Avitae February 2016

P y h ä j o e n K u u l u m i s e t – 6 . 2 . 2 016

sivu 5

A.V.I.T.A.E

Entrepreneurship in Greek Education WŝĐƚƵƌĞƐ ĨŽƌ ĂƌƚŝĐůĞ ϭ ;ĞŶƚƌĞƉƌĞŶĞƵƌƐŚŝƉͿ

We should all agree that, nowadays, it’s really imperative for young people to have some basic knowledge on entrepreneurship. For this reason it should be taught as a school subject. This will help students to start thinking creatively, to set goals, to learn how to cooperate. In other words, such a subject can prepare them for real life.

Unfortunately, the Greek school system doesn’t offer us the right entrepreneurial stimuli as it doesn’t have the appropriate infrastructure. Students get some basic instructions on entrepreneurship very early in their school life, in Junior High School (Gymnasium) as part of the lesson of Technology. Probably, Technical schools deal more with this subject but still in a theoretical basis. As a result, students have to try on our own to get some initiatives with the help of some teachers who are not experts on the subject but are simply willing to help us with our business endeavours.

On these grounds we may visit an enterprise or venture some primitive business activity of our own. For example, this Christmas, students of our school rented one of the counters in the Municipality Christ-

The entrepreneurship Christos Kolios

mas Market to earn some extra money for a school trip we are planning. This went quite alright, only that it was an amateur effort.

As we really want to be better prepared for our next entrepreneurial attempt, we have a couple of ideas to suggest. First of all, Entrepreneurship should be introduced as a major subject in Senior High School (Lykeion), taught by qualified teachers. On top of this, experienced entrepreneurs should volunteer to offer us and share with us their expertise.

School should provide us with the right opportunities to familiarize us with the concepts of entrepreneurship and train us practically on the subject.

To make this happen they can show us videos about the real line of production, take us on field trips, attend seminars or even arrange for us to do some apprenticeship.

Anna Kossyvaki Tasos Kontos and Eirini Papadimitriou

The innovations article was written by:

Marianthi Gountza Ioanna Kaskaouti Theodora Katti Iasonas Krapsitis

WŝĐƚƵƌĞ ϭ͗ ĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶĂů ǀŝƐŝƚ ƚŽ Ă ĐŚŽĐŽůĂƚĞ ĨĂĐƚŽƌLJ

Innovations in our everyday lives

WŝĐƚƵƌĞ Ϯ͗ KƵƌ ŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐ ΗďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐΗ

Incorporating the subject of Entrepreneurship in the syllabus of general education will definitely be one step towards introducing more qualified stuIt is amazing how innovations dents to the demands of real have invaded our society today. society.

In just a few decades we see them to have appeared everywhere in our homes, at school, in workplaces and cafes. There is no doubt, that technology has article was written by: changed the daily life of people mainly of the young ones.

Evelina Koutsou

Vasia Dragataki

Technological innovations have had a major impact both good and bad on most of our lives.

On the one hand, there are many advantages. First of all, modern technology has blessed us with advanced communication tools. These include video conferences, electronic mail, mobile phones, text messaging and social networking applications. People can communicate with their peers easily anytime, wherever they are. For instance, when people immigrate to other countries, they can contact their relatives or friends through social networks such as Skype or Facebook.

Another good argument for technological innovations is the convenience they brought to education. Learning is a process and it is a part of our daily lives. Modern technology has made it simple for students to learn through online education from anywhere they find themselves. For example, students can use smart phones, tablets or computers in order to find some information about a school project. There are tools like interactive boards which make lessons more convenient and fun.

In addition, modern technology has played a big role in facilitating entertainment.

Home entertainment has improved with the invention of video games, high quality music and visual systems like smart televisions which can connect to the internet so that

a user can share what they are watching with friends. Easy access and storage of music are possible with services such as iTunes which allow users to purchase and download music on their iPods at a small cost.

Also, it allows people, who do not have time to go shopping, to simply log on and surf the stores that are available online.

On the other hand, there are a number of disadvantages about technological innovations. First and foremost, they increase loneliness.

Teenagers playing video games, learn how to use modern technology or they learn how to use the social networks but then, they neglect their real life.

