EXPLANATION OF THIS SITE:

This was the blog VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) that was used for my course in Catalan Culture, September-December 2004.

The class weblog is connected to individual learner weblogs, accessible through the links next to the photos of the students on the left.

The year before, I ran a class weblog only : http://cat-cult.blogspot.com/

Although successful, I found it difficult to manage the assignment part - assigning each student with an individual weblog made this much easier to assess.

This year (2005), I plan to use Elgg, which not only offers a blogging space for each student, but also features such as file storage. Setting up a group has also given us a wiki.

End of course

Hi everyone! The course in Catalan Culture has now ended, but remember you can still keep in touch via email or using this blog.

We will be using what you have written during the next course with Erasmus students, in September 2005, and your weblogs will remain active here as a record of the work you have done and the good time you spent in Barcelona.

Here's wishing you all the best for the future, and remember to come and see us again when you're next in Barcelona!

Mieke's photos

Take a look at Mieke's photos!



There are some nice visual memories on her weblog now. Don't you just wish you could stay here a few moths more? Well, you can always come back soon...

Nearing the End - Presentations

On Wednesday, (9.00-10.30) we have our last session. I have put a time schedule up on the noticeboard for you to sign up for a presentation slot and to indicate what equipment you need (PC, projector, video, cassette, CD, etc)

I have also to ask you to complete the last assignment in the weblog, although you are welcome to continue writing here for as long as you like (some of last year's students continued writing in the weblog until March the year after - they used it as a way of keeping in touch.)

The last assignment is:

Now that you are nearing the end of your stay, I'd like you to write a short summary of the things you have done and seen that have most impressed you, and imagine you are writing to one of next year's students. What would you suggest they do / not do?

That's it. See you on Thursday

Publishing pictures

Hi Mieke and everyone who wants to publish pictures here and in their own blog.

It's very simple, but you have to do the following things:

Follow these instructions from Blogger

or...(a less complicated summary)

1) Sign up for an online photo album at flckr or another site. (it's free and it only takes a minute!)

2)Upload the photos you want

3)Go to the photos page and with your mouse over the photo, right-click and select properties

4) copy the complete URL(web address)of the photo. It should look like this:
http://flickr.com/photos/764482_08418a8e16_m.jpg

5) paste this address into your Blogger post using the following code(obviously change it so it shows your photo code):

<img src="http://flickr.com/photos/764482_08418a8e16_m.jpg" alt="Example" />img src=""

You should see the picture, like this:



If it's too big you should add the following code height="100" length="150" after the word img (modify the size depending on the shape of your photo)

If you have any more questions, then ask me

Give it a go

Graham

I'm here!

Hello Eeva, and everyone!

I'm back! I've been too busy these last few days to respond here, especially as the Tourism classes have just started up, but I'm planning on taking some time tonight to look at what everyone's written and to respond, as well as cleaning up some of the settings on the weblog and changing numbers to names.

Take a look at your post - I've written a comment below it. Click on it to read. Remember, you can also write comments below people's posts.

Basically, you did well - I wanted people to write their impressions on their own, personal portfolio weblogs. That way it makes it easier for me to see who's writing what, and to keep some kind of order and sense to the class weblog (this was a problem last year).

So, could people write their impressions on their personal weblog portfolio? I'll probably copy or move those that have been posted here. The other think people should do is to check that they have used 'publish' and not saved as a 'draft' - if you only save as a draft, nobody will see what you have written!

You can use this weblog to tell people something that's going on, or to write to everyone about something. a question, announcement, etc. Keep reflections for your personal weblog. Remember, you can read what the others have written by clicking on their weblogs (the link next to the picture) - try it! And why not leave a few comments too?

See you in class tomorrow (I hope!)

Graham

My expectations

Hola!!!

