If We Don't Ban Coffee...

Welcome back!

Firstly, let's recap some International Studies 1 (IS1) antics. Last week, our class focused upon Donald Trump's first few months as President. We examined the various executive orders that he's signed as well as another big topic surrounding the Republican Party in particular: "alternative facts" (which are considered to be lies and/or alternative opinions).

In order to explore the idea of "alternative facts" we played a funny game. The students had to split into teams and select a card with a random word or phrase on it in order to create "alternative facts" to support the statements that I gave them. For example when I stated that Finland should ban coffee, one team claimed that it must happen otherwise Professor Snape would be very angry...

It was a silly little exercise but highlighted the ludicrous nature of some of the "alternative facts" and "fake news" items which have appeared in recent times.

Of course, the lesson was not all fun and games as we turned our attention toward other more pressing matters such as the recent events in Syria. We watched news clips on the Khan Sheikhoun attack from this month, the Trump administration's response, and the possible implications of these events.

Divided opinions, split nations and international friction have been common themes throughout many of our lessons. They were key themes this week too as we explored Theresa May's announcement of a British general election, further deteriorating relations between the US and North Korea, as well as the recent referendum in Turkey.

We noted that there are indeed a lot of drastic changes taking place in today's world.

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Beyond our classes, the students are set to do even more travelling. Some students from the IS1 class are preparing to go to Iceland at the end of the month. Of course, the IS2 class is getting ready to leave for Ireland tomorrow!

These projects are an incredible opportunity for the students to explore different countries firsthand and to hopefully create bonds that will last a lifetime. Such interactions between different nations is certainly important and I'm sure that the students are in for a treat.

- Chloe

The Big DNA Reveal!

A lot (and I mean a lot) has been happening since my last blog post. The International Studies 2 (IS2) class has been working hard to raise money for their Dublin (Ireland) trip. It takes place in less than two weeks and everyone is excited!

In a bid to raise more money, the class organised a children's event last Friday. What was in this children's event, I hear you ask? Well, we had a trampoline, a mini cafe, face painting, a floorball court, a book reading area, an arts and crafts section (where you could make cute bunny ears), an international quiz aaaaaand a ghost tour. 

Let me tell you, I think I was more scared than the children when I decided to venture down the dark ghost tour corridor... 

All of the children left the event with smiles (as well as various paintings) on their faces and the students raised a lot of well-earned money. It was a win-win. However, the IS2 class had plenty more other things to concentrate on. Yesterday, it was time to present their DNA results to the media!!!

This DNA project began last year when the students had their DNA tested in order to try to challenge beliefs about themselves and question what really makes a Finn. 

After spitting into a test tube, the wait for the results began. Once they were in, a date was set for the big reveal. Instead of reading the results off a piece of paper (booooring), the students made a performance piece. They each wore a white t-shirt and on the front was a statistic about their DNA. For example, one read "1% Native American." To the tune of John Lennon's "Imagine," when a different country was called out the students would step forward if some of their DNA came from it. 

The best bit was saved until last though. In unison, the students turned around and on the back of their t-shirts was the term: "100% human." We wanted a powerful message to be made that even though we may have different DNA, we are all ultimately human beings.

There's plenty more to talk about but we'll save that for another day! For now, goodbye and happy Easter!

- Chloe 

Brexit Is Coming...

Our last couple of lessons in International Studies have been all about Brexit: Britain and Northern Ireland leaving the European Union. The UK Prime Minister Theresa May is due to trigger Article 50 tomorrow so we thought it would be a good time to take a look at the subject and figure out what's really going on!

In order to understand Brexit, we realised that we needed to know more about the history of the EU and the UK (a union made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). We like to explore history a little differently in International Studies... As a result, the students split into two groups and performed ready-made scripts to gain more knowledge on these two topics.

Once the students had learned more about the origins of the EU and the UK, we turned our attention to the present day. We examined the reasons why David Cameron  (the previous UK Prime Minister) decided to hold an EU referendum (or vote). We also looked at the arguments from the "remain" and "leave" campaigns as well as the results.

Our second Brexit lesson focused upon the Treaty of Lisbon (2007) and Article 50. The students learned that the process for a country leaving the EU is not simple at all! Rather, the country must officially "trigger" Article 50 and a two-year negotiation process begins. (Below, we have one student enjoying his Lisbon Treaty hat!)

We explored the differences between a "soft" Brexit and a "hard" Brexit, discussing issues such as the single market and the customs union. For example, in a "soft" Brexit the UK might have access to the EU single market in return for some freedom of movement while a "hard" Brexit might mean no access to that single market.

Our class then focused upon the possible effects of Brexit upon the UK. After all, Scotland's First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon) has already called for another Scottish Independence Referendum (though Theresa May does not approve).

It was soon time for another performance! The class once again split into two groups and performed two stages of Brexit: the voting and the current aftermath. How did the students do this? By using pictures and spoons, of course!

Watch out for our full Brexit video coming soon...

- Chloe

Lisbon Adventures!

Last week was definitely different! I was in Lisbon alongside a Meronjan koulu teacher (hi, Sanna) and six students. This was all part of an Erasmus+ social media project we'd been working on with participants from Finland, Scotland, Spain and of course...Portugal!

The journey to Lisbon began on a rather cool Sunday morning. After two trains and two planes, we arrived in Portugal late into the night. There was no time to feel tired, however, because Monday proved to be the start of a very exciting visit.

To begin with, the students tried some orienteering around the local area in order to get to know each other and see some sights.

Later on, we received a tour of the Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) museum. RTP specialises in national TV and radio. We also checked out their studio. 

The students also had the opportunity to prepare and ask questions to Ana Lourenço, a famous journalist. Lourenço gave some interesting insights into the profession, discussing ethics in particular.

The evening was host to a "Bring A Dish" event, where all of the participants brought food from their countries to the school for everyone to try. There were some tasty treats. I even felt brave enough to try some haggis from Scotland again (which I hadn't eaten since my Edinburgh University days). It was actually really delicious! 

The next day offered a highlight of the week when we visited the town hall. It was grand and beautiful, filled with velvet red furnishings. We even got to go on the balcony overlooking the town square (which was an absolute privilege).

Since this was a social media project, it was only apt that the students got to see how online shows are made. They got a special behind-the-scenes experience of this at Lisbon's Higher School of Communications and Social Media.

Another great part of the week included a visit to Sintra, a stunning little town. There, we explored the News Museum which offered an interactive insight into media and the way that it operates. It emphasised the need for responsibility within media - an especially relevant subject nowadays. 

Yes, we even got to try out some virtual reality goggles! Be warned: you should never stand too close to someone when they're using them. I ended up getting slapped across the face...by accident of course!

The town itself provided some gorgeous views...

Overall, the students had a fantastic time. They undertook fresh experiences, formed deep friendships and gained new perspectives not only upon social media but also upon the world around them. What an adventure! 

- Chloe