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Mobility to SPAIN 2019

Stucom in SPAIN 2019

Published on 26 May 2019 (updated on 6 September 2019)
SPAIN Mobility 2019
  • Stucom school visit
  • cultural purpose
school, Spain from 5 to 11 May 2019
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All participants thank STUCOM for its hospitality. This week in Barcelona has been rich in experiences for students and teachers.

Several activities helped to move forward our project:

  • The presentation of our schools by students allowed each team to know better its partners. It was a necessary and important moment.
  • The observation of a "Nuclear Energy Class" showed students how a lecture in Spain takes place. They found that relationships between students and teachers differ depending on countries.
  • The choice of a logo was made in three steps. Only Italy and France had already prepared a logo. The decision was made to form groups with one student from each country (only one Spanish student participated to this activity). Groups had one hour to imagine a logo, respecting specifications. The end result was very positive. Students worked well together, in a relatively short time, and achieve a common goal. Finally, on Friday, we elected by hand the favourite logo, with pupils of the four countries. The new logo is at the beginning of this report.
  • The visit to the "Fabrica del Sol" was particularly appreciated by students and teachers. We have seen different solutions implemented in the areas of sustainable development. The proposed solutions dealt with the issues of recycling, thermal insulation, rainwater harvesting, photovoltaic panels, air purification by green plants and the collect of sunlight on the roof to light a room of the building. This visit match exactly to the aim of our project.
  • Participation in a technology course was a moment of important exchange between students. The purpose of the session was to acquire data from an Arduino prototyping board and a temperature sensor. This activity also corresponded to a need of our project.
  • Thanks to Pedro Porcuna Lopez who made us share this activity by making the effort to present it in English.
  • The scheduling of the provisional calendar of next mobilities which need to be validated quickly by all partners.
    - C4: Mobility Norway: Week 43 (21-27 October)
    - C5: Mobility Italy: Week 3 or 4 (13-19 January or 20- 26 January)
    - C6: Mobility France: Week 20 (11-17 May)
  • Several touristic visits have also strengthened links between our schools. Thanks to teachers Alex, Lorenso, Manel and Monser for their warm welcome.

The negative points to be mended.

We are aware that it is not easy to host partners. So as to get better, it is essential to raise the points that can be improved.

  • During the mobility in Spain, Charo was absent and Alex had to teach to his classes. This necessarily led to organizational problems in our work and in the decisions we had to be take. We were, most of the time, three teams making decisions, awaiting confirmation from Spanish partners.
  • Moreover Spanish students were less present in activities and totally absent after 14:00. Some of them did not seem to know the project. Our students regretted this absence, especially since some of them could have spoke Spanish well enough.
  • So far we have not been able to identify a technical referent, with whom to dialogue, within the Spanish team. The meeting, the last day, with Pedro Porcuna Lopez could, logically, lead to a sustainable and fruitful cooperation with this teacher next year.
  • Another negative point is the lack of preparation of some activities. Some school presentations were almost improvised and two teams did not have a logo. For this point, the French team, as coordinator, should probably be more directive and remind partners of the work that has to be done or to be prepared before mobilities, since everyone is always busy outside the project.
  • We also regretted that the working time on the project was insufficient to enable us to advance it in a significant way.
  • Another subject that may have caused problems, the level of English of French students was insufficient to communicate. Although one of our students speaks very good English, the other three were in serious difficulty. However, they made efforts to communicate differently. It will be necessary to select students more comfortable in English for next mobilities.
  • An important point is the financial aspect. Italy and Norway have exceeded the budget allocated by Erasmus to this mobility. France managed to balance its budget by choosing to stay in an apartment for six people, but the comfort conditions were poor for a week. Reasons for the budgetary tensions are multiple. The fact that pupils were not hosted by families is the main reason, since hotels are expensive in Barcelona. In addition, the fact that STUCOM was not able to accommodate us for lunch has increased the expenses of partners who had to pay restaurant for lunch and dinner every day. Finally, the necessity to keep students busy after 14:00, and sometimes pay for activities, was also one of the causes of budget overruns.
    In this context, it seemed odd to us that each partner had to pay bus tickets for activities planned by our Spanish partner, since Erasmus has a relatively large budget so that the host partner can take care of the visits' fee.

The positive points to be kept

  • From a cultural point of view this meeting was a real success. The different activities in Barcelona have enabled us to raise awareness among our students in the fields of sustainable development, architecture, history and gastronomy. This is an important aim of the project. Despite the poor level in English of the three French students, exchanges between partners were frequent and excellent, even if they were not always very academic. Pupils constantly asked their teachers to have moments of meeting and sharing outside the schedule. For the French team, this mobility has also created a link between our students in technical education and those in vocational education. We would like to thank students, teachers and all the people who made these moments possible.

Activities in progress or to be done soon

  • Norway has set up a "Messenger" group for teachers. You can give Daniel your account if you want to participate in the discussions. In addition, many people use WhatsApp more easily and they also want to create a group on this media.
  • Norway has to send two documents to partners: the "European energy production map" and the assessment of temperature measurements made during or before the last mobility C2/NORWAY.
  • France has to send the logos proposed as well as the chosen logo.
  • Italy has to send the questionnaire on climate comfort (France already has it), probably with a quick information sheet on the necessary equipment, the measurements to be carried out and the elements to be filled in on Excel sheets. It will be necessary to make two measurements, one in summer (June to September) and the other one in winter.
  • Spain has to send us two documents: the video of presentation of the DIIP project and the results of the Google Form survey done on Friday, "Sharing of feedback".
  • If a partner needs technical assistance, manufacturing or parts design, the needs and technical data must be sent to France before the end of June 2019.
  • The calendar of next mobilities must be quickly validated by the Spanish team.
  • Each partner must produce a video or a PowerPoint presentation from their school, for the final exhibition that will be displayed during the last mobility in France in May 2020.

Thank you all for your work, your cheerfulness and your involvement.

Working sessions

Many dicussions ...

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