Travel Diary: Florence and the New Winds of Artificial Intelligence
Sunday: Arrival in the heart of the Renaissance
The wheels of the plane touched Italian soil, and there was an electricity in the air that only Florence in March can offer. Spring had arrived, and the sun greeted us warmly. The journey from the airport to the city center was effortless on the local "spåra" or tram. We watched the bustling scenery pass by from the window until we reached the historic center.
After checking into our accommodations, we couldn't wait a moment longer. Florence was calling. We headed straight to a small, atmospheric trattoria hidden in a narrow alley. Our first authentic Italian dinner, a glass of local wine, and the Italian language flowing around us – that's when it hit us: we were really here! With full bellies and minds full of anticipation, we prepared for tomorrow. An interesting training week at the Europass Academy was about to begin.
Monday: First steps and breaking the ice
Every day we discussed different support needs and considered how artificial intelligence tools could be utilized to promote inclusion and learning.
Our Monday started just as an Italian morning should: with a perfect breakfast. We found a small café near the Europass Academy, bustling with locals. There was a buzz behind the counter, and the smell of freshly roasted coffee filled the air. We ordered caffe doppios and cappuccinos, accompanied by paninis and sweet cornettas. It was a short but perfect moment to blend into the local way of life before the more serious part of the day.
Then it was time to find the academy. To be honest, we were a little nervous. What would the week bring? What would the other participants be like? What about the trainer? And perhaps most importantly: would the training really be useful and interesting? (And yes, we also wondered if coffee was available!)
Our anxiety turned out to be unnecessary. Our group was wonderfully international: in addition to the two of us, there were participants from Bulgaria, mainland Greece, China and Portugal. The training started right away with "icebreakers" - fun games that helped us get to know each other quickly. The common thread of the week was also immediately clear: student support. Every day we discussed different support needs and thought about how artificial intelligence tools could be utilized to promote inclusion and learning.
On the first day, we introduced our own schools and - best of all - we got to taste the delicacies brought from each others country. Our trainer also gave great tips on Florence's attractions and dishes that shouldn't be missed. At the end of the day, we headed to the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum. After that, our paths separated for a while: Antti stayed to soak up the atmosphere of the street, while Maria headed to the Galileo Galilei Museum.
Tuesday: The magic of prompts and the treasures of the Uffizi
On the second day, we rolled up our sleeves and really dived into the world of AI. We got to know AI generators, such as Google's Gemini. One of the funniest tasks of the day was to create pictures of each other using only prompting (i.e. commands given to the AI). The result was surprisingly apt and caused a lot of laughter.
After this, we moved on to more practical work: we created illustrated instructions and lesson plans using Gemini. We got to try out different commands to control the AI to take into account the different support needs of the students. We did exercises in both Finnish and English. We also got to know Eduaide, which turned out to be an agile tool for a teacher's everyday life.
After the training day, it was time to educate ourselves further. We headed to the Uffizi Gallery. We were delighted to have our Portuguese colleague join us, so networking started to happen quite naturally. After the art experiences, we felt like we were one step closer to both Italy and our new friends.
Images of a tour of Firenze that we created with Gemini during the course.
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Wednesday: Deep diving and a riverside atmosphere
On the third day, our tool selection expanded even further. We got to know Perplexity, which impressed us with its ability to limit the search to academic materials only – a perfect tool for students to work critically on source material.
Next up was Gamma, which we both really liked. It turned out to be a great tool for creating visual presentations, although we were disappointed with the limitations of its free version. As the third tool, we tested NotebookLM, which again turned out to be a great find. The training day was a success and inspiring in every way!
In the afternoon, we headed to the other side of the Arno River with our new Portuguese acquaintance. We crossed the historic Ponte Vecchio, whose jewelry stores sparkled in the sun. Our goal was the magnificent Pitti Palace and the vast Boboli Gardens beyond. A walk in the lush garden was the perfect counterpoint to the day’s intensive studying. The evening was crowned with an authentic Florentine Negroni – a classic cocktail that tasted better than ever in this setting.
Thursday: Tool firing
Thursday was a really busy day. The trainer introduced us to a breathtaking number of new tools, each of which seemed to open up new possibilities for teaching. The list included at least: MathGPT (which was very interesting to Maria, especially in terms of mathematics), Diffit, Napkin, Audiopen, Suno, Foxit, AI Studio and Wayground.
The day was intense, and we tried out a wide variety of applications. Although there was a lot of information, we were excited – we now had a huge number of new ideas and practical tools in our backpacks to take home.
Friday: Creativity on the streets and a diploma in hand
The last official training day started with a warm-up. Then it was time for the final assignment, which took us back to the beautiful streets of Florence. Our task was to shoot and edit a video using the CapCut app. We split into groups and let our creativity flow. The sunny city provided the perfect backdrop, and we had a great time shooting the footage amidst the hustle and bustle of the historic center.
After editing and presenting the videos, it was time for a celebration: we received our diplomas! We exchanged some last-minute news and impressions with the other participants. It was sad to think that our week of study together was over, but we had not only learned a lot, but also made new friends.
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Saturday: Chianti hills and farewell from the hill
Saturday was dedicated to the educational winery tour. We hopped on a bus and left the hustle and bustle of the city behind us, heading towards the beautiful landscapes of the Chianti region. The hills were green and cypresses lined the roads. We visited two different wineries, where we got to learn about the secrets of winemaking and, of course, taste the products of the farms. It was an amazing trip, and it was wonderful to share this experience with our own educational group.
Returning to Florence also marked the beginning of the farewell. To celebrate the last evening, we climbed Piazzale Michelangelo. It was the perfect end to the week. As the sun set and colored the sky with shades of orange and purple, the entire old city of Florence opened up before us: the dome of the Duomo, the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio and the bridges of the Arno River. I stood there, looking at the landscape and thinking about the past week. It had been full of learning, laughter, new encounters and beauty. From there we descended for one last dinner with our Portuguese colleague, and thus a wonderful week came to a fitting, delicious end.
Sunday: David and the homecoming
Sunday dawned with a sad look. It was time to head home, but we couldn't leave without one last encounter. We headed to the Galleria dell'Accademia, where Michelangelo's magnificent David statue awaited us. I stood there, gazing at the perfection of the marble giant, and felt a great sense of gratitude for this week.
Then it was time to head to the airport. Through stopovers, we finally returned to Finnish soil, with a huge amount of new knowledge, ideas and memories in our backpacks. A great experience all in all, and a really useful education on the use of artificial intelligence from a student support perspective! Florence, we will be back.
text for this blog has been enhanced with AI
