Jillian
Undergraduate
Social Studies Education |
Jillian
Undergraduate
Social Studies Education |
My first week at school was an adjustment but it was fun, and I feel that I learned a lot! Seeing the IB model in full swing is fascinating, the students are so focused. I will be responsible for creating and teaching lessons for grades 8,9 and 10 and I will assist in grades 11,12 and 13. I took over a lesson for grade 8 first and we are working through the explorers. The students had to select an explorer that they wanted to know more about in pairs. The students then got 3 classes to create a PowerPoint on the explorer they selected. After explaining the purpose of the presentations to the students they got started right away, they were very excited to begin. While they worked with their partners I moved about the room and monitored their work asking what they were finding and if they needed help. It was fun to see the students to engaged in their own learning, it was almost like they were teaching themselves and I was just there to watch it happen, it is very different from all of the traditional learning models that I am familiar with. I like this model of learning because it allows the kids to learn more of what interests them, they can essentially decide what they want to learn and do it for themselves, SO INTERESTING! In the grade 11 class we were discussing if the students think there will eventually be a homogenized global culture and they had a lot of questions about American Culture which I tried to answer any and all questions that I could. The conversation that was happening was intelligent and very interesting. It turned to being taught culture in schools because of the mix of cultures that exist in this school which ended in me reciting the pledge of allegiance, and the kids thought that it was kind of peculiar that in America the students have to recite it each morning. To celebrate a successful first week, we went out to dinner and Dr. Renzoni advised me to order the cacio e pepe and honestly whatever else she tells me to order I am going to do it because that was probably my favorite thing I’ve eaten so far! After a delicious dinner I ate gelato for the first time ever and I will never be the same! Aside from school I am getting around town and seeing what there is to see. Having a background in history is difficult because I am temporarily living somewhere where basically everything is something to see, it seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day! Eve and I managed to climb all 400 stairs in the Tower of Siena . Next week I hope to visit the Duomo of Siena and maybe take a weekend trip somewhere as well. I am having a great time here so far and I am learning so much about IB and school cultures and how they differ from place to place!
Ciao for now!
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I am writing this first post from the place that will call home for the next several weeks. I arrived in Florence on Thursday and spent three nights there in religious housing that was close to a lot of the major attractions within the city. During my time in Florence, I was able to wander around the city and see and taste some amazing things. On the first night there I had pizza with burrata, which I had never had before, and it was life changing! Our first day was mainly settling in and walking around the city a bit, I was able to go to the Uffizi Gallery on Friday. I loved waking around the gallery and seeing how old the artwork there was, that was very interesting. Mid-way through my stroll though the gallery I stopped to have a snack which was Torte de Nona, like a custard cake, and a cappuccino, both were exceptional! On Saturday I was able to go to the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s famous David, the details of the sculpture are astonishing! The views in Florence are magic during both the day and night, I hope to make it back to Florence during my time in Italy, Ciao!
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AuthorFirst time traveler, check out my adventures with Buffalo State abroad! ArchivesCategories |