Fortbildung:
Meet some of our teachers as they tell you about various continuing training programs in Germany and exchange programs they completed during summers!

Susanne Sutton
Leipzig, Germany

AATG MINT Seminar in Leipzig
June 13 – July 4, 2015

I attended the AATG-sponsored seminar “MINT – Fortbildungskurs mit Schwerpunkt Forschung und Lehre in den Unterrichtsfächern Mathematik, Informatik, Naturwissenschaften und Technik”. As a native speaker I am glad that I had the opportunity to participate. I am an educator in German, anchored in the Humanities, and feel that incorporating STEM/MINT material in my classes is just as challenging for me as it might be for my non-native colleagues.

In my application I had written that I hoped to collect ideas of how to address the many STEM majors I have in my lower level language classes and possibly encourage them to take German beyond the required three semesters. I believe that the seminar was successful in providing me (in fact all higher education participants) with such ideas. We heard many presentations on integrating STEM into the teaching of German. One of the best presentations (by Dr. Ruth Beckmann from Bremen) gave us an overview -and many useful ideas- on “Sprachliches und Fachliches Lernen im sprachsensiblen Fachunterricht”.

We also observed classes, all of which were insightful and relevant, at various institutions. I found the most useful to be at the Studienkolleg of Leipzig University because we could see how international students, who are not quite ready to join their peers in a STEM lecture in German, are prepared for this task. It also made very clear that I CANNOT simply teach STEM topics in German. I am not qualified to do that nor do I want to or should do it. Rather, I took all the lectures, hands-on presentations, classroom visits, visits to local utility departments and STEM themed museums as inspiration now to approach topics in the curriculum considering a more STEM themed application, whenever possible.

All lectures, excursions -in fact any activities in the program- were well prepared and followed-up.  I cannot say enough good things about the organizational skills, patience, and flexibility of the team that had planned and led us through the Fortbildung. They were very competent, approachable and open for suggestions and constructive criticism. Also, the “Rahmenprogramm” was enjoyable and often related to our STEM topic.

Likewise, I very much enjoyed staying with my host in Leipzig. I believe most of us were well matched concerning personality and interests. I spent many evenings talking to my host about Leipzig, life in the former DDR, and current events. As a citizen from former West Germany I learned so much from her.

I learned much from the seminar, I met interesting colleagues and built friendships and networks that hopefully will last beyond the seminar. My project partner and I plan to present on our project at a future conference and I plan to integrate, starting with small steps, various things I have learned in Leipzig.

AATG is organizing another seminar on MINT for next summer. I encourage all German educators to consider submitting an application.

Thanks, AATG!

Cora Hofstetter
Bremerhaven, Germany

Picture
High School Exchange: Anne Arundel / Geschwister-Scholl Gymnasium
In late June students from North County High School traveled to Bremerhaven, Germany as a part of a school exchange between the Anne Arundel County School and Geschwister-Scholl Gymnasium in Bremerhaven.  The exchange program, which started in 2012, began as part of an effort by the German Society of Maryland's Sister Cities Committee to create a relationship between Baltimore and Bremerhaven. Brigitte and Nick Fessenden of the German Society played an integral role in setting up the exchange and it continues to be supported by the society.

This year, eight students from North County hosted students and teachers from Bremerhaven in the fall and showed them the sights of Baltimore and D.C. before traveling to visit their hosts in June.  Accompanied by their teacher, Cora Hofstetter, students enjoyed the sights and tastes of Northern Germany, including a tour of the harbor, the immigration museum, a hike from the mainland to the island Neuwerk at low tide and, of course, Kartoffelsalat and Nutellabrot. The exchange will begin again in the fall of 2016.

Pictured-- German & American students in Baltimore on top of Federal Hill; 
American students in front of the immigration museum in Bremerhaven

Amanda Sheffer
Leipzig, Germany

German-American Fulbright Commission and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD): Summer Academy in Leipzig for U.S. - American Faculty in German, Summer 2015

    The program focused on the German school system and learning how colleagues in Germany were teaching German as a foreign language. The program took us to Berlin to visit the Fulbright Commission as well as Dessau to visit the Bauhaus. It allowed Americans teaching German to interact and meet each other from all over the country. 

Deborah McGee Mifflin
Berlin, Germany

Picture
 Goethe Institut: Filmstadt Berlin

Filmstadt Berlin:  An exciting week in Berlin in July. Through the generosity of the Goethe Institut Washington, I was one of three American German teachers to attend this one-week Fortbildungsseminar. The seminar participants hailed from many nations from Canada to Brazil, from England to Poland and many points in between.  The workshop leader, Martin Lechner, introduced us to many films and techniques how to use film to engage students and engender creative and critical thinking.  Perhaps the most exciting part of the seminar was screening two new German films, Victoria  and Wir sind jung, wir sind stark and discussing them with the directors, Sebastian Schipper and Burhan Qurbani, respectively.  I encourage everyone to consider applying for one of the many Goethe Institut Fortbildungsseminare for next summer.  Applications are due by October 15: http://www.goethe.de/lhr/prj/fid/abw/gii/deindex.htm


Pictured at top:  Eddy Arana, Deborah Mifflin, Lee Wells

Victoria film poster

Pictured below: Participants with director of Victoria.