Ciao Studenti

From our Instructor in Florence, Michelle Krup...

Hello AIFS Students!

I hope that you are getting ready to travel to Florence this week and begin your study abroad experience!  I have already arrived in Florence and I must share with you that it is extremely beautiful here, but it is very cold and raining.  Please remember to bring your warm coat and an umbrella.  Today in Florence it is 4 Centigrade (this is cold, use your conversion skills to figure this out in Fahrenheit).

The classrooms are being prepared for your classes and I have been making sure that all is ready for our experience in Florence.  The other day I visited the Duomo and scouted out several locations for our drawing classes and site visits for our Art History classes.  I am planning many wonderful things for us to experience.

There are many students from other schools already in Florence.  Walking on the streets and making small shopping trips one hears many languages.  Please be ready for new opportunities to learn at many levels.

The small cafes have many delicious seasonal treats available to try and the little shop windows offer artfully displayed merchandise for your visual delight.

The AIFS staff and I are getting everything ready for your arrival… see you soon.

A presto,

Michele A. Krup

Diablo Valley College

Experience Florence

Are you ready to go to Florence Italy Spring 2013 with DVC's study abroad program?  

Watch this for a quick preveiw!  Sign up for classes in the most beautiful city in Europe.

Florence Spring 2013 courses at a glance

Florence Spring 2013 Courses at a Glance

Diablo Valley College courses offered: Michele A. Krup, instructor, mkrup@dvc.edu

ART-105 Introduction to Drawing, Color, and Two Dimensional Design 3 units (SC)

ART-106 Drawing and Composition 3 units (SC)

ARTHS-196 History of Medieval and Renaissance Art 3 units (SC)

ARTHS-197 History of Baroque to Early 20th Century Art 3 units (SC)

College of San Mateo courses offered: Michael Stanford, instructor, stanfordm@smccd.edu

HIST-100 History of Western Civilization I  3 units

HIST-101 History of Western Civilization II 3 units

HIST-201: U.S. History I: (Colonies to Reconstruction) 3units

Cosumnes River College courses offered: Liz Nelson, instructor, nelsone@arc.losrios.edu

PSYC- 320 Social Psychology 3 units

PSYC-368 Cross Cultural Psychology 3 units

 PSYC-340 Abnormal Behavior 3 units

Santa Rosa Junior College courses offered: Bob Duxbury, instructor                 

Rduxbury @santarosa.edu

English 1B Reading and Composition 3 units

English 27 Introduction to Shakespeare 3 units

English 7 Introduction to Humanities 3 units

Florence Spring 2013 Faculty

Michele Arcidiacono Krup is the chairperson of the Diablo Valley College Art Department, where she is also entering her twenty-second year of full time teaching.  She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Sonoma State University, and Master of Art and Master of Fine Arts Degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.
Michele is of Italian heritage with family ties to Lucca, an ancient walled city forty-five minutes from Florence.  Pursuit of her personal creative and research interests has afforded her a working familiarity of the Tuscan region as well as a passionate devotion to introducing students to all of the artistic and historical riches of a truly Florentine experience.
Michele is a practicing artist with her work focusing on the surreal translation of her current visual experiences.  When not in the studio, Michele enjoys preparing both traditional and modern Italian recipes in her kitchen.  She has a special fondness for fresh gelato.
Michele is excited to participate in the DVC Florence study abroad program and considers the international learning experience to be an important contributor to the college students’ ability to appreciate the global role they will play in the future.


Bob Duxbury has taught English at Santa Rosa Junior College for over thirty years, and has led the semester abroad to both Paris and Florence. Originally from England, he has traveled widely in Europe, and looks forward to taking students on this new adventure.


