Day 19

Today we woke up to experience Italy's Independence Day. We were not sure what to expect since this day is an all weekend event for us in America. Because of the language barrier, we weren't quite able to figure out if there was a parade, but we did see some sort of ceremony this morning. There was a band, people in their uniforms (a variety of uniforms), and I think their were awards given out. It took place at a main square, but there were not many bystanders. I noticed many foreign bystanders wandering what was going on, but I don't recall seeing many Italians. Since I don't know what event exactly I witnessed, I don't know the level of importance, but I had expected to see a larger crowd. We ended up leaving about 15 minutes into the ceremony because we didn't really know what was going on, and it isn't our Independence Day. We were respectful about it, so I don't really see a problem with it. It was nice to see a formal ceremony in Italy though! 

Afterward, we headed to the market and then back to the apartment. I did some packing, cooking, laundry, and cleaning. I took this free time to advantage and accomplished a lot. I took a break and observed the world around me once more. I do a good bit of people watching. I noticed families yet again, but still not as many young children while we are in the busy square. I did see an older male and younger boy kayaking, kids riding bikes along with their family, and I noticed kids playing futball in a grassy area. I have also noticed a lot of bigger kids in strollers. I guess it is because of this cobble stone. It probably tires their little feet out like it did mine! Oh yeah, my foot feels so much better. I had a stress fracture in my calf area last summer so it tends to cause trouble every now and then. 

ANYWAYS, I also observed some kids in the back seat of a car today and they were just hanging out of the window and did not look to be buckled up. I'll have to see if I notice anything else like that. Besides that, I just observed everyone else! 

We cooked an awesome dinner tonight of chicken, green beans, and corn. Ah, finally some vegetables. We ended the night well. Ciao, Florence. 

Day 18

LToday was the day we climbed to the top of the duomo. I almost backed out on account of my foot hurting, but I went slow and steady and made it to the the top! We trekked through winding rows of stairs, narrow corridors, and steep steps to reach the top. It was allllll worth it though!

Afterward, we had the rest of the day free. I observed the people around me from our terrace. There are many tour groups, families riding bikes, and many people walking. I noticed the Italian people don't wear helmets while riding unlike the foreigners here. I don't blame them on these streets. Also, Nancy and shakela said the saw a family hell their child go number 2 on the side of the street with no shame... Just saying, we aren't used to that! Oh, the things you see in the city.

Oh, I also went to watch the beautiful Florence sunset one last time. 

Day 17

Today we visited the Uffizi Gallery. It has quite the collection of paintings and statues from the renessaince time, and it housed pieces from da Vinci and Michelangelo. This palace was nothing but art from top to bottom! My favorite pieces included the Birth of Venus

And 

This painting.

Ray helped show us the transformation of art from the depiction of closeness and perception, shading, and structures to their faces. It's crazy to see the amount of work some of these artists have created and how in detail all of it is. This museum was huge and nothing less than unbelievable! 

Day 16

Today was quite a full day, and boy am I tired! We started off on a tour of this beautiful city. We visited the duomo, the academy, and had a very informative tour guide that told us about some main attractions in the town. I found The Academy the most interesting place. We got to see paintings from the Rennesaince and up. It was so interesting to see how art has evolved over hundreds of years. We finally got to see the main attraction-the statue of David. Boy, was Michelangelo a piece of work. This statue is beyond amazing. To think someone chizzled a huge piece of marble into a masterpiece...it is unbelievable! 

The detail with his veins, muscles, and whole body is truly amazing. I appreciate being able to see something so magnificent. I noticed other pieces of women and children in another room. He children looked not so happy in these pieces. There was a piece of a sister holding what looked to be a dead little boy, and there were other statues that just had a gloom about them. It looked like the children had to be much more mature for their age back then. I don't know a whole lot about the time period, but it looked to be a bit rough back then. I'm glad some of the art work has been maintained for us to see today. 

Lastly, we went into the duomo to see the art, frescas, and the tomb of the amazing Michelangelo. It is amazing to see the beauty and craft that was put into the churches back then when they had limited needs for construction. He foundation is so incredible, and the architecture is beautiful. I love it all. 

