The project. El proyecto

English
Verzlunarskóli Íslands in Reykjavik, Iceland and Antonio Machado Secondary School in Álcala de Henares in Madrid (Spain) have been working with etwinning throughout the academic years 2009-2011. We have been involved in an International project entitled, How is life over there?, y tú cómo vives?. This is has been a very enriching experience for all, students, teachers and families. Through the etwinning platform students have been able to keep in touch, to collaborate in their tasks as well as improving their knowledge of foreign languages. The Spanish students have also been in contact with a new language for them, Icelandic. This project has enabled them to get to know both, the language and the culture of a country. Besides, they have worked with the information technologies since it is one of the Council of Europe proposals. On the whole, we believe that etwinning projects are essential to reinforce the learning of foreign languages as well as fostering the respect for the different cultures along with the use of information technology. On the other hand, this project has also contributed to improve the collaboration and participation of all the education community; students, teachers, families and institutions in the learning process.

Español

La experiencia en eTwinning.

Durante el curso académico 2009 – 2011 Verzlunarskóli Íslands (el Colegio Comercial de Islandia) en Reykjavík, Islandia y el IES Antonio Machado de Alcalá de Henares, en Madrid, España comenzamos a trabajar en un proyecto internacional titulado, How is life over there, y tú cómo vives? en la plataforma eTwinning.
El proyecto ha resultado una experiencia enriquecedora, tanto para los alumnos, los profesores, y las familias que participaron en el proyecto.

A través de eTwinning, los alumnos han estado en contacto, han colaborado para realizar diferentes actividades y han perfeccionado su conocimiento de lenguas extranjeras: español e inglés. También, los alumnos españoles, han tomado contacto con una lengua nueva, el islandés. Este proyecto, les ha permitido conocer la cultura del país a través de su lengua y trabajar con las nuevas tecnologías, que es uno de los objetivos propuestos por el Consejo Europeo.

En definitiva, creemos que los proyectos etwinning son necesarios para apoyar y reforzar el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras, fomentar el respeto a diferentes culturas y el uso de las nuevas tecnologías de la información. Por otro lado, ha facilitado la colaboración y la participación de diferentes miembros de la comunidad educativa: alumnos, profesores, familias, colegios e instituciones en general.


Íslenska
Á skólaárinu 2007 -2008 þá byrjaði spænskudeildin að taka þátt í alþjóðlegu verkefni í eTwinning undir stjórn Hildu Torres.
Nemendur á alþjóðabraut, málabraut og viðskiptabraut byrjuðu að vinna í verkefninu Are we so different? Þetta verkefni fékk verðlaun á Íslandi árið 2009, bæði gæðarviðurkenningu og einnig í landskeppni sem besta verkefni framhaldsskóla. Í framhaldi af því var ákveðið að stofna nýtt tveggja ára verkefni sem ber vinnuheitið How´s life over ther? ¿Y tú? ¿Cómo vives?

Verslunarskóli Íslands í Reykjavík og spænski framhaldsskólinn Antonio Machado í Alcala de Henares, Madrid, hafa unnið saman með etwinning skólaárin 2009 -2011. Við höfum tekið þátt í alþjóðlegu verkefni sem ber vinnuheitið “ How is life over there, y tú cómo vives?”
Þetta hefur verið mjög auðgandi reynsla fyrir alla, stúdentana, kennarana og foreldrana.

Með stefnuskrá etwinning hefur nemendum tekist að vera í sambandi, unnið að sameiginlegum verkefnum og aukið kunnáttu sína í erlendum tungumálum. Spænsku nemendurnir hafa fengið að kynnast alveg nýju tungumáli, íslenskunni. Verkefnið hefur gert þeim kleift að kynnast bæði tungumáli og menningu lands. Auk þess hafa þau unnið með upplýsingartækni þar sem það er eitt af markmiðum Evrópuþingsins.

Að lokum, þá trúum við því að etwinning verkefnið sé nauðsynlegt til þess að efla tungumálakennslu auk þess að hlúa að virðingu fyrir mismunandi menningu, með því að notast við allt það nýjasta í upplýsingartækni. Auk þess, þá hefur þetta verkefni hjálpað til að bæta og auka þáttöku og samvinnu á milli menntastofnanna, stúdenta, kennara og fjölskyldna.

Project's evaluation. The families speak. Evaluaciones del proyecto

An important part of the project was the families' involment in it. We inclu
de here some opinions given by them in both countries.

