The first HUPE Varaždin branch meeting in school year 2022-2023

12 June 2023Branch reports

The first live HUPE Varaždin branch meeting in this school year was held on Saturday, 3 June 2023. in Centar za kulturu i informiranje Dragutin Novak Ludbreg. Fifteen teachers from Varaždin, Međimurje and Koprivnica-Križevci Counties attended the meeting.

The agenda included:

Jasna Polanović, prof. mentor: Translation in English language teaching
Mirta Kos Kolobarić: Guard your cultural heritage
Sanja Ždralović: Literature and mediation
Ivana Gradečak: London is Always a good idea!
Marina Đura & Ivana Pavlic: Edinburgh is always a good idea, too!
HUPE Varaždin branch elections
HUPE news

Jasna Polanović held a great talk about translation as a method in English language teaching. She also informed the members about the competition Juvenes Translatores in which she participated with her students and about the trip to Bruxelles. Her workshop initiated a very interesting discussion among the participants since they come from both primary and secondary schools and it was interesting to see their views on using translation in their teaching.

Mirta Kos Kolobarić joined us via BBB platform and held an interesting talk about the project dealing with cultural heritage. Her talk was a collection of several practical, ready-to-use activities designed for and carried out within an Erasmus+ project. All these activities are aimed at making our students (regardless of their age) aware and appreciative of their rich cultural heritage. Some ideas for project work were designed to make students think how to use cultural heritage as various tourist products. The activities can be used both in primary and secondary schools.

Sanja Ždralović held an interesting workshop about using authentic literature in English language teaching and gave participants many examples of activities which can be done with the extracts from authentic literature.

The last part of the meeting was dedicated to continuous professional education activities organized by HUPE and held in London and Edinburgh. Ivana Gradečak took us to London and showed us everything they saw and learned in London. Marina Đura and Ivana Pavlic gave a great presentation of their trip to Edinburgh and talked about the sights and the activities they enjoyed while in Scotland.

At the end of the meeting, the HUPE Varaždin branch president elections were held. The president of HUPE Varaždin branch informed the participants that there was only one candidate, Stela Pavetić, from Veliki Bukovec Primary School, HUPE Varaždin branch president. The voting was held via google forms. Stela Pavetić was unanimosly voted the new HUPE Varaždin Branch president for the next two years.

Members were informed about the news in HUPE and the 31^st Annual International HUPE Conference, which is taking place in Valamar Diamant Hotel in Poreč from 20 to 22 October 2023. They were also informed about the call for papers for the upcoming conference and that their speakers' proposals should be sent via the link on our web site by the 23^rd June.

HUPE Varaždin is grateful to the speakers for their interesting workshops and to all members who attended the meeting and participated in these great workshops and activities.

If you are an English teacher and want to join HUPE Varaždin, feel free to contact me at hupe.varazdin@gmail.com.

The second HUPE Zagorje branch meeting in school year 2022-2023

07 June 2023Branch reports

The second HUPE Zagorje branch meeting in this school year was held online via Zoom on Monday, 29 May 2023. Fifteen teachers joined the meeting and supported their colleagues who delivered interesting lectures.

The agenda included:

Petra Gorički: Teaching English to SEN students – My experience
Gabrijela Haramustek and Marta Šarčanin: The valuable skill of note-taking in practice
HUPE news
HUPE Zagorje branch elections

At the beginning of the meeting, HUPE Zagorje branch president Petra Gorički held a workshop titled Teaching English to SEN students – My experience. During the workshop, she talked about the difficulties she has come across when teaching English to students with special educational needs. She also shared her methods of working with such students and presented her materials, which she has developed through years of working with SEN students.

The second workshop, titled The valuable skill of note-taking in practice, was held by Gabrijela Haramustek and Marta Šarčanin, who did their best to present different techniques they use in class to teach students how to take notes during listening and reading exercises. They also provided the participants with sample activities that should help them introduce note-taking in their classrooms.

Members were informed about the news in HUPE and the 31^st Annual International HUPE Conference, which is taking place in Valamar Diamant Hotel in Poreč from 20 to 22 October 2023.

