"We Have to See the Lion!"

Following a dumping of stuff off at the hotel, we set off for “the lion.”  I wasn’t exactly sure what my mom was talking about, and I’m usually the “logistics coordinator” of these trips.  I study up on the local things to do, places to eat and must sees as advised by the likes of Rick Steves, DK and Lonely Planet.  Sidenote: I LOVE travel guides.  But more than travel guides themselves, I love UP TO DATE ones.  So, even though my mother had the DK guide to Switzerland from a time long ago when she dreamed of travel here, I had the 2013 version.  You never know what mountain top has gone by the wayside due to avalanche, or what tavern has closed and/or changed names as the result of recession... Admittedly, much of these guides do not change, but I like to keep the most recent one available.  It kills me every time my mom mentions the Fodor’s travel guide “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day.”  First of all, I couldn’t even do Burnsville on 5 Dollars a day, let alone Europe.  Ultimately, the mention of this book brings her to stories of “well, when I was here last” Pre-World War II... or at least Pre-Vatican II.  Things have changed mom, and so have the travel guides.  

At any rate, I had no idea what “the lion” was, but I found us a route via the old medieval wall that surrounded the city.  Not thrilled about more up and down, we trekked up a short hill to the wall and walked along.  My dad and I ventured up one of the towers (my dad, who hates heights, and would have been just as satisfied talking to the llamas in the field down below, went up into the tower with me.  You got another panoramic view of Luzerne - a beautiful city.  

We walked along the wall for a while longer, and weaved through the streets to ‘the lion.’  It was an interesting carving in the side of a hill - which Mark Twain described “The Lion of Lucerne would be impressive anywhere, but nowhere so impressive as where he is.”  Many have likened it to the lion in the Narnia books - that I can’t remember the name of right now, but you know what I mean.  

It was a nice, serene place, the entryway protected by Mormons trying to convert the Chinese entering, and a small black cat that roamed as if he owned the place.  The calm waters were not something my mom remembered from her 50 B.C. trip here, but Twain referenced it - so it must have been here all those years ago.  

We wandered through the shopping streets on our way back to the hotel, stopping for some authentic Swiss food - at McDonalds.  Never before had a McDonalds let us down so hard - to the tune of $40 on top of it.  We had two chicken wraps and I ordered a cheeseburger.  You can NEVER go wrong with a McD’s cheeseburger.  But man were those chicken wraps a bust.  Oh well.  At least we didn’t leave the McDonalds trying to talk our way out of a fixed price meal :)

And then this happened:

What is this sign trying to tell us?

Mt. Rigi

Our next day was one that would take us to the top of the world, Mt. Rigi.  I was inspired to go see this place after seeing pictures a friend of mine posted from his trip in August.  It was an opportunity to not only combine the boat trip to the base of the mountain with the heights of the mountain - I got to do both of my loves while traveling.  

We brought dad with us knowing he wasn’t going anywhere near the mountain cable car or train.  Lucky for us, he is often more inspired by the local flora and fauna of the countries we visit - not to mention architecture and the animals.  He brought the paper and a sudoku book and was thrilled to not have to ascend to the mountain top with us.  We arrived a bit early to the boat, and when it pulled up, the name of the Swiss town we were stopping in was on the side of the boat - I read it out loud, to which my dad responded, "That isn't Swiss German for 'Titanic' is it?"  We rode the boat one stop past where we were the day before-- again taking advantage of the fact that our eurail and swiss train passes covered the cost of the excursion.  We dropped dad off at a bench near the boat dock and told him we’d be back around 2 that afternoon, and off we went to the train to begin our trip up the mountain.  

Yup - this happened.  He played conveniently as people got off the train at the top of the mountain.  It was surreal.

What breathtaking sites we witnessed from the top.  We had a panoramic view for miles, and the weather was so nice - it was 68 degrees on top - and sunny.  It was really one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.   

The trip down was a bit hectic as we told dad we'd meet him around 2.  There are only so many trains that go up and down the mountain, and we didn't realize that in order to ride the gondola, you'd have to stop mid way - and end up in a different town at the bottom.  We just missed one gondola, so we were going to try to get the next train down.  Which left later than the next gondola.  However, if we took the gondola down, we'd have to get the boat back - either way we'd be late. So we weighed our options and ended up choosing the gondola, followed by a boat ride, landing us about 30 minutes after 2.  

The gondola was a bit scarier than I had anticipated, as it went pretty quickly, and there were only THREE concrete support towers up the ENTIRE mountain.  Funny enough, we got to the bottom, weaved our way through the town and after checking the boat times, took a public bus to the next town over where dad was waiting. 

We had a splendid four hour round trip up and down the mountain, and dad was thrilled because he saw a hummingbird moth and a dog running after a nun.  Equally enjoyable day had by all.

