Thursday, August 6, 2009

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.

1 comment:

  1. It was an eye-opener to realize the difficulties encountered by these students, and the variation in the dominant language that may be spoken in the home.

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