At the end of the meeting, the HUPE Zagorje branch president elections were held. There was only one candidate, Petra Gorički from Zlatar Secondary School and acting Zagorje branch president. She shortly addressed the members and explained the voting procedure, after which the voting was held and she was unanimously voted the new HUPE Zagorje branch president.

HUPE Zagorje is grateful to the speakers and all the members who attended the meeting.

If you are an English teacher and want to join HUPE Zagorje, feel free to contact me at hupe.zagorje@gmail.com.

Petra Gorički
HUPE Zagorje Branch President

The second HUPE Dubrovnik Branch meeting in 2022-2023

29 May 2023Branch reports

The second HUPE Dubrovnik Branch meeting in 2022-2023 took place at Osnovna škola Blato in Blato on May 27, 2023.

Agenda:

Poem as a motivational tool for discussion and mediation, Silvija Pećanac Bačić
Job Shadowing in Joensuu, Finland, Marija Lipanović
The Pleasures of Edinburgh, Silvana Radulović
HUPE news

Eleven members attended the meeting. Four members joined us online, through HUPE Dubrovnik Teams channel.

The first speaker was Silvija Pećanac Bačić from SŠ Vela Luka, who held an interesting workshop, inviting the colleagues to join the activities about using poems as a motivational tool for discussion and mediation. We all gladly participated in the workshop, analyzing a poem, discussing, mediating, and having fun.

Marija Lipanović from OŠ Smokvica, who had visited Finland as a part of the Erasmus+ programme in her school, shared her experience of job shadowing in two primary and one vocational Finnish school. She pointed out some similarities and differences between Finnish and Croatian education systems. emphasizing that every education system has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Our unforgettable trip to Scotland, organized by HUPE in April 2023, inspired Silvana Radulović from Gimnazija Dubrovnik to remind us once again of the pleasures of Edinburgh. She told the story of Scotland day by day and showed us some beautiful pictures she took there. I hope her enthusiasm will motivate other HUPE members to visit this amazing country in August.

I wish to thank all HUPE enthusiasts who attended the meeting and shared their experiences and ideas with us in a pleasant, cooperative atmosphere.

Jelica Šeparović
HUPE Dubrovnik Branch President

The HUPE Split Branch meeting report

22 May 2023Branch reports

The last HUPE Split Branch meeting in this school year was held on Thursday, 18 May 2023, at 5:00 p.m. at Osnovna škola Brda in Split. Fifteen teachers decided to spend their Thursday afternoon attending a 3-hour meeting and supporting their colleagues who delivered interesting lectures and workshops.

The agenda included:
1 Danijela Radić & Ivana Bokavšek: Music Based Creative Writing
2 Anita Živković & Miranda Barac: Summative Assessment in Language Mediation
3 Anita Živković: The Reform of Vocational Education
4 HUPE Split Branch President Elections
5 HUPE news

The first workshop, titled Music Based Creative Writing, was held by DanijelaRadić & Ivana Bokavšek, who explored different techniques that motivate students to be imaginative and productive in their written expressions. They demonstrated how 'seasoned' by music, writing becomes a joyable activity that encourages students to dive into the world of infinite creativity. The participants were encouraged to produce stories 'seasoned' by music and present them to the audience.

After the coffee break, the second workshop, titled Summative Assessment in Language Mediation, was held by Anita Živković & Miranda Barac, who did their best to answer the questions and remove any doubts the teachers might have when evaluating and measuring a learner's ability to mediate a spoken or written text or texts. They also provided the participants with sample activities and rubrics that should help them with the summative assessment of this relatively new skill in the English language curriculum.

Anita Živković held the third lecture, titled The Reform of Vocational Education, which had an informative character introducing the aims of the reform and the impact it will have on English teachers.

As for the HUPE Split Branch President Elections, there was only one candidate for the branch president, Anita Lasić from Primary school "Don Mihovil Pavlinović" in Podgora. She introduced herself to the 15 members that were present, after which the voting was held, and she was unanimously voted the new HUPE Split branch president. She is elected for a term of 2 years and takes over the management of the branch from September 1, 2023.

