Barbados: Valuable Experience

Submitted by Ana Ramirez-Irineo on the 2017 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies…

As a first generation college student and minority, I never expected I would be studying abroad, especially on a beautiful island. The service-learning study abroad program that I have decided to participate in has proved to be valuable and well worth it within the first week.

Barbados is a gorgeous island, but its people have demonstrated that it is they who complete the island. Barbadians, also locally called Bajans, have impressed me with their friendliness and welcoming attitude towards others and each other. As I walk through Holetown, you can hear and see the community emanating through the warm-hearted greetings Bajans give out across the street or from within their vehicles. The bus drivers and private transportation services even have a two-beep greeting system when they see each other on the street. Everyone just seems to know each other and enjoy long conversations with others while on the street or in the grocery store. Their amiable behavior is a stark contrast to the United States’ general behavior with each other and others. In the United States, many seem to be wary of others while on the street so that they confuse a stranger’s friendly hello with danger, but in Barbados you cannot help,but say hello and engage in conversation with the locals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our first week in Barbados, we had two activities scheduled by our professor, Dr. Gaines-Hanks, that enhanced our understanding of Bajan culture. The first event was a cultural excursion on a historical tour of the island. Joann was our tour guide and from my understanding, she has been the guide for Dr. Gaines-Hanks since the beginning. Barbados is divided into 11 parishes and each parish has its own parish church. On the tour, not only was I able to witness Barbados’ beauty, I was able to enter the gorgeous parish church of St. John and walk through time at Sunbury, a plantation house. Sunbury illustrated almost exactly what life on a sugar cane estate would be like in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was neat to see artifacts from that time period and casually walk through the house as if I was present during those times. The historical tour reminded me of the reason why I am here. This study abroad program is not about sunbathing by the pool or relaxing by the beach, it is about volunteering and learning from the culture as well as skills that will benefit me as a human services worker. The service-learning study abroad program is all about reciprocity and both parties benefiting from this program. I did not come to Barbados as a tourist, but as a willing, participating member of its society for a short amount of time. Who knows? Maybe I will come back and embrace Barbados as my new home.

The second activity was a guest lecturer on the culture of Barbados. Ian Walcott-Skinner was a fountain of valuable information. His lecture was interactive and he encouraged students to ask questions. Unfortunately, I am quite shy in class most of the time and it takes me a while to acclimate so when he called on me to ask if I had a comment, I regrettably said no. The guest lecturer activity has made me realize that I am all too quiet during class and this affects my participation and ultimately my learning experience. However, I have made it my goal to participate more and prepare questions or comments before class or any activity so I can add to the discussion. This goal could also benefit me when I return to UD because I will have built up the confidence to ask questions and make worthwhile discussion during lectures.

The service-learning study abroad program to Barbados has confirmed its significance and as I reflect on this first week, I hope many other students who are first generation and or minorities take the opportunity to study abroad seriously and commit. It is an experience like no other and I wholeheartedly hope more students can embark on this journey that before they may not have considered due to costs or the thought of not being accepted. I am forever grateful to be on this service-learning program and will continue to look back on this adventure for years to come. I cannot wait to begin my placement at the HIV/AIDS Commission this Tuesday. I cannot wait to start the service part of this service-learning study abroad program.

 

British Virgin Islands: Unexpected First Impressions

Submitted by Victoria Sanchez on the 2017 winter session program in the British Virgin Islands sponsored by the College of Health Sciences…
Before coming to the British Virgin Islands, I was totally blind to the set up and dynamic of the Islands. In my mind, all I was picturing was sandy beaches and crystal clear water. While this is a totally accurate depiction, it is only half of the story.
What I did not realize was that the BVI is a very mountainous region. I like to think of it as a bunch of big mountains placed sporadically in the middle of the ocean. The first thing that came to my attention was how difficult this makes traveling. I had to take a plane, a taxi, a ferry, go through customs and take another taxi just to get to Cane Garden Bay, Tortola. Then I had to lug my 50 pound suitcase up what felt like a 90 degree hill to our cottage. It was a long journey, but definitely worthwhile.
The biggest surprise that came with this terrain is probably something most abroad students probably wouldn’t be able to deal with. No WiFi. It is very hard to get a connection from one tiny antenna up an entire mountain. If I am lucky enough to get a little connection it is very spotty and just enough to send a few texts to friends and family. Many restaurants around here know that tourists have this issue and even charge for WiFi. It turns out that it is nice not to always be on your phone and you truly realize that WiFi is a luxury rather than a necessity.
The best part about this setting is the scenery. The commute everyday to the hospital we are working in is about a 20 minute ride. I look out the window the entire time and at every point there is a breathtaking view right before my eyes. When you get to the tippy top of the mountain, it looks so unreal it could be mistaken for a green screen. Even though this makes traveling and long walks home difficult, it is worth it to see the true beauty of this island.bvism