Technology has replaced our old way of interacting. If a user can easily interact with 100 friends online, they will feel no need to go out to make real friends which at a later stage leads to loneliness. Besides this, you often see young people in cafes

not communicating with each other live but instead they are all on their cell phones. Sooner or later this can lead to more serious problems.

What is more, technological developments decrease a person’s astuteness or creativity. What we want to say is that it is hard to find a student who can solve a very simple mathematical equation without using a calculator. Last but not least, teenagers spend a lot of time in front of a screen.

As a consequence, it is possible to face health problems, especially obesity and vision problems.

In conclusion, it appears to us that innovations are very important. Technological achievements have definitely made our lives easier. However we must use them in moderation so that we only benefit from them and we should avoid to get addicted.

sivu 6 February

2016

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How do students see innovations changing their everyday lives. e.g. Computers, smartphones (advantages and disadvantages) How many young can say with a straight face that the phone has stayed in the pocket during school lessons? How many youngsters can claim that lessons have always been more interesting than Whatsapp’s latest gossip? How many youngsters really think that technological development only brings good things with it?

When we were children, phones were big. Not big at the same way than now ­the keys were big, the screen was small and the thickness was just like a brick. Computers were, in turn, slow, big boxes in the corner of the room. But today everything is thin, quick and straightforward. Everything should be cost­effective and it is shown in the prices. The change that has happened in ten years can be easily seen.

But, how do particularly the students notice the change?

In schools, from primary school to high school, different kinds of technology is used.

There are smart boards which are drawn on instead of writing with pens, and there are laptops which replace notebooks.

In our high school all students

have their own iPads, and they TVs. When you watch screen can also use several computers. the whole day, do you know what is happening around you?

The biggest change is noticed in lessons. A part of the When the devices are imptextbooks have been changed roved, they arouse interest to e-books. It means that the more and more. And of course, books are in electronic format. the more interesting, the more So, books can be read on the difficult it is to put them down. internet and you are not able Young people become “slaves to make notes in the same way of their contraptions” because as before. Teachers think that the eyes are glued to the scthe developing of technology reen. As a result of this, conis good for us. You can do your centration drops in a moment ­ homework more easily than be- for example at school. Think fore and it is also easier than about the time before the debefore to correct them. The velopment of technology. How are also other good things: you many of your friends even had do not need to carry so many a mobile phone ten years ago. books in your backpack when And if they did, it was only for all you need is found in that parents’ messages and calls, electronic thing which is in your not for games and movies. hand almost all the time. All of When you wanted to meet your study costs fall when you your friends, you went to knock do not need to buy pens, era- on their doors and asked if they sers, sharpeners etc... wanted be with you. Nowadays you just send a message. And All this digitization has raised if you get the answer ‘yes’, you suspicions in many people. probably play or use social meMany young students look at dia in some way together.. screens many hours a day. And of course, in their pastime they Have you noticed that, for do it too. Is it good for them? example while walking in the Some people say that watching city people walk with eyes on TV too much turns your brains their phones and do not notice into a vegetable. And phones other people at all? and ipads could really be placed in the same category than Using technology, like mobile

phones and tablets might disturb kids’, students’ and adults’ concentration. Like when you are driving a car and someone texts or calls you. Nowadays there are handsfrees so that you do not have to hold the phone to your ear.

But most of the people do not use it.

Some people think that technology is only harmful, but we have to accept that it will be part of our lives now and in the future.

The Internet and using different apps bring people safety and joy. That way people can communicate and search information. Even if you do not have anything to do and you just sit still, you can pick up your phone and watch what is happening around you.

February 2016sivu 7

Pyhäjo e n K u u l u m i s e t – 6 . 2 . 2 016 A.V.I.T.A.E

Education for entrepreneurship About our school Pyhäjoki Lukio is a college which specialty is to give you education for entrepreneurship. Our school has its own student­made­newspaper and great projects that everyone is taking part in. They are also super popular, rewarding and fun.

How entrepreneurship shows in our school?

Entrepreneurship shows in our school in many different ways. The school offers everyone a chance to start your own business. The businesses are called “NY”. If you come up with an great business idea, you can start planning your business by only yourself or in a group. There are no actual classes which prepare you for starting the business, but when you tell teachers about it you’ll be

given support and information per. It teaches you responsiabout starting and running it. bility and creativity when you have to write dozens of news.

