GrOuP wOrK

Yeaaaaaah!!!!!!! We have finished the project work that we’ve been taken up for four weeks.
Our group has changed the first idea, the pet therapy, in order to choose another target group: blind children 0- 18 years. The research of the material was not very easy because there aren’t specific laws for this target. In fact you must extract the information from laws for people with special needs. Knowing only few things about this target, I personally decided to send a dozen of emails to the main Union of Italian Blindness. And with pride I can say that in one week all associations answered me, providing me more or less, all materials. One association asked me to send one copy of my project to publish on a specific journal of blind people when we finish the labor . Wooooooooow!!!!

The second phase was very heavy, because it consisted in putting all together the information we found. Then to compare and analyze all these data for each country. We always had the obsession of staying into the 10 pages. But fortunately I found a funny and nice group. I felt comfortable with three simple worker and fantastic people from the beginning. The funny thing was that we “lost” time only for eating and for discussions about the defects in our countries, sometimes smiling for some aspects and sadding for others.
Returning to the project, I can say that, when we started to know more of this target group, we began to see and meet lots of blind people with dogs or sticks, in the bus, metro and in the streets of Copenhagen.

It’ s true: when you think and know more about something it’s easier to identify and meet all these people.

Thanks to this project we have discovered that blind people are a group, unfortunately forgotten, maybe for its dimension and because they don’t have particular needs(except for the sight) compared to the other targets group like Down syndrome, autism .

OpEn MiNd

During a discussion in the lesson by Bill Cleary we talked about the fact that in our intercultural class the main difficulty is the language. As far I’m concerned it is true because sometimes I would like explain my opinion , but I don’ t have a good word or sentence for this. Fortunately, we all have an open mind that enables to compare, debate, tor tear down the stereotype , to meet halfway to understand each other, even if the language is not the best one .It is also true that in this situation it is easier because we are more or less oriented in the same field, that is the social education one. This year it is very important to develop an open mind, because the world changes very quickly and it is necessary to have an elastic mind to follow everything without getting lost. Another great aspect is that when you have an open mind you can let your imagination work for you and develop your creativity. For me an open mind is a characteristic that a social worker must have to carry out his work very well.

Angels & Demons

I was shocked by the reading of James Bulger’s murder to prepare the lesson by Tim Gully. There were a lot of details about the way the child was murdered. I think my stomach was closed for one day. Then I started to wonder:

how are two children (since they cannot be called teenagers) able to kill a two-year child in such a way? What happened in their minds?

Certainly, the familiar situation of these two children was not the best one. But why taking it out on a two-year child and to reduce him in that way?

Looking back I think that sometimes animals are more human than we.

Another aspect that made me reflect is the teachers’ role, these two “guys” had been both sacked, they were annoying in class and finally they played truant. These aspects led the teachers to close them off. I know, usually most teachers are only worried about finishing the syllabus and they do not care about deepening and under standing the behaviour of a pupil, but I think that in this case both the family context and the school, which was not able to spot the problem, are responsible.

Another aspect that I consider incredible is the fact that the 38 people these two guys met on their “death route” didn’t notice there was something strange.

It true sometimes it is easier to think only of oneself and of the external world but if you see a child with a tumid face does nothing light up in your mind????????

I don’t know, sometimes individualism leads us to become egoistic and egocentric.

It is necessary to change this mentality, it is not possible to go on like that.

Rights of children

In the last days, while I was surfing in internet, I discovered this images, and I started to think again to the lesson of children’s Rights by Anne Mette Danielsen.
These images captured my attention because there are lots of simple drawings, that I can use with children to explain their rights. It’s very important that children know their rights to defend themselves from many dangers that there are now in the world. In all the drawings there is the same sentence, that says:

“all children, boys and girls, (we) have the right of:”

a) a life, a name and a nationality;
b) love , care and attention by family
c) being all equal: black and white, sick and healthy, believer and not believer
d) living in one home, have food, hygiene and dresses in order not to become sick, if we get sick we have the right to be nursed
e) studying and playing
f) knowing and love our country and history
g) a love, care, education when we have difficulties to see, hear, speak, express
h) protection in the work because lots of us are compelled to work
i) knowing , thinking, speaking, deciding, and joining together with other children
j) Protection from drug ,sexual abuse, and other forms of violence
k) Being respected and treated as children, to apply the right law if we have troubles with the police
l) Being first rescued in case of earthquake, seaquake, flood or another danger
m) Living in peace and brotherhood with children of all countries
n) Demanding the state to let us know our rights, that it respects them and have them respected.

