Sunday, June 24, 2012
Day 16
This morning started out with a continental breakfast at the hotel, which consisted of toast and other types of bread, orange juice, and coffee or tea. A little different than the United States continental breakfast, but still pretty good. After breakfast we headed to The National Gallery in central London. Here, we got to see paintings done by Monet, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and many others. The gallery is huge and it could take you days to get through if you spent more than a minute looking at each painting, but is definitely a place to check out. After we had finished at the gallery, we decided to go to Camden Town to get my sister some cheap souvenirs. There we were able to get a ton of things like mugs, keychains, necklaces, etc. After Camden Town we decided to get some lunch in an American favorite, McDonalds. Lunch came and went and we decided to go back to the hotel since most things in London close by 4pm on Sundays. We got back and chilled for a little while and then decided to walk around in Hyde Park because it became sunnier out than in the morning. The park was beautiful full of so much green and there was even a big pound in the middle. While on our walk we got to see Kensington Palace and a statue of Queen Victoria, as well as, get some amazing ice cream with a chocolate stick in it. The ice cream here is more whipped and tastes great. Definitely try some if you ever come. After the park we went back to the hotel for the night to get ready to travel to Paris, France the next day. So far the trip has been amazing and I can't wait for the next 2 weeks!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Day 15
Today started with my sister, my mom, and I meeting up with my cousin, her husband and the child. This was the first time I have seen them since my grandma's funeral about 4 year ago. Immediately we were off. We went to the Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard, Tower of London, a Pub to have lunch, Greenwich, and the Cuty Shark ship. I had already seen the Tower of London, but it was nice to see the Crown Jewels again. The whole trip though their child Maddy was having a blast, chasing after birds and smashing cheerios. We ended the day with some dominos on the steps of a church in the banking district. It was a great end to a great day!
Day 15
Today started with my sister, my mom, and I meeting up with my cousin, her husband and the child. This was the first time I have seen them since my grandma's funeral about 4 year ago. Immediately we were off. We went to the Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard, Tower of London, a Pub to have lunch, Greenwich, and the Cuty Shark ship. I had already seen the Tower of London, but it was nice to see the Crown Jewels again. The whole trip though their child Maddy was having a blast, chasing after birds and smashing cheerios. We ended the day with some dominos on the steps of a church in the banking district. It was a great end to a great day!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Day 14
Today was my last day at the school. It started off with the students having a sex education class time, so I went down to another year 6 classroom to help with mathematics. Here they were doing what we did the day before with the data we had collected, so I helped different groups when they were having difficulty. After math, we started back up on rehearsal. During this time I was asked to help choreograph a dance for the "Waka Waka" song again, except for the boys that would be on the other stage. So, we did that up until play time. After we came back from play time I went back with the girls from the day before and helped them to practice and critique their dance. It went very well and they again performed it for their class the whole way through. The kids then surprised me with a large card that they had all signed and pictures of us as a class, as well as, some chocolates. I was so happy that they had enjoyed my time at their school and I will miss them so much. They told me that they would be sending along a copy of their performance so that I could see how they did. I will miss them so much!
After school we went back home to pack. At home, our host moms grandchild were over because she was babysitting them in the afternoon. After packing, we came down played with them, as well as, watched "Gnomeo and Juliet". We then had our last dinner with our host mom. It was sad to think this is the last time we will be together...ever. After dinner, we went to drop of the kids at their parents house and our host mom brought us to the train station. There, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Terese went to meet up with there cousin and I went to meet up with my mom and my sister. Once I got to the hotel where I would be staying the next 3 days, we settled in for the night and went to bed.
Day 14
Today was my last day at the school. It started off with the students having a sex education class time, so I went down to another year 6 classroom to help with mathematics. Here they were doing what we did the day before with the data we had collected, so I helped different groups when they were having difficulty. After math, we started back up on rehearsal. During this time I was asked to help choreograph a dance for the "Waka Waka" song again, except for the boys that would be on the other stage. So, we did that up until play time. After we came back from play time I went back with the girls from the day before and helped them to practice and critique their dance. It went very well and they again performed it for their class the whole way through. The kids then surprised me with a large card that they had all signed and pictures of us as a class, as well as, some chocolates. I was so happy that they had enjoyed my time at their school and I will miss them so much. They told me that they would be sending along a copy of their performance so that I could see how they did. I will miss them so much!
