Eva Bogard, Ph.D.
Riverview High School
941-923-1484
eva_bogard@sarasota.k12.fl.us
Please let me know you were here by filling in the
Guest Book below.
Thank you, for your participation!
Your Child Is In An Outstanding Learning Environment.
The NeXt Generation Studio Classroom is a unique learning environment offering every student the opportunity for success, as well as, preparation for life after high school.
Please read what makes this classroom different and why you want your child to have this special experience.
Why you want your child
in a NexT Gen Studio Classsroom
Read this comparison of NeXt Generation Learning in the German Classroom
Versus Traditional Classroom Instruction
Adapted from: Some Comparisons of Montessori Education with Traditional Education. American Montessori Society 2001
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The Studio Classroom |
Traditional Classroom |
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Teacher guides and facilitates student learning while students work. |
Teacher talks to class while students listen. |
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Students work at their own pace. |
All students do the same thing at the same time. |
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Students choose their work. |
Teacher chooses the class activities. |
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Students record and track their progress. |
Teacher grades and records student work. |
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Students can test independently when they feel ready. |
Students test on a teacher assigned date. |
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Students choose to do homework. |
Students are assigned homework. |
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Students have access to computer learning software, internet learning resources and a class website with course materials. |
Students use textbooks and workbooks. |
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Students ask questions specific to their personal academic challenges and get individualized help. |
Students ask questions in front of classmates and the teacher responds to the entire group. |
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A carefully prepared learning environment and method encourages development of internal self-discipline. |
Teacher acts as a primary enforcer of external discipline. |
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Uninterrupted time for focused work is valued. |
Time is tightly scheduled. |
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Student’s learning pace is internally determined. |
Instructional pace is set by core-curricula standard expectations, group norms or teacher. |
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Student is allowed to spot their own errors through feedback from the learning materials. Errors are viewed as part of the learning process. |
Work is usually corrected by the teacher. Errors are viewed as mistakes. |
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Student has opportunities to choose some work based on their own interests. |
Teacher chooses assignments based on core curricula standards. |
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Students choose which work to turn in for evaluation. |
Teacher decides which work will be graded. |
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Learning is initiated by the student (and is therefore more likely to be remembered) |
Learning opportunities are presented according to the teacher’s schedule. |
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No ‘paper and pencil’ tests are administered. Students’ ability level is determined through teacher observation and evaluation of student products. |
Paper and pencil tests are often used to evaluate students’ knowledge. |
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Two-year to four-year span of instruction with the same teacher allows teacher, students and their parents to develop supportive and collaborative relationships. |
One-year cycle with alternating teachers can limit development of strong teacher, student and parent collaboration. |
Why you want your child to learn German
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TOP 10 LIST
1. German is important for school. You need at least two years of a foreign language to study at many colleges and most colleges highly recommend it. Did you know that at the
2. German and English are both Germanic languages. They both started out as the same language. They share many of the same words, word origins and grammar characteristics. That makes German a good choice for English speakers.
3. German is important to our American heritage. One out of every four Americans nationwide has German heritage. German-Americans are the largest ethnic group in
4. Over 120 million people speak German as their native language. German is spoken in
5. German is important in the global economy.
6. German is very important for business. Many American companies are owned by German companies. Siemens in our town is a German-owned company. There are other smaller companies here that do much of their business with
7. German is important for science. Most of the world's scientists have come from or studied in German-speaking countries. Many new scientific discoveries happen in German-speaking countries, and some scientific information is only available in German. The newest elements on the Periodic Table were just discovered by a German scientist. Universities encourage science majors to learn German.
8. German is important in music. Most of the world's famous composers and musicians came from German-speaking countries. Think of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Schubert.
9. German is important for the tourist industry. Germans are the most traveled people in the world. You will find German tourists everywhere. In the
10. The importance of German may not seem as obvious to Americans because we are separated from the rest of the world by ocean. We tend to notice only what's in our backyard. Worldwide, German is one of the most popular foreign language to learn. In
There's More Going On In the German Class Than Learning a Foreign Language!
("tax-payers get more bang for their buck from the German program" -German parent)
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Look at everything your child is learning in their German class:
Your child is learning time management skills. Specifically:
He is learning how to plan and keep project deadlines.
