Today, two Metro trains collided on the same track, instantly killing two people and severely injuring a handful of others. While it doesn't happen often (three times in 15 years), the reality of such an occurance weighs on my mind; as I commute home tonight on a different line, I wonder how many others are feeling tonight's events.
Today, I received a sunburned neck playing golf (fighting hard to play it well, mind you). While I failed, again, in my attempt to score under 100, I did hit the ball extremely well on the back 9 (58 on the front, 42 on the back). The difference can be attributed to slowing myself down and really concentrating on working through the mechanics of my swing. I tried to focus on one shot at a time, and when I drifted away from worrying about my scorecard, I was able to strike the ball well. I loved being outdoors, I loved the group of guys I played with, and it was a great way to spend my real first day of summer vacation.
Today, I had the priviledge of answering the question, "How was your Father's Day?" What a joy it was to celebrate my son's life yesterday, and to spend the day with family and friends was a true blessing. Commercialized or not, yesterday allowed me to reflect on the fascinating opportunity and remarkable responsibility I have as a role model on one of the most important creations alive today. In answering how my day was, I can't describe how I feel when I look into my son's eyes; the emotions, desires are innumerable and too costly to put into words. I am overwhelmed and in love.
Today, I was reminded that learning needs to be taught, not tested. Am I teaching my students about information, or am I teaching them how to access, process, and communicate information? I suspect that wrestling with this question and becoming an effective educator go hand-in-hand.
Today.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Phew...finally the weekend!
It's 6:41pm, and after a day of school work, cleaning the house, and playing w/ the boy, I sit typing away with a cold beverage just inches from my fingertips. It's the deep sigh and the long look around at the things i've accomplished that I enjoy.
http://peacecorpsreject.glogster.com/HACC/
http://peacecorpsreject.glogster.com/HACC/
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Long Days, Long Nights
Another long night of writing and thinking past 11 o'clock. Tonight's topic: a personally philosophy on ethnological research and whether bias can be controlled in the gathering process. Who thinks/talks about this stuff?
Me, dangit.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Reflection Paper: NVCC
Again I ask, “What more can this place provide, and why aren’t more people taking advantage of it?” Tonight’s presentation at the Alexandria NOVA campus on financial aid, accommodating students with disabilities, the “Pathway to the Baccalaureate” program, and the international student program served as a great informational session on some of the key issues and aspects I’ve been interested in analyzing within the community college institution, and generated a number of reactionary thoughts that struck a deep, personal chord. All of the speakers were incredibly insightful and highly fluent on the statistical and biographical data associated with their respective departments. Their presentations, coupled with a solid collection of focused questions and answers, provided me with a great learning experience.
Financial aid has always seemed to me to be a big, three-headed monster, and as our class reading pointed out, I’m not the only one who shares this perspective. My personal memories of FAFSFA and other college loan documents are framed around my mother threatening to punish me if I didn’t sacrifice an evening or two to sit down in our kitchen and fill out the never ending forms and registration applications. Looking back, I’m not sure what was more miserable; the lack of aid I received, or the amount of ink I wasted in scribbling out information that seemed unnecessary. I was completely foreign to the options and process in applying for tuition assistance for my undergraduate degree. My parents had never attended college, my friends who were enrolled had their parents complete the information for them, and my guidance counselor was more concerned with how I was fielding second base than where (or how) I was going to college (he wasn’t much of an assistant baseball coach, either). With the lack of counseling in community colleges, let alone high schools, it’s no wonder why the topic of financial aid was so intimidating.
Tonight’s presentation, along with our reading, opened my eyes to the seemingly vast opportunity students have to capitalize on tuition assistance. NOVA seems to provide prospective students with the necessary tools and instruction on how to acquire financial help, and I’m really realizing that the community college student is the one who would benefit most from this opportunity. I was inspired to think of the relief college money would be to the single parent student, or the first generational student holding down 35-hours a week at a local restaurant, or the average academic who switches three buses and walks 15 blocks each day of class. Financial aid provides a great blessing to thousands of people in this area, and I applaud the work Joan and her staff contributes to those causes every day.
