Location: Casa Latina
Date: 1/21/2015
Time: 5:00 PM
Today the women in the adult digital literacy workshop worked on making personal business cards. There were not many attendees (I believe only 5) so Ivette, Sarah and I were able to offer more personal help when needed. Having one-on-one conversations with some of the women stretched my brain and seriously tested the limits of my knowledge of Spanish. Fortunately, they are all very considerate and understanding of the language barrier, and for that I am immensely grateful.
While I may not be the most competent person in Spanish communication, my tech support skills paid off today when one woman needed her computer to be cleaned up. She had some adware and pesky browser modifications that hindered web searching, which made her technology experience more challenging than it needed to be. Given about 15 minutes, I cleaned everything up so that she could move on and get back to learning the technology literacy skills.
I believe this is a prime example of how everybody has something to offer when volunteering is concerned. I enjoy being able to use my skills for the benefit of others, and in situations like this one I understand that I should not feel unhelpful to the project just because I do not speak Spanish very well. I feel that I am finally getting my feet wet as a member of this project, and I am excited to see where the next few weeks take me.
Showing posts with label 1/21/2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1/21/2015. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Sunday, January 25, 2015
1/21/15 Casa Latina Workshop Sarah
Location: Casa Latina
Date: 1/21/2014
Time: 5 to 7
Overview:
I'll admit I was quite tired on Wednesday, and happy that Ivette was leading the workshop and that the attendance wasn't very high. I'll have a double cappuccino before we head to Federal Way!
Students got quite experimental looking on Google for business card templates, and waded into area we didn't know much about. Two students successfully designed business cards. A third already had a design she liked. A fourth got bogged down in google searches for just the right picture, layout, etc. Who hasn't gone down that path? It makes me think of Berkowitz and Eisenberg's Big 6 skills for solving information problems:
1. Task Definition: Define the information problem; Identify information needed
2. Information Seeking Strategies: Determine all possible sources; Select the best sources
3. Location and Access: Locate sources (intellectually and physically); Find information within sources
4. Use of Information: Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch); Extract relevant information
5. Synthesis: Organize from multiple sources; Present the information
6. Evaluation: Judge the product (effectiveness), Judge the process (efficiency)
See: http://big6.com/pages/about/big6-skills-overview.php
Perhaps she was having trouble transitioning into step 5. In any project, I always have trouble starting step 5. Synthesis hurts my brain. If this comes up in a workshop again, I'll be more proactive with helping to start the Synthesizing!
Reflections on the project:
Ivette and I have synchronously been sharing thoughts, but I think it was confirmed at our meeting. As she's been moving into a more "coordinating" role, I began to wonder if I couldn't better serve the project by focusing on teaching during Spring quarter, rather than writing up the lessons. I'll admit that teaching makes me inordinately anxious, even after all these years. Please excuse any lapses in decorum as I deal with my stage fright.
I'm also starting my lit review for Capstone, and I'm happy that Ivette gave me lots of leads, and we have the annotated bibliography for class as well.
Ivette's comment about her exchange with a fellow Ph.D. student made me think about the relationships between "front-line" service providers, administrators, and academics/researchers. There's definitely attitudes and narratives in each tribe both about themselves and each other. When I worked at the Literacy Volunteers, we talked amongst ourselves about "being in the trenches" as a badge of pride. So to my fellow service-learners: here's to the trenches!
Overview:
I'll admit I was quite tired on Wednesday, and happy that Ivette was leading the workshop and that the attendance wasn't very high. I'll have a double cappuccino before we head to Federal Way!
Students got quite experimental looking on Google for business card templates, and waded into area we didn't know much about. Two students successfully designed business cards. A third already had a design she liked. A fourth got bogged down in google searches for just the right picture, layout, etc. Who hasn't gone down that path? It makes me think of Berkowitz and Eisenberg's Big 6 skills for solving information problems:
1. Task Definition: Define the information problem; Identify information needed
2. Information Seeking Strategies: Determine all possible sources; Select the best sources
3. Location and Access: Locate sources (intellectually and physically); Find information within sources
4. Use of Information: Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch); Extract relevant information
5. Synthesis: Organize from multiple sources; Present the information
6. Evaluation: Judge the product (effectiveness), Judge the process (efficiency)
See: http://big6.com/pages/about/big6-skills-overview.php
Perhaps she was having trouble transitioning into step 5. In any project, I always have trouble starting step 5. Synthesis hurts my brain. If this comes up in a workshop again, I'll be more proactive with helping to start the Synthesizing!