Starting your own business Some of our writings that are is not the only way how ent- we doing in Finnish lessons and repreneurships show. You can at home can also end up in the also make a newspaper that is newspaper. If you want to take distributed to people around part in making newspaper but this area. The newspaper is cal- you don’t want to only write led Pyhäjoen Kuulumiset. The then you can be designing the Kuulumiset newspaper appears layout of the newspaper. at every local resident’s door every week for free. In the paper Trade fair there are articles writTrade fair is big part of our ten mainly by students which deal with things school. Students have organihappening in Pyhäjoki. zed the trade fair 21 times. So So it’s pretty important you can almost say that trade for our community and fair is a tradition. If you conit keeps people up to sider how little our school is, date about all news. The trade fairs are a really big thing. students in the school Not even the biggest schools can take part in making can do something like this. It the Kuulumiset newspa- is something so special and it per and get money for it. is sure that our school will be If you are interested you known for trade fairs. can also apply for a sumThere are many teams like mer job making newspa-

advertisement and technology teams. You can seek a place that you interested in. To get a role in the trade fair you have to write a job application and a CV.

business. Luckily our school is very open for new suggestions, so it’s possible to even start new courses if there are enough interested students. We had a chance to take entrepreneurship as a subject in middle The trade fairs teach a lot to school but many of us didn’t students. Trade fairs are real realize how important it would projects with real money. The be in future back then. students learn how to plan, organize and accomplish. They Final thoughts are given a lot of responsibiliWe think that the educatity. In this project you learn to try different things. The money on we are receiving at school you get from the trade fair is prepares us for becoming entused on a study trip abroad for repreneurs and to be ready to entrepreneurship. The current the whole class. education is quite good but there is some little things like Suggestions courses for entrepreneurship Like we said earlier you can that need to be improved. start your own business if you Them the education could prewant to. But unfortunately the- pare us even better. The school re aren’t actually any courses gives you responsibility which is that discuss entrepreneurship. needed in future if you decide So it can be a little bit hard if to continue as an entrepreneur. you don’t know how to run a

sivu 8 February

P y h ä j o A.V.I.T.A.E e n K u u l u m i s e t – 6 . 2 . 2 016

2016

Innovations have huge impact on us

By Petra Tadialova, Alexandra Novotna, Jakug Nguyen Hotel Academy, Bratislava Innovations have huge impact not only on students, but on all human-beings. They have changed everyday life in a good way; however they could be negative too. Positives are that you can find information immediately whatever, whenever and wherever you are. You can communicate with people, you can take photos, write a book, print projects, basically you have unlimited options. Negatives are that you have too many information on the internet, but some of them can be fake or fictional.

In the past kids couldn´t have found some news and things they needed. They had to ask their parents for help or find another way. They couldn´t have done such nice, interactive outcomes because they didn´t have computers.

Nowadays it´s easy to do these things when we have so many innovations which are here for us. For example mobiles-pocket computer is sometimes smarter than us. You can take it and use it everywhere you need. If you need to translate something into different language you use your phone with translator app,

mobile calculator when you forget your own. When you miss a day at school and you don´t have notes from some classes you use your mobile camera or shared documents. Some schools offer application called Edupage where you have everything, from your schedule to your grades and substitutions.

We have computers and notebooks where we can write our homework and then send it immediately to our teachers. In some classes we are allowed to use our notebook and work on it instead of paper worksheets.

Those innovations help you with communicating. For example you can Skype to your friends and ask them for help if you aren´t at school or when you are in a worldwide project you can use Skype and call people that live far away.

We have interactive boards, tablets, printers. And last but not least we have social media where students can communicate with each other; they also can share their notes and homework with each other, or ask for help. These applications like Facebook, WhatsApp,

Messenger, and Viber are very useful. If you are not able to go school, you can communicate with your classmates or teachers in a moment.

But those innovations are not always good. For example internet. People use it every day but they don´t realize that some of the information can be not true. Sad thing about internet is that people forget about library, forget how to ask for help, some of them may forget how to write because they only type into notebooks and smartphones. They are not good at communicating with people because they are all the time on devices, rolling Facebook or other social media, playing computer games, they don´t meet face to face. They don´t read books, don´t do sport…

We can say that all innovations have advantages but also disadvantages. But if compare the life and education nowadays and let´s say 70 years ago, we have to admit that innovations are really very useful, but people should learn that not everything on internet is right and they should take control of it and be responsible.

