After completing this project, I spent around 15 hours at Rock Island High School. I helped students on Biology, Reading, and Math assignments. I've stopped in the Study Skills room and helped some on Chemistry homework or just defining what a word means in a chapter book. My time at the Rock Island High School has impacted me immensely and left me with many memories that I will hold onto for a very long time. Going through my days tutoring, I have noticed some reoccurring themes.
1. What themes did you notice across your experiences?
One of the themes that kept occurring was perception. In the beginning, they didn't understand who we were and why we were there. They had a hard time communicating with us because we weren't like them. The students that we kept working with were further in the perception process and putting meaning to what we wanted to accomplish or there for. While others perceived us differently, had a hard time asking us for help because they thought we were just another person coming into the classroom instead of there to help. Since we just had to assume about their perceptions of us we could easily identify the perception process that we encountered of them. Our first stage of selection we wanted to focus on their reactions of our tutoring program. Watching them do their homework and if we were to correct them what their reaction would be or if they didn't quite understand the concepts being covered. This moved into the organization stage, where we made sense or meaning of them. If they had a negative reaction when they were being corrected we would make the assumption that they didn't want to learn. If they had a more positive reaction, then they would want to keep going to finish out the assignment. After organizing their reactions, we interpreted a good or bad view of them based on their reactions and could negotiate whether we wanted to keep working with the selected students. Luckily, everyone that we worked with even though they had times of struggle wanted to keep learning.
Another theme that crossed our time at Rocky was the relational development stages of coming together. In the beginning was the time of initiating and introduced ourselves to each other. This was our first initial contact. Once we left the classroom, we entered the stage of experimenting. We asked simple questions like what year in school they were or if they played any sports. After multiple visits we moved up in the intensifying stage, where our conversations became more personal. The topics were about families or where they lived previously as well as what place they liked living the best. Most responded they liked either Kentucky or Tennessee better than here in Rock Island. Next, the integrating stage, our actions toward each other had a stronger connection. We would crack jokes and even give high fives to each other when they did well on a problem that they figured out all by themselves. At times, we would even hug each other goodbye. In the bonding stage, you could see a public announcement between us because the girls would be so excited when we walked in or they would wave at us in front of everyone else. After each session, they would ask when we would be coming back again to work with them. This formed a common future that maintained the relationship we had. We didn't go through the coming apart stages so it made leaving Rock Island High School that much harder for us.
2. How will this experience shape your future interpersonal interactions?
With all the time spent at Rock Island High School, I hope that all my experiences and memories will help shape my future interpersonal interactions. With perception, I can see that we all have different perceptions of each other and we need to learn through experience instead of be quick to assume things about another person. We shouldn't be quick to judge but be aware of those perceptions we have and not let them affect our behavior towards one another. Having a change of perception takes time and it can't change after experiencing something for one day. It takes time to fully understand something. I hope to give anyone and everyone the time of day not based on pre-judgements but giving them a chance so I can learn about them and put meaning to it. Also, with the relational development stages, it takes time to move up the ladder. You have to have that first initial contact before moving on to more personal questions. It takes two people to have that relationship, not just one. I hope for my future career in teaching, I can have that close connection with my students so they have a sense of comfort and ability to speak out in my classroom. Between the processes of perception and relational development, it takes time to conquer and reach the highest potential of those processes. Learning about these concepts and experiencing firsthand with them with this service-learning project will help me become more aware of them in my future interactions.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Blog 4: The Last Days
What:
The last few days at Rocky became more and more fun to attend. Sarah and I kept getting closer and closer with some of the students where it was enjoyable to go to instead of having to go to. Our first class we worked with some guys who we've had previously, on English pronouns and subjects. They had to distinguish between first person, second person, and third person. They also had to write about a map on where things were located using some of the vocabulary words being given. It was not a lot of work to do so we could joke around more and have an outside conversation too. The boys really opened up about their families and where they have lived before along with what place they liked the best so far and why. Some of their stories were deep and interesting. If I had backgrounds like that, it would be very hard for me to open up and tell people my story. The boys even opened up about what they wanted for the future for themselves. Some wanted to go into the Army or go to college. They have bright futures for themselves. One of the boys was telling us about the things he can do such as flips so he decided to show us in the middle of the library. It probably wasn't the best idea but it's a memory that I will never forget. The connections we made with those group of boys and hearing their stories from how they ended up in Rock Island has touched our hearts.
