While this is not a question I've actually been asked, it's one I feel compelled to try to answer from time to time, if only to remind myself of why I'm willing, in our culture's current super-charged, over-processed educational atmosphere, to devote one hundred eighty precious minutes per week to silent, sustained...INDEPENDENT reading. An edifying article in the Winter 2008 edition of Independent School Magazine served to bolster my commitment to freedom of choice when it comes to reading selections as well as maintenance of the "sacred space" in which to practice the skills...the art of silent, sustained reading. Author Thomas Newkirk noted in his article, "When Reading Becomes Work" that "reading competes for student loyalty in a crowded media environment, and...the middle school period is the crucial fulcrum where many students decide to draw their narrative pleasures from media other than print. It is crucial...to view this rejection of book reading not as the character flaw of students, but as the rational choice to seek narrative pleasure elsewhere - because reading, itself, has become work." (For a full study of the current status of reading versus media, Google and download the Kaiser Family Foundation's report: "Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year Olds" by Donald Roberts et al of Stanford University.)
My personal favorite and pedagogical mentor, Nancie Atwell comments in her recent book The Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, Critical Readers, "...we need to become comfortable with the 'P' word - comfortable with 'pleasure' as a motivating force in reading."
Newkirk ends his article with words I've often thought and sometimes spoken: "...the pleasure of reading (both fiction and nonfiction) comes from entering a meditative state in which the reader is not even conscious of reading - or conscious of the passing of time. The reader is in the text, a confidant or observer. Readers, to be sure, can resurface for discussion and analysis- in fact, engagement is a prerequisite for analysis."
Thus, Monday and Tuesday mornings from 10:45 until 12:15 our 8th grade cores actively engage in the pleasure of independent, self-selected reading and enthusiastically navigate uncharted literary terrain. Even those who admit to attention issues are regularly caught up in the energy of a "page turner." If you don't believe me, just drop by some Monday or Tuesday late morning...but be forewarned: Reading Workshoppers wax downright grumpy about distractions or interruptions!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
"Chillin" with Obama!
...and CHILLIN' was the operative word! Brrrrr! That said, our rather impromptu field trip down to the Seattle Center to experience, first hand, the energy and excitement of an historic primary election campaign was well rewarded by a front row position as the senator from Illinois exited his car and stood on the steps with a megaphone to quickly address those of us who could not fit into the filled-to-capacity Key Arena. Some of our girls took excellent photos (as witnessed by this one of Barack taken by Taryn) and all came away with an appreciation of the energy generated by a gifted speaker in politically charged times. While we're fully cognizant of the fact that not every SGS family is an Obama supporter, we felt compelled to take advantage of an opportunity to participate in an historic moment. As I told our girls,"This is not an attempt to convert you to any specific political position or ideology. In keeping with Black History Month AND our effort to 'Carpe Diem' - we just thought that seeing Obama might be something you will look back on and be glad that you were there!" Given how excited the girls seemed after the event, I think we achieved our goal! As one eighth grader called to me as she left for home at 3:30..."This was a great day Sally!"
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
cultural norms, reflection & table manners
Cortesía y normas culturales en América Latina nombre__________________
Observations from the role-plays. What did you notice?
(Please do not read on until after you’ve written your own observations.)
Saludos (greetings). In Latin America, here are a few norms to keep in mind:
Formal greetings: buenos dias, buenas tardes/noches. ¿Cómo esta/n?
Informal greetings: Hola ¿Qué tal? or…
¿Cómo estás? ¿Cómo te va? = How (for you) is it going?
¿Qué tal? has a few interpretations:
1. What’s up/how’s it going?
2. How about (it): ¿Qué tal la comida? How’s the food? ¿Qué tal tu mamá? How’s your mom?
3. How was (it): ¿Qué tal la fiesta? How about the party/How was the party?
When you see a companion, workmate, family member, or another person you know for the first time in the day, greeting is automatic. Not to greet that person is very confusing to a Latino/a. It might be taken as an insult. In Fact, if a Latina is never exposed to US or other cultures, she might not even realize it’s a cultural thing, instead, believing it to be a “natural” thing in common to all human beings.