After school we went back home to pack. At home, our host moms grandchild were over because she was babysitting them in the afternoon. After packing, we came down played with them, as well as, watched "Gnomeo and Juliet". We then had our last dinner with our host mom. It was sad to think this is the last time we will be together...ever. After dinner, we went to drop of the kids at their parents house and our host mom brought us to the train station. There, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Terese went to meet up with there cousin and I went to meet up with my mom and my sister. Once I got to the hotel where I would be staying the next 3 days, we settled in for the night and went to bed.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Day 13
The day started out with the students working on an opening word problem, where they were given 9 letters and they had to find as many words with 3 or more letters in it as they could. I should also mention that for the morning we had a substitute teacher in our classroom. She is a teacher helper from the building so the children knew her pretty well. After the warm up we started with mathematics, which consisted of the students using the data that they had gotten from the previous days and finding the mean, median, and mode. This took a while for them to complete because there was quite a bit of data. Something that I would also like to mention, is that when they did their mathematics, they did it in their house groups. In the school there are 4 house groups that the children belong to, which I always compare to Harry Potter, but the houses are Richmond, Bedford, York, and Garraford. While the children worked with the data, I went around to help out and answer any questions that they may have had. After math, which they call maths, we went to assembly. During this assembly time, they talked to the students about working in teams and how important it is. After assembly, we went back and worked on literacy. For literacy today, they got back the poems titled "The Magic of the Mind" one had to come up with ideas on how to create poems that are similar to it. To do this they created bubble charts for ideas and then passed them to the different groups to see what they were thinking. During this time, I also went to see "Chicken Shed", which is a preforming group that comes in for the younger students in the school and does fun activities with them (reminded me of The Wiggles from the United Stated television). Next came their play time and when they came in, they got to work on the brochures that I had them start during my lesson the day before. The students got pretty far and were almost finished by lunch time. After lunch we came back and the students had rehearsal for their play. During this time, I went with Mrs. Brown, our teacher assistant, and the four girls from a dance group called acrobatics and worked on their dance routine. Together we came up with all the dance moves for the song "Waka Waka" by Shakira to perform in the play, as well as, practiced. We did that for the rest of the day and then performed it for the class at the end.
After class we went home and hung out with our host mom until around 7 when we had dinner. After, we went into Southfield to the New Crown for a last little night out with our classmates.
Day 13
The day started out with the students working on an opening word problem, where they were given 9 letters and they had to find as many words with 3 or more letters in it as they could. I should also mention that for the morning we had a substitute teacher in our classroom. She is a teacher helper from the building so the children knew her pretty well. After the warm up we started with mathematics, which consisted of the students using the data that they had gotten from the previous days and finding the mean, median, and mode. This took a while for them to complete because there was quite a bit of data. Something that I would also like to mention, is that when they did their mathematics, they did it in their house groups. In the school there are 4 house groups that the children belong to, which I always compare to Harry Potter, but the houses are Richmond, Bedford, York, and Garraford. While the children worked with the data, I went around to help out and answer any questions that they may have had. After math, which they call maths, we went to assembly. During this assembly time, they talked to the students about working in teams and how important it is. After assembly, we went back and worked on literacy. For literacy today, they got back the poems titled "The Magic of the Mind" one had to come up with ideas on how to create poems that are similar to it. To do this they created bubble charts for ideas and then passed them to the different groups to see what they were thinking. During this time, I also went to see "Chicken Shed", which is a preforming group that comes in for the younger students in the school and does fun activities with them (reminded me of The Wiggles from the United Stated television). Next came their play time and when they came in, they got to work on the brochures that I had them start during my lesson the day before. The students got pretty far and were almost finished by lunch time. After lunch we came back and the students had rehearsal for their play. During this time, I went with Mrs. Brown, our teacher assistant, and the four girls from a dance group called acrobatics and worked on their dance routine. Together we came up with all the dance moves for the song "Waka Waka" by Shakira to perform in the play, as well as, practiced. We did that for the rest of the day and then performed it for the class at the end.