Reflections on the project:
Ivette and I have synchronously been sharing thoughts, but I think it was confirmed at our meeting. As she's been moving into a more "coordinating" role, I began to wonder if I couldn't better serve the project by focusing on teaching during Spring quarter, rather than writing up the lessons. I'll admit that teaching makes me inordinately anxious, even after all these years. Please excuse any lapses in decorum as I deal with my stage fright.
I'm also starting my lit review for Capstone, and I'm happy that Ivette gave me lots of leads, and we have the annotated bibliography for class as well.
Ivette's comment about her exchange with a fellow Ph.D. student made me think about the relationships between "front-line" service providers, administrators, and academics/researchers. There's definitely attitudes and narratives in each tribe both about themselves and each other. When I worked at the Literacy Volunteers, we talked amongst ourselves about "being in the trenches" as a badge of pride. So to my fellow service-learners: here's to the trenches!
Saturday, January 24, 2015
1/21/2015 Casa Latina Workshop Klarissa
Location: Casa Latina
Date: 1/21/2015
Time: 5pm
Today was an interesting day with the children. Will and I
were with them. We just received mini-iPads, along with Tiggly counts and Osmo,
some interactive attachments to the tablets. Luckily, there were three iPads
and three children. We will have to workout a sharing strategy for times when
this is not the case. We did not focus on any VIEWS2 skills. The kids were
incredibly, and almost solely, interested in playing on the tablets. We did not
have any infants or toddlers this week, which allowed us to be focused on
helping them learn the games and engage in conversation with the kids.
Having just received them before the workshop, we didn’t
have time to play with them ourselves beforehand and become familiar with Osmo
or Tiggly. But its usually my experience that children are very fast at
figuring out how things work. I didn’t get to see them play with Tiggly, but my
impression is that it didn’t work terribly well. There are magnets which the
screen is supposed to respond to, and it seemed like that didn’t happen always.
The word game on Osmo was the biggest hit and I’ll have to admit that it was
actually a bit difficult as you got further into the game. (a picture of a tree
house was supposed to give us a clue to the word ‘door,’ which was not any of
our guesses). The word game can be played with a couple people, which is great,
because there is only one Osmo device. Still, three people is a bit much, so
one is left out. Another complication to the sharing strategy.
At some point they asked about downloading other apps,
especially Candy Crush and one that has to do with makeup. Intially we agreed
to these, as age-appropriate, but they are not really learning apps. So we told
them that next week we would have to stick to apps that are educational. I was
a bit surprised that rather than being upset by this or trying to argue that
these apps could be educational, they started to show up the apps they use at
school. We had some trouble getting them set up on the math app their school
uses, as it asks for school IDs but one of the kids figured it out and helped
his sister. By the time they were about to leave, they were writing math
problems on the white board.
Before next week, we should look up and vet educational
apps, to have ready.
We also did not plan a craft this week, so we tried
origami because we had the paper and some instruction books with us. But we
didn’t try this out before, either, so we had a few frustrations. I did manage to make a penguin. The kids glued googly eyes to their penguins, so cute!
So I learned
that some planning is important, even with the goal of flexibility.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
01/22/2015 Casa Latina Workshop Ivette
Location: Casa Latina
Describe
Context – Working in the Adult Digital Literacy workshop today. 4 women attended and the topic was creating business cards.
Date:1/21/2015
Name: Ivette Bayo Urban
List
things that happened today:
Left UW campus late which meant the mobile group arrived at Casa Latina at 5:10.
Sarah had computer lab set up and only 3 women in attendance at that point.
Checked in with mujeres and they wanted to explore making business cards.
Brad finished setting up the adult tablets.
Klarissa and Willa were able to unfold the ipad minis and new apps with the youth as well as do origami.
We had another Mujer show up, she had already created her business card but unable to print because she lacked the right paper.
3 of the 4 women completed their business cards during the time in the class.
Sarah had computer lab set up and only 3 women in attendance at that point.
