Blog entries must be 200-400 words in length and must be submitted as comments to the main thread before the next class period.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Spring Class (7)
Hello class!
For this blog post, please write about what you hope to learn and do during your Alternative Spring Break. Feel free to also write about some of your apprehensions as well.
I am extremely excited to get to know my group members better. The group dynamic of my first break last summer was one of my favorite things about the experience. I’m jazzed to find out more about my lovely 826 ladies!
We plan to have a bit of free time, and I am excited to see a museum or two and the Bean. I’m also excited for some deep dish pizza. Yum.
Most of all, though, I’m looking forward to seeing the impact we could have on some kids. I have a true passion for creative writing and think that we can do a lot of good work, while learning about a population we know very little about. I’m excited to get to learn more about 826 Chicago as an organization as well. It is extremely well known and I want to see what it’s all about!
I don’t have too many apprehensions – I’m sure we will find our way, sleep some and meet new people! I hope that Bailey and I can be effective Site Leaders! I have confidence that these amazing women will be able to communicate effectively and have an awesome service trip!
I am very excited about my trip to the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee. Our team may assist in park activities to help out the Ecology Center to provide safe urban parks for families and children to visit. I believe I will gain a great volunteer experience. I want to learn more about the ecology center and how the organization operates. I will help the ecology center to provide the city kids and families a chance to experience nature environment inside this city. I’d like to do more educational side of works and interact with the local workers and visitors. I believe that I will gain so much experience and skills from attending the alternative break. Communication and teamwork will be my biggest two achievement from this incredible experience. Since seven of us will work and live together for seven days, communication is necessary for us. I will learn how to work with my teammates and how to communicate efficiently from this trip. I’m sure I will learn a lot from this trip. The volunteer experience will change my perspectives and views on many things; it will be a self-growth experience for me.
I am so ready for the group activities to the GLBTQ in New Mexico. We are going to the help the community center there and do something painting and other things. I believe I will gain a great volunteer experience and I would really enjoy the group time with my group members. I hope I can gain more knowledge about these people. In the future, if someone has questions about Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer encyclopedia, I would able to answer their questions. Moreover, if some people have a prejudice against these people, I can help them to think these kind of people in a correct way. I think after the alternative break, I would really miss the time with my friends and the group time while we were in New Mexico. It would be a really good experience in my life. All the activities would keep me busy and when I get back to school, I think I would study harder and join more volunteer activities in order to help those who need help from others. I think I would learn a lot during the trip and it would help me change lots of my views that I used to have.
The volunteering part of my trip begins tomorrow at the guidance center and I am very excited to begin. I hope to make a positive difference in the lives of others and myself. I originally assumed that I would have the ability to interact with people from the inner-city of Detroit, yet I found out the guidance center is located in South-gate which is a suburb of Detroit. I optimally would want to work with people with mental-illnesses as that is part of my ultimate goal to be a psychologist. Yet, I recently have heard that a lot of the work we would be helping the center clean. I see that as a useful task but I am much more interested in human interaction. A task like organizing an activity for children or talking with someone going through a rough patch would be what I would be hoping for. I don't really feel apprehensive going into the guidance center because everyone in my group seems to be getting along perfectly. The church that we are staying at is very nice and although the congregation here is small, everyone is extremely generous and kind. After experiencing such a warm welcome to Detroit, I feel energized to start my volunteer work and make a positive impact. I hope that through this experience I can learn a lot about others and myself.
For my alternative spring break I am really excited to learn something new, especially in regards to reservation life and Native American culture. I feel as though Native Americans and their culture are often forgotten about or misunderstood. Living in a building on a large reservation and seeing firsthand what they community is like will hopefully be very eye-opening.
Specifically I hope to learn more about what it is like to grow up on a reservation. I am looking forward to meeting children and teens on the reservation and seeing how they see life and how they might perceive the outside world.
I really want to learn and understand more about Native American culture. I feel as though when learning about American history, Native Americans are often grouped together and their individual tribes and cultures are lost. I am interested in learning about the history of the Sioux Tribe and how the community of Eagle Butte continues to have the culture of Native American life in their lives today.
Some of my apprehensions include seeming ignorant to those of the Native American community, I want to help and want to learn about their culture. I am also apprehensive of working with children, although I have worked with children in the past, sometimes I worry about not being able to relate to them or understand them. I hope that being positive and energetic will help me to overcome these apprehensions.
Overall I am excited to meet new people, learn new things, and learn more about myself. I am nervous but also extremely excited for this opportunity and know that no matter what, it will be an incredible experience.
