School visits
School visits are organized across the Netherlands in the cities of the organizing universities: Amsterdam, Groningen and Utrecht. The universities will present an exciting program on the conference theme with school visits at its core. Amsterdam will provide a program emphasizing craftmanship, Groningen will present a program on sustainability, and Utrecht focuses on the pedagogies.
All universities will introduce participants to their so-called university-school partnerships with access to a broader network of pre-, primary, secondary, special, vocational, and higher education schools.
The school visits will be organized on the final day of the conference. The school visits are available for an extra fee and participation is on a first come, first serve base. Below you can find more information about the school visits. The video to the right explains the Dutch education system, from primary education to higher education and research.
Amsterdam – Haarlem
Welcome to Amsterdam and Haarlem!
In Amsterdam – Haarlem we offer you a study-visit program.
Our theme is Crafting and the focus will be on the training we give to Lesson Study Facilitators.
You can choose between:
- Primary school (Amsterdam)
- Secondary school (Amsterdam)
- Special education (Haarlem)
Depending on your choice you will be informed on the specific departure time and place. All schools have participated in the training programme from the Vrije Universiteit, which means teachers are educated as Lesson Study facilitators and are capable of guiding a Lesson Study team in their own school. Each of the different schools will have their own specific emphasis, but the main focus is on the contribution of educated facilitators and school development through Lesson Study.
In the afternoon we continue the visit at the Vrije Universiteit. Tirza Bosma and Madeleine Vreeburg will guide you through the content of the training for facilitator Lesson Study and you will undergo a simulation of part of this programme. Furthermore we will discuss the lessons learned in the morning and focus on what these could contribute to your own institute.
In the evening we propose a dinner together at Café Restaurant Amsterdam. The costs for this dinner are not part of the school visit.
Or you can go strolling around the beautiful city of Amsterdam. For information check this website: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/see-and-do
The cost for this school visit is € 50,-.
Groningen
Nothing Tops Groningen! Come visit Groningen: a unique opportunity to combine an extensive Lesson Study programme with the visit of one of the most famous natural heritages in northern Europe!
Our theme is Sustainability in education and environment. Our theme will be visible during the school visit to a secondary school and the University of Groningen on Friday. During the visit, the focus will be on how sustainable relations between school boards of secondary schools and the University of Groningen enhance professional development of teachers in the region. The implementation, organization, and performance of Lesson Study in schools and teacher education are some of the positive outcomes of this fruitful collaboration.
Overview of the programme:
On Friday morning you will visit a secondary school where you will observe regular lessons and teachers performing Lesson Study. There will also be plenty of time to talk to teachers and pupils during lunchtime.
In the afternoon, the Teacher Education Department of the University of Groningen will welcome you to exchange knowledge and experiences. There will be presentations from experts such as Klaas van Veen (vice dean of the Social Science Faculty and professor in Educational Studies), Nol Benders (director of the school board who implemented Lesson Study in all of their secondary schools), and Siebrich de Vries, professor in Didactics at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. Part of the afternoon programme will consist of exchanging ideas and good practice on sustainable education and professionalization of teachers through Lesson study.
On Saturday the visit to the Wadden area starts with boarding a typical Wadden sea boat. During your boat trip an experienced guide will give you insight into this natural world heritage which is characterized by open water, waving reed lands and extensiveness with breath taking panoramic views, various species of birds and rare plants such as marsh grass, Parnassia and orchids and how it is preserved for coming generations. Visiting a sandbank with seals could be the highlight of this day!
If you rather stay on solid ground on Saturday, you may choose the cultural historical excursion. You will be exploring the city centre of Groningen with an experienced city guide and discover its unique history. There is also the possibility to visit the world famous Groninger Museum.
The trip to Groningen includes:
- Transport from the WALS2019 venueafter the final closing of the conference on Thursday afternoon (5/9/19) to Groningen
- Dinner on Thursday night
- Two nights in a hotel in Groningen city centre (single bedroom)
- School visit to a secondary school focusing on Lesson Study in practice and an educational exchange at the University of Groningen on Friday (6/9/19)
- An ecological and/or cultural program on Saturday (7/9/2019)
- Transport from Groningen to Amsterdam on Saturday evening app. 19.00 hours.
The costs of this two day/ two night visit, including transport, lodging, a dinner on Thursday night and an ecological and/or cultural program on Saturday, will be €450,-.
This school visit only takes place if a minimum of 20 participants sign up for the visit.
Utrecht
Welcome to Utrecht, one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands!
In Utrecht we will offer you a study-visit program.
Our theme is Pedagogies in education and environment.
You will take an early train from Amsterdam to Utrecht on Friday morning. We will meet you at the station in Utrecht and guide you to the schools. Pupils from the bilingual section will show you around and offer you a guided tour through their school. Afterwards you can either observe Dutch colleagues performing their regular (bilingual, English and Dutch) lessons or join a short Lesson Study session. And of course there will be plenty of time to talk to teachers and pupils, for instance about CLIL-didactics and pedagogies. (CLIL stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning).
In the afternoon we continue our program with a visit to the Freudenthal Institute. The Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (FI) is part of the Faculty of Science of Utrecht University (UU). Together with our partners, both within and outside the UU, the FI makes an important contribution to innovation and improvement of science education in the Netherlands. You will visit one of these innovations, the Teaching and Learning Lab where we will exchange results from ongoing research and pedagogies using Lesson Studies.
There will be an opportunity to visit the city of Utrecht on Friday evening or on Saturday. You will find that Utrecht is full of special places, mixing modern concepts and historical buildings. The beautiful canals with the wharf cellars lining the quay, where you will find many cafés and terraces right by the water, are a must to visit!
The costs for this visit are € 50.-.