Blog #5: The Aftermath
Overall I noticed many concepts from class taking part in this experience. It was a nice to be able to relate what I have learned and really get a better understanding of the situations I encountered at the Rock Island High School with the ELL students. I enjoyed working with these kids because even though many of them faced hardships that people in America would not even be able to imagine, yet they have a smile on their faces every day. They all seem to get along with each other pretty well. I suppose it could be due to the fact that they all share common difficulties in life and in learning this new language. I found out though that many of these kids can speak multiple languages already. It is rare to find a student in this program that only speaks English and their native language. A majority of the kids can speak 3 three of four other languages.
This experience has really helped me in the interpersonal communication area. It has been much more helpful than just learning from the book would have done for me. I believe this experience will help me to be more sensitive in the future about new people in the United States. I will know not to judge them just because they are from other countries. I will know there is a reason they came here and that it most likely was not a pleasant reason. Going into this course I knew I would learn something but I did not expect to alter my thinking on this topic. I honestly feel as if I have grown as a person since taking this course and volunteering with the children in the ELL program.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Blog #4: A New Look
I went for my final visit at the Rock Island High School, I was there for quite awhile. I arrived at the school around noon to help the kids out with some math. A few of them and I went out into the hall and played a math game. It was so much fun watching them interact. All the boys got to excited when they got an answer right and it was wonderful to see them all trying so hard. After math I was able to help out another ELL teacher, Mrs. Miller. I was able to talk to her more about the program and how she got started in it. Mrs. Miller prepares the kids for the test they have to take in order for them to graduate the program. I found out that there is about 152 students enrolled in the ELL program at Rock Island High School and about 54 of them are all freshman. It is nice to see the program growing. Mrs. Miller absolutely loves being able to work with these kids. She said they are all wonderful kids that work so hard at learning new things. When she heard about the program, a little over ten years ago, she jumped at the chance to work with these kids. She is strict with the students but she does a good job with them and you can just tell that she loves her job. During the class I was able to teach the kids and Mrs. Miller something about one of their test questions because it had to do with the human brain. During my final Class period at the high school, I was given the chance to work with level four kids. These kids are at the final stage in their studies. When they pass this level, they take their test and they get to be done with the ELL program. I had usually worked with level one students so seeing level four was a huge change. Three of the kids and I went to the library and read a story about an Indian girl being captured form her home and had something very important to her taken away, her hair. It was a sad story because the girl said she felt trapped and that her freedom was gone. The worst part, was that one of the boys said, "I know exactly how she feels." It broke my heart a little but I tried not to show it. I'm sure he didn't really want to talk about it. I asked these three boys what they wanted to do when they graduated. One boy said he wanted to be a cop, one said that he wanted to be a marine, and the other didn't quite know. He wanted to be famous some how. I enjoyed hearing these things because it made me happy that they wanted to really be apart of the American community, especially the boy who wanted to be a marine. He is from a different country yet he wants to be able to fight for this country.
I believe there could be a few concepts from class that could be seen in this day. One large one I saw was acculturation. The boy who wanted to be a marine when he graduates is trying to adapt some of the American cultures. In the American cultures it is considered an honor to be apart of the military and even though he is from another country he wants to share in this honor. The kids wanting to work hard and getting so excited about being in this program could be experiencing the "Honey mood" stage of culture shock. I believe that the excitement of learning about the new country and its ways is viewed as exotic and fun. I noticed that the kids in the level four group didn't seem as excited about the learning but they didn't seem opposed to it either. I believe the higher level students have reached the acceptance and integration stage of culture shock.
I feel that in knowing how the way the students act can be related back to what we have learned in class, helps me to really understand the kids better. Being in this country has got to be scary to them at first only knowing so much of the language and being thrown into our school systems. It may seem irritating to the American kids at the school that they don't know as much but it shouldn't be. The other students should realize that these ELL students are so much stronger and braver than they might ever be. You cannot just expect people to come into our country and know everything about it and speak fluent English. These things take time and I personally am glad we have these programs to help these kids in learning our language and culture. I have learned that it is unacceptable to think that America is only for Americans. The point of America is to be the home of the free where the people who reside here can practice whatever culture or religion that they so choose. We do not need to judge others just because they are different or because they are from a different culture. We need to accept what America is suppose to stand for.