Una parte importante del proyecto fue la participación de las familias. Por esa razón quisimos presentar la opinión que algunos de ellos dieron sobre el mismo. Esto servirá para actividades futuras de los profesores, los estudiantes, las familias y los colegios en los proyectos eTwinning y Comenius.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mér fannst þessi ferð mjög sniðug og gagnleg fyrir mína stelpu, sniðugt að fá að prófa að vera í öðru landi og reyna þeirra síði.
Eins fannst mér ganga mjög vel með okkar nemanda þegar hún var hjá okkur, þanning að já ég myndi mæla með svona verkefni, fannst tíminn passlegur."

"Okkur finnst dóttir okkar hafa lært heilmikið á ferðinni til Spánar. Hún talaði um hvað foreldrar stúlkunnar sem hún var hjá voru almennilegir og vildu allt fyrir hana gera. En henni kom á óvart hvað það var mikill menningar munur á þessum tveimur löndum. Allt aðrar reglur í skólanum, meira gert úr hlutum sem henni fannst ekki skipta máli, matarvenjur öðruvísi o.fl.. Okkur finnst að hún hafi gert sér grein fyrir hvað unglingar á Íslandi hafa það í rauninni gott. Henni fannst gott að koma heim þó að hún hafi skemmt sér mjög vel.Við tókum á móti tveimur spænskum stelpum sem voru skemmtilega ólíkar. Önnur mjög hlédræg en hin opnari en báðar virkilega fínar stelpur. Það var mjög ánægjulegt að taka á móti þeim og gaman hversu spenntar þær voru fyrir Íslandi. Þær voru mjög kurteisar og kunnu vel að meta það sem gert var fyrir þær. Mest voru þær spenntar fyrir landsslaginu og fannst þeim ferðirnar sem þær fóru um landið mjög skemmtilegar. Við fórum með þær á Þingvelli og Geysi ásamt því að sýna þeim sumarbústaðin okkar. Þær voru mjög hrifnar. Einnig sýndum við þeim Kerið í Grímsnesi sem þeim fannst mjög merkilegt og gaman að sjá hvað hrifning þeirra var mikil af hlutum sem okkur finnst svo sjálfsagðir. Ég held að þeim hafi komið á óvart hversu vel við Íslendingar búum og hversu gott við höfum það í raun.Aðal niðurstaðan er sú að börnin kynnast mismundandi venjum og siðum hjá hvort öðru og víkka þannig sjóndeildarhringinn. Við erum öll svo vanaföst að þegar við erum búin að sjá hjá öðrum þá kunnum við oft betur að meta það sem við höfum. Okkur finnst hafa mjög vel tiltekist á báða bóga og mælum hiklaust með svona verkefni."

Umsögn um skiptinemaverkefni frá foreldrum

Að okkar mati var þátttaka dóttur okkar í þessu skiptinemaverkefni fróðleg, þroskandi og skemmtileg. Þegar hún fór til Spánar fengum við foreldrarnir vissulega svolítinn kvíðahnút í magann að senda yngsta barnið okkar í fyrsta skipti af landi brott án okkar. Ef til vill hefði verið viðeigandi að fá frekari upplýsingar um spænsku fjölskylduna áður en hún fór út. Miðað við þá miklu fjarskiptatækni sem við búum við í dag, finnst okkur viðeigandi að fjölskyldurnar hefðu mátt tengjast á einhvern hátt eða eiga einhverskonar samskipti, skiptast á myndum fá upplýsingar um fjölskylduhagi, svo eitthvað sé nefnt.
Þetta gekk þó allt saman vel, það var vel tekið á móti dóttir okkar úti og komið vel fram við hana á allan hátt. Henni var m.a. boðið í ferðalag sem var bæði skemmtilegt og eftirminnilegt. Þegar hún fór svo aftur heim til Íslands var hún leyst út með gjöfum. Að sama skapi fannst okkur heimsókn til okkar ganga mjög vel. Hún kom vel fyrir, aðlagaðist fjölskyldunni, ferðaðist með okkur og hefur vonandi átt ánægjulega dvöl. Það sem okkur fannst mikill kostur í báðum heimsóknunum, var að stelpurnar fengu val um hvort þær vildu vera í sér herbergi eða saman. Í fyrstu virðist þetta ef til vill vera aukaatriði, en skiptir þó nokkru máli að okkar hálfu.
Okkur fannst einnig jákvætt hversu vel þær náðu saman, þær náðu að aðlagast mat og menningu, voru fróðleiksfúsar, jákvæðar, opnar og einstaklega samvinnuþýðar, sem ekki er þó alltaf sjálfgefið. Vissulega eru slík vistaskipti ávallt nokkurt happdrætti, einkum þegar ólíkir menningarheimar mætast. Við erum eins ólík eins og við erum mörg en þegar öllu er á botninn hvolft eru verkefni af þessu tagi, að okkar mati góð lífsreynsla.

