5th day: Thursday, 27th November 2009

My last day at the school HAH/HAS. I am sorry to leave. I have seen so many interesting lessons, colleagues, who are trying their best to enable students to take responsibility to learn, widen their horizons and become involved citizens of the EU.
I had another German language lesson by Astrid Gessel Pingera. Some of her students in the second class of the vocational school have difficulties with the German language, since the language is not their mother tongue. She tried to encourage them to use proper spelling and grammar. I observed that the students respond to their teacher´s suggestions very well, although the subject is quite difficult for them.
The English teacher, Eva Schulze was kind enough to invite me into her class and show me the level of the students´ knowledge of English. They are specially good in business English which is absolutely necessary for any business communication.
I had an interesting experience staying at the school. By comparing the two systems I have found out that we are not that different. Most of the European teachers want the same, help their students to become better people, grow personally and professionally. To put it Mr Wagner´s words: “Is there anything more beautiful and rewarding for a teacher than watching one´s students grow and become adults.” I think teacher at the schools I have visited during my stay in Austria are doing exactly that.

3rd day: Wednesday, 25th November 2009

The German language lesson in the so called “Notebook class” by Barbara Aichinger.
Students became a homework which was written and sent to the schools Moodle platform. The teacher corrected die essays and sent them back with the comments to the Moodle platform. During the class each students access the platform and can see their essay and the essays of other students. Students try to do other things on their computer besides learning. They play computer games and switch quickly when they see the teacher approaching. Feels like home.

Krems - Dürenstein - Spitz - Melk - St. Pölten

Afternoon activities were much more interesting. Helmut, my personal tourist guide took me to all of the interesting places around the region Krems-Wachau. We stopped in different small villages along the way. The most exciting and beautiful was the visit to the Monestry Melk. The beautiful buildings, thr grammar catholic school, the museum, the Benedic orden monestry are a wonderful example of the barock architecture and design in Austria. The beautiful weather accompanied us on the excursion which finished in St. Poelten. The buildings in the capital of the region Niederoesterreich are modern and remained me of the EU buildings in Brussels.
In the evening I was invited to the most know tourist farm, which sells the latest wine production of the family Graf. Besides excellent wine we tried the local specialities. The teachers of the host school HAK/HAS have offered to join and we had a wonderful evening. This was the best way of getting to know the region and its people.

2nd day: Tuesday, 24th November 2009

The lesson of Entrepreneurship and Management by the teacher Karel Gutleder was very interesting. The student reported about “the practice day” they had last week in different firms of the region. They have interviewed the managers of successful firms and banks of the region. All of them were impressed by the hospitality of the leading management of the banks and firms and inviting art of welcoming the students. The students will have finished the portfoilio reports by the next week. The portfolio consists of the questions for the leading management, the data about the companies they have visited and their impressions. A thanking letter of the students with a plea for a possible matura seminar in the following year will accompany the portfoilio, which will be sent to the receiving firms.
The students had to report about their project work they have been working on since October. The project is a preparation project for the last year matura seminar, which is a part of their final exam.
The project report consists of: project title, project summary, project aims, pros and cons,starting/finishing point/date, project mentor´s name, project group members (each group has a leader and two group members, project financial plan. The projects take about six months to finish. In the last year they have to pass their final exam by preparing a work which is divided into: explanation of the choice for the project theme, thanking and declaration of authenticity, members of the group presentation, each group members´ working plan, working process plan, timeline, questionnaires, possible working shits.
Students work in groups, take time to discuss things, they ask the teacher for support. Teacher has organised a plan of possible interviewees, all important managers of the region in all possible branches of industry, social life, non-profit organisations. Two groups of students have to deal with one firm. One group organises the event, which is the actual interview, the other prepares for the interview of the manager. Some managers are happy to come to school and spend some time with students, some invite the whole class to their firm. Students organise trips to the firms as far as to Vienna.
I observed a relaxing, working atmosphere in the class. Students work in groups without much help from the teacher. The teacher is available for the questions, any kind of help, but will not interfere with the students’ work. Students have been prepared for such kind of work since their 3rd year. They start by choosing a small project, finding a firm in their surrounding and asking them for the data, possible interviews and anything they want to tell them. They continue with a bigger project in the 4th class and finish with their matura seminar.
Communication and social studies class by the teacher Christian Matern.
He teaches so called Personality Building and Social Competences Class. The students were given the text explaining different ways of communication. The teacher explains about one way communication, two way communication, the possible difficulties and better ways to a better understanding of one another. The task, where one person explains the group what a picture represents, was successful, since they had simple figures to describe. In the description of more complicated subjects, even by asking questions they encountered more problems. Explanations of students feelings while they were doing the tasks was interesting, since they haven’t been made aware of the problems in communication before. The last task was for the students find out in small groups what are the most important circumstances for successful communication and understanding.
The stress in this subject is on learning plans, time management, personal hygiene, dressing code in a business environment, presentation of oneself.

