Hobro - Ahlen samarbejde 2010

Tasks in connection with project work BILLY ELLIOT

2010-10-21T20:21:00.005+02:00

September 2010: Classes HHOa, Ahlen, and 2ab, Hobro, in front of the entrance to Mariagerfjord Gymnasium.

Below you'll find the tasks set in connection with the Ahlen exchange visit in Hobro where Ahlen and Hobro students worked together on the Billy Elliot film / Dreams and family patterns as an influence on your choices in life.

Unity in Diversity Ahlen – Hobro cooperation:

For those of you who are a bit ambitious:

General introduction and discussion of the film can be found at YOU TUBE at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6J9Jo4opYQ&feature=related

--11 minutes.

And at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOk-U1SBAbI&feature=related

10 minutes.

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Gender Roles:

Try to “translate” the poem below into ordinary English, write down your version in prose, and then discuss the poem (source and authour unknown) as related to the film:

How are little boys made?
Take one new baby,
Poke it and toss it, force it and push it,
Leave it alone a lot, and never speak softly to it.
How are little girls made?
Take one new baby,
Cuddle it and coo at it, soothe it and calm it,
And never let it stray.
What are little boys made of?
Scrapes and pains, fears not shown,
Lessons learned the hard way,
Loneliness ingrown.
What are little girls made of?
Questions and dreams, secrets never told,
Trusts nurtured and betrayed,
Life waiting to unfold.

(http://alinihatekenblog.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/discussion-questions-for-billy-elliot-stephen-daldry-2000/)

What would you characterise as typical of male and female roles in Billy Elliot?

Give examples. Compare to gender roles in your own society.

Diary entry

You are Billy. You have now been in London at the ballet school for 1 year and write a diary entry about your present life. You have been allowed to have a very small part in a ballet together with 5 other kids. First discuss in your group what you see as possible difficulties for a boy like Billy. Remember the scene showing his and his dad’s visit to London for the audition.

Make a dialogue in which you, Billy’s father, discuss the problems you have in connection with allowing Billy to follow his dreams.

First discuss the film and the places where we see him worrying about this, then do your “scene”.

Make an illustration of a modern version of The Ugly Duckling-Billy Elliot and explain your interpretation in writing or orally to the whole group.

Billy’s favourite song seems to be We Love to Boogie by T. REX.

Songs are often impossible to translate, but go through it and discuss what is it that makes the song so attractive to Billy? You can find a T. REX version of the song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3bPshSlQMo

We love to boogie, we love to boogie
Jitterbug boogie, Bolan pretty boogie
We love to boogie on a Saturday night

Belinda Mae Fender's got a Cadillac Bone
Jenny's lost her cherry walking
all the way home
The passions of the Earth blasted it's mind
Now it's neat sweet ready for
the moon based grind

We love to boogie
We love to boogie on a Saturday night
We love to boogie
High school boogie, jitterbug boogie
We love to boogie on a Saturday night

You rattlesnake out with your tailfeathers high
Jitterbug left and smile to the sky
With your black velvet cape
We love to boogie, we love to boogie
Jitterbug boogie, Bolan pretty boogie
We love to boogie on a Saturday night
and your stovepipe hat
Be-bop baby the dance is where it's at

I love to boogie
Yes I love to boogie on a Saturday night
I said I love to boogie, I love to boogie
Jitterbug boogie, I love to boogie
I love to boogie on a Saturday night

I love to boogie

Cosmic Dancer by T Rex is another song used in Billy Elliot .

See You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMfjA4gyEcU

What does the song focus on? Is it actually relevant to Billy’s situation? Why talk about tomb and womb? Is dancing life and/or death to Billy?

What does dancing mean to you personally? Discuss this in the group.

Text:

I was dancing when I was twelve
I was dancing when I was aaah
I danced myself right out the womb
Is it strange to dance so soon
I danced myself right out the womb

I was dancing when I was eight
Is it strange to dance so late
I danced myself into the tomb
Is it strange to dance so soon
I danced myself into the tomb

Is it wrong to understand
The fear that dwells inside a man
What's it like to be a loon
I liken it to a balloon

I danced myself out of the womb
Is it strange to dance so soon
I danced myself into the tomb
But when again once more

I danced myself out of the womb
Is it strange to dance so soon
I danced myself out of the womb.

Cosmic Dancer by T Rex is another song used in Billy Elliot .

See you tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMfjA4gyEcU

What does the song focus on?

Is it actually relevant to Billy’s situation?

Why talk about tomb and womb?

Is dancing life and death to Billy?

What does dancing mean to you personally?

Text:

Children of the revolution by T .REX at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgcxd9wtXUE&feature=related

Yeah
Well you can bump and grind
It is good for your mind
Well you can twist and shout let it all hang out
But you won't fool the children of the revolution
No you won't fool the children of the revolution, no no no

Well you can tear a plane in the falling rain
I drive a rolls royce 'cos it's good for my voice
But you won't fool the children of the revolution
No you won't fool the children of the revolution, no no no - yeah!

But you won't fool the children of the revolution
No you won't fool the children of the revolution
No you won't fool the children of the revolution
No you won't fool the children of the revolution
No way, yeah, wow!

In what way is this song and music relevant to the themes of the film, if at all ?

Is Billy a revolutionary?

Is his friend Michael?

Give a description of the family patterns that dominate in Billy Elliot.

