What am I learning from my Inquiry Project?

Here are some excerpts from my Research Project so that you can get a taste of how much I am learning. Hope you enjoy it and any feedback will be appreciated:

* What programs are available, in your city, to help you out with an array of problems (i.e., financial, relationship, educational)? What organization can you turn to when you feel that you are at the end of your line? When you sit down and think about these questions, you realize that the answers to these questions are very difficult to find. Not all cities proudly promote the services that are available to support everyone in their community. Through my research and interviews, I have realized that community-based organizations have strong ties with the communities and actually support the individuals by giving them assistance and teaching them various skills needed to be successful in the future. For instance, there are various programs which take an active role in changing things that are negatively affecting the community; community based participatory research (CBPR) “involves the systematic inquiry, with the participation of those affected by the issue being studied, for the purposes of education and taking action or effecting social change” (Victoria Breckwich Vasquez, 2006).

* After-school programs are defined as safe, structured activities that convene regularly in the hours after school and offer activities to help children learn new skills, and develop into responsible adults. It has been stated that approximately “6 million of the 54 million K-8 children in the United States participate in after-school programs that are school based or community sponsored” (Kanter, 2001). In general, that leaves a large percentage of the children between the ages of 5 and 14 without any type of support or supervision. These programs can assist children in many areas of life that go far beyond the inner sanctuary of the school building because “child and youth development is influenced not only by families and school, but by an endless variety of community organizations” (Paul W. Speer, 2002).

* There are also programs available where students are given a formal education similar to the education that is taught in schools. The only difference is that the program actually gets the children involved in their surrounding communities while ensuring that they learn a particular lesson at the same time. These types of programs use a method called experiential learning to ensure that the children understand the message and lesson that is being presented to them. Experiential learning is known as “an approach to learning that encompasses service-learning and is a term used to describe learning undertaken by students who are given a chance to acquire and apply knowledge and skills in an immediate and relevant setting” (Suzanne B. Cashman, 2008). This is a great form of education because the students get a hands-on approach to the lesson they are learning and are able to see its true effects on their own community.

Inquiry Project Intro

“What community-based programs are available to educate the surrounding community?”

What programs are available, in your city, to help you out with an array of problems (i.e., financial, relationship, educational)? What organization can you turn to when you feel that you are at the end of your line? When you sit down and think about these questions, you realize that the answers to these questions are very difficult to find. Not all cities proudly promote the services that are available to support everyone in their community. Through my research and interviews, I have realized that community-based organizations have strong ties with the communities and actually support the individuals by giving them assistance and teaching them various skills needed to be successful in the future. For instance, there are various programs which take an active role in changing things that are negatively affecting the community; community based participatory research (CBPR) “involves the systematic inquiry, with the participation of those affected by the issue being studied, for the purposes of education and taking action or effecting social change” (Victoria Breckwich Vasquez, 2006) There are various programs available that can support the youth in the community by teaching them various skills. These programs promote an interest and respect for authority and knowledge in the children that cannot be matched by interactions that many of them will have outside of a professional or educational setting. An article that spoke about after-school programs stated that the programs “promoted the formation of strong, positive relationships between the participants, and between participants and the adult staff, many of whom were teachers” (Sarah Barr, 2006). During my time working for a community-based organization, I have realized that everyone needs support in any way, shape, or form that it is available, especially during these difficult socio-economical signs. That is why I feel the need to educate myself and others on the various types of programs available to everyone through community-based organizations. This education will also assist in the creation of a community-based organization that I have planned to support the youth in the urban community of Jersey City.

Community Service/Meetings

The community service that was performed at Arts High really gave me some personal information regarding the various different functions that occur within the different areas of the High School.  I began my community service by organizing the files of various students in the guidance office.  I was organizing the files by the year that the student took the HSPA exam.  As I skimmed through some of the files, I saw that some of the students had to take the exam more than once in order to pass it.  I personally do not believe that these standardized tests are pertinent information as it pertains to the future success of the students; but it was interesting to get a first hand glance of these scores.  The next day I helped Mr. Waldron (Athletic Director for Arts) by being a referee in the Junior/Senior Basketball Tournament that took place in the gymnasium.  This was a great experience because I was able to witness how the students interacted with each other and the administrators.  You were able to see the different types of students and the groups that they were a part of.  For instance, there was the group of arrogant students who acted like they knew it all; or the dance major students who did not participate in the game but were cheering everyone else on.  I loved this experience because I was able to interact with actual students and realized that I can control them if they get out of hand.  This is mainly because I can relate with their experiences and this allowed me to get some sort of respect from them.  It was very interesting to see that Mr. Waldron was able to run such a great tournament and control the large number of students with only one other member of the Arts High faculty helping him.

 As for the meetings, it was interesting to view the different aspects that go into running a Department within a High School.  The only problem with the Department Meeting that I attended was that there is not a Department Chairperson available at this point in time.  For the time being, there is an Interim Chairperson overseeing the Physical Education department.  As an unbiased observer, it seemed that there were many points of conflict within the Department and that there was some restructuring and organizing going on.  It was great to see a different perspective of the teaching experience because I was able to see how many different activities (i.e., grading, scheduling, and collaborating) a teacher has to take part in.  This proved that teacher’s job does not end when the bell rings because there is more to teaching then lesson plans and administering tests.  The final meeting that I attended was a meeting of the Athletic Department.  I enjoyed attending this meeting because I would like to become a coach in the future.  This meeting helped me realize that sports and academics go hand in hand.  There have been many changes that make this possible and I viewed it first hand at Arts High.  A student did not want to participate in gym class and because of this he was unable to participate in the School’s baseball game that was taking place after school.  These meetings gave me different perspectives from both sides of the school (athletics and academics) and I am very thankful and appreciative for it.