Final Presentation

For the final component of our class, we are to do a presentation documenting/highlighting our trip. For our presentation, Casey and I focused on what we can apply to our classrooms, both immediately this coming school year and in the future as more ESL students come into our school districts. For me, I am going to try and use a blog as a form of parent communication. I plan on making an entry at least once a month to show what we have done and post some pictures. When we get to our Plant and Seed unit I am going to use pictures from leaves and flowers from the rain forest to compare and contrast with leaves and flowers from Pennsylvania. There is so much I gained from this trip, that it is hard to put it all into words!

"Dios te bendiga!"

Departure for Home

After lunch we had a whole-group discussion about the trip. We talked about what could be done differently or kept the same for future trips. Then I finished my packing, went to the airport, and boarded my flight for home! It is great to be back in the States and especially to be in my own bed! It was a whirlwind of a week, but worth every moment! "Jesus, thank you for this opportunity, for our safety, and all we were able to do while we were in Puerto Rico. Thank you for the chance to see others through Your eyes and not our own."

Day 5 - El Morro

Today was my last day in Puerto Rico! This week has gone by very fast, but has been full of exciting moments, laughter, educational experiences, and a whole lot of fun! This has been an amazing experience! In the words of my dad, "Life's short. See what you can." And that is exactly what we did!

This morning we traveled back to Old San Juan to tour El Morro (The Mound). It is the fortress of San Juan and the bay. It is an incredible work of engineering and architecture. The walls are at least 18ft thick and 20ft high - impenetrable by artillery. There are six levels, each one designed for a different military tactic.

On the fortress there are three flags: Puerto Rico, United States, and Spanish. Each flag represents each Nation involved.

Following our tour, we walked to the city gate of San Juan and walked on the board walk along the water. It is a beautiful area - fully renovated and a breathtaking entrance to the city.

Day 4 - Education

Today we were finally able to visit a Puerto Rican school. We went to Abraham Lincoln Public School in Old San Juan. The school is on the coastline and has a beautiful view of the ocean. We met with the principal and several teachers to discuss our school system and their school system. It was very informing and interesting to sit with the teachers and ask questions, compare/contrast schools, and talk about what it is like being a teacher in two different educational systems. I met with a third grade teacher (who spoke limited English) and the primary grade English teacher (she did most of the talking). The main topic of our conversation was centered around Kindergarten (or "Kinder"as they call it) and how this grade is so different between our schools. I got the impression that their Kindergarten is similar to our preschool system, in that there is a stronger focus on social behavior and beginning academics (learning the alphabet and how to write). Whereas, kindergarten in Pennsylvania has a stronger academic focus and children are already coming in knowing the alphabet and how to write their name. Kindergarten is also mandatory in Puerto Rico, whereas children in Pennsylvania are not mandated to attend school until they are eight.

The Abraham Lincoln School is a K-6 building with one class per grade, one self-contained classroom, and one preschool for autistic children. There are children from middle, lower, and upper class with that being divided into two groups: (1) live in the surrounding community and (2) parents work in the community mainly for the government. The children that commute are from the middle and upper class. The other children are from the community called "La Perla" a 29 block long closed community outside the city walls. The community is very poor economically and somewhat like a "ghetto" (for lack of a better word). You would never go into this area without being invited or accompanied by someone who lives there. There is a community leader who is the main person in charge and the community restricts or limits who can live there. We were able to go into La Perla only because we were with the community leader. The land the community is on is prime real estate being right on the coastline and unfortunately the government is trying to take back the land. This is the oldest community in San Juan and it would displace over 1,000 people. It's a very interesting place, to say the least.

The entire educational system in Puerto Rico is currently under revision as new government officials have come into office this past January. One of current changes is that all school districts were dismantled and the superintendents were relocated to schools as principals. This was done primarily because there was a large amount of principal vacancies and this eliminated the need to hire more educators. However, there are more superintendents than there are principal positions. Public schools in Puerto Rico are under No Child Left Behind and are still held accountable to all the same regulations and requirements as we are in the states. The language of instruction has been constantly changing between English and Spanish. Currently, Spanish is the primary language in schools and English is treated as a subject area with students receiving one period of instruction per day from first grade on up. (This is the same as students taking Spanish in the states as a subject area.) Private schools are very popular among middle and upper class families, but there is not much of an academic difference in comparison to public schools. The best schools, however, are the private schools that teach entirely in English. In Puerto Rico there are currently no teacher unions. One was started 8yrs ago but was dismantled 2yrs ago when teachers went on strike, which went against their contract. Teachers are not highly paid (starting salary ~$17,000) and are regarded with relatively high respect, more so in the private schools. It has been very enlightening to explore the Puerto Rican educational system.

