Nichole Olbertz's Portfolio Page
I am a 2nd grade teacher at Davis Drive Elementary school in Cary, NC. DDE has been my home for the past 16 years! I met my husband Frank in Germany and we were married in 2003. I have a son named Austin who is a 13 year old ice hockey player. I also have a daughter named Payton who is a 9 year old gymnast. I am excited to visit Prague and learn all about Czech, its people, its food, and its way of life.
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PROJECTS:
Cultural Connections Project 1: Two Travel Writing Pieces
Experience-Based Travel Writing Piece:
Today’s trip to Terezin is almost impossible to put into words. To spend your whole life learning about the atrocities committed in concentration camps all over Europe, to read books with real life accounts, to hear from actual survivors themselves, nothing compares to standing in a camp and trying to process the fact that 33,000 people died where you are standing. That people were forced to work and live in terrible conditions that spread disease and lead to death right where you are standing. That people were beaten and forced to kill their fellow prisoners right where you are standing. That 15,000 children who had their whole lives before them, walked into the gates that you just walked through and they were not as lucky as you, for only 150 of those children walked back out of them. And there is still the fact that 88,000 additional people that survived the conditions in Terezin, were sent from that camp to other camps like Auschwitz just to be murdered and that was just the numbers from this camp alone. There were many many more camps all across Europe where so many innocent people faced the same fate. Walking through the dirt yards and knowing that “prisoners”, innocent people that did nothing wrong other than celebrate the religion of their choice, once walked in that same dirt yard. Seeing the rooms where hundreds of people were stuffed into deplorable conditions that fostered the spread of illness and death. Seeing the shower rooms and acknowledging the dignity that was stripped away along with their clothing. And then seeing the officers quarters and knowing that they lived in comfort with their families, free to enjoy the gardens with vegetables and fruit trees, a cinema, and even a swimming pool angers you beyond belief. How can humans have so little compassion for others? How can someone justify the brutal torture/murder of a life of any kind, let alone the life of a fellow human? How can someone tuck their children in bed or sit down at a table full of food with their family knowing what they are willingly doing to the children and family members of others? Many questions were on my heart when I left Terezin. How can I live my life in a way that will honor those who were robbed of theirs? How can I live each day in a way that will make my world a better place so that no other people, regardless of race, gender, homeland, language, religious belief, or difference of any kind will face the same persecution? How can I make sure that this NEVER happens again? |
Site-Based Travel Writing Piece:
In a city with churches on every street it is easy to overlook the large white structure that is the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The base of the church is the original old dark concrete, providing a glimpse of what the original facade of the church may have looked like back in 1942. To the left side of the church you will find a small door that leads you into an even smaller concrete room. This room serves as a reminder of what happened to make this church stand out among the rest. On the walls you will find images, personal artifacts, and stories that explain how an act of bravery by a few saved an entire country. I was able to draw a connection to a book that I read while looking around at the artifacts on display. In Someone Named Eva, the main character talks about the cards used to aid in race identification using hair and eye color, it was very interesting to see those cards in front of me. In this room you also have the opportunity to read about the heroic efforts of the men that participated in the actual assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, as well as the heroic efforts of those that helped hide them. Once you have read the story of what happened in the days leading up to the assassination, the assassination itself, and the days that followed, you proceed through a large metal door into the crypt where the final moments of the parashutests played out. Your senses are immediately overwhelmed with the musty smell of the crypt and while it is currently lit so that you can see the memorials that have been placed there to honor the men’s bravery you can imagine how dark it must have been while they were in hiding. To your right is a small window. This small window is where the Nazis lowered in a firehose and began to flood the crypt with the young men inside. This is also the same window that the Nazis fired their weapons through. Bullet holes are still evident in the walls in this area. Further into the crypt, where the men were safe from Nazi gunfire, stand the monuments. One bust for each of the brave parachuters that in the end took their own lives in that crypt rather than fall into the hands of the Nazis waiting on the outside of the church. Make sure you stop by inside the church before you leave. The church is stunning and, when we were there, was full of flowers which was a welcomed contrast to the musty smell of the crypt below. |
Cultural Connections Project 2: Scripted Duologue (Powtoon)
Cultural Collections Project 1: Mapping Cultural Themes (Clio)
Prague Castle was first build in 880 by Prince Borivoj of the house of Premyslides. Keeping with medieval tradition the original structure had a moat and the first walled building constructed was the Church of the Virgin Mary. St. George Church and St. Vitus Church were later founded in the first half of the 10th century. Prague Castle acted as the seat of the Head of State, princes, kings, and the Prague Bishop. Prague Castle was also the location of the first convent, the order of the Benedictine nuns, in Bohemia that was located next to St. George.