Physical contact: Besos por la mejilla (kisses on the cheek), abrazos (hugs), dar la mano (giving handshakes), tocar la espalda (pat on the back)
male-male contact and male-female contact
In most Latin American cultures, physical contact is very common and accompanies greetings. A male will give a handshake to other males he knows, often with a light pat on the back. “Bear hugs” are less common. A male will kiss his female companions on the cheek, with no romantic implications by anyone. A kiss on the cheek or at least a hand-shake is common for when you are introduced to someone for the first time. Careful: The word “introduce” in this case translates to “presentar”, not “introducir”, which can have other unintended implications. A kiss on the cheek will sometimes happen even between students and teachers, crossing genders. Shocking! Maybe. Normal? Let’s just call it a “norm”, leaving out value judgments.
Female-female contact
The same norms as above hold true between females, with one exception. Females will often kiss their female companions on the cheek. Again, this is with no romantic implications.
Reflexión: Impacto cultural Culture shock
Whose culture do you follow when two cultures mix? Does it matter where you are? What if you belong to a foreign culture? What if you are in your home country but surrounded by people of another culture? What do you think is the right thing to do? How long do you think it takes to understand another culture if no one tells you directly? How might Latinos and Americans misunderstand/missjudge each other?
reglas de etiqueta en la mesa (Table manners)
Table manners are an important part of Hispanic cultures.
1. At the beginning of the meal, it is common to say ‘buen provecho’ which roughly means ‘enjoy the meal,’ similar to ‘bon apetite’ in French. It can also be shortened to ‘provecho’ and still means the same.
When someone says ‘buen provecho’ to you, you can say ‘buen provecho’ back to that person if s/he is participating in the meal, otherwise you can say ‘gracias’.
2. If you want to leave the table during a meal or at the end of the meal, it is common to say ‘con permiso’ or simply ‘permiso’ which in this context means the same as ‘perdón’. Literally it means ‘with (your) permission’. If someone else says ‘permiso’ to you, you may respond with ‘siga’ if that person is your elder, or ‘sigue’ if that person is your age or younger. This comes from the verb ‘seguir’ meaning to continue, go ahead or follow. Another way of saying ‘go ahead’ is ‘adelante.’ Also common in México is to say ‘pásale’.
3. Table conversation. If you are guests in a Latin American home, and you feel shy or reluctant to converse in Spanish, what will you do? Imagine that you and an English speaking friend just decide to talk to each other in English through out the entire meal, how will that make your host family feel? Having your Spanish-English dictionary with you will be one way to try to communicate with your host family, even at the dinner table. Making the effort to communicate is always appreciated.
4. How many ways can you say you like the food? Here are some:
¡Que delicioso! ¡Que sabroso! ¡Que rico! ¡me gusta!
5. Another common courtesy at the end of the meal is to simply say ‘gracias’ before getting up to leave the table, particularly to the one who served or cooked the food.
Normas de despedida (norms for good-byes)
Saying good-bye in Latin America is also a common courtesy. To show good manners, one says good-bye to the entire household when leaving, even if that means going into the kitchen where someone might be washing your dishes, etc. Here is a review of some of the common “good-byes”:
Adiós- literally comes from ‘to God’ or ‘Go with God’. Even non-religious people use this now.
Chao- This was borrowed from Italian ‘ciao’, but is now a part of common Spanish.
Hasta luego- until later
Hasta pronto- until soon (see you soon)
Nos vemos- (we) will see each other
Cuídese- take care (of yourself). Formal form. Comes from Cuidar +Reflexive pronoun.
Aplicación, future tense, simplified form:
¿Qué vas a decir? ¿Qué vas a hacer? What are you going to say? What are you going to do?
Answer the following questions with complete phrases ¡en español! Practice using the structure we’ve studied: Voy + A + infinitive verb
1. ¿Qué vas a decir antes de la comida? ____________________________________________
2. ¿Qué vas a decir cuando otra persona dice ‘buen provecho’?_____________________________________________________________
3. ¿Qué vas a decir si quieres ir al baño durante la comida? ______________________________________________________________________
4. ¿Qué vas a decir cuando terminas la comida? ______________________________________________________________________________
5. ¿Qué vas a hacer cuando sales de la casa en América Latina? (salir- to leave/go out)
______________________________________________________________________________
6. ¿Qué vas a hacer si tu familia anfitriona (host family) te da la mano? (hand shake)
______________________________________________________________________
Observations from the role-plays. What did you notice?
(Please do not read on until after you’ve written your own observations.)
