Every international meeting is a different excitement and educational field for us. Our students are very young since we are in primary school. We usually go to these meetings with children between the ages of 8-9. They have never been abroad before. There are even children who will stay for the first time in a place other than their homes.
When we identify the children, we hold a meeting with the families and ask them to teach their kids to take care of themselves. We explain that the toilet system, food, language, religion, traffic rules are different. The road is also a separate educational process. Since all of them go abroad for the first time, we explain them such as customs, passports and control. It is both tiring and fun to take them to the toilet at every break. But it's worth it. |
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That's what happened at this meeting. After a long journey, we arrived in Blagoevgrad. The families the children would stay were waiting for us. We handed the children over to them and after we settled in our hotel, we explored the city.
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Day 1
Our program started with a trip because the school was a holiday due to the previous election. In Rupite, we visited the museum house where Baba Vanga, the famous oracle of the Balkans, lived. The children were afraid of becoming Christians if they enter the church there! Ha ha ha! We also visited the hot spring there.
Then we visited Melnik, the least populated village in Bulgaria. It was a beautiful village located on both sides of a stream full of houses resembling Kastamonu houses in Turkey. We visited a house turned into a museum and a wine cellar.
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In the evening, the children were together with the host children. They went to their homes. We, the teachers, held a painting workshop in the evening.
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Day 2
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We were greeted with Balkan sweet bread at school. The children at the school greeted and welcomed us with cheers. After a short welcome speech by the school principal, we toured the school. Every corridor of the school was full of flowers and they were not plucked !!! and there were no children running around and screaming even during breaks. Afterwards, students from all countries made presentations about our schools. Then the kids played with the memory cards.The cards were prepared by Turkish team for each school in four languages .So that kids can learn the names of ten vegetables,fruit,herbals and gardening tools in four languages.It was great fun for them.
After we had our lunch in the school cafeteria, we visited the historical Rila Monastery. |
Day 3
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Our children were in school before us. They attended classes. Then they painted Easter eggs. For our children it was the first introduction to the traditions of another religion. They had a lot of fun at this event.
We teachers made presentations about the education systems of our countries. We noticed that there are differences in primary and secondary education processes, but university education is generally similar. Afterwards, we evaluated the process of the project so far and planned what should be done until the next meeting. The most important output of the project is open class but no partner had built yet, but the planning was at its final stage and there were very interesting ideas on this subject. We are eagerly awaiting the results. Then we watched mental arithmetic exercises. Solving the mixed Rubik's cube in seconds was a great show. Also the four operations using hand and abacus were interesting. Afterwards, we observed the writing of e-books in the school's computer lab. One of the most exciting moments of the day was when a TV channel interviewed our project coordinator Maja Bergant and Rosi Chausheva to report on our project. This is very good for the dissemination of our project. |
Day 4
It was the return day for us. While our Slovenian and Bulgarian friends were visiting Bansko, one of the most important ski resorts in Europe, we were on our way back to Turkey.
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