The final report is now completed and submitted to the European Shared Treasure and the International Programme Office for Education in Stockholm via web and via email. POOH! Now let’s think about how to proceed with a blog development in teaching. But first, plenty of rest.

// Christina Soldan

// Christina Soldan

// Christina Soldan

// Christina Soldan

My colleague, Stefan Lundgren, and I are now working on the final report of our Comenius-project, CREW. It is really hard work and to do it requires much patience. The report is done in two steps: 

1. it must be reported on the Swedish login page to the database, Svensk inloggningssida till databasen EST
2. it must be reported in the form of an e-form (. pdf). The E-report is in two parts and it must to be in English or Swedish:

•  Part E. Part A (Concerning the partnership as a whole), it has to be carried out together with our partner country, Romania.
• Part F. PART B (Concerning your own institution), it is only for our own organization and we are going to include in it all activities that we have done ourselves .

The e-report has to be written on-line but then it is to be printed on paper, the headmaster must sign it and then the e-report has to be sent via mail to the International Programme Office for Education in Stockholm. This procedure is done twice, i.e. each partner has to report to their national program office. It is required that you report the presentation and outcomes in order to get the final amount, which is 20% of the EU funding for the CREW-project. This is true both for us and for our partner school in Romania.

Our project is now visible on EST – http://est.programkontoret.se/ – just like any other EU project. Go in and look for inspiration for future EU cooperation on your own school. There are many interesting European projects with many different themes.

We have all lot on our hands for the moment and time really flies! Good luck, I wish everyone involved!

// Christina Soldan

Our talented pupils who attend the Arts program had this evening vernissage of an exhibition on the theme Cryptosporidium. As we mentioned before in the blog Skelleftea municipality became affected by Cryptosporidium in early April. This has meant that we have had to boil or buy water to drink. Intensive work and expensive efforts have made it possible to once again be able to drink tap water. Our students wanted to celebrate this occasion with a well thought-out exhibition.

Doris Hjelm, headmaster of the Arts program at Anderstorpsskolan, welcomed the visitors and praised the artists and their teachers.

A fantastic installation that conveys a clear message to the world.

The Conquerors of the Water. An A3-D composition depicting Cryptosporidium which is taking over the city.  ‘Our idea was to portray Cryptosporidium in a human form and show how this parasite takes over Skellefteå.’ (Aestheticians students: Stina Sundström Mikaela Lundquist, Lina Forest, Abraham Gomez, Alice Bergquist).

Paranoia. ‘Such a small parasite created such a big stir. You became paranoid to drink the water, that you were surrounded by the partially ‘imaginary’ parasite. There was disgusting and dirty water both around and inside us.’ (Aestheticians Students Jonas Ögren, Jennifer Norgren, Sara Nillson, Anna Lundström and Nicklas Pettersson).

Wow, so wonderfully disgusting!

Modern bathroom under attack from Cryptosporidium.

How would you interpret this installation? Have you set the parasite free?

The beauty of the ugly. A source of clean water … Or …? (Aestheticians students Fanny Granström, Josefine Öhlund, Olivia Holmström, Jennifer Forsgren, Moa Lundman)

We are in EST (European Shared Treasure). Click on http://est.programkontoret.se if you want to see our project, CREW – Cultural Ripples on European Waters, and to read about our results.

There you can explore the European dimension of education and discover European Shared Treasure, where thousands of teachers, trainers and educators cooperating in partnerships share the wealth of their experience. European Shared Treasure (EST) is a Europe-wide database which aims to capture good practice and the wealth of experience within European funded projects. It aims to increase the visibility of projects across Europe and facilitate access to project information. Project promoters (i.e. you) can showcase the results and outcomes resulting from your Comenius Partnerships, as well as looking at other projects from around Europe to gain inspiration and ideas.

// Christina Soldan

I woke up at. 05:00 a.m. today. Damp and cold at Skelleftea bus station. It is strange that these beautiful flowers still survive.

Today I was at the local PIM-gala in Lycksele, Lappland Hotel. It was organized by Andrew Skog, IT teacher at MediaCenter in Västerbotten and it was very successful, as usual when MediaCenter organize an event. The best PIM-educators of the County of Västerbotten were honored, PIM-4:s and PIM-5:s. School leaders and PIM-examiners were invited as well.

We took the bus to Lycksele and since today was the Car Free Day we were given a breakfast bag because we chose to travel by public transportation. Thanks, it was appreciated! Really!

On the bus, I slept almost the whole way. I was totally exhausted. Luckily we were served breakfast when we arrived. I had to drink three cups of coffee to make absolutely ceratain that I would stay awake for more than 25 minutes.

Lappland Hotel is so cozy, I think. I like these sculptures in wood that adorn the central hall.

Håkan Källqvist from Skolverket was one of the lecturers. He handed out the gold pins and PIM-backpacks for all six PIM-5:s and he told about the history and the future plans regarding PIM. Håkan Källqvist has the responsibility to see to it that all media work on the PIM and Multimediabyrån. He has built up PIM and he is also responsible for PIM-level 5. He showed us how Learnify works and what opportunities you have when you use this learning platform.

We, too, PIM-4:s, received PIM-needles and applause.

Then we were photographed in groups by the photographer Peter Lundström. For more pics, please click on http://www.flickr.com/.

The PIM lunch was really luxurious and nice. It is always fun to meet new people and exchange experiences with each other.

Andreas Skog gave ​​a short lunch speech since he had to disappear for other adventures. Apparently they organized three conferences simultaneously today and so he was to appear on all three of them.

After lunch we listened to Josef Sahlin, Guldäpplet, Winner 2010, class teacher for a grade 2 class at Årstaskolan i Stocksholm, and trainers for Webbstjärnan. He told us about himself and his students school blogging and he challenged us to deploy digital tools and the Internet in teaching. Josef Sahlin presented his blog, Tegelbobarn and he showed us how to fix and tricks in WordPress. Nothing exactly new for me but still interesting to see how others are using the tool and what results they have achieved.

The view was extremely beautiful from the balcony of the Lappland Hotel. The weather was not exactly friendly, but it did not matter on a this special day.

The PIM-gala in Lycksele 2011 ended with coffee, PIM-cake and mingling.

We left Lycksele around 3:30 p.m. and I slept so well on the bus, all the way home. Tired but happy.

// Christina Soldan

Here we have a short-movie called Water Victims. It is Samuel and Olov who has written the script, the actors in the movie or the “victims” as we call them are Hannes, Erik, Johan and Emelie. Our students will tell you which type of water is best. The film was made before Cryptosporidium existed in Skellefteå.

Cryptosporidium PowerPoint

A while ago explained our student Robin Boström explained for us what Cryptosoridium was. Here is his film and the PowerPoint presentation about the parasite.  

//Christina Soldan

I feel extremely honored. Read the terms and conditions – Upprop_nominering_guldapple_2011.pdf… I must say that I’m almost speechless. No matter what the jury chooses, my colleagues’ and students’ appreciation is reward enough in my heart.

‘The Golden Apple is a teaching scholarship. It is given annually to one or more teachers who renewed learning supported by ICT in their own teaching and that has inspired students and colleagues in a local, municipal, and preferably also a national field of activity.

The Golden Apple is awarded to a person or teacher who has renewed learning with IT support. Especially rewarded are those who have renewed their own teaching or work for the dissemination of ideas and experiences with colleagues (Source: http://www.diu.se/guldapple/).’

Thank you dear colleagues and students for nominating me!

// Christina Soldan