Friday, December 23, 2011
Students Send Stephanie a Christmas Package
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Post Fellowship Meeting
Tomorrow, we will be meeting with other Fund For Teachers Fellows to discuss our summer experiences and our classroom plans. We are excited to share what we learned on our journey and how we plan to use it! For those teacher friends who follow our blog, the 2012 FFT Fellowship Application is now available. It is due January 27, 2012. To see if you qualify, visit http://www.fundforteachers.org/apply.php. Individual teachers may request up to $5000, and teams of two or more may request up to $10000.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Ludwig II and Neuschwanstein Castle
Diana found this great video history of Neuschwanstein. This nicely sums up much of what we learned about Ludwig II and this castle from our guides.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Reunion with Stephanie!
A digital reunion, that is!
Friday was an exciting day in both classrooms as we both had the opportunity to chat with Stephanie from Germany via Skype and got to introduce her to some of our students.
Stephanie visited with Ms. Bright's 4th hour class first. Stephanie shared with the students about her childhood in Germany, how German schools differ from US schools, and the history behind some German traditions, such as Oktoberfest. In a reflective writing after the call, Robert stated, "One thing I learned about Germany is that there are 16 states there, and Oktoberfest is a celebration for a marriage [of a Bavarian king]." Johnny stated, "I learned that she is just like us." Ms. Bright's favorite part was when Stephanie said reading was very important to her because reading has the power to take you on any journey you choose - what a powerful statement for the students to hear! The students enjoyed the call and hope to visit with Stephanie again soon!
Later that afternoon, Stephanie met the Lords and Ladies of Ms. Blair's Fairytale Kingdom. The 3rd graders learned that there are 20,000 castles in Germany, what schools are like in Germany and France, and about how Stephanie grew up in East Germany. They even learned some German words! Next week, they will do some nonfiction writing related to today's experience.
We both appreciate Stephanie for volunteering her time for this unique learning experience for our students!
Stephanie visited with Ms. Bright's 4th hour class first. Stephanie shared with the students about her childhood in Germany, how German schools differ from US schools, and the history behind some German traditions, such as Oktoberfest. In a reflective writing after the call, Robert stated, "One thing I learned about Germany is that there are 16 states there, and Oktoberfest is a celebration for a marriage [of a Bavarian king]." Johnny stated, "I learned that she is just like us." Ms. Bright's favorite part was when Stephanie said reading was very important to her because reading has the power to take you on any journey you choose - what a powerful statement for the students to hear! The students enjoyed the call and hope to visit with Stephanie again soon!
Later that afternoon, Stephanie met the Lords and Ladies of Ms. Blair's Fairytale Kingdom. The 3rd graders learned that there are 20,000 castles in Germany, what schools are like in Germany and France, and about how Stephanie grew up in East Germany. They even learned some German words! Next week, they will do some nonfiction writing related to today's experience.
We both appreciate Stephanie for volunteering her time for this unique learning experience for our students!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Entering Ms. Blair's Kingdom
It has been about seven weeks since school started, and we're both been busy implementing elements from our fellowship experience. The students in both classes have seen lots of photos and some videos as we've discussed character traits and story settings. We have both also arranged for Stephanie, one of our tour guides, to video chat with our individual classrooms via Skype, and we are VERY excited to "see" her again and have her meet our students. In preparation for Stephanie's calls, we have been testing out our technology set ups, and today, Ms. Bright met Ms. Blair's students for the first time via Skype. Ms. Blair's "lords and ladies" were eager to participate in the chat and asked lots of fun questions in an effort to get to know Ms. Bright better. Stay tuned as we use this technology to bridge our two classrooms and implement the reading buddy program outlined in our fellowship proposal!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, It's Off to Work We Go!
Tomorrow is our first day with our new students. We can't wait to share our fellowship with them! Keep watching this page for updates about what's happening in our classrooms.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Meet the Night Watchman of Rothenburg
Another highlight of the tour for us was meeting the Night Watchman on our Night Watchman Tour. Here, the Night Watchman tells us about his role during the Middle Ages.