The next class was Math and of course we got the opportunity to work with the same girls as we always have been. We kept practicing with solving equations since that is what they needed the most work on. There were equations that were a little bit difficult to do that they had to use the distributive property and put like terms together before they could solve for x. We've done so many equations previously so there wasn't a set number we had to accomplish for the day. We got to talking about family and both of them mentioned that they had quite a few siblings but some of them couldn't make it, as in passed away when they were babies. It was hard to understand because they would say they had this many number of siblings but so many of them died. It was very heart breaking to hear such a thing. They even talked about the places they've lived previously and where they liked it the most. Sarah and I started to get a feel of what they've been through and it's scary. Some of their immediate family isn't even here with them but all over the states or back in the country where they were born. We really got a close connection with these girls and they had a hard time saying goodbye to us on our last day. It was a sure pleasure to meet all these wonderful students and hear about their backgrounds.
So-What:
The major concept I noticed in the last few days of our service-learning project would be relationship development. We started out in the initiating and experimenting stage with talking about simple things but then this time around we were in the intensifying and integrating stage. This means that we shared more personal things such as them telling us their stories about family and their future goals for themselves. It also states that we had a different connection with these students than the others. For example, we hugged the girls on the last day, which is a whole different connection than any of the other girls in the class. The bonding stage is something where we would continue communicating to maintain our relationship. It is the end of our time to work with these students but we promised that we could stop by again just to say hello and see how far they've come from the last time we saw them with schooling.
Now What:
After going through the steps of relationship development, there's a connection that develops over time. This process can happen in my future career as a teacher because in the beginning it will be just introducing people and stating interesting facts about themselves. Then as the year progresses students will start speaking about their families and make closer connections. Also, we will all have a bond together since we shared the school year together. My promise to them is to not forget about me as their teacher and to come visit whenever they'd like so we can maintain the relationship we developed previously. I went through and the students we tutored had impacted me with their stories and I want to make my future students have that sense of comfort with me too so they can open up. After all the days I spent at Rock Island High School and the experiences I had, it will make me a better communicator for the future.
The last few days at Rocky became more and more fun to attend. Sarah and I kept getting closer and closer with some of the students where it was enjoyable to go to instead of having to go to. Our first class we worked with some guys who we've had previously, on English pronouns and subjects. They had to distinguish between first person, second person, and third person. They also had to write about a map on where things were located using some of the vocabulary words being given. It was not a lot of work to do so we could joke around more and have an outside conversation too. The boys really opened up about their families and where they have lived before along with what place they liked the best so far and why. Some of their stories were deep and interesting. If I had backgrounds like that, it would be very hard for me to open up and tell people my story. The boys even opened up about what they wanted for the future for themselves. Some wanted to go into the Army or go to college. They have bright futures for themselves. One of the boys was telling us about the things he can do such as flips so he decided to show us in the middle of the library. It probably wasn't the best idea but it's a memory that I will never forget. The connections we made with those group of boys and hearing their stories from how they ended up in Rock Island has touched our hearts.
The next class was Math and of course we got the opportunity to work with the same girls as we always have been. We kept practicing with solving equations since that is what they needed the most work on. There were equations that were a little bit difficult to do that they had to use the distributive property and put like terms together before they could solve for x. We've done so many equations previously so there wasn't a set number we had to accomplish for the day. We got to talking about family and both of them mentioned that they had quite a few siblings but some of them couldn't make it, as in passed away when they were babies. It was hard to understand because they would say they had this many number of siblings but so many of them died. It was very heart breaking to hear such a thing. They even talked about the places they've lived previously and where they liked it the most. Sarah and I started to get a feel of what they've been through and it's scary. Some of their immediate family isn't even here with them but all over the states or back in the country where they were born. We really got a close connection with these girls and they had a hard time saying goodbye to us on our last day. It was a sure pleasure to meet all these wonderful students and hear about their backgrounds.
