4 Inspirational Leaders- Diving into our Essential Questions

We spent an incredible morning with a group of Colombian educators who helped us explore our essential questions. It was very interesting to hear my team member´s questions and to learn from the panel. The panel consisted of Kevin Jesus Sierra Carmona (English teacher  at an urban school), Elizabeth Blanco (school teacher) Deissy Velandia, (Colombia Ministry of Education), and Adriana Giraldo (Colombia Fulbright Commission). Some of our teachers asked about special education in Colombia, using technology with students, parent involvement, why they work in education, and about government support for the English programs. The varied and often complicated answers made me realize how similar our countries are. Here in Colombia and in the U.S. we all want the best for our students and are working hard given the resources provided to help our students be successful.  Here are 5 interesting things I learned today:

1.)    There are more than 65 languages across Colombia. While the government has a goal for increasing the English proficiency of students beyond a level A1 or A2, steps are being taken to preserve native languages as well. Teachers realize that English is the third language for some of their students after their native language and then Spanish.

2.)    Schools have the autonomy to decide how to teach the standards and there is not a national curriculum. There are, however, resources provided for the teachers to help with instruction.

3.)    A law was created three years ago that puts students with special needs in the mainstream classroom. The Colombian teachers we spoke with would like more training on how to best serve students with special needs.

4.) Teachers are teachers wherever you go- Elizabeth made a point to talk about the questions she asks herself before she plans her lessons: What do my students need to learn? How can I teach my students what they need to learn? How can I make my students better? How can I make my teaching better? This set of questions made me recall the entire National Board Teacher Certification process. This are just good questions.

5.) Colombian schools are trying their best to work with the new students moving to Colombia from Venezuela. Some of the concerns that the teachers have for the students is that some have experienced trauma and have missed years of school. They are doing their best to help the students catch up academically and some schools have counseling resources to help with the students´emotional needs.

2 Public School Visits- Kids are kids wherever you go!

It’s DAY 2! :)

Today was a busy day with two school visits and a delicious lunch. Here was our schedule:

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM Public School Visit: Confederacion 

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Group Lunch at Restaurant Casa Vieja

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Public School Visit: I.E. Distrital Usaquen

Hope. Passion. Excitement. The students of Confederation and IE Distrital Usaquen schools were phenomenal today. Like students at home, the Colombian students were excited to have visitors in their classrooms. It was fun to see how eager they were to practice their English with me. It’s encouraging that no matter where you are on the globe, kids are kids. They play. They avoid homework. They talk in class. They learn. They love their teachers.

Students suited up for a PE class.

Students prepared delicious treats for us in their culinary classes and served them with a local tinto (coffee). 

They explained in a mixture of English and Spanish how they created each dish, including crushing oreos to put on the top of the cheesecake! Yum!

Students enjoying some free time between classes. Pick-up soccer games were a big hit!

We spent the morning observing a mixed-age class for struggling readers.  The class was working on identifying words with certain letter combinations. They had detailed notebooks with lots of colorful notes.

Students in a business administration class were working on presentations.

15 Full Teachers- A Focus on our UNITEC Gastronomic Visit

Another busy day! Here was schedule for today, Day 1:

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Training Session: The Colombian Education System

