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Archive for April, 2010
Friday, April 9th, 2010
Here is Andy Johnson’s daily update of the Grade 8 exchange with Colegio CIEDI, Bogota. from my daily conversations with Andy, I can tell you that the whole groups is having a wonderful and educational time. Katie Litzenberger flies out to join the group on Saturday and Andy returns to Boise on Tuesday.
Andrew Derry
Today we spent the day exploring Bogota and its history. We also spent a good deal of time learning about indigenous history at the Museum of Gold. This museum is dedicated to preserving and protecting the remaining treasures of Pre-Colombian Colombia. The museum has an astounding array of some of the finest gold metalwork anywhere in the world. Additionally the Colombian government has done a superb job interpreting these artifacts in a way that is accessible and very educational. Many of the things the kids saw and read in the museum reinforced what they had learned when they studied the Mississippian and Anasazi cultures earlier in the semester. Following that visit we visited the church on Montserrate. The city of Bogota is at about 8000′. The church is on an impossibly steep mountain that towers over downtown Bogota. When we stepped off the cable car we were at about 10,000 feet. The views, even on a cloudy and somewhat smoggy day, were wonderful. The group photo was taken from the steps of the church. After this visit we slid back down the mountain on the teleferico (cable car), piled onto the busses and drove down into la Candalaria. This is the oldest part of Bogota and retains much of its original character. The streets are steep and lined with colorful old houses. We visited the Plaza de Bolivar, saw the main cathedral, sat on the steps of the senate and listened as David Palacios gave a brief, but good summary of the form of the Colombian government. Afterwards, we walked back into la Calendaria and visited the Botero Museum. Botero is Colombia’s national artist. His work is fetching upwards of 700,000-800,000 dollars at art auctions. He donated his entire art collection to Colombia. We saw works from Picasso, Renoir, Nolde, Kokoschka, as well as Botero. We finished the trip by grabbing hamburgers at La Corral, a good chain of Colombian hamburger restaurants. All in all, another great day.
Andy
Today we spent the day exploring Bogota and its history. We also spent a good deal of time learning about indigenous history at the Museum of Gold. This museum is dedicated to preserving and protecting the remaining treasures of Pre-Colombian Colombia. The museum has an astounding array of some of the finest gold metalwork anywhere in the world. Additionally the Colombian government has done a superb job interpreting these artifacts in a way that is accessible and very educational. Many of the things the kids saw and read in the museum reinforced what they had learned when they studied the Mississippian and Anasazi cultures earlier in the semester. Following that visit we visited the church on Montserrate. The city of Bogota is at about 8000′. The church is on an impossibly steep mountain that towers over downtown Bogota. When we stepped off the cable car we were at about 10,000 feet. The views, even on a cloudy and somewhat smoggy day, were wonderful. The group photo was taken from the steps of the church. After this visit we slid back down the mountain on the teleferico (cable car), piled onto the busses and drove down into la Candalaria. This is the oldest part of Bogota and retains much of its original character. The streets are steep and lined with colorful old houses. We visited the Plaza de Bolivar, saw the main cathedral, sat on the steps of the senate and listened as David Palacios gave a brief, but good summary of the form of the Colombian government. Afterwards, we walked back into la Calendaria and visited the Botero Museum. Botero is Colombia’s national artist. His work is fetching upwards of 700,000-800,000 dollars at art auctions. He donated his entire art collection to Colombia. We saw works from Picasso, Renoir, Nolde, Kokoschka, as well as Botero. We finished the trip by grabbing hamburgers at La Corral, a good chain of Colombian hamburger restaurants. All in all, another great day.
Andy
 