The classroom of travel

Switzerland - Through the eyes of a traveler

I usually spend some time blogging about the trips we take, so all those in my large fan base can follow what we do.  I’m including these thoughts in my school blog, so my students can see what crazy things we run into while on international soil.  

Well, in all the miles I’ve logged on international airplanes, I witnessed my first medical emergency on the flight over.  I was moving between consciousness and sleep when I saw a man approaching the bathroom.  (for those of you who haven’t followed my travel escapades in the past, I always sit on the aisle and near the bathroom.  I’m a control freak and need to be able to control the number of times I get up to use the bathroom without feeling like I’m bothering someone.)  As I was watching this man, he reached for the door of the bathroom, fell to his knees and then onto his head.  I waited a split second, and then yelled “we need help back here” and pushed my attendant call button (which is no easy feat on these new fandangled electronic systems on each seat back.)  As fate would have it, he practically fell directly into a doctors lap - and he came to his rescue.  It was frightening at first, since (according to my seat back map screen television thingy) we were directly over the Atlantic - how exactly were we going to get this guy to safety?  They brought out oxygen, got him on his back and let him rest for a while.  Ultimately, it was a combination of dehydration and too many free drinks on the plane, with a history of cardiac problems.  Not too smart buddy.  

We deplaned in Amsterdam and I was surprised to see that they’ve updated the place since I was there last.  There is a new larger Starbucks (for all those American travelers who haven’t had a cup of joe since they left the states 8 hours ago) and some additional shops.  I stopped off in the bathroom, which would normally not be blog worthy, but as I was in line, I hear a soft, “Staffa?” from behind me.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, while I was wearing my brand new ‘Burnsville Staff‘ shirt, I was recognized by a parent of a former student.  That’s why my mom says you always have to be on your best behavior- which of course I was.

After landing in Zurich, I easily worked my way to the train platform and caught the first train into the city to the main train station.  A friend of mine recently pointed out that he happened to be very good at fishing, something he was proud of.  I happen to be very good at international travel - as evident in the smooth transition from plane to train to hotel.  I dropped my luggage off at the hotel and went wandering for a couple hours.  It was a good sleep that night as I’d been up for 36+ hours. 

I got up early the next morning and did a self guided walking tour of Zurich.  I was to meet my parents in Luzerne later that day, and wanted to take advantage of my short time in the big city.  I stopped in the large church that was said to have been founded by Charlemagne, saw a commemorative statue in the crypt, said a prayer and continued up to the tower.  There were spectacular views of lake Zurich and the whole of the city, on a nice clear day.  When I travel, I like to go by boat to see things, and also ‘up‘ in towers or look outs to see panoramas.  Consider one checked off in Zurich. 

Zurich from the cathedral tower

Lake Zurich

  I wandered the streets of old town, and came upon a very long line of people -- unusual I thought.  So, I decided to hop in the line and see what it was all about.  It led to a cog train that brought people to the top of the nearby hill where the university was located.  It was a 6 minute ride, that offered nice views of the city from the top.  After a short stroll, I got back on the train and headed back down to resume my walk.  I stopped in a couple of small churches, nice shops and an art gallery that featured a Hungarian artist - I could tell by the photos of the escalator at Deak Ter.  I had a nice chat with the gallery owner, who happened to be from Ohio, and asked about moving to the country for a teaching job.  Great conversation :)  

The cog train I took to the top of the hill 

I returned to the hotel to retrieve my baggage and went to the station to catch the train to Lucerne, Luzern-- however you want to call it.    

An hour later, I was in the main train station of Lucerne, heading out the door to meet my parents at their hotel.  There is a beautiful old town, and I got to parade through it with my luggage banging on the cobblestones in all my tourist glory.  What made me stick out as a tourist- the camera strapped around my neck?  The luggage announcing my every move with each bump on the street?  The pink travelers pillow strapped to my over the shoulder bag?  The lost look on my face?  Or the map in hand?  Take your pick - I stood out.  Whatever.  It’s part of the gig right?

I met my parents on the street just outside of our hotel, we dropped off my stuff and headed on our way.   

We headed out to the tourist shop to see what would be the best use of our time in terms of tours.  On our way, we spotted the tourist boat -- and incidentally with our Eurail and Swiss train passes, tickets were covered in the cost already.  As I pointed out before, I like to ride in boats and go up to see things.  So, we hopped on the boat, why not right?  Well, once we had pulled away, I thought it’d be a good idea to see exactly where this boat was going, as Lake Lucerne is quite large.  Turns out, we were on a 5.5 hour trip - one way.  Awesome sauce.  

There were stops so we were able to get off, and catch the next boat back to town- so all was not lost.  We were on a 1.5 hour round trip once we figured that step out -- much more feasible than a one way.  Additionally, it was the train we’d need to be on the next day so as to catch the train to the top of the local mountain - Rigi Kulm.  

