Athens

Mobility with students

In March 2025 we are expecting to do an Erasmus + mobility with twelve of our 6th grade students to Athens, Greece. This program offers a unique chance to experience international education, fostering academic growth, cultural exchange, and professional development.

Through this mobility, students will have the opportunity to engage with a new educational system, expand their knowledge, and build valuable connections with peers and professionals.

By immersing themselves in a multicultural environment, students will develop essential skills such as adaptability, problem-solving and intercultural communication, enhancing both their academic and career prospects. This experience will not only contribute to their personal and professional growth, but also strengthen international cooperation and understanding.

We hope our students will take advantage of this enriching opportunity and embark on a transformative journey to Greece under the Erasmus+ initiative.

Who are we visiting?

The school we will be visiting is DES Interactive School, which adopts a pedagogical approach deeply rooted in the principles of personalized learning. Its educational methodology is based on the theory of multiple intelligences, ensuring that teaching is tailored to accommodate diverse cognitive strengths.

Additionally, the school emphasizes differentiated learning, enabling each student to maximize their individual potential and talents.

Furthermore, DES Interactive School integrates blended learning, combining traditional instructional methods with online education and the flipped classroom model, fostering a dynamic and interactive learning environment. This aligns closely with the International Baccalaureate (IB) methodology, which emphasizes inquiry, reflective thinking, and the development of lifelong learning skills. The IB approach ensures that students not only master subject-specific content but also learn how to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts, preparing them to become adaptable, critical thinkers.

Getting ready

Considering our objectives, we have designed a comprehensive set of activities that integrate the 6th-year annual project with the mobility program to Greece.

Through this initiative, students will gain an understanding of the importance of respecting cultural and linguistic differences, while also recognizing how experiencing new places can broaden their perspectives on diverse ways of life.

We initiated the project by identifying Greece on a map and exploring various aspects of the country, including its traditions, history, significant monuments, and mythology.

To facilitate this process, we collaborated with two teachers from the host school, whose expertise guided us in selecting the most engaging and relevant topics for our students' learning experience.

DES School - Joan MiróLet's know each other!

We then made the decision to introduce ourselves to the students who will be receiving our visit in Athens. Through this process, our goal is to involve the entire class in this experience, even though not everyone will have the opportunity to visit the other school. To facilitate this, we created a shared Padlet in collaboration with the other school.

Additionally, we prepared a Kahoot quiz that has been answered collaboratively by our students and those from DES School in Athens. It took place simultaneously via video call. While the students had already viewed the presentation videos, this has provided them with a more direct and engaging form of interaction.

We have been doing various activities to prepare for our stay. These include, not only culturally enriching activities, that have allowed our students to connect with and learn about the country we are visiting in advance, but also practical preparations focused on key aspects of our visit to the school in Greece.

As part of this process, our students have identified specific elements they wish to observe, particularly the distribution of spaces and the inclusivity of outdoor areas to ensure they are welcoming and accessible to all. Additionally, they will participate in a range of activities related to Project-Based Learning (PBL) across different curricular areas. Through this experience, they will gain insights into how various subjects integrate with PBL, with a particular emphasis on the role of English. Given that improving English proficiency is one of our school's main objectives, this will provide valuable perspectives on its application within PBL methodologies.

We are in Athens!

The first day has been a travel day. Students have had their first contact with the Greek culture and food. So excited and ready to visit our hosting school and learn all they have to teach to us!

1st day in the school: Hello DES!

Today has been a day full of activities and discoveries. We received a warm welcome, where all the students sang two songs for us. Afterwards, we enjoyed a tour of the entire campus, allowing students to explore the facilities.

Throughout the day, they took part in various activities that gave them the opportunity to observe and actively engage in educational dynamics, enhancing their ability to appreciate spaces and their inclusivity. Additionally, there was a reflection on the distribution, management, and use of these spaces, with a special focus on outdoor areas, contributing to a better understanding of how the school works.

2nd school day: working through PBL and IB methodology

Students have engaged in interdisciplinary activities that integrate the use of English with STEM activities and Project-Based Learning (PBL), all within the framework of the International Baccalaureate (IB) methodology.

We greatly appreciate how the school prioritizes student well-being and recognizes the unique talents and capabilities of each individual. This commitment to a holistic educational experience is at the heart of the IB philosophy, which promotes balanced development in both academic and personal growth.

By incorporating both PBL and the IB framework, their learning environment becomes one that, not only challenges them academically, but also equips them with the necessary skills to navigate and address complex challenges in a thoughtful and creative manner.

3rd day: What do we take back home?

STEM & IB

Once again, students enjoyed a STEM session, along with activities based on the IB methodology. We were truly fascinated by how they approach project-based learning and how they integrate it in an interdisciplinary way. Currently, they are working on a project about Egypt, and today’s focus was on hieroglyphics.

From the art area, our students took part in an activity where they learned about hieroglyphics, their meaning, and even had the chance to write their own names using this ancient alphabet.

Taking DES back home

To conclude the experience, we carried out a reflection activity where students had the opportunity to share their thoughts on what they had learned throughout their experience. They discussed key takeaways, connected new knowledge to previous experiences, and considered how they could apply these insights in the future. This reflective process allowed them to deepen their understanding and appreciate the interdisciplinary approach to learning.

As a hands-on and creative way to wrap up the session, the students also crafted a traditional Greek bracelet, symbolizing the cultural connections explored during the day. This activity not only reinforced their learning but also provided them with a meaningful keepsake to remember the experience.

Conclusion

Visiting this school has been an incredibly enriching experience for our students. We gained valuable insights into how they implement PBL through the IB methodology, and had the opportunity to observe how outdoor spaces are used as an extension of the classroom, fostering a more inclusive playground. We are confident that we will be able to apply many of these new learnings in our own school.

Taking Greece back home

Page updated

Report abuse