The Fairytale Route

A good article with some background about the Grimm Brothers. The author also stayed in "our" castle at Waldeck!

http://www.cntraveler.com/features/2012/02/fairy-tale-road-germany-frankfurt-brothers-grimm-raphael-kadushin?slide&fb_ref=social_fblike&fb_source=timeline

One Year Later...

A year ago this week, we were busy preparing for our fellowship departure.  Memories of our experiences are still as clear as if they happened yesterday, and we wish we were headed back to Germany!  Instead, we have resigned ourselves to reliving our journey through pictures and videos.  Here is a great scenic video of the Waldeck area where we explored for two days last summer, our castle away from home!  Enjoy!

Tech Expo

Student volunteers from Ms. Blair's and Ms. Bright's classrooms recently had the opportunity to demonstrate how to use Skype in the classroom at the district-wide Tech Expo.  Visitors to our tables included community members, parents, grandparents, other teachers, and a state department representative.  The students showed visitors a live Skype session with Chelsea, a member of the Peace Corps currently living in Panama, and they also discussed recorded Skype sessions from earlier in the school year when they met Stephanie via video chat. 

The Kingdoms Unite!

As the school year nears its end, both classrooms have been hard at work.  Students have finished state and district testing, and we finally have time for the two classrooms to work together.  On Monday, May 7, Ms. Bright's 5th hour class placed a Skype call to Ms. Blair's 3rd graders to invite them to the middle school to work on a project.  Of course, the 3rd grade Lords and Ladies were very excited to accept!  On Tuesday and Wednesday, Ms. Blair's class walked to the middle school to partner with Ms. Bright's 5th hour in a collaborative writing project.  After reading and studying the common traits of numerous fairy tales, the 3rd graders had composed their own original tales which they shared with their 8th grade buddy.  Their stories were incredibly imaginative!  Featured characters included Dogerella, Caterella, Cinderbird, an OSU Cowgirl and others along with classic favorites such as the evil sisters and fairy godmothers.  There were even ninjas!  The 8th graders were impressed with the originality of the stories.  After hearing the stories, the 8th graders were expected to coach their 3rd grade friends as they turned the original narratives into scripts for dramatic reading.  8th graders identified characters and settings and made sure that the plots had no holes.  As they wrote the scripts, they asked their 3rd grade buddies clarifying questions until they had everything just right.  After some practice read-throughs to check for accuracy, our time together was up, and the 3rd graders had to return to their school.  Both classes had a fantastic time working together and both groups applied many literary skills in the process!

Happy Birthday to Stephanie, Skyping with Chelsea in Panama, and Student Tech Expo

It has been a while since we've updated, so we'll try to catch up!  Students in both Ms. Bright's and Ms. Blair's classes recently helped Stephanie celebrate a special birthday by sending more than 50 birthday cards to her in Spain.  She was so excited to receive the package, stating that it, "made her day."  It's so awesome that our students have this authentic writing experience and can know that their letters and cards are going to a real person and that they are not just writing for some random assignment for a grade.

Ms. Blair's class has also expanded their world view a little more.  They recently had an opportunity to visit with Chelsea, a member of the Peace Corps, who is currently living in Panama.  This has prompted Ms. Blair's students to research more about Chelsea's job and how she lives, and also the Panama Canal.  The students are excited to be learning about new places!

Finally, student volunteers in both classes are preparing for the first ever Student Tech Expo held in Ponca City.  Students from both classes will have an opportunity to visit with members of the community about their Skype experience and what they've learned from the experience.  This will be held at the high school from 5:00-7:00 pm on May 10 for those readers who are local and may want to stop by our table!

Thanks for continuing to follow our journey!

Christmas Ornament Seen 'Round The World

The Pioneer Woman Statue ornament sent by students to Stephanie is displayed on her family's tree in Germany!

History of the Pioneer Woman Statue

The vision of a statue honoring the pioneer women of this country belonged to E.W. Marland, Ponca City resident, oilman, philanthropist, U.S. Congressman, and 10th governor of the state of Oklahoma. In 1926, Marland invited 17 leading sculptors to submit designs in the form of small models. Four months later, the models were exhibited across the nation and 750,000 persons cast votes for their preference. Bryant Baker’s vision of the pioneer woman was the clear winner. Located across the street from the museum, the Pioneer Woman is a heroic bronze statue of a young, sun bonneted pioneer mother, leading her son by the hand, striding confidently, head held high—a woman of sturdy beauty and dignity, whose eyes are fixed on the far southwestern horizon. (source: http://www.pioneerwomanmuseum.com/thestatue.htm)
 
About the Museum
 
The Pioneer Woman Museum showcases the history of women in Oklahoma and their influence on the development of the state and nation and preserves the legacy of women from all races, creeds, and nationalities who have made significant contributions to the history of Oklahoma. The world-famous 30 ft. tall bronze statue commemorating the heroic character of the women who braved dangers and hardships to settle in Oklahoma is featured. (source: http://www.pioneerwomanmuseum.com/themuseum.htm)

Students Skype with Stephanie, Part II

Students in both Ms. Blair's and Ms. Bright's classrooms once again had the opportunity to Skype with Stephanie this week. She is so awesome to volunteer her time, and her interaction with our students is a big motivator!


Students asked Stephanie about her job, how she came to be a tour guide, and her impressions of her career. She shared with them about her plans to open her own tour company based in Valencia, Spain, and how she is preparing for her move. She will continue to work for Adventures By Disney on the Germany tours, as well. Students also had time to ask about her recent travels to India and China, and other places she had visited previously. What a great way for students to learn about the world and practice speaking and listening skills!