Checked in with mujeres and they wanted to explore making business cards.
Brad finished setting up the adult tablets.
Klarissa and Willa were able to unfold the ipad minis and new apps with the youth as well as do origami.
We had another Mujer show up, she had already created her business card but unable to print because she lacked the right paper.
3 of the 4 women completed their business cards during the time in the class.
In
the news:
Our Feb schedule and flyers were delivered to Casa Latina.
List
Action Items from workshop:
- Print and deliver business cards to women next class.
- Email Gilda calendar for Feb workshop and topics.
- Go to MSF to share information about the Latina Tech workshops and Feb.
- Make a tech inventory list inside of the bins, laminate and tape.
- Update website.
Things to look up, check out and explore:
- Set up meeting and site visit for Douglass-Truth Branch
Describe
an important an evocative social interaction that happened today:
On campus today as I was preparing for the UW class a colleague
stopped and asked how things were going. I said great, shared some
information about the diverse students I am working with and the
tentacles of the project, including capstone teams, little free library
and so forth. The colleagues says something along the lines of, "sounds
like all you are doing is volunteer management."
At the moment she said it, I knodded and went on my way. But as time passed I realized the perception that this work is not seen as neither teaching nor scholarship first (though definitely elements of that cannot be questioned) but as community work first. And I started to think about that and the realities embedded in this vision of community work, community partnership and the heavy lifting needed to level the playing field, if you will and restructure the power and privilege to its rightful location. Now I totally get that on the surface, it may appear like that is ALL I am doing, but just a little focus and dialogue and there is so much there that can go unseen, unnoticed and undervalued. Similar to the work that marginalized populations do on a regular and constant basis with trying to making ends meet, learning multiple forms of navigating the world, inside, outside, within and around the power structures and learning to not only manage but to thrive, despite the patholigization of the "how" they manage it.
At the moment she said it, I knodded and went on my way. But as time passed I realized the perception that this work is not seen as neither teaching nor scholarship first (though definitely elements of that cannot be questioned) but as community work first. And I started to think about that and the realities embedded in this vision of community work, community partnership and the heavy lifting needed to level the playing field, if you will and restructure the power and privilege to its rightful location. Now I totally get that on the surface, it may appear like that is ALL I am doing, but just a little focus and dialogue and there is so much there that can go unseen, unnoticed and undervalued. Similar to the work that marginalized populations do on a regular and constant basis with trying to making ends meet, learning multiple forms of navigating the world, inside, outside, within and around the power structures and learning to not only manage but to thrive, despite the patholigization of the "how" they manage it.
Describe
a success.
We managed another day in dialogue, being mindful and present (even if it was a bit messy and not as organized as I would have liked).
Describe
a failure. What fell through the cracks?
Given the things on my plate, I realize I am currently better suited to support the project by a secondary facilitator role than as the lead.
Despite having done the workshop on business cards in the past, I felt as though my personal stresses of the past few weeks took a toll and I did not engage the women in the critical dialogue as I would have liked, have imagined and have done in the past. While we were still able to accomplish our task, I had not anticipated the added stress with the technology - nothing that I tried to accomplish with technology was working and I was totally frustrated. I wanted to work with my mac, the platform that was familiar and that I knew how to navigate well and this was not the case.
Despite having done the workshop on business cards in the past, I felt as though my personal stresses of the past few weeks took a toll and I did not engage the women in the critical dialogue as I would have liked, have imagined and have done in the past. While we were still able to accomplish our task, I had not anticipated the added stress with the technology - nothing that I tried to accomplish with technology was working and I was totally frustrated. I wanted to work with my mac, the platform that was familiar and that I knew how to navigate well and this was not the case.
What surprised
me the most?
Despite my technological cluster mess in front of the Mujeres - I think there was some unintended learning that took place. I think that I performed the role of frustrated mujer using technology better than I ever have and granted it was not just a performance, but a genuine 'nothing is working for me' kind of day. Several students had to intervene and help with troubleshooting, including issues that I know how to troubleshoot myself.
