New York City- Center of the Universe

New York City- the city that never sleeps.....

Den samfundsfaglige gruppe er lige ankommet til New York efter en 4 timer lang bustur fra Philadelphia med masser af kø på de amerikanske veje.

Og så blev det forår. Sol og varme og glade elever, der er parate til at udforske city life i New York City.

                                               UN blev besøgt en gruppe elever i formiddag.

Poul Petri beretter:

Som slutning på FN rundvisningen besøgte vi den største sal i FN, som hed generalforsamlingen. i salen er der plads til omkring 2000.

Mosaik af FN: Under rundvisningen stoppede turguiden ved en stor mosaik. Billedet taler for sig selv. Det er dog værd at gøre opmærksom på, at formålet med maleriet, som også står skrevet på det er: "Do Unto Others, as you would have them, do unto you".

                                           Basket kamp Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets

Christopher, Elvis, Kristian S og Adam på vej til Barclay Center for at se Basket.

Ca. 16.000 tilskuere. Der var cheerleaders, nationalhymne, showtime, og basket i verdensklasse. 

Selv om Boston Celtics spillede på udebane vandt de med 2 point over Brooklyn Net.

Simon og Elvis fik kommenteret hele basketkampen af den meget basket interesserede Carl!

American Values

What strikes you in the American society?

Do the American students work harder than the Danish students? Do they get much better qualifications?Who will get the good jobs in the future? The American or the Danish applicants? Or maybe they will meet - and work together in perfect harmony.

We have explored the differences in the American society and here are some of the reflections:


Elvis: What struck me the most, is how overprotective the parents are. We were planning a sleepover, but the parents wouldn't allow us to come over.

Emilie: I think that where they go to college is very important to both the kids and the parents. Almost all they think about is their grades and homework. But they are very sweet in America. there is a lot of pressure on the kids.

Elizabeth: They are very friendly.
College is one of their first priorities. therefore the kids have to do their best all the time.
Our food cultures are very different.

Emma, Albert, Caroline:
Inequality in the American society: many homeless people in Philadelphia
expensive school system
Connection between poverty and skin colour.
Contrast between the rich and the poor neighbourhoods
American values:
They are very polite
Ambitious
talkative

Victoria: How the American school system is different in every way.

Laura: I think that it was surprising that they freaked out about the snow and that they had to close the school because of it. The American girls also acted differently around the American boys and I think it is because they separate boys and girls in high school.

Sofie: The parents are overprotective. Everything is very focused and based on the school. The school plays a much bigger part in the American children's lives compared to Denmark. They do things the way they are used to and always do it.

Carl: It struck me how stressed the Americans were. Also how young people with interact with people of the opposite gender.

Performance in school. The sole reason my family were in the US was because of education (C)

Family values:
The biggest value of my family was happiness, but it was also important to get good grades and do well in school in general.  (V)

The mum in my family said that she wanted her kids to have good grades, be nice and practise on their sport.

They were all sweet and open. School was very important and sports, so they could get into college. It was also important to help each other, and that the kids have to fight for the American dream, but they need good luck to, just like their parents who were Republicans.

Josefine:
The were very polite and caring
Ambitious about their education
open- minded and  immature.

QUESTIONS for reflection and discussion:
However, we may ask the question: Are they academically doing better than we are?
Do they actually take their studies more seriously and get more out of their education than we do?
Does it make a difference when you have to pay in order to go to a good school?
Does it make you feel indifferent, when you receive free education? And what is the effect on us when we get the financial support from the Danish State?
Would it make us study harder, if we didn't take it all for granted?

All Girls...

Sofie, Elizabeth, Laura, Olivia, Cathrine, Victoria og Emilie har i denne uge oplevet livet på den private pigeskole The Bladwin School. Her kommer billeder fra en dag på The Baldwin School.

The Baldwin School ligger smukt med træer i indkørslen. Skolen blev grundlagt af Florence Baldwin i 1888.

Dagens opgave var at undervise elever i danskhed. 

Der blev talt om danske forfattere, monarki, national spise, traditioner, skolesystem.

Efter præsentationerne var der læsestund, hvor der blev læst højt. Cathrine befandt sig tilsyneladende godt omgivet af tilbedende amerikanske elever, som alle synes Cathrine var en fantastisk smuk dansk "prinsesse".

Emilie læser H.C. Andersen.

