I attended the Promising Practices here at RIC this year and I thought it was great. When I first went in I wasn't sure what to expect and I wasn't sure if I was going to like. My first workshop was Confidently Working Toward Your Career. I thought the speakers did well but I didn't really relate anything to class but got some good stuff out of the workshop and how to build myself up and work toward what my goals are and how to achieve them.
The second workshop was great. It was called Expanded Learning Opportunities: Students Passions take the Lead. I thought this workshop was cool and now after reading Kliewer's article it defiantly fits right in with that piece. The speakers were from Central Falls High School and they talked about ELO programs inside their school and how it helps their students succeed in areas that they are passionate about. First we sat and talked about the community garden that they set up in the area for students to grow flowers and vegetables and how it gave them experience in agriculture and farming. The next person was a teaching inside the school and he had a program after school about safety and disaster protocol and fire safety and strength training. I thought this was great because it gave students an opportunity to learn how to survive in certain situations but not only that they also can save lives like one of the students did. Next we sat with Elizabeth Ochs who is the coordinator of the ELO program and she explained the program as a whole to use and what it does for students. Each student has a program and has to follow and is responsible for what they need to do get it done. And then there was a student who came in and showed us one of his projects about code in the computer and how to recognize code but also how to right it down with instructions for the simulation to do and how it could be difficult. I thought it was really cool. This workshop defiantly relates to Kliewer's article but it also relates to the culture of power piece we read earlier in the semester and how the students of Central Falls are classified and judge and that the teachers there are working on making a difference to change the stereotypes that are set for their students.
Next the Key Note Speaker Dr. Christopher Emdin was absolutely fantastic. Again I wasn't sure what to think going into it and wasn't sure if I was going to like it but I did. He spoke a lot about what we read in class and culture of power and segregation inside the schools in the country. He stated at one point in the speech about how schools are still segregated and that because of the social classes in America basically separate race inside the schools. He also talked about the military drill style that teachers have at times, which I am always talking about. I could go on and on about how many topics he related to in our class but I'd be here typing all night. I really like how he related Hip-Hop to the classroom and the norms of culture and the how expressing your mind is just like the music that he relates it too.
Overall I really enjoyed the day and learned a lot and related a lot as well. I didn't think it was going to be to too fun and it might be boring but it really wasn't. It was fun and interesting and very motivating. I love Dr. Emdin's speech and it really motivated me but the workshop with the Central Falls High School was fun and inspiring and interesting. It motivated me to look at different ways to reach kids and make sure I do my best to have them strive to meet their dreams and goals.
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