What are the accepted norms for girls and boys?

How does this become an obstacle to Billy and his dreams?

Compare to your own community in Germany and Denmark.

Do you recognize the attitudes expressed in the film to people like Billy and Michael, or are they just a thing of the past?

Your product may be expressed through dialogue, a written article whatever.

- Interviewing people in the whole group is also a possibility!

What is your ideal family like?

Would there be room for people like Michael etc. ?

Create your own dream song about young people, their family conflicts and their wishes to fulfil themselves.

As your tune you might choose a well-known one that both German and Danish students would be familiar with.

WIVIAN, SEPTEMBER 2010

Skagen Pictures by Kasper 2ab

2010-10-09T21:12:00.022+02:00

Kasper 2ab took 3 really nice pictures from
Skagen and Rubjerg Knude.
The light was fantastic that day.

View of the landscape behind Rubjerg Knude
seen from the top of the gigantic sandhill.

Skagen, the meeting of the two seas.

Ahlen - Hobro partnership UNITY in DIVERSITY September 2010

2010-10-09T20:52:00.024+02:00

In the pictures above our students are engaged in working with and in an oral presentation of the results of their group work. The tasks will be shown in a separate blog entry. So will some of the written results of their work. Unfortunately we did not record the singing of the rap-song about dreams, but hopefully we'll be able to bring the video recording done by the Germans later.

Apart from working there was of course also time for fun and excursions to Skagen, Rubjerg Knude and Århus.

In the evenings there were private gatherings and at great evening at the socalled ISHUS in the centre of Hobro. A Place used by young bands and musicians for practising and in this case for a really nice disco evening.

Thursday evening was more quiet, everybody was tired, but there was a pleasant atmosphere and the ZUMBA instruction given by sports teacher Sofia Ottosen was a great success. So
were the musical contributions by both Germans and Danes.

As you can see from the pictures the weather was fantastic for both the Skagen and the Århus trip, where the Germans visited Aros, the art museum, ( http://www.aros.dk/)and had a group picture taken on the lawn in front of MUSIKHUSET (the Music Hall).

After a long day with group work, presentations, and a 5-hour-trip to Århus, the German students are waiting to be seated for a meal and social evening entertainment arranged by 2ab while the German class visited Aros and did a bit of shopping and McDonalding.

Presentation of group work Thursday.

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This group presented their work on comparisons between the songs from Billy Elliot

6) Cosmic Dancer by T Rex is another song used in Billy Elliot

Presentation the brief version:

What does the song focus on?

Dancing, feelings, expressions.

Is it actually relevant to Billy’s situation?

Yes, because the other people see him as a poof. Dancing is what he was born to do. He wants to dance from the minute he was born, till he lies in the tomb.

Why talk about tomb and womb? Is dancing life and death to Billy? Billy is not living if he is not dancing.

What does dancing mean to you personally? It means a lot to me. I can express my feelings by doing the dance.

Compare it to another song, REVOLUTION, in the film:

In what way is this song and music relevant to the themes of the film, if at all?

Yes, because the children do what they want to do and they rebel against the old genreation. Is Billy a revolutionary? Yes. He is following his own dream (which is dancing) even though his father and brother are against it. He is also a symbol of the new era.

Group C

Dear diary,

I’ve been at the Ballet School for a year now, and it is still as amazing as when I got here in the first place. There are so many girls at the school, so it is very hard to find my place here. Some of the kids here are probably better than me, but even so I’ve been picked for a very small part in a ballet with five other kids. Sometimes the dancing is very boring because it is the same all over again, but when I think back at the audition where I felt like I was flying I remember how much I love ballet.

The music we dance to is very classical; sometimes I miss the music I danced to with Mrs. Wilkinson. It was so much more fun. Sometimes I wish I could turn back the clock and go back to old Durham County where everything was simpler. I miss my dad, my brother and my friends, especially Michael. I bet he misses me too. Sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if I’d stayed back there, and my daddy didn’t accept me going to the audition. The letter from dad, where he wrote how proud he, Tony and my grandma were that I am well here. Whenever I feel I’m in doubt about my decision to go here, I read the letter and know I’m doing the right thing. I’m dancing to make them proud. I know I won’t let them down, I’ll be famous some day.

Love. Billy

DIARY ENTRY BY Shannon, Stine, Tabea, Henrikke and Rike:

Dear diary,

I have now been at the ballet school for a whole year, it’s been tough and at one point I almost got expelled because I punched out an annoying kid. I blacked out because the boy said that I did not have the talent. He said my dad is only a miner, and that I have no mother so I was not raised properly, which caused my actions.

Since then I have progressed in dancing and learned to control my rage. Instead of using my rage on the other students, I express it in my dancing.

i miss my home, my family and Michael. I hope that he´s doing okay, and has learned to stand up for himself. I’m so glad that my father and brother have accepted me for who I am and for the dream I have.

Tony and my dad have promised to come see the ballet that I am involved in. I am in a small part of the ballet where 5 other boys will participate. I am looking forward to seeing my brother, father and hopefully my grandmother again.

Life is very different now compared to before, but I am finally learning to adjust here, and hopefully I will keep evolving and developing my dancing- and social skills.

Oh well, dinner is ready now, so I have got to go. I will be back again later.

Love Billy.

