E- book: I watch, learn and teach”

Chapter IProject first meeting Limassol ,

October 2010.The first working visit for Grundtvig Partnership project HAIFES has taken place in Limassol, Cyprus.

16 participants (4 staff and 11 learners) from three approved institutions: from Poland, Romania and Cyprus has attended the meeting.The main objectives of the visit were the following:

1/ Getting to know each other.

2/ Presentations of each delegation.

3/ Clarifying the aims of the project, planning activities, methodology and time table of the project

4/ Reorganization of the project schedule and tasks due to rejection of many partners

5/ Participation in cultural and educational activities such as visits to archeological and cultural sites (eg. Kykkos Monastery, Medieval Castle Museum, Omodos village, Lefkara Folk Museum)

6/ Informal education during various workshops such as: dance improvisations, byzantine icon painting, textile art and others

7/ Initiation of virtual platform for exchange of experiences.

Even if it was the first project meeting the participants were eager to share their experience and presented their organizations and activities .

Romania come with a study about the most popular hobbies in Piatra-Neamt local community: Tapestry , chess and mountain climbing .

Traditional tapestry was presented as an initiation of the watch , learn and teach travelling exhibition .The participants had the occasion to learn how to do knots and tenter works.

ASCETIS organization from Romania used this occasion to show how this hobby is used to educate youth, to protect environment and to cherish traditions .The materials they used were wasted materials , pieces and ribbons of canvas , wasted yearns and wasted CD-s.Ship –con Limassol Ltd from Cyprus presented how they use hobbies like yoga , dance , sports, traditional therapy to integrate their learners .

Interesting holistic education was experimented and the participants understood how this methods can be used in psychological and social therapy .

Mariusz Dabrowski, a skillful, hard working, empathetic and dedicated massage therapist and enthusiastic world traveller presented unique body treatments that originate from different parts of the world.

Mariusz gave us a presentation about different body treatments, taught us a few simple ways of giving massage to ourselves in order to decrease stress and regain wellbeing as well as presented photographs from his world wide journeys.

Maryla Malinowska: Pedagogist, dance and movement therapist. Uses movement and dance as a tool for self expression and personal development. (she gave us dance and movement workshop)

Tamara Yankevich: Business Trainer, HR-coach, NLP&Enneagram Trainer, personal development facilitator (she gave us presentation about communication)and Sylvia Braun: yoga instructor, holistic mind-body therapist, personal development coach and trainer, stress management coach (she gave us yoga workshop and taught us how to use breathing and gentle stretching in order to relax) .

The partners from Poland –Vesuvio presented their organization and how they used the love for flowers as an integrating factor during their last Grundtvig international experience “Flowers unites Europe “.

Although not physically present, the coordinator from Portugal was included in all discussions related to the project as we were connected via Skype and on Facebook .They sent us comments about the project program and activities and pictures from their activities dedicated to seniors.

The cultural thematic trips were a good occasion for intercultural dialogue and promotion of local cultural values at European level . The participants learned that thematic trips can be used as a good way for adding European value to a project.

During the trips the participants were invited to learn some local ancient hobbies as icon painting on wood .

During the first meeting was also established which will be the emblem of the project . All the participants voted for the circle , the circle that unites , inshore and assemble ,we chosen a handicraft object made by one of the learners from a CD as a symbol of collaboration .

After this meeting in each participating organization had realized workshops ,presentations of different kind of hobbies and the hobbies were used as educational methods and integrating factors .

All the local workshops are presented on the project blog .

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2010/12/winter-decorations-at-piatra-neamt.html

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2010/12/hobbies-and-human-rights-in-workshop.html

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2010/11/popular-dances-at-piatra-neamt.html

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2010/12/haifes-stowarzyszenie-vesuvio-poland-15.html

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2011/01/christmas-cards-making-workshop-at.html

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2011/03/tradition-of-designing-and-making.html

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2011/04/painting-easter-eggs-with-wax-ancient.html

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2011/06/local-workshop-in-cyprus.html

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2011/06/ccd-sao-jose-activities-for-adult.html

Movies with demonstration can also be found in the project e-portfolio .

Chapter II

Second project meeting Rzeszow May 2011

In the second international project meeting participated 40 people: 6 staff and 34 learners from all 4 countries: Portugal, Romania, Cyprus and Poland.

During the second meeting of the project ASCETIS learners , hobbyists of folklore had a good occasion to meet polish artisans and popular dancers during two festivals they participated in. During the festival of traditional food and handicraft / ECOGALA 2011- Rzeszów the participants acquired Polish traditional handmade handicraft: moppets, toys, paintings, wooden sculptures, artificial flowers and other decorations, jewellery and embroidery made by regional artists of Podkarpackie Province as their hobby.

Artists shared experience and information about materials used and ways of doing them. The festival presented also Polish traditional food / cakes, jams, cold meats, mountain cheese… / made by farmers according to old recipes of their grandmothers. These delicious food was tasted by participants with taking some recipes to cook as a new hobby. Traditional food was also presented in the National festival in Giedlarowa / Lezajsk where the folk group from Romania performed Romanian traditional dances and songs near the popular artists from Poland .The festival was a good occasion for European integration and cultural dialogue .

