At EUROPEA school Green Academy in Denmark each year around 100 students are taking the short and long internships abroad financed by Erasmus+. In the past few months, due to Covid-19 we sent abroad 10 students only, and we could see that our students miss this great opportunity. That is why we gave them the chance in these hard times of COVID-19 to travel virtually as a part of blended mobility within the frame of ERASMUS+ KA1 program.
How did we do that?
Three fantastic teachers decided to connect the virtual exchange to “innovation subject”. There made 7 groups of 4-5 Danish students. Each group was connected to the group of students from another country.
How did we found a contacts for our students?
It was very easy. In a very short time, by using EUROPEA–International network, we found 16 motivated students together with their teachers from 5 different countries (Romania, Austria, Hungary, Finland and Spain). This was done within a week.
During the 2 weeks of “innovation” subject combined with virtual exchange, Danish students had THE possibility to connect with students from another countries. In order to help them with starting of the conversation, their teachers prepared several questions to be discussed during the virtual exchange.
At the end of the second week of the virtual exchange, each group made a presentation to their teachers in Denmark about their experience with their fellow European students. They presented the similarities and differences in educational system, working environment and daily life with the country their contact person was coming from. They also made 1 min summary video where they presented the most important conversations. In generally for many of them it was a great experience. The knowledge gained during the virtual exchange will help them to take the physical mobility in those countries in the future.
If you would like to start the virtual exchange with your students and teachers, do not start from thinking it is impossible, start by believing that it is possible, and yes, we can do it! You will only find out about it by trying it, not by thinking about the failure.
Our next step is to Explore the World by virtual exchange with 6 students and 2 teachers from Green Academy in Denmark, 6 students and 2 teachers from Wellantcollege in Netherlands, and 6 students and 2 teachers from Hawkeye Community College in USA.
We will keep you updated about all our virtual exchanges.
See below the conversation between Danish and Hungarian students from Közép-magyarországi Agrárszakképzési Centrum, Budapest and with student from Landwirtschaftliche Fachschule Krems in Austria.
Acknowledgements: many thanks to EUROPEA-Denmark and Karolina (DK) 🙂
Pics and print screens: from Karolina (DK)
Featured image: Pixabay Free Images