We wandered back through the old town, did a bit of shopping and decided to get dinner.  Turns out, “fixed price menus” are all the rage - and the fixed price is higher than we were interested in spending.  We ended up leaving three restaurants before we found one that offered Swiss cuisine AND affordable prices.  Wouldn’t you know that the two couples at the table next to us were Americans, who hail from Eagan.  What are the odds?!  We had a great meal of fondue, sausage and schnitzel.  It was well worth the wait and it’s almost reasonable price.  

Parent Teacher Conferences

What a day at parent teacher conferences!  It’s always interesting to meet the parents of the students we get to see on a daily basis.  With some, you can tell right away who they ‘belong’ to, others it’s sometimes a surprise.  I find a lot of value in getting to touch base with the parents, not only so they know who I am (there are more often than not stories that make it home about my eccentric personality, quirky stories or my cat Boo) but more importantly, I can connect about their student.  Many parents who came had no idea that we were working on the 20% project, or that their students had put themselves out to the internet world on their blogs.  In some cases however, the parents were deeply involved in the process and had help edit their entries prior to the nerve wracking action of clicking “publish.”  What a range of involvement.  I know that in many cases, the student halts communication with a curt “I have no homework” or “school was fine” etc. etc.  I’m sure I used the same teenage vernacular when I was in high school, but how things have changed.  

In my opinion, parent involvement in student daily life is essential to student success.  Granted, there is a necessary balance between the over-involved and the not involved, but there NEEDS to be connections made every day.  I have worked hard in the past to involve parents whether through classroom newsletters, emails or the annual “bring your parent to school day.”  I have had limited success with all of these attempts... often times its the “choir” showing up for rehearsal.  In this day and age of connectivity, you’d think it would be easier to stay in touch with parents.  However, I haven’t quite grasped my new “google site” where we are to put homework and communication.  I tweet, but I’m not sure how many parents “follow” me, and I answer emails to the best of my ability.   However, there still is that lack of connection between the classroom and the parents.  I wonder, with my current class sizes of 40, would a “bring your parent to school day” be possible?  How would I get more to attend?  Why were only 20% of my students represented at parent teacher conferences?  What else can I do to connect with parents?  How can I ensure that ALL of my parents are reached and are engaged in the lives of their students with regard to my class?  Is this question easy for me to ask since I do not have kids of my own?  Am I expecting too much? 

Can you teach creativity? Is it my job?

Well, we're in official week one of our 20% project blogging.  The process of getting the students set up wasn't so bad, I had created an assignment sheet with screen shots and the like.  It took a long time, but hopefully it alleviated the amount of repetitive questions asked.  We are using Blogger as we are a Google Apps for Education district.  It was a bit cumbersome as I don't know the best way to link their blogs to mine, so I just had them all "add me as an author" - so now I have a bajillion blogs instead of just the one.  I'm not sure how I am going to keep track of all of them, as some of them did not follow that step to add me, so I don't even know where their blogs are.  At the same time, I have some that were named things that should really not be associated with their district gmail address... so we're learning.

I assigned an introduction blog as their first assignment.  Quickly I realized that I had to remind the students that you don't in fact include your full address in the first line.  There is a teaching moment in how much you have the student put out there in terms of personal information, especially since this seemed to be brand new information in some cases.  Another teaching moment was when a student asked, "Ms. Staffa, do we have to write formally in this?"  Well, yes... and no.  Formally for a blog I suppose.  This is not a research paper, there aren't really structural parameters, however it's going out to a much more authentic audience than just me.  That made them stop to think.  "Wait, other people are going to read this?"  My response, "Yes.  I had over 100 views after just my first post" I explained. Admittedly, it was probably largely my mom, or my 10th graders just clicking on it to make me feel good.  BUT, you can't control who does and doesn't see it the way that we've set it up.  The tone in the room shifted.  They had to be a bit more conscientious about what they were writing.  It was a great experience that I got to see them actually think twice about what they were doing.

Their second blog had to explain their activity they are working on for our 20% Genius Hour project.  As explained in my first post, they all have something they have to research and learn or create using 20% of the class time for the rest of the semester.  They were to explain what they were trying to accomplish and why they were pursuing said project.