In Poland were organized also cultural trips and visits to workshops were the participants had the occasion to discover new hobbies and learn new and interesting working techniques .

The Romanian group performed traditional dances in Rzeszow Market Square and tried to show as much as possible from the Romanian traditions they love to the other learners and to Polish people leaving in Rzeszow.

As it can be seen international festivals are a very good occasion for cultural promotion and European integration.

The organizations participating in the project continued to organize workshops and exhibitions at local level .

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2011/06/ccd-sao-jose-activities-for-adult.html

http://www.haifes.blogspot.ro/2011/06/local-workshop-in-cyprus.html

Chapter IIIThird project meeting Piatra Neamt

During the meeting in Romania the emphasis was put on music (rock music) and dance.

The participants presented dances and movements and at the final all of them danced in a round dance (the popular Romanian ”hora”).The meaning of this dance was the promotion of cooperation between European citizens .

At the project activities participated 24 participants (6 staff and 18 learners)

The aims of the meeting were :

- Getting know about specific hobbies of Romanians leaving in North –Eastern region of the country

- Identifying and learning new methods in informal education for adults

- Developing educational, interpersonal and social competences

-Learning new and creative hobbies that can facilitate learners’ integration in European Society

This goals were reached by the following activities:

-Preparation , realize flyers , posters and a presentation panel , planning a rock concert with the participation of a Romanian rock band (ASCETIS association learners ) and the Portuguese team to demonstrate that the passion for a specific kind of music can be an integrating factor for European Society .

-Promotion of the project by participation to the street event “Alambic de arte “organized in front of History Museum Piatra-Neamt , exchange know-how with other artists and adult learners and find inspiration for new hobbies.

-Realize the Watch , learn and teach exhibition with new products from local activities of each partner.

Realize cultural , thematic trips ,visit to museums, palaces, castles to know hobby from different centuries. Places visited : Parliament building from Bucharest(XX century building ) , Bran castle from Brasov , Neamt Citadel from Tg.Neamt , Royal Court of Stefan cel Mare in Piatra Neamt ( XV-XVI centuries buildings ), Agapia Monastery , Varatec Monastery (XVII-XVIII centuries ,Agapia Monastery’s workshops to learn ancient techniques for manual tapestry and icon painting , the reservation “ Cheile Sugaului Munticelu“, to learn about this very educational hobby and how it can be used in adult informal education for developing

interpersonal and social competences , cultivating love and respect for nature ,getting used

with a healthy life style .The activity was realized with the support of Clubul Ecoturistic Gheorghe Iacomi from Piatra Neamt .

-A new hobby , origami ,was presented in an workshop .

-Arts and facts in Neamt county, workshop about local habits and dances , discussions about popular dances in all participating countries. The workshop focused on discover similarities and differences in each country’s popular dances .

At final all the participants realized a round dance as a meaning of cooperation .

All the participants danced “Hora” and after that a band of learners sustained a rock concert at “Colibele haiducilor” . The concert was sustained by a the Romanian band of students Black Shadows from ASCETIS association with the participation of a Portuguese learner as voice singer . The audience was composed by locals , rock sympathizers and the project learners . During the concert the Portuguese team demonstrated how a found raising can be realized to sustain this beautiful hobby .

After the concert all the participants and the audience could exchange ideas and talk about music as a hobby that can keep youth away from vices and bad habits and can help individuals to integrate in society .

-The staff participants and the learners presented by Power Point presentations Gheorghe Iacomi Eco -touristic Club activity and Constantin Lacatusu expeditions ,Chess without frontiers, a study about chess as an integrating factor in European Society, the activity of Centro cultural e desportivo Sao Jose.

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Results : Artistic handicraft objects reunited in the intercultural space : Watch , learn and teach

Exhibitions, exchange of experience , ideas and know how between participating organizations,

power Points presentations about hobbies, new hobbies and techniques learned by the participants .

Chapter IVForth project meeting

LimassolAugust/September

2011

1. Objectives To help individuals to gain better understanding of what brings joy and personal fulfillment to their lives; to help participants to discover and develop their hobby;

To get to know and understand better the culture and traditions of Cyprus

To discuss and present project achievements up to date (local and international)

To help the participants to develop their interests and creativity through various practical workshops

To evaluate different aspects of the meeting

To help the participants develop computer literacy and ICT skills (website, blog, email),

To exchange experiences regarding new methods and approaches in adult education

To analyse the hobbies impact on different target groups

To expand the “Intercultural space: I watch, learn and teach”; Travelling exhibition (consisting of the handicraft made by the learners of each country)

To enable the learners to meet and make friends with people from different countries and with a different cultural background

2. Actions : Educational visits and tours: Old town ,Kolossi medieval castle,Traditional Omodos village, winery, Kurion mosaics and ancient theatre ,Paphos old harbour, Tombs of the Kings,Agios Neofitos monastery,Bouzuki performance.