After class we went home and hung out with our host mom until around 7 when we had dinner. After, we went into Southfield to the New Crown for a last little night out with our classmates.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Day 12
Today was the third day at the school in Galliard Primary School. We started off the day with register and then moved on to mathematics. For mathematics, we finished the second part of our record taking. Tomorrow we will be using the data to find the mean, median, and mode. After numeracy, we moved on to my lesson plan. For this lesson plan, I had the students split into groups of three and chose a country out of a bag. When they were done with that they all got an iPad from the iPad bins and a worksheet to complete as a group. On the worksheet there were two websites that the students would use to find the answers to all the questions. After they completed the worksheet they had to create a brochure for their country with pictures and the information they found earlier. After my lesson they had play time and then a drug talk. During the drug talk the students were allowed to ask questions and get to know what is out there. Next was lunch time and then the students had to do their weekly responsibilities. This included reading buddies with the your grades and helping with mathematics and literacy. Picture time came next and took a while because the students had to take individual pictures, then class pictures, and finally a whole year six picture. After pictures we went back to the classroom and I read some more of the "Goodnight Mr. Tom" book that they have been reading.
Day 12
Today was the third day at the school in Galliard Primary School. We started off the day with register and then moved on to mathematics. For mathematics, we finished the second part of our record taking. Tomorrow we will be using the data to find the mean, median, and mode. After numeracy, we moved on to my lesson plan. For this lesson plan, I had the students split into groups of three and chose a country out of a bag. When they were done with that they all got an iPad from the iPad bins and a worksheet to complete as a group. On the worksheet there were two websites that the students would use to find the answers to all the questions. After they completed the worksheet they had to create a brochure for their country with pictures and the information they found earlier. After my lesson they had play time and then a drug talk. During the drug talk the students were allowed to ask questions and get to know what is out there. Next was lunch time and then the students had to do their weekly responsibilities. This included reading buddies with the your grades and helping with mathematics and literacy. Picture time came next and took a while because the students had to take individual pictures, then class pictures, and finally a whole year six picture. After pictures we went back to the classroom and I read some more of the "Goodnight Mr. Tom" book that they have been reading.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Day 11
The day started out by the students working on coming up with a different way for scoring an olympic event for a warm up. After that, we moved on to mathematics. Today for mathematics we combined with the other three year six classrooms and went outside to get different measurements to calculate mean, median, and mode. There were four different events which included: standing long jump, standing high jump, relay, and shot-put. We did two today and will be doing two tomorrow. Next we had literacy where we had individual reading time. After literacy we had our rotation sessions. These three sessions included: african drumming, science, and physical education. For the first session, I decided to go and watch african drumming. During that time, the students worked on the dancing that will go with the drumming they had been working on. Lunch came next and then session two. For session two, I decided to participate in science, which consisted of the students getting measurements for their science experiment by running outside. After session two we had singing again with their music teacher to rehearse some of the music for the play. We ended the day with a reading from the "Goodnight Mr. Tom" book.
After school we went into downtown London to see a play. We decided on Wicked, which many of us have seen in the states, but wanted to see here to compare. The cost of the play ended up only being 22.50 pounds and got us great seats on the ground level about 14 rows back. The play ended up being spectacular! If was very interesting listening to the play in a british accent and I noticed that some of the words were different because of that. Overall, it was a great time and I would recommend it to anyone.
Day 11
The day started out by the students working on coming up with a different way for scoring an olympic event for a warm up. After that, we moved on to mathematics. Today for mathematics we combined with the other three year six classrooms and went outside to get different measurements to calculate mean, median, and mode. There were four different events which included: standing long jump, standing high jump, relay, and shot-put. We did two today and will be doing two tomorrow. Next we had literacy where we had individual reading time. After literacy we had our rotation sessions. These three sessions included: african drumming, science, and physical education. For the first session, I decided to go and watch african drumming. During that time, the students worked on the dancing that will go with the drumming they had been working on. Lunch came next and then session two. For session two, I decided to participate in science, which consisted of the students getting measurements for their science experiment by running outside. After session two we had singing again with their music teacher to rehearse some of the music for the play. We ended the day with a reading from the "Goodnight Mr. Tom" book.
After school we went into downtown London to see a play. We decided on Wicked, which many of us have seen in the states, but wanted to see here to compare. The cost of the play ended up only being 22.50 pounds and got us great seats on the ground level about 14 rows back. The play ended up being spectacular! If was very interesting listening to the play in a british accent and I noticed that some of the words were different because of that. Overall, it was a great time and I would recommend it to anyone.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Day 10
Today was our first full day at Galliard Primary School. I was placed in Ms. Carrington's year six classroom. In London, when they refer to a classroom as year six, it is equivalent to fifth grade in the United States and is also their last year of elementary school. For the first part of the day, we started with attendance, what they call register, where the teacher goes through and says good morning to each student and they respond with a good morning to her. Lately, the students have been learning french, so they sometimes say good morning in french. After register, we moved on to numeracy, or what we would call mathematics. For this section, we went through an article talking about relating mathematics to the olympics and how it is needed. Before they read the article, the students got in groups and discussed what they would use mathematics for in the olympics. After numeracy they move on to literacy where they read a part of "Goodnight Mr. Tom". This story is about old England and takes place during war time. Next came play time, where the students get 15 minutes out on their playground. When they came in from play time we had singing where they practiced songs for their play they will be putting on later in the month. Lunch came next and in England they get a whole hour to do so. After lunch, all the year students were brought into the assembly hall for a play rehearsal. This rehearsal lasted the rest of the school day and included much singing and rehearsing of lines.