RAP-SONG performed with great energy in the music room by group 8:

Rap song

st.1
My mamma said I should be a doctor, “NO WAY”
My daddy said I should study law, “NO WAY”
My mama said I should be a teacher, “NO WAY”
My daddy said I should find a good man, “NO WAY”

Chorus
So live your life
It’s gonna be your last
Live your life
It’s gotta be a blast!

st.2
My mama said I should brush my teeth, “NO WAY”
My daddy said I should clean my room, “NO WAY”
My mama said I should eat my beans, “NO WAY”
My daddy said “No drinking, no drugs!”, “NO WAY”

Chorus
So live your life
It’s gonna be your last
Live your life
It’s gotta be a blast!

B
If your parents won’t let you follow your dreams
tell them: “Step off!! And get the hell away”

Impressions of Skagen and Rubjerg Knude-Danish Nature Hits

2010-10-07T09:00:00.010+02:00

The "Sandorm" which took some of us to Grenen. We all walked back, though.

SKAGEN DIARIES:

Unser Ausflug nach Skagen – Deutsche Version

Unsere deutschen Freunde fanden das Wasser nass. Es war eine schöne Erfahrung, besonders im Wasser zu laufen. Die Deutschen waren von dem Trip sehr begeistert. Später nahmen wir den Bus in die Stadt, wo wir für eine Zeit lang rumliefen. Einige hatten ein grosses Eis, aber besonders die Austauschschüler mochten das Eis nicht. Danach nahmen wir wieder unseren Lieblingsbus, und fuhren diesmal nach Rubjerg Knude um den sandumhülten Leuchtturm zu sehen. Es war sehr windig da oben, und der Sand wehte um unsere Köpfe. Wir hatten einen schönen Trip nach Skagen, und schnappten sehr viel frische Luft an diesem Tag, wir waren alle sehr müde, als wir mit dem Bus nach Hause fuhren. Obwohl alle müde waren, war die Stimmung gut.

Our trip to Skagen – English version.

The Germans thought the water was wet. It was a nice experience, especially to wade in the water. The Germans were all ecstatic about the trip. Later on we took the bus to the town, where we walked around for some time. Some had a huge icecream, but especially the Germans thought the icecream was terrible. After that we took the lovely bus again, this time to drive to Rubjerg Knude to see the lighthouse buried under sand. The air up there was very windy, and the sand was drifting around our heads at the peak. We had a good trip to Skagen, and having had a lot of fresh air that day, we were all tired when driving home in the bus. Even though people were tired, the sentiment was high.

Mikkel, Emilie, Vanessa, Sandra, Katja und Kasper. 30-9/2010

OUR TRIP TO SKAGEN 29.09.2010

Anne Mai, Sina and the rest of that group

We had a great trip to Skagen, especially as it was for the first time we were both Danes and also Germans. It was a long trip, but we enjoyed it, and the weather was just perfect. Our teachers had warned us against the autumn weather and had told us to put on some warm clothes, but in fact everybody was sopping and running around with bare feet. The sun warmed our faces and there was a gentle breeze. We felt like standing at the edge of the world with the two oceans in front of us.

Afterwards we went to the town of Skagen, where we had a traditional Danish icecream.

Next stop Rubjerg Knude, a famous place near the North Sea. It was amazing, mountains of sand were piled up in surrealistic shapes with the sea on one side and land on the other. The sand was warmed up by the sun and we had bare feet. The lighthouse was amazing as it stood there buried in the sand. Unfortunately we had to take the bus home early so we did not have the chance for a longer walk. Even though people were tired we had a great time.

Mittwoch den 29.09.2010

An diesem Tag haben wir einen Ausflug nach Skagen gemacht. Wir fuhren mit 2 Bussen in Richtung Skagen, das ist der Punkt an dem Nord- und Ostsee zusammen treffen. Es war sehr interessant zu sehen, dass man erkennen konnte, wie unterschiedlich die beiden Meere sind. Im Gegensatz zur ruhigen Ostsee, herrschte auf der Nordsee starker Wellengang. Nachdem wir ein ausgiebiges Fußbad in den beide Meeren genossen hatten, ging es mit einem langen Fußmarsch zurück zum Bus und von da aus fuhren wir in die kleine, romantische Stadt Skagen. Nach einem kurzen Aufenthalt ging es zur Besichtigung auf eine wunderschöne Sanddüne von der man einen traumhaften Blick über das gesamte Meer hatte, doch leider war die Zeit viel zu knapp ehe unser Bus zurück nach Hobro fuhr, von da an hatte jeder den Abend zur freien Verfügung.

OUR IMPRESSIONs OF SKAGEN:

Gestern waren wir mit den Dänen in Skagen. Wir sind erst mit dem kleinen Bus zum Meer gefahren. Dort war es sehr interessant zu sehen, wie sich die Wellen der Nord- und Ostsee treffen. Es war ein sehr schönes Gefühl in dem Wasser barfuß zu laufen, und wenn es sehr kalt war.

Danach fuhren wir in die Innenstadt von Skagen, die ungewohnt klein und teuer war. Trotzdem kaufen wir ein paar Souvenirs und stärken uns für den weiteren Tag.

Um 14 Uhr machten wir uns auf den Weg nach „Rubjerg Knude“, wo es eine riesige Sanddüne gibt. Wir fanden dies sehr beeindruckend, da so etwas nicht alltäglich ist. Danach fuhren wir mal wieder mit dem Bus zurück nach Hobro.