How does education prepare us for entrepreneurship?

By Kristina Markaj, Michal Kovac, Vladimir Mestan Hotel Academy, Bratislava

We think that our school gives us lots of opportunities to prepare for the successful future.

General economic education can be obtained in participating in special subjects, courses and in the projects such as AVITAE that allows us to travel to different countries where we gradually learn communication, development of our language skills in English, and mostly expanding our information about business. We have vocational subjects that prepare us to work in the hotel industry, where we develop our business skills. The school gives us practice at various hotels, restaurants and cafes. There we have to communicate with customers, which is run in different languages. Therefore, multiple

languages such ​​ as English, German, and French are taught. In our school, you may have practice abroad. The students can go to Japan, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Italy, Spain or Greece and discover their culture, habits, economy and so on. It is very useful experience where we upgrade our business skills and language skills. Who would not like to visit new country?

Some courses our school offers to us: 1. Carving (carving fruits and vegetables), 2. Barista course (preparing coffee), 3. Bartending course (serving and making drinks) 4. Sommelier course (description of wine) After you successfully finish the course, you will

get a certificate of a particular course. Thanks to this you gain better options to be employed in higher rated jobs.

Then we have there afterschool activities as: 1. “Start Business“(used for market orientation), 2.

“Entrepreneurship in tourism“(mid-level management), 3.

“More than Money“(increase financial literacy).

Students have continuous working practice during the study under control of professional teaching staff. Students provide their knowledge in selected hotel and catering establishments. The practice can be carried out on the premises

of the school at the school suitable conditions or in workplaces outside the school.

During the study the students are motivated to identify their strengths and weaknesses and work on them during the school year. Our school is known as very active one, we were “pilot school” of many entrepreneurial programmes. It is important for us to connect learning with real life.

Most of the Entrepreneurial programmes are Junior Achievement programmes - More than Money, The Travel and Tourism Business, Banks in Action, Business Ethics, Global Enterprise Project, and Think Big School. Junior Achievement is the oldest, largest and fastest-growing non-profit or-

ganization working in the field of entrepreneurship education, which operates in 108 countries of the world. Thanks to the cooperation with Junior Achievement Slovakia we have mentors for our entrepreneurial programmes who come regularly to our school and train students, discuss with them and help them with their activities and tasks. There is a special program “Travel and Tourism Business” where students set their own mini companies, travel agencies. They learn how to do business through real experience.

Our students organise charity run “CapRun” with participation of the schools of Bratislava region every year and help also

in many fundraising activities.

There is just one problem, we don’t have enough space to develop our digital skills and use modern technologies at school, which is also important. We hope that it will change soon and we will experience modern flexible learning spaces with technologies soon, as it is crucial for our future work life as well.

February 2016sivu 9

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Does education prepare us for entrepreneurship?

Education from high school help when they have tried all mething bigger themselves. and university prepares us for other options, because when entrepreneurship. working to be an entrepreneur Study programs you need to try new methods They teach us being creative and all ways to keep your work In Denmark we have sometindividually. going. hing called study programs that every student can chose for Byline: Zara Nawaz and Sadaf Individual work their future choice of educatiSigidi ­Ørestad Gymnasium on. Study programs are sometOur training prepares us to hing that help every student to Edited by Sara Warming become entrepreneurs by gi- study his/her favorite subjects. ving us "hands­ on" experience In Ørestad high school there Interaction between teach- and challenge us innovatively. are four different directions ers and studentsIn Ørestad A big part of the learning prog- you can choose natural science, high school the education is ress is that the students them- social science, language and arbuilt up around positive inter- selves produce innovative pro- tistic direction. Every direction actions between teachers and ducts such as short films etc. has various programs you can students. The teachers involve It forces the students to take choose, eg. Innovation is a line, and challenge the students by on different perspectives in or- where students are taught how starting a conversation bet- der to convey the subjects the to create something new. ween the parts where the stu- most optimally. Independent dents are given active feedback work and self­ devise solutions Entrepreneurship to the current topic. Teachers are something Ørestad high in Ørestad high school encou- school teaches their students Entrepreneurship is not just rage their students to work by teaching them how they can about young people having independently and only ask for create something small to so- skills and abilities to create