After lunch at Rest. El Jibarita (a family owned Puerto Rican restaurant that is a local hangout) we headed back to the university for an afternoon of class. Our Spanish class was wonderful today as we learned about mannerisms, socially acceptable behaviors, and devised a list of ways we can incorporate the Spanish language and culture into our classrooms. After our class we went to dinner at Cafe el Punto as a group. It has been over meals that we have had some of our best discussions and reflections about the trip. Food has a way of making people talk and really discuss. :)

Day 3 - Salsa

A very interesting day to say the least! First, it was a rainy morning and afternoon with 2-3 heavy downpours, but the clouds eventually rolled away for a nice evening. We started the day with a Spanish class where we talked a lot about the family structure. It is interesting that family is very important and usually very large here in Puerto Rico, but the divorce rate is high and most homes are single-parent. This is also surprising given the strong religious background of the people (approximately 60% Catholic and 40% Protestant). This is a sense seems like a contradiction of sorts, but that is the culture and the norm. Teen pregnancy is very predominant among Puerto Rican girls, here and in the States, and mostly evident in the lower class. Larger families are also more common in the lower class with upper class families having on average 2-3 children. It is a cycle, in which when a girl has a child in her teens, that child continues the cycle by having a child in her teens. (However, this is not always the case, nor am I making a stereotype, I am just stating an observation from our class discussion and we see the same thing in the states.) Another thing about the Puerto Rican culture is that the people don't see themselves of different color or of different races, but as being "Puerto Rican." On the last census when asked to check ethnicity, most people checked "Other" and wrote in "Puerto Rican." There is no distinction or separation here based upon the color of skin.

After class the excitement began: we learned how to Salsa! Well, I should say, I attempted to learn how to Salsa! :) Our instructor taught us six main steps (I can confidently do maybe 3), which we did to music and with a partner. I never realized how important or how large a role Salsa plays in the Puerto Rican culture. When a Puerto Rican hears good music, they just start dancing! Here is a short clip of my attempt to Salsa dance:



When our feet could take no more, we headed to the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (The Museum of Art of Puerto Rico). The museum had a beautiful sculpture garden with very colorful fish and the back wall of the building was painted glass. There wasn't a large collection of art in comparison to museums in Europe, but it had one of the most interesting and somewhat disturbing collection of modern art. The entire fourth floor left me wishing I had never gone up there. My interpretation of art is very different from what I saw with some of the pieces of "art." The museum did have an entire floor dedicated to investigation for children. We were even able to see paintings, tile mosaics, and sculptures of children ranging from 8-12 years old. There were incredible works of art for such young children! It was wonderful to see a strong emphasis on the arts and the availability for children to create.

After exploring the museum, several of us went to a nearby restaurant that was described to us as "Argentinean Italian." It was wonderful! There was fresh fruit (finally) and the food was delicious! Fresh bread, homemade pasta, ah! After our fill or fresh not fried food, we went to a local establishment to experience real Salsa dancing!

Day 2 - Rain Forest

What a glorious day! We traveled to El Yunque, Puerto Rico's national rain forest (it is a finalist for one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature and is a US National Forest). The name literally means the "Anvil" because the mountains are flat at the top. It was absolutely magnificent! To get to the spot where we were able to hike through the forest, we traveled up the mountain along a very windy road that appears to be only big enough for one car, let alone two in opposite directions. Thankfully, I was able to avoid being extremely car-sick, but those roads were enough to make any one's stomach turn (those from or who have been to Potter County, think of Wycoff Run doubled in sharp curves and length).

On our way up the mountain, we stopped at Cascada la Coca (Coca Falls), a beautiful waterfall in the middle of the mountainside.

Once we made it up the mountain, our trek through the rain forest began - it was breathtaking! There are no mammals in El Yunque, but there are birds, lizards, the coqui (Puerto Rican tree frog), and tree snails. However, you are not able to see any of these creatures, besides the snail, as they are hidden well within the safe confines of the forest.

The rain forest is a testament to God's handiwork as the Master Creator! It was amazing to see a different and unique ecosystem, and the beauty of God's creation.