Yesterday we went to Skagen with the Germans. We think it was very pretty and interesting. They found “Rubjerg Knude” the most impressive. We went to the city centre of Skagen and the Germans think it was pretty small and expensive. We bought some souvenirs and something to eat.

Mette and Co

The trip to Skagen.

We left Hobro in the morning. The weather was great and everyone was excited about the big journey.

The bus ride was very long ,but also quite funny – some were sleeping though.

When we arrived at Skagen, we went to see ‘Grenen’, and it was fun to see the two oceans collide.

Afterwards we went into the town of Skagen where we had some free time.

Later we drove to a place called ‘Rubjerg Knude’ which is an enormous hill of sand. There was a large beacon on top of the hill of sand – part of it was buried by sand.

Then we drove home and everyone was really tired.

Niels Peter, Dennis and their group

Our trip to Skagen

Ditte, Romina, Rebecca, Mathias and Henrik.

Es war sehr schön am Strand zu spazieren gehen, denn man konnte sehr gut sehen wie die Nord- und die Ostsee aufeinander treffen. Wenn sie aufeinander treffen, kann man dies gut an den Wellen erkennen. Es war sehr windig, als die Sonne für kurze Zeit von einer Wolke verdeckt wurde. Auch wenn die Sonne manchmal weg war, haben wir trotzdem Eis gegessen. In Rubjerg Knude war es sehr schön, da der Sand sauber und weich war, doch der Weg auf die Sanddüne war lang und anstrengend. Aber für die Aussicht hat sich der Weg gelohnt.

Skagen ist eine sehr kleine, romantische und typische dänische Stadt. Die Häuser dort sind sehr altmodisch und die Geschäfte sind klein und aneinander gereiht. Die Atmosphäre dort ist sehr angenehm und man hat keinen Stress wie in den Groβstädten, da der Verkehr sehr gering ist und dort nicht so viele Menschen aufeinander treffen. Die Anreise mit dem Bus dort hin war sehr lang, doch man konnte die Aussicht genieβen oder sich ein bisschen ausruhen.

It was great to walk at the beach, because you could see the two oceans at the same time. They met each other and made waves. The nature was different from the nature in Germany, and therefore it made a huge impression to us. The view was also nice because the sun was shining and the water was so blue just like the sky. The sand was clear and you wanted to touch it and hold it in your hand.

The city was little, but cosy. The houses were old fashion and the shops were right next to each other. The surroundings made a great atmosphere. Even though the bus trip was really long, you enjoyed the view from the outside or you could take a nap. When we drove along the deserts it was really lonely, but still beautiful.

And here the pictures shown on the Mariagerfjord Gymnasium news page in connection with the exchange:

On September the 29th, we went to Skagen to see some of the Danish nature highlights.
We took the bus to “grenen” in Skagen except for the last kilometer. The Germans took a tractor out there, while the Danes walked it.
It was a good experience for the German students because it was different from what they are used to. They enjoyed the water and the view and were excited to see seals and experience the beach.

Tabea, Rike, Stine, Henrikke and Shannon

2010-09-28 Starting out /Billy Elliot

2010-09-28T17:22:00.004+02:00

Det egentlige samarbejde begynder i billedkunstlokalet. Klik på billedet og se flere billeder fra dagens arbejde.

We spent two morning sessions working together on Billy Elliot, Dreams and Gender Roles/Norms. Click picture for more images of the exchange group work.

After the exchange 2ab continued working with the project including the historic/political aspects of the Miners' Strike in 1984-85 and the conditions of miners in England in the 20th century.

2010-09-27 Arrival of our German partners

2010-09-28T17:21:00.002+02:00

The German students arrived wearing their study tour sweatshirts. Click at picture for more pictures of their arrival.

The picture below is the official class photo from the Berufskolleg website:

2010_03_23

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Første dag i billeder - kan ses på Picasaweb

Genbesøg i Hobro

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I dag kommer elever og lærere fra Berufskolleg St. Michael på genbesøg på Mariagefjord Gymnasium.

Besøget i Ahlen

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Nu får vi snart genbesøg af de tyske elever og lærere, som vi besøgte i Ahlen i foråret.
Man kan læse om vores besøg og se det officielle billede under den 20/4 2010 på deres hjemmeside:
http://www.berufskolleg-st-michael.de/index2.htm

Reports: Visiting a German Family

2010-05-14T17:06:00.002+02:00

Patricia Lawrenz, US exchange student in 1 ab

1ab English med Wivian

Visiting a German Family

Living with a new family can be very thrilling, but it can also have its downside, the prime one being homesickness. No matter where you go, when you leave your family or culture for a period of time, you have a longing to go back again. For me this predicament has not been as prevalent as it has been for others, but just when I am having the best time of my life, that longing creeps back making me crave to go home. This feeling was more frequent at the beginning of my stay in Denmark, and while in Germany, the craving for rye bread and frikadeller struck me after only 2 days away. There are also other tribulations that can occur while on an exchange.

There may be problems if you cannot communicate with the host family. I couldn’t speak any German and my host parents couldn’t speak any English. In these situations patience is key. If we took the time to draw pictures of what we meant or acted out what we wanted to do then the point would eventually come across.

When I came to Denmark I was lucky because almost everyone can speak English, and therefore could translate and explain situations to me. I think that if I had to live with a family, like many of the German families that can’t speak English, it would have been a much harder transition.

