Fulbright Hays Summer Seminar: A Bittersweet Bon Voyage!

July 14, 2012

Seems like yesterday that I arrived in Oaxaca and today I’m leaving Mexico. It’s a bittersweet Bon Voyage! I really enjoyed Mexico, although I’m getting a little tired of eating tacos. Mexico City, for example, so big & I wish I had more time to explore it, but I’m thrilled to be on the way to the second leg of the trip- Colombia!

The past two weeks flew! With the help of our tour guide Jacques Paire, my experience in Mexico has been extremely informative and enjoyable, but brain is on overload! I’ve seen and heard so much! By learning about the many indigenous groups that founded various cities here and visiting several archeological sites, I’ve gotten a better idea of the strong foundation Mexico was build upon. We’ve spoken about the history of rulers and politics, to modern day Mexican life, all of which was total immersion into Mexican culture. The Name of the summer seminar is “Exploring Culture and a Society beyond the Headlines” and we’ve been doing just that. Many people in the U.S. hear Mexico or Mexicans and think drugs, danger, and cheap labor. Not many know about the rich culture and history that Mexico has to offer. Looking back on the past two weeks there were several highlights of this portion of the trip.

Getting the opportunity meet and get to know such smart people, many of who are very different than me, has been great! I’m with elementary school teachers from all over the U.S, people from places I’ve never been and know little about. We represent New York, New Jersey, Washington, California, Texas, Hawaii, Oregon, West Virginia, and Nevada. Jennifer, who is originally from Arkansas, was telling me how she grew up on a 300-acre farm. She was shocked to hear that I’ve only been on a farm a hand full of times and honestly I don’t think the Queens Farm really even counts! Although we come from different backgrounds and places, we all share one thing- a love of education! It’s been inspiring to hear about various methodologies and curriculums different schools use. I’ve been taking notes on the many things I plan to try in my classroom come September. Sarah, a teacher from Portland, introduced the group to a method called “Storyline.” This was originally designed in Sweden and is a way of integrating literacy, the content areas, and the arts. Although I cannot choose to change any particular curriculum in my own school, this is something I may try to integrate into my extended day program to engage my students and teach content-based materials.

http://www.storyline-scotland.com/sweden.html

Many of the participants are also adjunct college professors, some in the process of getting their PhD, while others are actively working for non-profit organizations.

Highlights of the past two weeks...