v Praze!

Ahoj! My name is Jordan Allen and I am an undergrad student in nutrition science. Although I am not an education or psychology major like many of the other students, I still think educational psychology is imperative to be successful as a student and in my career down the road. Taking this class in Prague is such a wonderful opportunity because we have the chance to be immersed in the culture by visiting and teaching at Czech schools. This trip is the first time I have ever been out of the United States and it has already proven to be a life changing experience. I have done so many things I never thought I would have the chance to do and I am really looking forward to what the next 5 weeks brings!

Viva Praha

My name is Lexis Hohman and I am currently a junior majoring in biological science. After the extensive journey it took to get to Prague, I am so excited to see what the next six weeks will bring. I feel like since I have arrived, everyday is a new adventure and that all it takes is a quick metro ride to transport you back in time! I am looking forward to uncovering the way that I learn and methods of teaching others. I hope that through taking educational psychology I will be able to figure out the best ways that I learn in order to be successful in my future career endeavors.

Hello all this is Tim Reavis, and I am currently in the process of deciding whether or not I will ever return to the States - Prague is that captivating. Well okay I'll eventually make it back to Raleigh, but for the next six weeks I will be quite satisfied to call Prague my home. The only problem at this point is that it feels like there's so much to see that I don't know where to start. I really hope six weeks is enough! I can't wait to become better acquainted with the culture, the people, and the city.

The Golden City

I have been in prague (praha) for approximately week, and its absolutely beautiful. It seems almost surreal that people inhibit here it seems to good to be true. I fell in love easily with the surroundings and the culture. Even though there may be a apparent language barrier, learning a few words along the way can't harm anyone. Its definately a challenge to get a point across sometimes ,but it also allows us to be creative in a way to transmit a certain message through our various ways of communication, gestures have been preety prominent. It makes life kind of interesting. I'm excited to learn further about educational psych and how it can be connected to psychological phenomenas. I feel as though children are our future and its absolutely essential that they never fall through the cracks when it comes to learning, there are always preventative measures or protocols that can be acted upon on!

Praha!

My name is Taylor Gibson, I am an psychology undergrad studying abroad here in Prague. We have been here for a few days and I decided that I love Prague. I cannot wait to discover everything there is to find here in Prague and to learn all that I can in Educational Psych!

Hi! My name is Lauren Cagley, and I am extremely excited about taking educational psychology this summer. Even though I am not an education major (Chemical Engineering), we will all have to teach others at some point in our careers, and I feel like the concepts we will learn in this class will become a great asset in the future!

Introductions

My name is Erin McLaughlin, I am a graduate student studying in Prague at the Prague Institute through NC State University. I am looking forward to these next few weeks of learning about Czech culture, language, and of course assessment and measurements.  I am not a big fan of tests.  I think that teachers are fallible and can make mistakes yet they are testing their students, with no checks on balances upon their own teaching or test making skills.  I think performance assessments are more relevant to student learning and assessment.  In addition, feedback in general is better because it helps students understand what they need to change and adjust in their comprehension and skill development.  Simple grades do not necessarily provide a significant amount of feedback to students on how they can better their work and comprehension.

PRAHA

First week in Praha!

The first couple of days took some getting used to being away from home and dealing with the language barrier but things are looking up! I love Prague, it's gorgeous! It still hasn't hit me that I will be walking these beautiful streets for 6 weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing what Prague (Praha) has to offer and learning about their culture. I'm also really excited about both of my classes and how they will tie into the Prague culture!

Welcome to Prague!

Hey! I've been in Prague for a few days and so far everything is going well. It took a little adjusting to at first, but I'm very excited to be starting class. I can't wait to see what the Czech culture has to offer and hope to learn a few Czech words in the process.

Czech this out!

I haven't even been here a week but I am already and getting comfortable in the city. The town is more beautiful than I thought. It is by far one of the prettiest places I have ever seen. I'm starting to learn my way around the city finally. It takes me a while to learn directions and with the streets not set up like a normal city, it has taken a while to learn my way. I have been able to pick up some language though but still forget the words some time. No matter how many times I have by taught how to say "Thank you" I still end up pronouncing it wrong here and there.

Creating Your Posts

You will be asked to provide at least one blog per week for you to comment on your experiences both in class and in the Czech Republic. Each new week starts on Monday. I hope that this activity becomes an enjoyable way for you to document your experiences while on your trip. The blog activities will be worth 15 points for full participation. You should make specific references to educational psychology concepts that we talk about . . . and it is ok to be creative (or even humorous) with this!

For some ideas, you can view last year's blog at this site: http://prague.edublogs.org/

Welcome to the Prague Blog for 2011!

Hi Everyone,

Just testing out the new blog!

John