The switch from your daily routine is already difficult, but adding in new food, activities, and family traditions makes it seem nearly impossible at times. Some differences from my Danish and American families to the German family would be the food and activities. At home for breakfast and in Denmark, I normally eat a bowl of cereal, and on weekends we eat scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

In Germany we ate pancakes, but we spread Nutella on them and rolled them up until they looked like cigars. For dinner we had salad, which is very common in Danish and American meals, but then they served a type of stuffed pasta that originates from Russia because my partner has roots there. I think that it is wonderful that her family still holds on to their background because I know very little about my heritage. I believe that it is very important to keep hold of your history because it is what makes you who you are.

That is one of the great things about Denmark, and I will grow to miss all of the history this country has.

Patricia

STAYING WITH A FAMILY IN GERMANY 2

When we arrived at the school in Ahlen, we were all very excited and a little bit nervous because almost none of us had tried staying in a foreign family before. I do not have German in school, and I was worried that the family and I would end up having nothing to say to each other, due to the language barrier. But I was happily surprised.
My German friend, Stephanie, and her parents were very sweet and welcomed me in the family with open arms. Stephanie’s father did not speak English at all, which of course was a shame, but she and her mother were good at translating, so it was not impossible for her father and me to communicate.
That I had to stay with them and sleep alone with Stephanie was not something I had feared, and I am sure my year at a boarding school has made it easier for me to cope with new people that I do not know. Staying there was easy because I got everything served. When I got out of the bathroom in the morning breakfast was ready, and I received everything I could ask for: boiled eggs, fresh orange juice, tea, coffee and freshly baked bread because they lived above a bakery which Stephanie’s grandfather once had owned. They took very much care of me, and they even insisted on paying my lunch in Münster, and all my sodas at the bowling centre for me. Of course there were some awkward silences sometimes, but it was a very positive experience, and I think we students learned a lot about people and about using foreign languages in practice.

Sofie 1ab 2010

Reports: Should schools quit study tours?

2010-05-14T17:03:00.005+02:00

Should schools drop study tours?

In my opinion it would be very sad if schools decided to drop study tours, and there are a lot of reasons why that is what I believe. I think that it is really important for everyone to experience new things and meet other cultures because if you don’t try or see anything new, your life can easily get boring, and it’s hard to develop as a person if you don’t get any new impressions or learn anything that’s new to you. It is a completely different experience to fx “live” in Germany for a few days than sitting in the classroom listening to the teacher talking about how it is, and how they talk. If you study art it is also an important thing that you go to museums and see the pictures and sculptures through your own eyes and not just by looking in a book to learn. When you go different new places it is much easier to get the full impression, and you will naturally create your own opinion about it. These are some of the reasons why I think it is a great idea to combine traveling and education.
Another aspect of the good things about study tours is the social aspect. When my class went to Germany we were already really close, and everyone could talk to everyone, but after the trip to Germany I think the social climate in my class is even better. A really nice way to get close to people and build up a really great relationship is to experience a lot together because when you see how your friend reacts in a new situation you get to know each other much better. It is really great to have nice memories in a friendship, so if the school wants a happy and comfortable environment in the school, a study tour is a really great way to improve it, and when students are feeling happy when they go to school, I believe they will learn more.
Of course there are also negative things about study tours, especially the economic aspect. I guess it is discussed a lot how much money should be spent on things like study tours, but I think that it is important that the school can offer their students experiences like that.

Line 1ab 2010

Trip to Ahlen

The importance of study tours to the social climate in a class

I was still considering myself as ‘one of the new kids’ in 1.ab before the trip to Ahlen. But from now on I’ll hopefully be considered as a part of ‘the flock.’

The study tours are great for the social climate in the class in many ways. You’ll get a chance to talk with some of the persons whom you haven’t talked a lot to before and get to know them better. All the social activities and group work (especially if the teachers have made the groups) are an excellent way to reunite the ‘all-around friendship’ in the class, which may have faded away since the first class trip.

I personally have felt more accepted and welcome in the class because of the trip to Ahlen.

The best thing about the trip was absolutely the bus tour. Everybody was excited to travel for 10 hours and had brought candy and blankets to make the trip comfortable.

There was a great atmosphere in the bus, we sang a couple of songs and watched some episodes of a comedy show called “Langt Fra Las Vegas.”

I feel bad for the other 1.g classes. They didn’t get any study tour this year, and even though they made fun of us by saying: “Wow, a study tour? Too bad you’re going to Germany, because Germany sucks!” I know that deep inside they were all really jealous.

There was only positive energy on the tour, and I didn’t feel that there were any conflicts among my classmates, so all have become even better friends than they were before, and that’s why I think that study tours are essential to classes all around the country.

- Morten Hjortshøj Schrum 1.ab

The importance of study tours 3

When I first started in the gymnasium, in the class that I really hoped - with Music and English as the main-subjects, I was even more excited and very happy when I found out that it would also be an international class with even more study tours!

I have been traveling a lot with different organizations before, and since I was 11 years old. With the organizations I have been traveling with people that I have also known for only roughly one year (like my classmates) before going on a journey with them. In primary and lower secondary school I also went on different study tours to Paris, Oslo, Bornholm and Berlin, and I know how important traveling is to many things - but most of all how important it is to the community and to create new and stronger friendships.

