Bundestag and First School Visits

As my jetlag continues to fade (although I am up before the sun writing this post and listening to scores of birds greet the day outside my hotel room), I enjoyed the first weekday of this Berlin exchange. The international flavor of the city invigorates me and gives hope for our AEACMS graduates as they enter a world where communication across cultures and languages is critical to success and fulfillment. Our waiter this evening spoke German, Spanish, English, Greek, and Italian, at times interchangeably. Multilingualism is common in Berlin, a fact that AEA German exchange participants have noted on their visits here. This is further confirmation of the importance of language study at AEA both in German and Spanish.

In addition to a comprehensive overview of the German education system, we visited the Bundestag on a private tour. I was struck both by the history that was palpable and visible in this building, as well as the modern architecture. Despite the modernization, several walls have been preserved still bearing the handwritten names of Soviet soldiers who occupied the building in 1945 as World War II drew to a close. In addition to saving these names as part of the historical record, there is a vertical ticker that continuously scrolls the text of speeches and documents created and presented by an array of German politicians over time. Documents created by the Nazis are also included in this ticker, but the letters are inverted.

Much of the Bundestag's structure is glass, suggesting a new openness and transparency to the German political system. From the roof we enjoyed a spectacular view of Berlin at sunset.

Today we are scheduled to visit a daycare center, a Kindergarten, and an elementary or Grundschule (grades 1-6). I am excited about the opportunity to explore the similarities and differences between the way we start children in school in San Diego and how this works in Berlin.

Specifically for the IB learners at Albert Einstein Academies, I will be reflecting on the following questions (and doubtless more) during our visits today:

• What can I learn from the way German schools meet the needs of students ages birth through sixth grade that might benefit AEA students?
• What might I share with the staffs at these institutions that may assist them in their programs?
• What are classroom environments like compared with AEACMS?
• How do students, teachers, and principal interact and how does this compare with the culture of AEACMS?
• What role do parents play in these schools?
• How do these schools meet the diverse needs of all students?

I will be posting photos from the Bundestag as well as today's outings later Tuesday afternoon (Berlin time). Off for a dawn run as Berlin wakes up...

DS