Final Week! (Mon 21st May - Sun 27th May)

Personal blog

This is my last ever blog entry!  This week was spent packing our things and cleaning our room up before we left Vordingborg for good, as well as, saying goodbyes to our ERASMUS friends whom we lived with for 5 months.  We also had our friend Hannah visit from Northern Ireland, so this last week really flew in.  It was strange to pack for going home rather than for travelling elsewhere and it made me realise that I would probably never live in the same place again or with the same people, despite becoming so accustomed to the lifestyle and people.  It also made me ponder when I would get this opportunity to travel and meet new people again and when would I see the friends I made in Vordingborg again.

I am also glad that I went on ERASMUS before I approached my final year of teaching education as it was a refreshing way to spend the semester and learn new, as well as, reinforce some teaching practises that are implemented today.  I think our education systems differ in terms of how much accountability schools and teachers have to the government and inspectors, however modern methods such as learning as a process rather than a product are encouraged in both systems. Having learned that another country supports some of the same teaching and learning strategies, I feel even more confident in the Northern Irish education system. 

The best parts of the ERASMUS experience have definitely been meeting the other students from other countries and getting to know them and developing friendships with them, also travelling to Hamburg, Berlin and other parts of Sweden and Denmark has been brilliant.  I also think that engaging with the Danes and getting familiar with the culture has been good to experience as they seem to live a more relaxed, laid-back life and enjoy their own space and company as well as the company of others.  They have encouraged me to learn to relax and not get caught up in the daily stresses of life, but to take a step back and enjoy the simplicities of life.  I live a busy lifestyle at home and am always doing something or feeling like I ought to be productive, so living in a Danish culture has probably had a positive influence on me.

I have made so many memories and have experienced so many emotions throughout my Denmark experience that I will always reflect on and laugh at!  Travelling to and living in somewhere far from home and with unfamiliar surroundings and faces can be daunting and challenging but very exciting and life-changing even.  I feel the experience has gave me a lot more insight and awareness of the world; different countries and people with different backgrounds and nationalities, the courage to grasp new opportunities and step out of my comfort zone, the chance to communicate and learn more and the confidence to approach tasks and situations with more optimism. I really think going away to study and live has been one of the best decisions of my life!

The entire ERASMUS group!

Week 16 (Mon 14th May – Sun 20th May)

Cultural blog

This week we said Goodbye to Trisha as she left Vordingborg for Northern Ireland.  It was strange that we weren’t leaving with her as we all arrived in Denmark at the same time and shared the experience together. As Trisha packed for home, Fionnuala and I packed for our trip to Sweden with our two Austrian friends and set off the next day on a 4-hour bus journey to Gothenburg (Sweden’s 3^rd largest city).  We stayed in a hostel for one night, then did a little sight-seeing via a canal tour and enjoyed tea and cake; also called ‘Swedish Fika’, in Old Haga town; a beautiful and quaint area with lots of little antique shops, boutiques and cafes.

Old Haga town

The four of us were invited to stay with a Swedish lady and her family for the next few days; where we had our own bedrooms in a dream house that overlooked a stunning lake and forest.  We couldn’t believe our luck!  The Swedish lady made us feel so welcome in her home and prepared a variety of Swedish dinners and desserts for us throughout our stay.  We learned to play some traditional Swedish games including ‘Kubb’; a game involving the knocking down of blocks to win.  The Swedish lady provided us with a rich insight into Swedish culture, which we never would have had if we hadn’t stayed with her and her family.  I learned that the Swedish people are generally quite into the outdoors and embracing the nature around them when the weather permits and if you had seen where we were staying you would know why! The natural forest and lake surroundings were unbelievable; like something in a film!  We were lucky enough to have brilliant, sunny weather and we took a canoe trip down a lake near to where we were staying.  I really ought to appreciate Northern Ireland’s natural surroundings more often as we too have some beautiful scenery such as the Mournes and the Giant’s Causeway. I have learned that it sometimes takes you to be out of your homeland to develop a new appreciation for what you have there!

Where we stayed with the Swedish family!

Enjoying a Swedish dinner in the sun!

This trip to Mullsjo; staying with the Swedish family in their beautiful home, was a perfect end to our ERASMUS travelling experience. We were truly spoilt by the family and couldn’t believe how kind and inviting they were to us, considering we were strangers and each from different countries (Northern Ireland and Austria).  I will never forget their hospitality and open-mindedness!  I would like to think that a majority of people in Northern Ireland would also demonstrate this culture when guests from other countries visit their homes.  I don’t intend to generalise but I do assume that people these days are more wary of people they don’t know and are perhaps more guarded and reserved when it comes to opening up to people from other countries and foreign cultures. I do however like to see that people can easily enjoy the same things and share the same sense of humour even though they come from different countries, backgrounds and cultures. 