Afternoon trip to the neighbouring towns Und and Stein
The two towns are actually a part of the town Krems an der Donau. The two parts Und, which used to be a village and the little town Stein are now a part of a bigger picture. They are both picturesque. The small village Und has a big university, the Danube University. The bigger part of the university buildings are new, but they combine wonderfully with the old tobacco factory which used to situated at the same place.
There is a nice walk from there to the Stein. The little place used to be under constant threat of the river Danube. New precautions and moder technology have been used to protect the beautiful medieval part with its Frauenkirche and the Minorbrothers church. Both are no longer churches. The first has been made into an important reminder of all those who were killed in the two world wars, the later has been converted into a beautiful restaurant, ball and performance hall. Near the Danube reiver baks there is Kunsthall, cultural centre and Caricature Museum. The banks of the river Danube offer a romantic walking path back to town Krems.

7th day: Sunday, 22nd November, 2009

Krems and Heuriger with Maria und Helmut

6th day: Saturday, 21st November, 2009

Sacherhotel, Albertina, shopping, Schloss Belvedere

5th day Friday, 20th November, 2009

Bundelshandelsakademie und Bundeshadelschule Wien 10, Peter Slanar

4th day: Thursday, 19th November, 2009

Junior High School, Mittelschule, the director is Wolfgang Richter.

3rd day: Wednesday, 18th November, 2009

Austrian authorities seem to realise how important the languages are for the education of children and integration of different nationalities. The Vienna Bilingual Middle School is one of the finest examples of how little children are expected and encouraged to be proud of their heritage and work simultaneously in two languages German and English. They have foreign teachers, native speakers who try to work with teachers of many subjects, make students whose background is predominantly German aware of the English keywords in any of the subjects thought and vice versa. Most children speak a language of their origin plus both of the languages in school. The second stress is put on connecting subjects together and enabling students to realise the connections learn naturally.
After a nice lunch at the school canteen we thanked the director Martha Hafner for the hospitality and went our separate ways, researching hidden places in Vienna, mostly non tourist, but rather residential area of the 9th district.
Starting with Freuds’ house, where there is a museum of the man’s life and work we passed from one street to another. Surrounded by secession houses in a still very beautiful, what used to be Jewish community, we passes the Servitenkirche, the church with the orden of monks who are there to help and serve the poor. The orden is still alive and their grounding fathers come from Italy, the so called seven martyrs. There are the remains of the Jewish presence in the community on the pavements and reminders, such a cemetery in the midst of a retirement home. The area has beautiful palaces, such as the Lichtenstein Palais. It was an interesting afternoon full of history, very kind people ready to help us, tell us more about their city, the area and artistic pleasures.

2nd day: Tuesday, 17th November, 2009

On the second day the whole group of eight teachers from different European countries was taken to the general Grammar school called Gymnasium Geringerstrase. We met the director of the facility, Ms. Claudia Valsky. We were shown around, met teachers and attended lessons. It is a new building but there are already some problems regarding the facility. They planned for much less students. Their English teachers were so kind and invited us to their lessons. We saw a methodologically modern lesson, where students were to practice grammar through different games (memory cards, through of dice, etc.). Students really enjoyed the lesson. The second English lesson was for older students and had to do with dictionary work. The class was divided into two groups (the rule is after 20 – 25 students classes are divided for language learning only) and one group continued their work in the school’s library where they had access to different computers. In each and every class there are students of different nationalities who can speak more than one language,
Offene Kooperative Mittleschile mit sportlichem un sprachlichem Angebot is the so called second level of the compulsory comprehension school. Some students stay in school the whole day and are helped to do their homework, practice sports and different activities. We met the director Ms. Ursula Huber who was kind enough to explain the schools policy, show us around and invite us to lunch in the schools canteen. The school poses special stress on sports activities and letting children achieve good results through sports, which can help them also academically. The helping teachers, integration teachers are important specially in classes where the percentage of immigrant students can be high. Esma is one of the teachers of the school who poses special stress on helping children to integrate as opposed to what was done before, when immigrants were expected to assimilate.