For what concerns the art. G, I remembered that in one journal in Italy there was an article that talked about the education of children in particular in the new countries like Africa and Asia. This article said that to solve many problems in these countries the education of girls is necessary: too many girls and teenagers didn’t have the opportunity of being educated, that’s why they are now uneducated and therefore unable to improve their social condition, including their children and their community.
There is a close link between education and vulnerability of hungry, abuse, exploitation and traffic of human people. The risks connected to pregnancy raise day by day: it’s very difficult to use a specific strategy of preventive treating in case of diseases because of bad hygienic habits. But educated girls would have more opportunities to grant good health and education to their children.

The education is necessary to stop waisting the big human abilities, the most important base for every single credible project of future development.

Different ways of thinking

While I returned by metro this afternoon, I saw one thing that upset me. At the second stop metro came up 8 children, more or less of 6 years, attend with two person. And I starting to reflection….. in Italy the teacher doesn’t think to take a children for a walk , furthermore in metro….are they crazy? when there is a school travel by Pullman, usually the teacher count 2 o 3 turn.

Intercultural workshop

Now I think that in all the fields of education, and more, you need an intercultural competence, because the world has changed, we don't live in a monoculturalism anymore, even in a small reality, such as my small town Sanguinetto.

As job prospects, I think that, in my community, it is necessary to start from primary school to implement an intercultural project. Actually, a large percentage of children are foreigners ( from Romania, Ghana, China..) so it's necessary to try to develop ,in these children, “other attitudes”. The difficulty we encounter is that often, resources and "the courage or desire of some teachers" to get involved and create a stimulating and inclusive program for all, lack.

Many teachers are taken from anxiety to finish the program of the ministry, it doesn't matter what kind of needs or class-problems are in front of him. About what concerns the lack of resources, I mean that it would be nice if the teacher from the early days ,at least, would be supported by an interpreter or a mediator just to know the parents who may have different needs. For example,the fact that the child does not speak Italian and then therefore it would be usefull to create projects or games that allow you to develop a greater awareness of their values, a dynamic and understanding comparison of differences and finally a flexible definition of their identity boundaries. The teacher must pay attention, at the same time, to the risk that his intercultural learning does not take the perspective of "doing good" aliens are like us, are good, sometimes a little kinder to us, the difficulties arise ...he should be able to give life to a thought that is oriented not so much, in the ethics of good intentions (act ,so that, your action is good and also what can happen), but in the ethics of responsibility (so that your good deed has good consequences too).

I would like completing my brief essay with this citation:

"Like to learn from everything that you do not know why the humility you can participate in the possession of that good special that nature has given to every single human being. It will be wiser than all the one who wanted to learn something from everyone who receives something from everyone, ends up being the richest of all.

Do not underestimate, therefore, any form of knowledge, because science has any value. If time does not exempt you from reading the books that will occur: (...) there is a script that does not propose something interesting, if it is examined in due time and place (...).

(...) Do not neglect any science, you will strive to learn something from everyone happy. then when you reach a certain level of education, do not despise anyone, you may wish to adopt this behavior."

cit: "Ugo di San Vittore, Didascalicon, Rusconi, Milano 1987, pag. 138. Si tratta dell’edizione curata da Vincenzo Liccaro del trattato pedagogico che il maestro vittorino, nato intorno al 1096 e morto nel 1141, avrebbe scritto prima del 1125, quando aveva tra i 25 e i 30 anni."