Liz Nelson has served as a professor of psychology at American River College in Sacramento, California for the past seven years. She grew up in Austin, Texas, and she has since lived in several states including Oklahoma, Montana, Washington, and California.  This year, she is celebrating her twentieth year of teaching psychology. She was introduced to psychology at an early age when her parents opened a group therapy practice in their home. She earned her Bachelor’s in Sociology from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from University of California, at Santa Barbara. After working in residence life for five years, Liz received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Oklahoma State University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship as a staff psychologist at Montana State University. Since then, she has served as a professor of psychology at Central Washington University and California State University, Stanislaus. In those positions, she trained graduate students in a marriage and family therapy masters program. She is a licensed psychologist in the State of California, and she had a private practice before she started teaching at American River College.
She has travelled to Europe, including Italy, as part of a tour when she was a senior in college, and she has wanted to go back ever since! She is in her third semester of studying Italian, and she hopes that her Italian skills will assist in exploring Italy with her students. She and her husband are parents of twins, and she is very excited that her family, minus the pets, will be joining her on this adventure to Firenze (Florence)!
Philosophy: I believe that studying psychology in Italy will be a great experience for the students for they will be examining their own lives while they try to understand what it means to be Italian. I believe that one goal of study abroad is to develop empathy for others, and I feel teaching psychology, whether it is cross cultural psychology, social psychology or abnormal psychology, will be a great educational experience for any student for it will enhance their understanding of diversity. I hope to help students make a smooth transition from one culture to another by understanding how psychology applies to the understanding of cultural differences and personal growth.


Michael Stanford teaches history at Cañada College.  After studying European and American history at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and San Francisco State University he moved to France where he taught at the Lycée International in St. Germain-en-Laye.  While living in Paris for ten years he worked, studied, and traveled in over seventeen countries including, of course, Italy.  He returns to Europe periodically to visit friends and to maintain his connection with European society and culture.
Note: Studying history in Florence will be a unique opportunity for my students with limitless opportunities to engage in experiential learning.  Italy provides an incredibly rich environment in which to study all facets of history including art, architecture, archeological sites, music, literature, and culture.  To that end I will help my students develop a deeper knowledge and broader awareness of both the past and the present in Italy. By taking the classroom to the places where historical events and phenomena actually occurred and by learning about contemporary Italian and European life, students will engage in an immeasurable amount personal enrichment and knowledge.

Florence Spring 2013 Course Options

Italian Life, Language and Culture

Course Description and Objectives 

This will be taught by visiting lecturers, and will focus upon such topics as politics, food, social customs, and history. There will be midterms and finals upon topics that will be determined by all faculty for all participants in our program.

Michele A. Krup, Diablo Valley College

ART-105 Introduction to Drawing, Color, and Two Dimensional Design, (SC) 3 units

(May be repeated once. 36 hours lecture/72 hours laboratory per term. Recommended: Eligibility for ENGL-116/118 or equivalent. CSU, UC

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
drawing for a flying machine

Course Description and Objectives

This course includes an introduction to drawing concepts and techniques, linear perspective and color theory fundamentals, with an emphasis on design principles and composition.  Students will learn to identify the elements that define two-dimensional art and design and be able to demonstrate basic drawing skills, color manipulation and application of design principles.  Students will have the opportunity to critique their own artwork and the artwork of others. 

The class will include lectures, demonstrations of drawing techniques, guided studio practice, and field trips to museums, galleries, and public spaces in Florence. The field trips will afford students the opportunity to view and research historical and contemporary drawing styles, materials, and techniques as well as study examples of Florence’s architecture, public sculpture, piazza design, and museum exhibitions.  Examination of these examples will be used to support the classroom lessons in drawing techniques, linear perspective and color theory.  Students will have the opportunity to engage with their observations and demonstrate expression through analysis and discussion of the role of materials and the role of the artist in selected works. Studio practice time will further provide students a creative environment in which to practice the application of traditional drawing techniques and painting materials in the completion of course assignments.

DAYS/TIMES: Lec/Lab hours /week TBD

ART-106 Drawing and Composition, (SC) 3 units

(May be repeated once. 36 hours lecture/72 hours laboratory per term. Recommended: ART 105 or equivalent; eligibility for ENGL 116/118 or equivalent.  CSU, UC

Raffaello Sanzio (Raphael) (1483-1520)
The School of Athens

Course Description and Objectives

This course will focus on a continued exploration of drawing concepts, descriptive drawing, and logical rendering of form with an emphasis on stylistic development.  Students will explore traditional drawing materials with additional color media such as pastel and conte crayon.  Instruction and exercises will focus on the improvement of students’ ability to draw from direct observation as well as refine their ability to critique their artwork and the artwork of others presented in class.  Students will create a portfolio of artwork demonstrating their individual expression and conceptual skills. 