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Visit to UNITEC 

2:15 PM – 3:30 PM Visit to Fulbright Commission 

7:15 PM – 8:45 PM Welcome Group Dinner at El Armadillo

Wow! While today was full of amazing experiences of learning and cultural exchange, I want to focus today’s blog on the phenomenal lunch we were provided by UNITEC and more importantly, on the amazing gastronomic professor that we met, Nicolas Prieto. The way this teacher talked about his approach to teaching cooking to his students was inspirational and so very moving. He focused on what food means to Colombians, including the importance of where their food comes from. He talked thoroughly about each ingredient of the meal his students prepared for us, and brought examples for us to taste touch and smell. His talk with us, while very informal, was well thought out and incredibly sincere. He passionately explained the process of cooking our traditional Colombian lunch called ajiaco. Here in Bogotá it is usually prepared with chicken, corn, potatoes, cream, and guasca. Guasca is a weed that when cooled adds a unique flavor to the dish. Nicolas showed us a guasca plant before cooking. The smell reminded me a little bit of the dandelion that we have growing all over Alabama. As he passed out a guasca sample to each teacher, I was reminded how important hands-on connections and experiential learning really helps cement new understanding, especially across cultures. Nicolas said, “I show this to you because this is how I make bonds with you.” You could tell that Nicholas was passionate about making sure our group understood the basis of each ingredient that went into our lunch and really connected to each part. A true culinary, and teaching expert.

  

He also let us taste banana passion fruit which had firm, crunchy seeds in a juicy center. At first, we were timid about breaking into the fruit, but then Nicolas said, “Do it. Open it. It’s a part of the journey.” To me that resonated in such a special way, as it seemed to be a mantra I could apply to this entire Fulbright experience.

Nicholas also talked About his vision for Columbia’s future and for his gastronomic students. He said, “Several decades ago we tried to hide [that] we are not proud of our country and of ourselves but now it’s changing. We show that [pride] with our food... One of the things about Colombian cuisine is that we haven’t lost our connection with our roots. It is our food. It is our culture...I want to see a generation that is proud of their country, proud of their food. I want my students to fall in love with the kitchen and with cooking. That makes bonds with people.”

"Good food and good eating are about risk"- Anthony Bourdain 

1 Last Sweet Tea & 1 FULL suitcase- My Travel Day to Bogota

Travel Day:

My bag was 51 pounds. 51! That’s insane! By far the heaviest bag I ever traveled with! What was in there!?! Well, a bunch of clothes since I am traveling to two different climate zones. The average temperatures in Bogotá are between 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit and Bucaramanga’s temps are about 70-80 degrees.  So, I packed all. the. things. (I’ll post more about what I wore when I get back.  Future Fulbright fellows may want details; the rest of you dear readers could probably care less as long as I was clothed.) Those who have traveled with me know I usually pack very light (like “just a backpack” light) but that is not the case on this trip! Future Fulbrighters, just give up the idea of light packing- sorry Rick Steves!

I also packed gifts for my host teacher and for the students with whom I will be working. After the 4th of July holiday I found lots of patriotic pens, buttons, and bracelets on sale. I have every sticker pack that the Dollar General sells too. I also have exactly $3.00 worth of pennies.  The lovely lady at the bank yesterday thought I needed 30,000 pennies. That would have been very heavy. Thankfully we cleared everything up before she had to go in the vault, or wherever 30,000 pennies would be stored. Lastly, I have 3 pounds of dum dum suckers. I do not plan on explaining the meaning of dum dum to my new students. Why are they named that anyway?!? I should have bought 3 pounds of Smarties. (insert smacking head emoji) Hopefully these goodies will be enough!

I’ve also packed some teaching supplies including Mr. Sketch markers because my students said I HAD to bring them. If they exploded in my bag, I’d be okay with that. My bad would smell like 18 different fruits and assorted slushie flavors. I have cute motivational posters in English too- very girly since the school where I will work is an all girls school. Let’s hope those don’t get crushed in transit; update to follow. I brought supplies to teach a lesson about controlled experiments using parachute supplies from my EiE kit A Long Way Down.  I love that the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative provides those kits for all AMSTI schools the state. (Thanks, politicians who vote for AMSTI funding!) The parachutes lessons are always my students favorites and I thought that the Colombian students would like them as well.  I have observation and co-teaching time scheduled with math and science classes in my host school and hope to be able to work in some STEM activities. Y’all know I like me some STEM! 

I also have BOOKS! Because traveling with hardcover books is a great way to lighten the load, right!?! I Ha ha ha. (Or as I say in Spanish Mode- ja ja ja). I am bringing my FAVORITE read alouds for math and science- Ada Twist, Scientist and Iggy Peck, Architect. I also have a few books with retellings of Native American legends. (Shout out to the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama!) I have a few more but honestly, as I sit in this plane, I cannot for the life of me remember what they are. Ja ja ja.