I was also particular interesting in hearing the real struggles of the F-1 international students who attend NOVA, and the daily obstacles they have to hurdle. It struck me that so many people fight through adverse conditions and circumstances all for the opportunity to advance and participate in society. What thoughts these students must have as they fly across the Atlantic to have a chance to learn and engage in American society! Of all of the challenges the speaker presented to our class (differing educational systems and expectations, additional testing, high tuition costs, ect.), I considered the isolation an F-1 student probably feels in arriving to a foreign place with a clouded expectation of how life will be led. What real difficulties they must have in connecting with people, finding a community to live and play in, and contributing in a way that does provide traditional citizens of America a sense of fulfillment of a life well-lived. And yet, I bet a majority of them leave feeling grateful for the chance to learn (and, as listed in tonight’s discussion, contribute $15 billion to the U.S. economy annually). I hope NOVA continues to invest into this program, and that the participants find relative ease in their transition.
I think my highlight of the evening, however, came in our middle presentation in regards to how NOVA serves and accommodates students with disabilities. While we haven’t discussed this particular genre of the academic crowd in class, I have been curious as to what role the community college plays in offering higher education to that particular minority group. I was astounded, and extremely encouraged, to learn that nearly 65 percent of NOVA’s enrollment is composed of students with learning disabilities. That’s incredible.
I’ve spent the betterment of the last two years teaching ninth and tenth grade students with learning disabilities while, deep down, questioning what kind of opportunities lay ahead for them in the upcoming years. Ignorant to what consists of a learning disability and how it truly affects a student function in, and out, of the classroom, it has taken me months of observation and experience to even begin to understand how hard these young adults fight to stay above water. As I teach basic sentence and paragraph structure to ninth graders every autumn, the skill set they leave high school with is limited compared to their colleagues from the public school system. And yet, because of places like NOVA, they have a chance.
Of all that NOVA has to offer students with learning disabilities, I was relieved to hear that their standards remain high and competitive. Asking the question, “What is essential to being a college student?” demands serious consideration from L.D. students and their families as they pursue higher education. While the hand-holding does permeate through middle and high school, it was refreshing to hear how NOVA serves (and empowers) the student by disconnecting them from a sometimes overambitious and accommodating family. One of the areas my school prides itself in is its college preparatory system, and over the last several years, we’ve sent students to a number of two, and four-year colleges and universities. Organizational methods, assisted use of technology, and active reading and writing strategies are all accommodations and mastered skills that would accompany a majority of our students to higher educational opportunities.
Still, the question remains: how many of our students really know about, and honestly consider, the benefits of Northern Virginia Community College?
Financial aid has always seemed to me to be a big, three-headed monster, and as our class reading pointed out, I’m not the only one who shares this perspective. My personal memories of FAFSFA and other college loan documents are framed around my mother threatening to punish me if I didn’t sacrifice an evening or two to sit down in our kitchen and fill out the never ending forms and registration applications. Looking back, I’m not sure what was more miserable; the lack of aid I received, or the amount of ink I wasted in scribbling out information that seemed unnecessary. I was completely foreign to the options and process in applying for tuition assistance for my undergraduate degree. My parents had never attended college, my friends who were enrolled had their parents complete the information for them, and my guidance counselor was more concerned with how I was fielding second base than where (or how) I was going to college (he wasn’t much of an assistant baseball coach, either). With the lack of counseling in community colleges, let alone high schools, it’s no wonder why the topic of financial aid was so intimidating.
Tonight’s presentation, along with our reading, opened my eyes to the seemingly vast opportunity students have to capitalize on tuition assistance. NOVA seems to provide prospective students with the necessary tools and instruction on how to acquire financial help, and I’m really realizing that the community college student is the one who would benefit most from this opportunity. I was inspired to think of the relief college money would be to the single parent student, or the first generational student holding down 35-hours a week at a local restaurant, or the average academic who switches three buses and walks 15 blocks each day of class. Financial aid provides a great blessing to thousands of people in this area, and I applaud the work Joan and her staff contributes to those causes every day.
