We are back!!
The experience was really interesting, just having the possibility of
sharing ideas and exchanging experiences with the rest of the 45 BEDA coordinators
participating in the trip was very motivating, a really spontaneous TeachMeet.
We had the opportunity to visit Saint Mary’s University and learn about
the English Educational System, experience the National Gallery teaching
programme through art, and follow a guided didactic walk around the City, among
other things.
But what I enjoyed the best was visiting Heathland School in Hounslow, London. It was really challenging, assisting different
classes and seeing the role of teachers and students. Classes are really
interactive, a lot of “hands on”, team work, reflecting, learning from peers
and self-evaluation at the end of the class. Arts are completely integrated in
their curriculum, and we were amazed by how students had developed their
teamwork competences, communication skills, decision making… All the activities
were very stimulating and short, so students got really involved in them, and there
was no time to get bored. Corrections from the teacher were very rare, just when
the groups did not reach the right conclusion.
Different class layouts, assembly room, spaces to share and assess, work
shows… You can see part of the conclusions on Chris Fuller’s blog, who taught us about innovation in the classroom.
It is now time to analyze all the new ideas from the trip, give feedback
and decide how to apply them to our school, the Escuela Profesional Javeriana.
Thank you FERE to give us the opportunity to share this experience!