And that, my friends, is what my 51 pounds are made of.

10 Weeks- Navigating Through the OBA Course

Traveling Back in Time to September 24 - December 7, 2018- One of the first things I had to do after accepting the TGC Fellowship was upload all kinds of documents to TGC/IREX including acceptance letter, press release, media release, terms and conditions, and a medical release form (after a visit to my doctor). After that, I received information about our online course using a platform called OBA. When our coursework started, I knew I made the right choice in waiting until I was finished with my National Board Certification. I wasn't scheduled to get my certification results until December 31 and the course was a perfect distraction while I waited. While ever single activity, reading assignment, and project was truly worthwhile, it was a LOT of work.  There would be some weeks where I would get ahead and some weeks were I would fall behind. My course instructor, Honor Moorman, was phenomenal and always offered timely and meaningful feed back on my assignments.  There were required readings each week and then related discussion boards and tasks. OBA was a little tricky to navigate at times, but by about Week 3 I could pretty much find everything I needed. One of the most exciting parts of the course for me was the ability to interact with educators from all around the U.S. who were all passionate about globalizing their classrooms.

Here is an example of the objectives for the week:

Here are our first few assignments: (As a person who is COMPLETELY a Type A personality, I took insane joy in being able to check off those little boxes when tasks were complete. I heard that some of the other instructor did not offer the "check-off" boxes to their students, and I was deeply saddened for them. I think there is something wrong with me...lol!)
The largest assignment was our Unit Plan. You can check out my Unit Plan HERE. Even though I "finished" it and turned it in, it is still a huge work in progress. Basically, my students to concepts from math and science class to design an energy efficient, accessible school that welcomed everyone. The project consisted to two main parts, the artwork and the essay. Here are some of finished art products:

2 Applications- My Journey to Teachers for Global Classrooms

Traveling Back in Time to July 20, 2018- Look at that lady.  She sure looks like she's really happy about something, doesn't she? This is the picture that my amazing friend and our school's computer teacher took for me after I found out I was accepted into the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC) program for the 2018-2019 school year. I was beyond excited to be accepted into the program and so happy to get to actually say "YES!" this year.  Let me explain. I had applied the year before, when the program was not yet affiliated with Fulbright but still just as snazzy. I was accepted and I was thrilled then too....and then my husband got deployment orders. I was also in the middle of the National Board Certification. We have three kids and I just knew I would not be able to devote the time to the TCG program that I knew it deserved AND keep my family going AND teach full time AND become a NBCT. Also, I was a little nervous for my babies to have both parents out of the country at the same time. I declined the fellowship with full intentions to apply again when the timing was better, which turned out to be the following year. I am so glad that I did!  I was accepted again (THANK YOU, Fulbright!!!) and worked with an AMAZING cohort of dedicated educators.

So, what even is TGC? What exactly does this all mean? Here is the official description:
"The Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program (Fulbright TGC) is a year-long professional development opportunity for elementary, middle, and high school teachers to develop skills for preparing students for a competitive global economy. Fulbright TGC equips teachers to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration. Fulbright TGC is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX."

-Be a U.S. citizen, and reside in a U.S. state, territory or campus associated with Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)

-Have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education and experience

-Demonstrate a commitment to continue teaching or working in their field after completion of the program

Here is the link to Frequently Asked Questions about the program.

Basically, I participated in an online, graduate-level course about global education and bringing global perspectives into my classroom. Then I traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with other Fulbright Fellows and to attend a Global Education Symposium. At the symposium, showcased our Unit Plan projects, "talked shop" about global competency, met with our International Field Experience groups, and much more!