1st day: Monday, 16th November 2009

We came from different countries and met at the Ministry of Education, Art and Culture, Concordiaplatz 1, Vienna. We were greeted by dr. Nikolaus Douda. He explained the Austrian school system which is particular for the European circumstances and very traditional. The children start their education when they are six years old and continue the primary school up to 12. After 4 years of primary education (Grundschule) they can choose a compulsory school (from 12 to 15 lower stage Hauptschule)) or a general grammar school (Gymnasium from 12 to 19). In cities like Vienna are compulsory schools more or less regarded as worse in comparison togeneral grammar schools. Many think these are schools for immigrant children. More than 70% of children form immigrant background, who can hardly speak German language go to compulsory schools. This is the reason that school authorities support the new ways of teaching, team-teaching with one or even two teacher in one class. The second teacher is the support teacher for children who have difficulties understanding the language, learning difficulties in general. For such teachers it is very important to speak more languages, perhaps one or two of the languages of the migrant minorities. We met one of such teachers, Esma from the so called “New Vienna Middleschool with special stress on sports and languages. She can speak Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Turkish and can really help children and their parents. Sometimes teachers cannot help children and their families to get better since no one in the family speaks German properly. Parents who come from lower social circumstances cannot help their children and speak a dialect of their country of origin. The language of their new country is sometimes too difficult for them and they use only spoken language of their surrounding, but cannot use the written language. Schools in underdeveloped, workers areas of bigger cities have a very important role in integrating children from different countries into the Austrian system and society.
After compulsory comprehensive education the way up can be in the direction of upper-secondary schools of a certain job orientation, upper- secondary school for assistants in preschool education, secondary vocational schools or on-the –job learning courses. The university level is only for students who have finished secondary education with the final exam (matura).
For the interesting invitation into the deeper research of Austrian culture and architecture, art and folklore, ways of life of the Viennese people has Renate Fainstauer prepared interesting tasks for the participants of the teacher exchange. They were due until Thursday.
Dr. Franz Schimek from the Europe office, who is responsible for the education in the city of Vienna has organised a pleasant meeting explaining the job of such an office. There are different project organised at different Vienna school. Teachers try their best to connect all of the social classes, different nationalities and make students aware of the importance of learning languages. There we met Esma, who came from Turkey when she was 8 and is now a successful German teacher.

Vienna

1st week – Vienna
The placement of teachers from different European countries, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Slovenia was organised by the nice Finnish lady from the Austrian Ministry of Education, Art and Sport Hanna Malhonen in Vienna, Austria.

4th day: Thursday, 26th November 2009

The two lessons with the class, which has prepared presentations about Slovenia for the Geography lessons, were exceptional. The students have researched the theme and presented in German language. They mastered their presentations very well. We had a nice conversation about my views about Slovenia and its politics, geographical, historic and cultural features compared with the views and research that the students had done. Their geography teacher is Mr. Helmut Wagner. The students seemed to be used to research a theme by themselves, prepare presentations, work in groups and challenge their teachers. At the end of the lesson they expressed their wish to travel to Slovenia.
Afterwards they have been shown two more presentations about Ljubljana and Slovenia by me.
Excursions are also organised by the students with the help of their teacher Mr. Wagner. He is keen on encouraging students involvement, students responsibility for their learning and knowledge. As I have observed the schools orientation is towards braking political and mental boarders in their students minds, opening the horizons of the countries they are not used to travel, but can be the countries of their future cooperation and trade. Since they are a school oriented entirely into economic their responsibility is to show their students entirely new ways of communicating, trading, cooperation among different nations but stay at the same time well connected with the local industry and trade. The students at the school come from different social as well as national background and enrich each other with their knowledge about the South-Eastern Europe.
The next two lessons were in the class with the so-called global dimension, where students are encouraged to organise their excursions to the countries of their interest. They visited Zagreb and told me about their visit. We had a discussion comparing the two neighbouring countries Slovenia and Croatia. Students found the presentations of Slovenia, Ljubljana and our school quite interesting and were keen on discussing the two countries. I hope we will be able to see each other again. We developed an almost friendly working atmosphere.