Well, I'm posting this late, so I've already been here for a day, but after being here a little bit, I am SUPER excited to have the opportunity to work with kids in school. Because I grew up in a very small town and graduated with 28 people in my class, I think it will be really interesting to see what some schools are like here in Chicago and how classroom environments differ from my home town to Lawrence schools to Chicago charter schools.
I am also excited to work (more) with 826 Chicago as an organization and see how the non-profit section works. It will be interesting to learn what all goes into an organization like 826 and how all of the parts/people work together.
I think it will be a new experience for me to tutor kids from Chicago, just because they grew up in a completely different environment than I did. I will also be interested to see how their learning styles and school work differ from what I'm used to.
I am very excited to have this break finally here. For months this has been just an idea. The children have been nameless and the city was just a collection of google images I have looked up in anticipation. I love Chicago as a city and I am looking forward to seeing what it is like to be working there and not just being a tourist. I am excited get to know my group members better as well. I am sure the 8 hour bus ride alone will be a bonding experience. From the class so far I can tell we all have been paired well. It is nice that we were able to get to know each other some in the weekly classes. I am a little worried about the whole tutoring thing considering I have never done that before. They were not specific on the ages that we will be working with. Im not worried so much about the material they would need help on its more about how I woud be able to communicate with the kids. Most of what we would be helping with is stuff that I do without thinking. My worry is in how I can be effective. I just want to make sure that I take full advantage of this trip and experience.
I think that one of the things that concerns me about the trip, is that I am going to be living with six other girls that I know, but am not really good friends with and since there are seven of us girls in van, I think that over packing is a big concern of mine, because we are probably going to bring some stuff back with us from Birmingham. And I think that packing in general will be difficult with me, because I don’t know what I should bring to wear for volunteering and wearing around town.
Another concern for me is that since I am not going to be as helpful as I want to be with United Cerebral Palsy. Because I am a theatre major, I have not really been concerned with a lot of science classes and human biology like a lot of my other group members have been. I feel that I could become a hindrance because I don’t really know how Cerebral Palsy is caused and I might not be as useful as my group members who want to focus their future jobs on helping people with conditions like these or better understanding how to help people affected by cerebral palsy.
I cannot believe it is time to start our adventure to Birmingham, Alabama to volunteer at Universal Cerebral Palsy foundation. I love working with people with special needs and I would like to be a special education teacher once I graduate. I feel this will be a wonderful opportunity for me. I am most excited to work with the children at UCP because I love kids and feel most comfortable with them. I am so excited and cannot wait to arrive. However, I have some apprehensions. This is my first time taking a road trip without my family, so I am a little concerned with the drive and our safety. The road is dangerous and when seven girls are packed in a car, it is possible for the driver to get distracted, which would lead to destruction. Some other apprehensions I had beforehand were packing and not knowing if I had everything I needed to be successful with the community service I would be doing. Also, going into this community service trip, I never knew exactly what we were going to be doing at the Universal Cerebral Palsy site. It makes me nervous not knowing ahead of time because I feel out of place and confused.
I have already returned from my Alternative Spring Break but I will reflect on my hopes and apprehensions that I had prior to the break.
I was really excited to be doing something new, exciting, and productive over my spring break. When I applied for KU Alternative Spring Breaks I had hoped to make a valuable contribution to a community while experiencing new people and places. I hoped to branch out of my usual network of friends at KU. Volunteering with a group of new faces seemed like the perfect way. After gaining some perspective from the various speakers and articles about volunteerism in our Alternative Breaks class I hoped that what we would be doing at The Guidance Center would truly be beneficial to them; not a superficial project for college students looking to occupy their spring break.
I was hopeful that I would have a great experience on my break but I had apprehensions as well. I worried because we barely knew anything about our trip before we left. I didn’t know what the Guidance Center planned for us to do; which gave me a bit of anxiety and it made packing difficult. As we hit the road Saturday morning I had an anxious feeling of not knowing what we were walking into. As a driver for the trip I was also worried about the responsibility that rested on my shoulders. I was relieved to be driving a mini van because the thought of driving a 12 passenger van frightened me. I hoped that the trip would go smoothly; that I wouldn’t get too drowsy, the weather would be pleasant, no car issues, and little traffic. I also hoped that the 12+ hour car ride wouldn’t be awkward and that it would be an opportunity for us to learn more about each other. I was apprehensive about spending so much time with people that were practically strangers. We talked briefly during class once a week but I hardly felt like I knew them. The thought of staying in an unfamiliar place also had me a little anxious, not to mention that we had to shower at the YMCA everyday.
Ultimately, I had an incredible experience. It was everything I had hoped for and more. My apprehensions were understandable but I soon realized that they would not be a problem.