Day 10
Today was our first full day at Galliard Primary School. I was placed in Ms. Carrington's year six classroom. In London, when they refer to a classroom as year six, it is equivalent to fifth grade in the United States and is also their last year of elementary school. For the first part of the day, we started with attendance, what they call register, where the teacher goes through and says good morning to each student and they respond with a good morning to her. Lately, the students have been learning french, so they sometimes say good morning in french. After register, we moved on to numeracy, or what we would call mathematics. For this section, we went through an article talking about relating mathematics to the olympics and how it is needed. Before they read the article, the students got in groups and discussed what they would use mathematics for in the olympics. After numeracy they move on to literacy where they read a part of "Goodnight Mr. Tom". This story is about old England and takes place during war time. Next came play time, where the students get 15 minutes out on their playground. When they came in from play time we had singing where they practiced songs for their play they will be putting on later in the month. Lunch came next and in England they get a whole hour to do so. After lunch, all the year students were brought into the assembly hall for a play rehearsal. This rehearsal lasted the rest of the school day and included much singing and rehearsing of lines.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Saturday, June 16, 2012 and Sunday, June 17, 2012
Day 8
Today we started off by getting on the tube and then a tour bus that would eventually take us to Bath, Salisbury, and Stonehenge. The first stop was Bath, which is a little town on the west side of Great Britain. Here, we were able to see the Roman baths that were created back in that time period and then restored to its former glory. This is an amazing cite to see and is absolutely gorgeous. Definitely a place to visit in Great Britain. The next place we went to was Salisbury, which is known for it's cathedral. This cathedral is the only cathedral that was built in the same type of architecture design in all of Great Britain and holds the oldest clock known to man. It is another great place to see. The last place that we visited today was Stonehenge, which is located about an hour and a half outside of London in the middle of nowhere. Here we got to hear about the 3 stages that it took to build Stonehenge and how they could have possibly built it back during the time period it was built. We also learned about the original stone that was placed a little ways away from the known part of Stonehenge and is now hit with direct sunlight on June 21, the longest day of the year. After seeing Stonehenge we headed home to London for the night.
Day 9
Sunday consisted of working on getting ready for the week at school and having lunch with my host family.
Day 8
Today we started off by getting on the tube and then a tour bus that would eventually take us to Bath, Salisbury, and Stonehenge. The first stop was Bath, which is a little town on the west side of Great Britain. Here, we were able to see the Roman baths that were created back in that time period and then restored to its former glory. This is an amazing cite to see and is absolutely gorgeous. Definitely a place to visit in Great Britain. The next place we went to was Salisbury, which is known for it's cathedral. This cathedral is the only cathedral that was built in the same type of architecture design in all of Great Britain and holds the oldest clock known to man. It is another great place to see. The last place that we visited today was Stonehenge, which is located about an hour and a half outside of London in the middle of nowhere. Here we got to hear about the 3 stages that it took to build Stonehenge and how they could have possibly built it back during the time period it was built. We also learned about the original stone that was placed a little ways away from the known part of Stonehenge and is now hit with direct sunlight on June 21, the longest day of the year. After seeing Stonehenge we headed home to London for the night.
Day 9
Sunday consisted of working on getting ready for the week at school and having lunch with my host family.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Day 7
Today we paused the sight seeing to visit the school that we will be at next week. We started off by going through an orientation of what we will be doing at Gallard Elementary School while we are there. After the orientation, we were taken on a tour of the school by three year six students (5th graders). At their school, they have a huge field area, garden, chickens, children's area, and more. When our tours were complete, each person got to go to their classroom and meet their host teacher. After meeting my teacher, I got to go with her and my classroom to see them audition for solo parts in a play they are making. After that we had lunch and then back to the classroom for some more practice for the play. When we were done, the students got to participate in a thing called golden time. This is when the students get to chose a interest group activity to participate in. They can do things like knitting, zumba, football (soccer), cartoons, and dress up. Something different about this school was that for lunch the students get a complete hour and have to wear a uniform. School ended at 3:25pm and students got to leave, but they don't have school buses. Instead they have public buses or their parents pick them up. Today made me excited for next week and I can't wait to be back at the school.
