Links

Most of the links are mandatory Readings for courses, interesting and useful

"Reading 4 pleasure"

Download form: http://teachers.org.uk/node/12394

(click picture to access pdf)

Skolverket

An overview of the Swedish education system:

www.skolverket.com

The English School Göteborg

here you can visit the homepage of the English school:

http://www.theenglishschool.se

Hagaskolan

Unfortunately the school has no official homepage, but you can try to check out this site.

Useful Material

Study visit - Hagaskolan

As a part of the course "The School System in a Comparative Perspective" we had the opportunity to visit a school in Göteborg and spend a few hours there.
I would like to share some of the impressions:

Hagaskolan is relatively small school located in the old district Haga. The school was established in 1986 but the oldest part of the school-complex stems from 1828.

The school has around 250 pupils, with classes form pre-school to fifth grade classes. In total they have nine classes. The school has three tracks (Green, Yellow, Blue). These tracks each contain two classes. Notably they have integrated classes/tracks (= Mehrstufenklassen) in which the pre-school and 1st graders and the 2nd and 3rd graders share a class. Since a lot of children move out of the city center when they get older, the 4th and 5th grade have separate classes because the number of children declines. 

In each class there are usually two teachers present. One main teacher and one leisure time pedagog, both work fulltime. The main teachers is in school for 35 hours per week, but as soon as classes end, between 13.00 and 14.00 the main teachers are not working in class anymore. They spend the rest of their time in office preparing, meaning that the leisure time pedagog takes over the responsibilty and takes care of the children in the afternoon.

The teachers have a good relationship with the headmaster and have weekly staff meetings to discuss and communicate about important issues. Every other staff member (pre-school, after-school teachers etc.) also meets every week.

The school has so-called project weeks every term. For a full month each week one day is about one special topic (this term the topic was History of Gothenburg). EIther the teachers prepare activites or the school collaborates with the theater or musems. But the best part about these project weeks is that during these times the classes are completely mixed, pre-schoolers will work with 5th graders and so on.  

Hagaskolan also has a friendship-school in Zimbabwe, Africa. This collaboration contains Skype-session with the classes every two weeks, teacher exchange programs and a close relationship with Gothenburgs Salvation army.

All in all it was a great experience to a very enjoyable school and even though it was a primary school it was good opportunity to get a first look into the swedish school system first hand. 

Assignments and Exams

Erledigt

Start of Exchange Studies at University of Gothenburg

Abschlussdatum: 03. September
Erledigt

Course: The School System in a Comparative Perspective; Did you have any good teachers? Why where they so good for you? What do you mean by being a good teacher? Did you have any bad teachers? What do you mean by bad teacher?

Erledigt
Abschlussdatum: 09. October

Course: Oral & Written Proficiency & Pronunciation; Write a Summary (300 words) of the assigned article

Erledigt
Abschlussdatum: 16. October

Course: The School System in a Comparative Perspective

Erledigt
Abschlussdatum: 19. October

Course: English for young learners

Erledigt
Abschlussdatum: 28. October

Course: English for young learners

Erledigt
Abschlussdatum: 29. October

Course: English for young learners

Erledigt

Course: English for young learners

Erledigt
Abschlussdatum: 04. November

Course: The School System in a Comparative Perspective

Erledigt
Abschlussdatum: 05. November

Course: Oral & Writen Proficiency & Pronunciation; Write an argumentation essay on a subject of your own choosing

20 tasks