite cultural differences. They have learned about the cultures,life and language of their partners.They all point out the significance of learning a foreign language and its impact on intercultural relations.
All of them understand and interpret the need from and the principles of tolerance correctly. They all agree that tolerance makes things better and have firm beliefs on the matter.
As to the language competences and skills the conclusion is that the visit has improved them to a greater or lesser extent.
What has made the biggest impact or impression on the participants during the visit is that despite differences they could communicate well and have similar tastes in music, dancing ,etc.,similar interests, preferences and desires.They all gave the presentations, the visiting places of tolerance tours and the joint activities /esp. at the festival/ an extremely higher mark. They liked the spirit of discovering things for themselves , getting impressions of „other lives”, different cultures and ways of thinking and of discovering their own country as well,also seeing it through the eyes of the foreign partners.
They admit taking part in all the activities with pleasure which means that the latter have been chosen well and the programme was successful. A special preference is given to events in which all the participants took part.
It is obvious from the answers that the visit has changed all the participants for the better. They all say they are better, calmer, more patient and more tolerant now, which is actually the project objective.
98% of the participants want to continue their relationship with the other teams. They are ready and willing to take part in organising future visits and projects.
They all think that another brick has been taken down from the wall of intolerance and prejudice via the T.I.M.E. visit in Bulgaria and the events organised prior to it. It is obvious they understand the aim and the activities of the project well.Project work has influenced the students` way of thinking and behaviour in the desired way. They have spiritually grown up and their motivation for a greater participation in the process of education has been enhanced.
Evaluation report 1 : Because it counts what you think.
Analysis
of the results from the survey
The analysis was made on the basis of 22 questionnaire forms, chosen at random from all the forms, completed by members of the school team. All of them have taken some part in the events of the T.I.M.E. meeting in Bulgaria. The analysis covered all the answers given per each question separately.
The survey was meant to find out whether the activities were related to the project topic and whether students find participation in such projects useful.
1. Did you take part in any of the events of the T.I.M.E. meeting in Bulgaria?
Yes -82% - 18 people; No – 0%; In some of them – 18% - 4 people.
It is obvious that all who filled in the questionnaire have taken part in the events, the active participation being prevalent.
2. Did you take part in the preparation and organization of events?
Yes – 82% -18 people; No – 9% - 2 people; In some of them– 9% - 2 people. Results show that students in general were interested in the meeting and wanted to be a part of it.
3. Do you find such meetings useful?
Yes – 100% - 22 people.
The unanimity does not state the reasons for finding the visit useful but it clearly shows that the general opinion is meetings are better than confrontation
4. Which skills and competences did you practice and apply during the visit?
More than one answer was given.
English – 32% - 11answers; Communicative skills – 29% - 10 answers; Creative skills – 9% - 3 answers; None of them - 9% - 3 answers;
All of them – 21% - 7 answers.
It is clearly seen that 91% - 19 people have practiced the basic skills set to be developed by the project aims, only 3 people attending the events for other reasons.
5. Did communication with peers from other countries break stereotypes and help you get rid of prejudice and lack of confidence?
Yes - 41% - 9 people; No – 18 % - 4 people; To a certain extent – 41 % - 9 people.
It is obvious that most of the participants have experienced some changes in their vision, capabilities, confidence and the ability to communicate with peers from other countries. However, the questionnaire does not cover the level of knowledge of foreign languages which strongly influences the type of answer.
6. Did those meetings make you more tolerant to cultural diversity and other people` s differences?
Yes – 68% - 15 people; No – 0%; To a certain extent – 32% - 7 people.
It is clearly seen that all participants have changed their attitude or at least thought about tolerance , which shows the project is worth doing and its goals are achievable. It is also clear that work on tolerance should continue in various forms, involving all students, constantly changing methods and forms.
7. How would you define the 1st T.I.M.E. meeting?
More than one answer was given.
Fruitful – 15% - 6 answers; Exciting – 35% -14 answers; Unforgettable – 45% - 18 answers.
These answers were intentionally graded. It is obvious that almost everybody is satisfied with their participation, giving positive evaluation of the visit.
The answer “Boring” – 5% , 2 answers, is obviously due to poor knowledge of foreign languages, which hindered understanding and communication.
8. Would you take part in another meeting like that?
Yes – 91% - 20 people; No – 0%; Maybe – 9% - 2 people.
This is also evidence in favour of the above made conclusions. Even those who have declared it boring hope or secretly wish to take part in such a visit again.
9. Do you think such projects are worth doing?
Yes – 100% - 22 people.
Complete accord. The result confirms the need of more projects like that and the conclusion that kids want to work and be involved in projects but they have to be organized. Besides, projects should involve as many students as possible .
10. Which of the events did you like most?
More than one answer was given.
Visiting places of tolerance in Sofia – 8% - 2 answers;
Welcoming – 16% - 4 answers;
Planting trees in the Alley of Tolerance – 8% - 2 answers;
Art for Tolerance Festival 8% - 2 answers;
None of them – 0%;
All – 52% - 13 answers;
Others – 16% - 4 answers.
It is seen that despite preferences, all the events were liked. Students participated in them willingly. The conclusion is that the activities were chosen well and in accordance with the project aims and the general and special preferences of the participants.
11. Are you more aware of the need of promoting European values by various means?
Yes – 50% - 11 people; No – 5% - 1 person; To a certain extent – 45% -10 people.
The conclusion to be made here is that through projects like this, the common European values will get people closer to each other and will bring about more tolerance and understanding.
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