Day 7
Today we paused the sight seeing to visit the school that we will be at next week. We started off by going through an orientation of what we will be doing at Gallard Elementary School while we are there. After the orientation, we were taken on a tour of the school by three year six students (5th graders). At their school, they have a huge field area, garden, chickens, children's area, and more. When our tours were complete, each person got to go to their classroom and meet their host teacher. After meeting my teacher, I got to go with her and my classroom to see them audition for solo parts in a play they are making. After that we had lunch and then back to the classroom for some more practice for the play. When we were done, the students got to participate in a thing called golden time. This is when the students get to chose a interest group activity to participate in. They can do things like knitting, zumba, football (soccer), cartoons, and dress up. Something different about this school was that for lunch the students get a complete hour and have to wear a uniform. School ended at 3:25pm and students got to leave, but they don't have school buses. Instead they have public buses or their parents pick them up. Today made me excited for next week and I can't wait to be back at the school.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Day 6
A long journey on the tube and train started the day off today. Hampton Court Palace was our first stop. Hampton Court Palace is located outside the center of London and is known as a place where different royals used to go and stay during their reign. Today the palace is known for its garden maze and huge flower area that was commissioned by the queen. Inside the palace, there are a lot of different apartment areas that were set up for different kings and queens. One of the most known kings to stay here is King Henery the 8, who has a large area dedicated to him in the Palace. When walking through, visitors can see how it used to be set up when it was in use. The Hampton Court Palace is very big and you can easily get lost in it, but is a pretty cool place to visit while in London. When we finished seeing Hampton Court Palace we decided to head to the London Zoo. This is a great place to visit if you are in London. The zoo is well set up, beautiful, and holds a ton of different animals. At the zoo we got to see giraffes, penguins, zebra, lions, leopards, butterflies, tons of different birds, and much more. The zoo was our last stop of the day. Check in for the next day of adventures.
Day 6
A long journey on the tube and train started the day off today. Hampton Court Palace was our first stop. Hampton Court Palace is located outside the center of London and is known as a place where different royals used to go and stay during their reign. Today the palace is known for its garden maze and huge flower area that was commissioned by the queen. Inside the palace, there are a lot of different apartment areas that were set up for different kings and queens. One of the most known kings to stay here is King Henery the 8, who has a large area dedicated to him in the Palace. When walking through, visitors can see how it used to be set up when it was in use. The Hampton Court Palace is very big and you can easily get lost in it, but is a pretty cool place to visit while in London. When we finished seeing Hampton Court Palace we decided to head to the London Zoo. This is a great place to visit if you are in London. The zoo is well set up, beautiful, and holds a ton of different animals. At the zoo we got to see giraffes, penguins, zebra, lions, leopards, butterflies, tons of different birds, and much more. The zoo was our last stop of the day. Check in for the next day of adventures.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Day 5
Today we started off our day by hopping on the tube to get to our meeting spot. From there, we went to the Science Museum. The Science Museum has free admission and consists of many different floors of all kinds of science related items. We started on the top floor where we you can participate in your own science experiments such as water viscosity, body heat, magnetism, and electric conductivity. This is a really cool area to get children and even adults excited about science. On some of the other floors there are things on mathematics and astronomy. After the Science Museum, we went to the National Museum which starts you off by taking you up an escalator into a huge metal globe looking thing that shows different visuals inside it. From there, the museum takes you down different routes that show you all kinds of things related to Earth: the past, the present, and the future. This museum also has all kinds of different minerals and gems that different people in history used to own. The last museum that we went to is the Victoria and Albert Museum. This museum is massive and holds all kinds of different art from every continent on Earth. While we were there, we visited the fashion collection of different decades, the sculpture area, East Asia's art, and the gardens.This museum is probably one of the best places to visit in London because the art is absolutely amazing! After our time at the museums we went to Piccadilly Circus, which is compared to time square in New York City, NY and Camden Street, which is close to New York City's canal street. Both are great places to go shopping and great places to see in London. Well that is all for today.