So-What:
The major concept I noticed in the last few days of our service-learning project would be relationship development. We started out in the initiating and experimenting stage with talking about simple things but then this time around we were in the intensifying and integrating stage. This means that we shared more personal things such as them telling us their stories about family and their future goals for themselves. It also states that we had a different connection with these students than the others. For example, we hugged the girls on the last day, which is a whole different connection than any of the other girls in the class. The bonding stage is something where we would continue communicating to maintain our relationship. It is the end of our time to work with these students but we promised that we could stop by again just to say hello and see how far they've come from the last time we saw them with schooling.
Now What:
After going through the steps of relationship development, there's a connection that develops over time. This process can happen in my future career as a teacher because in the beginning it will be just introducing people and stating interesting facts about themselves. Then as the year progresses students will start speaking about their families and make closer connections. Also, we will all have a bond together since we shared the school year together. My promise to them is to not forget about me as their teacher and to come visit whenever they'd like so we can maintain the relationship we developed previously. I went through and the students we tutored had impacted me with their stories and I want to make my future students have that sense of comfort with me too so they can open up. After all the days I spent at Rock Island High School and the experiences I had, it will make me a better communicator for the future.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Blog 3: In the Middle
What:
The more visits I attended to at Rock Island High School, it became more pleasurable for me. I kept working with Biology students and one day we were labeling where different countries were. Some of the students had never heard of some countries before because maybe they hadn't learned about much geography before this class. It was definitely a treat to learn more for myself as well. The more times Sarah and I came to the classroom the more and more students asked for help when needed. They felt more comfortable with us being around once they found out what we were there for. Some students were still very shy but others opened up. Communication was easier once they felt a sense of comfort with us.
The Math class was more fun because it was a subject I enjoyed. We got assigned with the same girls we worked with previously but not the same as the first two girls from the first day. These girls who we got to work with again really enjoyed our presence and attention they got from us. Being able to work with us a second time made them open up more. We would joke around along with getting work done. We worked with solving equations by multiplying versus dividing. We would ask questions like what they like to do after school, what year they were, etc. There were easy questions just to get know their personality.
There was a day where Ms. Kantner was absent and there was a sub. I felt like staying in the classroom would help benefit the sub who wasn't there on a daily basis like us so all our minds put together could help this Math class be successful for the day. I really got the pleasure of working with students who hadn't volunteered to come to the Library with Sarah and I on previous days. I knew these students would have a hard time opening up because they hadn't been around us yet besides the girls we worked with a few times already. I had to make them feel comfortable and ask them questions instead of waiting on them to ask for help. Some students did take into account for our help. Some of the students felt more comfortable with us than the sub so they would rely on us first. Sarah and I really stepped it up this class to help since Ms. Kantner was gone.
After these couple days Sarah and I started working with Reading instead of the Biology class. We mainly worked with boys from this class in the Library. We would read an article from their textbook and answer comprehension questions together that they would turn in later on. I really could notice the difference between us reading versus how ELL students read. They would read at a slower pace and have a hard time pronouncing a lot of words. They also didn't know meanings of words or just guessed on what they thought it meant without actually knowing. Also, they would read a sentence but leave out little words but say the important or bigger words. We would finish up with the assignment with time left before class ended. Sarah and I would ask questions to get to know them as well just like we did with the Math girls. We asked what they did over the weekend, what they like to do after school in free time, along with what grade they are in or if what schools they want to attend for college if they were seniors.
So-What:
Through more days being spent at the High School, I noticed more concepts be put into play. Rules of language was a huge concept that I noticed. Just by having the boys take turns reading an article I could really tell a difference in syntax. They would read the sentence but either not say some words or add words in where the sentence wouldn't make sense just by us listening to it. The structure of the sentence would be jumbled and hard for an American to understand but could make perfect sense to them. Also, I could see a bit of semantics and dealing with the meaning of words. They would like to say a word meaning this but it really meant something else. They had a different sense of meaning for certain words than what Sarah and I thought it meant. We would go through different vocabulary words to make them understand more in detail what some words meant in the story they read. Another concept could be perception but with the students from the day we worked with the Math class as a whole. I felt like I wasn't wanted by some of the students and they would rather work by themselves even if they didn't get the subject matter. They perceived us as just another person in the room but not seeking as a tutor or helper. The students who knew us was in the perception process of interpreting and negotiating. They were assigning meaning to why we were there, to help them become successful in their studies, and were using this through communicating with us when they needed help. They weren't afraid to speak out and ask us questions because they finally got to the point of knowing why were there and a better sense of comfort.
