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After an amazing weekend of excursions (which I am sure you can read about on the students’ blogs), I was happy to get back to Spanish classes and field placement. A few of the students and I had to leave Spanish class early today to get to our field placement. We visited a semi-private school called Colegio Lorenzo Sazie. An English teacher gave us a tour of the school, described their mission and programming, and answered all of our questions. She and another teacher then surprised us by taking us to lunch at a restaurant next to the school. It was so kind of them, and the food was delicious! We returned to the school to attend a 12th grade English class. The students were working on listening comprehension activities related to the topic of movies. Unlike other students we have met, they didn’t seem super interested in our visit. We did walk around and speak with them and try to help them with their activities. Overall, they were quite shy to speak to us in English. The teacher explained that the students in the older grades can understand quite a bit of English, but get embarrassed to try to speak the language. They were happy to have their picture taken, though! Next, we visited a 1st grade English class…. so, so cute! They were learning the words for toys in English. We all jumped in and helped out with the lesson which included songs with gestures and a cut and paste activity with pictures. As always, I gravitated to a few students who were not particularly engaged. I am typically pretty good at getting students to participate even when they are reluctant. But, I wasn’t sure I would be able to do so in Spanish (since the students have just started learning English). I was very excited to see that I could engage them in Spanish. I only started studying Spanish 3 years ago when I came to Chile the first time and I barely find time to study at home. But, in spite of that, my Spanish has really improved a great deal! Plus, it is a lot less intimidating when I try to use the language with first graders. Here are two of the boys who I helped get back on track – Cristobal and Jose. Both classes were great experiences. Gosh, sometimes I REALLY miss working with children – both elementary and secondary – no offense college students! Finally, the teacher who gave us a tour earlier in the day took us to a room in the school that had displays of artwork the students (grades PreK-12) had created. The work was very impressive! Please enjoy a slideshow of the students’ work.
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Today was a great day for the group. We attended our first class at ECELA and after a week of classes, I think everyone is feeling proud of how much they have grown in their Spanish skills. After working hard all week, we took off from our second Spanish class today to do some exploring in the city. And, the sun came out to join us on our adventures! It has been rather cold and cloudy since we arrived, so today the warmth of the sun on my face as we walked (A LOT!) through the city was much appreciated. First, we visited the Museum of Memory and Human Rights which is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Chilean dictatorship. While this was certainly a somber experience, it was an opportunity for us to better understand the country we are visiting as well as to reflect on all that we have for which to be thankful. Although this was my third visit to the museum, I found it to be extremely moving and took the opportunity to sit and meditate/pray for a bit on a bench surrounded by candles and facing a giant wall covered in photos of victims. I am thankful for that opportunity. After the museum, we visited an artsy neighborhood, Barria Lastarria. There we saw art on the walls of buildings. In this picture, you can see expressions of the Chilean people’s desire to improve their education system. We have learned from our colleagues at the university as well as from our studies of Chile that the right to free and equitable education is a major issue in Chile at this time. We also climbed to the top of Cerro Santa Lucia. Here is a bit of information about the location.“This small rocky hill was originally called Huelén by the Mapuches inhabiting the region. The Spanish Conquistador Pedro de Valdivia later changed its name to Santa Lucía. It was at the foot of this hill that Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago on February 12th, 1541.” (http://www.southamerica.cl/Chile/Santiago/Cerro_Santa_Lucia.htm) We had amazing views of the mountains and the city of Santiago from the top of the hill. Tomorrow we will go hiking in mountains, so I know the views will be even more magnificent! Then, on Sunday, we will visit the coast. We have a busy weekend ahead of us, but I think we are all very excited to see more of this beautiful country! Hola from Chile. We have had two and a half days in Chile and it has been non-stop! In just two and a half days, we have already: -taken 8 hours of intensive Spanish instruction at our Spanish school, ECELA -had several meetings with our partners at Universidad Mayor (UMayor) -attended class sessions at UMayor -tried several restaurants and new foods -eaten many empanadas -visited multiple locations around the city -met people from all over the world (e.g. Chile, Venezuela, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, various states in the U.S.) -attended a barbeque at ECELA complete with a English and Spanish sing along towards the end of the evening – see photo Tomorrow will be our first day of field placement in a Chilean school. I am really looking forward to visiting the schools and for us to have the opportunity to learn from the teachers and students in the schools and conduct activities we have prepared. Meanwhile, we are all adjusting to living with Chilean families, being surrounded by Spanish, and finding our way around this large (and beautiful) city. I am very proud of how well the students are handling everything. It is definitely an adjustment and there have been a few bumps in the road, but I can already see them learning and growing from the experience. Stay tuned!
As I prepare for my 3rd trip to Santiago, Chile with the IPDS Chile program, I can honestly say I am as excited as I was the first time around. The excitement is different this time. This time, I know what to expect and have less concern over what will happen, how things will go, etc. But, because I know how wonderful my experience was the past two times, I am thrilled to be returning to do it all over again.
I am most excited to have the opportunity, along with my colleagues - Pixita and Raquel, to lead the group of students as they discover Santiago, Spanish language, the Chilean culture, and much about themselves, both personally and professionally. We have had the opportunity to come together as a family in our weekly class sessions this spring and will soon embark on our 3 weeks of travel as a group. I am looking forward to learning and growing alongside my students and colleagues, and developing a host of new memories which will surely make the special place in my heart for Santiago, Chile grow even larger! |
AuthorHi. I'm a professor in the Exceptional Education Department at SUNY Buffalo State. I am thrilled to be heading back to Chile for the 3rd time for IPDS Chile 2017. I am looking forward to experiencing all Santiago has to offer, continuing to practice my Spanish skills, and guiding our wonderful group of student participants through this amazing experience! ArchivesCategories |