Day 15

Today we arrived in Florence! We took a bus here and then headed straight to the fresh market to have a unique experience. I found black beans--yay!! They were 5 times more expensive..but worth it. Afterward, we did more bargaining in the street markets and I had myself a little rest outside of the market to observe this new town. I did not notice too many children, but the ones that I did see were with their families. There were children of all cultures out since this is a more touristy town. I noticed a lot of them enjoying cups of gelato with their families. Who could blame them?! I saw many mothers and other family members (I assume) pushing baby strollers around. There are also younger kids strapped to the backs of fathers. It was a nice and enjoyable Friday! Florence is my kind of town! 

Week 2 completed

Today was out last day in the schools. It was a slam packed day, but it was a success. We started with a group of 4th and 5th graders. We did our "Where's Walrus" lesson with them along with answering some questions about ourselves. These students were very curious about our country. 

When we split into our groups, I started in one by myself. It was most certainly a challenge because I felt pretty sick and secondly...the language barrier. These students understood minimum, but ice noticed there tends to be one student in each group that understands more English than the rest. I am always so happy when this happeneds, because I want the students to understand our fun lesson. Anyways, with our first group I noticed that the students really enjoyed the book, but it took them a while to start on the activity. They were very concerned with what their friends and peers were going to draw, and I think they were afraid to draw something "wrong" I suppose. Once Ray came over to show an example, the became a bit more comfortable. So, we had yet another successful lesson.

Next, we had a group of 2nd and 3rd graders. The energy was different--in a good way! They always seem so much more excited, and I love heir curiosity. When we got into our groups though...we had a more energetic group with one of those dominant students. They all enjoyed the book, but when it came to drawing...they all drew the same thing. It was so hard to communicate with them because they knew even less English than the first group. We made it work, though. We also observed some students who appeared to be more ahead and mature by looking at their drawings. Ray pointed out that observation and opened up that new perspective to us. He showed us how 2 students made their drawings overlap while others didn't make objects touch or overlap. Bravo to that! Overall, the kids had fun so our last lesson was a success. 

We ended the night with Cochi and his family. I truly am grateful for them and how genuine they are. Their family is so lucky to have such caring people like them in it, and I am so happy to have gotten to meet them. They have had a great impact on us whether they know it or not. 

Day 13

Today was very interesting at the school of Reggio Emelia. We visited this child centered place this morning, and we observed children from the ages of 3-5. There were sections for all three ages, and what we saw was quite impressive. Upon entering this building, we noticed the very creative student crafts that were in front of the school. These student models were decorated In a variety of asterisks of things found around the household. We were informed that parents are very involved with the children, and their assistance is needed often. This is all a part of the Reggio Erika approach. 

As we walked in, it was a very spacey, bright, and organized environment. We saw the area where there was an abundant amount of parent information on what their children were currently working on, we saw a school greenhouse type thing, and we had a peak into some of the rooms. 

We toured all three sections. Every room had a main focus project and every room was totally equipped with so many resources. There was a home area, a light table where students built things with random materials, a construction area, writing/messaging table, easels inside and outside, and an area where they worked in their focus project. The students get to choose at the beginning of the day what they would like to do. A teacher will sit and take notes on the students during some of their "centers." It was so personal and so focused, it was unreal! The guide also informed us that they provide a lot of natural materials for the students so they are encouraged to use their creativity for playing and whatever else they do. 

Finally, we saw the art room. I have never seen an assortment of resources! It was amazing to see all of the options for these students to use and manipulate with. They had some awesome creations and resources that help to provide a rich and quality learning experience. These children are very privelaged to be able to have access to these things. This school does cost money, but it looks well spent. 

It was nice to see what opportunities the children have in this school. Like our schools, the children are given responsibilities, doing activities to help them learn, and are having fun. While I see a benefit, this approach does pose an argument in comparison to our schools--at least at the kindergarten level. I don't recall hearing about the children formally learning like math, reading, etc. Compared to my class level K, I had students who could solve math word problems, read at a level of high first grade, and critical think our solutions all In a different learning environment. Whether or not students at this school do this, to some it may seem as an advantage and some may think this required learning is a disadvantage because of taking childhood away. Personally, I like aspects of each!