C6 -The effect of climate change on astronomy and equatorial island biodiversity - Spain
Joint - staff training event
13th to 17th February 2023
Tenerife | Canary Islands | Spain
Tenerife | Canary Islands | Spain
Day 1 - 13th February
The mobility started with the open ceremony at school where teachers were welcomed in the assembly hall. During the act, a presentation of the school as well as performances of traditional pieces of music and dance by local students were exhibited. Once the ceremony finished, teachers headed to the Town Hall where a reception from the mayoress took place. Four 4th grade students guided the visiting teachers around town showing and giving them information about the local landmarks so teachers could appreciate the cultural diversity of the area. A guided tour around school and workshops on CO2 and soap reciclying where teachers learned how to employ used oil to make soap were held afterwards. At night, teachers met for official dinner.
Day 2 - 14th February
This second day started with a tour inside “Cueva del viento”, one of the longest volcanic tubes in the planet. Teachers could acquire some knowledge on how the island was formed and appreciate the biodiversity of this northeastern place of Tenerife. Once the tour ended, they headed to La Caldera in La Orotava, a recreational park where the teachers could admire the variety of local flora, such as the Canarias pine, which crowds this part of the island. To end the day, thet visited the National Park of El Teide, having a tour around the visitor centre of El Portillo where visiting teachers learned about how the island was formed as well as some myths the aboriginals of Tenerife believed in. They could also have the chance to visit the botanic garden located outside the centre where endemic species are displayed. From that point, the next stop was Roques de García, a symbolic spot of the park where they could enjoy its unique and magnificent landscape.
Day 3 - 15th February
On the third day, teachers were divided in two different groups. Coordinators discussed on the next mobility, the new website and actions to be done in order to conclude the project satisfactorily. Teachers who were not coordinators gathered and wrote an essay on “how is sustainability implemented on the daily live of their schools”. Then, they had a workshop on plastic recycling named “fabplastic” where students with special needs and a teacher from the gardening department showed them how to recycle plastic according to type and how to use the different machinery to create new items out of disposable plastic so it can be recycled and have another use.
Day 4 - 16th February
On this day, Erasmus teachers headed to La Laguna in the morning. There they had a guided tour around the most representative places of this town certified UNESCO World Heritage in 1999 where they were able to appreciate its value in terms of culture, architecture or history. Then, teachers visited the Museum of Science and Cosmos, an interactive museum where they could learn while doing different scientific experiments related to gravity, planets, optical illusions, etc. In the afternoon, a boat trip off the coast of Los Gigantes was done. While onboard teachers witnessed and appreciate the characteristics of the singular marine biodiversity of the west coast of Tenerife.
Day 5 - 17th February
The last day of the mobility started off with two different cultural workshops. The first one, on “Canarismos” (words used specifically in the Canary islands), showed the particularities of the Spanish spoken in the Canaries. The second one was a cooking workshop on how to prepare “mojos” in which visiting teachers learned how to make this highly-rooted sauce which is one the most significant elements of the Canarian cuisine. After the workshops, and coinciding with the celebration of Carnivals at school, teachers enjoy the traditional “murgas” contest which consisted in groups of students singing popular songs with modified lyrics to make a funny criticism on teachers, social issues, etc.
Once the contest ended, visiting teachers evaluated the mobility and headed to a “guachinche”, a traditional type of restaurant of the island, to have lunch and taste some the typical dishes which are part of the culinary tradition of Tenerife.
Once the contest ended, visiting teachers evaluated the mobility and headed to a “guachinche”, a traditional type of restaurant of the island, to have lunch and taste some the typical dishes which are part of the culinary tradition of Tenerife.
Outcomes
Teachers had the opportunity to exchange ideas and share good practice in order to improve their educational knowledge and skills, to compare our education system with their own. They broadened their knowledge about the renewable energy source use.
The outcomes:
∙ raising awareness that climate change is not only affecting the mainland but also islands in the tropical parts(equatorial parts) of the globe.
∙ Getting to know the biodiversity of a tropical island and how it changed due to climate changes
∙ Understanding that climate change is not only affecting our planet but also our view of the stars and universe, that it is causing great problems to the astronomers that are measuring data outside our planet (this will be thoroughly explained by a scientist on one of the 3 biggest and most important telescopes in the world - El Teide observatory)
∙ Raise awareness of the importance of making a difference to help our planet.
∙ Cultural enrichment as participants will have the chance to know Canarian culture and nature.
∙ Improvement of ICT knowledge.
∙ Exchange of good practices
∙ Organizational skills will develop students’ responsibility for conducting some of the proposed activities.
We are sure these activities improved and widened teachers and by proxy students’ minds to the importance of facing challenges our society is demanding: taking care of our planet, social sustainability and the need of making a difference, strengthen their responsibility and autonomy as well as improving their interpersonal skills.
The outcomes:
∙ raising awareness that climate change is not only affecting the mainland but also islands in the tropical parts(equatorial parts) of the globe.
∙ Getting to know the biodiversity of a tropical island and how it changed due to climate changes
∙ Understanding that climate change is not only affecting our planet but also our view of the stars and universe, that it is causing great problems to the astronomers that are measuring data outside our planet (this will be thoroughly explained by a scientist on one of the 3 biggest and most important telescopes in the world - El Teide observatory)
∙ Raise awareness of the importance of making a difference to help our planet.
∙ Cultural enrichment as participants will have the chance to know Canarian culture and nature.
∙ Improvement of ICT knowledge.
∙ Exchange of good practices
∙ Organizational skills will develop students’ responsibility for conducting some of the proposed activities.
We are sure these activities improved and widened teachers and by proxy students’ minds to the importance of facing challenges our society is demanding: taking care of our planet, social sustainability and the need of making a difference, strengthen their responsibility and autonomy as well as improving their interpersonal skills.