When you travel together, wherever you go in the whole world, it is the time you spend together and the many experiences you get to share that matter. The longer time you spend together in a row, the better you get to know each other as each person really is - and that really means something to a friendship. I can't come up with a better suggestion making the social climate in the class stronger than study tours. And what is even more important in my opinion is that the study tour takes place as soon as possible, like this one I just went to - already in the 1^st year.

Students from the gymnasium have to spend three years together almost every day in school, and the communication and community spirit has to be good to create a great social climate, and that happens by doing things together and sharing unforgettable moments.

What is so great for us to think about is that this is only the first study tour, and that we are going again next year. I talked to some of my classmates on the way home from the study tour, and we all agreed that we felt very lucky because we are going on a study tour again. And even more we feel sorry for those classes that haven't gone on a study tour in 1. g like us because we really enjoyed it totally.

It is of course on the trip you are having fun, or getting enough of each other, and in that way getting to know your classmates even better. But after the study tour, you also have a lot of memories and funny or absurd moments to think of and laugh at afterwards.

I really think it should be obligatory to go on study tours both in 1., 2. and 3. g! Of course money and a lot of other things make it more impossible to come true... I know! But I also know that the social climate in the class changes in a very positive way after a study tour, and I can also feel it. The whole atmosphere is different because now all the people in the class have had a lot of experiences together, and therefore the community spirit has become much closer than before between us! That is why study tours are so important.

Emilie Rasmussen 1ab 2010

The importance of study tours to the social climate in the class 4

I believe that study tours are one of the most important things in the school system. When you’re on study tours, you discover personalities you have never seen before. You feel a whole new solidarity in the class. People, you didn’t think you had something in common with become your new friends. These are all aspects that we experienced at our exchange tour to Germany.

We had to stay all by ourselves at a German family. We had never met this family before, they were complete strangers. The day we arrived, they picked us up at the school, and we drove home. You didn’t know what was going to happen. We felt insecure, and we just wanted to see a familiar face. When we were together with the rest of the class, we had a good time. We could talk about our observations during the days. It was exciting to spend time together with a stranger, but it was difficult to find something to talk about. You had to think along new lines, every time you should talk with the person because of the different languages. It all challenged your personality, and I believe that everyone developed into more responsible persons during the few days. The time we had together was too short to build up a relationship to the German pupil. On the one hand it could be nice to spend longer time with the family, but on the other hand it was lovely to come home.

Before the study tour our class had a close relationship, but during the trip it just kept getting better. Everyone opened up to new experiences together with the class, and I felt that almost all of us showed the best side of ourselves. When you needed support, you could be sure that everyone was there to help. People felt a responsibility towards each other, and it could be felt.
My class made this study tour into a great experience, and I believe that we have a lot of exciting episodes in front of us. It would be sad, if study tours like this one were abolished, and I’m sure that I’m not the only one of that opinion. The social climate in the class improves on study tours!

Stine Sloth Jensen

2010-05-14T14:15:00.003+02:00

Meine Familie

2010-04-18T11:36:00.000+02:00

Meine Familie wartete, als wir zu der St.Michael Berufsschule kamen. Sina Rasche, meine Gastgeberin präsentierte ihre Familie: Ihr Stiefvater Reinhart, ihre Mutter Sylvia und ihr großer Bruder Marius. Ich bekam einen guten Eindruck von ihnen. Zu Hause in Oelde war das Abendessen vorbereitet. Während wir aßen, stellten sie mir 100 Fragen auf Deutsch.

Am Morgen bekam ich mein Fress-paket: einen Muffin und eine 2 Liter Flasche Wasser mit Sprudel. Dann fuhren wir mit dem Fahrrad zum Zug.

Nach dem Bowling am Donnertag Abend, als wir nach Hause kamen, wartete die Familie um ein Gruppenfoto zu machen. Und ich glaube, es war Zeit ihnen von dänischen Traditionen zu erzählen.

Dänisches Bier – wurde schnell zu 6 deutschen Bieren. Wir wurden alle müde, es war aber sehr gemütlich. Wir sprachen viel und trainierten: Økologisk rød grød med fløde.

Um ein Uhr gingen wir zu Bett.

Being Welcomed at the German School

2010-04-06T21:57:00.008+02:00

We all met in the school yard in the morning. I and my classmates were all very tired from the bus trip, and I think our German exchange students were tired too because a so nice welcome into the families can’t have been easy.
The headmaster of the school gave a nice speech, in German, but our German “colleagues” could translate it if we needed help with the German language.
Then our dear teachers gave the headmaster a small present, and we began our work with the Gattaca project. We were also shown a bit of the school and the area around the school.

No 1ab

Der Besuch in der deutschen Schule war okay. Die Schule war sehr groß. Ich denke dass sie ist ein bisschen größer als Mariager Fjord Gymnasium ist. Am ersten sollten wir von der Schule hören, und danach sollten wir mit dem Gattaca Projekt den ganzen Vormittag arbeiten. Das war viele Stunden für eine kleine Aufgabe. Spät am Schultage sollten wir eine Präsentation von unserer Aufgabe machen. Wir sollten auch draussen Fotos nehmen .

Kasper Hansen 1.ab

Going back to DK

2010-04-06T20:00:00.003+02:00

Friday at 8:00 o’clock it was time to go home, after a good and fun trip to Ahlen.
Everyone was filled with new impressions and experiences, and I’m quite sure everyone had had a good time.
Somehow you were more tired than during the trip to Ahlen even though you had plenty of sleep, probably because you experienced so much in such a short amount of time, and I believe that is the reason why so many people were sleeping on the way home.
We stopped at the border between Germany and Denmark, and plenty of soda was bought there.