In 1939 the castle took on a darker role. The Czechoslovakian president met with Hitler and was informed that his country would be invaded and it was up to him to allow it to happen peacefully or to be met with catastrophic and deadly force. He tried to resist but realized that his country did not stand a chance against the Nazi army and agreed to allow the Nazi army peaceful entry into Prague. Residence were warned to allow them to enter and many stayed inside their homes when the Nazi forces marched in and made their way to Prague Castle on March 15th, 1939. Hitler arrived later that day. He took a tour of Old Town and then went to Prague Castle to inspect his troops. He spent that night in the castle. The castle then became the headquarters for Reinhard Heydrich until May 27th, 1942 when he was ambushed on his way to the castle. He later died from his injuries. |
Cultural Collections Project 2: Curating Cultural Themes (Padlet)
Cultural Collections Project 3: Neighborhood Analysis (Weebly Slide Show)
Today I had the amazing opportunity to explore Vysehrad in Prague 2. This neighborhood is a quick tram ride from the Old Town Square, taking only about 15 minutes. I stepped off the streetcar and headed to the end of the row of buildings in an attempt to find a road a little less traveled than the one that brought me into the neighborhood. There was a walking tunnel that lead me under the train tracks to another street that had more long buildings flanking another road to my left and a large park area to my right. This more natural area had a walking path with a horseshoe arrangement of empty benches that I could imagine lots of parents sitting on while observing their children on the playground a few meters away. Perhaps the heat kept them away today. The main observation that I had almost immediately was how much quieter this section of Prague was compared to Old Town Square. There were several business below the residences but most of them were closed as I walked around at 2:30 on this hot Monday in July. I noticed 2 boys, around the age of 8, that were free to explore the natural areas on their own. I watched as a parent of one of the boys threw them a blanket from their 3rd floor window that they immediately spread out for themselves in the park. These boys were very interested in what we were taking pictures of and I wonder if that is an indication that they do not see much in the way of tourists this far from the city center.
I decided to explore the natural parts first and I discovered that there were many plants that were as wilted as I felt in the heat of the day. They were desperate for rain that still had not arrived. I also was surprised that the only wild animals that I saw were birds. These birds were a bit larger than the ones I typically see in North Carolina and they were not any type that I have seen at home either. My favorite of the birds I saw was the Eurasian Jay. He was a good sized bird with an interesting call and a bright blue stripe of feathers on his sides. I moved back into the inhabited part of the neighborhood and noticed that this side street had fewer businesses than the main drag with a restaurant and market being the most notable. As I walked down this road I noticed a communal area for trash and recycling. Recycling was separated into paper and plastic. I noticed this area was much dirtier than the rest of the neighborhood with many pieces that didn’t fit in the given bins simply being left on the sidewalk next to them. I found it interesting that one of the boxes lying on the sidewalk was for a newly purchased lawn mower… but I did not see any spaces that looked like homeowners would need to mow. I wonder if the common areas are the responsibility of those that live in the neighborhood. As I walked back to the tram stop I noticed that the majority of people that I saw out and about were mostly men. There were some women but not as many. I also saw several dogs off leash both on the sidewalk and crossing the road with their owners. They were very well behaved and did not seem to need the leash but given leash laws in America I found that to be interesting. I look forward to exploring more areas of Prague to see how they compare to the area I explored today! |
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Cultural Collections Project 4: Museum Artifact Analysis (Voicethread)
Cultural Reflections Project 1: Czech Education System, "The Last Word" Discussion
Today we discussed the Czech education system. There were several things that I found very interesting in my reading and discussions. The first thing that really stuck out to me while reading the article called Education System in the Czech Republic from the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington D.C. was that the current literacy rate in the country is above 99%. The Czech Republic also believes in the right to free education and that includes tuition free college educations.
