ACADIMIA Podcast: Bringing Creative Teaching from Europe to Icelandic Classrooms

In the latest ACADIMIA podcast, Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir from GeoCamp Iceland speaks with Ragnheiður Alma Snæbjörnsdóttir, a teacher at Akurskóli in Reykjanes, about her experience in the Erasmus+ project ACADIMIA (European Teachers’ Academy for Creative and Inclusive Learning).

After participating in the international teacher training course in Florence, Ragnheiður Alma began introducing methods such as Drama in Education, Creative STEAM, Talent Maker and Socratic Dialogue into her own teaching. She explains how role-play, inquiry-based learning and hands-on activities encouraged students to participate more actively and helped create a more inclusive classroom environment.

The conversation highlights the lasting value of European cooperation. Beyond learning new teaching methods, ACADIMIA has inspired teachers to share ideas with colleagues, build professional networks and continue developing creative approaches to learning. GeoCamp Iceland will continue building on this legacy by incorporating ACADIMIA methodologies into future teacher training, Erasmus+ mobility activities and UNESCO Schools professional development programmes in Iceland.

The podcast is in Icelandic, but a full transcript in English is available below.

ACADIMIA opnar dyr að skapandi og inngildandi kennslu

Hvernig getur evrópskt samstarf breytt kennslu í íslenskum skólastofum? Það er viðfangsefni nýjasta ACADIMIA hlaðvarpsins þar sem Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir hjá GeoCamp Iceland ræðir við Ragnheiði Ölmu Snæbjörnsdóttur, kennara við Akurskóla á Reykjanesi, um reynslu hennar af Erasmus+ verkefninu ACADIMIA – European Teachers’ Academy for Creative and Inclusive Learning.

Ragnheiður Alma tók þátt í alþjóðlegri kennaraþjálfun verkefnisins í Flórens haustið 2024 þar sem kennarar frá átta Evrópulöndum kynntust fjölbreyttum skapandi og inngildandi kennsluaðferðum. Fyrir hana skipti mestu máli að námskeiðið var hagnýtt og veitti verkfæri sem hægt var að nota strax í kennslu.

„Það sem mér fannst dýrmætast var að þetta voru aðferðir sem ég gat tekið með mér beint inn í kennslustofuna daginn eftir.“

Á námskeiðinu valdi hún þær aðferðir sem hún taldi henta best sinni kennslu í náttúrufræði og á unglingastigi. Það sem kom henni þó mest á óvart var hversu vel leiklist og hlutverkaleikur gátu nýst í samfélagsfræði og siðferðilegum umræðum.

Í stað þess að ræða stjórnmál eða samfélagsmál eingöngu út frá kennslubókinni fengu nemendur að stíga inn í hlutverk, stofna eigin stjórnmálaflokka og ræða álitamál sem snertu þeirra eigið líf, svo sem samþykki, áfengissölu og skattamál. Með aðferðum á borð við Drama in Education og sókratískar samræður tóku allir þátt á sínum eigin forsendum.

„Það tók allir þátt á sínum forsendum. Þetta virkaði sérstaklega vel fyrir nemendur sem eiga erfitt með hefðbundin skrifleg verkefni.“

Í hlaðvarpinu segir hún einnig frá því hvernig einfaldar samræðuaðferðir geta skapað öflugar umræður í kennslustofunni. Með því að láta nemendur taka afstöðu, færa sig á milli staða í rýminu og ræða sjónarmið sín læra þeir ekki aðeins að mynda sér skoðun heldur einnig að hlusta á aðra og ræða af virðingu.

Skapandi nálgun var rauður þráður í öðrum aðferðum ACADIMIA. Ragnheiður Alma lýsir meðal annars hvernig hún nýtti Creative STEAM til að kenna flotkraft með því að setja nemendur í hlutverk áhafnar skips. Þannig urðu þeir virkir þátttakendur í lausnaleit fremur en óvirkir áhorfendur.

