Uge Fire (Week Four: 16.02.12 – 23.02.12) - Professional Development

The welcome sign to the kindergarten.

This week Jemma and I visited a local kindergarten in Ballerup as part of the ‘Comparative Education’ Module.  Firstly I was surprised by how easily the staff at the kindergarten agreed that we could come and observe.  They didn’t ask us for Police Checks or for much information on why we wanted to observe.  In comparison with Northern Ireland this was a big shock as there is so much emphasis on Child Protection and Safeguarding that it wouldn’t be possible to simply walk into a childcare setting without having previously contacted them about your visit and then bringing the correct documentation.  This initial surprise made me think that I was going to see something very different to education/childcare in Northern Ireland.

Examples of the children's artwork.

One of the rooms.

The kindergarten was very big with a total of 86 children attending at the same time.  There were numerous rooms but the children were allowed to roam freely between them and the whole environment was very relaxed.  The only time they were restricted to one room was at meal times.  The children were all aged 3-6 years old so this was the environment they are placed in before beginning Primary School.  I was curious about what the children actually did in this environment, whether it was just play or whether they did work too. 

It was very interesting talking to some of the staff as they explained how the children are mostly involved in play and that no teaching takes place but that if a child takes an interest in reading, writing or counting then they are encouraged to do so but it is all at their own pace.  The staff said it was quite common for some of the children to become interested in these things when they are around six years old.  They also mentioned how the majority of the girls would be ready to start Primary School at around five years old but that the boys needed the extra year to develop and become calmer.  The atmosphere was completely different to that in similar settings in Northern Ireland.  The staff openly hugged and kissed children, affection was encouraged rather than discouraged and the children were very much allowed to get on with what they wanted to do rather than having to follow a strict timetable.  Discipline was also very relaxed with the staff preferring to let the children try to sort out any disputes themselves before getting involved if it was absolutely necessary.  It felt very different to placement at home as although we weren’t in an actual school setting you always have a slight fear that you are going to say/do something wrong and you often feel worried about showing affection to the children in case it is misconstrued.  Whereas here because there wasn’t a huge emphasis on Child Protection and what we could and could not do I felt more relaxed and happy to get involved with playing with the children.  I think at home we should try to reduce the stress put on restrictions as I think it would make the children and the teacher feel more comfortable.

The soft play room.

It was a private kindergarten as the children all paid approximately 2000kr a month which is a good price for the facilities, activities and level of care included.  The children have a variety of activities from computers, books, arts and crafts materials, a playground and a soft play area.  It made me think about the restrictions in place in Northern Ireland and how these affect the children and teacher alike.  I think a more relaxed attitude is definitely preferable as everyone is happier and more comfortable.  It was a great experience to view a kindergarden and get an insight into how it worked and I am now looking forward to visiting my placement school in March.

The exterior of the kindergarten.

Uge Tre (Week Three: 09.02.12 - 16.02.12) – Personal/Cultural Development

Copenhagen Parliament Buildings.

This week saw the end of one of our modules ‘Visual Culture.’  This module was composed  mostly of visits to areas of interest within Copenhagen and the surrounding suburbs.  Having been here three weeks, I have been in Copenhagen quite frequently and already I love the city. We have visited the National Museum within this module where we viewed an exhibition called ‘Europe meets the World.’  The exhibition depicted how Europe was viewed by the rest of the world, especially in Denmark.  We had to go through each of the areas and relate the displays to events in our own country’s history, as well as comparing this with other countries.  I found it extremely interesting learning about other students cultural history and it made me realise how little I actually knew about my own country.  I also began to find similarities with problems in the other countries that I could compare with the problems Northern Ireland has faced.  We have spent a lot of time in class focusing on how our country relates to the EU and we have had to discuss this in groups to create a book cover telling one of our stories.  We choose ‘The Celtic Tiger’ as our story as one of the students in my group comes from Ireland and I have noticed that a lot of Erasmus students and our tutors are very interested in the dramatic rise and fall of the country.  Through the experience in the National Museum I realised that a lot of our countries have similar histories and ideas, and it has encouraged me to delve into the history of my own country, as this is something that has not really interested me previously.

Presenting our book cover.

We have been on walking tours of the city with our teacher Frants which has been great as we have got to see parts of the city we probably would have never thought of ourselves.  I thoroughly enjoyed this week’s walking tour as we got to visit Hans Christian Anderson’s grave, walk over a frozen lake and view the ‘People’s Park’ which is a playground for adults, with different countries symbolised as the area is very multicultural, e.g. the red square of Moscow is represented as a huge square painted  red.  It was extremely interesting to see and I can’t wait to come back when the weather is warmer and see what it is like with more people around.

I haven’t been surprised by how much I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city as coming from a small town in Northern Ireland you often find yourself wondering what there is to do.  Copenhagen  is a haven of activities and I feel that even with four months here we will not get the chance to see everything.  The shopping street Strøget has been frequently visited although I am proud to say I have refrained from buying any clothes.

However, the highlight of my week was receiving a package from home on Valentine’s Day.  I am missing the food, treats and home cooking that I can have whenever I want but here they are either unavailable or outside of my weekly budget.  So I was very happy to receive a shoebox full of Galaxy chocolate, sweets, popcorn and crème eggs.  The perfect end to a great week!

Treats from home.

