C3 Visit
The C3 vist was hosted and coordinated by our partners in Finland. The theme of this visit was:
Understanding the past and the present to write the future.
​
The C3 virtual mobility was a continuation of the C2 one. We focused on past situations but started adding selected present issues. We experienced some cultural aspects of Finland and the culture of the Swedish-speaking population of Finland. Students had workshops in drama, writing and debating.
​
Detailed information about the 3-day virtual visit can be found HERE
Day 1
Teachers from Finland introduced their school and how the Finnish educational system functions. The presentation may be accessed HERE.
This was followed by a presentation about the geographical area Pedersöre. Pedersöre is a large municipality which includes lakes, rivers and forests. More interesting information may be accessed HERE.
All participants were than asked to join the annual music concert held in the area annually.
The climax of the day was a lecture entitled: From the Big Bang to the Human Brain. A very interesting timeline indeed. The students needed to follow this lecture well, since later on they were expected to build their own timeline, based on important past events. The lecture may be accessed HERE.
Day 2
The day started with a quiz about Finland. The following are the winners.
During the next activity, the students were asked to present their home or village. The following are some of the presentations.
Please click HERE
Please click HERE
Please click HERE
Please click HERE
Please click HERE
The rest of the day was spent working in national groups. Each school was subdivided into subgroups, and were expected to work on the following tasks. The final work was to be presented to the rest of the participants the following day.
​
The tasks were as follows:
1. Create a physical or digital timeline from the late 16th century until the present. Present things essential to our modern life. Are there any national findings of global interest to add to your timeline? Remember to look for exciting things.
​
2. Imagine yourself living your daily life about a week without your smartphone.
Would it be possible? What do you have to change from you usually do?
Write a story "A week without my smartphone".
​
3. Right now, we are experiencing a pandemic. Compare the situation today with an earlier cholera pandemic or the Spanish Flu. Look for similarities and differences. Key words: knowledge and information.
​
​
​
​
​
4. Imagine that time travelling was possible. You are now in the year 1460 somewhere in Europe. You have your mobile phone with you. You want to explain to the people you meet what one can do with a mobile phone. What challenges might occur? Write a short play about what will happen.
Day 3
The day started off with the students presenting the results of the previous day's final workshops. Students, in national groups, presented their timeline which dated back up to the 16th century or more.
Poland
Click
Malta
France
Finland
Spain
The above activity was followed by a couple of students reading out a story entitled "A Week without my Mobile"
The smartphone is a tiny device which can be used for many different things, it is very convenient to have everything on one device than having to use several devices such as. An alarm clock, a physical calendar, envelopes and stamps, recipe books, phone book, having to go to the bank, stereo, tv, games, calculator, camera and torch. These are just a few things that a smartphone can do.
I woke up late but somehow I had one of the most productive days in my life, I had decided to spend a week without my smartphone. At first I thought it would be a task that would be hard to accomplish since nowadays technology plays an important role in everyday life. Instead of waking up and turning on my phone immediately to check social media, I took a break from the screen and went to have a decent breakfast. Now that I didn’t have my phone to keep me distracted, I had more time to eat breakfast and to get ready for school. With that extra time I could go for a walk and arrive earlier at school, which meant more time to talk to friends in person.
The benefit of not using my phone in the morning made me realize that the negative impact of the daily news and gossip had not reached me and thus I could be more focused at school during the lessons. The fact that I did not enter the group chat with my friends could keep me free from stress related to any argument or anything negative that had happened. This made my mind clearer and more free, and I was overall in a better mood for the day.
After finishing my homework I have more time to study, read books, play an instrument, draw and doodle, go out and spend time with the family. In the evening most young people of our generation would spend some time before falling asleep on their smartphone but since this week I would not be using it, I could just opt to lie in bed and sleep earlier and therefore wake up more relaxed in the morning or else go out to the village square and meet people till it’s time for bed and I start getting tired, or I could also opt to read books, draw more or challenge myself by solving some problems.
The whole week went something like that, it felt strange without a phone, not being able to call or watch videos, or having the comfort of having all the gadgets in my pocket. However, regarding health, mood and friends, I think that staying a week without my phone was a good thing, although it was quite hard, especially in the beginning considering I’m so used to having it.
The mobile phone is a very genius, helpful device, but addiction is bad and unfortunately, most people are getting addicted to it, so something like this, we think would help people’s productivity.
Jade (Malta)
The first problem would be the alarm clock. A lot of people don't have a normal alarm clock so they use their phones.
The phone helps us organize our day, it has a calendar, notes, mail, apps, etc. but we can use a computer or paper notebooks instead.
We use our phones when we travel to school or work. We buy tickets, check schedules, or even just start working on the bus or subway. An alternative would be a laptop or a notebook.
Phones help us not to get lost in the city and apps help us to get to the right place. Maps can be used instead.
One of the biggest problems when we live without a phone would be a limited mobility. You cannot suddenly arrange a meeting with friends, you can't call a parent to tell where you are. You have to plan ahead. It can be really frustrating.
Without a smartphone you can't listen to music, audiobooks or podcasts on long journeys or during breaks at school but you can, for example read books or try to draw something.
Smartphones also help us to be active. They help us monitor how much we have run, how many calories we have burned or remind us about meals or drinking water. You can also use a smartwatch but this is more expensive.
But as we know, phones have many disadvantages. It is easy to become addicted to them, they disturb our calm sleep. They are the main reason for the popularity of social media. Of course you can browse them on your computer but it is not so popular.
Social media can often impact our lives negatively. All in all, in my opinion, a week without a smartphone would be an interesting experience. It would be flustering for sure. However, a week without my phone would not change my life much, even though I use it every day.
​
Aleksandra Puchta (Poland)
You are in the year 1460 somewhere in Europe. You have your mobile phone with you. You want to explain to the people you meet what one can do with a smartphone. Write A SHORT PLAY ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
​
This following is a short play written by the Polish team (please click on image to read through it)
​
​
The participants than joined a virtual talk by Baltic Yachts Company This is a company that for more than 45 years have built yachts that are lighter and more technically advanced to gain performance superiority over the competition. In short, Baltic Yachts build yachts that are lighter, stiffer and faster.
They are also making a concerted effort to reduce the build time environmental impact through minimising the use of fossil fuels, exploring organic materials such as flax in structures, and focusing on waste reduction and waste management. Sustainability for them is not only about People, Planet and Profits. It is mostly about Purpose. Their Purpose being building: Lighter, Stiffer, Faster, Greener yachts
​
The final session was dedicated to debating. The question to debate was: Do we have common grounds to build a united future?
​
What was the participants opinion with respect to this question?
​
Six students volunteered to take part in the debate.
Six students volunteered to take part in the debate.
The following is Jean's (Malta) contribution during the debate:
What was the opinion of all participants after the debate? Were they convinced otherwise?
Which team impressed the other participants? Which team impressed the jury most? Definitely it can be stated that both teams excelled in this debate. It was very difficult to choose a winner!
Students' Opinion
Jury's Opinion
Certificate
All participants were awarded a certificate of participation.
Evaluation
Please click on image to review the evaluation of this virtual visit.