I was also particular interesting in hearing the real struggles of the F-1 international students who attend NOVA, and the daily obstacles they have to hurdle. It struck me that so many people fight through adverse conditions and circumstances all for the opportunity to advance and participate in society. What thoughts these students must have as they fly across the Atlantic to have a chance to learn and engage in American society! Of all of the challenges the speaker presented to our class (differing educational systems and expectations, additional testing, high tuition costs, ect.), I considered the isolation an F-1 student probably feels in arriving to a foreign place with a clouded expectation of how life will be led. What real difficulties they must have in connecting with people, finding a community to live and play in, and contributing in a way that does provide traditional citizens of America a sense of fulfillment of a life well-lived. And yet, I bet a majority of them leave feeling grateful for the chance to learn (and, as listed in tonight’s discussion, contribute $15 billion to the U.S. economy annually). I hope NOVA continues to invest into this program, and that the participants find relative ease in their transition.
I think my highlight of the evening, however, came in our middle presentation in regards to how NOVA serves and accommodates students with disabilities. While we haven’t discussed this particular genre of the academic crowd in class, I have been curious as to what role the community college plays in offering higher education to that particular minority group. I was astounded, and extremely encouraged, to learn that nearly 65 percent of NOVA’s enrollment is composed of students with learning disabilities. That’s incredible.
I’ve spent the betterment of the last two years teaching ninth and tenth grade students with learning disabilities while, deep down, questioning what kind of opportunities lay ahead for them in the upcoming years. Ignorant to what consists of a learning disability and how it truly affects a student function in, and out, of the classroom, it has taken me months of observation and experience to even begin to understand how hard these young adults fight to stay above water. As I teach basic sentence and paragraph structure to ninth graders every autumn, the skill set they leave high school with is limited compared to their colleagues from the public school system. And yet, because of places like NOVA, they have a chance.
Of all that NOVA has to offer students with learning disabilities, I was relieved to hear that their standards remain high and competitive. Asking the question, “What is essential to being a college student?” demands serious consideration from L.D. students and their families as they pursue higher education. While the hand-holding does permeate through middle and high school, it was refreshing to hear how NOVA serves (and empowers) the student by disconnecting them from a sometimes overambitious and accommodating family. One of the areas my school prides itself in is its college preparatory system, and over the last several years, we’ve sent students to a number of two, and four-year colleges and universities. Organizational methods, assisted use of technology, and active reading and writing strategies are all accommodations and mastered skills that would accompany a majority of our students to higher educational opportunities.
Still, the question remains: how many of our students really know about, and honestly consider, the benefits of Northern Virginia Community College?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
And...Action!
Finally a day to rest. It's been a busy week, extraordinary as of late, and the days ahead will require quite a bit as well. If it's not school, it's school. Weekly chores, and well-intentioned obligations. Family, and friends. Unique opportunities, and customary traditions. Life is busy, and in typing those words out, I wonder whether or not it's a Northern Virginia thing, a "this time in life" thing, or a human thing.
Jesus spent his life with people, and even when he was trying to get away for some rest, people still found him. He talked in public squares, in gardens, in boats, and in homes. He ate, he drank, and he fed others. He joined in celebrating marriage, he wept at the loss of a good friend, he pleaded with city officials, and he taught a bunch of rag-tag teenagers and twenty-somethings the necessary skills and lessons for survival. Jesus led an active life, and perhaps in doing so, another example to follow.
I confess that I do a ton of things without really thinking before acting, and yet, how powerful if I really did. How many opportunities could I have made sweeter or more productive? How many times would embarrassment or pain have been avoided, or joy been multiplied if I had put forth even the slightest of mental effort. I am blessed with an active life, and I'm grateful for the friends and opportunities that await me. I believe it's a God-given blessing, as well as a product of my white American heritage. But tonight I realize that I need to do more to better engage (and survive) the busyness of life, and, like all things life related, it starts with having the mindset of Christ.