Day 5
Today we started off our day by hopping on the tube to get to our meeting spot. From there, we went to the Science Museum. The Science Museum has free admission and consists of many different floors of all kinds of science related items. We started on the top floor where we you can participate in your own science experiments such as water viscosity, body heat, magnetism, and electric conductivity. This is a really cool area to get children and even adults excited about science. On some of the other floors there are things on mathematics and astronomy. After the Science Museum, we went to the National Museum which starts you off by taking you up an escalator into a huge metal globe looking thing that shows different visuals inside it. From there, the museum takes you down different routes that show you all kinds of things related to Earth: the past, the present, and the future. This museum also has all kinds of different minerals and gems that different people in history used to own. The last museum that we went to is the Victoria and Albert Museum. This museum is massive and holds all kinds of different art from every continent on Earth. While we were there, we visited the fashion collection of different decades, the sculpture area, East Asia's art, and the gardens.This museum is probably one of the best places to visit in London because the art is absolutely amazing! After our time at the museums we went to Piccadilly Circus, which is compared to time square in New York City, NY and Camden Street, which is close to New York City's canal street. Both are great places to go shopping and great places to see in London. Well that is all for today.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Day 4
The day started off with he tube again, on our way to Windsor Castle. When we got there, we were able to chose if we wanted to go on a tour with a guide or meander around by ourselves. I chose to go on the tour and listen to an expert on the castle. It was interesting to hear about the mound and moat created to help keep out invaders. We also were able to hear about the other defenses the castle has, such as arrow holes and holes in front of the gates that they can pour hot liquids down to kill the invaders. Windsor Castle was huge, with many rooms to for all kinds of visitors. The castle is known as one of the main households of the queen and the one that she prefers. Inside the castle, there are many rooms that are set up to show what they used to look like back in the day and all the glorious paintings that it holds. While at the Windsor Castle, we learned that there was a huge fire that happened. During this fire there was a lot lost, but they were able to restore almost all of it to its original state. After Windsor Castle, a group of us went to Harrods and then to Hyde Park. At Hyde Park, we were able to rent bikes for only 2 pounds for an hour and ride around the park. In the park, the roses were blooming and there was an amazing view on a bridge of the river flowing through their. After Hyde park, we went home, had dinner, and went to sleep. Another long, but great day. Stay tuned for more!
Day 4
The day started off with he tube again, on our way to Windsor Castle. When we got there, we were able to chose if we wanted to go on a tour with a guide or meander around by ourselves. I chose to go on the tour and listen to an expert on the castle. It was interesting to hear about the mound and moat created to help keep out invaders. We also were able to hear about the other defenses the castle has, such as arrow holes and holes in front of the gates that they can pour hot liquids down to kill the invaders. Windsor Castle was huge, with many rooms to for all kinds of visitors. The castle is known as one of the main households of the queen and the one that she prefers. Inside the castle, there are many rooms that are set up to show what they used to look like back in the day and all the glorious paintings that it holds. While at the Windsor Castle, we learned that there was a huge fire that happened. During this fire there was a lot lost, but they were able to restore almost all of it to its original state. After Windsor Castle, a group of us went to Harrods and then to Hyde Park. At Hyde Park, we were able to rent bikes for only 2 pounds for an hour and ride around the park. In the park, the roses were blooming and there was an amazing view on a bridge of the river flowing through their. After Hyde park, we went home, had dinner, and went to sleep. Another long, but great day. Stay tuned for more!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Day 3
Today started with an early morning of getting on the train and then the tube. When we finally got to the tube station where our group meet, we were ready to get on the bus for a tour of downtown London. During the tour, we were able to see the London bridge again, Westminster Abby, Big Ben, Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. During our tour, it rained on and off and because of that, it was hard to take pictures of all the stuff we saw. As we rode around, we were able to get out and go into Westminster Abby and go on a tour with our tour guide from our bus. In the Abby, we were able to learn about all the different people buried there. There are different sections of the Abby for different groups of people like politicians, musicians, and many others. There are also many older kings and queens that are buried there. The Abby is also where William and Kate were just married. We found out that there is a plaque in the ground that is for the unknown warrior in the ground. No one is allowed to step on this plaque, and so, we found out that when Kate had to walk down the aisle she had to go around it. I never knew this before and it blew my mind. During our tour we also got to get out at Buckingham Palace, but they were still taking down all the different things they had up for the queens jubilee. The jubilee is for the amount of time the queen has reigned over her country. This Jubilee was the diamond jubilee, meaning that she has been in reign for 60 years. Currently, queen Victoria holds the longest reign time, but queen Elizabeth is close to passing that record. The day ended by coming home and having some dinner with our host mom. Check back for tomorrows events.
