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
Social Studies
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
#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
Museum Monday: Object Stories – #BLOG365 Day 241
Not the first time I write about object stories here. Probably not the last either. Today I began packing for our new adventure and I found an old favorite, Significant Objects. Imagine buying a small bauble at a thrift store and then creating a story to go along with it. A story of its origin and … Continue reading Museum Monday: Object Stories – #BLOG365 Day 241
Museum Monday on a Wednesday – #BLOG365 Day 227
On Monday I had the opportunity to go to the Alamo. It was a fabulous experience, one I never thought I would have. It was a chance to connect my understanding of Florida history with Texas history and, most importantly, a chance to check out new exhibitions and objects. In 2010 I traveled to … Continue reading Museum Monday on a Wednesday – #BLOG365 Day 227
Museum Monday: Categorizing and Classifying With Museum Objects – #BLOG365 Day 224 #sschat #museumed
I've had a lot of down time lately, on planes and in airports, so I have been able to review and organize a lot of content from my museum school days. Today I found an activity I used to do with students that I had completely forgotten about. In introducing museums to our students … Continue reading Museum Monday: Categorizing and Classifying With Museum Objects – #BLOG365 Day 224 #sschat #museumed
Museum Monday: Does Real = Impact? – #BLOG365 Day 219
Does Real = Impact? Completely fascinated with this idea presented in "Museums, Can We Stop Letting Objects Control the Narrative?" Being the object-based learning groupie I am feeling a bit of disequilibrium after reading this. But, the basics I agree with. Story is an important piece of the work of a museum. Dare I say, … Continue reading Museum Monday: Does Real = Impact? – #BLOG365 Day 219
Museum Monday: Museum of Failure -#BLOG365 Day 218 #IMMOOC #sschat
Over the weekend I read this New York Times article on the Museum of Failure. The museum website says "learning is the only way to turn failure into success." I love this idea for a museum and I love the idea of students' curating their failures too. So often we ask them to show what … Continue reading Museum Monday: Museum of Failure -#BLOG365 Day 218 #IMMOOC #sschat
Jill Cross 