I am extremely excited to get to know my group members better. The group dynamic of my first break last summer was one of my favorite things about the experience. I’m jazzed to find out more about my lovely 826 ladies!
ReplyDeleteWe plan to have a bit of free time, and I am excited to see a museum or two and the Bean. I’m also excited for some deep dish pizza. Yum.
Most of all, though, I’m looking forward to seeing the impact we could have on some kids. I have a true passion for creative writing and think that we can do a lot of good work, while learning about a population we know very little about. I’m excited to get to learn more about 826 Chicago as an organization as well. It is extremely well known and I want to see what it’s all about!
I don’t have too many apprehensions – I’m sure we will find our way, sleep some and meet new people! I hope that Bailey and I can be effective Site Leaders! I have confidence that these amazing women will be able to communicate effectively and have an awesome service trip!
-Natalie Parker
I am very excited about my trip to the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee. Our team may assist in park activities to help out the Ecology Center to provide safe urban parks for families and children to visit. I believe I will gain a great volunteer experience. I want to learn more about the ecology center and how the organization operates. I will help the ecology center to provide the city kids and families a chance to experience nature environment inside this city. I’d like to do more educational side of works and interact with the local workers and visitors.
ReplyDeleteI believe that I will gain so much experience and skills from attending the alternative break. Communication and teamwork will be my biggest two achievement from this incredible experience. Since seven of us will work and live together for seven days, communication is necessary for us. I will learn how to work with my teammates and how to communicate efficiently from this trip. I’m sure I will learn a lot from this trip. The volunteer experience will change my perspectives and views on many things; it will be a self-growth experience for me.
I am so ready for the group activities to the GLBTQ in New Mexico. We are going to the help the community center there and do something painting and other things. I believe I will gain a great volunteer experience and I would really enjoy the group time with my group members. I hope I can gain more knowledge about these people. In the future, if someone has questions about Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer encyclopedia, I would able to answer their questions. Moreover, if some people have a prejudice against these people, I can help them to think these kind of people in a correct way. I think after the alternative break, I would really miss the time with my friends and the group time while we were in New Mexico. It would be a really good experience in my life. All the activities would keep me busy and when I get back to school, I think I would study harder and join more volunteer activities in order to help those who need help from others. I think I would learn a lot during the trip and it would help me change lots of my views that I used to have.
ReplyDeleteThe volunteering part of my trip begins tomorrow at the guidance center and I am very excited to begin. I hope to make a positive difference in the lives of others and myself. I originally assumed that I would have the ability to interact with people from the inner-city of Detroit, yet I found out the guidance center is located in South-gate which is a suburb of Detroit. I optimally would want to work with people with mental-illnesses as that is part of my ultimate goal to be a psychologist. Yet, I recently have heard that a lot of the work we would be helping the center clean. I see that as a useful task but I am much more interested in human interaction. A task like organizing an activity for children or talking with someone going through a rough patch would be what I would be hoping for. I don't really feel apprehensive going into the guidance center because everyone in my group seems to be getting along perfectly. The church that we are staying at is very nice and although the congregation here is small, everyone is extremely generous and kind. After experiencing such a warm welcome to Detroit, I feel energized to start my volunteer work and make a positive impact. I hope that through this experience I can learn a lot about others and myself.
ReplyDeleteFor my alternative spring break I am really excited to learn something new, especially in regards to reservation life and Native American culture. I feel as though Native Americans and their culture are often forgotten about or misunderstood. Living in a building on a large reservation and seeing firsthand what they community is like will hopefully be very eye-opening.
ReplyDeleteSpecifically I hope to learn more about what it is like to grow up on a reservation. I am looking forward to meeting children and teens on the reservation and seeing how they see life and how they might perceive the outside world.
I really want to learn and understand more about Native American culture. I feel as though when learning about American history, Native Americans are often grouped together and their individual tribes and cultures are lost. I am interested in learning about the history of the Sioux Tribe and how the community of Eagle Butte continues to have the culture of Native American life in their lives today.
Some of my apprehensions include seeming ignorant to those of the Native American community, I want to help and want to learn about their culture. I am also apprehensive of working with children, although I have worked with children in the past, sometimes I worry about not being able to relate to them or understand them. I hope that being positive and energetic will help me to overcome these apprehensions.
Overall I am excited to meet new people, learn new things, and learn more about myself. I am nervous but also extremely excited for this opportunity and know that no matter what, it will be an incredible experience.
Well, I'm posting this late, so I've already been here for a day, but after being here a little bit, I am SUPER excited to have the opportunity to work with kids in school. Because I grew up in a very small town and graduated with 28 people in my class, I think it will be really interesting to see what some schools are like here in Chicago and how classroom environments differ from my home town to Lawrence schools to Chicago charter schools.