Some of the other things that stuck out to me were for slightly more negative reasons. In the Czech Republic students need to pick which educational path they will follow around the age of 14. I feel that students at that age are not prepared to make such big choices and are more likely to do either what their parents did before them or what their parents tell them to do. I was also interested to see that of the students that enter university only 50% will make it all the way through the program and receive their diploma. The article also mentioned that once students are 26 years old they no longer receive healthcare benefits as a student. I did some research and found that Czech citizens have one of the best healthcare systems in Central Europe. They receive nearly universal healthcare coverage from their employers. This leads me to wonder, what are the requirements within a business that qualify an employee for this healthcare coverage? Do they have to work full time to qualify; therefore making it hard for them to be students at the same time? I wonder if the need for a job that provides healthcare coverage leads students to leave the university program before they complete it. I also wonder if students leave because the education is free. I know this seems like an odd idea, but I wonder if having nothing invested in the university makes it easier to walk away from. If I pay to go to college I want to finish what I started and graduate so that all the money I invested into my education up to that point was not wasted. Could that be a factor in Czech’s university dropout rate?
There were some things that I noticed that sounded eerily like the education system in The United States. One was that the socioeconomic background of students strongly influences educational performance. Another similarity was that teachers perceive their status to be very low. This may be due to the fact that primary and secondary teachers earn less that half of other workers’ salaries.
I look forward to meeting some teachers in the Czech Republic during our trip so that I can get their perspective on some of these things, as well as some of the other things I wonder about. I want to ask them what their school calendar looks like, how special needs students are taught, and what makes them want to teach. This is going to be an amazing learning experience and I can not wait!
Some of the other things that stuck out to me were for slightly more negative reasons. In the Czech Republic students need to pick which educational path they will follow around the age of 14. I feel that students at that age are not prepared to make such big choices and are more likely to do either what their parents did before them or what their parents tell them to do. I was also interested to see that of the students that enter university only 50% will make it all the way through the program and receive their diploma. The article also mentioned that once students are 26 years old they no longer receive healthcare benefits as a student. I did some research and found that Czech citizens have one of the best healthcare systems in Central Europe. They receive nearly universal healthcare coverage from their employers. This leads me to wonder, what are the requirements within a business that qualify an employee for this healthcare coverage? Do they have to work full time to qualify; therefore making it hard for them to be students at the same time? I wonder if the need for a job that provides healthcare coverage leads students to leave the university program before they complete it. I also wonder if students leave because the education is free. I know this seems like an odd idea, but I wonder if having nothing invested in the university makes it easier to walk away from. If I pay to go to college I want to finish what I started and graduate so that all the money I invested into my education up to that point was not wasted. Could that be a factor in Czech’s university dropout rate?
There were some things that I noticed that sounded eerily like the education system in The United States. One was that the socioeconomic background of students strongly influences educational performance. Another similarity was that teachers perceive their status to be very low. This may be due to the fact that primary and secondary teachers earn less that half of other workers’ salaries.
I look forward to meeting some teachers in the Czech Republic during our trip so that I can get their perspective on some of these things, as well as some of the other things I wonder about. I want to ask them what their school calendar looks like, how special needs students are taught, and what makes them want to teach. This is going to be an amazing learning experience and I can not wait!