"La idea del intercambio con los adolescentes de Islandia fue siempre bien recibida en nuestra familia. La posibilidad de tener esta experiencia nos parece una oportunidad de oro, un lujo, y no solo para viajar a Islandia, un lugar precioso, sino para comunicarse con chavales de otro país y de otras clases del Instituto.
La propuesta que nos ha ofrecido el Instituto Antonio Machado de participar en el “Proyecto Comenius” ha sido muy valorada por toda la familia. Con estas iniciativas se trabajan muchos objetivos y se planifican muchas actividades muy interesantes y enriquecedoras para las familias y los chavales.
Desde nuestra familia intentamos preparar la visita de nuestra amiga islandesa de la mejor manera posible. La instalamos en la habitación de Celia, y Celia se traslado a la habitación de estudio.
Como yo no domino el inglés me prepare unas fichas con imágenes y vocabulario básico y así poderlo utilizar para hablar con ella. También coloque la bandera de Islandia en el frigorífico, detalle que la hizo mucha ilusión.
Respecto a la comida nos esmeramos todo lo que pudimos, la ofrecimos todos los platos típicos (cocido, paella, torrijas, bizcochos, lentejas, matanza, tortilla de patata, jamón con tomate… ) y siempre decía “ muy rico” , “muy rico” … , comía muy bien !!!.
Nos hubiera gustado hacer más excursiones, en familia, pero no hubo mucho tiempo para hacerlo.
Celia habló bastante en inglés y su hermana menor también participo en las conversaciones por lo que la experiencia de practicar otros idiomas fue muy positiva.
Salka nos hablo de su familia y de su país y nosotros le contábamos muchas cosas de España, a veces con las chuletas.
Celia vivió muy bien la experiencia pero la hubiera gustado no tener los exámenes de evaluación del 2º trimestre, esto fue un inconveniente.
Hasta el momento está siendo una experiencia muy interesante y enriquecedora para todos.
Y por último quiero dar las gracias a las dos profesoras que están coordinando el proyecto ya que, sin su trabajo, paciencia y dedicación, esto no sería posible.
Muchas gracias y feliz verano".

Rosa Mata García (Madre de Celia Berlinches)

"¡Una buena experiencia para toda la vida!

Así se puede resumir la primera parte del intercambio con los islandeses. No solamente ha sido un placer tener a Ingibjörg en nuestra casa, sino que estamos convencidos de que ha sido una experiencia para toda la vida para nuestra hija Claudia y también para la chica islandesa.
Quizás no se dan cuenta hasta más tarde en la vida de la importancia de tener relaciones con gente de otros países y culturas. Pero hoy en día es fundamental para los jóvenes, porque les van a tocar vivir cada vez más en una aldea global. Para nuestra generación, los padres, eso de viajar y tener contacto con gente de otros países es algo exótico. Pero para nuestros críos va ser algo normal. Cuando era joven hice un recorrido por Europa en tren con un billete de Interrail. Hoy en día los jóvenes suben a un avión de una compañía de bajo coste y pasan el fin de semana en otra ciudad o país.
Además el internet y los medios de redes sociales, Facebook, Twitter, etc. hacen que los jóvenes entran en contacto con extranjeros en una manera mucho más fácil y natural que lo era para la generación de los padres.
Por eso, precisamente, no dudamos en apuntar a nuestra hija a este proyecto de intercambio de Comenius. Y por eso estamos muy ilusionados para ver si la segunda parte del intercambio en Islandía va a salir igual de bien.

Saludos cordiales,"
Carolina y Ulrich (padres de Claudia Pedersen)




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Project's evaluation. The students speak. Evaluación de los estudiantes participantes en el proyecto

The students participating in this Comenius-etwinning project gave their opinions on their participation. Here are some of them:

Los estudiantes participantes en este proyecto eTwinning hicieron una evaluación de su participación en el mismo, a continuación presentamos algunas de esas evaluaciones:

Click here to read the opinions of Antonio Machado's students after the visit of their Icelandic partners

Here you can read the opinions of the Icelandic students

Visit from students from Spain
September 4-16th we had Spanish students from Alcalá visit us in Versló. Everybody had a very good time. There are vast differences between the students from sepperate nationalities. For example, in Spain we had to be very careful to turn the lights off every time we left a room, even though it was only for a few minutes. Also, when in Spain it is a custom to turn the water off while shampooing your hair because the water is so expensive. At first we forgot to remember these things, but a few days into our visit we were carefull not to forget such important things, and therefore avoided being rude.
When the Spanish kids came to Iceland they felt very strange at first that the lights were always turned on and noone turned off the sink while brushing their teeth. They also experienced many fun things, for example when they visited Gullfoss and Geysir and went to the Blue Lagoon. They felt very lucky to be able to witness such wonderfull things and were blown away when they saw northern lights, something that Icelanders take for granted.
The communication was at time difficult for the Spanish and Icelandic students because the Spanish didn‘t speak English very well and the Icelanders didn‘t speak fluent Spanish. However, everyone got well along and this is definitely something that we will remember for a long time. I had a very good time with my classmates in Spain and enjoyed their company here. I think that everybody should have the oppurtunity to experience foreign exchange sometime.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

