Rodriquez: Service Learning
Service Learning.
Having the opportunity to do the service learning experience during my first semester at CSUMB was one of the most interesting learning experiences that I had.
My service learning was conducted in the local community of Watsonville. I worked at Watsonville High School with teacher Juan Carlos Pozo. I helped Mr. Pozo with his ELD class. This class consisted of migrant students who had been in the US for about a year, some of the students were barely starting so it was my obligation to help the teacher to increase the speaking proficiency of the students. In order to do this I had to work with material the teacher provided that and I had the responsibility to teach the new students the basics of the English language. Such duty started with the verb “to be” which is easy for most of us who speak the language; however for those new comers it was a nightmare.
The fact that I was working with students I could relate made my service learning experience a great opportunity to give back to the school a little bit of what I received when I was a new comer in the past and that was very rewarding. I had the privilege of being able to understand the needs that students had because I was one of them in the past, so the students were identified with me and that was great for both parties.
Another important duty I had while doing this service was the opportunity to help Mr. Pozo putting together a play written by him. My duty was to help with the musical section of the play. I had participated as a high school student in his plays in the past, so I had the experience and the knowledge of the music, so every day we practiced with the new students learning the music. I helped Mr. Pozo from the beginning of the practices all the way until we performed the play with an audience that consisted in migrant parents, that was the most rewarding aspect of the service, being able to talk to parents and having them being thankful to the teacher and to me for giving the opportunity to the new students develop their skills that most of the times are ignored because the lack the language, but they are a pool of talents and it was my job to help discover those talents.
Evidence SPAN 301S
Having the opportunity to do the service learning experience during my first semester at CSUMB was one of the most interesting learning experiences that I had.
My service learning was conducted in the local community of Watsonville. I worked at Watsonville High School with teacher Juan Carlos Pozo. I helped Mr. Pozo with his ELD class. This class consisted of migrant students who had been in the US for about a year, some of the students were barely starting so it was my obligation to help the teacher to increase the speaking proficiency of the students. In order to do this I had to work with material the teacher provided that and I had the responsibility to teach the new students the basics of the English language. Such duty started with the verb “to be” which is easy for most of us who speak the language; however for those new comers it was a nightmare.
The fact that I was working with students I could relate made my service learning experience a great opportunity to give back to the school a little bit of what I received when I was a new comer in the past and that was very rewarding. I had the privilege of being able to understand the needs that students had because I was one of them in the past, so the students were identified with me and that was great for both parties.
Another important duty I had while doing this service was the opportunity to help Mr. Pozo putting together a play written by him. My duty was to help with the musical section of the play. I had participated as a high school student in his plays in the past, so I had the experience and the knowledge of the music, so every day we practiced with the new students learning the music. I helped Mr. Pozo from the beginning of the practices all the way until we performed the play with an audience that consisted in migrant parents, that was the most rewarding aspect of the service, being able to talk to parents and having them being thankful to the teacher and to me for giving the opportunity to the new students develop their skills that most of the times are ignored because the lack the language, but they are a pool of talents and it was my job to help discover those talents.
Evidence SPAN 301S