Final Service Learning Reflection #3

I think that the reading that connects to my experiences as a tutor is the book Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol. I think that this book connects to my experiences as a tutor because both the book and my experience both encompasses inequality in some way. For example, there is inequality in the public school system as expressed by Kozol, and in my experiences while tutoring I was able to see inequality in the sense that the students that came there were hindered to to their inability to speak english well. Thus, because of their deficiency, this affected communicating in their every day life. For example, communicating in the workplace, and this would effect applying for a job. Therefore, if they have a difficult time applying for a job then they are not able to provide for their family. Furthermore, I think that it is great that I was given the opportunity to tutor these students because learning the english language will help them to improve there language skills and will intern help them to get a job to provide for their family. Also, I think that it is important to be immersed into this culture because a person is able to see that their is a need and will then try and do what they can to change this.

Final Service Learning Reflection #1

A literary experience that I have had previous to this semester was working last year at a literacy program called Book'em run by a woman named Melissa Spradlin. Book'em is a literacy program that collects used books and gives them voluntarily to kids in Nashville. There is also a tutoring program within this organization, but I did not help out with this. Instead, I helped out with stamping books in the Book'em office alongside Melissa Spradlin. It was an enjoyable experience in the sense that I knew I was making a difference in the kids lives that would be receiving the books. Although, I wish that I had the opportunity to get out of the office and tutor the kids in the program. It is hard to see that I am making a big difference if I am not experiencing it first hand. I think that actually being in the culture makes a difference.

On the other hand, the experience that I had at Nashville Adult Literacy Council was somewhat of a different experience. I loved being able to actually be immersed in the culture, as opposed to not being immersed when I was at Book'em. It was rewarding to be able to see how much of a difference I was making while I was there. The smile on their faces after I applauded them on getting an answer correct, or the sense of drive and determination I saw in them to learn the language was truly fulfilling. One of the best moments I experienced at Nashville Adult Literacy Council was the overwhelming joy that a woman I tutored experienced after I told her that one of her essays that she wrote was going to be published in a book by Nashville Adult Literacy Council. It made me think about how much I take for granted the great teachers and classes I have had that have helped me to learn English. I think that tutoring at Nashville Adult Literacy Council was an impactful experience that has helped me to see many things in a different way.

Final Service Learning Reflection #2

As I entered the room, at Nashville Adult Literacy Council, I surveyed the room and I noticed that I would be tutoring in a room filled with other tutors and students. I would not be in a room with only the student and myself. I thought this to be odd at first, but after I began to tutor there I noticed that the environment actually enhanced the learning of the students. I think that the environment of desks step up all around the room, near each other, helped students to actually focus more on what the tutor was saying. I think that students overhearing another student having an engaging conversation with their tutor, helps to stimulate the students' willingness to learn. Also, the desks are step up to where both the student and the tutor sit right next to one another, as opposed to the tutor sitting across from the student. I think that this helps to make the student feel more comfortable, and therefore will help him or her ask more questions when he or she is conflicted about something in the lesson. Lastly, I think that having all the students in the same room helps the, mostly immigrants, feel more comfortable in knowing that they are not alone. I think that having other students in the same room as them, struggling with them in understanding the material, helps the students to not get as disheartened. I think that it is true that strength in numbers really does make a difference. In conclusion, reflecting on the time I spent there helped me to see how a setting in the classroom makes more of a difference than you think. The setting can help or hinder a person's ability to excel to their full potential relating to their educational needs.

storyboard draft

Last 3 hours at NALC

In the last three hours at NALC I helped out with banquet that they were putting on for the tutors and the students that came to NALC. It was a neat experience seeing how passionate and selfless the people helping set up the banquet were. It showed a lot about their character and desire to help the world around them. At the banquet they were going to serve dinner and give out a selection of awards for the students and tutors. It was a refreshing experience to see people coming together to serve a greater purpose than themselves.

video project

I will be videoing my interviewee's this week and then will start incorporating that into my project. I will probably use only 1 or 2 of the video interviews. My video will be based off of the the question of "What message do you want to send to the world with your music?" My video will be centered around how we are made with a voice and an ear to hear so we need to use it to the best of our ability to help change the world. Music can change people's lives.

NALC tutoring session #4

Today I went to NALC and tutored a woman by the name of Jinaa, who was from Egypt. She moved here 25 years ago and loves it. She has four kids and she is a Christian. Her first language is arabic and she has been coming to NALC to learn english for a year. In our lesson today she practiced reading and writing. She had trouble with this, but did not have trouble carrying on a conversation with me, which I thought was interesting.