Now What:
These visits that were in the middle of our time spent at Rock Island High School started to become more interpersonal than impersonal. I got to interact more with the students and get to know them instead of just working on their studies. Asking questions to get to know them hopefully helped them feel more comfortable because I would answer my questions too so it was more of a friendly conversation instead of an interview. Showing a connection that we are very similar in certain ways can make them feel more comfortable around us. Also, just because a student has different meanings to words or the structure isn't accurate don't criticize them but to help them better understand what is a better way or meaning. Last, being around students at first they have a hard time opening up but being consistent and being around more will help students rely on you more and feel a sense of comfort towards you. Being a future teacher, I will be there every day because it is my job so having that consistency will help my students open up more to me.
The more visits I attended to at Rock Island High School, it became more pleasurable for me. I kept working with Biology students and one day we were labeling where different countries were. Some of the students had never heard of some countries before because maybe they hadn't learned about much geography before this class. It was definitely a treat to learn more for myself as well. The more times Sarah and I came to the classroom the more and more students asked for help when needed. They felt more comfortable with us being around once they found out what we were there for. Some students were still very shy but others opened up. Communication was easier once they felt a sense of comfort with us.
The Math class was more fun because it was a subject I enjoyed. We got assigned with the same girls we worked with previously but not the same as the first two girls from the first day. These girls who we got to work with again really enjoyed our presence and attention they got from us. Being able to work with us a second time made them open up more. We would joke around along with getting work done. We worked with solving equations by multiplying versus dividing. We would ask questions like what they like to do after school, what year they were, etc. There were easy questions just to get know their personality.
There was a day where Ms. Kantner was absent and there was a sub. I felt like staying in the classroom would help benefit the sub who wasn't there on a daily basis like us so all our minds put together could help this Math class be successful for the day. I really got the pleasure of working with students who hadn't volunteered to come to the Library with Sarah and I on previous days. I knew these students would have a hard time opening up because they hadn't been around us yet besides the girls we worked with a few times already. I had to make them feel comfortable and ask them questions instead of waiting on them to ask for help. Some students did take into account for our help. Some of the students felt more comfortable with us than the sub so they would rely on us first. Sarah and I really stepped it up this class to help since Ms. Kantner was gone.
After these couple days Sarah and I started working with Reading instead of the Biology class. We mainly worked with boys from this class in the Library. We would read an article from their textbook and answer comprehension questions together that they would turn in later on. I really could notice the difference between us reading versus how ELL students read. They would read at a slower pace and have a hard time pronouncing a lot of words. They also didn't know meanings of words or just guessed on what they thought it meant without actually knowing. Also, they would read a sentence but leave out little words but say the important or bigger words. We would finish up with the assignment with time left before class ended. Sarah and I would ask questions to get to know them as well just like we did with the Math girls. We asked what they did over the weekend, what they like to do after school in free time, along with what grade they are in or if what schools they want to attend for college if they were seniors.
So-What:
Through more days being spent at the High School, I noticed more concepts be put into play. Rules of language was a huge concept that I noticed. Just by having the boys take turns reading an article I could really tell a difference in syntax. They would read the sentence but either not say some words or add words in where the sentence wouldn't make sense just by us listening to it. The structure of the sentence would be jumbled and hard for an American to understand but could make perfect sense to them. Also, I could see a bit of semantics and dealing with the meaning of words. They would like to say a word meaning this but it really meant something else. They had a different sense of meaning for certain words than what Sarah and I thought it meant. We would go through different vocabulary words to make them understand more in detail what some words meant in the story they read. Another concept could be perception but with the students from the day we worked with the Math class as a whole. I felt like I wasn't wanted by some of the students and they would rather work by themselves even if they didn't get the subject matter. They perceived us as just another person in the room but not seeking as a tutor or helper. The students who knew us was in the perception process of interpreting and negotiating. They were assigning meaning to why we were there, to help them become successful in their studies, and were using this through communicating with us when they needed help. They weren't afraid to speak out and ask us questions because they finally got to the point of knowing why were there and a better sense of comfort.