Barbados: Chattel Houses

Submitted by Victoria Giannini on the 2017 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies…

This week has been a hectic one! We arrived in Barbados in the afternoon on Monday, January 2nd and have been going constantly since! One thing, I found particularly interesting was something I learned on the historical tour of the island. We learned about these small homes called Chattel Houses. The word Chattel is Barbadian and it means a small, wooden transportable house. The houses were common for working class people because they could pick up and move their house when they needed to, because the property that the house rested on was not necessarily theirs. Typically these houses sat on cinder blocks or stone, as opposed to being set on the ground in a foundation.

On our tour, I was able to capture a picture of a traditional Chattel House on the island. It truly was beautiful. However, most chattel houses now are no longer unsecured in the ground. This is because it is not common for working class people to move their homes in today’s culture.

I am really in love with these houses! Some of the homes on the island are truly beautiful. I was even able to purchase a small wooden replica of a Chattel House as a souvenir! Some have pastel colors, while others look more like traditional  like this wood one. It is amazing learning about this culture and how things are similar and different from the United States. This experience so far has been so amazing and I am excited to continue on this journey and learn so much more!

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Barbados: Remembering a Great Man

Submitted by Casey Grzinic on the 2017 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies…

My first week in Barbados has been a whirlwind experience. While I was initially blown away by the sheer beauty of the island itself, what truly took my breath away was the beauty of the Barbadian culture. On our tour of the island, we saw picturesque landscapes and architecture, but what I observed during this tour impacted me more than the scenery. At Saint John Parish, I watched as my tour guide passionately spoke of the beloved Prime Minister, David Thompson, who died in 2010. Barbadians, or Bajans, as they are locally referred, speak of their late prime minister as if he was a life-long friend. He is placed on a pedestal by Bajans due to his efforts in improving life on the island. Because Bajans are a religious people, most are Catholic, the burial of Prime Minister Thompson at Saint John Parish holds great meaning. It was interesting to see that there is truly no difference in how people mourn and remember the leaders of their country because it reminded me that as humans, we are one in the same. It was important to be reminded of this after nearly a week of adjusting to a new culture and environment. It also reminded me that it is okay to recognize differences between cultures, so long as you appreciate the difference and acknowledge that there are just as many similarities.barbados-casey-grzinic-17w-barbados-hdfs-smmemorial-casey-grzinic-17w-barbados-hdfs-smst-john-parish-casey-grzinic-17w-barbados-hdfs-smchurch-casey-grzinic-17w-barbados-hdfssm

 

 

British Virgin Islands: Adjusting to Limited WiFi

Submitted by Katie Garber on the 2017 winter session program in the British Virgin Islands sponsored by the College of Health Sciences…

I never knew another country could be so similar yet so different from the United States. For my abroad program, I am studying in the British Virgin Islands for four weeks. In only three days here so far, I am both shocked and impressed with how the locals live. Electricity and water is a luxury in the BVI, and many islanders go without these things that US citizens value extremely. I’ve come in contact with a broad variety of people in my short stay here. The locals are very polite not only to each other, but to the tourists as well. The Islanders always greet each other with a smile and a “hello”, and when passing tourists, they often get offended when not greeted properly. Our professor told us a local once went up to her to tell her she was offended her students didn’t greet her! Traveling abroad and starting to become immersed into another culture has really opened my eyes to things I once took for granted like  WiFi for example. The WiFi here in BVI can be spotty at times, and I find myself upset that I cannot connect with family and friends back home.  However, I am trying to not be so “American” about such things, and hopefully this will not only help me while I am abroad,but also when I return home.

