During my visit with the Transatlantic Outreach Program, we stumbled upon St. Nikolai Church Memorial during our first walk through Hamburg. The spire towered above the other buildings in Hamburg as the fifth highest church in the world. At first I thought it was under renovation, but as we got closer our guide explained that although … Continue reading Historical Memory: Part One – #BLOG365 Day 258 #TOPStudyTour @TOPTeachGermany
Month: June 2017
The Power of Play: German Edition – #BLOG365 Day 257 @TOPTeachGermany #TopStudyTour
When I applied to be part of the Transatlantic Outreach Program Study Tour to Germany I had to craft a lesson based on a recent news article about some aspect of German life or culture. We had a handful to choose from and, of course, I chose the one on playgrounds in Germany. The article … Continue reading The Power of Play: German Edition – #BLOG365 Day 257 @TOPTeachGermany #TopStudyTour
Stuff – #BLOG365 Day 256
Packing up for a big move is an interesting process with a twelve-year-old. I have written a few times on this blog about our family's collecting habits. We are antiquers and pickers. We love hunting for old objects and thinking about the stories behind them. That love for objects has been passed on to my … Continue reading Stuff – #BLOG365 Day 256
Ampelmann – #BLOG365 Day 256 #TopStudyTour @topteachgermany
When we arrived in Berlin we were smitten by a cute little guy. We found him everywhere and really who wouldn't be smitten with this? The Ampelmann (translated to traffic light man) is a holdover from East Germany, one of the few leftovers of East German life. He was "born" in 1961 when a … Continue reading Ampelmann – #BLOG365 Day 256 #TopStudyTour @topteachgermany
So, You Want to Know About Bread? – #BLOG365 Day 255 @TOPTeachGermany #TOPStudyTour
I thought I knew about bread... And then I met Frau Schneider, master baker trainer extraordinaire, at the Faber Bakery in Geisa, Germany. The bakery, open since 1553, sits near the German inner border. The Faber Bakery makes 15 different types of bread, but that is just a fraction of the 400 types of bread … Continue reading So, You Want to Know About Bread? – #BLOG365 Day 255 @TOPTeachGermany #TOPStudyTour
TOP Travel Lessons – #BLOG365 Day 254 #TOPStudyTour @TOPTeachGermany
Two weeks in Germany. Fifteen social studies educators. Two German guides. Four hotels. Three train trips. Countless rides on public transportation of all types. A record of 26,000 steps in one day. And a load of lessons learned. Always take a jacket. I didn't. I had a few sweaters. But, they didn't cut it. The … Continue reading TOP Travel Lessons – #BLOG365 Day 254 #TOPStudyTour @TOPTeachGermany
Museum Monday: Point Alpha – Day 253 #BLOG365 #TOPStudyTour @TopTeachGermany
Two Mondays ago I was at Point Alpha on the Inner German border near Geisa. I knew from the moment I got there I had to blog about the interpretative strategies in the museum. The Point Alpha foundation was established to be a place of commemoration and learning in 2008. For years it was the … Continue reading Museum Monday: Point Alpha – Day 253 #BLOG365 #TOPStudyTour @TopTeachGermany
A Valiant Effort – #BLOG365 #TOPStudyTour Day 252
I made a real effort to blog in Germany and I managed two, yes two posts. I know, it's quite pitiful. For some reason I had trouble accessing Wi-Fi from my computer. I could connect via my cell phone and I did write two posts from my phone. But, after day three I gave up. … Continue reading A Valiant Effort – #BLOG365 #TOPStudyTour Day 252
#TOPStudyTour Day Two – #BLOG365 Day 251 @topteachgermany
Among my the many things I am learning in Germany, I am learning patience. I can't get the Wi-Fi to work on my computer so I am completing blog posts on my phone. Hopefully tomorrow, in another hotel, I won't have this problem. I am reading and rereading my posts, but I am sure there … Continue reading #TOPStudyTour Day Two – #BLOG365 Day 251 @topteachgermany
When All Else Fails…Write – #BLOG365 Day 250 #TOPStudyTour
I tried to sleep on the plane. I read a book. I listened to ASCD BAM Radio Network. I watched my plane fly across the Atlantic on the flight status screen. Nothing satisfied my boredom. When all else fails...write. There is a certain comfort that comes from being lost in your own words, your own … Continue reading When All Else Fails…Write – #BLOG365 Day 250 #TOPStudyTour
Jill Cross 