Olivia blev overrasket over hvor mange sprog, de amerikanske børn lærer i så ung en alder. Bl.a. Mandarin. 

Teachers for a day! Well done. 

De amerikanske hosts spiste frokost med danskerne. 

Laura og Elizabeth laver præsentation for 5th grade, som normalt undervises af Anne Mette Hansell, vores kontaktperson til The Baldwin School.

Vi har Paul Gernes farverne og citaterne på OG, men The Baldwin School er også fyldt med dekorationer og citater.  

The Baldwin school has a magazine called The Hourglass. A very interesting school magazine run by students.

The Hourglass her kunne vi godt lære lidt på OG. Hvornår får vi mon nogle elever, som vil bruge kræfter på at lave et seriøst skoleblad med debat og info?



The Hourglass from The Baldwin School

Villanova

Efter besøg på Highschools går vi videre i uddannelsessystemet og udforsker de videregående uddannelser, som viser sig at være endnu dyrere. På det private universitet Villanova fik vi en fantastisk rundvisning, og vi havde god debat omkring undervisnings-systemet og optagelsesprocedurer. Fordele og ulemper ved optagekriterier i Danmark og USA.

2.r i spørgerunde på Villanova University 

Rundvisning på Villanova- grundlagt i 1842.

Villanova er et af USAs bedste universiteter. Man har fokus på at undervise de studerende på relativt små hold. Det giver god trivsel og gode resultater.

Villanova har egen kirke, hvor man kun kan blive gift, hvis man har studeret på stedet. Guiden fortalte at hendes forældre var blevet gift i denne kirke.

På turen har vi fortsat fokus på klima. Hvordan temperaturen kan føles som 30 minusgrader med en blæsende vind. 

Der var gode faciliteter for de studerende. Der var gode læsepladser på biblioteket, restauranter, studieboliger, svømmehal, klubber, velgørenhedsklubber.

Mon de er klar til ansøgning til Villanova?

Villanova er stolte af deres Business programme!

Super faciliteter. Dette rum kunne 2.r godt tænke sig at blive undervist i på OG!!!!

Reflections on the American highschools

All the students were asked to write down reflections after the visit at Haverford and Baldwin school. This will lead to an interesting debate on Education.

Before the trip to Philadelphia, 2r studied an article about the American school systemThe Disruption of America's (Not So Broken) School System

We also saw a TED talk called  "Changing the Paradigm" by Sir Ken Robinson, in which he questioned the educational system.
Ted TALK, Changing the Paradigm

Now we have tested the school system for a day and here are some of the reactions:
Written by students:

Kristian Appelt:
PROS:
-talented teachers
-students changed class rooms
-movie analysis
CONS:
-only boys
-irrelevant classes
-lack of trust for the students
-paying a large sum of money for even attending school
-fat food served in the cafeteria


Anders reports from Haverford:
The canteen was excellent.
The students select their own subjects
The classes are small and focused

However, it is very expensive.
Too much discipline
strict rules for the students

Karl Johan's reflections:
CONS:
1) lous classes
2) too much unnecessary discipline
3) students were not involved in the teaching
PROS:
small classes
2) small periods
3) more freedom than most highschools

From the Haverford School magazine.


Ellen Bømler reports from Baldwin Highschool:
The pros and cons of Baldwin:
PROS:
1) They all know each other, because they have mixed classes
2) A lot of discipline and they all say hi to each other. Very good atmosphere
3) No facebook or un-focus in class and respect towards the teacher

CONS:
They could use some variation in the teaching methods
2) They don't include the students in the subjects or choosing of the teaching method. If they did, I think it could improve the students' learning.
3) Thy need more time to relax nd get their minds together, because they use their free classes to study. And they shouldn't be able to get detention that easily.

Amanda:
PROS:
-Very mixed environment, because there are only girls, so there are less expectations to live up to looks
-Everyone (both students and teachers) were very welcoming and friendly
-I participated a bit in the classes that I were in, and that was welcommed= very nice. They were interested in what I had to say.
CONS:
1) They had a childish and twisted view on boys in general (how to approach and talk to/about)
School and homework was their primary focus instead of social relationships etc. They had a hugh lack of experience about the real world meaning jobs, alcohol, and cigarettes compared to Danes. I think that gives them a disadvantage when they grow up.



Interesting visit, which will definitely gives us a new perspective on our own education.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Der var varslet snestorm- og snestorm blev det!

