Think Global, Teach Local
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Teach Global - Germany
Education in Germany - Good Practices and New Perspectives
Reflections and teaching applications


Reflections

The two weeks in Regensburg were truly wonderful. Teachers are inherently life-long learners, so having the chance to learn and broaden my perspectives is always personally and professionally satisfying. Here are a few take-aways from my experiences:

  • Cultural immersion - two weeks isn't long enough to really know a place, but it's a good amount of time to get a feel and cultivate deep appreciation and curiosity. It was a joy to wander through the city center of Regensburg and enjoy the energy, especially since the World Cup. I liked wandering through the local grocery stores, sitting in cafes, eating at different restaurants and enjoying a variety of foods - German, Italian, tapas, vegan burgers, gelato, Thai.....One evening a colleague and I headed out for dinner and ended up at the opera! A particular treat was the Fourth of July party at the University of Regensburg. I appreciated the thoughtfulness and the opportunity to meet new people.
  • Current events - This seminar was an excellent example of how globalized the world is. I appreciated the context - from the German perspective - of issues related to the economy, politics, and social movements. Our country's inter-relatedness is undeniable. One of the most compelling topics, for me, is immigration. Since I live in a state that borders Mexico, the recent policies of the US Administration have had direct impact on people in my state and even students in my own classroom. Leaving the US in the third week of June, families seeking asylum through our southern border were separated and detained. It was interesting to learn about how Germany is dealing with the mass influx of immigrants and to hear about the political backlash that has ensued across Europe and in Germany. My awareness of Germany and Europe has been piqued, obviously, and so it was with a new perspective that I followed the news of President Trump's visit to Europe; comments about NATO, the EU, the UK, and Germany. I appreciate that I have a renewed critical lens with which to understand world events.
  • Historical context - One particular experience that was illuminating was our visit to the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg. It was fascinating to learn about the rise of National Socialism beyond my learning in school. I found it to be rather bone-chilling, especially the emphasis on propaganda and the de-legitimization of the free press.
  • Education and teaching - For decades, I've been aware of the vocational education programming in Germany and had awareness of kids being 'tracked' either to vocational ed or to college prep with limited context. What is most intriguing to me about the German education system is the idea that it's diverse and permeable. I encountered this ethos in Finland where their education system was described as having no dead ends. In both systems, there is not a singular path that students are destined to take.
        However, I do appreciate that we heard several times in a variety of contexts how socio-economics does play a role in the 
        trajectory of many students across the country. One surprising fact is that, in Bavaria, students and families make that initial
        decision about their education and career path after fourth grade when kids are around 10 - 11 years old. While we do not have a  
        formal, systemic path to prepare students through vocational education across the US or in my state of New Mexico, I see how we
        do have commonalities in our intention to meet the needs of diverse students. Essentially, in one school building, for example, we
        could be working to meet the unique and diverse needs of students who would be in the mittelschule, the realschule, and the
        gymnasium. In many cases, in fact, these students could be in the same classroom. There is much conversation about education
        in the US, on a national level and in the context of community values and needs, and I perceive that  vocational education is a
        topic of great interest and relevance. In fact, one colleague in this group teaches in a school with a robust vocational program. I
        appreciate having a new perspective to add to the conversation of how we teachers work to prepare students to be college and
        career ready.

  • Gratitude - Finally, I am profoundly grateful for this incredible opportunity. Thank you, German-American Fulbright Commission, for the opportunity to experience German culture and an in-depth study of education in Germany. Thank you, University of Regensburg, for hosting this seminar and planning a relevant, joyful and compelling program. And, thanks to the teachers and students who spent time with us and welcomed us into their lovely schools.

Teaching Germany

  1. According to the United States Census Bureau, there are nearly 50 million people in the United States who describe themselves as being of German descent, making this the largest ancestry group in the country. Take a look at the map from 2000. Most states, including my own, includes people with German backgrounds. PBS offers this resource about German immigrants to the US between 1820 - 1924. The Library of Congress offers a lesson plan, "German Immigrants: Their Contributions to the Upper Midwest" that examines why Germans immigrated to the Upper Midwest and the impact they had on communities.
  2. Geography - My state of New Mexico and Germany are almost the same size. Yet, Germany has a population of around 83 million and a little over 2 million people live in New Mexico. Consider the population density of each of these locations!
    1. Compare your state/ country to the size of Germany - https://mapfight.appspot.com or at https://thetruesize.com
  3. Germany is the largest economy in Europe, is the second most populated country in Europe, and is the 7th largest in land mass. Include Germany in the study of the European continent with this lesson activity from National Geographic Education.
  4.  Create custom maps of Germany using National Geographic MapMaker.
  5. In 2015, Germany opened its borders to 1.2 million immigrants during the refugee crisis. Help students understand the context of the refugee crisis through these lessons:
    1.   Refugee Stories: Mapping a Crisis Lesson Plan from the Choices Program at Brown University
  6. Understanding the Global Refugee Crisis Lesson Plan from Facing History and Ourselves
  7. I had the pleasure of being in Germany during the 2018 World Cup (sorry that Germany exited with their loss to Korea on June 27.) I don't know about you, but my students love fùtbol! Here's a post by an educator about bringing the World Cup into the classroom!
  8. The beautiful cit of Regensberg is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and there are many others across Germany. National Geographic Education has a wonderful activity, Mapping World Heritage.
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  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
  • Think Global - Svalbard
    • The Polar Bear Express
  • Vamos Explorar!
    • Background and Inspiration
    • The Geo-Inquiry Process >
      • Student Blog Posts
    • Expeditions into New Mexico Wilderness Areas
    • Content and Curriculum Resources
  • Think Global - Finland
    • Introduction
    • Education in Finland
    • International Expressions of Global Education >
      • Global Education Concepts and Definitions
    • Case Study: Global Education in Finland >
      • Global Education Initiatives Timeline
      • Themes of Global Education in Finland
    • Curriculum Development >
      • Resources for Teachers
      • Finland Blog
    • Gratitude and Dedication
  • Think Global - Germany
    • Teach Global - Germany
  • Think Global - Colombia
    • Journal
    • Think Global Resource Guide >
      • Essential Question
      • Standards Based Global Education
      • Global Education Unit: American Indians and Indigenous Peoples of the World – Past, Present and Future
      • Digital Learning Environment Inventory
      • Local Resource Guide
      • Global Education Unit: Being American: An examination of the struggle for civil liberties for historically disenfranchised groups of Americans
      • Global Education Student Assessment Tools Inventory
      • International Project -Based Learning Opportunities
      • TGC Teacher Blogs
  • Teach Global
    • Think Global - Peru >
      • Virtual Field Trip to Peru >
        • Tasty Peru Tour
      • Peru Teacher Resources
    • Virtual Field Trip to Pakistan
    • Social Justice Heroes from Across the Americas
    • Global Leadership Odyssey Project: Introduction Videos to Students in Cartagena, Colombia
    • Colombia Lessons and Presentations
    • Schools Around the World
    • Ancient China
    • iEARN Global Learning Circle - Spring 2014
  • Chaco Canyon Trek 2018
  • Non-clickable Page