I went for my final visit at the Rock Island High School, I was there for quite awhile. I arrived at the school around noon to help the kids out with some math. A few of them and I went out into the hall and played a math game. It was so much fun watching them interact. All the boys got to excited when they got an answer right and it was wonderful to see them all trying so hard. After math I was able to help out another ELL teacher, Mrs. Miller. I was able to talk to her more about the program and how she got started in it. Mrs. Miller prepares the kids for the test they have to take in order for them to graduate the program. I found out that there is about 152 students enrolled in the ELL program at Rock Island High School and about 54 of them are all freshman. It is nice to see the program growing. Mrs. Miller absolutely loves being able to work with these kids. She said they are all wonderful kids that work so hard at learning new things. When she heard about the program, a little over ten years ago, she jumped at the chance to work with these kids. She is strict with the students but she does a good job with them and you can just tell that she loves her job. During the class I was able to teach the kids and Mrs. Miller something about one of their test questions because it had to do with the human brain. During my final Class period at the high school, I was given the chance to work with level four kids. These kids are at the final stage in their studies. When they pass this level, they take their test and they get to be done with the ELL program. I had usually worked with level one students so seeing level four was a huge change. Three of the kids and I went to the library and read a story about an Indian girl being captured form her home and had something very important to her taken away, her hair. It was a sad story because the girl said she felt trapped and that her freedom was gone. The worst part, was that one of the boys said, "I know exactly how she feels." It broke my heart a little but I tried not to show it. I'm sure he didn't really want to talk about it. I asked these three boys what they wanted to do when they graduated. One boy said he wanted to be a cop, one said that he wanted to be a marine, and the other didn't quite know. He wanted to be famous some how. I enjoyed hearing these things because it made me happy that they wanted to really be apart of the American community, especially the boy who wanted to be a marine. He is from a different country yet he wants to be able to fight for this country.
I believe there could be a few concepts from class that could be seen in this day. One large one I saw was acculturation. The boy who wanted to be a marine when he graduates is trying to adapt some of the American cultures. In the American cultures it is considered an honor to be apart of the military and even though he is from another country he wants to share in this honor. The kids wanting to work hard and getting so excited about being in this program could be experiencing the "Honey mood" stage of culture shock. I believe that the excitement of learning about the new country and its ways is viewed as exotic and fun. I noticed that the kids in the level four group didn't seem as excited about the learning but they didn't seem opposed to it either. I believe the higher level students have reached the acceptance and integration stage of culture shock.
I feel that in knowing how the way the students act can be related back to what we have learned in class, helps me to really understand the kids better. Being in this country has got to be scary to them at first only knowing so much of the language and being thrown into our school systems. It may seem irritating to the American kids at the school that they don't know as much but it shouldn't be. The other students should realize that these ELL students are so much stronger and braver than they might ever be. You cannot just expect people to come into our country and know everything about it and speak fluent English. These things take time and I personally am glad we have these programs to help these kids in learning our language and culture. I have learned that it is unacceptable to think that America is only for Americans. The point of America is to be the home of the free where the people who reside here can practice whatever culture or religion that they so choose. We do not need to judge others just because they are different or because they are from a different culture. We need to accept what America is suppose to stand for.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Blog #3: Early Morning
Today a group of us went to the Rock Island High School for an early morning study session with them. The time we spent there was not long, about 7:45 to around 8:30 ish. Like always, I helped a girl on her math homework. I had forgotten how hard some of these problems were. Since we did not have much time I did not get to really talk to her about her story. I was curious to at least know her name and where she came from. It seemed that she was more interested in getting her assignment done than anything else. Good girl, homework is always better than chatting. Sarah helped one boy with his psychology and Liz read a book to one of her students. Liz is a very nice woman and it must take so much patients to work with these kids and I admire her for that.
I feel like I want to talk to these kids because I just really want to know their background. It's not just me being curious though I actually care about what happened to these kids. I was amazed to see how happy and cheery Flora was even after admitting that she had suffered in Africa. Suffered how? I am not sure but really that is none of my business. I find it inspiring how strong these kids are, especially since they are only about 14-16 years old. Some kids just have the heart of a fighter and I honestly wish I could be like them. I want to know more of them and see how strong they really are. A lot of empathy goes out to these kids as well as respect.