Saludos (greetings). In Latin America, here are a few norms to keep in mind:
Formal greetings: buenos dias, buenas tardes/noches. ¿Cómo esta/n?
Informal greetings: Hola ¿Qué tal? or…
¿Cómo estás? ¿Cómo te va? = How (for you) is it going?
¿Qué tal? has a few interpretations:
1. What’s up/how’s it going?
2. How about (it): ¿Qué tal la comida? How’s the food? ¿Qué tal tu mamá? How’s your mom?
3. How was (it): ¿Qué tal la fiesta? How about the party/How was the party?
When you see a companion, workmate, family member, or another person you know for the first time in the day, greeting is automatic. Not to greet that person is very confusing to a Latino/a. It might be taken as an insult. In Fact, if a Latina is never exposed to US or other cultures, she might not even realize it’s a cultural thing, instead, believing it to be a “natural” thing in common to all human beings.
Physical contact: Besos por la mejilla (kisses on the cheek), abrazos (hugs), dar la mano (giving handshakes), tocar la espalda (pat on the back)
male-male contact and male-female contact
In most Latin American cultures, physical contact is very common and accompanies greetings. A male will give a handshake to other males he knows, often with a light pat on the back. “Bear hugs” are less common. A male will kiss his female companions on the cheek, with no romantic implications by anyone. A kiss on the cheek or at least a hand-shake is common for when you are introduced to someone for the first time. Careful: The word “introduce” in this case translates to “presentar”, not “introducir”, which can have other unintended implications. A kiss on the cheek will sometimes happen even between students and teachers, crossing genders. Shocking! Maybe. Normal? Let’s just call it a “norm”, leaving out value judgments.
Female-female contact
The same norms as above hold true between females, with one exception. Females will often kiss their female companions on the cheek. Again, this is with no romantic implications.
Reflexión: Impacto cultural Culture shock
Whose culture do you follow when two cultures mix? Does it matter where you are? What if you belong to a foreign culture? What if you are in your home country but surrounded by people of another culture? What do you think is the right thing to do? How long do you think it takes to understand another culture if no one tells you directly? How might Latinos and Americans misunderstand/missjudge each other?
reglas de etiqueta en la mesa (Table manners)
Table manners are an important part of Hispanic cultures.
1. At the beginning of the meal, it is common to say ‘buen provecho’ which roughly means ‘enjoy the meal,’ similar to ‘bon apetite’ in French. It can also be shortened to ‘provecho’ and still means the same.
When someone says ‘buen provecho’ to you, you can say ‘buen provecho’ back to that person if s/he is participating in the meal, otherwise you can say ‘gracias’.
2. If you want to leave the table during a meal or at the end of the meal, it is common to say ‘con permiso’ or simply ‘permiso’ which in this context means the same as ‘perdón’. Literally it means ‘with (your) permission’. If someone else says ‘permiso’ to you, you may respond with ‘siga’ if that person is your elder, or ‘sigue’ if that person is your age or younger. This comes from the verb ‘seguir’ meaning to continue, go ahead or follow. Another way of saying ‘go ahead’ is ‘adelante.’ Also common in México is to say ‘pásale’.
3. Table conversation. If you are guests in a Latin American home, and you feel shy or reluctant to converse in Spanish, what will you do? Imagine that you and an English speaking friend just decide to talk to each other in English through out the entire meal, how will that make your host family feel? Having your Spanish-English dictionary with you will be one way to try to communicate with your host family, even at the dinner table. Making the effort to communicate is always appreciated.
4. How many ways can you say you like the food? Here are some:
¡Que delicioso! ¡Que sabroso! ¡Que rico! ¡me gusta!
5. Another common courtesy at the end of the meal is to simply say ‘gracias’ before getting up to leave the table, particularly to the one who served or cooked the food.
Normas de despedida (norms for good-byes)
Saying good-bye in Latin America is also a common courtesy. To show good manners, one says good-bye to the entire household when leaving, even if that means going into the kitchen where someone might be washing your dishes, etc. Here is a review of some of the common “good-byes”:
Adiós- literally comes from ‘to God’ or ‘Go with God’. Even non-religious people use this now.
Chao- This was borrowed from Italian ‘ciao’, but is now a part of common Spanish.
Hasta luego- until later
Hasta pronto- until soon (see you soon)
Nos vemos- (we) will see each other
Cuídese- take care (of yourself). Formal form. Comes from Cuidar +Reflexive pronoun.
