Sunday, June 16, 2013

Spanish/English Video Exchange with Colorado

Last year each of my ninth grade students got a pen-pal in Colorado. On both ends, students received letters and pictures from their pen-pal and sent the same back.


This year we did a video exchange instead. When I was home in Colorado for Christmas vacation, I met with my old high school Spanish teacher, Dan Gilden, about his idea. It turned out to be a success! My 11th grade students loved seeing kids in my old high school stumble through Spanish (as they themselves do in English) not to mention how different the students, school and dress-code appear. We selected participants for our video by rewarding students who got the highest scores on an English vocabulary test. They did a great job!

Unfortunately the video from Colorado is protected and therefore cannot be seen publicly. But at least here is our video from Colombia to Colorado. It's a decent representation of my [chaotic] school and some of my awesome students. Enjoy! 
We’re hoping after vacation to start again with more video-exchanges.

Here's the video:


Saturday, June 15, 2013

Planning for the Future and Higher Education

Last year I surveyed most of the 220 graduating students about their plans for the following year (as the school has no records concerning what students do after graduating). Many indicated interest in higher education, however only were actually enrolling in a public university...
WHAT?!
SO many of my students are capable and would excel at a university. Lack of intelligence, motivation or hard-work is not the problem. So what's up?...
Most cannot rely on economic support from their families and therefore will have to work in addition to study. It can be expensive and difficult to pass the university entrance exam. Their low scores on this exam do not accurately reflect intellect; students lack test-taking strategies and do not have funds to hire a tutor. Excluding finances, other factors inhibit university enrollment. Students know few university graduates and therefore about professions that require a university degree. They have never stepped foot on a university campus. And let’s not forget about the power of stereotypes: universities are full of rich, well-dressed, private-school kids and not ones from a “poor, dirty, ghetto, trashy” school.


The “When I Grow Up Project” (see earlier blog posts) is one of our projects aiming to get more students applying to and enrolling in university. In addition, over the past month we have focused on goal setting/planning for the future/higher education with “Chicas Lideres Inedsoristas”, our girl’s empowerment and leadership program. I have become very close with this group of 25 young girls, many of who are at the top of their class and highly ambitious.

We started the unit identifying values and personal strengths. The girls presented a professional, familial and personal goal and how they picture themselves five years in the future. Finally, they selected a goal for the remaining school year and detailed how, when and with what resources they would complete it.

Yeinis and Dayra, the social worker who has been the biggest help with both 
Chicas Lideres Inedsoristas and the When I Grow Up Project


Next it was off to the University of Cartagena!—again, the first time any had been on a university campus. We spoke with university professors, took a tour, met with an admissions coordinator, and went into classes (including one with human brains and bones laid-out on tables—undeniably the number of girls wanting to study medicine was significantly increased). Four hours later and no one wanted to leave; the prospect of studying there was contagious, not to mention excess giddiness due to a plethora of university boys.




We brought in current university students who were also graduates of Soledad Roman de Nunez, our high school, as guest speakers. Poised and composed, they spoke of how rewarding and challenging their experience has been.

Based on which jobs girls in the group had interest in, we give them information about various professions in addition to bringing in professional adults from some of those fields. They explained to the girls what they do in their job and what they had to do/study to become a professional. 
 

Learning about being a masseuse