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Teacher Aboard Logs |
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In 1957, an excavation took place that made an astounding discovery. Archaeologists discovered a circle of 17 stones arranged symmetrically with the two tallest or 'portal' stones to the north-east forming an entrance, and the lowest to the south-west called the 'recumbent' or 'axial' stone. On December 21, the winter solstice, the sun sets at a point on the horizon aligned with the axial stone and the portal stones. This calendar-based formation would not be surprising except for the fact that it's 5000 years old! Amazing! |
| Our last stop of the afternoon was also exciting. We visited the ruins of an 18th century castle. It was great fun to climb up to the top of the turrets and imagine what it must have looked like 200 years ago! The castle is scheduled to be restored - I would like to see it when it's standing in its full glory again. |
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The Schools
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When word got out that I was scheduled to visit schools in nearby Skibbereen, I was asked if I could add two other visits to my agenda. My first visit was to Rath National School in Baltimore. I was greeted by the headmaster, Michael J. Collins. |
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I spent the entire morning visiting their classes, which ranged from the very youngest under the tutelage of Ms. O'Sullivan, to the fourth year students pictured here with Mr. Collins. The Rath School has its largest population to date and, like many schools around the world, it needs more space.
| The second impromptu visit took place Monday morning. Mrs. Nuala Ni Bhriain drove me to the Schull Community College, which educates students between the ages of 16 and 19. It is considered to be the most progressive school in the area, with the most diverse population of any area school. Also, the school offers a sailing program that is tied in with the Fastnet races. If there's an upper level school in Maryland that offers sailing, these folks want to hear from you! |
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I was dropped off at Mercy Heights Secondary School in Skibbereen. I spoke to a group of approximately 60 young women, ages 12-14. Mercy is an all girls' school, although it does share a few classes with the boys from the school across the street. The young ladies and their instructors were intrigued by their scrapbook from Martin Luther King Middle School in Germantown, Maryland. I was on a tight schedule due to the change in the agenda, so after meeting with some of Mercy Height's faculty, I ran across the street for my next visit. |
| The next school was St. Fachtua De La Salle. I met with two separate classes of 13 and 14-year-old young men. They were delighted to receive an album from a Brunswick Middle School Language Arts class. Both of these schools have been around for a long time and were founded by the nuns and brothers, which is why they are segregated by sexes. There is some talk of combining all the local schools into one new school, but only time will tell! |
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The other exciting school related event was our second transatlantic telephone conference call between Baltimore, Ireland and Baltimore, Maryland! Captain Miles and I were on separate handsets answering questions posed by students from three separate Baltimore City Middle Schools who were linked by video conferencing equipment in their Distance Learning Labs. The Baltimore Sun education editor was also on hand and was impressed by the use of the technology and the quality of the interaction. Thanks to Jerome in the Pride office for setting it all up. And thanks to the students at Hamilton, Canton, and Highlandtown Middle Schools for their great questions! |
Since we were scheduled to leave Tuesday morning, this was the end of my travels throughout the southwest Ireland's schools and countryside. However, Mother Nature would have something to say about our schedule and assure drama on the high seas. You'll have to wait for the next log to find out what happened in Ireland from Oct. 1 through Oct. 4! For now, I'll sign off and challenge you with a few questions.
Your Teacher Aboard,
Lee Vogtman
YOUR THOUGHTS
- What is the current population of Ireland? What U.S. state comes closest in terms of population?
- What creates tidal changes? Where is the greatest tidal change found?
- Why were castles originally built? What was their purpose?
- What kind of ship was S.S. Lusitania? From where did she hail? Who sank her, and what were the circumstances surrounding this tragedy?
Return to Part 1 of the October 2, 2000
