CHN University: Seminars (student story#7)

Goedemiddag, dear ladies and gentlemen! Are you surprised because of such an unusual greeting? "Goedemiddag" means good afternoon but in dutch. I started to learn it not long ago. It is s very necessary here. If you read my article about trains you should have already known. Everything here is in Dutch and being here you’d better start learning it. That’s my advice. The main topic of my news is the seminar and how it is held it here. Here I mean exactly in the CHN University and I think as at the majority of the Dutch Universities. I have participated already at two seminars and can share with you my experience. The seminar is a class organized by students. Everything there, from the beginning up to the end is the work of the students. Seminars have a very considered structure. During the seminar we play different roles. First, we have a chair (chairman), who prepares and holds the seminar. Second, there are 2 summary writers who summarize the texts suggested. Third, a context writer is preparing a context of the whole material studied. Fourth, everybody is obliged to think for statements for the discussion. Finally, there is a blackboard writer who writes on a blackboard with a marker. Each seminar has it’s own system. It’s determined by the material we are going to discuss. For instance, it were some articles in the theoretical journals or books or site visit (about it in the next news). First of all, the chair introduces the topic and the structure. Then, the summary writers suggest their summaries. The context writer comes next with his context. Meanwhile the blackboard writer is writing statement on the blackboard. The statements are chosen from a big suggested variety by the whole group and discussed. The chair summarizes everything in the end. The teacher possesses equal rights with students. The tutors help the chair with organisation of the seminar and take parts in the discussion. They ask questions and share their opinion and knowledge during the lessons. From one side teachers are participating in the seminar. But from another, they help the chair to keep the seminar going, to let everybody express his opinion. Do you want to know about the seminar where I was a chair? How difficult it is to be? And what were my responsibilities? What did the teachers think about the seminar I organised? Then, my next news will be right for you! Tot ziens.