Day 3
Today started with an early morning of getting on the train and then the tube. When we finally got to the tube station where our group meet, we were ready to get on the bus for a tour of downtown London. During the tour, we were able to see the London bridge again, Westminster Abby, Big Ben, Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. During our tour, it rained on and off and because of that, it was hard to take pictures of all the stuff we saw. As we rode around, we were able to get out and go into Westminster Abby and go on a tour with our tour guide from our bus. In the Abby, we were able to learn about all the different people buried there. There are different sections of the Abby for different groups of people like politicians, musicians, and many others. There are also many older kings and queens that are buried there. The Abby is also where William and Kate were just married. We found out that there is a plaque in the ground that is for the unknown warrior in the ground. No one is allowed to step on this plaque, and so, we found out that when Kate had to walk down the aisle she had to go around it. I never knew this before and it blew my mind. During our tour we also got to get out at Buckingham Palace, but they were still taking down all the different things they had up for the queens jubilee. The jubilee is for the amount of time the queen has reigned over her country. This Jubilee was the diamond jubilee, meaning that she has been in reign for 60 years. Currently, queen Victoria holds the longest reign time, but queen Elizabeth is close to passing that record. The day ended by coming home and having some dinner with our host mom. Check back for tomorrows events.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Day 2
Today, we started our adventures in London. We started off the day by taking the tube to get into the city. When we got there, we meet up with the group and started our tour of the London Tower. The London Tower is located next to the Thames river. Inside the London Tower we got to learn about all the different beheadings that took place there. We also got to see the Crown Jewels, which were amazing. In the jewels section there is a couple of different peoples jewels that are similar, but different for each person that wore them. Some had large diamonds, while others had pearls and rubies. We also to see the famous ravens in the inside green space. It is said that there needs to be at least 6 ravens on the grounds at all time otherwise the tower and Great Britain will fall. So to prevent this, they keep about 8 there at a time and clip one of their wings so they can't fly away. After the London Tower, we got to go on the London Bridge up into the observatory area above the bridge. From this area, you can see much of London's cityscape and there are some different things you can do in it as well. While we were there, there was different pictures of the cities that the olympic games have been held in and different kids activities such as a hydraulic chair lift. When we were finished with the London Bridge, different groups split up and went to places around London. Our group went to Wimbledon Stadium to see where they have the major tennis tournaments. That area was amazing and had so much green around it. There was a ton of ivy and grassy areas that made it smell so fresh. Definitely check this place out if you like tennis! After Wimbledon, we came home for the night and got to have a home cooked meal of salmon, mashed potatoes, and broccoli thanks to our great host mom, Alex. Well that concludes day 2. Check back in tomorrow to see what we explore next.
Day 2
Today, we started our adventures in London. We started off the day by taking the tube to get into the city. When we got there, we meet up with the group and started our tour of the London Tower. The London Tower is located next to the Thames river. Inside the London Tower we got to learn about all the different beheadings that took place there. We also got to see the Crown Jewels, which were amazing. In the jewels section there is a couple of different peoples jewels that are similar, but different for each person that wore them. Some had large diamonds, while others had pearls and rubies. We also to see the famous ravens in the inside green space. It is said that there needs to be at least 6 ravens on the grounds at all time otherwise the tower and Great Britain will fall. So to prevent this, they keep about 8 there at a time and clip one of their wings so they can't fly away. After the London Tower, we got to go on the London Bridge up into the observatory area above the bridge. From this area, you can see much of London's cityscape and there are some different things you can do in it as well. While we were there, there was different pictures of the cities that the olympic games have been held in and different kids activities such as a hydraulic chair lift. When we were finished with the London Bridge, different groups split up and went to places around London. Our group went to Wimbledon Stadium to see where they have the major tennis tournaments. That area was amazing and had so much green around it. There was a ton of ivy and grassy areas that made it smell so fresh. Definitely check this place out if you like tennis! After Wimbledon, we came home for the night and got to have a home cooked meal of salmon, mashed potatoes, and broccoli thanks to our great host mom, Alex. Well that concludes day 2. Check back in tomorrow to see what we explore next.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Day 1