Hún segir einnig frá reynslu sinni af TalentMaker, þar sem áherslan er lögð á rannsóknarvinnu, skráningu vinnuferlis og skapandi lausnaleit fremur en eingöngu lokaafurðina. Að hennar mati hjálpar aðferðin nemendum að skilja að námið snýst ekki aðeins um svarið heldur einnig um ferlið sem leiðir að því.

Í kjölfar þátttöku sinnar í ACADIMIA miðlaði Ragnheiður Alma reynslu sinni til samstarfsfólks og tók þátt í að kynna verkefnið fyrir kennurum á Íslandi. Hún bendir á að margar aðferðanna nýtist þvert á námsgreinar og séu jafn áhrifaríkar inni í kennslustofunni og úti í náttúrunni.

Eitt af því sem stóð einnig upp úr var Montessori-nálgunin sem kynnt var í verkefninu. Þótt hún segist ekki ætla að feta nákvæmlega í fótspor kennaranna sem hún kynntist í Flórens hafi hún fengið mikilvægan innblástur um gildi frásagnar, hlutbundins náms og þess að skapa heilan heim sem nemendur geti stigið inn í.

Í lok samtalsins voru þær sammála um að stærsta gildi ACADIMIA felist ekki aðeins í nýjum kennsluaðferðum heldur einnig í því að gefa kennurum tækifæri til að endurnýja sig faglega.
„Kennarar þurfa stöðugt innblástur, ný verkfæri og áminningu um allt það sem þeir kunna nú þegar. Svona verkefni hjálpa okkur að stíga aðeins út fyrir vanann.“

Þær ræða einnig hvernig halda megi áfram að byggja á árangri verkefnisins. Markmiðið er að flétta aðferðir ACADIMIA inn í endurmenntun kennara, alþjóðlegar kennaraheimsóknir og vettvangsnám þar sem náttúran verður kennslustofan. Með því geti verkefnið lifað áfram og stutt við skapandi og inngildandi skólastarf um ókomin ár.
​
ACADIMIA hefur sýnt að evrópskt samstarf snýst ekki aðeins um að sækja námskeið erlendis. Það snýst um að byggja upp samfélag kennara sem deila reynslu, læra hver af öðrum og þróa kennsluaðferðir sem gera nám bæði skapandi, þátttökumiðað og inngildandi.

Hlustaðu á Podcastið hér fyrir neðan:

 

---

Transcript in English

00:00:02

Hello to you, Alma? Yes, hello. Now we are sitting here chatting about the Academy, the European project. My name is Sigrún and I am the project manager of education or training matters here at Reykjanes Járvöng and Geokamp Æsland. and I have been working on this academic project for just about three years now. and you have been helping me has participated in this a little. Yes. Do you want to tell me about yourself? Yes, I am 31 years old, a family woman. and have been teaching for 10 years. I have a master's in teaching natural sciences and have mostly been teaching at this kind of middle school level. in the styling so often the most fun people to teach. Thank you for sharing. and Yes, I just I would have really enjoyed the academic journey.

00:01:00

This has been just fun. Let us. How did this happen to you like this? Now it's just about two weeks since you came with us to Florence. Yes. It is. it is here we went in October 2004 and It was naturally a dream setting to attend such a course in Florence, which is naturally a really beautiful place. and have been here sitting there a lot. learned about oneself course. and many cool things. as I could immediately use with my mentioned. which is always what I find to be desirable. in such peace. that this is something I can take and use just tomorrow. Yes, just taken applied into what you love to do. And here, as a scene, I was like this that we had a tape week in Florence and who really chose these five methods?

00:02:04

Out of these ten? Yes. an exciting and creative approach that the Academy is based on. And this was set up so that we were before the feast and after the feast. That we. So we took two approaches to it. And then there was always a presentation meeting and then such satisfaction in the end. Oh. I naturally determine my methods based on what suits. me and my teaching and my area of interest. and There comes something like this here steering and technique and Oh. such these partial creative ways to use in teaching. and I naturally chose those methods. All of it. But in to that you of course were working or have been working mostly with teenagers like this. Was there something about this method that went?