He is learning how to schedule from a future goal back to today.
He is learning the value of time and to work independently.
He is learning to make the most of every minute.
Your child is learning organizational skills. Specifically:
He is learning how to collect a set of tools that meet the requirements for a project.
He is learning how to keep his tools in the same place to make it easier to find and use them, while not wasting valuable time looking for them.
He is learning how to care and maintain his tools and the value of doing so.
Your child is learning perseverance. Specifically:
He is learning how to go through multiple steps to reach a goal.
He is learning how redoing his steps will make him more successful.
He is learning how improvement comes naturally after repeated experience.
Your child is learning how to build a successful working relationship with his leader/boss/supervisor/employer/colleagues. Specifically:
He is learning how to communicate respectfully, and how it feels to be spoken to respectfully.
He is learning how to work on a team and ask people for help successfully.
He learning how to take the time to read and follow instructions.
He is learning where to go for directions.
He is learning how to value others’ work time.
He is learning how to present problems and find solutions effectively.
Your child is learning how to create quality work. Specifically:
He is learning to do something over and over again until it meets a quality standard.
He is learning that he gains expertise from his continued efforts.
He is learning that he can be proud of himself.
He is learning that he can be a positive role model to others.
Your child is learning to use technology. Specifically:
He is learning how to access live-streaming radio.
He is learning how to create and manipulate word-processing documents.
He is learning how to create PowerPoint presentations (used in the business world).
He is learning how to research and find answers to all his questions on-line.
He is learning how to participate in blogs.
He is learning how to use an ActivBoard.
He is learning how to create a podcast.
He is learning how to create digital MP3 recordings.
He is learning what an Elmo can do.
He is learning how to trouble-shoot a PC.
He is learning how to setup a network printer.
Your child is getting smarter. Specifically:
His instruction is being tailored to his needs and abilities.
He is engaged in meaningful work.
He is engaged in challenging work.
He is engaged in learning the entire work time.
His brain is making new connections, becoming denser and heavier and this means he is increasing his intelligence.
He is likely to score higher on his SAT.
And all of this, while he is learning to speak, read, write and comprehend a foreign language and its culture (and earning 16 free college credits if he is in the DE program!).
Plus, your child is learning how to keep themselves actively involved in an academic learning environment, because German students are truly engaged in independent learning activities the entire class period. Dr. Bogard believes that students should be actively participating all period, not relaxing behind a desk or sleeping. That passive behavior is much more likely to occur in classrooms where the teacher lectures or does all the work in front of the class while students watch. Such passive classrooms will not teach your child how to take charge of their own learning; which they must be able to do when they are all alone in college (and that's just a few years away).
Students in this program experience the direct relationship between effort and success while given the freedom to guide themselves through their own daily work plan. This is a valuable process only available in the RHS German Studio Classroom.
Your child's hard work here will reward him or her in many ways!
I Am Qualified To Teach Your Child...
I believe my students are smart.
I trust them.
They are wise enough to make the choices that are most beneficial to them.
They are the keepers of their own experiences.
I do not police and control my students because
I believe in their freedom to choose experiences, as well as,
The consequences that arise from their choices.
I want my students to know that I believe they are a valuable member of the school and of the class.
I will try to help when, and if, they ask me for help.
I will reduce the drama, and increase the fun.
I know that nothing is a big deal and that
Everything is the way it's supposed to be.
All is good.
-Dr. Bogard
The One Simple Question You Can Ask Your Child That Will Best Support Him or Her in Their German Studio Classroom: PARENT (asking on a Saturday or Sunday):
"Sweetheart, what did you get scored in your German class this week?"
You would like to hear the name of one of the following projects:
Culture Project
Essay Project
Flashcard Project
Grammar Project
Pronunciation Project
Rosetta Stone Project
You may also go online (SmartWeb) and check the teacher's gradebook to see your child's current grades and check for any zeros (a zero means that a project is missing and late).
If the answer is "nothing", you may want to
contact the teacher: eva_bogard@sarasota.k12.fl.us
and get more details. A conference at school with the teacher, student and parent is a good way to show support for the student and help him or her choose to get back on track.