Jesus spent his life with people, and even when he was trying to get away for some rest, people still found him. He talked in public squares, in gardens, in boats, and in homes. He ate, he drank, and he fed others. He joined in celebrating marriage, he wept at the loss of a good friend, he pleaded with city officials, and he taught a bunch of rag-tag teenagers and twenty-somethings the necessary skills and lessons for survival. Jesus led an active life, and perhaps in doing so, another example to follow.
I confess that I do a ton of things without really thinking before acting, and yet, how powerful if I really did. How many opportunities could I have made sweeter or more productive? How many times would embarrassment or pain have been avoided, or joy been multiplied if I had put forth even the slightest of mental effort. I am blessed with an active life, and I'm grateful for the friends and opportunities that await me. I believe it's a God-given blessing, as well as a product of my white American heritage. But tonight I realize that I need to do more to better engage (and survive) the busyness of life, and, like all things life related, it starts with having the mindset of Christ.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Updates: Joys and Frustrations
While i've been behind on the daily log, my thoughts have been with you, o electronic canvas...
On Wednesday, more conversation and thought spent on the face of the American Community College. In class, we analyzed the journals of Wick Sloan, a Bunker Hill C.C. writing professor posted on Inside Higher Ed, and experienced the passion of a committed, engaged teacher. Through his writings, one feels the different classroom culture that C.C.'s attract and, (sorry for the word), cultivate. Check it out; here's one article to wet your whistle (http://www.insidehighered.com/views/sloane/sloane13).
Thursday was a great day...a fellow teacher and I took a couple students to the Nationals game. A couple months ago, these students won a raffle where this particular prize was to accompany me to a ballgame; they lucked out. We caught an afternoon against the Reds, which, at first, provided some doubts of whether or not we'd get a show, but once we arrived I had the feeling we picked a winner.
For one of the boys, this was his first ballgame and he arrived wide-eyed and enthusiastic; the other was eight hours into celebrating his sixteenth birthday. After arriving and paying for our $5 "day-of-game" tickets (of which there were probably hundreds still available), we immediately found different, more expensive seats to casually plop into. With the Left Field foul poll five rows away, we caught the first inning from the outfield bleachers. By the third inning, we found ourselves about a dozen rows away from Third Base where, randomly, we were invited by a Nats employee to punch out 250 All Star Ballots by hand; if successfully accomplished by the 6th inning, we won a prize. Needless to say, the four of us grabbed some pencils and starting plugging away, five ballots at a time. Our prize (after some convincing) included three t-shrits and a ball cap; the boys inherited all of it.
Innings later, the Nats went ahead in the bottom of the 8th, the boys talked to the grounds crew members, were posted on the "JumboTron", grabbed a game ball from the dugout, and consumed bags upon bags of peanuts...all from vacant section along the First Base side of Nats Park. No rain, no problems, and all left witnessing a rare accomplishment: a Nationals victory.
Last night (Friday), my first class of "Anthropology of Education" met to complain, confuse, and frustrate the 24 adult learners trying to learn how to establish and utilize the virtual classroom software required for the course. Again, as one of two men in the course (third time in five classes), it was amazing to see how the majority of the people were technologically illiterate. It took an hour and 45 minutes to complete a 20-minute exericise, and was simply hilarious. After the smoke cleared and folks took a quick break, we did have a good ice-breaker discussion on worldviews and culture. There's potential...
On Wednesday, more conversation and thought spent on the face of the American Community College. In class, we analyzed the journals of Wick Sloan, a Bunker Hill C.C. writing professor posted on Inside Higher Ed, and experienced the passion of a committed, engaged teacher. Through his writings, one feels the different classroom culture that C.C.'s attract and, (sorry for the word), cultivate. Check it out; here's one article to wet your whistle (http://www.insidehighered.com/views/sloane/sloane13).