a new business, but also that what is created can fill a social need or add value to the cultural field; This might include projects that help to solve environmental problems or to ensure social inclusion. Innovation and entrepreneurship are closely coupled concepts. Innovation occurs when entrepreneurship acts on opportunities and ideas. Being an entrepreneur is not just about being able to start a business alone or to work yourself, but that you can work with others and together create something amazing. Cooperation in entrepreneurship is one of the most important things because then you can contribute something and incorporate others' ideas.

be entrepreneurs.

That is probably a question we have all been wondering about. Does an education from high school make a difference for becoming entrepreneurial.

We have asked a couple of questions to different people who have been in high school. ● Has high school made you become more innovative and made you aim to be entrepreneurs.

I can say that I have gotten a lot more confident after High School. But I can't say that High School is the only thing that matters. There are a lot of factors that have helped evolving me. ­23­year ­old from Odense University.

Because I wouldn’t say that High School is the only factor that matters. But again in high school you are going to change a lot, you are a teenager, who is taking your first steps into “adulthood”. You start as an awkward little kid and walk out with so much more confidence and you are so much braver after High School. You will be challenged both socially and academically in ways that are going to push your boundaries.

That is good because you will be evolving and changing for the better. But it can also be bad if you are not ready for that experience. But then again it is going to challenge you to stand up for yourself. 20 year ­ old from Copenhagen University

Does education really make a ● Why/why not has your high difference? school degree made you aim to

Innovations make teaching and learning easier Computers and tablets are innovations that have significantly changed the way students are educated in Danish schools.

By Mie Knudsen and Silja Nidløse ­Ørestad Gymnasium Edited by Bianca Rasmussen

We have all tried it at least once: It’s monday morning and you have forgotten your chemistry book and your math homework on your desk. It’s terribly annoying ­how are you going to survive the rest of the school day? At Ørestad Gymnasium in Denmark, this is no longer a problem for the students. Inventions such as computers and cellphones have changed the way we are taught and learn in high school. The only thing you have to bring to school is a computer or a tablet; it’s as simple as that.

Everything you need ­all your books, homework and schedule ­is available online; you don’t even have to bring your pencil case! ’’It’s amazing how much easier it makes going to school, when you only to have to bring your computer. You have all your books and files in one place and you don’t have to think about a heavy backpack or that one book you forgot at home’’, says Diba Afza from 1.D at Ørestad gymnasium.

It might sound crazy to someone not used to going to school this way, and it really

is something you have to get and finish a project. used to at first.

Another way that we use A great thing about using computers at Ørestad Gymcomputers is that it’s easier to nasium is in science classes, communicate with fellow stu- such as chemistry and biolodents and your teachers. At gy, where we have access to an Ørestad Gymnasium we use online software that works like Google­docs, which is an on- a virtual laboratory. It allows line word processor. The ad- the students to perform diffevantage of using Google­docs, rent experiments just like they is that multiple people can would in a real laboratory. The view and edit a document at great thing about using a virthe same time, and it’s easy tual laboratory is that it gives to share the document so that students an opportunity to others can view it. perform experiments that they wouldn’t normally be able to, Teachers use this a lot, es- because of the sometimes expecially to write lesson plans pensive apparatus that is neeand make worksheets for every ded. class, so that students know what they are going to work The teacher can also use this with and learn in a lesson. software, if all the laboratories The teacher can also make are in use by another class, or sure that the students are the students can perform exactive during the class, by periments from home as homekeeping an eye on their do- work. cument and leaving a virtual comment suggesting areas in Can computers be a distracwhich the students could imp- tion? rove. For many this is a whole new and maybe strange way to There are obviously many be taught, since the teacher great things about using indoesn’t even have to be phy- ventions such as computers in sically present in a lesson to school, but are there any issuteach. es with being so dependent on technology?