Michael talks about King Ludwig, the Fairytale King
In this clip, Michael is talking about King Ludwig's short time at Neuschwanstein Castle.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Neuschwanstein Castle!
The best castle was definitely saved for the end of the tour. It was bittersweet that morning to realize that we were starting our final day with our new friends, yet we were both excited to see THE castle we'd been waiting for. Neuschwanstein (Noysh van stein) means New Swan Stone. It was built by King Ludwig II near the German/Austrian border near Pöllat Gorge . It is a replication of a medieval structure and was inspired by Wagner's operas. When Ludwig II died in 1886 under suspicious circumstances, the castle was still incomplete. He lived there only 172 days. It opened seven weeks later as a tourist attraction and has 1.3 million visitors a year.
We were very fortunate to have Michael join us on this day, as well. On the two hour bus trip to Neuschwanstein, Michael shared the sad story of King Ludwig II and his tragic childhood. In order to toughen him up, his parents refused to show any affection. He and his brother were kept from other children and led sad lives. When he inherited the throne at just 18, he was ill prepared and often taken advantage of. His castle was meant to look like a fairytale castle and provide for him an escape. This structure later served as Walt Disney's inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland and Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World. It will be fun for us to show students that the "castle" they picture in their heads as a result of Disney films really does exist! Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside, but some outside shots are included below:
From Marienbruecke (Mary's Bridge)
Approaching the castle via the walking trail
In the Courtyard
In front of the royal entrance
Marienbruecke and the gorge from the castle
Michael :)
We were very fortunate to have Michael join us on this day, as well. On the two hour bus trip to Neuschwanstein, Michael shared the sad story of King Ludwig II and his tragic childhood. In order to toughen him up, his parents refused to show any affection. He and his brother were kept from other children and led sad lives. When he inherited the throne at just 18, he was ill prepared and often taken advantage of. His castle was meant to look like a fairytale castle and provide for him an escape. This structure later served as Walt Disney's inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland and Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World. It will be fun for us to show students that the "castle" they picture in their heads as a result of Disney films really does exist! Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside, but some outside shots are included below:
From Marienbruecke (Mary's Bridge)
Approaching the castle via the walking trail
In the Courtyard
In front of the royal entrance
Marienbruecke and the gorge from the castle
Michael :)
Munich
Our last stop on the tour was Munich. When we booked with Adventures By Disney, we did so primarily because of the stops in the smaller fairytale villages that would have been difficult to find without the help of a tour company. We knew places such as Alsfeld and Rothenburg would introduce us to real medieval lifestyle and local historians. I think we were both less enthused about the stop in Munich because it seemed like any other big city. It was essentially a stopping point so that we could continue on to Neuschwanstein Castle on the last day. Both of our opinions changed when we met Michael.
Michael is a history teacher and, for lack of a better word, a performer. Michael made us both remember that learning can be fun, silly, and entertaining. Michael met us upon our arrival in Munich and led us on a walking tour around the city. Thankfully, Diana captured most of his "lecture" on film because he shared so much history that we couldn't possibly remember it all without a review. As soon as we get the videos organized, we'll be posting them because seeing Michael is much better than us trying to describe him. In a nutshell, we learned about the flags, the Bavarian heritage, and some of the oldest buildings in the city. There is also a fountain dedicated to Little Red Riding Hood in Munich. Most importantly, though, Michael inspired us as teachers to make learning fun.
Michael explains Bavarian history with visuals, props, and audience participation.
Michael is a history teacher and, for lack of a better word, a performer. Michael made us both remember that learning can be fun, silly, and entertaining. Michael met us upon our arrival in Munich and led us on a walking tour around the city. Thankfully, Diana captured most of his "lecture" on film because he shared so much history that we couldn't possibly remember it all without a review. As soon as we get the videos organized, we'll be posting them because seeing Michael is much better than us trying to describe him. In a nutshell, we learned about the flags, the Bavarian heritage, and some of the oldest buildings in the city. There is also a fountain dedicated to Little Red Riding Hood in Munich. Most importantly, though, Michael inspired us as teachers to make learning fun.
