Trip to Merida

Last 9th, 10th and 11th of June, as we informed before, CPR Campiña de Tarifa made a trip to Merida, in the frame of the activities included in the MOTFAL project, so that the involved boys and girls could study the Roman remains of this town, and compare them with those been analysed so far in the area surrounding the school.

During almost three days, we have visited numerous key points that show the Roman culture and traditions that make students explain and understand many of the traditions inherited and shown in their daily life.

The sites visited, the materials used in the buildings and the remembrance of the remains studied in the city of Bolonia have helped students keep connecting their daily life with their academic studies. This trip has been another example aimed to construct students’ knowledge from previous experiences and personal stories.

Once again, the different mobile technologies have been used: laptops, digital cameras... In this case, a new element that students demanded and we were trying to get hold of has been added, connection to the Internet. We are aware that in the rural areas there exist many obstacles for a good connection to the Internet swift enough to make the arrangements required for the project. We have got a new hardware, a network card working via satellite as the mobile phones: this is the Pcmecia Vodafone Remote Access card that allowed the students to have connection with the Internet and to upload the pictures taken during the visits, along with some related explanations. Provided the high quality of the pictures and the low speed upload of this software, it was difficult to undertake this task. Therefore, it had to be restricted the number of practical activities undertaken, regarding the upload of the pictures and the corresponding comments.

Even so, it has been a new experience for those students who have not still been able to get connected to the Internet, an instrument that has became a daily tool: as much in the informative level as in the communicative one. The possibility to use it is generally at everyone’s reach, however, as in our case, it is often very difficult to make use of it in the rural areas.

The students could consult the Website of the project and the picture gallery included on the web, so that they could upload their works and undertake their tasks through the Internet.
The research process on this trip has been based on three stages, as in previous occasions:

1. Working in the classroom:
- going through the issues been covered so far in Bolonia
- previous preparation for the visits and the knowledge to be acquired

2. Field work
- Undertaking the visits
- Taking pictures
- Taking notes
- Applying the remembered details and make comparisons of the sites visited with the issues covered

1. Working in the hotel-classroom:
- Summarize the information through the organization and codification process.
This stage will consist of gathering all the obtained information and code it, complete the notes in the logbook, which were so far unfinished …

- Identification of the information fields
Students read the information gathered on a deeper level and define those issues addressed in the data.

- Analysis of the data and preparation of the conclusions.
As throughout the research process of the project, the learning been developed, the methodology been followed… are aimed at:
• Higher level of globalization in the information:
• Autonomy of the students:
• Construction of the own knowledge:
• From technique to review:
• Collaborative work:
• Significant learning: related with the students’ interests and concerns about their natural, historic and social environment so that they can understand their own experiences.
• Contextual: the contents covered are linked to their personal and historical context.
• Constructive: knowledge is constructed from previous ideas
- Structured: the preparation of the presentation for the student’s classmates develops capacities characteristic of the structured learning: planning the presentation to be undertaken, summarizing all the information, preparing the speech...

The sites visited:
- Roman theatre.
- Roman amphitheatre.
- Aqueduct of San Lázaro.
- Roman circus
- Aqueduct of the miracles.
- Castle
- Trajano’s arch
- National Museum of Roman Art.

The students took pictures and notes of all these sites for the consequent preparation of the file-cards, as for the map to be used for reaching those places. In the same way, they have been writing a logbook in which they have reflected all their academic and personal experiences developed during these days. Shortly we will be able to visit some of these examples, along with the definitive file-cards elaborated during the visit.

In my personal view, I must say that this trip has been relevant in both personal and professional level. The approach to the boys and girls has been closer than in previous occasions during the weekly visits. So, I have had the opportunity to share with them outside the school environment, and this fact has become an experience of personal development that I consider to be as important as the research process itself.

For those who would like to see the pictures and the insights taken during this time on the part of the research team, you can do so through this link, in the photographic gallery of the MOTFAL project. All the comments that you would like to make will be welcome in both the gallery and this logbook.

Posted by monica at June 24, 2004 10:21 AM