Presentation project

Today we had a presentation of our practical visits. At first I was a little bit worried because I don’t speak very good English, but I had a good group that gave me an easy part to explain. And presentation went well. In the afternoon Lone illustrated to us the educational philosophy that stands behind Denmark school’s system.
It’s stimulating to discover that among the authors we study, there is our Italian pedagogue Maria Montessori. Now I understand why the children do what they want at school: in fact they adopt the policy of laissez fair system and support the concept that children should learn through activities and through things.
The Italian kirdengarden is different: all the activities are planned, the children are compelled to do these activities, there is no other choice. Teachers are very stressed because they have classes of 15 children each and they have to satisfy the different needs of different children. On the contrary, in Danish Institute there are a lot of teachers and pedagogues helping each others and taking care for the children.
It’s so unbelievable! You can find schools in the forest where parents bring their children and they are not worried about that: it’s just amazing, great, magnificent! In Italy a thing like that would not be possible: parents are overly anxious about their children and they transfer all their concerns and worries to the teachers and sometimes they even doubt their professionalism . I’m every day more convinced that I would prefer to work here than to work in Italy and face our disappointing reality.

Practical visits

It’s arrived! This is the day of practical visits: my group has been assigned to nursery/kindergarten and Sputnik. The day began in an institution called Marthahjemment, nursery kindergarten. I was surprised by many different aspects: first of all, there were many children and they did what they wanted: they played, ran, jumped from one room to another, sometimes alone …. And I thought: what are they doing? Where is the teacher? If it happened in Italy, there would probably be a lots of problems with parents. In fact, Italian teachers are much more apprehensive than the Danish ones. Secondly, there are more male pedagogues and teachers here than in Italy: in my Country education is considered a specific activity for women. Finally, one thing completely shocked me: children in the nursery sleep outside, even in winter time !!! Why?????? They always joke by saying that the Danish children are “Viking- Children”.
The second Sputnik is an institution for children with ADHD (children with problems of attentions and hyperactivity). This place for me is very new, because I think in Italy there isn’t this specific centre: also the structure is very good because there are a lot of rooms for this pupils. Every pupil has his own computer so that just in case he/she feels insecure or upset, he/she can go react only with the ”machine” which is a safety area and does not demand big effort to communicate with. Courses separate boys from girls and each pedagogue runs a class of 3 to 6 pupils. Every pupil has its own ”mentor- favourite teacher” whom they can discuss their personal issues with. This special mentor also takes extra care of them and , if it’s necessary, he communicates with the parents as well. In this place there is such a cosy atmosphere that you don’t feel like you are in a school, but in a place where you can spend your free time. A similar place to this in Italy can be the psychiatric clinic, a very controlled and protective building. Here the pupils can go outside and smoke a cigarette without pedagogues’ or teachers’ supervision. It‘s strange!!!!! How is it possible? Why in Italy we don’t have this structure????
These practical visits shocked me. It doesn’t seem true…. There are so many differences between Italy and Denmark….Perhaps I think it’s better for me to remain here to work, there is less stress and I love their values and their concern in education!!!!!

"A very brief History of Denmark"

This morning thanks to Jacob Anderson we could know some stories about Denmark . He talked about his favorite stories: the lesson was very interesting and fascinating, because he used a power point with lots of imagines and it was very easy to understand!!!

One Phrase that affects me is:

“we may be poor, but we don’t have to be stupid”.

This sentence underlines the importance of culture in every social class, including the poor one. All people can have the opportunity of developing their knowledge and some capacity of changing: that is for the poor ones, for instance, their social position in society.

ThReE dAyS iN cAmPpPpP

Wow!!! The University had programmed 3 days in Camp…a good opportunity to share your opinions with other people in your group, to know each others better and to talk about the intercultural understanding. The workshop was based on two lecture. During the lecture of the first text I found this quoting very interesting: “you can be born one race and die another” by Michael Omi. I share the meaning of this statement because nowadays, thanks to globalization, you can change lots of things, lots of thoughts and become another person!!! The second day I discovered that, besides the usual concept of culture - that is a set of tradition, habits, ritual, etc. - exists another aspect: dynamic. Usually we don’t think that it is a part of culture itself!!! Concerning to the second lecture Hmog, I think that sometimes also the doctors, that should be the most interested in people’s health, follow the medicine routine without real consideration for the person in front of them. Finally, with a beautiful draw play, the tutors explained to us a theory of communication.