As I sat back and listened to the clicking of the keyboards I could feel the concentration in the room - the students really wanting to write well and publish something worth reading.  And then it happened.  A student sitting across from me says, "Ugh.  I just want to... learn history.  Why are we doing this?!?"
That was a blow to the confidence of this fairly confident teacher.  Here I was thinking I was revolutionary (compared to some of their other experiences) in allowing students to take this time out of MY class to learn about something they are interested in.  It both broke my heart and frustrated me to no end to hear the complaint that they would rather do a poster project on an assigned president than have choice in a creative project that will be beneficial to them.  A good portion of the drive for me to try this was to let the students flex their creative muscles.  They have been prescribed education for so long, I was going to release them to an endeavor where they could explore something truly interesting to them.  Sure, it would require work and thought and individual drive, but in the end the process would be worth it, right?  Then I started thinking about how I was putting aside content assigned by the state standards to allow for this time in class.  What would my principal say when he found out we were doing this - would he approach it like some of the students, "What does this have to do with history?  How does this learning target align to your curricular area? etc. etc"

These are valid questions, that I don't necessarily have the answer to.  I'm doing it because I've seen many a student graduate from our school and years later not know what they want to do with themselves.  Some go to college right away, and major in something they think their parents want them to major in, when really it has nothing to do with how they want to live THEIR lives.  I'm doing it because our students lack the ability to think on their own and creatively solve problems.  I'm doing it because students need to begin exploring things that can be considered their passions.  I'm doing it because students need to have a voice in what they're doing - and this was their chance, right?  I'm doing it because it can be one of those things that students get so involved in that they'll never forget the experience.

But the question I'm wrestling with right now remains, is this my job?  Do I have the right to set aside these curricular hours for something I'm not even sure will work out?  Is it my place to take these risks in the classroom?  I don't actually think the students would rather be lectured at about the French and Indian War than spending time on the 20% project, but what if they would?  Is preparing them for the real world in this way my responsibility?

What do you think?

Here Goes Nothing!

Well, we're trying several new things for history class in C-284 this year.... and blogging is one of them.  To model what the students are to do, I started this blog so they can read, comment and connect with this skill.

This fall, my students were tasked with developing a plan based on Google's 20% project - only this time in education.  We will spend 20% of our time in class researching and learning about a project of the students' choice.  There is a range of topics the students pitched and proposed to the class, with the culmination being a TED-style talk about the process they went through.

We will analyze TED and TEDx talks, and work on presentation skills based on ones we deem "effective."  Ideally, the students will have chosen a project they are passionate about, so this will be something exciting and fun for them to do.  At worst, they're learning something new and engaging in critical analysis of the delivery and messages of TED talks.

The biggest question I get is "what does this have to do with history?"  I answer with a smile, "nothing.  Absolutely nothing."  Though this project does not align with the Minnesota State Standards in History perse, I believe that there are larger skills at play.  Many of these skills I feel are essential to our students' futures, and deserve the same commitment to teaching as those related to history.

One of these skills is exercising student creativity and creative thought. Through this opportunity, they will be able to take their learning style, explore something of interest to them, and share it with their peers in a way best suited to them.  When students ask me, "Ms. Staffa, can I make a video documentary about our favorite pieces of the high school experience?"  I answer without hesitation, "yes."  They ask, "how long should it be?"  My response, "as long as it takes to show us what you'd like the audience to know."  Hands raise, "can I do my project on [fill in the blank]?"  Yes has always been the answer.  If they really want to learn more about underwater basket weaving, so be it.  Go get 'em kid.

Another skill I hope to see flourish through this experience is that of delivering a persuasive presentation.  In my 13 years of teaching, I've sat through an extraordinary amount of students reading from the projected power point at the audience.  Gone be the days of the "Ben Stein" voice being used to deliver information that they are going to be the "expert" on.  I want to see these students learn how to find their passion, and share it in an enthusiastic manner with others, so as to inspire.

Perhaps this is all a pipe dream, but I long for a world where high school students find it exciting to learn again.  Where they want to get to the bottom of questions, and exercise curiosity to see how and why things happen.  Where the apathy is left at the door, and they come in excited to share what they've learned, and thirsty for more and more.

This is going out on a limb for me, as I've only recently started to relinquish my obsessive need to control every situation I engage in.  I'm starting to realize and embrace the value in student choice and voice in the classroom.  For so many years, I taught the way I was taught: the teacher stands in the front of the room, and tells the students everything the teacher knows.  If the student can regurgitate all the information correctly, they get an A.  This isn't about me anymore, it's about them and what THEY want to learn.  Sure, we'll do the normal history stuff -- take the multiple choice tests and analyze documents -- all important skills in their own right -- but there will be a new element this year.  This element, the Genius Project, will be driven by students- learning about what they're interested in, in ways meaningful to them, with results they find value in.

Wish us luck.

Austin is checking out the themes in Blogger - I hope he picked a good one :)

Lángos!!

My favorite Hungarian treat in the entire world - lángos!!!  I found some at the Great Market Hall, a typically touristy place, but what the heck.  I was appalled when the offerings for your lángos included nutella, pepperoni, peanut butter and other such weird things.  I have only had one sweet lángos in my life, and that was in the United States.  We ordered the traditional one that has sour cream, cheese and SHOULD have garlic sauce on it, but for some reason it didn't.  It was a feeling of home comfort food, and we gobbled it up very quickly.