Ampersand: The Student Journal of School and Work
Ampersand is a book published by Randy Scherer and his fifty students in about a month. The book is filled with the following from each student: One high resolution, quality color photograph, a head shot in black and white shot in class and a thoroughly revised article that shares your thoughts about internship, and what makes it meaningful to you. "Complete" articles are approximately 725 words long, and have a headline, sub-headline and pull-quote. Ampersand is a way for students to express what they got out of internship through articles and images to share with all of our teachers, mentors, parents, coworkers, friends and fellow interns. Ampersand is new every year and depends on what you see as the connection between the your life at school, what your life might be at work and what your life is like now.
"It is necessary for my peers and I to reflect, write and publish about internship because it gives us the opportunity to really dig deep about what we learned about ourselves how we work as a student, our passions and exploring potential careers while sharing our thoughts through Ampersand."
"It is necessary for my peers and I to reflect, write and publish about internship because it gives us the opportunity to really dig deep about what we learned about ourselves how we work as a student, our passions and exploring potential careers while sharing our thoughts through Ampersand."
Brooklynn Takes On the England Education System
I left a child, returned an adult and got to check “visit Big Ben” off my bucket list
all while sharing my knowledge about project based learning.
I left a child, returned an adult and got to check “visit Big Ben” off my bucket list
all while sharing my knowledge about project based learning.
I walked off the plane and was immediately greeted with a beautiful orange sunset and that’s when it hit me that I was in London. My journey began in October when I received word that I was one of six students chosen for this opportunity. As the countdown on my iPhone showed “Two days until England” with a picture of the Queen, I began to fear the unknown. I did not have a confirmed host family because of miscommunication between schools and it was not until the morning that I left that I learned the name of my host family’s mom. Additionally, this was my first time traveling alone and my first time out of the country. This combination did not lead to a very relaxed packing experience. With my passport in hand and the address of my host family tucked away, I said goodbye to my family and rushed towards the security line. After the hard work of applying, determining logistics, parent meetings and practicing project tunings, we were finally off.
My first week of internship at Sir Bernard Lovell was very much like my first week of high school. I was justifiably awkward considering the fact that me and the other intern were the only two people not in a school uniform. And, according to the students, we talked quite funny. On our first morning we met our mentors and went on a tour of the school. What I had pictured the school to look like was very different than what I encountered. I envisioned quiet, empty halls devoid of any decoration and quiet, well behaved children. In reality, the other intern and I were greeted with a warm welcome and a television monitor that read, “We wish our American interns a great first week with us.” Projects filled the walls and the children were friendly and engaging.
On our fourth day we met Mrs. Lomax, a sixth grade English teacher who wanted our help in creating a project for her students. The other intern and I took two hours to create a seven hour lesson plan to be taught over the course of six days. We created a rubric for the students which included performance, visual and content requirements. Our project was created to fit within the current curriculum of the geography of Bristol. Each group was to design an informative poster and give a two minute presentation. To aid the students in feeling more comfortable, and display the requirements, the other intern and I presented our project first. This was the student’s first presentation so we did not just throw them into the scary 120 second free fall. At the end, each poster was hung up to remind the students to be proud of their hard work. I was impressed with the quality work the students produced and I am so glad that we took the time to reflect on their achievements. Our last day at the school we were sad to say goodbye to the wonderful teacher and students. It felt like I was a real teacher and believe that I may have found my passion. It is my hope that my work benefited Sir Bernard Lovell and they are successful in their transition to a completely project based learning school.
I could not have chosen a better host family to spend my time with. We quickly bonded over our love for boy bands and pizza. One highlight during my stay was our night in when we dressed in onesies, watched movies and talked about life. We all cried on my departure at the train station but have been great at keeping in touch thanks to Snap Chat and Skype.
Words cannot describe how thankful I am for my internship experience. I got a first hand experience when I saw the dedication and planning that it takes to be a teacher and I have a greater respect for the profession. My internship proved that I can be independent and explore the world beyond San Diego. I will take these new found skills with me for the future.
My first week of internship at Sir Bernard Lovell was very much like my first week of high school. I was justifiably awkward considering the fact that me and the other intern were the only two people not in a school uniform. And, according to the students, we talked quite funny. On our first morning we met our mentors and went on a tour of the school. What I had pictured the school to look like was very different than what I encountered. I envisioned quiet, empty halls devoid of any decoration and quiet, well behaved children. In reality, the other intern and I were greeted with a warm welcome and a television monitor that read, “We wish our American interns a great first week with us.” Projects filled the walls and the children were friendly and engaging.
On our fourth day we met Mrs. Lomax, a sixth grade English teacher who wanted our help in creating a project for her students. The other intern and I took two hours to create a seven hour lesson plan to be taught over the course of six days. We created a rubric for the students which included performance, visual and content requirements. Our project was created to fit within the current curriculum of the geography of Bristol. Each group was to design an informative poster and give a two minute presentation. To aid the students in feeling more comfortable, and display the requirements, the other intern and I presented our project first. This was the student’s first presentation so we did not just throw them into the scary 120 second free fall. At the end, each poster was hung up to remind the students to be proud of their hard work. I was impressed with the quality work the students produced and I am so glad that we took the time to reflect on their achievements. Our last day at the school we were sad to say goodbye to the wonderful teacher and students. It felt like I was a real teacher and believe that I may have found my passion. It is my hope that my work benefited Sir Bernard Lovell and they are successful in their transition to a completely project based learning school.
I could not have chosen a better host family to spend my time with. We quickly bonded over our love for boy bands and pizza. One highlight during my stay was our night in when we dressed in onesies, watched movies and talked about life. We all cried on my departure at the train station but have been great at keeping in touch thanks to Snap Chat and Skype.
Words cannot describe how thankful I am for my internship experience. I got a first hand experience when I saw the dedication and planning that it takes to be a teacher and I have a greater respect for the profession. My internship proved that I can be independent and explore the world beyond San Diego. I will take these new found skills with me for the future.
Internship was an amazing experience for me in Bristol, England at the Sir Bernard Lovell school. The memories I made and everything that I learned, I will take with me forever. This hands on environment opened my eyes to how education works in England and I have confirmed my passion for teaching. I worked with so many great people and I am excited that I have the opportunity to share it with others through Ampersand. I am very happy with the way Ampersand turned out and I hope that we inspired and educated our audience on the meaning of internship. For more information on my internship, visit my internship page under "11th Grade".