It's been a long day. But, I got a ton accomplished. Now that I finally have a moment to sit at the end of the day, I am reminiscing about my first evening in Germany and our TOP Study Tour visit to Krenzers Apple Wine Press. We had the most wonderful tour of the apple … Continue reading It’s Been a Long Day – #BLOG365 Day 269 @TOPTeachGermany #TOPStudyTour
Travel
Museum Monday: The Power of Objects to Tell Stories – #BLOG365 Day 267 #TOPStudyTour @TOPTeachGermany
While at Neungamme Concentration Camp we heard an amazing story of the power of an object to tie individuals together and transcend cultures. One object held a narrative of the bravery in a time of incredible horror. Our guide shared the story of Fritz Bringmann, a prisoner in Neuengamme arrested for high treason. He was caught … Continue reading Museum Monday: The Power of Objects to Tell Stories – #BLOG365 Day 267 #TOPStudyTour @TOPTeachGermany
Do You Know What a Trabi Is? – #BLOG365 Day 266 #TOPStudyTour @TOPTeachGermany
On day one of our Transatlantic Outreach Program #TOPStudyTour we were hit with the Trabi during a visit to the Point Alpha Memorial. I have to admit, I didn't know the Trabi by name when I first saw it. Sure, I had seen them in news footage. But, I didn't know anything about them. So, … Continue reading Do You Know What a Trabi Is? – #BLOG365 Day 266 #TOPStudyTour @TOPTeachGermany
Museum Monday: Sidewalk Historical Interpretation – #BLOG365 Day 263 @TOPTeachGermany #TOPStudyTour
Over two weeks in Germany I saw countless historical markers, commemorating important events or pointing out places of interest. But, about halfway through my trip I started to notice that many of the signage looked more like museum interpretative panels than the typical historical markers we are used to seeing in the United States. Here's … Continue reading Museum Monday: Sidewalk Historical Interpretation – #BLOG365 Day 263 @TOPTeachGermany #TOPStudyTour
German Education Part One: Project-Based Learning – #BLOG365 Day 261 @TOPTeachGermany #TOPStudyTour #PBL #PBLChat
I have been holding off on posting about German education because I knew it would be a meaty post that required some time to flush out. So, this will be part one of a small series on German education. I can't do justice to the German education system in one blog post! Before I begin … Continue reading German Education Part One: Project-Based Learning – #BLOG365 Day 261 @TOPTeachGermany #TOPStudyTour #PBL #PBLChat
Windows of Tann – #BLOG365 Day 260 @TOPTeachGermany #TOPStudyTour
The first stop on my TOP Study Tour was Tann, Germany, a small city in Hesse nestled in the Rhon Mountains. There's not a ton to do in Tann, but it was the perfect first stop on our tour, small enough to navigate on our own and quintessentially German. In Tann I became obsessed with … Continue reading Windows of Tann – #BLOG365 Day 260 @TOPTeachGermany #TOPStudyTour
Historical Memory: Part One – #BLOG365 Day 258 #TOPStudyTour @TOPTeachGermany
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
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
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
Jill Cross 