Now what? Well I suppose I will continue to go and just ask questions here and there about their lives. I am certainly willing to share aspects of my life with them if they so ask. That is only fair. I am curious to know what they would think about my life. They would probably think it sounded like the easiest thing in the world. I suppose what I get out of this experience is that you should always really try to understand people before making judgments. Understanding other people from different countries and the struggles they face could really help you to become a more well rounded individual. If you cannot communicate with people outside of your own culture, there is not much you will be able to do in this world.
Today a group of us went to the Rock Island High School for an early morning study session with them. The time we spent there was not long, about 7:45 to around 8:30 ish. Like always, I helped a girl on her math homework. I had forgotten how hard some of these problems were. Since we did not have much time I did not get to really talk to her about her story. I was curious to at least know her name and where she came from. It seemed that she was more interested in getting her assignment done than anything else. Good girl, homework is always better than chatting. Sarah helped one boy with his psychology and Liz read a book to one of her students. Liz is a very nice woman and it must take so much patients to work with these kids and I admire her for that.
I feel like I want to talk to these kids because I just really want to know their background. It's not just me being curious though I actually care about what happened to these kids. I was amazed to see how happy and cheery Flora was even after admitting that she had suffered in Africa. Suffered how? I am not sure but really that is none of my business. I find it inspiring how strong these kids are, especially since they are only about 14-16 years old. Some kids just have the heart of a fighter and I honestly wish I could be like them. I want to know more of them and see how strong they really are. A lot of empathy goes out to these kids as well as respect.
Now what? Well I suppose I will continue to go and just ask questions here and there about their lives. I am certainly willing to share aspects of my life with them if they so ask. That is only fair. I am curious to know what they would think about my life. They would probably think it sounded like the easiest thing in the world. I suppose what I get out of this experience is that you should always really try to understand people before making judgments. Understanding other people from different countries and the struggles they face could really help you to become a more well rounded individual. If you cannot communicate with people outside of your own culture, there is not much you will be able to do in this world.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Blog #2: Round One!
On Friday September 20th, I went to the Rock Island High School to help tutor kids in the ELL program. ELL stands for English Language Learners. I didn't really know what to expect going into it. First off I thought I was going to work with younger kids so of course I went to the wrong school first. Then I found out I was going to be with high school kids and realized I would fit right in that environment. I had been really excited to help kids learn. If i had more patience I could see myself being a teacher because I honestly love the way kids get so excited when they learn something new and do it right.
While I was there I worked with two girls on some basic algebra. One girl named Flora was 15 and she was from Africa while the other one was 16 and she was from China. I don't remember how to pronounce her name though. We went over some things they already knew and then I was able to teach them some new things. They both caught on so quickly it was really neat to experience.
Something I found very interesting about my visit was how open Flora was about her life. She just loved talking about her mom and how she is strict. She told me her mom pushed her into doing as many sports as she could be in and the kids in her family do not get their phones until summer time. They are also not allowed to watch TV during the week, only on weekends. She quoted her mom by saying "You suffered in Africa I think you can suffer a little bit here." Now I know her mom isn't really trying to make her suffer by making her do well in her studies, I just found it interesting that she was so open with that quote. It makes me wonder what her life in Africa really was like. It also makes me want to learn more about the other girl who seemed so quiet. Does she have a difficult past too? It may not be any of my business but it sure would make them easier to understand.
I was only there for an hour but it felt like only twenty minutes. I enjoyed sitting there and talking to the kids while helping them learn. Flora wants me to come back more so she can get out of her noisy classroom more often. It was exciting to hear that she wanted me back. I would like to try to go back for even longer next time. The only problem is finding a day.
I believed what I learned from this is experience is that there are so many kids out there in the world that could really use some help. When I meet people with accents from other countries I will wonder why they came here and if it was because of struggles they faced in their homeland. I won't view these people just as immigrants, but maybe someone who needs a little help in this new country. I guess I would just be more understanding overall with them.
