2_0_ScanMag_70_Nov_2014_Text:Scan Magazine 1
5/11/14
16:02
Page 61
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Education in Denmark
Agerskov Ungdomsskole tried out a new innovative project: at the beginning of the year every student bought an iPad and used this as a replacement for traditional schoolbooks. “The iPad project turned out to be a great success, so we continued teaching by only using this. We got a very good response from our students last year who found the lessons more interesting than the ones they were used to. We want to connect with the young people on a platform they find exciting and that is why we try to be innovative in our way of teaching,” says Kristensen. Exploring different cultures The academic level at Agerskov Ungdomsskole is important, but so is the so-
cial aspect. The students are responsible for creating a strong community with each other, but also to make relations outside of Denmark with young people their own age. In order to do so the school offers four trips to European locations each year. Two of them are included in the price when you enrol at the school. This year students went to either Dublin, London, Alpe d’Huez, Barcelona or Iceland, depending on what subject they had chosen. The entire school will also go on a ski trip to France. The students also have the opportunity to join a trip to Berlin, as well as getting a diving certificate while in Egypt. Kristensen ensures that these travels are
about much more than just sightseeing and having fun. “On these trips our students meet other students and get to know their everyday life. The ambition is to get to know different cultures and different ways of being young. We often use sports to get to know the culture. In Dublin our students tried to play Gaelic football, and in Barcelona they played football against a local team. It’s okay to see tourist attractions while being there, but the important thing is the cultural exchange.”
For more information, please visit: www.agerskovungdomsskole.dk
ABOVE LEFT: The students are responsible for creating a strong community with each other, but also to make relations outside of Denmark with young people their own age. ABOVE RIGHT: Agerskov Ungdomsskole, which was founded in 1919, is the oldest in southern Denmark, but teaching is innovative and technology-oriented.
Issue 70 | November 2014 | 61