Today I arrived in London, England at around 11am there time, which would be 6am Eastern Standard Time. The flight took about 8 hours and was relatively smooth. I was able to watch some movies and read, but it was very tight. Going through customs was very quick and I was also able to exchange some of my money right after we got through. I traded in 40 US dollars and got about 19.5 Pounds, which made me really sad. The US dollar is not what it used to be. After we picked up our luggage, we got on a bus that the head host family picked us up in and then they dropped us off at each of the individual host family houses. When we were dropped off I got to meet my host mother for the first time. She is originally from Cyprus, which is an island off the coast of Greece, but she moved to London when she was 15 years old. She has lived here for over 40 years and loves it. I am also living with a girl named Terese from Central Michigan University, who came on the London midtier study abroad. After we got in we were able to take a shower and a nap, which helped since I didn't sleep on the plan. (Suggestion for others, sleep on the plane if you can). After our naps we got to have a home cooked dinner with our host mom. She made a roasted chicken, crispy potatoes, and a greek salad. It was absolutely delicious. When we were finished with dinner, we were able to go out and visit some of the local places in the town we are staying in, which is South Gate. There are lots of interesting shops and places to go that we will be checking out later this week. Another tip: be prepared to be anxious when someone is driving you around because the whole driving on the other side of the road gets you and the streets are so tiny you feel like you are going to get in a car accident every time you pass someone on the road. If you like roller coasters, you will love it here! Well that concludes day 1 off London, England. Stay tuned for more of this great adventure.
Day 1
Today I arrived in London, England at around 11am there time, which would be 6am Eastern Standard Time. The flight took about 8 hours and was relatively smooth. I was able to watch some movies and read, but it was very tight. Going through customs was very quick and I was also able to exchange some of my money right after we got through. I traded in 40 US dollars and got about 19.5 Pounds, which made me really sad. The US dollar is not what it used to be. After we picked up our luggage, we got on a bus that the head host family picked us up in and then they dropped us off at each of the individual host family houses. When we were dropped off I got to meet my host mother for the first time. She is originally from Cyprus, which is an island off the coast of Greece, but she moved to London when she was 15 years old. She has lived here for over 40 years and loves it. I am also living with a girl named Terese from Central Michigan University, who came on the London midtier study abroad. After we got in we were able to take a shower and a nap, which helped since I didn't sleep on the plan. (Suggestion for others, sleep on the plane if you can). After our naps we got to have a home cooked dinner with our host mom. She made a roasted chicken, crispy potatoes, and a greek salad. It was absolutely delicious. When we were finished with dinner, we were able to go out and visit some of the local places in the town we are staying in, which is South Gate. There are lots of interesting shops and places to go that we will be checking out later this week. Another tip: be prepared to be anxious when someone is driving you around because the whole driving on the other side of the road gets you and the streets are so tiny you feel like you are going to get in a car accident every time you pass someone on the road. If you like roller coasters, you will love it here! Well that concludes day 1 off London, England. Stay tuned for more of this great adventure.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Last Day of Spring 2012 Semester
Today was the last day of my spring semester and that means trip is even closer than before. Throughout the past months I have been trying to prepare as much as possible by completing forms for Study Abroad, as well as, booking flights and getting together other paper work needed to attend this trip. Going through CMU's Study Abroad Pre-Student Teaching Program allows you to worry less about all the little details and more about the actual trip. The faculty for this trip has already planned what school we will be teaching in, as well as, the field trips around London that we will take. Some other things that I have been doing to prepare are deciding what kind of things I will need to take along. When traveling to a place like Europe there are a few things you should think about before you leave. The first is an electric convertor for things that you will need to plug in. Some other things to think about are making sure your passport is not expired, talking to your bank about all your travels, how much luggage your airline allows and if there is a fee, and prescriptions that you need to take along. All of these are factors that I have started to think about and have been making sure they are ready for when I finally go to London! Well, that’s all for now. Keep checking in for new updates!
Introduction
Hello Everyone! My name is Christopher Walker and I am currently finishing up my senior year at Central Michigan University while perusing a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education with a major in social studies, concentration in geography, and a minor in mathematics. This blog was created to tell you about my adventures in London, England through Central Michigan University's study abroad program. This is not just an ordinary study abroad though. While in London, England, I will be pre-student teaching in an elementary classroom. In that classroom, I will be learning all I can about the teaching techniques used in England and figuring out ways I can incorporate them into my own teaching tool belt.
Please join me on this adventure as I learn all kinds of new things about London and what it has to offer.
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