Gdynia 2002 - report

The DEEP Workshop in Gdynia, Poland

"Active citizen"

1. Place: Gdynia

2. Time: November 22-24, 2002

3. Participants:
33 teachers of high and primary schools of Gdynia, Gdansk, Sopot, headmasters of these schools, representatives of local authorities and press.

4. The DEEP workshop consisted of three main parts:

- Democracy
- Street Law
- iEARN

During the opening session quests and participants of the DEEP workshop were familiarize with an idea of civic society and the DEEP Project as a whole. Goals and outcomes of each of them are described in the following parts of this report.

Democracy
Teacher trainers:Beata Budzik, Agnieszka Rymsza,

Goals:

- learning how to recognize conflicts in a local society,
- finding solution to controversial issues or conflicts recognized and described by participants of the DEEP workshop; promoting negotiations as one of the best solution,
- project method used in civics,
- lobbing and writing grant application,
- shaping projects for the following year 2002.

Results:

The participants of the DEEP workshop were introduced to a project method - how is it used in civics, what are advantages and disadvantages of this method. They enthusiastically learned how to write a grant application and how to organize lobbing. They began writing projects.

Street Law
Teacher trainer: Dagmara Wozniakowska, Witold Klaus

Goals:

- to familiarize students and teachers with the idea of how authorities (chosen and appointed) function,
- to show students and teachers the rights and responsibilities following different social roles we perform in every day life, ( citizen, customer, patient, pupil etc.)
- to show how to make lessons about law more interesting, playful, hilarious,
- to explain how understanding of law is very useful in our daily life.

Results: The participants has acquired knowledge what are legal possibilities to work in social environment and solve problems by realization of different projects. The content of this part of the DEEP workshop was based on CD and manual 'Randka z paragrafem' by W.Klaus, M.Platek, D.Wozniakowska.

iEARN
Teacher trainers: Renata Witucka, Andrzej Litwin

Goals:

- to introduce iEARN, what kind of a program it is, how it works
- to show how iEARN can cooperate with the DEEP Program, and how to realize other international programs,
- to teach how to use an E-mail and the internet as helpful tools to develop educational programs and make school lessons more attractive.

Results:

The participants of the DEEP workshop learned what is iEARN and how to search its large number of civics and others projects and how to work with iEARN/DEEP projects. They also were participating in a discussion on iEARN web forum. They have acquired new skill. Similar, to above described parts of the DEEP workshop, iEARN part raised great interest among teachers; they had prepared few projects to work with students.

Teachers have received CD and manual 'iEARN 2001-2002 Project Description Book'.

5. Continuation of the projects created during the DEEP workshop

There is ongoing monitoring of the DEEP Program realization by teacher trainers, the coordinator and sub coordinators. There are number of projects on going as a result of workshop or created later on and among others, the teachers from schools in Gdynia has been working on following projects:

- "Teddy Bear" - iEARN project for young pupils, main purpose is to teach them about other countries and cultural differences.
- "HIV among children in the world" - iEARN, informational project.

6. The following institutions and organizations have been cooperating with the DEEP Program:

Gimnazjum and Primary School No 1, Gdynia Polish Association For Legal Education Internet Teachers Association Educational Society for Malopolska Local authorities "Gazeta Morska" - local newspaper ("Gazeta Wyborcza")

7. Additional Information

All participants of the DEEP workshop in Gdynia received certificates, and all trainers received certificates with regards to the subject-matter. An individual approach to every participant gain an appreciation of teachers and students. Teacher trainer give participants orientation in law, local authorities, and use active methods of teaching as discussion, problem solving etc.


2 Profits from working in program; 3 Calendar of workshops 2002;
4 WILKANÓW; 5 NOWY SĄCZ; 6 WARSZAWA; 7 GDYNIA;
8 Project facilitators