All Good Things Must Come To An End

     The journey of going to Rock Island High School to help students in the Rock Island ELL Program has come to an end, and I have helped there for a total of twelve hours. Over the course of my time there, I helped students with every subject in the book. There was math, science, geography, history, home ec, and anything else they needed. I also got to watch twenty amazing and unique individuals grow through education and in themselves.

     The experience of being at the high school gave way to a few themes. One of the themes that occurred across my experiences was the theme of language. All of the students knew English, but for most of them it was not their first language, and still were not all the way fluent in it. This caused some language barriers both in communicating with peers, communicating with teachers, and completing their course work. Language is a vital part of cultures that allows people to interact and influence others, and being a Rock Island High School allowed me to see that true impact language plays. Another theme that I saw throughout my experiences was diversity, and how it can lead to misunderstanding and even conflict. Every single individual has their own diverse background, skills, and knowledge. This is the beauty of our world today, that we have the opportunity to be so diverse and interact with those from other cultures. Unfortunately, when someone does not understand another culture, it can lead to conflict and inequality. I saw this at the high school with so many different diversities under one roof. The themes of language and diversity played a role in my experiences at Rock Island High School.
    
     Interpersonal interactions depend a lot on our perceptions and understanding of others. Having helped at Rock Island High School has changed my perceptions and understandings. I now know more about refugees and the cultures that the students came from. I also understand that although language allows us to communicate with others to express our ideas, thoughts, and emotions, it can also hinder our communication when we do not all understand one another. This taught me to be more open to diversity, especially cultures and circumstances that I'm not accustomed to. If I keep this in mind, then my future interpersonal interactions can occur across broader cultures to a wider range of people. This will also help in my career goal of being a nurse and helping people in other countries, so I can communicate in the best possible way with everyone.

The End of the Road

          Each day that I visit Rock Island High School, there is a new story to tell. Each time we walk into the classroom, they remember us and instantly start asking for our help. The students lately have had homework mostly dealing with math. They have been learning about negative numbers. I have helped with homework regarding adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing negative numbers with positive numbers. I have also read a book with one of the female students about a refugee that came to America. The book is about his experiences being in a new country and trying to find his place. She read aloud to me and I read aloud to her some. While she was reading, she would ask me about how to pronounce words and what different words meant. Most of the students know English pretty well, but do not know all aspects of the language.

Language itself is not communication, or even the words we communicate. It is the set of symbols that must follow specific rules in order to be symbolic to us. This means that language is made up of the letters and numbers we use to form words, sentences, and thoughts. They then, in turn, allow us to communicate with one another. Language can sometimes be a barrier because of the different languages around the world. This is sometimes the case with the students at the high school. They know English well enough to participate in class and complete the homework, but they sometimes run into trouble with the language. Some of the humor and slang terms that are used in America are hard for them to comprehend right away, and must be explained. This is because language has semantic rules that attach a specific meaning to a word. The students understand the literal meaning of the words, but not always the figurative meanings. This can lead to miscommunication in the class room if a student does not understand something.

Once I fully began to understand that every single student has a different background, and came from a different culture, I can make sense of some of their values and social practices. A large part of the culture that they came from that I can see every visit is the language. Now that I know how important the meanings behind language are, I can try to explain the English language better to the students. Finding words that are common to everyone with be a main goal in explaining language better. When everyone sees that one language is not better than another, that they are both unique and different, both cultures can be reflected through the symbolism that language is.

Continuing the Journey

     Every visit to Rock Island High School became easier, more comfortable, and more rewarding. I helped with different subjects every time, but they ranged from math to history to home ec. Math so far seems to be one of the more challenging subjects for the students, and is what we help with the most. Most of the math course work is in algebra and lately has been all about fractions. I have also helped the past few visits with history and geography. This included writing essays about Martin Luther King Jr., naming different countries and locations on a map, and learning about the United States Bill of Rights and Constitution. One of my favorite subjects to help with has been home ec. I love trying to figure out right along with the students all about something used in everyday life. During my last visit I helped a female student with learning conversions in the English system of measurements. This included terms like gallon, pound, inch, and teaspoon. She was asking questions about all of the different measurements and wanted examples of when I would use each. This got us talking about baking, and our favorite foods to not only bake, but also to eat. During free time in the classroom I continue to get to know the students better and learn more about their lives. As I get to know them more, I realize how people judge others and their cultures too quickly, especially using stereotypes. Once I stepped back and looked into their cultures, I began to realize that they are just as unique as ours. It's also amazing to see how the students not only become a part of the United States’ culture, but also integrate it with the culture from where they came from.
     In the US, most people have stereotypes about groups and cultures that are different from their own. Stereotypes are overgeneralizations that are usually applied to a group of people whether or not they are true. When I asked others what they thought when they first thought of a refugee attending an American high school, they assumed that the student would not be as bright and probably not be able to speak English very well. After having spent time with the students and getting to know how they are doing in school, I've come to find that many of them are very bright. They try very hard and succeed in the classroom, even though they have the expectations of those around them saying that they are not as smart. In reality though, every person in the classroom I help in is just as different as any other classroom. People are too quick to lump everyone together just because they are from a different culture, and attribute one trait to everyone belonging to that culture. The students in the classroom all come from different cultures, and after spending more time with them, I have come to see that they assimilate both into their lives. One student in particular talks about the culture he was a part of in Africa and how his mom sticks to the values and beliefs associated with it at home. He also takes part in the American culture and acts most of the time like a "regular" teenager. The students even debate and explain their unique beliefs to the other students. One day they were comparing the different religions that they are a part of. Seeing how the students integrate their individual cultures into American culture shows how American culture is like a salad, full of different ingredients all combined.
     Every time I go to the high school I slowly get to know the students better. After looking for how each student studies and learns information, I was able to better help them with their homework. Knowing the power stereotypes can play in my perceptions of others will allow me to learn about other cultures before assuming anything about them. This can even include helping the students to learn more about our culture, and clear up any false stereotypes they have too. Now that I understand how the students assimilate their diverse cultures into their lives here in the United States, I can play a role in helping them maintain that balance in keeping where they came from and where they are now a part of their lives.

