The most beautiful sardine of Lissabon

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

In the begging of the summer, Sweden celebrates the arrival of the warm season. My country has  also a very important summer party.

Portugal receives the month of June  with a big and colorful fest in the honor of three portuguese saints. This celebration it calls Santos Populares (Popular Saints).

On this party the loving couples offers to each other an extremely aromatic plant with romantic prose and poems written in a card. In one of the nights a big parade comes down along the city´s streets. People dance, talk and eat grilled sardines.

Sardine is one of the strongest symbols from Lisbon. A few months before the celebration, the Lisbon City Hall launches a competition for the best sardine of Lisbon. Anyone interested can create a fantastic sardine and sign up for the competition. The 5 winning sardines get famous around the whole city and appeared in the party advertising.

I showed some pictures to the group about the celebration and talked about the competition. Then I asked, “What if we try to create our own sardine and sign up to the contest?” Everyone of them seemed to be very excited about it, “Jaaaaa!” ("Yeeeeesss!”)

"Good! Because I brought a huge sardine for us to paint! I think if we work all together we’ll create the most beautiful sardine of them all!”

“Ja, vi kommer att vinna!” (“Yes, we will win!”) said one of the children.

The sardine was made outdoors of the pre-school. When the whole group went to the playground I placed the sardine on the floor and prepared the colors, papers, paintbrushes and glitters to start the creative work. They could paint with different kinds of brushes and colors. Some of the children used the hands to spread the ink into the sardine. They also used colorful paper to decorate the fish. Two of the children ornamented the eyes (giving two eyes to the sardine was an option of the group).

At the end of the activity, the big sardine was no longer a long piece of white paper. Now it is ready to participate in the contest and to be famous around the whole Lisbon. The children were really proud about their work. During the afternoon they had been talking about the contest and how good it would be if we wan.

Now we’ll have to take a picture of our masterpiece and send it to the jury. Who would say that the most beautiful sardine of Lisbon it was made in Sweden?

Backpacking in Europe: Copenhagen

Monday, April 11, 2016

We packed our bags, took the train and went to Copenhagen, the land of bicycles. We stayed in a very cool hostel, super trendy, clean and not expensive (Urban House is the name).

When we arrived we let our baggage in the room and went to the city´s street.

In the next morning we woke up early and prepared ourselves for the visit to the aquarium (one of the biggest aquariums from whole Europe).

In one of the rooms it was a small and open aquarium where it was possible to touch (with careful, of course!) in some fishes and sea’s creatures.  I touched in a sole, a very peculiar fish, that likes to bury itself in the sand. Its touched was wet and soft.

I also touched in one big snake. Its texture is also quite soft and I could feel the irregularities of the skin.  Den blå Planet is a space where it is possible to find a variety of animal´s species and environments. All the space is made to involve the public with the oceans. There it exists a famous tunnel that makes us feel like if we were under water with all those magnificent creatures. The ocean it is such a mystery to me. It fascinates me!

On the next day we went to a free tour around the city to know a lit bit more about the Danish history. Danish people are very friendly and they really appreciate the free time and the welfare in their life (something that it is very important among the Nordic countries). Hyggeligt (cosy) is the golden world for them. It describes a moment where you are relaxed next to the ones you love..a moment where nothing else matters.  

During the afternoon, in another tour, I visited the modern part of the city and learned about the drugs and prostitution problematic in Denmark. We finished the tour in the hippie part of the city called Cristiania, the land of anarchy inside Danish territory.

Copenhagen is a very dynamic city with a certain chaotic charming.  Hope to return soon!

Field Trip to Röhsska museet: The pleasure of being in a museum

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

In a museum all the objects are behind thick glasses. Hands do not touch in anything. People are serious and silent.

There is no problem by giving a big laugh, that is the truth. A museum can be a real joyful place and everyone should be comfortable to come in and visit it.

A museum is made for all of us!

Reflection

During our field trip the monitor shared her work´s experiences with children and exemplified some of the exercises that the museum has prepare for the little visitors. Challenging children is important. Their minds and bodies must be active over the field’s time.

When a children´s group goes to a museum it is important let them being involve with all the space. Feel the walls, the smells, feel the ground ... experience the museum is the first step to establish the group´s relationship with the place.

"What is a museum? What kind of place is it? What can you do there? Is it only for adults?"
The museum is a space where are large collections of art and ancient relics. In reality we all are collectors. We collect clothes, shoes, dishes and furniture. We spent a lifetime collecting. As if we were small museums!

In a museum´s field trip is necessary challenging the children in a playful and pedagogical way.

To guide a children´s group during a field trip it´s necessary a structure with well-defined objectives and consistent proposals. During the visit we should give some space to the children´s thoughts. It is essential following their interests and what captivate them.

It must exist a balance between structure and flexibility. Reaching the group is the most important thing.

In a museum is possible to work different kinds of themes and subjects. You can work history, language, mathematics, science…you can develop their aesthetic sense…or even make plastics works. A museum teaches us how to deal with feelings and emotions. 
The space allows the imaginary world of the child earn wings and fly.

Man is far from becoming a machine. That has to be far from happening! There is no body without a soul. There is no life without a body.

Field Trip to Göteborgs konsthall: Modern Art

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Modern art is familiar to everyone. It faces controversial issues related to the current era. Modern art is this present moment. Modern Art talks about all of us.

Reflection

On the largest room, in a long white wall, were exposed countless portraits.

To create this artwork Magnus Bärtås used melted wax over newsprint.

We had to pick up one of those faces and imagining a story behind the image. We had to think about a name, a profession, a family, a problem to be solved etc. Everyone has a story to tell. Every story is, somehow, a form of art.

After creating a background to that stranger we went to the atelier. From the newspaper we had to make up a “friend” to our character and using the same technique as the artist. 

Melted wax´s technique on newsprint

I. Materials

White candles, hammer, journal, scissors, a pan, one bowel and a spoon.

II.  Step-by-step

o   Cut a picture from the newspaper.

o   Furl the candle in a piece of fabric and smash it into small pieces by using the hammer.

o   Heat water in a small pan and on top of it put the bowl with the pieces of candle.

o   Once melted, pour the melted wax on the paper the image gets completely covered with wax.

o   Wait until the wax being completely dry.

In the other rooms of the museum were being projected some films about people´s life. Stories about strangers. One of the movies was about a love story between two men. They were separated by cultural differences, unequal religious, races and ages…but joined by the same love. Can be tough to face the others. But it exists who does not bows down and gives up.

We live on the XXI century. In our classrooms we will find children from another part of the world, with new kinds of family organization and values. As a future educator we must see that we are all humans and need to be treated with respect, regardless of our choices. And happiness stills matters in this life.

Probably these children will have to overcome many many obstacles. The educator must be there to help them during the journey.

Share different rituals and traditions between the children´s group can break down barriers. The educator should talk about the families in a very natural manner and also involving them in the pedagogical journey of their children to strength ties between the institution and the children´s families.

If the educator pays attention to the songs, dances and traditions from each child and work with their culture the group would be more open to receive and respect different ways of living. There is no pure nationality! Such a thing does not exist! We all came from the same source. We all have influences in common. Besides all our differences we are all connected it in this endless cycle.