 
Tags: Bogota, Boise, Curriculum Links & Exchanges, IB, school
Posted in Curriculum Links & Exchanges, IB, International Understanding | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Andy’s Update from Bogota: Wednesday April 7
The first words out of the kids’ mouths at the wrap-up yesterday were: “CANCEL THE TICKETS!” They are having a great time. Yesterday they participated in the filming of a dramatized version of The Diary of Anne Frank. They played the roles of the Germans and Dutch police who arrested the Franks. Not a glory filled role, but one that they played well and seriously. Apparently, they are going to enter the film in a South American film festival for school age children. Our kids could be famous!
Next we spent a couple of hours in Spanish. Another excellent session during which we practiced in groups with conversation about everyday life, worked on vocabulary related to the family and the house. We wrapped up with skits. I participated as well. I had a great time. However, I want to make special mention of Jenny and Kristin’s group. They participated in a simulation of television broadcast interviewing two norteamericanas visiting Bogota. Kristin and Jenny’s Spanish was very fluent and relaxed. They were amazing.
We also had about an hour of project time that all the kids spent finishing research and collaborating.
We finished the day with an hour and a half of dance. Yes, I danced (and danced, and danced). There is no other choice in Colombia. We had a great time. CIEDI’s dance teacher is phenomenal. We practiced the meringue, the salsa and the cumbia.
…all well this morning. Kids are doing great….well, that may not be entirely true. We are currently in math class learning trigonometry in Spanish….a topic I find singularly puzzling…more so in Spanish. I see our kids taking notes….that at least is a good sign. We’re moving to Spanish next. We will be singing I’ve been told. Another one of my least strong suits :)
We also had an excellent presentation on the Andean Condor by a group of men directly involved in reintroduction efforts here in Colombia. We really got into the importance of gaining the buy in from the local population, demonstrating economic benefits from reintroduction and the importance of battling long-standing myths surrounding the condor. I took a ton of notes. Another aspect of the presentation that was superb was the demonstrated “sharing” of resources between the San Diego Zoo and the wildlife biologists here in Colombia.
Finally, I included four pictures from Math. Juan Paulo is the mathematics teacher. The other three, random photographs are of our kids furiously taking notes. Juan Paulo is doing a great job. He and I coordinated before class to confirm that he would do it in Spanish. I felt strongly that was the best COA especially since the language of mathematics is international. Erik G. just leaned over and remarked how much he was understanding just because of that one basic fact.
My last update was during the middle of math when the kids were learning some basic trigonometry…all in Spanish. From what I understand almost all of the kids were able to successfully do the practice problems at the end of the hour. Both Claudia and Juan Paulo were circulating and helping. It was great to see the Riverstone kids helping Colombians and vice versa. I was so impressed. They are incredible kids. Their parents should be very, very proud.
During the hour before lunch Dora Liz introduced us to a song by Juanes which we all practiced for an hour. It was a great exercise for working our fluency with different word combinations and to increase our confidence with the language. I think they are going to perform it next week (get ready Katie….Dora Liz doesn’t speak English and she really wants us to learn Spanish)
Lunch was great. A huge amount of food and a lot of conversation with the other teachers.
We wrapped up the day with a 8-11 assembly. Our kids did a short powerpoint about Idaho and then they performed the Cotton Eyed Joe. CIEDI then put on a super cool music presentation by the 8th and 9th students. It turned into the best school dance of ALL TIME!!! I was dragged out on the floor by the juniors and danced, and danced.
More tomorrow!
Andy Johnson
Tags: Bogota, Boise, Exchange, IB, school
Posted in Curriculum Links & Exchanges, International Understanding | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Here are a few pictures from the first day of school here in Bogota. One word: wonderful. What a great place. The kids seem to be really comfortable and happy.
This morning Andrea and I met the kids as they got off the busses in front of the school. They flooded into the school with the other 500 kids.
It was very cool and fun. We started the day with an all 8th Grade Assembly. Andrea went over the program with all of us. We then moved outside and worked through several excellent team building stations. Several of which were exact replicas of teambuilding and leadership exercises we did in the Army. After the team building exercises we did group reflections led by the American students. Several of us, myself included, had to recite Spanish tonguetwisters. Lots of giggling. Following this we went to snack where the kids got something to drink and tried an new fruit which is orange, has a brittle skin and is filled with sweet small seeds similar to a pomegranate. I loved them. Apparently the Colombians jokingly refer to the fruit pulp as “coal miner’s snot.” Awesome! Afterwards we trundled off to Spanish. I had my own chair in the middle of the class and was expected to participate as fully as all the other students. It was a blast. We did small group activities during which we had to develop five questions we do or might use in our daily routines. Everybody had to be prepared to answer the questions of every other group with full sentences. It was super. Next we followed Laura Barrera and Andrea to Laura’s classroom and began figuring out where we were with projects. And, if that wasn’t enough, we enjoyed an enormous lunch together and went off for a two hour block of PE.
My perspective on Colombia to date.
It is exciting and interesting. Bogota is incredibly alive and fun. On Sunday, I spent the day with Santiago and David driving through the mountains outside Bogota. We saw 200 year old haciendas, tumbledown villages, super modern housing developments and a million other small details that I can’t recount here. We met Andrea and her son Juan Manuel for some great food at Andres’s Carne de Res. Huge amount of fun. Following that we came out to school with David to check on some construction. Then we plunged back into town, picked up tickets for the Iberoamericano Stage and Theater Festival and had a cup of coffee at a Juan Valdez coffee shop. We picked up Andrea and a couple more of David’s friends and headed down to the Plaza de Toro for the final performance of the festival. It was Cirque de Soleilish and truly amazing and entertaining. All in all my initial impressions are incredibly positive and enthusiastic. These feelings have been reinforced by talking with four or five other American teachers here at the school.
Andy Johnson
 
 
 
 
Tags: Bogota, Boise, Exchange, IB, school
Posted in Curriculum Links & Exchanges, IB, International Understanding | No Comments »
Monday, April 5th, 2010
As part of our collaborative MYP unit of study with Colegio CIEDI, 11 grade 8 students set off for their exchange visit to Bogota. The students, accompanied by Mr. Johnosn and Mrs. Litzenberger, will be living with host families for two weeks.
I just heard from Mr. Johnson this morning who informs me that all the students are safe, well and having a great time.
Watch the blog for more photos as we get them!
Tags: Bogota, Boise, Exchange, IB, international, school
Posted in Curriculum Links & Exchanges, International Understanding | No Comments »
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