Michael explains Bavarian history with visuals, props, and audience participation.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
After touring Lowenburg Castle in Kassel, we had a looooong bus ride along the Romantic Road to the preserved, walled town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This Medieval town has been frozen in time. We saw lots of half-timbered buildings, and all streets were narrow and made of cobble stone. Before dinner, we headed to the nearest entrance point to the city wall and walked along a portion of it. We noticed that the homes don’t really have yards, but almost all homes have flower boxes in the windows. Houses were brightly colored, and signs in front of the shops were made of wrought iron and used symbols to advertise their wares since most citizens in the medieval period could not read or write. Walt Disney visited this region early in his career and was so inspired by the architecture that he chose this setting for Pinocchio even though Pinocchio is of Italian origin. If you’ve seen Walt Disney’s Pinocchio or Disneyland’s Fantasyland in California, you can easily picture this town. Also, if you’ve ever visited the German pavilion at EPCOT, the fountain there is an exact copy of Rothenburg’s fountain in their town square.
After dinner, we were very excited to join the Night Watchman on a twilight tour of the city. To set the proper mood and atmosphere, it started to rain lightly. The weather truly added to the effect. The Night Watchman shared stories and myths about the town’s history, and explained how life in the medieval times really was. As we learned at Lowenburg Castle, it was not glamorous. On any given night, there were six Night Watchmen on duty. He carried a lantern so that he could see but more importantly, so that his fellow watchmen could see him and know he posed no danger. He also carried a horn he would blow to warn the townspeople of fire, and a hellebarde, a fierce weapon for defense. He explained that his main job was to watch for fires because the half-timbered homes could easily go up in flames if sparks flew. This job was incredibly important, but it was not thought highly of. Only the gravedigger and the executioner ranked lower in this society.
Next, the Night Watchman shared some of the medieval punishments that were handed down to the citizens. Bakers were placed into a cage and dropped into water for a time “long enough to teach a lesson” for making their loaves either too small or too big. Prices were regulated, and too small loaves were thought to be cheating the patrons. Too big loaves were thought to be unfairly persuading patrons to buy from you instead of your competitor. Unfortunately, “long enough to teach the lesson” often resulted in a dead baker. Many other punishments and torture devices still exist in the Crime and Punishment Museum. We checked those out the following day, and let’s just say that In School Detention (ISD) or Suspension look like mighty kind punishments. A miniature of a school house showed children being whipped in the front of the classroom and a jail cell in the back of the room for time out. Adults were required to wear shame masks or other embarrassing devices to correct the misbehaviors.
We learned that the 30 Years War was quite difficult on the once prosperous town. It was often invaded because of its wealth and because it was a crossroads of two major trading routes. It withstood many of these invasions but suffered many casualties and could not maintain its wealth. It survives today as a blast to the past mostly because there wasn’t enough money to modernize completely. Now, 97% of its income comes from tourism. If not for tour groups, this wonderful little town would be quite poor.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Romantische Strasse - The Romantic Road
As we left Waldeck and journeyed to Kassel, local guide Olie joined us and shared some history about the Grimm Brothers. The Grimm Brothers wanted to learn about the history and culture of Hessen which motivated them to collect tales from the region. In the process, they met a woman named Dorothea Viehmann who told them more than 40 of the tales we commonly hear today. Her father was from France, so her tales had a French background, and this differed from what the brothers were expecting. As a result, the brothers concluded these tales could happen at any place and at any time. We still view these tales as universal and timeless to this day.
Upon arriving in Kassel, we toured Lowenburg Castle, known as the Lion's Castle. This is a fake castle, built in the 1800s to look like a Medieval ruin from the 1400s. Portions were purposely made to look destroyed. The Landgrave Wilhelm IX was obsessed with the Medieval period, and wanted to show off his wealth, so every thing within his "castle" needed to look authentic to the Medieval period. For example, despite his Protestant beliefs, the chapel was constructed to look like a Catholic chapel because the Reformation did not take place until 1526. Protestant services were still held here.
