Learning from DENIZLI

Aquí os dejo el vídeo resumen de nuestros compañeros que viajaron a Denizli para realizar un jobshadowing en el segundo trimestre.

Nuestra aventura en DENIZLI

Like most people, when you think about Turkey you might picture a vibrant cuisine or a country full of rich history and culture. But what happens when you experience it firsthand? Back in January three teachers from our school (Beatriz Gómez, Juan Manuel and I) had the chance to visit Denizli through the Erasmus+ programme. What we discovered was that Turkey is much more than these common perceptions or stereotypes.

 The most enriching part of our visit was the opportunity to observe daily life at the host school. From the get-go everyone at the “Incilipinar Şehit Burhan Acar İmam Hatip Ortaokulu” welcomed us with open arms and made us feel like at home. We were received by a group of students that greeted us with ancient traditions and performed for us typical dances that convey part of Turkish history.

 After meeting the Erasmus+ team and being introduced to the teaching staff,  we went into some classes and witnessed how they put into practice some of the Erasmus+ objectives such as environmental awareness, the use of ICT tools and fostering inclusive education. 

The school’s facilities also stood out: we had a tour around the school and could see how the school promotes the Erasmus+ values throughout their corridors and classrooms. There are areas designed to promote environmental awareness, and they have been developed through students’ involvement in their Green and Blue teams. Students have set up a rainwater collection system to irrigate their garden and have created a greenhouse for their allotment. Furthermore, there is a fruit and vegetable stand where everyone can enjoy seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables as a healthy snack option, along with other locally baked goods. All these initiatives aim to ensure that no one skips breakfast while encouraging healthy habits.

 

During our visit, students were eager to practice their English skills, and they didn’t hesitate to ask us questions about our country, as well as what we knew about their culture. As an English teacher, one of the aspects that caught my attention the most was their English proficiency. They follow a Communicative Approach, so their methodology does not differ that much from ours. In addition to this, students learn it from a very young age, but what makes all the difference is the amount of time devoted to this, as they have around 10 English lessons per week. Students are also motivated to travel and speak to foreigners, so this plays a key part in developing their communicative skills. 

Students also play an active role in their learning. Not only through environmental projects but also using ICT resources, since all classrooms are equipped with smart boards. Therefore, they explained cultural and educational aspects to us through a presentation which later they turned into a gamification activity with a Kahoot game. Even though we tried our best, it cannot be denied that the Turkish students defeated us at this game. Nevertheless, it was a fun and engaging experience that proved that even if you don’t win you can still enjoy yourself learning. This can also be applied to our ping-pong skills; Juanma even had time to enter a friendly tournament against some students and teachers; although his performance was impressive, the final result remains a mystery. 

One area where we actually excelled was music. Our colleague Beatriz Gómez performed some classical tunes with the students. This proved to be a moving experience that highlighted how music can be a universal language capable of telling stories and reflecting cultural identity.

As teachers, some of our main concerns are inclusion and attention to diversity in the classroom, as well as developing reading comprehension together with a responsible use of ICT resources. These are also priorities shared among Turkish teachers and during our stay we were able to exchange experiences and observe their effective practices related to these issues.

In addition, we had the chance to visit some key places for the school community such as the mosque, Pamukkale University and its library, which play a fundamental role for the whole community.

Our Erasmus+ mobility combined a job-shadowing experience with the opportunity to work on our KA210 project. A collaboration between Spain, Turkey, and Finland that aims to transform education by equipping teachers and students with digital skills in the use of AI, while fostering at the same time an inclusive learning environment and promoting a responsible and sustainable use of technology. Meeting in person proved to be extremely useful to work towards the final draft of our project, since we were able to understand the educational background in Turkey.

Looking back on our experiences, one of the aspects that stands out the most is the warmth and generosity we were welcomed with at the host school. Everyone made us feel very welcomed and as if we were part of their educational community. This experience was a reminder that, beyond cultural differences, schools face similar challenges and share common goals.

We would like to thank everyone in the Erasmus+ team at “Incilipinar Şehit Burhan Acar İmam Hatip Ortaokulu” school. A massive thank you in particular to the English Department, especially to Eçe and Sevde, you were the kindest and most welcoming hosts ever. Thank you for your hospitality and kindness. It was a true pleasure working with you and we are looking forward to seeing you someday in our school. This has been a reminder that education can really bring people together.