Graham asked us to write something about the expectations we had before we came to BCN. About, the culture, the school, the city etc.
I don´t know if i´m doing this right (via blogger.com, catalan culture, create a post..) but I´ll hear when it´s not.
I´ve been to Bcn one time before in january 2003. During that week I really fell in love with the city. It was beautifull weather (about 18 degrees and everyday sun) and I really loved how the city looked like (with all the old buildings for example from Gaudi, Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, lots of nice shops, and much more) I was only here for a week so I didn´t really had much contact with the catalan people.
I expected that I would get lots of energy from living in such a nice area for 3 months. The people from our school who went to Barcelona last year told us, that it was a wonderfull experience, that they had a real good time here and they were very sad when they had to go back to Holland. When I spoke with some of them they didn´t quit talking about how nice it was. So my expectations are quite high. But not only because the other people liked it here so very much. Also because I love the spanish culture in general, because the people are very dynamic, expressive (the speak with their whole body), and laid back (that the people lot´s of times are late on appointments). I also like the lenguage a lot and I expected to learn it during my time in Barcelona. And when the sun is shining or when there´s a beach I can go to, I get more energy and it feals like I can handle a lot more than when it´s raining and the beach is like 3 hours driving away. So also because the things I just mentioned my expections where really high. I felt like those 3 months were going to be a hugh vacation with a little bit of studieing.
Before I came here I learned only a little bit about the catalan culture. During my vacation in Spain this summer, I discoverd that Catalan people are very proud to be Catalan and that they speak Catalan instead of Castellano. So I expected that the people might be a little bit arrogant and hard to reach. But now I know that they´re not like that when you respect them and try to speak Catalan a little.
I really had a lot of expectations, that there would be lot´s of festivals and cultural things going on in the city, and that it would be very easy to meet other new people.
And I think, untill now, I discoverd that some expections were right, some not, and some I still have to find out.

Sascha.

ps. Writing in English is sometimes a little difficult, so, sorry if you don´t understand what i´m writing.

Les Corts Festa Major

Hi everyone!
As I said in class, there's another festival starting this weekend. You need to make your way down to the Plaça Concòrdia, Les Corts (Les Corts metro), which is the centre of most of the activities.

It kicks off on Saturday 2nd October at 17.00 with a Trobada de Gegants i Bestiari. That's the big heads, giants and beasts I told you about. A very colourful procession.

At 20.15 on Saturday, there's a cake tasting in the cultural Centre, Can Deu (in the Plaça Concòrdia), and then the Correfoc (literally running fire) - if you want to take part, and dance with the devils, be sure to wear something on your head so your hair doesn't catch fire! Have fun and maybe see you there!

Graham

Hi

Just trying out!!!

La Mercè 2004

La Mercè is Barcelona's annual city festival, its feste major. Every year, the people of Barcelona celebrate with music and dance, theatre and tradition, street parties and fireworks.
The main activites take place from 21st to the 26th September, but there are things to see from the 21st, and until the weekend after (1st, 2nd October)

You can find the programme on the web in English at the Ajuntament de Barcelona website.

There are hundreds of things going on, but you should at least try and see these traditional activites:

• Parade of monsters and giants - Thursday 23rd 19.00 (Rambles, Liceu metro)
• Castells (human castles/towers) - Friday 24th 12.30 (Plaça Sant Jaume, Jaume I metro)
• The Correfoc (literally 'running fire', a spectacular fireworks parade featuring demons (els diables) and fire-breathing dragons) - Saturday 25th 20.15 (Plaça Sant Jaume, Jaume I metro) (...click here for more details)
• Festa al cel , the sky festival, with kites, balloons, and other aerostatic activities. (beach areas, Ciutadella and Vila Olimpica metro stations)
• The Pyromusical : the closing ceremony of the festival (and this year, of the Barcelona Forum too), featuring a grand fireworks display set to music. Sunday 26th 21.30 (beaches of Bogatell, Poblenou metro). You can also see firework displays from 23rd to 25th on Barceloneta beach (metro Barceloneta) at the International Pyrotechnic Festival.

You can also see a wide variety of musical performances: The BAM (Barcelona Acció Musical) festival normally features a wide selection of local, national, and international stars of pop, rock, hip-hop, funk, techno, etc. This year there are more local performers (probably due to the exceptional variety of music on offer at the Forum during the summer). There is a more detailed programme of music here (in Spanish)

On the actual holiday, the 24th September, a lot of the city's museums are free to visit.

Have fun!

Welcome to Catalonia

Hello and welcome to Catalonia