Throughout the years 2023-2024 some students of Gymnázium Myjava participated in a number of COIL online lessons of the Erasmus+ international project.

It is not easy to motivate students to be part of any extracurricular activities. The first question they asked, when the possibility of the participation was offered, was: Why me? Therefore, it was a relief when a group of enthusiastic students was formed and their response was: That sounds interesting. What is the topic?

 

Quite recently some of the students involved in the project asked when there will be another possibility to join more COIL lessons; and they were disappointed to hear that this part of the project was over. This moment was the inspiration to ask students to write about their participation at the COIL online lessons from their perspective.

 

Not all of the students were willing to write about their experience, but some did. So here are some of them:

 

Anna Mária Redajová (a bilingual study student, III.B class):

 

“The COIL hosted by Myjava was my first one. I was very interested in the topic because I love art and especially hidden details in it and their historical background. On this COIL I got to learn exactly that. We were even asked to do our own analysis of a painting which I enjoyed immensely. Another positive thing was hearing the opinions of other students and seeing that art can be interpreted in many ways and no one is wrong.”

(COIL: Great Paintings in Detail; March to April 2024; Gymnázium Myjava, Slovakia; Facilitator: Ľubica Durcová)

 

“The other COIL I was a part of was hosted by Hungary about Volunteerism. I did not expect much but this course blew me away.  It was incredibly well done, connecting multiple learning techniques such as discussions or our own research. Due to the course being international, I learned about how different cultures view volunteering and I found each very interesting. It definitely inspired me to take a different approach to volunteering and made me want to apply random acts of kindness in my day-to-day life.”

(COIL: Volunteerism; October to November 2024; Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary; Facilitator: Rita DiFiore)

 

Lucia Sadloňová (a bilingual study student, IV.B class):

 

“During this COIL workshop we got to explore what sustainable development goals are and what each entitles. I believe this experience came to be crucial especially in terms of understanding where our priorities should lie during these turbulent times, not only due to the changes in our environment but also in terms of social challenges we have come to face. The leader of this program has shown us the importance that sustaining our environment plays in our day-to-day life. We learned what steps we can take and through discussions we searched for what steps can be taken to further repay nature for everything we have done as a humanity.”

(COIL: Sustainable Development Goals; October to November 2023; University of Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Algeria; Facilitator: Fella Benabed)

 

“The lessons were focused on art analysis and forming better understanding of each painting featured as well as its cultural background. During our group discussions I got to see how much each story and feelings evoked by a painting can vary based on the viewer and how by getting deeper context these emotions connected to a painting can become that much more intense. In the last phases of these lessons, we got to practice the formation of better understanding with our own favourite paintings. It changed my view on art and now upon looking at a painting I can not only appreciate its focus and use of colour but also consider the era, hidden details and reason for why it was painted.”

(COIL: Great Paintings in Detail; March to April 2024; Gymnázium Myjava, Slovakia; Facilitator: Ľubica Durcová)

 

“This being my second COIL led by Fella Benabed, I had high expectations, and it certainly did not disappoint. The message in which this workshop was carried was that of hopefulness and understanding for each of us and those we are surrounded by. The topics discussed brought forth the importance that listening and staying mindful towards one another has. We shed light on how arts, culture and communication can have a great impact on our mental health and further promote our self-expression.  We held many discussions which I believe are necessary to be held, especially when it comes to the stigma that often surrounds overcoming personal difficulties.”

(COIL: Health and Wellbeing; April to May 2024; University of Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Algeria; Facilitator: Fella Benabed)

“What I think describes this COIL the best is that “there is often the greatest value in small acts of kindness”. The topics we explored ranged from analysis of how people convince others to act towards their cause to what the right cause should be. It had a very positive impact including the leaders’ approach as I believe we all got to feel very heard and we got to express ourselves in a very sweet, pure, human way. Seeing that no matter how small an act may be, it can be truly impactful for those around us and that the small acts of kindness might just be the beginning of a greater habit of performing something good.

(COIL: Volunteerism; October to November 2024; Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary; Facilitator: Rita DiFiore)

 

Silvia Mihalovičová (a bilingual study student, III.B class):

 

“The COIL Great paintings, which I attended in the year 2024 during March and April, had very good execution and presentations. I liked everyone´s involvement and enthusiasm. I liked the group setting and the unique paintings that were chosen.”

(COIL: Great Paintings in Detail; March to April 2024; Gymnázium Myjava, Slovakia; Facilitator: Ľubica Durcová)

 

“In the COIL Volunteerism I liked that we were put in random groups every time as it promoted talking to people you don't now and cooperate with them. It helped me with going out of my comfort zone and share my opinions and thoughts with the people in my group. The topic was also very nice and important. Everyone was very involved, engaged and talkative which was appreciated.”

(COIL: Volunteerism; October to November 2024; Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary; Facilitator: Rita DiFiore)

 

Jakub Hercegh (a bilingual study student, III.B class):

 

“I participated in two COIL programs, on great historical paintings and volunteerism respectively. The lessons were fun and engaging and they informed me and helped me understand their topics. The facilitators were clear and informative and it was very fun interacting and leading discussions with the other participants, both from our country's schools and foreign ones. Overall, I enjoyed both experiences and hope to participate in more in the near future.”

