Faculty Advisor Name
Caterina Paolucci
Description
Learning Europe is an annual project that takes place in the high schools of Florence and Pistoia in Italy. JMU master’s students in the European Union Policies Studies program in Florence attend these high schools for two sessions to teach Italian students about the European Union. JMU students go to these meeting either alone or in pairs of two, but with a JMU faculty member (usually a teaching assistant) who assists in the sessions. The two sessions are broken up by the material taught in them, with a natural progression from topics discussed in the first to the topics discussed in the second. The first meeting is largely an introduction, as the JMU students introduce themselves and the European Union. The focus on the European Union is largely basic in this first meeting, as the level of knowledge about the EU will differ from classroom to classroom. As such, the meetings begin with an overview of the political terms used in the lesson before then covering the main institutions of the EU – European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, Council of Ministers, European Court of Justice, and the European Central Bank – and its history up until present day. At the end, time is provided for questions the students may have for the JMU students.
The second meeting, held at a later date, is used to quiz the students on what they retained from the first meeting and continue the lesson in more detail. The JMU students begin the lesson by playing a quiz game with the Italian students to test them on what they remember. The class is split into groups to foster teamwork in answering the questions, and at the end, a winning team is chosen. The lesson itself focuses on the past and current EU policies and issues. The JMU students provide an overview of important policies and issues and allow time after each for questions from the Italian students. The presentations differ from class to class, though, as some teachers will request JMU students teach on certain subjects they want the students to learn. At the end of the meeting, the JMU students provide time for final questions from the Italian students and their teachers. These questions can be on any topic and usually relate to the United States, current global or EU issues, or the what the JMU student thinks about living and studying in Italy. Afterward, the students and teachers are given questionnaires to fill out about their experiences in the two meetings.
Included in
Learning Europe
Learning Europe is an annual project that takes place in the high schools of Florence and Pistoia in Italy. JMU master’s students in the European Union Policies Studies program in Florence attend these high schools for two sessions to teach Italian students about the European Union. JMU students go to these meeting either alone or in pairs of two, but with a JMU faculty member (usually a teaching assistant) who assists in the sessions. The two sessions are broken up by the material taught in them, with a natural progression from topics discussed in the first to the topics discussed in the second. The first meeting is largely an introduction, as the JMU students introduce themselves and the European Union. The focus on the European Union is largely basic in this first meeting, as the level of knowledge about the EU will differ from classroom to classroom. As such, the meetings begin with an overview of the political terms used in the lesson before then covering the main institutions of the EU – European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, Council of Ministers, European Court of Justice, and the European Central Bank – and its history up until present day. At the end, time is provided for questions the students may have for the JMU students.
The second meeting, held at a later date, is used to quiz the students on what they retained from the first meeting and continue the lesson in more detail. The JMU students begin the lesson by playing a quiz game with the Italian students to test them on what they remember. The class is split into groups to foster teamwork in answering the questions, and at the end, a winning team is chosen. The lesson itself focuses on the past and current EU policies and issues. The JMU students provide an overview of important policies and issues and allow time after each for questions from the Italian students. The presentations differ from class to class, though, as some teachers will request JMU students teach on certain subjects they want the students to learn. At the end of the meeting, the JMU students provide time for final questions from the Italian students and their teachers. These questions can be on any topic and usually relate to the United States, current global or EU issues, or the what the JMU student thinks about living and studying in Italy. Afterward, the students and teachers are given questionnaires to fill out about their experiences in the two meetings.
