Today, we visited Escuela Normal Superior de Cartagena de Indias, a school that contains pre-school through eleventh grade students. The school serves as a training ground for college students working on a two-year teacher preparation program.
One of the school leaders, Gabriel, works diligently to help aspiring teachers improve their English skills and is actually helping guide the school through the application process to ensure that the school is one of three bilingual schools in the country, funded by a new federal program. *Update: Gabriel’s application was accepted and approved. I actually met Gabriel at a dinner a couple years ago, when he was a TEA Fellow at Winthrop University. He explained the purpose of the school, and its focus on English readiness. We toured elementary classrooms, and the children greeted us in English. Then, Gabriel’s college students shared videos of their classroom experiences, and I noticed a striking similarity among the lessons—language immersion with manipulatives and readers' theater. For instance, one class I observed asked students to use English in a restaurant setting, complete with a waiter, customers, menu, and, best of all, food. I, too, shared videos of my students work from my assigned Indifference Project, and the future teachers seemed determines to replicate a similar strategy in their future classes.
One of the ancillary goals of this school also revolves around rescuing the diverse culture heritage of the Carib, Taino, and Afro people of Colombia. Each October, school students head out to the city to celebrate with dress and dance. Apparently, during slave times, there was a custom where slave owners would allow the slaves to dress in the finest clothes. More slaves in dress clothes, the more wealth showcased. The slaves apparently thought this a ridiculous custom, so jesters and gaudy makeup. Gabriel told us that this custom, as ridiculous as it might have been, is a part of the history. Each grade becomes an expert in a specific type of dance. The costumes are elaborate—and, as Gabriel related, the community expects bigger and better each year—so this service-learning project has definite community support.
The college students, in a Q/A, asked us what we liked to do for fun. Jen and I both cited singing, so, the students wanted a sampling. Jen sang a lovely Jazz tune tinges with a little soul—and the kids loved it. So, I decided to sing a 1930’s song by Johnny Ray—“Cry.” John has this on video somewhere, but, apparently, I shook the rafters with my loud self. The teenagers loved it, smiling from ear to ear, and I couldn’t help recall singing this a few years ago for the SPHS Talent Show and getting escorted off the stage by my principal—Apollo style. It felt great to have some bit of redemption.
For lunch, Gabriel treated John and me to a home restaurant across the street, where the atmosphere was quaint, the temperature was hot, and the fish was delicious. I really enjoyed the afternoon.
Unfortunately, Rosalia’s school, Bertha de Gideon, was closed to due a water main break—so we had the rest of the day off. My colleague, Sherri, and I hit the CENTRO for a night of salsa dancing. When in Colombia…
One of the school leaders, Gabriel, works diligently to help aspiring teachers improve their English skills and is actually helping guide the school through the application process to ensure that the school is one of three bilingual schools in the country, funded by a new federal program. *Update: Gabriel’s application was accepted and approved. I actually met Gabriel at a dinner a couple years ago, when he was a TEA Fellow at Winthrop University. He explained the purpose of the school, and its focus on English readiness. We toured elementary classrooms, and the children greeted us in English. Then, Gabriel’s college students shared videos of their classroom experiences, and I noticed a striking similarity among the lessons—language immersion with manipulatives and readers' theater. For instance, one class I observed asked students to use English in a restaurant setting, complete with a waiter, customers, menu, and, best of all, food. I, too, shared videos of my students work from my assigned Indifference Project, and the future teachers seemed determines to replicate a similar strategy in their future classes.
One of the ancillary goals of this school also revolves around rescuing the diverse culture heritage of the Carib, Taino, and Afro people of Colombia. Each October, school students head out to the city to celebrate with dress and dance. Apparently, during slave times, there was a custom where slave owners would allow the slaves to dress in the finest clothes. More slaves in dress clothes, the more wealth showcased. The slaves apparently thought this a ridiculous custom, so jesters and gaudy makeup. Gabriel told us that this custom, as ridiculous as it might have been, is a part of the history. Each grade becomes an expert in a specific type of dance. The costumes are elaborate—and, as Gabriel related, the community expects bigger and better each year—so this service-learning project has definite community support.
The college students, in a Q/A, asked us what we liked to do for fun. Jen and I both cited singing, so, the students wanted a sampling. Jen sang a lovely Jazz tune tinges with a little soul—and the kids loved it. So, I decided to sing a 1930’s song by Johnny Ray—“Cry.” John has this on video somewhere, but, apparently, I shook the rafters with my loud self. The teenagers loved it, smiling from ear to ear, and I couldn’t help recall singing this a few years ago for the SPHS Talent Show and getting escorted off the stage by my principal—Apollo style. It felt great to have some bit of redemption.
For lunch, Gabriel treated John and me to a home restaurant across the street, where the atmosphere was quaint, the temperature was hot, and the fish was delicious. I really enjoyed the afternoon.
Unfortunately, Rosalia’s school, Bertha de Gideon, was closed to due a water main break—so we had the rest of the day off. My colleague, Sherri, and I hit the CENTRO for a night of salsa dancing. When in Colombia…