(COIL: Great Paintings in Detail; March to April 2024; Gymnázium Myjava, Slovakia; Facilitator: Ľubica Durcová / COIL: Volunteerism; October to November 2024; Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary; Facilitator: Rita DiFiore)

 

Katarína Malatinová (a bilingual study student, IV.B class):

 

„Our first COIL lesson was led by professor Fella Benabed from an Algerian university. In this one we talked about SDGS. They are the pillars that countries should follow for a better future for our planet. On each lesson we discussed bunch of the pillars in groups and presented our thoughts and ideas how we should uphold them to the rest of the participants. The students from Algeria were incredible to talk to and full of bright ideas. I certainly learnt a lot about how to be sustainable in my own life and the professor gave me a lot of hope for future of our planet.”

(COIL: Sustainable Development Goals; October to November 2023; University of Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Algeria; Facilitator: Fella Benabed)

“The second COIL was with our teacher Ľubica Durcová. We discussed art and how to analyse it. Knowing our teacher, it was bound to be amazing. We deep dived into details of each prepared painting and learnt many new facts. In groups we also analysed them and made our own assumptions and ideas as to what the details symbolise. I had many good group mates, especially from our school. For the last work we had to pick our own painting to describe, I did Execution of Lady Jane Grey. Art is fascinating and it was amazing to learn more about it.”

(COIL: Great Paintings in Detail; March to April 2024; Gymnázium Myjava, Slovakia; Facilitator: Ľubica Durcová)

“Then we had another COIL with professor Fella. It focused especially on mental health. It gave us interesting life lessons. Many of us opened up to the professor about personal experiences because she created a safe space for us all. For a voluntary work we could write our own mental diary and it was also one of her suggestions for us to do. We discussed how companionship helps us to feel better.”

(COIL: Health and Wellbeing; April to May 2024; University of Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Algeria; Facilitator: Fella Benabed)

“On our last COIL lesson, we were with a professor from Hungarian school. She was incredibly kind and did her lessons a bit differently. We spoke about volunteering and most of the time we were working in groups. We were supposed to present our own idea of volunteering, how we would manage it, how long it would last, who it would target. It was an interesting lesson to participated on and again I personally left pumped to actually partake in such actions.”

(COIL: Volunteerism; October to November 2024; Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary; Facilitator: Rita DiFiore)

 

Kristína Vindušková (a bilingual study student, IV.B class):

 

“During this workshop, I realized that while we might often mention climate change in our everyday conversations, there's a significant difference between simply complaining about its effects and actively discussing solutions. Although I learned a lot about sustainable development, what struck me the most was the importance of being proactive rather than remaining a passive bystander. It often helps to break a plan into smaller parts, as this makes the steps clearer and less overwhelming. Climate change no longer feels like an unavoidably overwhelming force.”

(COIL: Sustainable Development Goals; October to November 2023; University of Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Algeria; Facilitator: Fella Benabed)

“This workshop fuelled my passion for exploring the deeper meanings behind things, paintings, in this case. Especially today, with the rise of AI-generated images and artworks, I believe it's important to reflect on why humans are drawn to art. It's not just about what's on the canvas, but how we relate our own feelings and experiences to it, often without even realizing it. Art reminds us that we're not alone in our own emotions, there's beauty to be found in every feeling, even the ugly, terrifying, or the depressing ones, since there are artworks about them too.”

(COIL: Great Paintings in Detail; March to April 2024; Gymnázium Myjava, Slovakia; Facilitator: Ľubica Durcová)

“Talking about emotions and mental health was therapeutic. Sitting down with people, some from other countries, other cultures, to discuss our wellbeing and how we cope when the world becomes overwhelming felt really meaningful. I believe this kind of open conversation should be normalized, it shouldn’t be frowned upon to express one’s feelings.”

(COIL: Health and Wellbeing; April to May 2024; University of Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Algeria; Facilitator: Fella Benabed)

“This workshop felt like the peak of authenticity. We discussed acts of kindness done without expecting anything in return. In a society where almost everything is driven by profit and transactional value, this was a refreshing change. It was like taking a breath of fresh air.”

(COIL: Volunteerism; October to November 2024; Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary; Facilitator: Rita DiFiore)

 

Kristína Krčíková (a bilingual study student, IV.B class):

 

“Participating in the COIL has taught me much about the environment, protecting the environment as well as issues which I knew little about. It broadened my knowledge especially about sustainability and preservation of the environment and the effect we have on the planet as a whole. Learning about feminism was also interesting, and the way that women in our society aren't treated as equals to this day is something I myself know well. However, the women working on this project and the ones who keep pushing forward motivated me to realise my own self-worth as a person. Although I don't identify with traditional feminism, as I'm sure many women don't, I still understand the values of feminism and realise its importance, and respect those who uphold the ideals instead of twisting and bending them into something worse. Equality for people should be established without question, but we live in a world where we have to fight for those rights, whether that be for women, people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, and many more ostracised groups. Discussing with people outside of my country was pleasant and I loved getting to know their own culture through their opinion. All in all, the experience I had with COIL was amazing and I recommend it to anyone who is thinking of joining it as well.”

(COIL: Sustainable Development Goals; October to November 2023; University of Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Algeria; Facilitator: Fella Benabed / COIL: Health and Wellbeing; April to May 2024; University of Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Algeria; Facilitator: Fella Benabed)

 

Watching personally enthusiasm and involvement of all participating students during the mentioned COIL lessons; and listening to their ideas expressed with amazing maturity and insight, surely can make any teacher to feel proud of these students.

 

Also, based on the above-mentioned students´ expressed views, it is satisfying to conclude that the COIL lessons enriched and influenced the participating students. In addition, all teachers can be proud of their involvement in the project, and can use this experience as inspiration for their future lessons.

 

 Ľubica Durcová, Gymnázium Myjava