00:03:03

fastest into the core in the head or maybe used best or most. Yes and what comes such a great surprise was to bring theater into the nature fjord community awakening. I am not used to teaching much social order. But I did it, it has kind of added to me. and really fun. For example, I am the method and dream man education. This is kind of a jumble of various things that I learned in teacher training. It deepened my understanding of certain methods. and I began to apply. These methods. almost as soon as we got home. Look now it has become very like this What do you say, it doesn't say much drama and education says just a little more to give a little more skin but can you just explain something like this briefly for example I am what, how you used it not but can you give an example Yes, we set this up in connection with political science we were here.

00:04:15

fari í with counterarguments, such ethical considerations. The Hildar project was that they were to prepare a political party in connection with the parliamentary elections here. and In order to make progress in that work, we needed to help them find it. their opinions, what their causes are. what is something that is worth it to fighting for. So we start by going to just like this with and against, just individually frustrated about what you think. Or best in this chocolate. One just starts simply, one just starts to break it down. and then we just put this up in just like this Such moral issues concerning the age of consent. Oh. how to start paying taxes, how to have alcohol sales how to or Yes, just various things for them. For them, they changed the colors.

00:05:25

We didn't go into road transport and walking even though it is certainly. language and parliament, then we went like this with them. Yes, something they could perhaps relate to and found feelings for. Yes. It is built up, yes. And I found it, to mention it, that it took everyone quickly. Yes. At their own expense. Thank you for listening. Warmth. just like in our school system, there are all kinds of people, with all kinds of backgrounds. Both languages, social, all kinds of challenges and and failures and others. Everyone participated on their own terms. It is very cool. I am the method builder based on this kind of Socratic dialogue, this argumentative technique. and It is just simple methods. I always thought that when we try this in the course itself.

00:06:19

that to line up for example according to what opinion you have from now up to ten. It was this strong. I thought, although this is a very simple method. And so it is really perhaps sometimes to work with the fact that one after such tries perhaps to align people, trying to pull them closer to one's own opinion or something else. But this is something with one. Set a man in the spotlight here, what opinion do you have? You have lined up. Yes. And it is really difficult. It is just what I found difficult that they are completely. I am surprised by how strong this was in my circumstances. whatever was a tool in the toolbox. Absolutely like that you are there too in such a good way to anyone.

00:07:08

To take a stand. You can certainly be neutral, you can just go with yours. or you can say Ööö Sundae ice cream is good. but I prefer caramel in the dessert. You can take this diplomatic route. Yes, yes. But then we don't have to worry about how we can do that. in a respectful manner. It is also a lesson. And exercises in how to speak. Yes. And so there was here one of these methods that we intended to try, I don't know if you use it, it was when we stood like this in a circle and were supposed to talk to each other, there was some outer circle and we were supposed to discuss together. bear work value. Ui, use this in. Let's talk to the group that I mentioned.

00:07:51

and I use that it is more specifically to emphasize Icelandic texts. here you come to the world war and we were taking the world war for and all score fun discussions. That is what. continues in times and after. Yes, yes, yes It wouldn't have been easy to let go? No. It wouldn't have been easy to let go? and one way when we started using methods like here that relate more to drama than education It is that. But. many are very different in these methods. That it is here. Just ask if you can do more like this. Yes. They just find especially kids who... It may be difficult with large writing projects. They just think they are okay. This is very fun and I can do this.

00:08:47

And there is so much that comes as a surprise about it, drama in education, the method that is theater in education or theater in the classroom, that this is naturally not about anything but to set up some play. No, not at all. This is more about putting oneself in someone else's shoes. in different ways, sometimes maybe as a group, sometimes as two people talking to each other. and sometimes here in reality in conversations or in dialogues Sometimes if a person puts themselves in, they might get something important. that here, you know that I might be Hermann's mother in the Second World War. At times, I find it good to talk about it as well to put oneself in an additional role. That is to say, you are not the spiritual husband but rather, you are a relative.