Steffen Bach, 1ab

Bowling fun in Oelde

2010-04-04T13:25:00.002+02:00

On Thursday 21st our exchange hosts and our class were in the Oelde bowling center 20 kilometers from Ahlen. We met at 7 o’clock. We played bowling for four hours and also ate pizza.

The Danes had never played bowling for such a long time. We were playing a nice game, and at the same time as we were bowling, we could watch a big screen with cars racing against each other. If you got a spare or a strike your car would drive on and if the car reached the finishing line, you would win the game. It was a pleasant night in Oelde bowling center.

Christine & Mette, 1ab

Mindekeglen fra bowlingbanen

2010-03-25T19:00:00.000+01:00

The Guided tour in Münster

2010-03-25T11:00:00.000+01:00

To visit Münster the third day we spent in Germany, was another and really nice experience. The weather was great and we all looked very much forward to go sightseeing in the sun.
Münster is first of all a very historical city and on the guided tour we heard a lot about Münster through the history, from back in the 9th century and until today. We had a nice walk in smaller guide-groups through the streets in Münster and we saw among other things: St. Lamberti's Church a huge church you can see at the pictures, also another beautiful church we saw from the inside as well, called St. Paul's Cathedral and we saw the statue Kiepenkerl, which is a monument of a merchant that survived several wars, among these the second world war. It survived when everything else was destroyed by bombing. Because of that Kiepenkerl means a lot to Münster, because: "The statue can stand by bombing" and shows therefore strength to the city.
After the guided tour we had time to go shopping and we had lunch at one of the many cosy cafés and restaurants around the squares. That was a very great ending of the day in Münster, before going back to the extremely hot bus, to drive for about one hour, back to Ahlen again. It was a great study tour!

Mai and Patricia seem to enjoy Münster!

Blog indlæg vedr. Münster turen

2010-03-25T10:00:00.001+01:00

The outing to Münster

Our outing to Münster was very nice. Münster is a big city where there live about 270.000 inhabitants. We saw a lot of interesting things among other a church, a figure of the holy Katarina. We got some time where we could shop in Münster and that was really nice. Some of the pupils were going to Mac Donald's and other to some shops, which there were many of. The weather in Münster was very nice there was about 20 degrees so some of the pupils bought sunglasses. As you can see at the picture everyone seemed to enjoy the sunny weather and the outing in Münster.

Münster

Am Donnerstag sind wir alle nach Münster gewesen. Wir sollten alle uns am halb neun treffen, und dann sollten wir mit dem Bus zirka eine Stunde nach Münster fahren. Als wir zu Münster ankamen, sollten wir auf einer Rundfahrt gehen. Wir würden in drei Gruppen aufgeteilt; zwei Deutsche und ein Englische. Wir (Stine und Thomas) waren in einer deutschen Gruppe mit einem Mann, der schönes Deutsch und ganz langsam sprach. Wir haben viele schöne Sehenswürdigkeit gesehen, unter anderem dreimal Kirchen; die Lamberti Kirche, der Dom und eine Kirche mit sehr schöne Bilder an der Decke der Kirche, deren Namen wir nicht erinnern können.

Nach der Rundfahrt konnten wir das schöne Wetter genießen. Es war ein sehr schöner Tag.

Tschüss!

- Stine Sloth Jensen & Thomas Klitgaard

Travelling to school

2010-03-25T08:00:00.000+01:00

I was staying in a small town 30 km from Ahlen. We had to get up at 06:00 and prepare for school. We drove by car to the local train station. Then we would have to wait about 5 minutes (and surprisingly our hostess managed to smoke 2-3 cigarettes meanwhile – like many of the other Germans).
Then we would ride the train for about 12 minutes and travel by bus afterwards for a few minutes.
Morten Hjortshøj Schrum

VIP Room party

2010-03-24T19:05:00.004+01:00

On Wednesday the German class had made a party. There was barbecue food, sausages, chicken and salad. There was some music and people were dancing. My class (the Danish class) sang a song: Feuilles Oh, and it was fun. The party was a good thing to "mix" the classes.
It has been a very good trip to Germany, and I am looking forward to seeing them here in Denmark!
Naja

VIP ROOM

2010-03-24T19:00:00.000+01:00

Mittwoch Abend war eine Party. Wir waren im VIP Raum des ASG Clubhauses. Wir haben gegrillet; Es gab Wurst und Salate. Wir haben mit einander geredet und unsere Lehrer haben sogar getanzt! Wir hatten eine Menge Spass.

Mvh Ida M.

2010-03-24T14:18:00.001+01:00

Stadt Spiel – Donnerstag. 24. März

2010-03-24T14:00:00.000+01:00

Heute haben wir einen langen Spaziergang in die Stadt Ahlen gemacht.

Nach der Schule gingen wir in Gruppen, und dann hatten wir sehr viele Aufgaben zu machen. Glücklicherweise kannten die Deutschen die Stadt, so konnten wir die verschiedenen Dinge finden. Wir waren in vielen Kirchen und haben die Fußgängerzone gesehen, und da haben wir auch ein sehr gutes Eis gekauft. Aber da waren so viele Fragen, so konnten wir nicht alles machen, obwohl wir viele versucht haben!

