Innovative German Class Project Awarded 'Sehr Gut' Rating at Andrew Warde High School in 1974

A hike at a bird sanctuary, a three-day camping trip, and a play date that included 'Capture the Flag' were not the ordinary activities you'd expect to find in the curriculum of a third-year high school German class in 1973-74.

But they were an integral part of an innovative program that was developed by German teacher Frank Flint and some of his students at Andrew Warde High School. The course was based on the idea that students learn more if they acquire knowledge from real-life experiences, and that premise proved true for Mr. Flint and his students.

It all began in the Spring of 1972 when answers to a questionnaire administered to all foreign language students at Warde indicated a desire to see the speaking skills stressed more in class and to make the content of foreign language courses more relevant. A major complaint of the students was studying chapter after chapter of a text, and learning many words they felt they were never going to have to use.

With financial backing from Robert Gillette, the Warde teacher who was awarded the Mary Gresham chair to develop innovative programs, Mr. Flint and his students set about the next school year to develop something entirely different. The result was a program in which the students were able to use what they were learning.

"The whole program was really student-oriented," said Mr. Flint. "The students planned it, and the students were making their money so they could participate. To a certain extent, the students decided themselves where they wanted to go to have the experiences," he added.

The students began with a relatively short experience --- a three-hour hike at the bird sanctuary. "We gradually lengthened the time of the experience until the Spring, when we went camping," he continued. German was spoken on the trips, and vocabulary relating to the adventures was learned in preparation of the event.

For the initial Audubon sanctuary trip, the students learned vocabulary dealing with nature, animals they might see, first aid, and related terms. The students made transportation arrangements, and they reported back to the class entirely in German.

One of the activities during the 1973-74 school year was a play day at 90 Acres Park in Bridgeport. "They wanted to play 'Capture the Flag,' so we learned words such as flag, borders, and prison," said Mr. Flint. "The whole idea was that they used what they were learning in class. When they learned new vocabulary, it was not because it was in a particular chapter, but because they actually went out and used it."

The students studies first aid vocabulary prior to the 90-Acres trip. They were saying, "It's not going to happen. Why do we have to learn this?" Mr. Flint recalled. "Sure enough, somebody actually did sprain her ankle. The person didn't yell out 'help.' She yelled out in German, 'Help, help. I sprained my ankle.' That's true devotion."

Preparation of a German meal, a three-day camping trip at Macedonia State Park, and a trip to New York's Yorktown district were other activities in which the students participated. After each trip, the class discussed the experience and compiled a vocabulary sheet to fill any voids which may have existed. They also suggested ways to improve the trips.

The school administration gave enthusiastic backing to the program. The activities took place during school hours, and the students raised money for them with projects such as car washes, bake sales, and sales of first aid kits and candy canes. The program became self-sufficient in 1973-74.

The third-year class used a basic German text for study of structure, but their main 'text' was a 142-page manuscript that was compiled by Mr. Flint and five students over the summer vacation on the basis of the pilot program, and with financial support from Mr. Gillette.

Those who worked on the 1973-74 project included fourth-year students Rose Divjak, Leslie Gminski, and Richard Jacobsen. Graduates Monika Zirkus and Ellen Gitlin also helped. The three fourth-year students worked with Mr. Flint on revising the third-year program and developing a similar German Four program with the assistance of a committee of third-year students consisting of Matt Wage, John Byrne, Richard Deonges, Susan Rona, Nancy White, Terri Plotnik, Lorraine Crossin, and John Driscoll.

Included in the innovative text were a number of reading selections that related to the program. For example, the students read nature-oriented poems by Goethe. They also read "Little Red Riding Hood" in its original German and compared it to the English version while they also discussed cultural differences.

"The results of the test scores, both teacher-made and standardizied, were promising," Mr. Flint acknowledged. He said the students scored better on his tests than other third-year students, and a significant number moved up one full grade from what they earned the previous year.

"Although we encountered several snags in the implementation of the program, the basic approach was met with overwhelming student approval and enthusiasm," recalled Mr. Flint. "The possibilities were limitless."

Paul

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