"To Become a Renaissance Man and Instrument of Peace"I have been teaching third grade at Garden City Elementary since 2010. This year, I was fortunate to receive a grant from the Lilly Endowment called the Teacher Creativity Fellowship. This grant allows teachers to create a special project related to their interests and travel in the summer months. (You can read more about it here.) My project is titled, "To Become a Renaissance Man and Instrument of Peace."
I will travel to Italy and Malta to study the history and culture of these exciting countries. I will explore my family roots in Italy. (Did you know Albano is Italian?) I will have the chance to walk in the same footsteps as some of my favorite saints and heroes from the past. Along the way, I will be making new friends in both countries and getting to know my family members in Italy. Next school year, I will be authoring e-books on Ancient Rome, Italy, and Malta, which we will read during our nonfiction units. My students will also research countries and cultures around the world. This special project brings together my many interests and passions: history, teaching, writing, faith, and family. In this way, I hope to become more of a "Renaissance man." By experiencing other cultures and making friends around the world, I hope to become more an "instrument of peace." |
A Renaissance ManThe Renaissance was a time in the history of Italy that lasted from the 1300's-1600's. It was a time of exciting change where people rediscovered the joy of writing, reading, art, and science. Many great thinkers, artists, and scientists lived in Italy during the Renaissance. A "Renaissance man" was a person who had many interests and learned about many different subjects. Leonardo di Vinci was one famous Renaissance man. An Instrument of Peace"Make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love." From "Peace Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi" "Indiana...is a garden Where the seeds of peace have grown" From "Indiana" Arthur Franklin Mapes |