Health matters related to internet use: Host school Norway (43)

During the meeting in Norway, the Greek team presented some information about GREECE, Kos Island and the 2^nd Lyceum of Kos.

Enclosed please find reports on the Norway SIFA meeting made up by the Austrian participants.

Visit in Norway, SIFA Erasmus+ Project, Health

8-14.02.2015

Sunday, 8^th February, 2015

On Sunday we got up very early. We went to Warsaw by car. As you know in Poland it’s cold now, but in Norway it’s sometimes very freezing. When we arrived we needed to take a bus because we had another flight from Oslo. Finally, we arrived in Bergen. It’s the second biggest city in Norway. Some of us had to take a bus to go to Os. But some host families picked us up from the airport as well. So I went with my hosts to their house. The ‘trip’ wasn’t so long. They don’t live in the center so this district is very quiet. We had supper together and I told my host family about Poland. We spent that evening in a very interesting way.

Monday, 9^th February 2015

The first day in Norway was… intensive. After breakfast in our host families, we were in school (in the red cross building exactly) at about 8.40. School here always starts this time. At the beginning, we had the ‘get to know’ activities. We built towers with spaghetti and marshmallows and we made international groups with people around us. For example a group of people, who like the same animals or whose birthday is in the same month. We also had a presentation of results from the special questionnaire for Norway – the same which we completed in our school. After lunch, we had workshops in teams. Each person was from another country. We had to make a film or a photo story connected with the topics which we had been given. My group said that we had to know each other to start the project so on Monday. We were talking about muscles in fingers and schools in different countries… At 14 o’clock there was a lecture about how huge influence of computer addiction is on obesity, depression etc. At 18 o’clock we watched a really good movie – ‘Her’. That was about a man who was in love with a very intelligent and emotional OS (operating system). We spent the rest of the day with our host families’ houses. (e.g. I watched a film with my host Mariell, her boyfriend and my flatmate – a girl from Sweden).

'The week in Norway was great fun. The activities were organized well so we had enough free time and time for work. My family was very hospitable. I felt so good there in this family atmosphere. The places which we visited I'll remember for a long time, the view of Bergen at night is amazing. This trip was great practice of my English skills. I hope that new relationships will last forever and we will have an opportunity to meet again offline.'

Szymon

'In my opinion the trip to Norway was a good lesson for all of us. We learned how to use safe internet, we had a lot of exercises to improve our knowledge, but we also saw a different culture. In Norway there is better technology, so it was pleasure to see it. Now we know how people live there. For me the organization was very good. I would like to thank my host Lars Ulvar and his whole family for being so kind to me and for making me feel at home. If someone asks me: Do you want go to Norway once again? I will definitely answer… YES.'

Kamil

Tuesday February 10th was the international Safer Internet Day. We decided to use half of our day towards this and some of the classes at Os vgs joined us for this session.

During the week all of the students worked in workshops. The students were divided in four groups with one student from each country in each group.

The aim of the workshop is to present facts and reflections on the given topic to the other students and the product they were to make was a selfmade video/photostory on the given topic.

Monday at 14.00 we had a visit from Prof. Ståle Pallesen from the University of Bergen and the sleepcenter afiliated with Haukeland hospital.

In his lecture, Prof. Pallesen discussed what characterises an addiction and he showed to various studies which showed corrolations between internet addiction and health problems such as obesity, sleep deprivation, depression and isolation.

When asked what his advice to avoid promlems, he answered that you should avoid computers and mobile phones in the bedroom when you are going to sleep and to get enough sleep.

Athina and one of the Greek students, Kalotina, presented the results from the special questionnaire for Norway. It was decided to do this Monday at noon. The reason we wanted the results on the Monday was to give the students the opportunity to use the results in the workshop and in their final product of the week.

Monday morning we all met in the Red Cross building. After a welcome from the headmaster at Os vgs, Henrik Lassen. Then the students held presentations about their countries.