Week 15 (Mon 7th May – Sun 13th May)

Personal blog

This week we said our first goodbye to the first ERASMUS student to leave and go back to her home in Spain.  It made me realise how time has passed by so quickly and it’s important that you make the most of it and this gave us the incentive to make more plans with the other students.  We had a Spanish omelette party and pancake party for the Spanish girl and exchanged our contact details and personal messages for each of our journals and also enjoyed the delicious food!  We also promised to keep in contact and I hope to visit her in Spain this July.  I love the networks and friendships we have developed with the students here and appreciate that I had the opportunity to build these through ERASMUS. I think this has been the best part of my ERASMUS experience and would encourage people to go on ERASMUS because of this.

We also had our last class and handed in our term papers which really made us aware that the experience really is coming to an end.  To celebrate finishing the papers, we went to Tivoli in Copenhagen with the Dutch girls and we also wanted to make the most of our time with Trisha as she goes home next week!  At dinner in Tivoli we discussed some of our best experiences in Denmark to date and we quickly realised that we have had so many experiences but have forgotten a lot and lots of the experiences feel like they happened ages ago rather than a few months ago!  We all agreed that the Berlin trip as an ERASMUS group was definitely a highlight as it was where our friendships really began to develop as well as our cultural awareness within the group.  We did however agree that it has been disappointing that we didn’t get to know each other sooner as we all arrived at different times and lived in different accommodation.

The Dutch girls and us in Tivoli gardens

This week we also decided to visit Malmo in Sweden as it is only 30 minutes from Copenhagen by train.  It was a quaint place with nice, old-fashioned buildings and some cobbled streets and a canal which runs through the city. We also found that the culture and scenery there isn’t particularly different to what we have seen of Denmark’s.  Fionnuala and I however will be lucky enough next week to go to Gothenburg and Mullsjo with two Austrian girls and see more of Sweden; which will allow us to contrast and compare some different places in Sweden.  It feels great to be able to say that I have visited parts of Germany, Denmark and Sweden and seen a lot more of Europe than I ever expected at this stage of my life.  It has only inspired me to want to travel more and see more of Europe but also consider international travelling; for example America.  This also means I have a lot of saving to do when I get home!





Week 14 (Mon 30th April – Sun 6th May)

Professional Blog



This week Jayne Moore visited Vordingborg and our university.  It was nice to show Jayne where we have been living for the last 4 months and to tell her what we have been studying as well as how much our lifestyle has changed whilst living here.  It was a great opportunity for us to reflect on our learning here and how it compares to the Stranmillis education system; one of the main differences is the relaxed and laid-back learning environment promoted in the University of Zealand that encourages students to debate and openly discuss topics.

Jayne's visit

We also had the opportunity to tag along with Jayne to a Danish school and see a music lesson being taught as well as be interviewed by pupils in two English lessons.  Something that stood out was the staff’s clothing as they wore casual clothes e.g. jeans, trainers etc.  This was strange as we are used to seeing and wearing more formal and smart clothing when teaching; which I think helps people to recognise the professionals in a school and gives teachers the opportunity to take pride in their presentation and appearance.

Danish school

Another notable difference was the English teacher’s approach and style of teaching.  She was very relaxed and open with the children as she shared details about her personal life which we often feel is inappropriate sometimes.  I did however like that she created an atmosphere in the classroom of equality; where she wasn’t superior to the children but learning a lot from them too and being a facilitator rather than imparter of knowledge.  I also think the Northern Ireland Curriculum (2007) supports this idea of a teacher as a facilitator, although sometimes as teachers more traditional approaches to teaching still do exist.

We also got to see an after school club which was really impressive as they provided horse-riding, roller-skating, wooden playground equipment (swings etc.), fishing, wood-work, drama, help with homework and a range of other indoor activities such as cooking.  The parents of children don’t have to pay as much for this facility as they would back home and it appears that a lot more activities are offered to the children here.  The staff also trusted the children to have their own freedom and partake in activities unsupervised.  The manager insisted this is because he believes when children have this freedom; there is less opportunity for them to misbehave and rebel.  This was interesting as back home we would be more afraid and adamant to let children in our care roam around without our supervision.

I liked what I seen in the Danish school and club however I do like the structure we have in the schools in Northern Ireland as rules and responsibilities are established and everyone is made aware that they are in place to create a positive learning and care environment that promotes a feeling of security in the staff and the pupils.

Week 13 (Mon 23^rd April – Sun 29^th April)

Professional Blog

This week we had an English teacher from Finland that gave us a presentation in our education class about the Finnish education system.  Our education teacher Peter remarked that Finland had the highest scoring PISA testing results; which test literacy in three competence fields: reading, mathematics, science.  A Danish student in our class asked why this was and the Finnish teacher suggested that it could be because Finland is “educationally religious” and autonomous learning is highly promoted with the Parent’s and school’s support.  In addition to this she continued that teaching is considered a prestigious job and they are greatly respected and trusted by the people of Finland, which perhaps encourages more enthusiasm for learning and promotes positive and engaging learning environments.

I asked the Finnish teacher if they had a curriculum to follow that the government enforced and to my surprise she replied that each school was given the freedom to create their own curriculum with skills the staff in the school felt should be developed.  There is only a loose framework of guidance provided by the government.  It made me think that as teachers have more autonomy with their teaching styles and selection and organisation of their resources, they may reflect their enthusiasm about learning and this consequently encourages children to want to learn and partake in individual investigations and take ownership over their own learning.