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First Week in Barbados!

Submitted by Carson Hanna on the 2017 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies…

Barbados is a gorgeous country, with much more to offer than I had previously realized. When we first stepped off the plane, it wasn’t the Caribbean breeze that impressed me the most, but the people. Everywhere you go on the island, the people of Barbados, Bajans as they are known here, are incredibly polite. They say hello to you as you pass, or wave from afar, and are always amiable when you need a little help finding your way around the grocery store. On our way to the grocery store, we pass these women who sell crafts and trinkets from Barbados. They always stop us to chat, and let us know what we should definitely see before we leave. This custom took some time to get used to. In America, we’re all in our own worlds, and sometimes forget there are many others out there that could use a friendly smile, or a quick direction to the peanut butter aisle.

The 2017 winter session in Barbados  is a service learning program. I am beyond excited to start working in the primary schools on Monday! We had class on our second day here, discussing what service learning is, and what to expect in the schools. Being Episcopalian, growing up in a religious home, I found it interesting that religion is incorporated into their everyday schedule with prayer at assemblies and before meals. I’m looking forward to seeing how school is run here, meeting the children and answering any questions they may have about America.

Yesterday, we went on a historical bus tour around the island. The British influence is evident all throughout the architecture. Something I found very interesting were little houses called chattel houses. They originated when the sugar plantations needed a place for their slaves to live. If a family decided to move, they could pick up their chattel house and move to another property. We also visited a plantation where we had a delicious lunch, including macaroni pie, a delicious equivalent of macaroni and cheese. What startled me was the tour guide did not discuss much about slavery, even though it is such a large part of their history. I later learned that not many people talk about it on the island since they believe it should just be forgotten.

Tonight we are going to a traditional fish fry, and I’m eager to try the different variety of fish and food they offer!

Cordington College, the oldest theological college on the island
Cordington College, the oldest theological college on the island

Cayman Islands: Spelling Exercises

Submitted by Rachel Narcho on the 2018 spring semester program in the Cayman Islands sponsored by the College of Education and Human Development…

I had my mid-way conference this week and cannot believe that I have been here for six weeks and that I am already halfway through my Cayman experience! This week, I have been focusing on getting prepared for my independent teaching week coming up in just a few short weeks. I am also focusing on getting the edTPA completed.

I have also been working on making lessons more creative. This week for spelling, I had students make a pot of gold with a rainbow chain of their spelling words coming out of it. St. Patrick’s Day is coming up and students were interested in a craft having to do with the holiday. Being a student-centered and interest focused school, I decided to take this interest and create a spelling activity in which students were able to practice writing their spelling patterns for their spelling, and then able to complete the craft once they wrote their words in pencil and traced over in marker. Below are a few examples of the students’ work for this spelling activity.

 

Teaching Writing in the Cayman Islands

Submitted by Rachel Narcho on the 2018 spring semester program in the Cayman Islands sponsored by the College of Education and Human Development…

This week, I started working on my edTPA, and have found it a bit stressful to juggle course work, edTPA and student teaching lesson plans. I have set mini-goals each week to accomplish parts of my edTPA, plan ahead and save time for myself.

Students interacted with Scratch Jr., an educational app that allows students to be introduced to the world of coding. Students enjoyed being able to pick an avatar and to get them to move by instructing it to do so.

Students are getting very excited about our non-fiction writing. They are creating one non-fiction story a day on topics they are interested about and know a lot about. They are proving that they are experts. We brainstorm and give them mini-lessons to help improve their writing and the rest is on them. Students get so excited when they see “Writing” posted on the wall on the schedule and for their special “writing pencils”.

Over the weekend, I chose to walk down the length of Seven Mile Beach and swim back. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. It allowed me to take a second to slow down and appreciate this wonderful place and experience.