The class will include lectures, demonstrations of drawing techniques, guided studio practice, and field trips with special emphasis on drawing from the rich Florentine visual experience.  Class walking tours will provide students the opportunity to practice observational drawing and hone visual skills through direct encounters with historical and contemporary drawing styles, materials, and techniques as well as to study examples of Florence’s architecture, public sculpture, piazza design, and museum exhibitions.  Students will explore the personal relationships between artists and collectors to the city-environment – not to mention the art of everyday living in a Florentine neighborhood – in visits to local artists’ workshops.  Materials and techniques will be researched and student will have the opportunity to examine and demonstrate a refined expression with traditional drawing materials.  DAYS/TIMES: Lec/Lab hours /week TBD

ARTHS-196 History of Medieval and Renaissance Art, (SC) 3 units

(54 hours lecture per term Recommended: Eligibility for ENGL 116/118 or equivalent). CSU, UC

A History of Western art from the Early Christian Period through the Renaissance.  Stylistic changes are related to significant social and cultural changes.

Basilica Santa Maria di Fiore, (1463, year consecrated)
architects: Arnolfo di Cambio, Filippo Brunelleschi

Course Description and Objectives

This course traces the history of Western art from the Early Christian Period through the Renaissance.  Stylistic changes are identified and related to significant social and cultural changes.  Consideration is given to the changing role of the artist socially, culturally, and within patronage systems.  Students will examine works of art and their iconography, stylistic techniques, and different media with the goal of recognizing, understanding, and discussing various art forms in their broader contexts. 

Students will have the full advantage of viewing examples of Florence’s architecture, public sculptures, piazzas, galleries and exceptional museums to support the learning experience. Fieldtrips to the city’s churches, galleries, and museums will enhance classroom lessons.  With the aid of these first hand experiences, students will be able to analyze works of art in terms of historical circumstances and cultural values of Western Europe from the early Christian period through the Renaissance.  Students will compare and contrast painting, sculpture, and architecture using an art historical vocabulary in the various styles of the chronological periods. 

The class will focus on distinguishing differences in patronage and art production in Medieval and Renaissance art and architecture.  Students will appraise the changing role of the artist in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.  The class will visit local artists’ workshops and art collections to explore the personal relationships between artists/collectors and their city-environment. These visits will also encourage students to explore the art of everyday living in a Florentine neighborhood (what would Michelangelo have eaten for his lunch?). 

DAYS/TIMES: Lec  hours /week TBD

ARTHS-197 History of Baroque to Early 20^th Century Art, (SC) 3 units

(54 hours lecture per term. Recommended: Eligibility for ENGL 116/118 or equivalent). CSU, UC

A history of Western art from the 17^th century to early 20^th century.  Stylistic changes are related to significant social and cultural changes. Consideration is given to the changing role of the artist.  

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1651)
Judith beheading Holofernes

Course Description and Objectives

This course traces the development of art in the western hemisphere from the Baroque period through the early 20^th century.  Social, economic, cultural, political, religious, and technological influences on the art of each period are included in the scope of the course.    

Students will examine works of art and their iconography, stylistic techniques, and different media with the goal of recognizing, understanding, and discussing various art forms in their broader contexts.   Students will have the full advantage of viewing examples of Florence’s architecture, public sculptures, piazzas, galleries and museums to support the learning experience.  Fieldtrips to the city’s churches, galleries, and museums will enhance classroom lessons. 

Students will be able to analyze works of art in terms of historical circumstances and cultural values of Western Europe from the Baroque period to early 20^th century.  The class will offer opportunities to compare and contrast painting, sculpture, and architecture using appropriate aesthetic vocabulary in the various styles of the chronological periods: Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Post-impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism, and Futurism.  Students will be able to distinguish differences in patronage within these centuries and evaluate the changing role of the artist.