Monica

2010-03-24T13:55:00.001+01:00

Wednesday we went on a walk in Ahlen, playing a little game called Stadtspiel. In our mixed groups, we had to walk around in Ahlen, to find the answers of a lot of questions about the city. Ahlen is a very big city, so it took a long time and we didn't even get to answer all of the questions. The winner group, who answered most questions correctly, won some Easter chocolate.

Josephine og Sofie

Working with Gattaca

2010-03-24T10:00:00.001+01:00

It was exciting working with Gattaca, because we got the opportunity to cooperate with Germans. It´s was more difficult than normally, but we also enjoyed ourselves. We were divided into groups of four and everyone got, about 20 different subjects to choose between, which all had something to do with the movie Gattaca. The Germans had us have both worked with the movie earlier. Some of the different subjects were: Dialog between two people for human engineering and two against, quiz where you answer about the movie Gattaca. It all ended with a group who played a song they wrote, first in English then in German which was about how there isn´t a lot of differences between the German and Danish students. So all in all it was a good ending for the school day, which later on continued with a trip around Ahlen.
Shannon and Nicolaj.

Arriving in the families

2010-03-23T18:00:00.000+01:00

Getting out of the car in front of the apartment Oelde was a bit scary. However as soon as I got up into the flat it felt like home. In the kitchen my host mother was cooking, and my exchange student was showing Morten and me around in the flat. A great dinner was waiting for me after the journey through the flat. After the dinner, we spoke a lot with our exchange student, and discovered how it was to be a teenage student in Germany.
Venlig hilsen
Mikkel Koudahl

Die Reise nach Deutschland

2010-03-23T17:00:00.000+01:00

Um 7:30 sind wir auf dem Weg nach Deutschland. Wir freuen uns sehr. Wir sind alle lustig, aber auch müde. Wir schlafen, hören Musik, reden mit einander und viele andere Dinge. Wir stoppen in der nähe von der Grenze, und wir kaufen Kaffee und Süßigkeiten, und wir fahren weiter. Als nächstes halten wir an in Deutschland, hier scheint die Sonne und das Wetter ist sehr schön.Wir haben ab und zu noch angehalten. Wir kommen in Ahlen an, und wir verfahren uns. Einer von den Schülern zeigt uns den Weg.

Viele liebe Grüße aus Ahlen.

The Coachtrip to Ahlen

2010-03-23T07:30:00.002+01:00

The other guys were collected just in the area of where they live and so was I. I grabbed my stuff, and I was dropped off at the gymnasium where I met up with the others in our gymnasium's lounge. We went to the bus, and then it was off to Germany.

Now I’m sitting next to Henrik and Michael, Steffen is in front of me, and I’ve already started the music, so if I’m lucky I can sleep a few hours more.

The trip down there took many hours and a lot of candy.
Mathias Daniel Hansen

Vejrudsigt for Ahlen

2010-03-22T13:16:00.000+01:00

Wettervorhersage / vejrudsigt
Mittwoch / onsdag

Donnerstag / torsdag

Blogindlæg snart også på tysk

2010-03-18T23:56:00.000+01:00

1abs tyskelever vil under vores besøg også holde jer underrettet på tysk om små og store hændelser i det udenlandske. Vi starter op ved ankomst til det tyske.

FORBEREDELSER- sig tiden nærmer..

2010-03-17T21:12:00.000+01:00

Idag har vi i klassen i smågrupper lavet forslag på engelsk til hvilke kreative grupper vi kan forestille os at arbejde i sammen med tyskerne i forbindelse med Gattaca og genetic engineering.

Desuden er der gang i indsamling af forslag til sanghæftet med tyske, engelske og danske sange.

På fredag mødes vi for at snakke om de sidste forberedelser, før vi tirsdag drager af sted med ALS Turistbussen fra Als via Hadsund, Mariager og Hobro, hvor vi alle samles på MFs parkeringsplads med afgang kl. 7.30, og så går det nedad på autobahn 45 med et lille sving til højre omkring Hannover og så til Ahlen, ialt ca. 750 km.
Chaufføren lover, det kan gøres på max 11 timer inklusive pauser, og det krydser vi så fingre for.

kun en uge endnu..

2010-03-16T09:30:00.000+01:00

Så er der en uge, til vi drager i bus mod syd for at få øvet vores engelsk og tysk i Ahlen hos eleverne på vores samarbejdsskole.
Ud over at arbejde med et Comeniusprojekt om genteknologi og etik ud fra filmen Gattaca, som I kan læse om på http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca, skal vi også besøge den gamle fine by Münster, bowle, lave Stadtspiel i Ahlens gader og opleve, hvordan det er at bo i en tysk familie. Der står også et VIP welcome party på programmet.
Der bliver drøn på!
- og vi varmer selvfølgelig op i bussen ved at synge på livet løs.
Musik- og Europaklasse på en gang, det er energi!

wivian

Her er den tyske skole

2010-03-10T14:02:00.001+01:00

Skolens navn og adresse:

Berufskolleg St. Michael

Warendorfer Str. 72

59227 Ahlen

Tel.: 02382 91400

Fax: 02382 86845

E-Mail: info@Berufskolleg-St-Michael.de

Her skal vi hen

2010-03-10T12:33:00.001+01:00