Just the Beginning

        Upon arriving at Rock Island High School, we went up to the third floor to the assigned room where we will be helping for the semester. The teacher introduced us to the students and explained what would be going on. We were helping during a study skills period at the end of the day. The students were able to work on any homework that they had to do from that day. There were also teacher's aids in the room to assist with homework questions. Most of the homework that I have helped with so far includes a lot of math, health, government, and cursive writing. Students have been looking up answers to worksheets about cell division, the cardiovascular system, and ecosystems for science. Algebra homework has included solving equations for x, using the distributive property, and reviewing for an upcoming test. Surprisingly, when helping on some health homework about kitchen utensils, neither I, the other SAU student, or the teacher knew the technical names for some of the objects. It was interesting to see how even though some of us have grown up in the culture, we do not know everything there is to know about our own culture. The diversity, or differences, of the United States culture makes it hard to be culturally competent about all aspects of it. Surprisingly to me, all of the students in the study skills were very friendly from the beginning. Once the first class was over, their teacher expressed her surprise at how quickly and easily the students opened up to us and accepted our help. After being in the classroom, especially the more I'm there, I see how every single student has their own unique identity, or unique personality. Some are very shy and others are very outgoing.
      Cultural diversity impacts the way that the students act and interact with each other. Coming from backgrounds that are different, all of the students have different values, beliefs, histories, and heritages. Diversity affects the way that they learn, and how important getting an education is to them. It also affects their work ethic. Some of the students are very hard workers and have jobs outside of school too. The students' different diversities impact their personal identities. When getting to know the students more through interacting with them, each one has unique characteristics. Some love divulging information about themselves and have told me all about their family, friends, and things that are important to them. If each student had the same personal identity, helping at the high school would not be nearly as exciting as it is now.
      Learning the diversities of all the students will help me interact with each of them on a much deeper level. Knowing where they came from, and some of their interests will help me relate the material to things that interest them, rather than giving examples right from a textbook. Relating material to a student's interests creates a stronger connection and allows them to learn the material better. One thing that helped immensely was that the students opened up to us at the beginning. Without this open relationship, I wouldn't be able to relate with them. The more I visit, the stronger our relationships grow, and the better I am able to instruct them.

Before it all Began

1. For this service learning project I hope to know more about other cultures around the world, and how to have a conversation with someone from another country without offending or making a fool of myself. Growing up in a small town in central Illinois did not make for a very culturally diverse place to live. I learned about other cultures and lifestyles through the education I received in both high school and the beginning of college through classes such as sociology. Through this service project I hope to learn even more.

2. I do not have too many assumptions about the service learning site. I know that it is Rock Island High School, and considering it is for the city of Rock Island, I'm sure it is pretty big. I also assume that since it is a high school located in a city, it will be more diverse in the kids that attend there. Other than that, I do not know what to expect about the service learning site.

3. All that I know about the work that is done through the Rock Island ELL Program is that they help educate refugees. This teaching can range anywhere from learning English to math to science. I assume that the kids are also taught the basic lifestyles here in America, in order to become adjusted to living here faster.

4. I do not know very much about the population that the Rock Island ELL Program serves. I know that they come from all over the world, seeking refuge here in the United States. Other than that, I do not really know, or can assume anything, about the population.

5. I have no connections to Rock Island High School or to anyone in the population because I did not grow up around here. I am very interested in seeing what actually goes on through the ELL Program and what the kids are learning. I also find other cultures very interesting and cannot wait to get to know the kids better and hear their unique stories. I feel like after every trip to Rock Island High School, I will truly be able to say "you learn something new everyday."

How does service relate to learning?

     Service relates to learning in a variety of different ways. When a person has performed service activities, they become a more well rounded person. The experiences they have been a part of allow them to indulge themselves deeper into learning, whether it be in a classroom or daily life. Service allows a person to open up and understand more than just what is a part of their everyday routine. People can learn more about the world and other cultures through service.