Aplicación, future tense, simplified form:
¿Qué vas a decir? ¿Qué vas a hacer? What are you going to say? What are you going to do?
Answer the following questions with complete phrases ¡en español! Practice using the structure we’ve studied: Voy + A + infinitive verb
1. ¿Qué vas a decir antes de la comida? ____________________________________________
2. ¿Qué vas a decir cuando otra persona dice ‘buen provecho’?_____________________________________________________________
3. ¿Qué vas a decir si quieres ir al baño durante la comida? ______________________________________________________________________
4. ¿Qué vas a decir cuando terminas la comida? ______________________________________________________________________________
5. ¿Qué vas a hacer cuando sales de la casa en América Latina? (salir- to leave/go out)
______________________________________________________________________________
6. ¿Qué vas a hacer si tu familia anfitriona (host family) te da la mano? (hand shake)
______________________________________________________________________
Cultural norms, greetings in Latin America
Saludos Role-play, greeting norms in Hispanic cultures
Escenario 1: Kara es profe de ciencias. Daniel es profe de español. Son amigos.
(female-male colleagues/friends)
D: Hola Karita! ¿Qué tal? (kiss on the check, hand on the shoulder)
K: bien. ¿qué tal?
D: todo bien. Que lindo clima ¿no?
K: Sí, hace mucho sol…
Escenario 2: Kara es muchacho: Carlos. Daniel es muchacho. Son amigos.
(2 boys who are friends)
D: Hola Carlos! ¿Qué pasa? (shake hands, pat each other on the back)
K: Hola Danielito! ¿Qué pasa vato?
D: Nada, vato. Todo bien.
K: …
Escenario 3: Kara es chica. Daniel es chica: Daniela. Son compañeras de la escuela.
(2 girls who are friends)
K: Órale Daniela! ¿Cómo estás? (kiss on the check, hand on the shoulder)
D: Estoy aqui. ¿y tú?
K: bien. ¿Qué mas?
D: ¡Sabes que mi novio es muy malo! ¡me dejó! Estoy tan triste. (lots of crying)
K: que pena…
Escenario 4: Daniel es profe. Kara es alumna de Daniel. Después de vacaciones.
(male teacher & female student)
D: Buenos dias, Karita. ¡Bienvenida! (kiss on the cheek, hand on the shoulder)
K: Buenos dias, profe.
D: ¿Qué tal las vacaciones?
K: Bien. Fui a Nueva York…
Escenario 1: Kara es profe de ciencias. Daniel es profe de español. Son amigos.
(female-male colleagues/friends)
D: Hola Karita! ¿Qué tal? (kiss on the check, hand on the shoulder)
K: bien. ¿qué tal?
D: todo bien. Que lindo clima ¿no?
K: Sí, hace mucho sol…
Escenario 2: Kara es muchacho: Carlos. Daniel es muchacho. Son amigos.
(2 boys who are friends)
D: Hola Carlos! ¿Qué pasa? (shake hands, pat each other on the back)
K: Hola Danielito! ¿Qué pasa vato?
D: Nada, vato. Todo bien.
K: …
Escenario 3: Kara es chica. Daniel es chica: Daniela. Son compañeras de la escuela.
(2 girls who are friends)
K: Órale Daniela! ¿Cómo estás? (kiss on the check, hand on the shoulder)
D: Estoy aqui. ¿y tú?
K: bien. ¿Qué mas?
D: ¡Sabes que mi novio es muy malo! ¡me dejó! Estoy tan triste. (lots of crying)
K: que pena…
Escenario 4: Daniel es profe. Kara es alumna de Daniel. Después de vacaciones.
(male teacher & female student)
D: Buenos dias, Karita. ¡Bienvenida! (kiss on the cheek, hand on the shoulder)
K: Buenos dias, profe.
D: ¿Qué tal las vacaciones?
K: Bien. Fui a Nueva York…
Mexico itinerary
SGS Mexico Trip 2008 Itinerary
Friday, February 15
8:30 am Depart Seatac
3:40 pm Arrive Mexico City
AeroMexico Flight 671
Take rented bus to Cuernavaca, approximately 90 minutes from airport. Students meet their host families at ENCUENTROS, who will be assigned in groups of two SGS students shared room per family, and one adult in single accommodations. All host families live within walking distance of school.