DAYS/TIMES: Lec  hours /week TBD

  

Bob Duxbury, Santa Rosa Junior College

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)
David

English 1B

Course Description and Objectives 
This is an introduction to literature, and will focus upon all of the four major genres. We will also study Florence-related texts, including Room With A View by E. M. Forster, and Italo Calvino's If On A Winter's Night A Traveler.

Humanities 7

Course Description and Objectives 
Half of the class will take place in the classroom, where we will study the background to Renaissance Art and Culture. The other half of the class will be visits to museums every week, so that we may have a hands-on approach to our unique Florentine classroom.

English 27
Course Description and Objectives 
This is an introduction to Shakespeare. We will focus upon comedy, tragedy, the history plays, and sonnets, along with one so-called problem play. We shall look at Shakespeare's plays that take place in a nominal Italy, such as Romeo and Juliet and Merchant of Venice. 

Liz Nelson, Consumnes River College


PSYC 320 Social Psychology 3 Units Prerequisite: None. General Education: AA/AS Area V (b); CSU Area D9; IGETC Area 4ICourse Transferable to UC/CSU Hours: 54 hours LEC 
Course Description and Objectives
This course focuses on the scientific study of human interaction, with an emphasis on the individual within a social context. Study includes: social perception, social cognition, attitudes and attitude change, the self and social identity, prejudice, interpersonal attraction, close relationships, social influence, pro-social behavior, aggression, and group behavior. What better place to study how people are different in groups than in a foreign country! Students will be having the experience of observing and testing theories learned in class in a living laboratory. We will be watching interactions among Italians and interviewing them to understand cultural differences in linguistics, prejudice, conformity, attitude change, relationships, power issues, group process, obedience, and cultural differences. It will truly be exciting to study social psychology in a country that has experienced several political changes over its vast history including the Romans, the Renaissance, kingdoms, Fascism, war, and economic strife.


PSYC 340 Abnormal Behavior 3 Units Prerequisite: None. General Education: AA/AS Area III (b); AA/AS Area V (b); CSU Area D2; CSU Area E; IGETC Area 4 Course Transferable to UC/CSU Hours: 54 hours LEC
Course Description and Objectives
This course is an exploration of the broad questions of normality and abnormality. It offers the investigation of specific mental, emotional, and behavioral difficulties and current approaches to psychological intervention including present community mental health practice. This course considers the contribution of social, biological and psychological factors to the development and persistence of behavior disorders. PSYC 340 would be a useful course for students majoring in Human Services and/or preparing for a career in psychology or the helping professions. In order to understand what is abnormal, we need to study what is considered normal. Normality is viewed from a cultural context. Is abnormality the same as viewed from an Italian culture as an American culture? Culture affects how mental illness is interpreted, the type of interventions used, and who seeks treatment from a professional versus a nontraditional route. Several advances in treatment of abnormality were from Italy. Did you know that a group of Italian neuroscientists, lead by Ugo Cerletti, introduced the world to electroconvulsive therapy in 1938.
"The social psychology of this century reveals a major lesson: often it is not so much the kind of person a man is as the kind of situation in which he finds himself that determines how he will act." (Milgram, 1974)


In 1978, the Basaglia Law was passed to shut down mental institutions across Italy and replace them with small community hospital psychiatric units and day centers. We will study abnormal psychology by watching interactions among Italians and interviewing Italians to understand differences in understanding of mental illness. We will visit museums to examine the representation of mental illness in art and culture. We will learn about the treatment of mental illness in Italy and how it compares to the United States.  “To be normal is the ideal aim of the unsuccessful.” (Jung)


PSYC 368 Cross Cultural Psychology 3 Units Prerequisite: None. General Education: AA/AS Area V (b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D3; CSU Area D9; IGETC Area 4I Course Transferable to UC/CSU Hours: 54 hours LEC
Course Description and Objectives
This course explores the impact of cultural influences on the psychological and individual development of ethnic group members. Emphasis will be placed on integrating traditional theoretical approaches and current cross-cultural statistical research and theory in the study of African-Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, gays & lesbians, the elderly, and the disabled.