On our way back down the mountain, we stopped at Yokahu Tower (Observation Point at 1,575ft) for a different perspective.

Once we reached the bottom, we traveled to a nearby beach. Directly off the highway was a strip of "restaurants" of authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. The food is non-spicy, always accompanied by rice, and almost all of it is fried. To be honest, it is not at all what I was expecting, but I am enjoying the rice! A traditional Puerto Rican food is the plantain(comparable to a banana) that is served in many ways and comes with most every meal. One thing I did notice is that fruit and vegetables are not served here in Puerto Rico, so we have been lacking in some nutrients this week. :) After lunch of chicken wrapped in a fried tortilla and white rice, we changed into our bathing suits and headed to the beach. The water was a beautiful blue, warm, and calm. There were no waves like I am used to, but it was pleasant to relax in the warm water. One thing we did learn is that Puerto Rico has been experiencing sharks for the first time this summer due to the rise in sea level from the climate change (a.k.a global warming). Thankfully, we did not spot any fins! The weather in Puerto Rico is warm and humid. Brief showers are very common on a daily basis. They last for about 5-10 minutes until the clouds pass and then it is over. However, we are in hurricane season, so the sky has been overcast every day, but that has been a blessing because the sun/heat has not been as intense during our outings. While we were at the beach, there was a dark cloud looming over us and when it began to pour, we all grabbed our stuff and ran for cover. Well, if we didn't look like tourists before, this certainly did! We were the only ones to get up because everyone else knew the shower would pass and just waited it out. Now we know!

What a fantastic and majestic day we had here in Puerto Rico!

Day 1 - Old San Juan

Today was our first day in San Juan. We started the morning with a Spanish class for beginners. Since the professor was only speaking in Spanish, things got very confudida very quickly and when you don't have much to draw from, this can be very stressful. Surprisingly, a lot came back to me from my Spanish classes in high school, but it is very draining, physically and mentally, to listen to a lecture in another language because your mind is focusing on and trying to interpret every word. After a while, I literally began to shut down. Now I know how that is for some of my students when things get so difficult or confusing that they give up. Personally, I have not had experience with an ELL student in my classroom, but now I can relate to them more than I would have been able to prior to this trip. Another interesting thing we learned in our Spanish class was the difference between Spanish cultures. Despite the fact that their language is the same, there are so many differences between the countries from the foods they eat to certain words that they use or do not use. As a teacher, I need to be aware of where my students come from and determine what is acceptable or not acceptable in their culture.

After our Spanish class, I had to go lie down because I was still not feeling well from yesterday's flights. After a short nap, I met everyone for lunch before we headed to Old San Juan. We learned a lot about the history of Puerto Rico. The city is obviously very old and dilapidated, but there is a current movement for renovation, in which people are contributing towards renovations because if they do so, they are then able to not pay taxes for 10 years. That's quite an incentive that is paying off! Here are some pictures from today's sights:

Jardines de Casa Blanca (Casa Blanca's Gardens)

City Streets of Old San Juan

Casa Ayuntamiento (City Hall)

Arrival in San Juan

2 flights + 13 hours = a very long day in the airport

We have arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The weather is very warm and humid outdoors, while being very frigid in most places indoors. It was a very long day of traveling as we were stuck in Baltimore while Philadelphia was locked down for 2 hours, and then we were unable to leave for San Juan because first the jetway was broken and then the captain was over his hours and left. Thankfully, another captain was able to take over. Needless to say, we finally left at the same time we should have been arriving in San Juan. However, we did not have to stay over and we arrived safely. Now on to our real adventures!

During our trip we are residing at the Universidad Del Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart University), a Catholic University in San Juan. Our class is Hispanic/Latino Summer Experience: Culture, Language, and Pedagogy.

"He who gives me wisdom, I will give glory."

Hola and Welcome

Welcome to my blog of my trip to Puerto Rico! This trip is actually EDUC 497, which is part of my Master's Program at Penn State York. An experience outside the classroom!

I cannot wait to experience the Puerto Rican culture and all it has to offer, from the sights and sounds to the food and music. However, I am most looking forward to expanding my knowledge of Spanish-speaking children and how I can best meet their needs in the classroom.

Please follow me through this educational experience as I will be blogging everyday and hopefully posting pictures/videos throughout the week! This is a lifetime opportunity that I am thankful to have the chance to be apart of!