Innovation on Earth

Global Citizenship Resources for Innovation Academy and Beyond

Archive for the tag “Loki”

20 Jun 2012
4 Comments

Where is Innovation going this summer?

It’s official.  School is out!  When I was young, I remember summer being a time full of learning.  Of course, I didn’t sit in a classroom and learn like I did in school.  I did so much more!  I learned about teamwork while doing projects at camp. I learned about other places when I got chances to use the vacation time to travel. I even learned about getting along with my family better, since we often had more time to spend together when school wasn’t in session.

What are you going to learn this summer?

Whether you are traveling or not, I challenge you to learn something new this summer.  And not just anything!  Innovation Academy is going global, and we need your help to learn about the world. I will be blogging from China for 7 weeks this summer, but I hope to involve you in this journey too! If you are a member of the Innovation Academy community, join in:

There’s plenty to enjoy here in Massachusetts!

If you are staying local:

Read, comment, and share!  READ the new entries as they come in, getting a chance to see new places as Ms. Krakauer experiences them.  If we are lucky, we might also have some guest entries from other Innovation Academy teachers and community members.  COMMENT on entries to ask questions, give ideas, or offer reflections. Make sure to use proper spelling and grammar, and only one exclamation point at a time.  SHARE what you read with friends, family, and others who might like to join the fun!

If you are visiting another country this summer:

Balloon twisting in Mexico, 2007

Consider sharing your experiences on this blog. It’s very simple. Send an email with photo attachments to skrakauer@innovationcharter.org.  Explain where you are, and describe what you are learning about this new place, its people, and their culture.  Tell readers what’s most special about the place you are visiting.  I’ll put it up on the blog and take care of all the formatting.

Who else is reading this blog?


The map above shows countries where people have read this blog in the last 3 months.  This is a feature of the website that I use to make the blog, wordpress.com.  As you can see, most readers are in the United States (more than 10,000 views here), but there have been readers in more than 65 countries! The countries besides the U.S. with the most views include: Ukraine, Turkey, Canada, India, France, UK, Brazil, Belgium, Poland, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Netherlands, Kenya, and South Africa.  Wow!

If you are reading this blog and you live outside of the United States:

Say hello!  We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, and let us know where you are writing from. Tell us about where you live. The goal of this site is to make global connections, so that means we want to meet YOU.

This is just the beginning.

I leave for China on Monday, but we’ve already taken off.  Innovation is going places. Join us!

Posted in China, Global Citizenship, USA and tagged , , ,
15 May 2012
11 Comments

Loki on the Great Wall?

Will Loki like the Great Wall of ChinaSome of you might be worried that this blog is asleep, but have no fear. More entries are coming!  In addition to upcoming posts about life at Innovation Academy and around Boston, I will be bringing Innovation to China this summer!  Through a service learning program called Global Leadership Adventures, I will be mentoring high school students from across the United States and Europe as they explore Chinese culture this summer.  Among other adventures, students will be studying the Mandarin language, volunteering with youth, and visiting historic sites in Beijing and Shanghai. Through these experiences, they will grow as leaders, communicators, risk takers, and community members.  I hope you will join us on this journey by following on the blog!  Imagine how great Loki will look on the Great Wall of China.  Until then, check out some photos of her experiences in Ukraine and Turkey.  She is one lucky bird!  (This is all assuming that the Chinese government grants me a visa. I have to send them my Passport this week along with an intimidating application.)

Posted in China and tagged
16 Apr 2012
16 Comments

Colors of Kyiv

Today was packed with learning about Ukrainian culture and seeing the sights of Kyiv.  In the morning, we went to the IREX office and had a lesson from our host, Iryna. She taught us about the history, politics, economics, and culture of Ukraine.  My favorite part was learning about the culture.  For example, here’s a clip of her telling us about how the view of personal space is very different from what we know in America:

Here’s a question of the day for you about Ukrainian culture.  Take a guess what you think might be correct, based on what we learned today:

Which of the following would Loki be LEAST likely to do if she were Ukrainian?

  • a) Stand very close to the person in front of her when waiting in line
  • b) Complain about how much she gets paid
  • c) Give a long story about how she is doing when asked “how are you?”
  • d) Move to a new city for a fresh start
  • e) Live with her parents through college and beyond

After our morning lesson, we went to lunch and then hit the town for a tour of important sites in Kyiv.  We visited several Orthodox churches, and since it is the day after Easter, it’s still considered a holiday.  Bells were ringing, and the colors were magnificent:

One of our favorite stops was a very interesting park, decorated in a most unusual way. Check it out:

Our day ended with a meal even more filling than yesterday’s!  This one included perogies (little dumplings stuffed with potatoes and cheese and other delicious things) and an apple strudel dessert with ice cream. It was a very full day… and meal!  Below are a few more of my favorite photos from today, from beautiful to quirky…

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Posted in Ukraine and tagged , , ,
25 Mar 2012
3 Comments

Massachusetts Pride

Hello students,

As I mentioned in class, whenever you see this little picture of Loki, you will know that this is a post especially for you.  You are welcome to read any of the other ones too, of course, but these ones are written with you in mind.

Today, I need your advice.  I want to bring some gifts for students in Ukraine that show off the best aspects of our beautiful state, Massachusetts.  As you can imagine, it can’t be too big, messy, or heavy.  A lobster wouldn’t fit in my suitcase! What objects would show people in other countries what is special about where we live?  If you have any ideas, please suggest them in the comments section below.  If you have anything at home that you’d like to donate, such as Massachusetts postcards, please bring them to our classroom. Also, while you are here, take this little poll:

Thank you in advance for your help!

I don't think there's room in my suitcase for the Old North Bridge or all those autumn leaves! However, doesn't this photo show some of the best aspects of our state?

Posted in USA and tagged , , ,
24 Feb 2012
3 Comments

Loki Visits D.C.

I’d like to introduce you to Loki, a little birdie friend who will be traveling with me to Ukraine and Turkey.  Loki will be my co-star for this blog, and hopefully she will bring to life some of the different places that we visit.  She and I just got back from Washington, D.C.  and here are some photos of our adventures:

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Who is Loki?

Loki helps students in my classes learn about world geography.  Every day, we start class by imagining that Loki is traveling to a different location around the world, and students answer a “question of the day” about Loki’s location.  As you can see, Loki is a little bird, so it will be easy for her to fly around the world with me!  Also, since I have a pet bird at home (a cockatiel) and our school mascot is a bird (a red-tailed hawk), she’ll be perfect company.  Here’s a trivia question for blog readers, similar to the ones we do in our classroom. If you think you know the answer, you can submit it in the comments section at the bottom of the post.

In the past week, Loki visited many sites in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.  Which of the following is NOT pictured in a photo of Loki?

  • a) The Capital Building
  • b) Gettysburg Battlefields
  • c) The White House
  • d) The Main Reading Room at the Library of Congress
  • e) The National Archives
Posted in Global Citizenship, USA and tagged , ,

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