Now What:
These visits that were in the middle of our time spent at Rock Island High School started to become more interpersonal than impersonal. I got to interact more with the students and get to know them instead of just working on their studies. Asking questions to get to know them hopefully helped them feel more comfortable because I would answer my questions too so it was more of a friendly conversation instead of an interview. Showing a connection that we are very similar in certain ways can make them feel more comfortable around us. Also, just because a student has different meanings to words or the structure isn't accurate don't criticize them but to help them better understand what is a better way or meaning. Last, being around students at first they have a hard time opening up but being consistent and being around more will help students rely on you more and feel a sense of comfort towards you. Being a future teacher, I will be there every day because it is my job so having that consistency will help my students open up more to me.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Blog 2: In the Beginning
What:
The very first day I was a little nervous of what to expect on entering the classroom full of students I haven't met before. I was used to working with elementary students and now these students are all high schoolers. A little bit of a different setting. Sarah and I walked into the door and all the girls were quiet but the boys had a little comments to say because we were "college girls." We weren't staying in that classroom for that period so we went up another floor to work with the Biology class. The teacher was very nice and told us who needed the most help and who she recommended us to work with. They had a lab to do that day and had to walk around and look at pictures and distinguish what was going on in it. Sarah and I walked around and asked how they were doing but not many students would open up to us. It was very hard to communicate with them because they didn't care about talking to us. It was a struggle. I was also a little nervous because I hadn't taken a biology class in years so if they were to ask me a question I might not be able to give a direct answer. After the lab, Sarah and I just sat in the back as they went over answers. This class wasn't exactly what I expected because there wasn't much interaction with the students but it was interesting to learn some new things with Biology.
The next class period was Math back downstairs in the first classroom we entered. There were some new students than who was previously in there the class period before so we got some new boys who kept staring at us and making more comments. It was a little awkward but we made it just fine. The teacher assigned a couple girls to come with us to the Library to work on Math problems. It was an awkward walk down there because we didn't know exactly what to say. Basically, we just introduced ourselves and mentioned what year in school we were. In the Library, when we worked on Math it was somewhat of a refresher of material Sarah and I learned before. We worked one-on-one with the girls doing problems with the distributive property. There wasn't much outside conversation just questions about the homework. Sarah and I had to rely on each other to be able to give them the most feedback if they needed help on a problem. The next day was very similar to the first day. We worked in the Biology room and helped those who needed it with a test. In math, we worked with a couple other girls on solving equations. No one really had opened up to us yet. We just did the work that needed to be done and they went back to class. It seemed as if they were really shy because they didn't know us yet. I knew then that it would take time but hopefully we would get to that point of more conversation. The only assumption that I made that was wrong was that these students had their own classes aside from everyone else their age taking the same classes. It was their own classroom just for ELL students.
So-What:
Through the little events so far at Rock Island High School, a few concepts that was covered in our class had been covered during this service-learning project. One concept, I believe was encountered, is perception. Those students perceived us as being different from them. They had a hard time communicating with us because we weren't like them. They saw who we were but the only use they thought we were there for was to help them in their studies. We wanted to get to know them better aside from all the school work. Another concept was language. We tried communicating and teaching them what we know about the subject but they somehow couldn't understand what we were trying to get across. In the Biology class for the test on the second day, sometimes I had to reword what a question was asking because they just didn't understand what it was being asked. Our structure of sentences are different from those who know different languages. The translation may not be clear especially if they are just now learning English.
Now What:
For future interactions, I hope what I've learned so far can help the students. I can see that I do not look like them but possible telling them that I'm not just here to tutor them and teach them but to have a friendly connection as well. Possibly, I can ask questions about their life outside and what they like to do or what some of their favorite things are. Holding an outside conversation from school work could possibly help them to be feel more comfortable around us. Even with the language aspect, telling them that on tests I have a hard time understanding too what is being asked may make them think we are just like them too. Even as living in America my whole life, some of the communication that goes on I don't understand either. I will be there for any help they need.
