Human Development in Culture Class Project

Ciao!

These past few weeks I have been working on a project for my human development in culture class here at the Umbra Institute.  We have been learning about different teaching methods in Europe and while doing so we have been taking field trips to local schools here in Perugia.  We visited two high schools, two elementary schools, and an after school program for students who want to learn English.

It was a really eye opening experience to how schools work here in Italy.  Most children attend school 6 days a week (they have off on Sundays) and they go until 1 o'clock in the afternoon every day.  And most children have some sort of after school program they attend once or twice a week.  The after school English language program we visited the other day goes until atleast 7 o'clock in the evening.  I couldn't believe how much schooling these children have until we visited these schools.  I suddenly feel like I shouldn't have complained as much when I was in high school.

Besides attending school 6 times a week the children start learning English around 2nd grade.  Most of the high school kids we spoke to spoke English very well and I felt so bad I didn't know much Italian.  Even the elementary school children we spoke to could understand the basics of what we were saying.  At their age I was still mastering the English language and they are learning a completely new language which I think is great for them.  I wish I would have had the opportunity to learn a second language in elementary school.

Today we had our last school visit and now our group must begin working on our presentation.  I had a lot of fun with the school visits and I am kind of sad it is over.  The children were all so well behaved and their
English was more proper than most people I know.  It was such a wonderful learning experience that I will never forget.

Now, I must begin writing my Italian presentation that is due in a few weeks.  It shouldn't be too hard considering my topic is gelato!  And since I love my topic it should be really fun!

I also have to get ready for my art history field trip this weekend.  On Friday morning my class is leaving for Florence and we will be returning to Perugia Saturday evening.  We are going to be seeing a lot of famous artwork including works by Botticelli and Michaelangelo.  We are also going to be seeing a painting by Leonardo da Vinci which Florence has on loan from the Louvre in Paris!  I can't wait to report on what I saw next week!

And one week from tomorrow myself along with 2 of my fellow LVCers and 2 friends from Perugia are going to London for the Harry Potter movie release!  We just booked our tickets for the movie yesterday so we will be seeing the movie that Saturday morning!  We aren't going to the official premiere as that is taking place early next week but I am so excited just to be in London when the movie is released!  I am sure the 5 of us are going to have a great time :)

And before you know it, I will be back in the USA!  Everyone keeps talking about leaving and I don't even want to think about it as this point.  I mean, I miss my family and friends so much but saying goodbye to my new Umbra friends and roommates will be the hardest thing.  I can't believe it but 5 weeks from this Friday I will be back home.  Time has flown by just like everyone told me it would and it's a sad thing.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far!

Italian word of the post:
    scuola - school

Morgan :)