---El ultimo dia---

This morning we board a plane to return to our lives in PA. Hopefully, the things we have learned about the culture, history, and people of Puerto Rico will continue to have an impact on us, our classrooms, and the students that we teach. After spending time here, I will look at my students from PR through a new lense, one with a little bit of understanding.

Viernes: El Moro y Old San Juan de nuevo...

Today we went back to Old San Juan to get a closer look at some historical sites, including El Moro.

The first picture that looks like a giant pool table is actually a bed---for about 20 Spaniards!! The mini-pool table is the captain's bed. It's a good thing they were not even five feet tall!

After studying more of the history all week, I took a closer look at the walled city and how it was a fortress.  Because Puerto Rico is an island, there are not many opportunities for invaders to sneak up on it.  This city is designed as a fortress against invaders, and this piece of history has been preserved in Old San Juan.

The third picture is of El Moro and also a picture of the entrance to the city from the Caribbean. El Moro means "the mound" and the fortress was built there because it was a useful spot for guarding San Juan.  In the U.S. mainland, we focus on our nation's flag.  In PR, it is an amazing site to see the Puerto Rican flag flying together with the flag of the United States.

Jueves: Visitamos una escuela y La Perla

Today we visited a school for students in pre-kinder to 6th grade. We showed them our blogs and discussed possibilities for extending this experience further, both in PR and in the US. The teachers were very welcoming and open to discussing different issues that we see on a daily basis, as well as what we have been seeing in PR. This discussion was one of the most valuable, as I was free to discuss the opportunities my school offers to Hispanic students, as well as ways I can encourage the students to take advantage of those opportunities. In my mind, this is what collaboration looks like, both sides discussing ways to make a positive impact.

We also went on a walk through La Perla, one of the lower socio-economic areas in Old San Juan.It was interesting to hear the man, who is a representative of La Perla, speak about the history and hope he has for the area. They are in the process of receiving government help and tutoring for the students so that they will have more educational opportunities to succeed. The other photo is the man discussing the location and history of this area. We also saw a clinic and Head Start, which seemed very similar to what you would find in the US.

In the afternoon a professor spoke about the history of the education system from the time it became a territory of the US until the present. I appreciated her point of view because she was actually born in the US, though she is Puerto Rican and has been teaching in PR at the university level for 23 years. It was interesting to hear her talk about this topic because she sees more than one angle. It seems that every few years, and sometimes in between, there is a change in the emphasis of education: Spanish only, English only, or both.

Currently, English is taught from 1st grade until 12th grade as a content area. As an ESL teacher, I can see why some students who come from PR require ESL and others may not. Their educational background and what their parents speak in the home are two factors that determines the child's dominant language.

Nuevos Amigos....

Last evening (Tuesday) we went to a tienda down the street and then stopped at another one on the corner. The first was like a grocery store, and had a Dominican Restaurant outside. The woman was very hospitable. I finally felt like I was getting to understand the real PR a little better (I realize it is ironic that she is from the DR, yet I felt like I was getting to know PR). The second tienda was much smaller, and the owners were appreciative of our company, as we sat and talked with them a while. The one man lived in the US for over 15 years, and told us a bit of his own story of life in the US and subsequently returning to PR. Again, it was great getting to know more about the people here, and what their stories are.

Donde estamos exactamente????

At times it seems that we are in many places at once in PR.  Though Spanish is the official language, other times it feels that we have not left the US at all.  These pictures help to give a feeling of the many similarities between the US and PR.  Though some may feel the disparities between the US and PR are very great, I feel the opposite.  Using the same currency and the fact that so many business owners speak English are only 2 reasons that I feel that PR is much more like the US than Central America.

Miercoles: a bailar! y ver artes

In the afternoon we went to MAPR (museo artes de PR).  In this museum I saw art from the 17th century to the present day, along with modern art and a sculpture garden.  They even had even a hands-on section for children.  Museums like this in the U.S. are definitely not kid-friendly.

Also, here is a picture of myself in front of the museum.

Here is a picture of the pond that was in the sculpture garden, the fish are extraordinary!!  I really enjoyed how the museum combined outside exhibits, such as this one, with modern and older exhibits.

Also, today we learned some basic steps from Salsa, as well as the origins.  I kept hearing them say that you should "feel" the beat in the music.  If you don't "feel" the beat like you are supposed to, don't worry, I don't either :)

"La Bomba" is one style of salsa music that we heard and danced to.  It originated in the 1950s.  

I didn't realize that Salsa is distinctly from the DR, PR and Cuba, I thought that it was Spanish, and that it belonged to all of Central/South America.  Now, I see why it can only have originated from the Greater Antilles, because the roots are African, French, Spanish, and Taino, and this combination only exists here.  New York is also a very important place to mention in the development of Salsa because so many Puerto Ricans have immigrated there since 1917.

Martes: El Yunque y El Loquillo

Today we visited El Yunque, one of the rainforests of PR. It was very beautiful, hot, and humid. I didn't see any animals running around, as I thought I would. However, Ignacio said that there are many long and skinny snakes in the rainforest, though they are not poisonous.

We visited Yokahu Tower, from which you can see miles of rainforest.

Also, we went to El Loquillo, a beach that was close to the rainforest. There were not many people at the beach. Ignacio mentioned that he does not go to the beach much, as there is not a lot of time for things like that. I imagine living so close to it must take some of the marvel away....

EL COQUI
The coqui is a frog that makes a distinct sound. You can almost never find them, because they are so small. It is hard to believe they make such a loud noise!!  We heard many coqui noises in the rainforest.

***Quisiera tomar un cafecito?***

This question seems innocent enough at first glance, but I have learned from one of the professors, Ignacio, that anything and everything that is important is discussed over a cup of coffee.  The people of Puerto Rico are very proud of their coffee, as it represents one of the many marks they have made in the world...

Lunes: Old San Juan

This trip has given the group a chance to collaborate with other educators in our county, but in different districts.  Also, we are able to look at different topics from the point view of many different levels of education: elementary teachers, middle school teachers, high school teachers, Spanish teachers, ELL teachers, and even college professors.  I feel that this opportunity made this experience even more well-rounded.  Here is a photo of myself, another ELL teacher, and a Spanish teacher who shared a lot of good dialogue throughout the trip.

Monday was the first day of classes.  After class we went on a tour of Old San Juan.  I noticed that the flags of PR and the US hang together.  It reminds me of the ambiguity of that we learned about in class, and how the people are both US citizens but also very distinctly Puerto Ricans...

Domingo: Por Fin!! Llegamos....

We arrived in Puerto Rico on Sunday night, after delays in BWI and Philly.  One thing I noticed after the plane rides and being here a few minutes is the amount of pride they have for where they live.  So many people were wearing PR shirts and hats.  I can say that I don't believe I own anything with the American flag on it...

This map shows where we will be for the week, in relationship to the Caribbean Sea.  You can see how close we are to the Dominican Republic and Cuba.  I wonder what influence those islands have on Puerto Rico.