FORGING CONNECTIONS

For those of you who may not know, I am an unabashed postphile. I just made that word up, actually, and it means "lover of the postal service". Postcards, along with handwritten letters, are two of my pleasures, and international pen-palling was one of my favorite activities as a young teen.  Since one of my goals here is to build links between Argentine and U.S. students, it seemed appropriate to incorporate this form of low-tech but oh-so-fun communication.  Recently, I delivered a stack of postcards written by my 7th grade students at Paul Cuffee School in Providence to an 8th grade social studies class at the Colegio Santo Tomás de Aquino in Buenos Aires.  Students in both classes previously had mixed experience with postcards; only about half had written or received them before.  My students took the task of writing to unknown South American counterparts quite seriously -- some even attempting to write partially or fully in Spanish.  Their cards completely enthralled the Santo Tomás kids who eagerly dedicated themselves to writing thorough responses. Many of the messages ended with "Find me on Facebook!" So, while any future correspondence will likely be digital, at least they all now have experienced the joy of writing and receiving postcards at least once.

8th graders (1˚ año) at Escuela Santo Tomás de Aquino     

Love from Providence!

 

 From your friend in Argentina ("Find me on Facebook!")

While I dig the postal service, I also see great value in utilizing newer technology. Today, my Super-Star Fulbright colleague Lili Monk and I facilitated a Skype video conference between Modern History students at Thomas Wootton High School in Rockville, MD (Lili's school) and a senior, all-male informática class (computer programming) at the ORT Argentina school in Buenos Aires.  We actually arrived at the school anticipating a brief test-run with about 6 kids on either side.  But, as life would have it, the plan changed throughout the morning to include many more students at a different hour. We were flexible. To enhance the Wootton curriculum and guide the discussion, we actually ended up hiding away in an administrative office to create a Power Point guide on globalization that included quotes from Thomas Friedman, Kevin Danaher and the World Bank, as well as political cartoons, the first two articles of the UN Declaration on Human Rights, and discussion questions.  Naturally, the plan changed again when we were in the auditorium with the students, and the Power Point was thrown out the window!  Instead, the students just...talked to each other (and sometimes over each other).  The hour was an excellent first attempt at this kind of real-time dialogue--a "time-space compression," in geography terms. Students discussed perceptions, foreign policy, racism, college, and crime, among other topics.  They of course also shared about their schools, activities, and favorite music and food.  Certain aspects could have gone more smoothly, but overall, it was a successful first-try. One Argentine student reflected afterwards that he enjoyed the activity because while students on both sides have general ideas about each other, they are not always right and they learn so much more by actually talking to each other.   That, mis queridos/as amigos/as, was the point. 

"Can you hear us?" Wootton on the screen

"Yes, we hear you!" ORT students listening

"Good, we have some questions about Argentina..."

Me, Laura (the ORT teacher), Liliana

Lili and ORT tech staff Matías setting up

The Wootton kids spoke in English; the Argentines spoke in a mix of English and Spanish with peer and teacher translation help

Lili the Facilitator

Are the parties in the U.S. like in "American Pie"? (real question asked)

Matías, ORT tech staff

Side Note: As you can see, we're working with a couple of Buenos Aires Catholic schools, a secular Jewish school...tomorrow we visit our first regular public school (escuela estatal). And then we're off to Córdoba!