ReplyDeleteI am also excited to work (more) with 826 Chicago as an organization and see how the non-profit section works. It will be interesting to learn what all goes into an organization like 826 and how all of the parts/people work together.
I think it will be a new experience for me to tutor kids from Chicago, just because they grew up in a completely different environment than I did. I will also be interested to see how their learning styles and school work differ from what I'm used to.
-Tilyn Bell
I am very excited to have this break finally here. For months this has been just an idea. The children have been nameless and the city was just a collection of google images I have looked up in anticipation. I love Chicago as a city and I am looking forward to seeing what it is like to be working there and not just being a tourist. I am excited get to know my group members better as well. I am sure the 8 hour bus ride alone will be a bonding experience. From the class so far I can tell we all have been paired well. It is nice that we were able to get to know each other some in the weekly classes.
ReplyDeleteI am a little worried about the whole tutoring thing considering I have never done that before. They were not specific on the ages that we will be working with. Im not worried so much about the material they would need help on its more about how I woud be able to communicate with the kids. Most of what we would be helping with is stuff that I do without thinking. My worry is in how I can be effective. I just want to make sure that I take full advantage of this trip and experience.
Ashley Bragg
I think that one of the things that concerns me about the trip, is that I am going to be living with six other girls that I know, but am not really good friends with and since there are seven of us girls in van, I think that over packing is a big concern of mine, because we are probably going to bring some stuff back with us from Birmingham. And I think that packing in general will be difficult with me, because I don’t know what I should bring to wear for volunteering and wearing around town.
ReplyDeleteAnother concern for me is that since I am not going to be as helpful as I want to be with United Cerebral Palsy. Because I am a theatre major, I have not really been concerned with a lot of science classes and human biology like a lot of my other group members have been. I feel that I could become a hindrance because I don’t really know how Cerebral Palsy is caused and I might not be as useful as my group members who want to focus their future jobs on helping people with conditions like these or better understanding how to help people affected by cerebral palsy.
I cannot believe it is time to start our adventure to Birmingham, Alabama to volunteer at Universal Cerebral Palsy foundation. I love working with people with special needs and I would like to be a special education teacher once I graduate. I feel this will be a wonderful opportunity for me. I am most excited to work with the children at UCP because I love kids and feel most comfortable with them. I am so excited and cannot wait to arrive. However, I have some apprehensions. This is my first time taking a road trip without my family, so I am a little concerned with the drive and our safety. The road is dangerous and when seven girls are packed in a car, it is possible for the driver to get distracted, which would lead to destruction. Some other apprehensions I had beforehand were packing and not knowing if I had everything I needed to be successful with the community service I would be doing. Also, going into this community service trip, I never knew exactly what we were going to be doing at the Universal Cerebral Palsy site. It makes me nervous not knowing ahead of time because I feel out of place and confused.
ReplyDeleteI have already returned from my Alternative Spring Break but I will reflect on my hopes and apprehensions that I had prior to the break.
ReplyDeleteI was really excited to be doing something new, exciting, and productive over my spring break. When I applied for KU Alternative Spring Breaks I had hoped to make a valuable contribution to a community while experiencing new people and places. I hoped to branch out of my usual network of friends at KU. Volunteering with a group of new faces seemed like the perfect way. After gaining some perspective from the various speakers and articles about volunteerism in our Alternative Breaks class I hoped that what we would be doing at The Guidance Center would truly be beneficial to them; not a superficial project for college students looking to occupy their spring break.
I was hopeful that I would have a great experience on my break but I had apprehensions as well. I worried because we barely knew anything about our trip before we left. I didn’t know what the Guidance Center planned for us to do; which gave me a bit of anxiety and it made packing difficult. As we hit the road Saturday morning I had an anxious feeling of not knowing what we were walking into. As a driver for the trip I was also worried about the responsibility that rested on my shoulders. I was relieved to be driving a mini van because the thought of driving a 12 passenger van frightened me. I hoped that the trip would go smoothly; that I wouldn’t get too drowsy, the weather would be pleasant, no car issues, and little traffic. I also hoped that the 12+ hour car ride wouldn’t be awkward and that it would be an opportunity for us to learn more about each other. I was apprehensive about spending so much time with people that were practically strangers. We talked briefly during class once a week but I hardly felt like I knew them. The thought of staying in an unfamiliar place also had me a little anxious, not to mention that we had to shower at the YMCA everyday.
Ultimately, I had an incredible experience. It was everything I had hoped for and more. My apprehensions were understandable but I soon realized that they would not be a problem.