00:09:29

Either a word problem or a witness. Or or something or as a tour. and there are so many things really that scared to do with this in such a simple easy way. For example out in nature and the word hike. and looks, here is a pond, here are birds, here are fish and all kinds of what is, let’s put ourselves in the shoes, what is this duck thinking and what is the fish thinking and what is the man thinking, where is it going, what do I want to be. just a small example of our price manipulation here in Reykjanes. to draw up this picture, now you are always coming directly to the sea, you have been fishing all day. and here is going to walk home to the fishing hut something that might not be a very remarkable house shelter.

00:10:14

and you are wet and it is evening and hungry and what is there to offer? Yes. It is not necessarily to save that there is only one fuzzy fire. No, it is probably just cold. Probably cold and not even that you know you can dry your feet and lie back in the earlier days. What are you talking about on the way home to the store? and you added two and two together. and here, I have used this when I am giving birth with groups here about the smoking habit And this is really, you know, all of a sudden you have to step into these situations. and instead of traveling sometimes we hear it being like this yes, this has been a vósbúð, what is your vósbúð.

00:10:48

It is exactly this that you are experiencing when you set these tracks. So theater in the choir room or in education. It is not really It is not a play, it is always always another thing. Yes, it can definitely be part of it. It can be that, but as a teaching tool. then this is much more diverse. And for example, if we perhaps moved a little over to Creative Steam. when I have also used when, for example, this is indeed the methods we took when Nikulas showed us the method, it was the boat. Yes. I mean I am so in the boat. a painting with a picture of this that was a trigger and I let mentioned through this Oh. Then they went this way to realize the goal of those who set out to teach buoyancy.

00:11:43

Yes. Exactly. but why doesn't the boat sink with all these individuals, all this equipment. And I much with the wave action. Why is the boat not sinking? Why doesn't it make sense to entertain for the sake of entertaining? Thank you for that. which is quite this is such a huge mass, this is so you. Yes. Why don't you come down? why quickly want to quickly. and to set this up in such a play and they have become Oooooo Part. Yes. They are not just observers, they are participants in teaching. and it just gives they miss you so much. These are the moments they remember. It really does. You don't remember the astronomy test or the multiplication test. It is a spelling project. You remember as creative. You would get cut.

00:12:41

So you step into some role and step out for the sake of the device, maybe? You were in the comfort zone, you first did not go out for the comfort of man. which is a memory but not a good memory. We want to create good memories and then we must go a little beyond that limit. It is just so horrible. and just like always there were all kinds of these methods in academia too. We were always working with gamification, which is gameification nights. and here what got me worked up is like this made to play or play made to study it was really both the youngsters. and then we had uh. It was also a somewhat remarkable method. Very enjoyable. Yes, you can tell us otherwise about what you mainly took out of working with.

00:13:33

Yes, what I took most from it is just that this is a way to teach scientific methods. In an enjoyable way. Yes. The children are led through. Decide on the tools. is set up in such a way that every writing needs to be recorded. Exactly. and after never developing ability then you can give them Míspunatilegð pin karl. There are plenty of ready-made tasks. And I just tried to use the technology to translate a project even though it was in a language I understood nothing of. The videos that are on the site are also very helpful. Yes, so the talent maker comes with a bit of a good project bank. A very cool project bank. to help a person too I want I have a project and mainly a project that is not in the project bank.

00:14:31

That's it. And they gave in the foundation. Yes, yes, because that is of course also part of it that you don't necessarily just take on tasks and present them. You are here to use all of this as a focus on something that fits into them. and this leads through it. both just good professional work methods. that it is not just built in the final product you have to show You must show respect for the process. and develop yourself. so that you can achieve the final price. This is described. not just about the results, it controls the process. And so you say the process needs the speaker to work on the participants. We work on the participants, yes. And you were here with a nice workshop up in Akranes like this method.

