Cultural Connections Project 1: Global Collaborative Project (Video Synopsis)
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Cultural Connections Project 2: Scripted Duologue Based on Meetup Group or AirBnb City Experience (GoAnimate)
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Cultural Connections Project 3: Experience-Based Travel Writing Based on Meetup Group or AirBnb City Experience (Post on Travel Blog)
Cultural Collections Project 1: Mapping Culture (Google Maps)
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Cultural Collections Project 2: Timelining Culture (MyHistro)
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Cultural Collections Project 3: Curating Cultural Objects (Voicethread)
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Cultural Reflections Project 1: The Last Word, Czech education articles
The readings and discussion with Tomas focused on the Educational system in the Czech Republic wer quite revealing. The deep educational history and structure of their system is quite in contrast with our own. The group discussion using “The Last Word” strategy was a useful framework to share, discuss, and deepen understanding of a subject. I particularly like the practice of sharing a quote and then hearing peers’ interpretation and comments before sharing thoughts. The process enhances and deepens understanding of something personally meaningful.
Some quotes I found striking were in relation to early childhood education. A few of the articles referenced this topic. These are the quotes that resonated with me:
These quotes coupled with our group discussion on this topic plus Czech’s high literacy rate makes me yearn for such support and requirement in our educational system. We rely on community programs targeted on children in poverty, like Head Start, Public Libraries, Book Harvest (book babies), Reach Out and Read, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Smart Start, Duke Durham Partnership, Durham’s partnership for Durham and others to reduce the Ready for School gap. Even with all these community resources there are still gaps, inconsistencies, and many children entering school not knowing colors, any letters, how to hold scissors and other basic developmental milestones. These valiant efforts, while worthwhile, are not enough. We start educating students in kindergarten with major deficits expecting them to “catch up.” We socially promote students to keep the pipeline flowing and for many students failed by our system it flows directly to jail. I’ve been struck with the English language learning- both spoken and written of the students in my Global Collaborative project. If it’s any indication of a typical Czech elementary experience we are in dire straits.
The readings and discussion with Tomas focused on the Educational system in the Czech Republic wer quite revealing. The deep educational history and structure of their system is quite in contrast with our own. The group discussion using “The Last Word” strategy was a useful framework to share, discuss, and deepen understanding of a subject. I particularly like the practice of sharing a quote and then hearing peers’ interpretation and comments before sharing thoughts. The process enhances and deepens understanding of something personally meaningful.
Some quotes I found striking were in relation to early childhood education. A few of the articles referenced this topic. These are the quotes that resonated with me:
- “Nursery schools (mateřská škola) may be attended by children from 3 to 6 years of age. They are established as day-care or half-a-day care centers. Even though attendance is not compulsory it includes 86% of the age group. “ -Czech Embassy in Dublin
- “Preschool enrollment is guaranteed for children in their last year before entering elementary school, but they often attend as early as 4 years of age.” -Czech Embassy in Washington
- “1774 – – – Empress Maria Theresa introduced mandatory primary education in the Habsburg Monarchy”-Ministry of Education
- “The Government will also financially support the establishment of company nurseries and increase the availability of preschool education for children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. “ -Ministry of Education
These quotes coupled with our group discussion on this topic plus Czech’s high literacy rate makes me yearn for such support and requirement in our educational system. We rely on community programs targeted on children in poverty, like Head Start, Public Libraries, Book Harvest (book babies), Reach Out and Read, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Smart Start, Duke Durham Partnership, Durham’s partnership for Durham and others to reduce the Ready for School gap. Even with all these community resources there are still gaps, inconsistencies, and many children entering school not knowing colors, any letters, how to hold scissors and other basic developmental milestones. These valiant efforts, while worthwhile, are not enough. We start educating students in kindergarten with major deficits expecting them to “catch up.” We socially promote students to keep the pipeline flowing and for many students failed by our system it flows directly to jail. I’ve been struck with the English language learning- both spoken and written of the students in my Global Collaborative project. If it’s any indication of a typical Czech elementary experience we are in dire straits.
Cultural Reflections Project 2: Czech Book Club
I read The Alchemist and the Angel by Joanne Owen for our Czech book club.. The descriptions of alchemy workshops,Prague in the 1500s, and the cabinet of curiosities drew me in. Jan’s parents have died in the Black Plague and he is being raised by his alchemist uncle Gustav and mysterious aunt, Greta. Descriptions of Natural Magick practices of Gustav and apprentice Jan as they hunt for mandrake and try to create the elixir of life are intriguing. Weaving historical events, folktales, and illustrations throughout the text develops a rich sense of place and mood. The folktales provided an array of storytelling focused on bringing inanimate objects to life-perfect fodder for an exploration of Czech stories. I enjoyed Jan’s journey with the help of Zuzana, but some major plot points are rather predictable. This book would appeal to young fans of magical realism who yearn for dark fairy tale adventures.