The students at Ørestad Gymnasium spend a lot of time “Going to a school where working in groups on projects, technology is a big part of your and as most people know, it day can become a problem if can sometimes be difficult if you can’t connect to the interyou have to work on it outside net or your computer breaks’’, of school. says Dana Dan­Lin Wang from 2.D. at Ørestad Gymnasium.

With Google­ docs and skype it’s no longer a problem to Although this rarely happens, communicate with your group it becomes kind of an issue

when the internet connection does fail. Almost all materials used in classes require an internet connection. If internet access is lost, the lesson is interrupted and it’s often difficult for the teacher to continue teaching.

Sometimes it can also be challenging for the students not to become distracted by social media websites and online games during class.

“Having you computer with you everyday really is a great way to learn. However, once in awhile you catch yourself being distracted by Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or Tetris. But usually it is not

that hard to regain focus.”, says tunity to use the previously Weda Allaha Gul from 2.C. at mentioned innovations is just Ørestad. too great to pass by ­we believe that it enhances the learning The innovations have both experience and opens up for good and bad qualities to endless possibilities to better them, but we choose to focus oneself academically. on the good sides, as we believe there is a surplus of positiUsing internet and electrove consequences. We students nic devices in school is the way find that it is more beneficial forward, not only for us here at for our everyday school lives to incorporate the innovaØrestad Gymnasium, but for tions, such as computers and school systems as a whole. tablets into the lessons, than having to attend class without them. Although there of course is a risk of being distracted on the internet. The oppor-

sivu 10 February

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2016

School and Entrepreneurship By: Raúl Pérez González/Daniel Suarez School plays an important role in everyone’s development and future. It helps you grow as aperson, develops your profesional future and makes you learn and experience great things like friendship, self discovery, other languages, but does it really help you and encourage you to be entrepreneurial?

For me, that question has a quick answer, NO. I am currently a student of high school and in a few months I will be heading to university. And for the experience that I have had, school does not help you think out of the box, I would say it doesn’t encourage creativity.

The education we have experienced, for the most part, is focused on working and thinking like everyone else, following the established rules on how things work, without letting individuals express their creativity and potencial for entrepreneurship. You will probably have a clearer picture of what I mean, after reading what happened to my friend Daniel Suárez when he was in primary. “… when I was child I used to go to the supermarket and buy small toys, games, etc.

entrepreneurial spirit of students, and it is something we need to change for the future generations.

There are many skills that I wish I had learned at school, and I hope one day my kids learn when they go. For example entrepreneurship, for me innovation is what keeps the world going, so we desperately need more creative and innovative people who will make this world a better place, and the education system is not helping. We need more companies who are willing to develop greater and more efficient services for the sake of society. Great positive things like community development, social change, adds for national income. New businesses and economical fields are directly attached to entrepreneurship, so we must invest on our youth to guarantee the advantages of having entrepreneurs in our society.

And other vital knowledge that should be taught at school like how to handle money, critical thinking, how to get a job, how to build a career that is all your own, etc.

Youngsters and ITC

By Déborah Hernández del Castillo

Some ways that can help to a better school system are, first of all, changing the idea of failure. At school we have been taught that failure is bad. In the entrepreneurial arena, failure Some people think that can be a great thing if a posischool should only aim at tive lesson is learned. Creating Then, I used to prepare some preparing kids to complete a independence and critical thinking is also important. raffles and I sold them for 1€ higher education. among my school mates. If the Inspiring creativity will build toy cost about 15€, I sold 40 However, youngsters spend tickets, so that I could get some long hours at school, so it marketing skills. Teaching kids benefits. When teachers knew should also develop our social about marketing is a great way to prepare them to attract cusabout it, they didn’t like it at dimension. tomers to their future business, all, and I was punished. I had to arrange the mattresses for Even though some teachers, etcIn conclusion we have a long the children who used to sleep do focus on teaching important way ahead of us, but change is in the school after lunchtime - values, like the ones mentioned in our hands. It is important for a whole term. All this just before, it is not enough. Teach- to never forget the power in us because of selling tickets for a ing should not be reduced to and always fight for a better raffle? Was this punishment ac- just conventional subjects like world. tually fair? maths, physics or geography, we need to emphasize on creaWell, this is one of the ways in tivity and innovation. And this which schools can end with the problem has a solution.

