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Yesterday, our IPDS Chile students gave a presentation that was open to the School of Education at Universidad Mayor. When we first went into the room, only 3 or 4 UMayor students were present. It seemed that not many people were going to be in attendance. Nevertheless, some of the students in our group were a bit nervous. I am sure their nervousness only increased as students and faculty continued to file into the room over the next 10-15 minutes. In all, I believe there were about 50 people in the audience. It was so humbling to think that so many people wanted to hear our group’s presentation. A couple of our students asked a student from UMayor if he was receiving extra credit for his classes for attending the presentation. He said he was not and that he just wanted to attend. He also stated that he did not believe others were receiving extra credit either. We were a bit surprised by this, but definitely energized by their interest! In the presentation, the students provided a general overview of education in the United States and then provided a more focused discussion on the topic of student engagement. They talked about what student engagement is, what it looks like, and the benefits. Then, they discussed and modeled two different strategies – interactive read-alouds with children’s literature and the use of individual response boards. The presentation ended with a question/answer period. There were many questions from the audience. Here are a few of the questions to provide an idea of what the audience wanted to know: -In the U.S., how does a teacher get the funding for the materials that were demonstrated in the presentation? -What do you think about the use of standardized testing in the U.S.? -What do you think of the schools and teachers you have visited here in Chile? -Who creates the curriculum in the U.S.? -How do you think the election of Donald Trump as President is going to affect education in the U.S.? The students handled all of the questions very well and showed great passion for the field of education. Overall, I believe the presentation was a success! We are very thankful to Universidad Mayor for giving us the opportunity to share. P.S. On a completely different topic… I have had a bad cold the past few days which of course is no fun at all. My host mom, Nidia (who is probably similar in age to my own grandmothers), has been making me the same gross concoction of lemon juice, honey, and hot water that my Grandma Patti made me when I was sick as a child. She also gave me some ointment (like Vicks) to rub under my nose and on my chest when I go to bed. It’s good to know that grandmas everywhere share the same tortuous (yet effective) treatment methods! :)
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Thanks to our colleague, Margarita, at Universidad Mayor, we had the opportunity to visit Centro de Servicio Migrante yesterday. This is a place in Santiago where Margarita volunteers each Sunday teaching Spanish lessons to immigrants from Haiti. Upon entering the center, which was a large property with a collection of buildings, I immediately noticed how welcoming it was. All of the buildings were painted a bright red-orange color and the grounds were very well kept. It seemed like a very warm and inviting place for people to gather. We were divided into groups to partake in the Spanish lessons. In the class I was in, the students were very excited to meet us and have us in their class. Although we were all supposed to be practicing Spanish, many of them wanted to practice their English with us as well. We introduced ourselves, chatted a bit, and then began our lesson with Margarita as the instructor. Our lesson consisted of reading a passage and answering questions (in Spanish, of course). The passage was about the experience of making the decision to leave one’s country to move to another. It discussed how hard the decision is, as well as what things (both material and non-material) get packed when moving. It was very interesting to participate in a discussion of this reading with people who have actually made this decision and who could relate their own personal experiences to the passage. I talked quite a bit with a girl next to me named Katia who explained when she moved and what opportunities she hopes to have here in Chile. She told me what material items she packed (clothes, shoes, etc.) and what non-material things she brought (her experiences, her hopes, etc.). We also both shared stories about the difficulties we have experienced being in Chile without knowing the Spanish language (which was the case for me the first time I came) and how necessary it is to learn Spanish. All of the students in the class were there voluntarily and it was obvious that they were dedicated to learning Spanish. They worked hard and enthusiastically for the entire two hours. I truly enjoyed this class and am very thankful that Margarita shared this experience with our group. One component of the IPDS Chile program is that we each live with a Chilean host family. I want to make a special post in honor of my host mom, Nidia. She is a retired social worker who lives alone in a very nice apartment in Providencia, Santiago. She has welcomed Justin (my boyfriend who is here working on a project for his graduate studies) and I into her home so warmly that we all feel like family now. Nidia makes us a delicious breakfast each morning and a very satisfying dinner each night. While I love to cook, it is certainly nice to come home to a prepared meal each night after a long day we have with classes and activities. During breakfast and dinner, we have the opportunity to practice our Spanish with Nidia. While it is not always easy, we are generally able to communicate. Since I have been studying Spanish longer, I tend to talk with Nidia while Justin eats, smiles, and says “me gusta” and “si, mas” when she offers him more food. It makes her very happy that we enjoy her cooking. Nidia has a daughter who is also named Nidia and a granddaughter named Sofia who have joined us for dinner a couple of times. Sofia, who is 12 years old, is studying English in school and was very excited to have the chance to speak with us in English. Her English is extremely impressive! She is also a total sweetheart. The whole family is very sweet. Here is a photo of the three lovely ladies. Through talking to her family, Justin and I learned that we are the first guests Nidia has hosted. That made us feel very special. Her family also told us that Nidia is really enjoying having us in her home and that we are like family. Awwwwe… how sweet! Our conversations at dinner continue to be very interesting and we often all end up laughing a lot.
Justin has been improving his Spanish little by little and is finding that he can contribute more to the conversation. Last night at dinner, he told Nidia and I in Spanish that he had something for us and left the table for a minute. He came back with a flower for each of us that he had bought earlier in the day. Nidia was so surprised and overjoyed. She gave Justin a big hug and a kiss and then told me in at least five different ways (in Spanish) what a great guy he is. It was adorable. Justin and I talk every day about how it is going to be so difficult to leave Nidia and her family when it is time to go. But, we still have over a week left, so we will enjoy it while we can! 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. 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 |