The Utah Chapter of the AATG would like to announce its

2007 Fall Immersion Workshop

Where: The Aspen Grove Conference Center
When: Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10

Come and join us for another relaxing weekend of speaking German, visiting with friends and colleagues, and sharing secrets which have helped to keep our classrooms fun and exciting. This year, we will be at the very picturesque Aspen Grove Conference Center at the foot of Mt. Timpanogos, and the theme will be

GDR Culture, German Reunification, and 50 Years of Trabi!

Specifically, we will be comparing methodologies for teaching our students about the (lost?) culture of the German Democratic Republic before and after its fall and integration into the Federal Republic of Germany. We will use the eyes and ears and voices of musicians, artists, film makers, and above all Trabi owners to help us understand what life in the GDR was really like and how things have changed in the five new federal states. And since this is not meant only for university professors, we will be talking about ways to adapt this content in order to make it accessible at all levels of instruction.

Stephen Van Orden will be giving a presentation on the history of the Trabant, the car that in many ways epitomized the culture of the GDR, and all participants will receive a multimedia CD-ROM with materials to use in the classroom, a copy of the Jens Voigt book, Unser Alfred: Aus dem Leben eines Trabis, and other books. And ... Stephen will also be bringing his own Trabant to the workshop and is offering participants the once in a lifetime chance to test drive a Trabi in the U.S.! This alone would make it worth the trip.

Our group will be staying in Family Lodge A which sleeps up to 25 people in eight bedrooms and a loft. This two-story cabin has five bathrooms and a living room area, as well as a small kitchen. Linens are provided by the conference center and private accommodations will be available for couples. Indoor wallyball, racquetball and basketball facilities are available for our use. In addition, there are two outdoor tennis courts and hiking paths to the beautiful cascading First Falls or to the breathtaking Stewart Falls.

As is our custom, we will begin on Friday evening with a traditional German dinner, followed by a movie. A light breakfast and lunch will also be provided on Saturday, before and after the workshop. In addition to the main workshop, we will also have two smaller forums: one on the latest German spelling reform and another (back by popular demand) on posting to our new chapter website.

The cost of the workshop will be $20 for AATG members ($40 for non-members). Those wishing to reserve a place should contact Mike Mudrow at the address below as soon as possible (no later than October 26th). Questions about the workshop can also be directed to Mike (435-755-6630 or mmudrow@lhs.logan.k12.ut.us).

Please send your checks (made out to AATG Utah) to:
Mike Mudrow
Logan High School
162 West 100 South
Logan, Utah 84321

Directions to Aspen Grove: Drive south on I-15; turn left at the first Orem exit, designated as 800 North (also marked as the exit to Sundance); drive east on Utah Highway 52 to the mouth of Provo Canyon; proceed toward Heber City on U.S. 189 for approximately seven miles; turn left at the Sundance/Aspen Grove turnoff, and continue on the Alpine Loop road five miles further and turn left into Aspen Grove. Aspen Grove is 2.5 miles above Sundance.