On Friday September 20th, I went to the Rock Island High School to help tutor kids in the ELL program. ELL stands for English Language Learners. I didn't really know what to expect going into it. First off I thought I was going to work with younger kids so of course I went to the wrong school first. Then I found out I was going to be with high school kids and realized I would fit right in that environment. I had been really excited to help kids learn. If i had more patience I could see myself being a teacher because I honestly love the way kids get so excited when they learn something new and do it right.
While I was there I worked with two girls on some basic algebra. One girl named Flora was 15 and she was from Africa while the other one was 16 and she was from China. I don't remember how to pronounce her name though. We went over some things they already knew and then I was able to teach them some new things. They both caught on so quickly it was really neat to experience.
Something I found very interesting about my visit was how open Flora was about her life. She just loved talking about her mom and how she is strict. She told me her mom pushed her into doing as many sports as she could be in and the kids in her family do not get their phones until summer time. They are also not allowed to watch TV during the week, only on weekends. She quoted her mom by saying "You suffered in Africa I think you can suffer a little bit here." Now I know her mom isn't really trying to make her suffer by making her do well in her studies, I just found it interesting that she was so open with that quote. It makes me wonder what her life in Africa really was like. It also makes me want to learn more about the other girl who seemed so quiet. Does she have a difficult past too? It may not be any of my business but it sure would make them easier to understand.
I was only there for an hour but it felt like only twenty minutes. I enjoyed sitting there and talking to the kids while helping them learn. Flora wants me to come back more so she can get out of her noisy classroom more often. It was exciting to hear that she wanted me back. I would like to try to go back for even longer next time. The only problem is finding a day.
I believed what I learned from this is experience is that there are so many kids out there in the world that could really use some help. When I meet people with accents from other countries I will wonder why they came here and if it was because of struggles they faced in their homeland. I won't view these people just as immigrants, but maybe someone who needs a little help in this new country. I guess I would just be more understanding overall with them.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Blog #1: What is the ELL?
The ELL program is a program for kids that come here from other countries. ELL stands for the English Language Learners. These kids have come from their old country and are now going to school in Rock Island, Illinois learning the basics in mathematics, the English language, and so on. My hopes for this service would be to help they understand their school work better. I would really like to help the kids out with math because I always like the simpler algebra problems. It will be interesting to see what I still know.
One of my assumptions was that they knew some English but not very much. I figure they would at least have an accent. I am also assuming that they are going to be a little farther behind than most kids their age but that isn't a huge problem. I already knew about what the ELL does for these kids and I think that it is wonderful. I believe that these kids are getting a fresh start here and I am very excited to meet them and be able to help out this organization.
Personally I do not know much about the population they serve. Honestly, I am a little confused on what that means. I believe the question is asking, "What different kinds of cultures of kids are in the ELL program?" If this is the case, I still do not know. I am assuming that they help kids from all over the word. I would think that the kids from Africa make up a good amount of kids in the program.
At the moment I do not have any connections to them but I am definitely interested in helping these kids. My only concern is being back in school again...Yikes! However, I really want to be able to make some sort of impact on these kids and so for that reason I am excited to start.
The ELL program is a program for kids that come here from other countries. ELL stands for the English Language Learners. These kids have come from their old country and are now going to school in Rock Island, Illinois learning the basics in mathematics, the English language, and so on. My hopes for this service would be to help they understand their school work better. I would really like to help the kids out with math because I always like the simpler algebra problems. It will be interesting to see what I still know.
One of my assumptions was that they knew some English but not very much. I figure they would at least have an accent. I am also assuming that they are going to be a little farther behind than most kids their age but that isn't a huge problem. I already knew about what the ELL does for these kids and I think that it is wonderful. I believe that these kids are getting a fresh start here and I am very excited to meet them and be able to help out this organization.
Personally I do not know much about the population they serve. Honestly, I am a little confused on what that means. I believe the question is asking, "What different kinds of cultures of kids are in the ELL program?" If this is the case, I still do not know. I am assuming that they help kids from all over the word. I would think that the kids from Africa make up a good amount of kids in the program.
At the moment I do not have any connections to them but I am definitely interested in helping these kids. My only concern is being back in school again...Yikes! However, I really want to be able to make some sort of impact on these kids and so for that reason I am excited to start.
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