Philadelphia blev ramt af en af de værste snestorme i nyere tid, hvilket betød, at skolerne lukkede, butikkerne lukkede, museerne lukkede. En speciel oplevelse at se et samfund lukke ned pga. lidt sne!

Blæsten var kold, og sneen kom i store mængder, men ikke noget, der ville få os til at lukke skoler i Danmark. Igen stof til eftertanke....Kan der måske komme "Snowday" på OG i fremtiden?

2.r kommer hjem med mange gode nye idéer.

Smuk morgen med sneen, der falder.

Vi bevægede os ud i kulden. Men busserne kørte ikke.

I morgen åbner skolerne igen og vores besøg på Eastern State Penitentiary er rykket til i morgen. 

Preparing Boys for Life...

Mr Andrew Poolman bød 2.r drengene velkommen til Haverford School med mottoet "Preparing Boys for Life".

Pigerne havde skoledag på Baldwin School hele dagen. Baldwin School blev grundlagt af Florence

Baldwin i 1888. Skolens motto "To develop talented girls into confident young women"

Her kommer nogle "talented girls" who will hopefully develop into som "confident young women".

The Baldwin School, an independent college preparatory school, develops talented girls into confident young women with vision, global understanding and the competency to make significant and enduring contributions to the world. The School nurtures our students’ passion for intellectual rigor in academics, creativity in the arts and competition in athletics, forming women capable of leading their generation while living balanced lives.

Indgangspartiet ved Baldwin school. 

Louise og pigerne fra 2.r var meget begejstede for Badlwin School.  

Carl bor hos Intel, som er rejst fra Kina for at få en god uddannelse på Haverford School. Prisen for et highschool ophold er $38.000 om året. Intel er en dedikeret, ambitiøs, hårdarbejdende studerende. Denne ihærdighed for at bruge ens potentiale gennemsyrer hele ånden på Haverford. Skoens slogan er "Preparing Boys for Life". Gør vi det samme på OG? eller kan der der skues endnu mere op for elevernes motivation?

Benjamin, Adam og Simon var ude i et par klasser for at svare på spørgsmål om Danmark. De tog lærerrollen på sig og fandt det hårdt at være "lærer for en dag". Spørgsmålene var mange og de nysgerrige drenge var meget ivrige og urolige. Bøgerne der ligger på deres borde er Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". Fagligheden høj i de fleste timer, men ikke så megen variation i undervisningsformerne.

Simons refleksioner over skolebesøget:
1) Det er ikke umiddelbart en fordel med "Single sex schools". Samarbejde med piger i dagligdagen gør at man får et mere naturligt forhold til det andet køn.
2) Stor forskel på niveauet. Vi oplevede at holdene var niveau-delt, hvilket gjorde at nogle hold var meget dygtige og andre hold var det et meget lavere niveau.
3) Eleverne har fokus på College. Det er vigtigt for dem at blive optaget på et godt College. Derfor er de super dedikerede, indtil de er blevet optaget. Når de er blevet optaget, kan de slappe af.

"Do you have McDonalds in Denmark?"

Samling for Haverfords elever i "Centennial Hall". Her var blandt andet et lærerfordrag samt åbningsscenen fra forestillingen "Hamilton", som nogle elever havde arbejdet med på en "Intellectual Curiosity Day". Gode idéer til morgensamling på OG??

Engelsk undervisning på Haverford: student presentation on "Themes in James Bond films"

Hver enkelt lærer har sit eget undervisningslokale, som man dekorerer. Elever rykker rundt fra lokale til lokale efter hver time. 

Benjamin og Adam fulgte Will hele formiddagen. Der blev diskuteret American politics og der var både for og imod Trumps politik.

Kristian Stærup roser klasselokalernes fleksible indretning. Borde og stole kunne flyttes rundt efter underviserens ønske. Bordne blev ofte sat i rundkreds, så alle kunne se hinanden, hvilket gjorde at dialogen og kommunikationen blev god. (Kan dette implementeres i L4? Nye stole og borde til 2.r er fortsat et ønske...)
Kristian roser undervisningsformen, som var god.

Poul og Kristian efterlyser piger? Kristian og Pouls pointe er, at  drengenes mangel på samarbejde med jævnaldrende piger påvirker deres sociale færdigheder/samarbejdsevne.

Vigtig pointe til 2. r pigerne: drengene er så glade for at arbejde sammen med jer!