Reflections
I recall a Mujeres Sin Fronteras meeting months ago in which the person leading the workshop, a woman of the community, was performing this same patholigization of Othering, the imaginary women they were describing, as we were discussing ways to learn and grow related to comfort zones and moving beyond them. It is hard not to perpetuate this sort othering, unintentionally, as a way to talk about personal development. But until you have walked in someone elses' shoes and carried the weight of all their identities, values, and responsibilities we need to take a step back and see that we always only have part of the story - there is always more, a lifetime, a generation, intergenerational things of more.
I recently read an article on historical trauma and I could not help but take into account the unseen and unrecognized violences that women face.
According to Schuler*, there are four main categories of gendered violence and they occur in 3 main contexts:
I recall a Mujeres Sin Fronteras meeting months ago in which the person leading the workshop, a woman of the community, was performing this same patholigization of Othering, the imaginary women they were describing, as we were discussing ways to learn and grow related to comfort zones and moving beyond them. It is hard not to perpetuate this sort othering, unintentionally, as a way to talk about personal development. But until you have walked in someone elses' shoes and carried the weight of all their identities, values, and responsibilities we need to take a step back and see that we always only have part of the story - there is always more, a lifetime, a generation, intergenerational things of more.
I recently read an article on historical trauma and I could not help but take into account the unseen and unrecognized violences that women face.
According to Schuler*, there are four main categories of gendered violence and they occur in 3 main contexts:
Four Major Categories of Gender
Violence:
- overt physical abuse
- psychological abuse
- deprivation of resources for physical and psychological well being
- commodification of women
Three Contexts:
- Family (through socialization in hierarchical relations)
- Community (i.e. social, economic, religious, cultural institutions)
- State (policies and laws, military and police)
In the past few weeks, I have been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting about the coping mechanisms that we as women in particular have and make to handle stress and life challenges and prioritize information as it relates to our current situations. This is something that I can theorize through my lived experiences as a young, unmarried, single mother who wanted nothing more than to provide a better life for her son. Here we are, 19 years later and I'm still finding ways to cope and provide balance even in the absence of it. We all have personal coping mechanism though we don't employ them in the same way, at the same time or necessarily for the same reasons since we are in fact individuals.
I often hear people say in passing, 'I don't know how he/she does it, I couldn't do xyz'. I too have been guilty of using this phrase, but when push comes to shove, we find ways to move mountains and make things happen that need to happen in order to survive and even thrive for ourselves and for those around us.
The women at Casa are luchadoras. They are inspirations of hope, love, courage and sincere desire. Each day I am amazed at the willingness to step outside of their comfort zones and work towards a society that is a little more just than the one we inhabit. They are caring, insightful and provide a space in where I can be my whole self. Where the priorities and challenges I have as a mom, are applauded and celebrated, and not seen as a crutch.
They are similar and different to the women in my own family, to the women whose children I have taught in middle schools, and similar to the newly arrive Cuban immigrants from my days working at IRC Miami. They have a 'CAN DO, MUST DO' attitude and no matter the challenge, are willing to sacrifice and fight to accomplish what they feel is in the best interest of their children.
Being part of this invisible community, of this unspoken network of madres luchadoras, is humbling and eye opening. Being part of this community means that reflections of our own work and sacrifice seem insignificant compared to the love, opportunity and responsibility we have on our shoulders.
I often hear people say in passing, 'I don't know how he/she does it, I couldn't do xyz'. I too have been guilty of using this phrase, but when push comes to shove, we find ways to move mountains and make things happen that need to happen in order to survive and even thrive for ourselves and for those around us.
The women at Casa are luchadoras. They are inspirations of hope, love, courage and sincere desire. Each day I am amazed at the willingness to step outside of their comfort zones and work towards a society that is a little more just than the one we inhabit. They are caring, insightful and provide a space in where I can be my whole self. Where the priorities and challenges I have as a mom, are applauded and celebrated, and not seen as a crutch.
They are similar and different to the women in my own family, to the women whose children I have taught in middle schools, and similar to the newly arrive Cuban immigrants from my days working at IRC Miami. They have a 'CAN DO, MUST DO' attitude and no matter the challenge, are willing to sacrifice and fight to accomplish what they feel is in the best interest of their children.
Being part of this invisible community, of this unspoken network of madres luchadoras, is humbling and eye opening. Being part of this community means that reflections of our own work and sacrifice seem insignificant compared to the love, opportunity and responsibility we have on our shoulders.