Thursday was a great day...a fellow teacher and I took a couple students to the Nationals game. A couple months ago, these students won a raffle where this particular prize was to accompany me to a ballgame; they lucked out. We caught an afternoon against the Reds, which, at first, provided some doubts of whether or not we'd get a show, but once we arrived I had the feeling we picked a winner.
For one of the boys, this was his first ballgame and he arrived wide-eyed and enthusiastic; the other was eight hours into celebrating his sixteenth birthday. After arriving and paying for our $5 "day-of-game" tickets (of which there were probably hundreds still available), we immediately found different, more expensive seats to casually plop into. With the Left Field foul poll five rows away, we caught the first inning from the outfield bleachers. By the third inning, we found ourselves about a dozen rows away from Third Base where, randomly, we were invited by a Nats employee to punch out 250 All Star Ballots by hand; if successfully accomplished by the 6th inning, we won a prize. Needless to say, the four of us grabbed some pencils and starting plugging away, five ballots at a time. Our prize (after some convincing) included three t-shrits and a ball cap; the boys inherited all of it.
Innings later, the Nats went ahead in the bottom of the 8th, the boys talked to the grounds crew members, were posted on the "JumboTron", grabbed a game ball from the dugout, and consumed bags upon bags of peanuts...all from vacant section along the First Base side of Nats Park. No rain, no problems, and all left witnessing a rare accomplishment: a Nationals victory.
Last night (Friday), my first class of "Anthropology of Education" met to complain, confuse, and frustrate the 24 adult learners trying to learn how to establish and utilize the virtual classroom software required for the course. Again, as one of two men in the course (third time in five classes), it was amazing to see how the majority of the people were technologically illiterate. It took an hour and 45 minutes to complete a 20-minute exericise, and was simply hilarious. After the smoke cleared and folks took a quick break, we did have a good ice-breaker discussion on worldviews and culture. There's potential...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Seeing the common thread
Honor people.
Two situations that I found myself involved with today centered around the basic fundamental truth that people matter, and if you invest time and energy into them, you're bound to reap a generous reward. No coach leads a team towards a second=half comeback without first earning the trust and respect of his players before an inspirational halftime speech. Great things happen when people feel appreciated; people are empowered by compliments and recognition. Whether your trying to rally folks to back a cause, or attempting to create a new "norm" amongst the routine crowd, without the support and backing of all the members involved, all you're left with is wasted energy and disappointment.
People matter. Celebration and recognition matters. There's enough to sludge through in life; why not make the extra effort and put forth more energy doing the dirty work of complimenting the things "gone right" in the world?
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Quasi Start to Summer
I wiped away nine months of hard work, fast drying Expo marker reminders and procedures today from my whiteboard, an official ticket into the Summer of 2009. Posters came off the walls and clean rags collected red, blue, green, and black stains as a little elbow grease was spent cleansing a classroom of ninth and tenth graders. So much work (physically, mentally, spiritually) went into creating this room, and in minutes, everything was stripped away. Perhaps tomorrow as I sit in my chair and instinctively head to the break room for a cup of coffee will I sit back and begin to reflect on the year that was.
Continued to talk and investigate the role of the Community College tonight at school, and I'm fascinated with a handful of issues and facets that have continually come up in the three classes i've had so far; how NOVA "get's it", how more attention and money needs to be invested into student counseling/advising, the economic benefits of a C.C., and the lack of college preparation our K-12 schools are giving students. Tonight, though, this question lingers: What role does the C.C. play in our society? Is it only for vocational students seeking trade-specific skills and certification? Is it to provide remediation and a more intimate learning environment (and opportunity) for post-K-12 students who would typically bomb-out at four-year universities? Is it for lower to lower-middle class folks who can't afford or qualify for university? Or do C.C.'s exist for community members seeking to become "jack of all trades" and padding their intellect and extra curricular calenders?
Training nurses and technicians?
Assisting the 2.3 high school gpa student in their dream to attend a Bachelor's degree?
Cake Decorating and Ballroom Dancing?
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