Uge To (Week Two: 02.01.12 - 09.02.01) - Cultural Development

It is hard to believe that I have now been in Denmark for two weeks. Initially I found that time was dragging slightly but that changed whenever we began class at UCC Blaagaard on Wednesday.  I was very nervous about beginning class as I was unsure what to expect from the modules, students and tutors.  I was also quite worried about the language barrier and how easily understood I would be. 

The International class is larger than I expected with 35 of us in total, representing around 10 different countries, but thankfully everyone is lovely.  The tutors too are great and extremely interesting as they are well travelled and have a strong desire to hear and learn about the cultures of others.  I was surprised by how relaxed the classes were and by the laid-back relationships between students and tutors.  All the tutors are referred to on a first name basis throughout the education system; not just university and I noticed that in some of our classes with Danish students, swearing was very commonly used.  In comparison with home this is very different as I could never imagine swearing in front of a lecturer. 

Our first few days of class were based around ice-breakers and mixing activities.  Anyone who knows me well will know I HATE icebreakers but these one’s were actually fun and a great way of getting to know the other students.  During the weekend we travelled to a town called Ishøj, beside the coast.  The university had arranged for the first weekend to be spent in a Youth Hostel as an introduction to our ‘Comparative Education’ module.

 

Working on our silhouette's with Julia from Austria.

On the Saturday Jemma and I began to make our way to the hostel and of course got lost.  After eventually asking about four different people we luckily spotted another student being taken to our destination by a local Dane (another example of how friendly and helpful they are.) The tasks organised for us were interesting and stimulating and I especially enjoyed one where we were matched with a student from another country and had to draw around their body, then interview them to find out about their identity which we had to draw onto their silhouette.  I thought it was a brilliant way of learning about another culture and yourself as you focused on your own identity too.  It is definitely an activity I would consider using at home with either newly arrived children or to help the class get to know each other better.  Throughout the weekend we focused mainly on stereotyping and on the schooling systems in other countries which gave me a great insight into other cultures.  We woke up to heavy snow on the Sunday and took a walk to the beach, where the sea was frozen!

On the beach beside the frozen sea!

On Tuesday I began Danish classes which were very difficult as unlike English, the words aren’t pronounced as they look.  I have had to slow my own speech considerably and reduce the colloquial words I use as many of the other students struggle to understand me.  In comparison to home I find the classes in Denmark more challenging and even after one week the workload is increasing, but I am hoping as I get into a routine and used to a new education environment, things will get easier.

I am really enjoying my classes and meeting so many new people.  I feel it is a good thing for me to experience new situations and step out of my familiar life at home. I am constantly learning about other countries and their cultures, which can only be a benefit, as sometimes you can feel as if the world exists of just that around you, forgetting that there is lots more out there to be seen and heard.

Enjoying getting to know the other Erasmus students.

Uge Et (Week One: 26.02.12 - 02.02.12) - Personal Development

On the 26th January I began the eagerly anticipated journey to Copenhagen.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Erasmus experience but knew that I wanted to make the most of the opportunity I had been given.  As my departure date loomed closer I began to feel a variety of emotions from apprehension and fear to excitement.  (I was beginning to wonder how it was possible for one person to feel so many things.)  I met Jemma at Dublin airport where we made our way through the departure gate after saying our goodbyes and boarded the smallest plane I have ever been on.  I arrived in Copenhagen with all three suitcases intact and was greeted by Soren (a Danish student who had completed Erasmus at Stranmillis the previous semester).  He drove us to our accommodation in Ballerup; just outside the city where we met Kirsten our landlady who is lovely.  She lives above us in the house and we live in the basement which is suprisingly spacious. After a 6am start and a lot of travelling we both decided that an early night was in order so after unpacking our belongings we headed to bed.

My new home..Bueparken 84.

The next day we awoke early and began to write a shopping list (A difficult task for someone who can’t cook.)  As I have lived in Stranmillis Halls all meals have been catered and through travelling to university before embarking on Erasmus I had become accustomed to home cooked meals (not prepared by myself.) Kirsten kindly offered to drive us to the supermarket where I met more challenges than expected.  The Danish Kroner is extremely confusing with 1 Kroner the equivalent of approximately £9 so working out the cost of items is difficult.  I also noticed that English brands were a lot more expensive so we decided to avoid these, instead opting for Danish brands.  I had a slight incident with what I assumed to be milk when I tucked into a bowl of cornflakes and realised that we had actually bought buttermilk (the joys of not knowing the language).  I am hoping with time I will become more familar and confident with the money, language and food.  I also hope to improve my non-existant cooking skills through this experience.

The shopping centre in Ballerup.

Since arriving here I have noticed that most people speak English and this has further encouraged me to improve on my Danish which is very basic. The people are extrememly kind and helpful and I’ve realised that at home we should do more to help Erasmus students.

This idea was heightened further in my mind when Soren invited us to spend two evenings at his parent’s house.  It was nice to be able to spend time with a Danish family and experience their culture.  His parents cooked us a traditional Danish meal which was delicious and they explained that their diet is very similar to ours at home consisting mostly of pork, potatoes and vegetables.  It was very interesting to spend time with a Danish family and we even picked up a few Danish phrases.

All in all it has been a very busy and interesing first week and I am excited about beginning classes, meeting the other Erasmus students and exploring Denmark.