Lowenburg Castle
We learned that life in the castle was not as romantic as a fairytale would depict. The knight's armor was very heavy and cumbersome. Knights began training at the age of seven as servants. At 14 they went to military school. A special knight known as the Black Knight, guarded over the sovereign's deceased body for three days. Legend has it that the Black Knight followed the leader into the grave because he often was the next to die. In reality, this probably happened due to illness such as pneumonia which was brought on by guard duty in all elements combined with the weight of the armor on his chest. Nobody wanted to be the Black Knight.
Princesses didn't have it easy, either. Their main job was to produce children. Daughters were to establish ties to other important families...Medieval Social Networking. Sons could carry on the name and inherited the land so that it stayed within the family. A woman's life expectancy was 30 years. 10 years less than a man's due to illnesses obtained during childbirth. This was certainly not a fairytale life.
Upon arriving in Kassel, we toured Lowenburg Castle, known as the Lion's Castle. This is a fake castle, built in the 1800s to look like a Medieval ruin from the 1400s. Portions were purposely made to look destroyed. The Landgrave Wilhelm IX was obsessed with the Medieval period, and wanted to show off his wealth, so every thing within his "castle" needed to look authentic to the Medieval period. For example, despite his Protestant beliefs, the chapel was constructed to look like a Catholic chapel because the Reformation did not take place until 1526. Protestant services were still held here.
Lowenburg Castle
We learned that life in the castle was not as romantic as a fairytale would depict. The knight's armor was very heavy and cumbersome. Knights began training at the age of seven as servants. At 14 they went to military school. A special knight known as the Black Knight, guarded over the sovereign's deceased body for three days. Legend has it that the Black Knight followed the leader into the grave because he often was the next to die. In reality, this probably happened due to illness such as pneumonia which was brought on by guard duty in all elements combined with the weight of the armor on his chest. Nobody wanted to be the Black Knight.
Princesses didn't have it easy, either. Their main job was to produce children. Daughters were to establish ties to other important families...Medieval Social Networking. Sons could carry on the name and inherited the land so that it stayed within the family. A woman's life expectancy was 30 years. 10 years less than a man's due to illnesses obtained during childbirth. This was certainly not a fairytale life.
Wunderbar Waldeck
We arrived at Waldeck Castle mid-afternoon and were greeted by a knight. He announced our arrival and opened the castle gate.
With free time before dinner, we explored the original areas of the castle. This included a turret, the courtyard, the terrace, and the chapel. We continued to the lower regions of the castle that once served as a prison complete with torture devices and a jail cell. This area of the castle stays cool, albeit a little musty, which is fine in the summer months, but we can only imagine how cold it would have been down there in the cold German winters. In the turret room, we were able to take on the point of view of the guards that once inhabited the space as we looked through the "window" where they would have placed their loaded weapons.
We learned that Waldeck Castle was originally a fortress (burg) used to defend the country of Waldeck. What we know as Germany today was once actually 300 independent countries. Each country needed fortresses for defense, so many castles sprung up amongst the hills. As the need for defense dwindled, elaborate palaces were built to represent local wealth. A castle that serves strictly as a palace is known as a schloß. Any place that royalty lived is also considered a castle. Castles, burgs, and palaces combine for a total of 20,000 structures throughout present-day Germany.
Surrounding the castle was a forest that could have served as a setting for any number of fairytales. We easily pictured Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, or Little Red Riding Hood wandering along our walking trail. It was dark, thick with trees, and ominous as though the villian could jump out at any moment. Anxiety grew each time we were forced to choose from various paths. At one point, we wondered if we should have brought a supply of bread crumbs, but luckily we made it out okay to our happily ever after.
This area was once inhabited by the Saxons and Francs. Due to the 30 Years' War, portions of Waldeck Castle were destroyed. Renovations made it into the hotel we were fortunate to stay in.
