Monday 21 November 2011

the X factor

"Remember: upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.”

This sentence by Alexander the Great (someone who definitely knew what "SUCCESS" means) inspired me in my presentation for the eTwinning Conference "Leading 21st century education" in Genova.
If you think about it, this sentence could apply to soldiers in an army, to pupils at school, to ourselves as teachers, or as members of our cummunities... and even to European Countries.
I was a teenager in the 90es. I celebrated the "break in the wall" in 1989, I danced and cried and dreamt of a better, happier Europe. Now everything is so sad to me. We need hope. Someone at the conference told me "they're stealing our pupils their hopes". It's true. Except that this "they" is in fact "us". All of us adults.
I think our hope is in learning to feel and to act as a team, not as individuals trying to prevail one over the other. We have to learn how to work together to build our future. That's still my dream and my hope.

So, that's my presentation for the conference, and you're free to re-read it in this light. The eTwinning X factor, can be Europe's X factor: feeling part of a team.

6 comments:

  1. Tears on my eyes as I read your post and your presentation in Genova...
    I don't know "WHO" are they...
    but I know that everyone feel like you in south of Europe...
    But We are teachers!
    We can change it because we have in our class the new generations!
    We can every day teach our pupils...
    We have to show them the way...
    with the hope...
    that they will can live in PEACE...
    Yes I believe that friendship and working in teams or groups is the solution...
    Because last years...
    unfortunately we were alone between a lot
    of people...
    Yes I believe in Teams and that why
    I work in Etwinning programmes!!!
    Thank you as you can speak
    from all of us!
    I wish the best for our future!
    This is also my dream and my hope!

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  3. Your words really impressed me.
    Especially this part: Someone at the conference told me "they're stealing our pupils their hopes". It's true. Except that this "they" is in fact "us"
    It think THIS is the problem. Too many people think that troubles, crisis etc. concern only “others”. Not “us”, but “they”. It’s not my business. I don’t care.
    Unfortunately it’s not true.
    When the Titanic sunk, even the first class went underwater. There could be no hope if everyone only matters of his own business. No hope.
    A singer I love once said: power (political, economical etc.) is THE garbage in human history.
    But I don’t have any idea how this could change. Could it?

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  4. Hi Marika, I know we have the same feelings, the same fears and the same hopes in this difficult moment for Europe, for our countries, for the idea of peace and equity itself. And there's only one magic word for us to move on now: TOGETHER.
    So, my friend, let's believe in teams, in teaching and in eTwinning.

    Stef, you know we are on the same wavelenght, as we always were. "My treaSSSSure" is the first step towards failure - at first, people may think they can benefit from the failure of those around them. Eventually - when it's too late - they understand it's their own failure as well.
    Either we win together or we lose together.
    Are we gonna fail? I hope not.

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  5. Dear Laura,
    thank you for sharing with us your presentation. I like it a lot).
    Hugs, Mónika

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  6. Wonderful presentation, I hope it reached the proper audience. And thanks for sharing your optimism, that's a hugely needed secret tool nowadays.

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