*Schuler,
Margaret (1992). Violence against women:
An international perspective. Ch. 1 in
Margaret Schuler (Ed.), Freedom from violence:
Women’s strategies from around the world
(pp.
1-45). NY: OEF International, Unifem.
[NOTE: pp. 1-18]
1/21/2015 Casa Latina Workshop Willa
Casa Latina
January 21st, 2015
4:30 PM - 7:15 PM
Ivette, Brad, Klarissa, and I left from the University Washington around 4:30. We had previously been working on setting up the tablets for the children. Ivette had purchased three iPad minis for the children along with a couple games such as Osmo Words, Osmo Tangrams, and Tiggly. I set up the iPad minis with no passcodes so that it would be easy for anyone to use them. I think it allows for greater freedom of use: where one does not need to ask to use the technology, but know that s/he can use it as her/his leisure. I also made sure the location services and automatic diagnostic reporting were turned off because it helps put an additional barrier between the children's privacy and big data information. I also set up an Apple ID so that the apps that we download on one iPad would automatically be downloaded onto all of them. I also set up restrictions so that no one could download music, videos, and podcasts. Also, in restrictions, I made restricted the adult content. I am not particularly worried about the children misusing the technology, but I would rather be on the safe side.
I worked with the children literacy program. The theme for the day was origami. However, initially, the children were more interested in playing with the iPads. There were only three children and so each could play with an iPad. We played with the tangrams first, but it was hard to tell whether or not the camera could see the pieces we were playing with. It started to get frustrating before I realized that the camera needed to be repositioned. By that time, the children were uninterested in playing with it. Then we also played with words, which was much more successful. The only issue with the Osmo apps is that you have to take the iPads out of their cases before use. We also played with the Tiggly apps. The tactile counting aids were really hard to work with and I'm still not sure how to use them. This was also frustrating with the kids.
Once they had tried all of the apps we had already downloaded, they had their own ideas of what to play including: Candy Crush, a make up game, and AngryBirds. Initially, I downloaded them, but I will remove them next week because I realized that the apps should be more focused on learning and less on play. After I explained that to the kids, they started to suggest apps and programs that they had encountered at school.
Towards the end of the time, we did do some origami. We made penguins, which was fun but also confusing. The kids were all really patient during the learning and adapting process.
January 21st, 2015
4:30 PM - 7:15 PM
Ivette, Brad, Klarissa, and I left from the University Washington around 4:30. We had previously been working on setting up the tablets for the children. Ivette had purchased three iPad minis for the children along with a couple games such as Osmo Words, Osmo Tangrams, and Tiggly. I set up the iPad minis with no passcodes so that it would be easy for anyone to use them. I think it allows for greater freedom of use: where one does not need to ask to use the technology, but know that s/he can use it as her/his leisure. I also made sure the location services and automatic diagnostic reporting were turned off because it helps put an additional barrier between the children's privacy and big data information. I also set up an Apple ID so that the apps that we download on one iPad would automatically be downloaded onto all of them. I also set up restrictions so that no one could download music, videos, and podcasts. Also, in restrictions, I made restricted the adult content. I am not particularly worried about the children misusing the technology, but I would rather be on the safe side.
I worked with the children literacy program. The theme for the day was origami. However, initially, the children were more interested in playing with the iPads. There were only three children and so each could play with an iPad. We played with the tangrams first, but it was hard to tell whether or not the camera could see the pieces we were playing with. It started to get frustrating before I realized that the camera needed to be repositioned. By that time, the children were uninterested in playing with it. Then we also played with words, which was much more successful. The only issue with the Osmo apps is that you have to take the iPads out of their cases before use. We also played with the Tiggly apps. The tactile counting aids were really hard to work with and I'm still not sure how to use them. This was also frustrating with the kids.
Once they had tried all of the apps we had already downloaded, they had their own ideas of what to play including: Candy Crush, a make up game, and AngryBirds. Initially, I downloaded them, but I will remove them next week because I realized that the apps should be more focused on learning and less on play. After I explained that to the kids, they started to suggest apps and programs that they had encountered at school.
Towards the end of the time, we did do some origami. We made penguins, which was fun but also confusing. The kids were all really patient during the learning and adapting process.
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