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!

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!

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.

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.

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 :)

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.