The very first day I was a little nervous of what to expect on entering the classroom full of students I haven't met before. I was used to working with elementary students and now these students are all high schoolers. A little bit of a different setting. Sarah and I walked into the door and all the girls were quiet but the boys had a little comments to say because we were "college girls." We weren't staying in that classroom for that period so we went up another floor to work with the Biology class. The teacher was very nice and told us who needed the most help and who she recommended us to work with. They had a lab to do that day and had to walk around and look at pictures and distinguish what was going on in it. Sarah and I walked around and asked how they were doing but not many students would open up to us. It was very hard to communicate with them because they didn't care about talking to us. It was a struggle. I was also a little nervous because I hadn't taken a biology class in years so if they were to ask me a question I might not be able to give a direct answer. After the lab, Sarah and I just sat in the back as they went over answers. This class wasn't exactly what I expected because there wasn't much interaction with the students but it was interesting to learn some new things with Biology.
The next class period was Math back downstairs in the first classroom we entered. There were some new students than who was previously in there the class period before so we got some new boys who kept staring at us and making more comments. It was a little awkward but we made it just fine. The teacher assigned a couple girls to come with us to the Library to work on Math problems. It was an awkward walk down there because we didn't know exactly what to say. Basically, we just introduced ourselves and mentioned what year in school we were. In the Library, when we worked on Math it was somewhat of a refresher of material Sarah and I learned before. We worked one-on-one with the girls doing problems with the distributive property. There wasn't much outside conversation just questions about the homework. Sarah and I had to rely on each other to be able to give them the most feedback if they needed help on a problem. The next day was very similar to the first day. We worked in the Biology room and helped those who needed it with a test. In math, we worked with a couple other girls on solving equations. No one really had opened up to us yet. We just did the work that needed to be done and they went back to class. It seemed as if they were really shy because they didn't know us yet. I knew then that it would take time but hopefully we would get to that point of more conversation. The only assumption that I made that was wrong was that these students had their own classes aside from everyone else their age taking the same classes. It was their own classroom just for ELL students.
So-What:
Through the little events so far at Rock Island High School, a few concepts that was covered in our class had been covered during this service-learning project. One concept, I believe was encountered, is perception. Those students perceived us as being different from them. They had a hard time communicating with us because we weren't like them. They saw who we were but the only use they thought we were there for was to help them in their studies. We wanted to get to know them better aside from all the school work. Another concept was language. We tried communicating and teaching them what we know about the subject but they somehow couldn't understand what we were trying to get across. In the Biology class for the test on the second day, sometimes I had to reword what a question was asking because they just didn't understand what it was being asked. Our structure of sentences are different from those who know different languages. The translation may not be clear especially if they are just now learning English.
Now What:
For future interactions, I hope what I've learned so far can help the students. I can see that I do not look like them but possible telling them that I'm not just here to tutor them and teach them but to have a friendly connection as well. Possibly, I can ask questions about their life outside and what they like to do or what some of their favorite things are. Holding an outside conversation from school work could possibly help them to be feel more comfortable around us. Even with the language aspect, telling them that on tests I have a hard time understanding too what is being asked may make them think we are just like them too. Even as living in America my whole life, some of the communication that goes on I don't understand either. I will be there for any help they need.
Blog 1: Before the Beginning
1. What are your hopes for the service-learning project?
I hoped to learn from this service-learning project by getting to know more about other cultures with how they learn. I want to get to know their backgrounds with schooling and how it's different or similar to how schools are here in America. I was a little worried at first of not being able to communicate with some students because what if they didn't know English very well. As being an Education major, I tried thinking of different ways of being able to help them in their studies if it didn't work one way due to communication. I was also very excited to start tutoring since I enjoy helping students learn and having that impact on their lives because of what I can provide for them.
2. What are your assumptions about your service-learning site?
I don't have too many assumptions about the site of my service-learning project. I assume that we will be in a classroom with all types of learners not just ELL. It would be an inclusion setting that we would work with those that are refugees in a normal class setting. I don't know too much about the town of Rock Island, so I don't know if it's a diverse high school but we are in a bigger city so I assume that diversity will be a bit higher here. In other words, I don't know what else to think about the site.