Cultural Reflections Project 2: Cultural Writing
Cultural Reflections Project 3: Czech Film Review
Anthropoid
This week I checked out the 2016 film Anthropoid. This movie is set in Prague during World War II and focuses on a group of young men on a secret mission to save their country and people from Nazi rule. The most amazing thing about this film is that it is based on actual events which is near impossible to keep in mind as you watch. Overall, I really liked this movie. I found the story to be fascinating and the actors did a great job transporting you to 1942 and what it must have been like in Prague during the Nazi occupation. Portions of this film were shot in more of a journalistic style. In one specific scene in which the main characters were discussing their mission and tensions were high, camera stabilizers were not used. This gave the scene a more frantic and overwhelming feeling. I feel that the cinematography style, while hard to get used to at first, ended up adding so much to the story. This movie is intense and given the subject matter it is also pretty graphic so keep that in mind as you sit down to watch. There is a lot of dialogue and between the whispers, accents, and overall tension and I found that it was easier to follow the storyline with the subtitles on. While a few liberties were taken with this film, overall it seemed to stay pretty true to the actual story. In fact, upon further research I discovered that the actors chosen for these roles very closely resembled the people they were portraying which I thought was a great touch. There were several storylines that were not tied up at the end of the film but by that point so much has happened you can easily overlook that issue. The one thing that I did have some trouble overlooking was that one of the main characters had a real problem with nerves. This underlying issue was an important part of the story but I found it hard to believe that supervising officers would have hand picked him for a mission of this caliber given this characteristic. I would be interested to find out if that part of the story holds any truth. Overall, this film is a great one if you are interested in WWII and does a great job sharing the sacrifices of a select few for the betterment of their entire country. Just be prepared that this will not be a happy, uplifting type of film which is to be expected given the subject matter. |
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Cultural Reflections Project 4: Czech Book Review
Someone Named Eva, a 200 page book written by Joan M. Wolf, and was published by Clarion Books in 2007. Wolf, a 4th grade teacher, is one to watch with this, her first book, already being recognized as a Society of Midland Authors Award Nominee for Children's Fiction in 2008 and a Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award Nominee in 2010.
Someone Named Eva is a historical fiction written from the perspective of 11 year old girl from Czechoslovakia during the Nazi occupation. While “Eva” is not a real historical figure, the author Joan Wolf, does a fantastic job using this loveable character and her experiences during WWII to transport the reader into a world in which a blond hair blue eyed Czech girl could be torn from her family in the middle of the night and adopted into a German family.
This book is an easy read and is suitable for young adults. While Someone Named Eva is not graphic, it does talk about the horrors of war. We learn through Eva’s innocent eyes as she stumbles across the atrocities of concentration camps and what happened back home in Lidice. We also experience the inner turmoil caused in a little girl when she is told to give up everything she has ever known and follow the beliefs of a party responsible for the destruction of her family and country. Wolf does a wonderful job exposing readers to many of the hidden historical details of what happened in Czechoslovakia and to its people when the country was handed over to the Nazis.
Obviously, this is not a happy, feel good book, but it most certainly should be read and discussed. This book exposes many hidden truths about what happened in Czechoslovakia during WWII, and the stories that this book exposes can not be overlooked or forgotten. Be sure to read the author’s notes and research notes at the end of the book. They are just as eye opening as the book itself.
Someone Named Eva is a historical fiction written from the perspective of 11 year old girl from Czechoslovakia during the Nazi occupation. While “Eva” is not a real historical figure, the author Joan Wolf, does a fantastic job using this loveable character and her experiences during WWII to transport the reader into a world in which a blond hair blue eyed Czech girl could be torn from her family in the middle of the night and adopted into a German family.
This book is an easy read and is suitable for young adults. While Someone Named Eva is not graphic, it does talk about the horrors of war. We learn through Eva’s innocent eyes as she stumbles across the atrocities of concentration camps and what happened back home in Lidice. We also experience the inner turmoil caused in a little girl when she is told to give up everything she has ever known and follow the beliefs of a party responsible for the destruction of her family and country. Wolf does a wonderful job exposing readers to many of the hidden historical details of what happened in Czechoslovakia and to its people when the country was handed over to the Nazis.
Obviously, this is not a happy, feel good book, but it most certainly should be read and discussed. This book exposes many hidden truths about what happened in Czechoslovakia during WWII, and the stories that this book exposes can not be overlooked or forgotten. Be sure to read the author’s notes and research notes at the end of the book. They are just as eye opening as the book itself.