A Public Affair

Promising Practices Conference 

Key Note Address

          The first thing that caught my attention at Promising Practices was that there were more than 50 organizations that were being represented at the conference.  To know that there are that many organizations for youth development and that we could all interact was an amazing experience for me.  In the key note address, I found it very interesting that a student is impacted by their home life, schooling, religious views, and their neighborhood, and as teachers we need to understand that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to a student's background.  We should never assume that we know exactly what a student is about, and we must think about every word that comes out of our mouth, as well as every action that we take, to make sure that no one is offended! 

          I also found it interesting that more often students saw after school programs as more beneficial than actual school programs.  To me, this meant that the students were not engaged enough in their classroom and could only let themselves have fun and engage when they were out of the classroom.  These statics made me think of the Literacy With Attitude article, by Patrick Finn, which offers reasons as to why students may not be engaged.  According to Finn, "teachers rarely explained why work was being assigned or how it was connected to other assignments" (19), which only teaches students that their work has no meaning.  Another quote states that, "lessons that explicitly called for creativity and self-expression were 'enrichment' and 'for fun'.  They did not count toward grades" (14).  For me, this quote illustrates a huge reason that students enjoy after school activities more than those in the classroom.  If students are being held back from creativity in the classroom, it only makes sense that they would enjoy when they get to be creative, and for these students, its after school.  I know that I always enjoyed after school programs when I was in grade school, because I could talk to friends, have a snack, be creative, and not stress out about getting the right answer and getting a good grade.  I feel like there should be some assignments for students that are based on creativity and the students should get credit just for completing the assignment.   

          I also found this website for an after school program in Chicago that helps students "develop marketable job skills".  Their mission is, "to provide teens with opportunities to discover their potential and find their path to a meaningful life".  It is important for students to engage in meaningful after-school activities that can engage them in activities that will help them to better their lives and potentially their future career.   

Workshop #1 - Teaching Social Studies through Zumba

Kristen Vito-Silva

Tiffany Giusti

          When I sat in the classroom, as the workshop started, the teacher, Kristen Vito-Silva  explained that she always starts from scratch and has her students "build" the classroom.  Instead of a printed number line or alphabet line, the students from numbers and letters from their bodies and represent the number or letter, and the teacher takes pictures and posts them along the walls.  By using this technique, the students are engaged, creatively thinking, and every student can broadcast their strengths.  The students also remembered the numbers and letters, because they physically made it.  In a similar way, Zumba was an activity that the teacher brought into the classroom, using content for specific moves and the accompanying music.  Each dance was created around a continent, and each move was based on a specific aspect of that continent.  For example, the music/routine was called Africa, and a specific move was the African elephant.  After implementing this activity, the teacher noticed that the students remembered everything they were being taught and they were constantly teaching their friends and family.  The teachers also supplied us with a huge packet of work from their students, before Zumba and after, as well as their reactions to Zumba.

          In this specific workshop, I was surprised by both Kristen and Tiffany's reaction to boys and the Zumba dance moves.  Tiffany explained that she would have never guessed that the boys would have enjoyed it so much, and that she was nervous that they wouldn't like it.  Both teachers decided that any of the moves that seemed too "girly" were slightly changed for the boys.  Although they had good intentions, I found myself questioning their decision.  I thought back to Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Orienstein, where there was a clear gender gap between "boy" toys and those toys that were for "girls".  In a way the teachers were thinking in terms of fathers, as described by Orienstien, "boys as young a four said their daddies would think it was 'bad' if they played with 'girls' toys" (21).  At the same time, I feel that the teachers should have allowed the boys to do the same moves as the girls, and if it was something "too girly" they should have created a different move all together.  I know that the teachers were not trying to present a gender gap, but at the same time, it was there.  If the boys wanted to  shake their butts, the move should not be labeled as a girl move, it should just be another dance move.  

Workshop #2 - Kinesthetic Connections for Middle School Aged Students 

Carol Cummings

Kathleen Johnson

Kristen Pepin

         The second workshop I went to was about "energizers" or activities to get students' bodies in motion.  The could have content added to them, or stand alone.  It is proven that test scores are higher when students are physically active, and since a lot of schools are cutting recess, it is important that the students get their exercise inside the classroom (to some extent).    Throughout the workshop, we would engage in different energizer activities which made the workshop fun and engaging for us.  One of the teachers confessed that she couldn't teach for two hours straight and that she needed the energizers just as much as the students.  I was stunned to hear the fact that an adult's attention span is about 30 minutes, and for children it can be as low as 7 minutes or less!  These energizers allow students to get the blow flowing in their brains and can break up a long class that may seem to drag on.  As a high school student myself, there were many classes that I felt tired in, and an energizer would have helped me to stay on topic.  The teachers also provided us with a list of energizers that we could use, as well as introduced us to a book that they used personally. Please comment if you would like a copy of the energizers!!  The following video is an example of an energizer that could be used in any classroom.  If this was a biology or science classroom, the teacher could call out specific biological names of body parts in order to add a content and a challenge to the game. 

Un-Conference

          The last part of the conference, was the "un-conference", which I found very informative and interesting.  Although I had heard of Allied before, I never really knew what it was about.  I learned that it was a group that provided academic support and advising, and it also helped students develop identities around difference.  This group connected to the topic of youth development, because it is imperative to be culturally competent as a person who works with youth.  Regardless of position, everyone working with students and youth should be able to recognize cultural differences, and be able to confront them in a appropriate way.  In other words, this view connected directly to Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan Johnson.  Johnson explains, "a trouble we can't talk about is a trouble we cant do anything about" (13), meaning that teachers and students should engage in meaningful conversations about discrimination.  It is difficult to talk about things that are not clearly accepted in society, and it can lead to hostile feelings if done in a certain way.  A teacher must bring issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, and income to their class and form discussions, but in an acceptable way.  Students can not react rudely to each other's comments , and they must respect each person as they share their insights and personal stories.  Studies show that children notice differences at a young age, and there is no use ignoring the differences that are in the classroom.  By bringing up the topics of discrimination, a teacher can help their students to better respect and possibly accept the differences.

Visit the Unity Center Site

         




 After learning about ALLIED, I wondered what other groups RIC had to offer about youth development and promoting healthy, safe and accepting environments for our fellow students.  If you follow the link under the picture, you will be brought to the Unity Center website and you can explore from there. I was stunned to see 15 student groups that are geared to helping students to erase the discrimination on campus.  I honestly felt horrible, that there was not one group that I had hear of.  At the same time, I am glad that I have finally discovered these groups and I am glad that they exist.  I also think that it is important to note that the unity also has a student lounge, and it offers student leadership opportunities, in other words, its not just for those who are being discriminated.

            
How was your experience at Promising Practices?
Have you ever participates in Zumba? Would you use it in the classroom?
Do you think energizers are important in the classroom?
Did you know about the Unity Center before Promising Practices?