I read The Alchemist and the Angel by Joanne Owen for our Czech book club.. The descriptions of alchemy workshops,Prague in the 1500s, and the cabinet of curiosities drew me in. Jan’s parents have died in the Black Plague and he is being raised by his alchemist uncle Gustav and mysterious aunt, Greta. Descriptions of Natural Magick practices of Gustav and apprentice Jan as they hunt for mandrake and try to create the elixir of life are intriguing. Weaving historical events, folktales, and illustrations throughout the text develops a rich sense of place and mood. The folktales provided an array of storytelling focused on bringing inanimate objects to life-perfect fodder for an exploration of Czech stories. I enjoyed Jan’s journey with the help of Zuzana, but some major plot points are rather predictable. This book would appeal to young fans of magical realism who yearn for dark fairy tale adventures.
Cultural Reflections Project 3: Czech Film Club
“Kolya,” directed by Jan Sverák and written by and starring his father, Zdenek Severak is set in 1988 at the verge of the disintegration of Russian stronghold of Czechloslavakia. This time setting gives historical perspective to the arranged marriage for money of a Russian woman and her small son, Louka. Understanding the complicated immigration relations of that time period is an important context for the viewer of the film. The cultural time period is an important “character “ in the film and gives insight to characters’ motivation and circumstances: Kolya’s blacklisting stymies his artistic career and Nadezhda’s motivation to marry a Czech at precisely this moment so she can flee to Germany through the open borders to be with her lover.
The filming is beaUtiful- camera angles, filters, editing, and style all add merit to the film. The script deftly reveals the emotional hollowness of a man subject to years of Communist rule. He is a shell of a man until Kolya enters his life. Although the script explores many emotional and moral struggles of it’s characters it becomes somewhat bogged down in itself and there is a need for film to move forward. However, this may be another reflection of years of life under this rule. In contrast, the end of the film moves very quickly and may also be symbolic of how quickly the Russian Communist rule collapsed.
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“Kolya,” directed by Jan Sverák and written by and starring his father, Zdenek Severak is set in 1988 at the verge of the disintegration of Russian stronghold of Czechloslavakia. This time setting gives historical perspective to the arranged marriage for money of a Russian woman and her small son, Louka. Understanding the complicated immigration relations of that time period is an important context for the viewer of the film. The cultural time period is an important “character “ in the film and gives insight to characters’ motivation and circumstances: Kolya’s blacklisting stymies his artistic career and Nadezhda’s motivation to marry a Czech at precisely this moment so she can flee to Germany through the open borders to be with her lover.
The filming is beaUtiful- camera angles, filters, editing, and style all add merit to the film. The script deftly reveals the emotional hollowness of a man subject to years of Communist rule. He is a shell of a man until Kolya enters his life. Although the script explores many emotional and moral struggles of it’s characters it becomes somewhat bogged down in itself and there is a need for film to move forward. However, this may be another reflection of years of life under this rule. In contrast, the end of the film moves very quickly and may also be symbolic of how quickly the Russian Communist rule collapsed.
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Cultural Reflections Project 5: Urban Neighborhood Analysis (from Field Research)
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Cultural Reflections Project 6: Czech Education Analysis (from Field Research)
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Cultural Reflections Project 7: Czech Literature Analysis (from Field Research)
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Cultural Reflections Project 8: Czech Art/Visual Analysis (from Field Research)
The first piece that caught my eye was a piece shaped like a cello or stand up bass. Imposed on the dark brown instrument was a human form in a pose which mirrored the instrument shape. Centered in the foreground is a trio of concentric circles in red, white and blue. I see in this piece human artistic expression of music, and by extension all expression, targeted. The three layers I’ve described led me to this interpretation. I then looked at the title of the piece- Rudolf Nemec created Resonance in 1968. I asked our guide when in 1968 piece was created. He didn’t know; however, we agreed that knowing whether this piece was created before or after Prague Spring may add more depth to appreciation of this piece. II noted that the colors of the circular images were the colors of the current Czech flag. I would like to know if these were the colors of the flag when the Republic was formed in 1918. For me this piece reflects the suppression of human artistic expression during the communist regime which rose to a crescendo in the spring of 1968
The first piece that caught my eye was a piece shaped like a cello or stand up bass. Imposed on the dark brown instrument was a human form in a pose which mirrored the instrument shape. Centered in the foreground is a trio of concentric circles in red, white and blue. I see in this piece human artistic expression of music, and by extension all expression, targeted. The three layers I’ve described led me to this interpretation. I then looked at the title of the piece- Rudolf Nemec created Resonance in 1968. I asked our guide when in 1968 piece was created. He didn’t know; however, we agreed that knowing whether this piece was created before or after Prague Spring may add more depth to appreciation of this piece. II noted that the colors of the circular images were the colors of the current Czech flag. I would like to know if these were the colors of the flag when the Republic was formed in 1918. For me this piece reflects the suppression of human artistic expression during the communist regime which rose to a crescendo in the spring of 1968
Cultural Reflections Project 9: Czech Site Analysis, Site-Based Travel Writing (Post on Travel Blog)