The base of this program here in Palo Alto, rest in the unconditional support of them, Julia and Art, represent the good learning, the patience, the serenity, coordination of activities, the encourage, and the complete support for all of us.
Thanks to them we feel comfortable in a new world of challenges, and also we can learn some strategies to get better day by day like a teacher…
When I came to this scholarship, one of my resolutions was learn about unforgettable experience, be part of one of this strategies and try to get all of the resources for creating my own job. With Mrs. Herbert we could develop some models of classes which include step by step, the exact procedure for making an unforgettable learning. Dr. Cindy Herbert gave us those step:
1.-Choose one important topic. If this is important and really meanly to the students, they can get more interest and confidence, and also they can be more comfortable developing this one.
2.-Look for big aims. Which is the appropriate aim that can enclose the biggest goal we want to get.
3.-Connect the aims to the students. Once we get this step, students can create many guides which help to the teacher for becoming one facilitator of the learning, even though this can follow the guide previously prepared.
4.-Learning in active form. This step, is one of the essential part of the strategy, and then it is necessary being creatives for making motivate actions, and so we can catch the attention of the students and also a better learning.
*Which I see and read, I can remember; but which I do, I never forget it.
5.-Evaluate in authentic way. In this part ti is necessary remember, comparing with a dog: “the dog move the tail, no the tail move the dog”.
The tail represent the evaluation, the dog represent the complete activity of learning. So the evaluation must show us the reach of the real learning.
6.-Reflection. This allow to the students express their own ideas about what they learned and how they learned, and also if that is so significant for them.
We developed some activities like “The story of a foot”, “The elephant and the blind people”, and “The story about the night when the moon felt down”, those are exactly examples of unforgettable experiences.
Something what we never must forget is apply the Taxonomy of Bloom, with the parts: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation and summary.
this can help us to develop easier our job with youth who dislike traditional methods.
This scholarship in Palo Alto College, open many opportunities for getting better like a teacher. One of the skills which we can develop is our ability speaking in a second language, in this case it is English, a training with Mrs. Joan Trujillo. We do many activities using our environment around us, like buying in HEB, Visiting a Museum(Witte Museum, Art Museum), or sharing information with other people from San Antonio Tx., San Marcos University and other innovative experiences.
The English training is complemented with ESL-LAB, an strategy in which we use the computer labs from Palo Alto College and we can look for some web pages(http://www.esl-lab.com/, http://dictionary.reference.com/, and others); for practicing our listening, reading and speaking in English.
We take advantage of all of these resources, because we need this tool for communication. When I return to my country El Salvador, I hope helping to my students to make own easier the English Language for an integral learning.
On Friday, September 24th, we had classes with Mrs. Frances Garza, during this class we have the opportunity of learn about computer programs.
In this class, we have the good opportunity for getting some knowledge which help us to develop our skills in technology.
In this area, we learn to work with Office Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, Publisher, keyboarding, and also we learned the basic resources for creating a Web Page.
In fact, we develop our skills faster using technology. This training help us to to do easier our learning in other areas like English, blog , and also learning strategies for making an unforgettable experience.
On Saturday, September 14th, we went helping to build a house with Habitat for Humanity, during the day, we did different activities which were a great reaching goal for all of us. In a personal title, I already have had the opportunity of work in a carpentry, and I enjoy working with wood, saw, hammer and nails; then that’s the reason why I felt comfortable helping in this labor. I meant, if I felt good, I enjoy, and I do a social labor; this kind of days are so productive.
These days, we learned something about The Sensory Alphabet, of the book “NEW WORLD KIDS”, of Susie Monday.
During Thursday’s morning, we made a collage, using magazines, books, newspaper, and other things for showing different colors around us, we cut paper using scissors, gum and crayolas, for paint and create a such good job, and also we did some exercise, using our body for making forms and movements, later we paint different lines using black crayola and paper, and anymore.
At the afternoon, we learned the program office publisher with Mrs. Frances Garza, for creating all kinds of artistic presentations in computers, like invitations cards, letters, introducing cards, and others.
On Friday, we could continue with The Sensory Alphabet, learning the elements: space, texture, shapes, rhythm and sound.
With this activities, we had the opportunity of know that the education in the new age, must be modify, because kids of new age, are different. The traditional methods are good even though this can be bored for students, then it is necessary, that teacher try to get new resources for teaching with creativity, at the end this will become an excellent tool for facing the actual needs in young kids.
On friday, september 6th, I shared a dream with other teachers, building a model of infraestructure that we wish for our school and community. The model included some features that try to join all of the elements in the neighborhood, the major, police, health, education and population, for increasing the quality of life and also develop opportunities for children and youth.
Firstly, we desing our project, and later we share ideas with a partner, who helped to build a model that at the end we explained to the rest of the group.
Our project includes some features for developing the skills in the children and youth of my neighborhood. I talk of art, cience, sports, technology and learning for life…
On thursday, september 5th, we meet to Susie Monday who helped us to create some things that in the future we can show to our students in the classroom.
Susie encouraged us to design creative things using newspaper and other recycled materials. And also Mrs. Monday recommended that if we don’t have paper, we can get materials of the environment around us.
I enjoyed making toys, practical things, and beautiful creations, because I used my imagination, and I remembered my child stage.
It was such a fun day.
On Friday, August 30, we developed some activities, using art, at the beginning we do a drama which allowed to show some characters: teachers, sons, fathers, principals, and others, trying to solve situations of the students, but it helped us to understand that we can solve the problems if we make an agreement, always and then we don’t impose our point of view. After this activity, we chose some words that we consider are important in our life, and we made a collage that later explain to others. At the afternoon, we created a mask of a monster that represent a fear inside of us which didn’t feel well. It was a significant day and all of us enjoyed working, playing, creating and learning.
Another great day at Palo Alto…Let’s go ahead
This is my hometown, its name is Nahuizalco sited in Sonsonate, El Salvador.
Nahuizalco is a beautiful place which is part of a group of towns that is recognized, talking about turistic places, like “The rut of the flowers”. The rut of the flowers is a set of nature, traditions, typical food(http://informaciona.com/video/comida-de-nahuizalco_lh9ZdHu-qSI), art, religion(http://informaciona.com/video/semana-santa-nahuizalco-2013-viernes-santos_RinY4edr928), and in general terms: my culture(http://informaciona.com/video/nahuizalco-tour_S3ikisz01Hc). This is my shelter, this is my people, this is part of my life, the place where my daughter and my son were born and we live. This is my country, a part of the sky which became a land of laborious people, hope and peace.
Luis Ortiz 