Review meeting

Redruth station early. On sleeper down from London for review meeting with Jo Grace on the past weeks' workshops...

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East European migrants and their rights - What will happen in May 2011?

http://www.migrantsrights.org.uk/blog/2011/01/east-european-migrants-and-their-rights-what-will-happen-may-2011

 

 

 

A rainy afternoon in Falmouth

Our fourth workshop in Falmouth, again led by Jo Grace and Konrad.

It's been great to go to the school over several days and really gauge the levels of understanding and mood.

Today's final sessions solidly wound up the work.

Jo reports:

"Good work done by the students. The second class especially seemed to know what they were talking about. Around seven of them had met a migrant worker previously, and so their answers to the opening questions were better informed, with the majority thinking we did need migrant workers, but still with confusion, with people saying that migrant workers were here looking for safety, or didn't contribute to the economy. Konrad was laughing afterwards at one question, a girl asked him if he had heard of MSN and Facebook. There were some lovely questions - all the sensible ones about what it is like to move and work in another country but then some really friendly ones as the students warmed to Konrad and wanted to know about him, asking him about his pets and which football team he supports."

Workshop at Penryn

Once again led by Jo Grace - with Konrad. The I Packed This Myself roadshow is really getting underway now. Jo reports back...

"....today's workshop went well with the yr 11s at Penryn school .... always good to meet students who aren't afraid to voice their opinions, and when they're prepared to say what they really think it gives us an opportunity to answer to what they really think. I think they all got a lot out of talking to Konrad and it was nice to hear them open up into asking him questions about sports and just lifestyle type questions, as you could hear in these questions that they recognised in him, a guy very similar to themselves.

   At the start of the workshop the majority of the class, something like 22 out of 23 thought we didn't need migrant workers in Cornwall, and also the vast majority thought that a migrant worker was likely to be someone uneducated. I think we've successfully swayed opinion so that now the majority answer in the opposite direction."

An icy start to another trip to Falmouth

 In Falmouth for a second day.  And an icy start - Bartek here scraping the ice from the INSIDE of Jo's car windscreen. Jo Grace again led the workshop and reports back....

"Again we've had so much fun. I think I learn as much in the car on the way too and from workshops as I hope the students do in class. Today Bartek has been telling me "There's a Russian man, German man and a Polish man" jokes, which are like our English man, Irish man, Scottish man jokes.

                    The class ... listened well and I used the start up questions at the beginning and end, I think the question: 'Do we need migrant workers in Cornwall?' shows the most significant change in opinion, with 20out of 21 students saying 'No' at the start of the lesson, and 21 out of 21 saying 'Yes' at the end of it.

                  My throat is sore from talking so much, to the students and with Bartek, again we've really enjoyed ourselves and the students listened well. They did the postcard exercise, there is a picture of them working attached, and I also have hand written evaluation sheets from them all with some really lovely comments on."

Today's workshop in Falmouth

Led by Jo Grace with Bartek....

Pictured: the team in action.

A second Wednesday in Truro

Our second workshop this year at Penair School, Truro. Led by Jo Grace with Konrad, a Polish worker from St Ives.

Jo reports back:

"We had a good time, the students listened well. Some very sensible and mature questions were asked, and at times it became a debate, with students putting forward their points of view on why the Cornish can be resistent to migrants, and reflecting on the heritage of Cornwall, one boy suggested it was because we have such a strong cultural identity down here that we feel threatened by the presence of 'outsiders'. It was a really interesting session and students were very forthcoming despite the large group."

Workshop in Falmouth

We are lucky to have Jo Grace, a teacher based in the Camborne area, leading the workshops this spring. She went with Bartek to Falmouth today for the first session  - and clearly did a great job!

"Bartek and I had a fabulous morning in Falmouth, such polite students, they listened really well and we definitely changed some opinions. At the start I got them to answer the 'start up' questions in their books and then I collated their answers in the document attached. They were fairly sensible, but the yes/no questions were revealing. At the end of the session I showed them those questions again and asked if anyone had changed any  of their answers. Lots of pupils swiftly put their hands up without any pressure and proudly declared what they had learned, and everyone said they now thought migrant workers contributed to the local community. They have also all filled out the evaluation document.

              I began by showing a brief PowerPoint that I have made, that shows images of migrant workers I know and also of Cornish miners - just to illustrate what you say about historical patterns of migration within cornwall. I also showed a photo of a statue erected in an Australian town as a tribute to the Cornish miners who helped start the industry over there. I asked if we could imagine a statue for migrant workers being erected here.

            I said that it was important that we learn about other people, but also it is important we think about ourselves and who we want to be as Cornish people and as individuals. Do we want to be the sort of people who judge others or welcome them?

            I then showed your PowerPoint, all the time I warned the pupils that we would have the chance to interview Bartek, and they wrote down questions to ask him when they thought of them in the back of their books. By the time it came to ask Bartek to talk, they were brimming with things they wanted to know. I told them about you and about how you are a journalist and encouraged them to think of themselves along those lines. I let them do the whole interview, so first they found out the basics, where he was from etc. ...

           Next I got them to do the postcard exercise, except that we wrote on both sides. I said to write on one side what you think you would write to your family, and then on the other side write the truth - what it is really like. This produced some interesting results. I said we would have more time to ask Bartek questions and I pointed out to them how kind and diplomatic he is, and said if they were to be journalists and wanted to find out about the sadder things they would have to think up better questions.

       A few people came up with some good ones, "What's the hardest thing you've had to face here?" etc.

        We watched the film clips during the postcard exercise to help generate ideas.

       At the very end Bartek taught us a few Polish words.

         It really was so much fun. I really enjoyed it.... I'm looking forward to going back.

Breakfast on the road

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On the road and planning workshops

A rainy morning and long drive to Saltash. But a great meeting there at Cornwall College with senior tutor Pat Lloyd planning an exhibition and workshops for the first week of March (cultural diversity week) ....
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Presenting the case

We are lucky that Penair has really good projectors and screens so we can show photos and film clips....
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Bartek comes to help

The first workshop for Bartek, who is part of our migrant worker team this year. He is an economist from Poland who is working as a barman in St Ives. He answers students' questions about what exactly it is like to be a migrant worker. Not an easy task.....
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Year 9 pupils at Penair School

Filling out a start of session questionnaire....
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First workshop of the New Year

Getting ready for our first workshop of the New Year - at Penair School, Truro (a great venue for the exhibition last year). Photocopying worksheets etc - miss Ewa who helped last year!
But we have a great new team.
More later....