00:15:22

Yes. and just in very brief terms, it can be said what that project Fjallæg is about. Yes. We just start by going over what is involved in this resource. It can be useful for kernels. and then the test with the project where you were designing. Neighborhood? Yes, the neighborhood only tries around the school, or was it just some kind of unfair neighborhood? It was an unfair neighborhood; most people lived near the school. and Markir saw opportunities. especially perhaps younger ban teachers that he can improve the schoolyard better than around every school area. You are using this in environmental education. And traffic education. And traffic education and and as it gets older, it can go more into just so-called that How is society, what does it entail? What needs to be present in modern society?

00:16:23

what improvements would we make. and more in that vein. and that is why to connect this into astronomy. and proportions and make this bigger. Shorten the learning too and a little. Oh. As great as this school is, it works with integration. That is exactly what it is about. Really great shoe job. Yes. that very tamed come our But then she is The place where we haven't mentioned it is really everything related to the method of sorcery. Yes. and maybe we didn't quite get it. Ehhh. we might have sent quite a lot with it. that it didn't build so much on the character of Sara who was our teacher outside, she was always so magnificent just absolutely amazing and she stepped into this to tell stories and went into costumes and told a story about from the beginning of the universe and how our solar system was formed and other things, and just me as a complete individual completely overwhelmed by listening to how this can be.

00:17:31

And I think it was maybe just a little foolish to try to follow in her footsteps. Yes. But maybe what I take away from this is. what matters a lot is to tell stories and as perhaps a teacher or beginner or guide from where the project or the role you have to dare to step into it to tell stories he does so with flair And don't drag the participants into it too much. She also had that which we got in the role on the stage. Yes, she just creates a home. hemmi. And you step into the world. And although it is a requirement, you get to be in solid form or liquid form or You are some number or some form or After you. what they have been teaching.

00:18:18

But what one although her character is such a large part of this. which will be a mess. and which I will become a teacher who does not have extensive knowledge and is opposed to that in methods. and then this was still Such inspiration How can I help you? I take more part-based things. into my core time. as it is in montague to teach pre-writing. with concrete data before I go into the technique. that they realize that these instructions In example, the gray is with you. Just like cups gathered together. If something clicks, then it doesn't work. Go ahead. Yes, yes, yes. Exactly, to get to play with your hands, with things that are the same arrangements as one is doing in, for example, simple parenting, here, the teaching parent script that is using this.

00:19:27

It was also incredibly cool to have that opportunity. and now it is short until we need to finish this conversation is something like this that I would like to specifically mention just finally regarding something you envision trying further or what you absolutely do not want to let happen It is first just important that such projects continue. Thank you for listening. a kind of view patrol vessel. that teachers need a steady source of inspiration and tools and reminders about something that you learned in the course, something that you have learned before, something for Ehhh. You did not help him at all. Yes, and that is basically the main thing I take away from this project. It is to come up a little bit out of. helps him.

00:20:23

And maybe just hold on to the title of creative and inclusive teaching experience? Yes, because it is just such a big part of our teaching. and try to find ways for everyone to always be able to. Yes, to be mentioned. We have indeed pondered a lot about how best to proceed with this large and fine project, how we can ensure. that this does not get stuck and here we see it would be good for us to look this into really maybe like an end-to-end program. for Icelandic and foreign teachers who might come to us and and I just want to incorporate this into being outdoors in some way. Especially. Yes, because Most of this is not tied to any specific environment.

00:21:09

No, unless you just set the numbers to always be in the foreground, but that is naturally just the closing part perhaps. you can have a device. As long as you have a delay, you can be out in nature. And you can also do this the same way. You can start some work outside and finish it. And it is often that which also becomes necessary to seek some common ground in that context. And this has definitely been a very enjoyable time, and one has always gotten to know a lot of good people. But somehow, it has also provided a completely new inspiration in the creative world. Although we discuss this struggle outside the book. Dear thank you for coming to talk with me and Alma and very proud that this has benefited you and your names and hopefully just strengthens everyone for the better. Good, thank you. Thank you.