Are you a teacher interested in this program?  Here are the requirements:

-Hold a full-time K–12 teaching position in the U.S., a U.S. territory or school associated with Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), including classroom teachers, guidance counselors, curriculum coordinators, special education coordinators, media specialists, librarians, and gifted and talented coordinators and others who spend at least half of their time interacting with students

-Have five years of full-time K-12 teaching experience in the U.S., a U.S. territory or school associated with Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)

5 Vaccinations- Prepping for the International Field Experience

Who's Got Two Thumbs and Not Getting Sick? This Girl!

Time Travel Back to Monday, June 3rd- As a part of our Colombia Pre-Departure Orientation webinar, we learned the basics of the Colombian education system, received advice from a TGC fellow from last year's cohort, talked about vaccinations, and looked at sample itineraries. We also talked about how we would be paying for different things.  We learned that most of our experience in Bogota would be arranged and payed for through our TGC/IREX liaison. They would take care of our entire itinerary including all transportation, hotel arrangements, school visits, visit to the US Embassy, and cultural excursions. Later in our host cities, our host teacher would help us develop our itineraries, travel, and hotel which we would cover with a Fellowship Award.  TGC/IREX created the Fellowship Award based on local hotel, transportation, and meal costs.

Wednesday, June 12- I found out that my host teacher is Sandra Moreno, who is an English teacher at Aspaen Gimnasio Cantillana in Piedecuesta, Colombia! I was beyond excited and started to google ALL THE THINGS!  The weather, the school, hotel options, city history! Everything! I also started to realize that, according to the Centers for Disease Control, I really needed to step up my vaccination game. Besides my yearly flu shots (which I sometimes didn't even get), I really wasn't sure where I stood with my vaccinations.  I moved around a lot growing up, so tracking down my "blue card" didn't happen.  I did contact several health departments where my records COULD have been, but I either didn't get through, or they couldn't help me without seeing me in person.  Needless to say, I wasn't about to traipse across the US tracking down records. The most helpful place was actually my OBGYN office.  When you have babies, apparently they test you for all kinds of things to make sure you are good to go for delivery.  Anyway, armed with the knowledge of my immunities and the CDC recommendations, I decided on the following vaccinations/medications: yellow fever, Hep A booster (I'd already had Hep A and B shots), malaria pills, typhoid, and tetanus. 

Friday, June 14- Because there is no Passport Health office or travel clinic in my area with access to yellow fever shots, I had to see my regular doctor for prescriptions for malaria and typhoid pills. She didn't offer the typhoid shot, just the pills which I took every other day until I finished all 4 pills. I have to start taking the malaria pills one week before I leave. My insurance covered my malaria pills but not typhoid ($85).

Thursday, June 20- I drive ALL THE WAY TO MEMPHIS (about 4 hours from my house) to get my yellow fever shot ($235). My insurance didn't cover it...bummer. However, it lasts basically forever and is an easy shot of "young people" (am I still young?!?!).  Also, you can't get into National Parks in Colombia without the shot. I now have a fancy yellow card to prove that I'm not scared of mosquito bites! Also, I need to give a huge shout out to my amazing brother who watched my kids while I did all this.  He lives about 1/2 way between my house and Memphis, and happily added my crew to his crew for the day. Uncle Chris for the win! :)

Tara, another member of my Colombia cohort, lives in Memphis. She happened to also get her yellow fever shot the same day!  We met at Starbucks to say "Hi!" and compare our "battle scars." We also talked about how we were preparing for the our field experiences. We both decided that Bogota looks COLD and we might travel around with our huge winter coats.  In Alabama and Tennessee, it's normal for us to experience really, really warm summers. 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit isn't abnormal. Because of it's higher altitude, Bogota is usually between 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit. I normally like to pack super light when I travel, but it doesn't look like that will happen this time around!  Winter wear- here we come! Tara's school happened to be around the corner from the Starbucks so I got a cool, quick tour. She teaches at an all girls private school, which was very interesting to see. It was so different than where I teach. She is the lower school librarian and I loved seeing her library.  So cozy and colorful!  I should have snapped a picture.

Tara and I showing off our band-aides at Starbucks!