The Northern Ireland Curriculum also promotes autonomous learners and the central aim is to empower young people so that they can be independent, furthermore, as in the Finnish education system, teachers in Northern Ireland are encouraged to act as facilitators of learning as opposed to imparters of knowledge, therefore our education systems seem quite similar in that respect.  This week we also learned that in Denmark there isn’t much competition to get into teaching education and once people begin to study teaching, 40% of students drop out of the course.  However, in Northern Ireland this is not the case as it is very competitive to enter teacher training education and places in the universities are quite limited.

I like that in Northern Ireland we have a structure to follow for teaching (NIC 2007) that lays out the skills for each area of learning, but allows for teachers to help children develop the skills in a variety of forms and using a variety of teaching styles and resources.  I do however feel that the Northern Ireland Curriculum demands an awful lot of teachers in terms of timetabling and giving adequate and quality time to each of the areas of learning.  Perhaps we could learn something from other countries and their education systems, for example, with less accountability to the government, schools and staff can form their own curriculums to meet the needs of the children in their care and can promote positive learning environments without such rigid frameworks and time constraints.

Week 12 ( Mon 16th April – Sun 22nd April)

Personal blog

My friends visited Copenhagen this week and we stayed in a hostel that was situated in a different area in Copenhagen that I’d never seen before so I was able to compare and see Copenhagen from a new perspective.  I also didn’t feel like a tourist this week as the girls depended on me to be their tour guide and I became more aware of the surroundings and was able to direct us through the city quite easily. 

My friends and I in Tivoli gardens.

The weather was sunny and allowed for us to take a canal tour and see Copenhagen from the water.  I also got to see new sights I’d never visited before with the girls, including; Tivoli gardens and theme park, Christiania and Copenhagen Ice Bar.  The girls really enjoyed it and said they would visit Copenhagen again.  Having the girls over to question Danish culture and traits such as laid back living, cycling bikes everywhere, drinking tea/coffee from a glass, sarcastic sense of humour and using Danish kroner, made me realise how much I have became accustomed to Danish culture and forget how different it can be to Northern Irish culture.  It will be interesting to see if I pursue such traits when I return to Northern Ireland.

The girls commented that they thought I’d really settled in Denmark and that I was coping with being away from home better than they expected.  This made me reflect on how long I’d been away from home and family (over 3 months) and realise that I exceeded my own expectations for staying in the one place for a whole semester.  I have been able to recognise that I am quite an easy-going person and tend to take each day as it comes, however I do like to have some plans each week to look forward to, for example, meeting up with other ERASMUS students.  Since we have moved to the ‘White house’ it has been much easier to casually meet up and socialise with other students as we cross paths everyday.  It will be strange leaving the other students when we all go home as these are people we have lived with for so long and have became so familiar with.  I would like to think that we will maintain our friendships and arrange visits to each other’s countries in the future. 

Week 11 ( Mon 26th March - Sun 1st April)

Cultural blog

This week, as we had no classes, Trisha, Fionnuala and I went with some Erasmus students; including a Turkish girl, a Spanish girl, a Colombian girl and 3 Dutch girls to Berlin.  We shared a hostel room with the Spanish girl and learned a lot about her and she asked us many questions about Northern Ireland. A week passed and she insisted that we visit Spain this summer! The Spanish girl also informed us that her dinner time was different to ours as the Spanish typically eat dinner at 10.00pm, to accommodate this we arranged to meet for dinner as a group around 7.00/8.00pm each night.  This week we were able to improve our cultural awareness as all of the girls shared their cultural interests, for example, the Dutch celebrate Queen’s Day; where everyone in Holland wears orange and white on 1^st May, the Colombian girl voiced her frustration about non-native people associating Columbia with drugs all the time and the Turkish girl told us she couldn’t eat pork as part of her culture.  These are only a few examples that we learned about over the week.

The whole group outside Brandenburg Gate

Berlin was a place I never had considered visiting as I didn’t realise its rich war history.  The girls briefly educated me about the Berlin Wall and how it divided the city as East and West Berlin. It wasn’t until we took a hop on - hop off bus tour that I really appreciated the significance and impact of war on this city.  I was humbled by some of the sights we seen, including; Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall and the Jews monuments. To educate myself further, once I arrived back in Denmark, I watched Berlin videos on ‘youtube’ and was shocked at how families were separated by the wall for so many years. 

Me signing the Berlin Wall

I wondered if war is still a raw topic for the German people and if the majority of people don’t like to talk about it, never mind be associated with it.  The Dutch girls told us that often some German people express their frustration and refuse to answer questions about the war.  I suppose on reflection we can be quite ignorant to small details like this and forget that people are still embittered about history.  I did however enjoy learning about the war and its impact on the city.  I think a lot of us can be ignorant and passive to topics such as the war and other countries suffering as well as cultural differences. The Berlin trip has encouraged me to open my mind to this.  I look forward to other trips to places that are rich in history and that tell a story.  I also look forward to planning trips with the other Erasmus students, now that we know each other a lot more and enjoyed each other’s company.  This trip acted as a type of bonding session between us all and I feel I have made some friends for life!