At the end of the meeting, participants were informed about the news in HUPE, including the professional development in Edinburgh in August, and the 31st Annual International HUPE Conference, which will take place in Valamar Diamant Hotel, Poreč from 20 to 22 October 2023.

The members were also informed about the new HUPE Board members elected at the last HUPE Board elections that took place via Zoom during the AGM at the HUPE Day on 25 March 2023.

HUPE Split is grateful to the speakers and all the members who attended the meeting.

Congratulations to our colleague Anita Lasić for being elected the new HUPE Split branch president. We wish her great success in running our HUPE Split branch in the future.

If you are an English teacher and want to join HUPE Split, feel free to contact me at hupe.split@gmail.com.

Miranda Barac
HUPE Split Branch President

The third HUPE Osijek branch meeting in school year 2022-2023

22 May 2023Branch reports

The third HUPE Osijek branch meeting in school year 2022-2023 was held on 20 May 2023 at the Faculty of Education in Osijek. 29 members attended the meeting.

The agenda included:

1) Isabelle Grace Penta: How to use ChatGPT as an educator
2) HUPE news
3) HUPE Osijek branch president elections
4) Marina Tomas: The Great Outdoors - taking the classroom outside
5) Mirjana Jerković & Tanja Pokupić: Love Edinburgh? Kilt-y as charged!

At the beginning of the meeting, Isabelle Grace Penta, a Fulbright scholar and an English Teaching Assistant at the English Language Studies Department at the Faculty of Education, held a workshop titled How to use ChatGPT as an educator. During the workshop, Grace introduced ChatGPT and presented its applications as an AI tool in and outside of the classroom with its advantages and limitations. The participants were able to test the program and learn how to create suitable question prompts in order to produce specific educational materials.

Members were informed about the news in HUPE including the new HUPE Board members, changes in membership fees from 1 June 2023, future teacher training courses in London and Edinburgh, and regular branch updates. The branch president also notified the members about the details of the upcoming 31^st Annual International HUPE Conference, which is taking place in Valamar Diamant Hotel, Poreč from 20 to 22 October 2023, such as call for speakers, registration fees, accommodation and transportation. Since many of Osijek branch members participated in the 3rd National Writing Competition, selected mentors were presented with the printed copies of the book HUPE in the Storyland with more than 210 students’ stories on 850 pages.

After the updates, the HUPE Osijek branch president elections were held. There was only one candidate, Adrijana Roždijevac from Primary School Josip Kozarac in Soljani and acting Osijek branch president. She shortly addressed the members and explained the voting procedure, after which the voting was held and she was unanimously voted the new HUPE Osijek branch president.

Following the coffee break, the second workshop, titled The Great Outdoors - taking the classroom outside, was held by Marina Tomas from Primary School Ane Katarine Zrinski in Retkovic. Marina presented the advantages and disadvantages of teaching outdoors and provided the participants with practical and engaging ready-to-use activities teachers can incorporate into their spring lesson plans to make their students practice various vocabulary and grammatical structures.

At the end of the meeting, Mirjana Jerković from Primary School Tin Ujević in Osijek and Tanja Pokupić form Primary School Miroslava Krleže in Čepin held a presentation titled Love Edinburgh? Kilt-y as charged!. Through mysterious and interesting storytelling, they shared their experience from a 5-day teacher training course in Edinburgh, Scotland, organized by HUPE in April 2023, where they not only got new teaching ideas, but also explored Scotland’s heritage, culture and numerous sights.

HUPE Osijek is grateful to the speakers and all the members who were able to attend the meeting on Saturday morning and create a lovely and relaxing atmosphere ideal for teachers connecting, collaborating and exchanging ideas. Thank you for putting your trust in me to continue to be the branch president.

Hopefully, we will see you at one of our future meetings next school year. Enjoy the long-awaited and well-deserved summer holidays!

Adrijana Roždijevac
HUPE Osijek Branch President