With free time before dinner, we explored the original areas of the castle. This included a turret, the courtyard, the terrace, and the chapel. We continued to the lower regions of the castle that once served as a prison complete with torture devices and a jail cell. This area of the castle stays cool, albeit a little musty, which is fine in the summer months, but we can only imagine how cold it would have been down there in the cold German winters. In the turret room, we were able to take on the point of view of the guards that once inhabited the space as we looked through the "window" where they would have placed their loaded weapons.
We learned that Waldeck Castle was originally a fortress (burg) used to defend the country of Waldeck. What we know as Germany today was once actually 300 independent countries. Each country needed fortresses for defense, so many castles sprung up amongst the hills. As the need for defense dwindled, elaborate palaces were built to represent local wealth. A castle that serves strictly as a palace is known as a schloß. Any place that royalty lived is also considered a castle. Castles, burgs, and palaces combine for a total of 20,000 structures throughout present-day Germany.
Surrounding the castle was a forest that could have served as a setting for any number of fairytales. We easily pictured Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, or Little Red Riding Hood wandering along our walking trail. It was dark, thick with trees, and ominous as though the villian could jump out at any moment. Anxiety grew each time we were forced to choose from various paths. At one point, we wondered if we should have brought a supply of bread crumbs, but luckily we made it out okay to our happily ever after.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Fairytale Fantasy
What a great day! We are truly in fairytale land as we write to you from our own room atop the Waldeck Castle. Don't worry, we have modern amenities such as electricity, running water, flushing toilets, and internet (obviously), but we do not have air conditioning.
But let's go back to this morning. After we loaded the bus and said "Auf Wiedersehen" to Heidelberg, we traveled to the storybook town of Alsfeld located in the Hessen region. This quaint village is not frequented by tourists, and being a Sunday, almost everything was closed (this is common throughout Germany), but the museum was open and awaiting our arrival. As we started our walking tour, who should we run into but
Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm! The brothers walked with us for a bit, and then begged leave so they could get back to people watching and listening for new tales.
As we continued our tour of Alsfeld, we saw the pranger, a device used to punish petty criminals in the town square, the half-timbered structures that are original to the town, and the Goose Girl fountain, which pays tribute to one of the lesser-known Grimm's tales.
Next, we walked right into the retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (Rotkappchen).
After greeting the characters following their performance, we ate a picnic lunch and prepared to leave for Waldeck.
We rode by bus for about 1.5 hours before reaching our own castle retreat. During the bus rides today, we learned that Germany has more than 20,000 castles, which used to serve the 300 kingdoms of the lands we now know as Germany. A house need only to be used as a royal residence to be considered a castle. Fortresses were used primarily for defense, and palaces were fancy show places for the royal families. Stephanie, one of our guides, also shared with us about her upbringing in East Germany as well as her memories of when the wall came down in 1989.
Tomorrow we will explore more of the castle and its surrounding village.
Tschüs!
But let's go back to this morning. After we loaded the bus and said "Auf Wiedersehen" to Heidelberg, we traveled to the storybook town of Alsfeld located in the Hessen region. This quaint village is not frequented by tourists, and being a Sunday, almost everything was closed (this is common throughout Germany), but the museum was open and awaiting our arrival. As we started our walking tour, who should we run into but
Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm! The brothers walked with us for a bit, and then begged leave so they could get back to people watching and listening for new tales.
As we continued our tour of Alsfeld, we saw the pranger, a device used to punish petty criminals in the town square, the half-timbered structures that are original to the town, and the Goose Girl fountain, which pays tribute to one of the lesser-known Grimm's tales.
Next, we walked right into the retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (Rotkappchen).
After greeting the characters following their performance, we ate a picnic lunch and prepared to leave for Waldeck.