3. What do you already know/or assume about the work they do?
The only thing I know about the work they do is to help refugee students with their school work. I notice that there are times to come in during Biology, Math, and then study skills. These areas is where it seems they need the most help. It can range from doing homework or labs or maybe even tests. All I know or assume is that we will tutor those who need help or are struggling in certain subjects.
4. What do you know/or assume about the population they serve?
The only thing that I know is that these students can come from all over the world. They came here to get away from whatever bad things were going on back home so they had to leave. They most likely will have a different experience of learning and schooling than we do in America. It may be possible that someone hasn't had any schooling at all. Every culture has what's important to them so it may be hard for them to fit in and understand our culture here in America. Some refugees might not even get all the food they need. These students just need that attention they deserve to feel loved.
5. What connections/interests/passions do you have for this site or the population it serves?
As being an Education major, working with students and kids is what I love to do. I'm really excited to start this journey and learn about all these kids and have a close connection with these students. I want them to be able to open up to me and I can learn all about their lives back home and here in America. I'm excited to be able to learn something new with each and every one I work with. Being in a school setting is where my comfort zone is so hopefully that'll help those students feel comfortable with working with me too. I don't know too much about the population of these students but I am willing to learn about anything. I'm very interested and excited to work with these students and be able to have an impact on their lives.
I hoped to learn from this service-learning project by getting to know more about other cultures with how they learn. I want to get to know their backgrounds with schooling and how it's different or similar to how schools are here in America. I was a little worried at first of not being able to communicate with some students because what if they didn't know English very well. As being an Education major, I tried thinking of different ways of being able to help them in their studies if it didn't work one way due to communication. I was also very excited to start tutoring since I enjoy helping students learn and having that impact on their lives because of what I can provide for them.
2. What are your assumptions about your service-learning site?
I don't have too many assumptions about the site of my service-learning project. I assume that we will be in a classroom with all types of learners not just ELL. It would be an inclusion setting that we would work with those that are refugees in a normal class setting. I don't know too much about the town of Rock Island, so I don't know if it's a diverse high school but we are in a bigger city so I assume that diversity will be a bit higher here. In other words, I don't know what else to think about the site.
3. What do you already know/or assume about the work they do?
The only thing I know about the work they do is to help refugee students with their school work. I notice that there are times to come in during Biology, Math, and then study skills. These areas is where it seems they need the most help. It can range from doing homework or labs or maybe even tests. All I know or assume is that we will tutor those who need help or are struggling in certain subjects.
4. What do you know/or assume about the population they serve?
The only thing that I know is that these students can come from all over the world. They came here to get away from whatever bad things were going on back home so they had to leave. They most likely will have a different experience of learning and schooling than we do in America. It may be possible that someone hasn't had any schooling at all. Every culture has what's important to them so it may be hard for them to fit in and understand our culture here in America. Some refugees might not even get all the food they need. These students just need that attention they deserve to feel loved.
5. What connections/interests/passions do you have for this site or the population it serves?
As being an Education major, working with students and kids is what I love to do. I'm really excited to start this journey and learn about all these kids and have a close connection with these students. I want them to be able to open up to me and I can learn all about their lives back home and here in America. I'm excited to be able to learn something new with each and every one I work with. Being in a school setting is where my comfort zone is so hopefully that'll help those students feel comfortable with working with me too. I don't know too much about the population of these students but I am willing to learn about anything. I'm very interested and excited to work with these students and be able to have an impact on their lives.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
How does service relate to learning?
Service relates to learning because service is doing something for someone or multiple people. It gives you that hands on interaction which can teach you something. Being taught something by doing is a way of learning. Service can relate to learning because you are being taught something in the act of doing something for someone. Also, it can be vice versa, you can use something that you learned to help with the service. In this case, service and learning can relate to each other in different ways.
Service relates to learning because service is doing something for someone or multiple people. It gives you that hands on interaction which can teach you something. Being taught something by doing is a way of learning. Service can relate to learning because you are being taught something in the act of doing something for someone. Also, it can be vice versa, you can use something that you learned to help with the service. In this case, service and learning can relate to each other in different ways.
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