SSE school makes the news
Written by Veldee Hall Thursday, 10 May 2012 09:26
West High team did several interviews and presentations to different organizations when they completed their exchange. Some of the press was posted soon after they returned home in late February. Just recently, KSKA public radio posted their interview with teacher Kate Menzel on their website. Take a look at the article and feel free to spread it on to others!
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2012/04/03/an-alaskan-urban-rural-exchange/
Teams amass in Floyd Dryden
Written by Veldee Hall Tuesday, 08 May 2012 09:27
Three teams traveled to Juneau last week for their exchange with Floyd Dryden teams: Kwethluk Middle, Tanana Middle and McGrath Middle. The teams lucked out on some sunny days in Juneau, some teams even had a calm ferry ride to Haines and back. Take a look at thier daily posts and the up and coming Area of Exploration videos.
These teams are the final travelers and wrap up our exchange season, flying home yesterday to their respective communities. We have had 30 successful exchanges this year! Take the time and look at the teams and their student reflections, some great cultural moments were captured.
Great Praise from a SSE teacher
Written by Veldee Hall Wednesday, 25 April 2012 10:24
In the last few weeks of school and our exchanges, I see teachers start to stress from the mountain of tests, paperwork and classwork loaded on them. The wonderful thing about our cultural exchanges is that students rise to the occasion and inspire not only their teacher(s) but bring about wonderful cultural connections inspite of all the stress that comes with the end of the school year. It can often be an exhaustive experience as much as it recharges, even revives each person involved. Read the below blog from Deb Abshier (Begich Middle) as she reflects on her teams' experiences traveling to Ambler. This is one of the reasons I love our SSE program:
Well, we're home, and we've hosted and we're all pooped. As I think back on the entire exchange, I'm very pleased with how well my students did with the RURE standards and competencies. I can honestly say that each of my five ambassadors shows growth in at least three of the four areas, and most excelled at all of them. I think that as I do this exchange from year to year I'm getting better at preparing the kids, and also better at identifying kids who will "get it" as we go through our journey. I am proud of how well they represented our school and our community.
In the area of Cross Cultural Understanding I clearly saw evidence of their growth. Ryan came away with a new awareness of his own cultural frame that simply blew me away. We were at Bean's Cafe and he was talking about having volunteered there before and having to open cans of food that were, in his words, disgusting. I asked him to reflect on that and tell me why he was able to talk about food in that way. I could see the light bulb come on and he said, "Because I have a choice. I never thought about that before."
All my kids showed tremendous flexibility with schedule changes in Ambler, getting through the airport despite the full body pat-down, and engaging in whatever was going on. We sat on the floor of the Kotzebue airport and played Apples to Apples and drew a small crowd of watchers who began suggesting ideas to the kids. The kids began interacting with the crowd, including TSA personnel, and we had such fun. I think we might have started a new trend among bored TSA personnel stationed in OTZ.
Each time an unexpected opportunity presented itself my kids jumped in. They checked traps with Clarence, made donuts with the high school kids, learned volleyball (village-style), played on the rope swing, went sledding, cooked meals with hosts, took food to elders, tie-dyed shirts with their guests, created unexpected opportunities in Anchorage (viewing Cook Inlet from the office of one of the mothers on the 19th floor of the Atwood Building), etc. I've never before had a team of ALL top ambassadors, but that's what these kids proved to be.
In the area of Social Inquiry I think my kids created thoughtful, deep questions about their areas for exploration. Not just "What is Inupiaq culture like?", but "How does culture get passed from generation to generation?" and "How have snow machines changed the culture of transportation?" "Can people now travel farther?" They analyzed their own experiences and came up with insights that even I wasn't expecting. "Hunting is easy - the women have the hard work, processing the animals when the hunters bring them in." Wow.
I think once I got the kids to understand that we were looking for the deeper reflections that they began to really see Ambler. I despaired that they would never stop blogging about food, but they listened and began thinking about bigger pictures. Katelyn said that she'd come to know that culture is a fragile thing that can be changed or destroyed with the smallest act. The group agreed, and said that they thought it was important for them to let other urban dwellers know that our actions in the city can make a huge impact on village life. I think their recognition of the significance of their learning was huge, and I was so proud that they got away from the Cheerios and on to the real heart of the exchange.
In the area of Communication I could see my students both listening and communicating actively. I think they all are now able to talk about their cultural lenses and how they affect our views of the world. Mariah talks about the advantages of going to a smaller school, and wishes she could have that education. On day two James was already asking me about careers that would allow him to live in view of the Brooks Range. They could see themselves fitting in there, and liked what they saw. Katelyn perceptively commented that it is probably easier for kids to fit into village life than for their parents to be accepted. I never once heard any of my kids complaining about village life, or expressing observations negatively. They adopted the differences that felt good, and simply passed on the things that made them uncomfortable. Katelyn became a volleyball star, Mariah made friends easily, James laughed at his own mistakes and tried again, Aden talked about how it was weird but fun to not have a shower in his host house, Ryan became a celebrity to all the little kids in the village. Each student found a way to connect and to positively represent their own cultures. Each student found something positive to take with them from Ambler. I'm so proud of them all!