Maria-Theresa Gymnasium
Here is all the project work from Maria-Theresa Gymnasium, Augsburg.
First Meeting in Augsburg, Maria-Theresia Gymnasium
November 2017
OWNING THE FUTURE
What should/could future education be like?
„What should the future hold for us?“
„Schools beyond learning and teaching to the tests!”
"How can we support young people to become democratic citizens and fulfilled individuals?"
"How can the UN Global Goals contribute to make the world a better place for everyone?"
PROGRAMME
15th - 21st November 2017
Focus on Democratic Education, Project Work, Extramural and Intercultural Learning , Lifelong Learning and Learning from the Past
Wednesday 15th November
Visitors arrive
Meet host families
Thursday 16th November
Morning: Graffiti Workshop „Visions of Future Education“ at Holbein Gymnasium
Afternoon: Discussion with Key Speaker Jaakov Hecht, Israel on the Future of Schools
Focus on Project Work
Holbein’s project leaders Christoph Spengler and Thomas Körner-Wilsdorf welcomed the Erasmus students and teachers. Together with the Graffiti workshop team „Die Bunten“ they explained the basics of graffiti art. The pupils of the individual Erasmus schools design their „Visons of a Future School“ - in the context of the upcoming pedagogical conference and the upcoming lecture by its key-speaker Jaakov Hecht, the founder of Democratic Schools in Israel.
Focus on Democratic Education and Lifelong Learning
Erasmus project leader Thomas Körner-Wilsdorf welcomed the Erasmus teams in the Mediengarden of the Holbein Gymnasium, which had been desisgned and constructed by pupils of an architecture seminar. In an extra lecture for the Erasmus students Jaakov Hecht emphasized the importance of participation and democratic decisions as essentials when it comes to support children to become better democratic citizens and fulfilled individuals.
Grafitti Workshop
Jaakov Hecht
Democratic Education talk.
Friday 17th November
Morning: Visit to Maria-Theresia Gymnasium and Project Outline, Interviews with the school radio group.
Afternoon: Participation at the Pedagogical Conference (Begabungstag) in Augsburg Town Hall with an Erasmus Stand.
Reception at Town House by Augsburg’s Education Advisor Mr. Köhler with the presentation of the Graffiti „Visions of Future Education“
Evening: Participation in the Prize-giving Ceremony for the Augsburg Future Award
Focus on extramural learning
Focus on Democratic Education
The school principal Mr Jürgen Denzel, vice principal Katja Bermann and Erasmus coordinator Udo Legner gave an insight in the curriculum and pedagogical agenda of the Maria-Theresia Gymnasium. They pointed out the importance of project work and cooperations with external organisations, by explaining the school’s leitmotif „Schule ist mehr“ and the school’s „Fahrtenprogramm“ (the concept and timetable for school trips and school exchanges).
In the Town House Reception Augsburg’s Education Advisor, Mr Köhler, emphasized the importance of the Erasmus project „Owning the Future“. He called it „a milestone for lifelong learning as it brings young people from different countries and cultures together, making them aware that the idea of a common Europe will only flourish when there is communication and cooperation.“
Lecture by Jaakov Hecht: „In Praise of Diversity and Innovation, Democratic Schools as a Response to the challenges of a cross-linked world“
https://www.daz-augsburg.de/owning-the-future-der-augsburger-begabungstag/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKRiraSKm5E&feature=youtu.be
Saturday 18th November
Morning: Visit of the One World Shop and World Solidarity Workshop
Afternoon: GPS tour for students and guided visit of Augsburg for teachers
Focus on Extramural and Intercultural Learning
Sylvia Hank who is employed by the One World Organisation Werkkstatt Solidarische Welt pointed out that the two Erasmus schools, The Holbein and the Maria-Theresia Gymnasium, have been at the forefront of Augsburg’s schools and institutions for many years when it comes to promoting fair trade and intercultural learning in and beyond school - Lectures and cooperations in the context of The African Week, The Latin American Festival, The Carnival of Cultures, etc. .
The Erasmus pupils were explained that Fair Trade is more than just trading:
- It proves that greater justice in world trade is possible.
- It highlights the need for change in the rules and practice of conventional trade and shows how a successful business can also put people first.
- It is a tangible contribution to the fight against poverty, climate change and economic crisis.
FAIR TRADE ENTERPRISE IN AUGSBURG
Sunday 19th November
Morning: Trip to Dokumentationszentrum Dachau - Guided tour by Robert Johnson
Afternoon: Visit to Munich
Focus on Learning from the Past
Robert Johnson, an inspiring American guide with whom the Maria-Theresia Gymnasium has been cooperating with for many years, made the Erasmus pupils reflect upon the name Gedenkstätte, one of many names Germans have chosen to label their historical sites, pointing the diverse purposes the many names Germans have chosen to label their historical sites, pointing the diverse purposes have given them – Dokumentationszentrum, Informationszentrum, Mahnmal, Denkmal, Museum, Archiv, Gedenkstätte…. This last word is linked to gedenken [to commemorate] but also denken [to think].
PS In the final evaluation of the Augsburg meeting the pupils as well as their teachers marked the trip to Dachau as the most impressive event of the programme. For many pupils and teachers likewise – so it seemed – the Dokumentationszentrum was - thanks to the inspiring tour by Robert Johnson - not just a site of memory, but a site of reflection.
MUNICH: DACHAU
Monday 20th November
Morning: Lessons for Erasmus pupils at Maria-Theresia Gymnasium and Visit of Augsburg City Library
Afternoon: Cinema, Almanya, Welcome to Germany
Evening: Lecture by George Pennngton: „Rat-Race vs. Life Fulfilment. What is a Success?“
Farewell party at Cafe Tür an Tür: Presentation of the following meeting in Murcia by Team Espana
Focus on Extramural and Intercultural Learning
https://www.bezjr.de/das-detaillierte-programm-zur-langen-nacht-der-demokratie-ist-da/
Martina Tichov, reponsible employee for the cooperations with schools, presented the Library as an important meeting point especially for young people. She pointed out how schools cooperate with the City Library, e. g. in the context of „The Long Night of Democracy“ or the „Just Kids Festival“, in which lectures of young authors are attended by school classes.
The Erasmus pupils of the Maria Theresia Gymnasium - inspired by the Erasmus meeting at the Mountsbay Academy with the focus on digitalisation - produced in cooperation with the media centre „Medienstelle Augsburg“ an Actionbound library rallye. Visitors, like other schools and young people are now able to discover the library in a multimedia way with their mobile device.
The comedy “Almanya” centers on multiple generations of a German-Turkish clan. It is about cultural misunderstandings and the question of what constitutes national identity.
Focus on Lifelong Learning
LLL comprises all phases of learning, from pre-school to post-retirement, and covers the whole spectrum of formal, non-formal and informal learning.
Farewell Party in Cafe Tür an Tür with Song Quiz by Karl Pösl, the Amazing Jukebox, on Golden Oldies
The Erasmus teams were introduced to protest songs from the Sixties and the topic of the Just Kids Festival in June „1968 and its consequences“ . The third Erasmus meeting organized by Holbein Gymnasium will take place in the context o fthe Just Kids Festival 2017.
Tuesday 21st November
Morning and afternoon
Start of Puppet Workshop with the Spanish Erasmus Team as preparation for the next meeting in Murcia.
Focus on Project Work
In this workshop the Erasmus teams from Germany and Spain started producing puppets that should be steady companions in former Erasmus meetings: In Augsburg the Bert Brecht puppet was produced!