Most of my school mates have grown up without internet, computers, smartphones... and all those sophisticated technological gadgets that we cannot live without now. They have changed our way of living, the way we enjoy, solve problems and probably, even the way we think. We have had to adapt to those changes. They have both positive and negative effects.

Undoubtedly, the biggest innovation in the life o ​f youngsters has been mobile phones. We keep in touch with other people and we are always located.

There have been many cases of people who have got lost and were found thanks to their mobile phones. In addition, we can​inform others about any problem which could have happened to us, so that the other person knows about our situation, if we are going to be delayed, etc. At an academic level, mobile phones have freed students from hours and hours copying notes, with only a click when we take a photo.

However, our mobile phones can break or we even get lost and when this happens we are in real trouble, it can turn our social life into chaos!

On the other hand, the fact of being always located sometimes is not so good, especially when strangers could access to our personal information, for examp-

le through social networks.

Although they help us to keep in touch with other people, even if they are in other countries, it can also happen that strangers, with bad intentions, are informed​ o​f our whereabouts. Many of us spend the day publishing everything we do. Many times we are so worried about taking the best pic that we just forget to enjoy the moment. Most of the time our privacy is exposed and then problems may appear. Parents and teachers complain we are less focused while studying.

Many times we are studying and waiting for a new message to arrive. Besides, when something does not work properly in our social network, we forget about what we were doing​a​nd we just focus our attention on fixing it. At this point we can emphasize another disadvantage, the loss of faceto-face communication. It is true that this technology has helped us to keep in contact with people in the distance, but it has had so much influence on us - we pay so much attention to them, that we miss what it is happening around us.

At school level there has been a big change in the student's life. We do activities and projects in the computer, and handwritten tasks are outdated. This allows students to do them faster and also the internet has helped us to keep in

touch with our teachers, just sending a message without having to wait for the next class. Schools can no longer do without the Internet, computers, projectors and so on. The traditional classes have had to adapt to this new technological advances, that have helped students in many ways. In many schools books are being replaced by Ibooks and computers, in that way students can save money and also carry less weight in their backpacks.

To sum up, innovation has changed student's life in many ways. It has provided a lot of positive things, however, it also has had some negative ones, isn't it always like that?

Over the years new technological advances will appear and we will have to adapt to them. Our society is constantly innovating and trying to make our lives easier.

sivu 11 February 2016

Pyhäjo e n K u u l u m i s e t – 6 . 2 . 2 016 A.V.I.T.A.E

Does your school help you to develop and to safeguard an entrepreneurial spirit ?

by Christian Michelini class IV B Liceo Classico N. Machiavelli . Italy Before answering this question I have to clarify how our school can help me to develop an entrepreneurial spirit.

We can say by developing the fundamental competences which are indispensable for a successful entrepreneur such as creativity, courage, spirit of enterprise, organization and other ones that we all share now as “AVITAE” students. So the question that is at the basis of this article becomes: does my school help me to develop these competences ? Let me analyze the issue: I think that both creativity and courage are innate qualities which are not easy to develop or learn. However, concerning creativity I can say that through the study of classical culture, my school can support me to increase it; in fact, the study of what happened in the past must always be the foundation for all new creations. But we must also say

that, given the nature of the curriculum, at my school we do not have many opportunities to use our creativity. Regarding such competences as organization or the enterprise spirit, I fear that my school does not really help me to develop them.

Why ? Because those competences are closely related to the job market and my school is more oriented to give students an academic education.

Should I therefore conclude that my school cannot give me a hand to develop an entrepreneurial spirit ? Indeed this is not completely correct: in fact, through the subjects that I am studying, my school is forging my critical mind and open-mindedness; these are to me essential for the building of one’s entrepreneurial spirit.

How do People see innovation change their Life (computer, smartphone) Advantages and disadvantages Class IV B Liceo Classico N, Machiavelli – Italy

By Jacopo Ghilardi and Irene Isola

During a family dinner, while we were chatting about school life, at one point my lovely mum said, with a little bit of bitterness: ”You kids have it so much easier these days” and obviously she was totally right.

While we still have all the same educational benefits as those of the previous generation, we also have the opportunity to experience many different ways of learning and teaching.

For instance, we can still pay a visit to actual libraries from time to time, but we also have countless virtual ones we can rely on.