Saturday, February 16
Morning: 9 am ENCUENTROS, Meet at School ORIENTATION
10 to 1:30 visit downtown to museums Palacio de Cortez and Brady Musuem (use taxis)
1:30 to 4 spend time, eat with families
Afternoon: Meet 4:15 ENCUENTROS 4:30 to 7:00 return downtown for walking tour and “rally” walk instead of taxis
7:00 return to Mexican families
Evening: Each person returns to homestay: time for getting to know host families
Sunday, February 17
Meet at ENCUENTROS 9:30 am
Visit to Xochicalco, pyramid south of Cuernavaca
Return about 3 pm, for lunch with host families. Evening free for time with Mexican families.
Monday, February 18
Morning: 9 to 12 noon Spanish class at Encuentros. Theme: food and cooking
12 to 12:30 Snack time at Encuentros
12:30 to 2:30 Visit market to buy ingredients for cooking class
Evening:5 to 7:30 pm: Cooking class & dinner at Encuentros
Tuesday, February 19
Morning: 9 am to 10:30 am Spanish class. Theme: Shopping
10:30 to 11 snacks at school before trip
11:00 am leave for Taxco historic “silver town” to see silver factory, then centro and Sta. Prisca church
Wednesday, February 20
Morning: 9 am to 11 am Spanish class Spanish class. Theme: Meeting people
11 am to 2:30: Visit students at Secundaria Técnica 23
SGS students will have become penpals with students prior to the visit. Snacks with students at about 1 pm.
3 to 4:30 Lunch with Mexican family
5:00 to 6:30 Salsa dancing class
Thursday, February 21
trip to local waterpark
Friday, February 22
Morning: 9 a 11 am. Spanish class: Theme: Tepotzlán
11 am to 5 pm excursion to indigenous town of Tepoztlan. Optional hike to pyramids, museum visit, lunch in restaurant.
Saturday, February 23
6:00 pm Depart Mexico City
9:35 pm Arrive Seatac
AeroMexico Flight 670
Friday, February 15
8:30 am Depart Seatac
3:40 pm Arrive Mexico City
AeroMexico Flight 671
Take rented bus to Cuernavaca, approximately 90 minutes from airport. Students meet their host families at ENCUENTROS, who will be assigned in groups of two SGS students shared room per family, and one adult in single accommodations. All host families live within walking distance of school.
Saturday, February 16
Morning: 9 am ENCUENTROS, Meet at School ORIENTATION
10 to 1:30 visit downtown to museums Palacio de Cortez and Brady Musuem (use taxis)
1:30 to 4 spend time, eat with families
Afternoon: Meet 4:15 ENCUENTROS 4:30 to 7:00 return downtown for walking tour and “rally” walk instead of taxis
7:00 return to Mexican families
Evening: Each person returns to homestay: time for getting to know host families
Sunday, February 17
Meet at ENCUENTROS 9:30 am
Visit to Xochicalco, pyramid south of Cuernavaca
Return about 3 pm, for lunch with host families. Evening free for time with Mexican families.
Monday, February 18
Morning: 9 to 12 noon Spanish class at Encuentros. Theme: food and cooking
12 to 12:30 Snack time at Encuentros
12:30 to 2:30 Visit market to buy ingredients for cooking class
Evening:5 to 7:30 pm: Cooking class & dinner at Encuentros
Tuesday, February 19
Morning: 9 am to 10:30 am Spanish class. Theme: Shopping
10:30 to 11 snacks at school before trip
11:00 am leave for Taxco historic “silver town” to see silver factory, then centro and Sta. Prisca church
Wednesday, February 20
Morning: 9 am to 11 am Spanish class Spanish class. Theme: Meeting people
11 am to 2:30: Visit students at Secundaria Técnica 23
SGS students will have become penpals with students prior to the visit. Snacks with students at about 1 pm.
3 to 4:30 Lunch with Mexican family
5:00 to 6:30 Salsa dancing class
Thursday, February 21
trip to local waterpark
Friday, February 22
Morning: 9 a 11 am. Spanish class: Theme: Tepotzlán
11 am to 5 pm excursion to indigenous town of Tepoztlan. Optional hike to pyramids, museum visit, lunch in restaurant.
Saturday, February 23
6:00 pm Depart Mexico City
9:35 pm Arrive Seatac
AeroMexico Flight 670
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