ASEF ClassNet Experiences: from Online Collaboration to Student Exchange

The ASEF Classroom Network has given the online collaborations between schools from the two continents a completely new dimension.

St. Mark’s Senior Secondary Public School, Meera Bagh (India) has been working with three Italian schools, “I.T.I.S Cannizzaro, Colleferro”, “I.I.S Galilei – Vetrone, Benevento” and “IT Deledda, Trieste”, all members of the ASEF ClassNet family.

The idea of the student exchange was initiated during the first ever Indian-Italian Schools Network Conference held in September 2011. It took its final shape during the 10th ASEF ClassNet Conference in Dundalk, Ireland.

Finally on 6 December 2011, 15 students escorted by me, Ms Geeta Rajan, Global Coordinator, St. Mark’s Senior Secondary Public School, Meera Bagh embarked on a 15-day tour to Italy.

My students not only visited Colleferro, Benevento and Trieste, but also visited Rome, Naples, Segni, Gorga, Salerno and Venice. They also got a taste of Italian culture, lifestyle and education system as they stayed with Italian families and attended classes with their Italian counterparts.

During our visit, we visited some of the most famous landmarks at Rome – The Colosseum, The Arch of Constantine, the Roman Forum etc. In this way, my students had a first-hand experience of the Roman Civilisation. The visit to the holy Vatican City and hear the Pope speaking at the St. Peter’s Church was one of the main highlights of the trip to Italy. If the Gondola ride at Venice was a memorable experience, the meeting with the Mayor of Trieste, Mr Roberto Cassolini and being featured on the local television were other not-to-forget moments for my students.

With a heavy heart, we left Italy on 20 December to reach home on the 21st.

“I couldn’t have made such beautiful friends from other countries and couldn’t have become a better human being had I not been part of this delegation to Italy…”, said Shibangi Nag, a student from St. Mark’s Senior Secondary Public School, Meera Bagh.

As for me, I remember what I said in Kota Kinabalu, my first ASEF ClassNet Conference -“I owe a lot to Ms Daniela Ianni for it was she who introduced me to ASEF Classroom Network.” For me, visiting Italy was visiting family – Daniela, Anna, Antonietta, Maria Sessa and Cristina…they are family to me…

Kudos to ASEF ClassNet for bringing classrooms closer…