Erasmus+ project: Students' mobility to Chalons-en-Champagne, France

Tuesday 11.03.

This Tuesday was something that everyone had longed for a long time before coming to France because it was a day trip to France. Hopping on an early train from the closest train station to make the most out of our day, we arrived in sunny Paris with an early notice of spring bloom. Our first stop was at Square Louis Michel surrounded by cherry blossoms, where we enjoyed the view of the city of Paris. Then we headed to Galeries Lafayetter with a beautiful interior and rooftop view to the center of Paris. Walking through the busy yet historical streets of Paris, we found ourselves in the Louver museum. 

After having lunch and exploring the neighbourhood together with French and Italian students, we took a metro to our last destination of the day; the Eiffel tower. This day's trip to Paris, where we ended up walking almost 20 km, united the students from 3 countries, and they were together enjoying taking photos and observing the world famous tower. The rush to make it to the train home and the comfort with the peers in the train car nicely summarised our day in Paris; proactive exploration of this beautiful city and connection with students from different backgrounds.

Wednesday 12.03.

Wednesday morning was dedicated to the work on the project. Each group which consists of students from France, Italy, and Finland were engaging in the research of the topic on the Internet and critically examining the credibility of the source. Students were given the freedom to construct their own video to make it effective, and they did so by skillfully cutting the scenes and adding the sounds for example. 

Another activity our students took part in was the activity dealing with senses. By limiting some of our senses that we daily rely on, which includes touch, sight, hearing, and smell,  students were asked to tell what food they are having in their mouth. Scared in the beginning, yet students found joy in exploring the function of our senses from a different perspective than usual. The fact that the list of things that they tried during the session included French delicacies surely helped our students get excited for the tasks.

Thursday 13.03.

Our day 4 in Chalon en Champagne started with the work on the project. Many groups have already finished filming the scenes that they planned, and students seemed to have found ways to make use of subtitles to clearly communicate the message they intended. Students were helping and teaching each other in the editing process, and it showed how digital technologies can enhance students’ in person communication and interaction, not only that happens virtually. Meanwhile, teachers also observed an English classroom, where students were giving presentations on conspiracy theories that they researched on the Internet. They emphasized the risk of misinformation that spreads through digital media. 

After having a quick lunch in the school cafeteria, we left the school for Reims to enjoy the afternoon in this historical city. Visiting the sites such as Les Hautes Promenades and Notre-Dame Cathedral of Reims with the guide of French teachers, we familiarised ourselves with the historical implications of this city. We enjoyed the unique architecture style of Reims, which is rather inconsistent and spontaneous partly due to the destruction from WW2, and it gave us an insight into how our city landscape is shaped by many different factors.

Friday 14.03.

Our last day in Chalon was dedicated to the presentation of the videos on youth well-being that students were working on. With the footage shot in iconic places that we visited this week, videos perfectly combined the topic with our unique experience that we had here in France. By experiencing the production process of digital media contents that we usually only consume, students have learned the ways to effectively communicate the message to their audience through digital media and skills needed for it. 

In the afternoon, students were lucky enough to experience this school’s unique catering lesson, where they prepared mock-tails as well as French crepe. There is something special about cooking with other people; the students from three different countries came together and had an amazing time talking, helping each other. To conclude our time in Chalon, students received a certificate with a proud look from the principal and enjoyed mock-tails and crepes with copious amounts of cream on top!