Workshops: Jewellery making workshop,Yoga,ICT skills,Culinary workshop (traditional Cypriot cuisine)

3. Results

The staff exchanged experiences and new methods in adult education

artistic handicraft objects (for the "Travelling exhibition”)

Photos and reports for the blog of the project and for Intercultural Space

Films documenting various activities during the meeting

Power point presentations about hobbies

Plans for further activities and ideas for future collaboration under different European projectsThe result of participation in this workshop in Cyprus was getting knowledge and made a contribution to the e - book : “I watch, learn and teach”.

The participating learners and staff multiplied the results by realizing workshops in their own organizations.

On 1 December 2011 seniors from Poland were activating in Association VESUVIO taking part in a workshop dedicated to  handmade jewellery based on experiences from Cyprus. 

  The aim was to show and spread didactic and practical experience to others learners including seniors from collaborating countries.  It is a didactic resource for other teachers and learners:

Phases of doing the jewellery:1/ Educational visit to ethnographical museum in Rzeszow with great jewellery collections based on folk motives from past century in order to take inspiration and ideas for own pieces of jewellery. Learners got artistic impressions and got stimulation for creation own pieces of jewellery.

2 / Informative session about the workshop – clarification the rules of working and communication within learners, ice-breaking activities, preparation to designing the pieces.

3/ Handicraft workshop run by a teacher/ artist : introduction, getting know the techniques, materials, the tools, the way of working, presentation a jewellery collection, using ICT/ multimedia projector, computer, digital camera.

4/ Beginning to design own pieces of jewellery- necklaces and beads, forming fascinating shapes using own creativity, selection materials with the help and support of teachers, combining different techniques together creatively, individual and team work.

5/ Designing bracelets - presentation the methodology of working, preparing materials. Each piece was carefully designed and crafted through selection of colour and pattern, to achieve the best result.

6/ Long process of forming shapes, painting, drying – individual and team work.

7/ Completion and finishing handmade jewellery by adding claps, buckles, joining all elements in one piece of jewellery such as: bracelets, necklaces, beads.

8/ Final great event for Grundtvig learners; presentation of participant’ art work- the exhibition of all handmade jewellery.

9/ Evaluation- discussions, colleting opinions, preparing materials for dissemination, preparing the documentation.

Materials used for the jewellery workshop: plastic mass, pearls, beads and other accessories.

The final products were great and brought seniors a lot of joy and personal fulfillment. All of them developed artistic creativity and expressed satisfaction of being together, working together and socializing together.

In 21 January 2012 Seniors from ASCETIS association realized also an workshop for social integration starting from the participants passion for macramé and jewelry . At the workshop participated 10 ladies and 3 girls from 7 families .The purpose of this local meeting was to use the Internet and the ICT skills acquired by our learners during the project for promotion of the works created at home by the participating women and girls and to use this occasion to learn new techniques from each other .

The meeting was a good opportunity for the housekeepers to show their talents and to fill good and appreciated for their work.

Chapter VIMADEIRA FINAL DISCUSSIONS

AND CONCLUSIONS :In the last project meeting in Madeira participated 6 persons from the project staff and 20 learners.

During a round table the participating persons from the project staff analyzed the evaluation forms filled after each project meeting and started discussions about the following problems:

Why and how is hobby an integrating factor ? How is it producing social integration? Different kind of people come together , share ideas ,and knowledge they become aware of their

value as individuals , get respect from the others and gain self respect and self appreciation . We can bring together students and seniors , active people and retired persons different nationalities

and different ethnic groups during our activities. They teach each-other , support each-other ,and they have joy and fun with each-other.

Hobbies offer a good support and background for alternative psychological and sociological treatment.

During the international meetings of the project we presented hobbies by practical workshops , photos ,movies , handicraft objects and power-point presentations.

After the international meetings each participant used new learning methods and activities in his specific environment , in his community that he learned during the international meetings and joined activities. At the end a SWOT analyzes was realized SWOT analyzes conclusions :Strengths Hobby workshops can bring together people from different cultural backgrounds , with different ages , social status ,genders and type of education.By presenting the work results of each individual we can help them to gain appreciation from the society and self respect .

Digital photo collections and movies can be created during the hobby workshops. This creates the possibility of sharing ideas and results, improves the digital skills of the participants and encourages them to communicate via internet.

Weaknesses

If the teaching material is too difficult and sophisticated the learners will not understand the purpose of the workshop .Teaching methods must be adjusted with the age and type of learners .Each activity must be prepared ,well organized with enough materials and supplies .Explanations must be short and clear .The results must be visible at the end of the workshop.

Opportunities

During the international meetings the participants could take knowledge about other countries traditional hobbies . As the participants spread the information in their local communities the international meetings about hobbies have an European integrating result.

Old traditional hobbies can be taught to the young generation and can be promoted at local , regional and international level .A cultural dialogue can be opened with each occasion .One learner from a country can make impact on the learners from the other countries by presenting his hobbies and activities .

Treats

The very large range of possible hobbies can divide the learners in groups too small to obtain a very good social integration .

A combination of 2 or 3 hobbies is recommended for each workshop.

In Madeira were also realized workshops about embroidery , wicker basketry , moving games for elder integration and flower decorations .