I think that nowadays the situation in Italy is getting worse and worse. We study only theory, without knowing then how to apply it into practice. Here the lessons are completely different: first we focus our attention to some practical examples so that we can understand the theory better and only after that the theory is introduced and elucidated.

Besides this, during the camp we enjoyed cooking for all the people: we had a lot of fun preparing our traditional dishes during the International dinner Thursday night (everybody from different countries had to prepare their own traditional dishes).

Giovanna and I prepared: one caprese with crostini, pasta with tomato and mozzarella and finally a lot of small pizza. Of course the Italian food was one of the first to be finished: we are good cooks!!!!

Finally, before the conclusion of this great experience, the tutor asked everyone two questions:
What was good? I think all was good because is a new experience for me to live in an intercultural class, at first impression I had good pals of adventure, very friendly and helpful.
What are your difficulties? English language is for me a big problem, I understand the general sense of lessons but sometimes I don’t understand everything. I had a lot of difficulties to speak but this place seems magic, a lot of people help you to explain, especially the teachers. It’s such an amazing experience because even if on the one hand I feel unable to communicate, on the other hand I’m not afraid to make mistakes and that’s the important.

What is an intercultural meeting?

This is a question where they focused our attention. In couple we tried to give a definition and ours was the following: when different cultures stay together ,this meeting is necessary to break the stereotype we have .Than we talked about our cultural conception and cultural pre- understanding/ consideration. In the end, with a good play, we understood that prejudgment is a process that all people have. This is necessary for our mind to facilitate the classification of things and make sense to us.

Living in Copeanghen

When I thought about Copenhagen in my bed at home, I imagined it would have been a cold country as for weather and personality. But as soon as I arrived at the airport I exchanged my opinion. In fact the first thing that surprised me was the silence and order (in the airport). In Italy there are noise and confusion!!! Then, another difference is that there are many people who help you every time for metro, trains and buses.

It was very strange… I thought I was living in another world!!!

Since I arrived, I felt like being at home…of course, I miss my dear friends and my parents…but I feel good!! Here it’s great!

First lesson

The first theme to face is a different method of studying. We talked about the similarities and differences among countries. I discussed in a group created with Danish , Holland and Spanish people and I found some things in common with Spain - for example school fees, period of exams, structure of exams - than Denmark and Holland, where types of communication with teachers, number of people in the class, exams during the period of study, etc. are different. It’s very interesting to know various methods of studying because you can take inspiration and modify your point of view.

Why did I choose this University?

I decided to attend this course because I think that Denmark and the other countries of Northern Europe are a step ahead of Italy in the field of education. I chose the International course because it struck me the moment I heard about it . I knew this in internet, and when I saw the site with so many imagines of young happy students, the possibility of an International course in English convinced me completely.
I would like you to do this experience because, above all educators, it’s very important to know the different educational systems and different point of views as for what concerns children. The second reason of my choice was to learn English: it’s a subject I don’t like but it’s important today to know this language for many reasons.

Tour of Copenhagen

Today we started to know the city. Tour in the centre, we went to The round tower to see a beautiful panorama of Copenhagen . Then we made a Canal tour in order to admire different places on the river. In the end we went to Christiania that is the area where all people can smoke marijuana or other drugs. This district is an experiment made by the Danish government . It is a bizarre, peculiar and unusual place for me.

First Impression

It doesn’t seem true to live in an intercultural classroom in Copenhagen.

It’s very strange, the class is very small, the relationship with teachers is friendly.

In Italy it’s different because the teacher represent the “authority of school” and the student is similar to an “employee of or a robot of study”.

Here the way of teaching follows different methods: in fact there are lots of discussions in small groups, work groups, exchange of views, sum up and finally there is the explanation of theory.