In the afternoon Mr. Helmut Wagner And I visited the Vocational school for Wine and Fruit growing (Wein und Obstbau Schule). A pleasant walk through the cellar of the school and tasting of wine were part of experience everyone, who visits the region must have.

2nd week – Krems: HAK/HAS

First day at the HAK/HAS

The school is one of the upper-secondary schools (Handelsakademie) with the stress on economics. After finishing such school with the final exam (matura) most of the students continue their studies on the academic level but they can also start working as office officers, office managers in different companies.
Krems is a small town on the river Danube, east of Vienna. It has about 23.000 inhabitants. I came by car with my friend Slavica Bratuša. We met my host teacher Helmut Wagner. He teaches Geography and German language. His wife Maria is a Sports teacher at the same school. We had lunch on a tourist farm (Göttweig) outside the town. The wine from the last picking of the grapes (Heuriger) was a speciality of the region. Being invited to the Wagner family home I got the insight into the culture and design of an average Austrian home. I have to say I was impressed by the comfortable atmosphere, tasteful design and a homelike feeling.
I was brought to the boarding school, which is a part of Upper Secondary School of Wine and Fruit Growing . I got the biggest room I have ever seen. However I was transferred to a nice hotel later. I have been staying there ever since.

1st day: Monday, 23rd November, 2009

The first lesson of the dayat HAK/HAS was a lesson in German language with Helmut Wagner in his 4th class. The theme of the day was Faust by W: Goethe. Students were keen on explaining how they had tackled the theme, what they had done so far. They were in Vienna and visited the Burgtheater where they saw the newest performance by the Austrian renowned artists. As warming up into the difficult theme they have a German language books with different important texts in the Austrian and German literature. With the help of questions from the book and parts of the text they try to get a picture of the themes, which are important for the whole of humanity: the fight between good and evil, selling your soul to the Devil. Students were to write a piece of criticism for the theatre performance they had seen. Most of the learning materials are available on the Internet in the Moodle learning platform. The Mahara platform is catering the students needs. They can blog write their impressions, hand in their homework.
After a very tasteful lunch in the schools restaurant, which is run by the student of the tourism branch, I was taken around the town by students, which are specialising in international business affairs. The students prepared the presentation of the town sights, schools, the Donau University, economy of the region. They prepared very well. We saw the oldest part of the town dating as far as 10th century. Most of the buildings are medieval. Along the way we saw three churches: Piarists orden church, the town cathedral dedicated to St. Veit (St. Guy), the Spitalkirche, the church which used to be a hospital church.
The steel industry has been the most important industry in the town. The possibilities which are offered by the river Danube to connect different branches of a great concern have made the region very industrial and Krems an important centre.
The town and its surroundings used to be very important, wealthy and prosperous as the history shows and it is still seen on different important and wealthy buildings, churches . Besides industry, agriculture with its vineyards and tourist farms seems to invite many foreign and domestic guests.
Evenings in the small town are interesting only if one goes to a small town tavern or pub, where local people meet. I spent an interesting evening meeting Helmuts friends. We had typical drinks of the region: Apfelsaft (cider) and beer. Although the local wine really good is it is not so common to drink it in the evening if one has not eaten before.

1st week – Vienna

From 16th November 2009 to 22nd November, 2009 in Vienna

The film is part of the presentation that guests about Vienna and hidden places, less known to tourists made. Slavica Bratusa and Vida Vidmar are two Slovenian teachers visiting different school types in Austria. We are impressed by the enthusiasm of Austrian colleagues and stuned by the beauties of Vienna.

Vienna, 15. - 19. 11. 200

I am lucky enough to participate in an exchange of teachers organised by the Austrian Ministry of Education in Cooperation with the Slovenian Ministry of Education and Sports. There are two of us from Slovenia: Slavica Bratusa from Grammar School Ptuj and myself, Vida Vidmar from the Upper-Seconadry School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Technical Gymnasium Ljubljana.

We came to Vienna by car, a Mercedes by all means, and setled down in a nice hostel, called Papageno on the Widner Hauptstrasse. This is a way to describe my journey through Austrian school system, my diary of the events and working experience abroad.