Visitors from Spain
These past twelve days has my class had around twenty five spanish students visiting. Everyone had one partner that stayed at our house.
They arrived in Iceland on May 5th. The first Sunday we showed them around Reykjavík central and took them to a café. During the week, when we were in our normal classes in school, they visited many museums and swimming pools. We took them down town partying in the weekend and they liked it. We showed the places like Perlan, Nauthólmsvík, Gullfoss og Geysir, several ice-cream shops and Heiðmörk. They also went on a two day trip to the south of Iceland. It was very good to get two days off to relax.
The spanish students are very different from us icelandic. Our way of life is so much more different then theirs, for example almost all of us can drive so it was much easier for us to meet up with other people. Many of us also got the feeling that the Spanish students didn´t like anything we were showing them, but they told us they liked it very much. I think we all learned a lot from this visit for example to be patients and organized.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A visit from Spanish students to Iceland
At one o‘clock by night time the 5th of September we, the Icelandic students, were waiting at Leifstöð airport to meet our Spanish partners. We were excited to see how their stay here in Iceland would be. Few minutes past one o’clock they arrived very happy to finally be in Iceland, but also very exhausted from the long trip. When my partner and I were driving from the airport I noticed that she was very fascinated by the landscape here, which is very different from Spain. I also visited some tourist places with her, like Gullfoss and Geysir, and she enjoyed that. After her stay here in Iceland and my stay in Spain I have noticed that the Spanish kids aren’t as independent as the Icelandic kids.
But after all, I improved my Spanish a lot from their trip to Iceland.
------------------------------------------------------------------ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --
Inviting a Spanish person to live with you for two weeks has it benefits and disadvantages. You learn allot about the cultural differences between the countries. It’s a unique opportunity to learn grow and develop understanding towards different cultures and manners.
I think the Spanish are better at saving the energy and the water. We are not used to doing that because we are so lucky to have excess to cheap water and electricity something they do not have. But what I liked most about the exchange was that even though we had difference we became good friends and learn to accept different manners. I learn allot about Spanish culture and I got to understand it in a way I never could by reading books about Spanish culture.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- The INTERCAMBIO
The intercambio project has been a lot of fun. All the friends I have made and the fun things we have done, I will never forget this extraordinary experience. Not all people can be so lucky and get to travel free to other countries and meet so many wonderful people, it is a privilege and I think that Comenius is doing a very good job by offering scholarships to help us visiting and learning other traditions. Because of this project work we now have good connection with people from Spain and can go visit them anytime we want. By entering their lives we have learned their ways of life and tried other things that we maybe wouldn’t have tried elsewhere. By this experience I have grown as a person and now I am a more confident and self-conscious about myself. By the visit from the Spanish people to Iceland I believe that they have also grown and matured…. It was very difficult for me to say goodbye to the Spanish kids, they have almost all become so very close friends of mine and I am going to miss them very much. I think I have been very lucky that I got two Spanish girls to my home because of my twin sister. I got to know her partner Roxana very well and we have become like sisters. They both helped be to improve my Spanish and me and my sister have helped them to learn more English.
So although we have had some up and downs and sometimes didn’t understand each other, I am glad to say that this has been a wonderful experience which I am never going to forget.
----------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The most positive thing I got from this exchange was all the friends I have now. I know so many great people that I will never forget. My Spanish has also improved immensely and I owe that to my Spanish friends who let me make my mistakes and corrected me. I am so glad I got to participate in this program because this is an experience I will never forget.


And these are the opinions of the Spanish students after their visit to Iceland.

Important places in Reykjavik. Los lugares importantes en Reykjavík

As part of the Comenius program, the Spanish students made a 13 day long visit to Reykjavik and Iceland.
The first day, Icelandic and Spanish students formed bi-national teams to visit the most important places in the capital and to interview some citizens to find out information on those places to later report on them. Here you can see some pictures of the activity.


Dentro del programa Comenius, los estudiantes españoles hicieron una visita de 10 días a Reykjavík, Islandia. En su primer día de visita, se realizó una actividad conjunta de los alumnos españoles y los alumnos islandeses para conocer Reykjavík. Los estudiantes se organizaron en grupos y buscaron información importante sobre los lugares turísticos e historios en la capital de Islandia. Aquí hay algunas fotos sobre esta actividad.