Cayman Islands: A Friend’s Visit

Submitted by Rachel Narcho on the 2018 spring semester program in the Cayman Islands sponsored by the College of Education and Human Development…

I am very excited about this week because… we had Track and Field Day on Monday and MY FRIEND KIRA CAME TO VISIT! Don’t get me wrong, I love it here so far. A little bit of home sickness has started to creep in so seeing a familiar and friendly face is just what I needed.

I purposefully planned ahead and had completed all my work for the following week before she arrived on Wednesday so that we could spend as much time together as possible.

We started off the week by having Track and Field Day. Students from the first and second grades at CIS made their way early Monday morning to the stadium, where we would conduct mini track races against classmates for the first half of the day. The students really loved it!

Kira arrived on Wednesday afternoon and we started out her visit by enjoying dinner at The Wharf. Located right on Seven Mile Beach with a short dock, we were unaware of the tarpon feeding, but received front row seats anyway. At 7:30 m, the staff came out onto the edge of the dock, and started feeding the tarpons. They were 3 feet long, swarming and jumping out of the water for the food. What a sight to see!

Thursday evening, we continued the festivities by catching a catamaran out to Rum Point Beach in the evening, and enjoying dinner while gazing at the sunset off the shore. We came back looking up at the night sky on the catamaran, seeing thousands of stars that are not visible on land due to the light pollution.

We headed out Friday afternoon to Hemingway’s, the IT spot for Friday afternoon fun. With a DJ, right on the beachfront on Seven Mile, and Asian fusion food, we were living it up.

We woke up early Saturday morning for the Stingray City tour. I was not letting her leave without seeing them! I was surprised at how much more interactive this trip would become. Our guide was very comfortable in the water and with the stingrays, and convinced the two of us to hold one! What an experience!

We then made our way to the Turtle Farm, at the most northern part of the island. Here, we learned about sea turtles, and were able to spend ten minutes in a tank filled with 7 and 8 month old baby sea turtles.

We ended Kira’s stay by dining and spending the evening on the water at Cocoloba at The Kimpton. We watched the sunset and walked by the water’s edge.

Cayman Islands: A Different Way of Teaching

Submitted by Rachel Narcho on the 2018 spring semester program in the Cayman Islands sponsored by the College of Education and Human Development…

Ms. Nimmi has been very supportive during my entire placement. She was even providing me with rides each morning. She admitted that she usually gets to school much earlier and would not be able to provide transportation to school in the mornings. My clinical educator Tatum and the other first grade teacher, Kristine, offered to switch off days so that Hannah and I were always provided transportation to school in the morning, which we were grateful for. Most days, we would walk home, enjoying the 35-40 minute walking commute to wind down from the day before arriving at the residences and getting to coursework or writing our lesson plans.

I started teaching math lessons this week and started picking up on core differences between CIS and other American schools by observing my CE teaching and interactions all around the campus.

Class sizes are much smaller than American class sizes. No class is greater than 16 students. Problem-based learning and student-led learning is a fundamental part of the curriculum. Students are often given choices when deciding on the way they choose to be assessed. There is flexible seating, and students are encouraged to behave in any matter they wish, so long as they are paying attention and listening to instruction. It is hard to stay focused and teach my lesson when there are constant distractions in the class, but it is something I have decided I need to work on and improve upon by the end of my placement.

I have learned about many cool apps and websites for students and to help with classroom management. Some of these include Tumble Books in which we can display a story on the SmartBoard and students can watch and take a quick reading quiz at the end. This is a great transition from activity to activity. I have also enjoyed using GoNoodle in the classroom. It helps students get out some extra energy or calm down with a yoga or mindfulness mini- video.

Something I was very aware of due to unfortunate recent events in America is that Cayman students are allowed to roam the halls, rarely are asked to stay in a straight line, go to the bathroom without asking and run ahead to their future destination out of the eye-sight of teachers. This has been very hard for me to adjust to. I worry about the safety of my students and I am afraid that something might happen to them if I am not staying on top of their whereabouts.

This week my CE Tatum has provided me with daily feedback, which is so critical and appreciated. We are working very well together and she has made it very clear she wants me to succeed. I am not shy in asking questions and questioning her methods. I am here to learn and learn I may!