Back in the day, students couldn’t dispose of the means we have; for example, when it came to studying they simply sat down at their desks, with notes and books all sorted out and ready to be read and analised. Nowadays we have a different approach to our homework: a simple net search of a chosen topic can inspire us

and provide us with access to a in some schools, are already huge number of resources. common in classrooms... and why shouldn’t they be? The Students-teacher interaction replacement of textbooks with is another area that has bene- tablets allows students to have fited from technology, for both the luxury of having updated, parties. We still directly keep in interactive and even personalitouch with our teachers when zed learning material; moreover, needed, but we can now com- you can have all that without municate from the comfort of spending too much money. our homes through email and instant messaging.

That’s why my mother was right when she said that stuIt’s amazing to actually look dents have it easier nowadays; back, compare, and take on we have indeed embraced board the advancements that technology and learnt how to have been made and the bene- use it to meet our needs and fits we are reaping as a result. wants. Technology is changing at such an amazing rate... who Then there are many ot- knows what is around the corher ways for students to use ner? We should be ready to technology to their advantage, take advantage of each nnovaboth inside and outside the tion straight-away classroom, like using Prezi or PowerPoint for school presentations, eBay to sell old textbooks, Google Drive to share documents... the list could go on forever.

Laptops, and even tablets

sivu 12 February

P y h ä j o A.V.I.T.A.E e n K u u l u m i s e t – 6 . 2 . 2 016

2016

Technology in students’ everyday lives Technology has advanced so much in the last few decades that has made life easier, so it is hard to get away from an electronic environment nowadays. We are now part of the 21st century, the century that is full of pearls of knowledge and soaring with technological advancements. Take a look around and you will observe that technological accomplishments have become a vital part of our everyday lives, even in the field of education.

Admittedly, technology has made our lives easier as we are able to store, transmit and gain access to an array of useful information at any time of the day. Therefore, it enables us to enter the world of knowledge. It is a time-saving tool, as it can save us time from having to go to a shop while at the same time one can save money as they can find bargains online. It’s outstanding that technology has literally brought the world to our fingertips.

What is more, society has become completely dependent on the technology advancement, as it is acutely

used on a daily basis in all the fields. Technology has tremendously helped humanity to advance the medical field, permitting and facilitating complex surgeries.

Moreover, technology has brought about numerous advancements in today’s modern classrooms. To begin with, a student is now able to have access to everything his teacher has presented in class. Consequently, decreasing paper and photocopying costs and promoting the concept of “green revolution”. Furthermore, it gives the opportunity to students who are in geographically isolated areas to be educated through “Distance Learning”, while at the same time students are trained to learn new technological skills they can use in their future workplace. That is why, we strongly believe, that the IT (Information Technology) subject should be compulsory throughout the student’s educational career. These skills are a must in today’s society.

The advent of this vast network of connections, technology in general, has created efficiency and convenience, yet at the same

time it has opened a portal for crime, privacy and copyright issues to emerge and bubble up to the surface.

There is a high risk for privacy breach, nowadays. Everything we do with a computer online leaves a digital footprint, giving the opportunity to criminals to steal ones identity and personal info, within a blink of an eye.

programme incompatibility while at the same time both students and teachers will need to be regularly informed on the new advancements. Additionally, this gives a terrible ability to students on cheating on tests and quizzes, which will give both students and teachers the wrong impression for every student’s abilities, which will have disastrous Technology has not only effects on them in the longcaused crime issues but term. also tremendous amounts of health problems. Peop- The bottom line is that, le when overusing compu- whether we like to admit it ters can end up suffering or not, technology has befrom neck strain, eye strain, come an integral part of our inevitable and annoying lives and without it we canheadache, and obesity as not do anything. Therefore, technology has brought it is ultimately up to eveabout a more sedentary ryone to minimize the curse life. In addition, society has parts of technology while at become overwhelmingly the same time take full adaddicted in surfing the net vantage of its blessings. which has caused isolation among citizens.

Likewise, it has terrible effects on education. First and foremost, the fact that not all students can afford computers does not allow the fulfilment of this idea.

Besides that, the fact that technology changes continuously, will bring about issues such as software and

Made by Elias Hirvikoski and Jeremia Toppari from Finland.