One concept we will focus on is cultural encapsulation. Many of us view the world from our own culture, and we may not be open to understanding or accepting other world views. Most Americans come from an individualistic culture where the focus is on the individual; whereas, the Italian culture is collectivistic, and the focus is on the community. This is reflected in the religion, family relationships, rituals, and other cultural phenomenon in Italy. As we learn about other cultures, you may find yourself examining your own culture of origin, and how you fit into the world. Not all of the learning will take place in the classroom. We will be watching interactions among Italians to understand cultural differences in terms of linguistics, communications, relationships, expression of emotion, locus of control, time, and achievement orientation. We will visit museums to understand the representation of cultural differences. Students will be required to keep a journal on critical experiences based on interactions with the community.  “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.” Gandhi

Michael Stanford, San Mateo Community College

HIST 100: HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION I

Units (Grade Option) 3; Class Hours: Minimum of 48 lecture hours/ semester; Recommended: Eligibility for ENGL 110; Prerequisite(s): None.

Course Description and Objectives 

This course explores and analyzes the history of Western Civilization from antiquity to the early modern era. We will be studying the ancient world by visiting Greek, Etruscan, and Roman monumental architecture and archeological sites as well as the incredible antiquities museums in Florence, Rome, Naples, and other locations.  For the Middle Ages, Florence and other locations close by will offer an amazing first hand look at Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals and paintings.  Our study of the Renaissance, of course, will be ideal given that students will be living in what was the heart of Renaissance Italy. Students will literally be surrounded by the greatest examples of Renaissance architecture, painting and sculpture, and painting, and will be able to experience first hand the world that they are studying.  Transfer: CSU: C2, UC. (IGeTC: 3B)

HIST 101: HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION II

Units (Grade Option) 3; Class Hours: Minimum of 48 lecture hours/semester; Recommended: Eligibility for ENGL 110; Prerequisite(s): None

Course Description and Objectives

This course explores and analyzes the history of Western Civilization from the early modern era to the present.  We will begin with the transition of Italian styles of art and architecture to the Baroque and Rococo.  Here we will integrate the history of the Catholic Church and the Reformation with visits to key sites in Florence, Rome, and other locations.  For our studies of 17th and 18th century Europe we will use such subjects as Palladian architecture and Venetian painting and take a trip to Venice and specific sites in the Veneto.  With the Scientific Revolution we will focus on Galileo, tutor to the Medici princes and the paradigm shift he helped set in motion.  Our study of the Enlightenment and then the Age of Revolution will include a reading of Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, which will take us to the unification of Italy during the 19th century.  For Europe during the 20th century we will examine Italian Futurism in painting and the darker side of era with Mussolini and WWII.  Transfer: CSU: C2, UC. (IGeTC: 3B)

HIST 201: U.S. HISTORY I (Colonies to Reconstruction)

Units (Grade Option) 3; Class Hours: Minimum of 48 lecture hours/semester; Recommended: Eligibility for ENGL 110; Prerequisite(s): None.

Course Description and Objectives

This course explores and analyzes U.S. history from pre-Columbian times to 1877. 

While in Florence students will study the birth of the United States within the larger context of Western Civilization, the Columbian Exchange and the growth of the trans-Atlantic economy.  With Florence being one of the key northern Italian city-states we will be ideally situated to study the growth of capitalism in the Mediterranean and the subsequent impetus to exploration.  As a case studies we will use the Medici family and then the Genovese Cristoforo Colombo (Christopher Columbus) to bring us to European contact with the Americas.  The Age of Enlightenment will also serve as a direct link between Europe and the birth of the United States.  Through our study of ancient Roman  and 18th century art and architecture we will also be able to explore neoclassicism and its impact on American architectural styles.  Transfer: CSU: C2, UC. (IGeTC: 3B)

Right Now - In Florence

Right now, Spring 2012, students from Contra Costa community colleges are studying in  Florence, Italy.  Their Instructor, Maria Giuili, is keeping a blog.  Check it out for a preview of what your semester abroad could be like.  To learn a ton about what your life in Florence will be like check out the posts from August 2011 for what's on offer.

DVC's Florence Instructor, Michelle Krup