We rode by bus for about 1.5 hours before reaching our own castle retreat. During the bus rides today, we learned that Germany has more than 20,000 castles, which used to serve the 300 kingdoms of the lands we now know as Germany. A house need only to be used as a royal residence to be considered a castle. Fortresses were used primarily for defense, and palaces were fancy show places for the royal families. Stephanie, one of our guides, also shared with us about her upbringing in East Germany as well as her memories of when the wall came down in 1989.
Tomorrow we will explore more of the castle and its surrounding village.
Tschüs!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Guten Tag from Heidelberg
Well, we made it! We had a few hiccups with our flights (delayed) and one of Diana's bags (also delayed), but all is right in the world now. This morning was our first full day of touring, and we started with a guided tour of Heidelberg Castle. Our guide was Lisi, a washer woman from Medieval times. She showed us the portions of the fortress that were destroyed in various wars and fires, and the portions that were added on throughout history. We went under the castle into the tunnels that would have housed soldiers during wartime. We also saw the chapel, the watch tower, and furnished rooms within the palace. The castle itself represents the both the Gothic and Renaissance periods due to additions that happened over time.
After we visited the castle, we strolled along the narrow streets and made our way up Philosopher's Path. From here, we had sweeping views of Old Town.
Tonight, we will get to witness fireworks from the Old Bridge and the lighting of the castle. This ceremony only occurs three times a year (representing the three times Heidelberg Castle was on fire), and we are fortunate to be here for the historical celebration.
Tomorrow, we move to Waldeck. We have been fortunate to have a business center with free internet access in Heidelberg. Unfortunely, we can't upload pictures (no SD slot and we didn't bring USB cords for the cameras), but we'll share photos as soon as we can. We do not yet know how wifi/internet will function in the Waldeck region since it is more remote. We'll update when we can!
After we visited the castle, we strolled along the narrow streets and made our way up Philosopher's Path. From here, we had sweeping views of Old Town.
Tonight, we will get to witness fireworks from the Old Bridge and the lighting of the castle. This ceremony only occurs three times a year (representing the three times Heidelberg Castle was on fire), and we are fortunate to be here for the historical celebration.
Tomorrow, we move to Waldeck. We have been fortunate to have a business center with free internet access in Heidelberg. Unfortunely, we can't upload pictures (no SD slot and we didn't bring USB cords for the cameras), but we'll share photos as soon as we can. We do not yet know how wifi/internet will function in the Waldeck region since it is more remote. We'll update when we can!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Departure Day!
It's finally here! We are both soooooo excited to begin this adventure! Please keep an eye on our blog as we begin our journey this afternoon and keep us in your thoughts as we fly across the pond this evening. We'll update as wifi and connectivity become available.
Auf Wiedersehen!
Auf Wiedersehen!
Friday, June 17, 2011
21 Days 'Til Departure!!
That translates to
But, who's counting, right?? :)
Friday, May 27, 2011
Adventure goodies!
Our box from Adventures By Disney arrived today with our pre-departure information, adventure backpacks, a count down calendar, and other goodies! 42 days to go!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Exciting deliveries this week :)
UPS has been good to both of us this week. Both of our netbooks have been delivered safe and sound, and we are very excited! Thanks again to all of those who helped promote our DonorsChoose.org projects, and a special thanks to all of those who donated. We are, indeed, lucky girls to have such great people in our lives!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Receiving the Letter
After working for several hours to write our Fund For Teachers proposal over Christmas Break, Diana and I began to get quite nervous as mid-March approached. We knew the selection committees had met and that "the letters" would be arriving soon. The fate of our German castle tour hung in the balance! Since we carpool together, we knew we could check the mail together each evening, and so, after Spring Break, we anxiously checked the mail upon our return home each day. Mid-week, word had come from a friend in Broken Arrow that some letters had arrived, and that Thursday we were thrilled (and nervous) to see the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence envelope peeking out of Diana's mailbox. While sitting in my car, Diana read the opening sentences of the letter aloud, and we knew we were on our way to Germany! We had received a team grant for $10,000 for our fairytale tour. What a fantastic gift from Fund For Teachers and the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence! Let the planning begin!
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