The Doctoral Conference

It was time to share our research work with the students from the Institute of Education, University of London, UK. Here students presented their research studies, looking for feedback – suggestions, recommendations, and ideas on how to improve the research study – from peers. Sessions were held in classrooms, mostly in groups of three or four students, with 20 minutes each to present and answer questions. Faculty participated as members of the audience; room chairs (time keepers) were also students. Professors and students presented keynotes at the very beginning of the conference and throughout – one at the end of the first day and another at the end of the second.

The ILET students came from Europe (University of Barcelona, University of Denmark, and the University of London) and the United States (University of Virginia, Iowa State University, and the University of Florida). This year, most of the presenters from the ILET group included students from Virginia, Iowa, and Florida. In 2003, only one student from ISU presented at the conference.

I shared with the audience the presentation I worked with in UB. The time for questions and answers was rich: some wanted to know more about the web site I chose, some asked questions that made me think about the theoretical perspective I am using, others wanted to know more about how the body parts of the storylines I identified in the threads of the discussion forum fit the discourse analysis (Gee) I am using to analyze the data in my research. It was an enlighten conversation. I liked the question and answer session because it allowed me to talk about details that were not included in my presentation, probably suggesting I needed to reorganize and add more to it. At the end of my presentation I got several recommendations and some new ideas, things I had not thought about before. (Link to pdf file coming soon.)

The last keynote presented the work ILET has done, including a panel of students in which I participated. We talked about our experiences as ILET scholars. Some had been participating since 2002, when it all started. Others, like me, joined at a later time participating in one or more of the different events of the project: reading groups, summer institutes, and internships.

The five days in London went by very fast. It felt like a blink of an eye. Soon it was time to move on to Barcelona for the second part of the ILET Conference.

'A small school with great expectations'

Today we had a chance to visit Forest Gate City Learning Center and the Godwin Primary School. This wasn't my first visit, I had visited both places the last time I was in London (Summer 2003). The Learning Center is what in the United States is called a Computer Center. The only thing is that this is a two story section of the school with state of the art technology, including two areas with computer stations for students' activities and teachers' professional development workshops, three-dimensional modeling equipment, and more.

The elementary school amazed me two years ago, and it still does. It is a school where students go first. Art is at the core of the school and students prepare musical and theatrical representations each end of term throughout the school year. So when you go in, you'll see the walls covered with students work, responding to the thematic unit of the term. Things don't need to be perfect.

The population in Godwin is extremely diverse, with about 28 different native languages (let alone nationalities), keeping the idea of respecting and empowering students as well as their native tongue at the top of the school's priorities. Students are not discouraged when talking in their native language, in fact they can work together to complete class projects or tutor other kids in the class using their native language. Parents also come in to serve as mentors and they can help the kids that speak their native language using it as the means of communication. Posters and signs include words in other languages, as to remind the students of the inclusive environment they are learning in.

This is amazing for me. As a Puerto Rican in the United States I've been 'encouraged' to speak English only, even at the University level, which I thought was bizarre. When my kids were little, one of their teachers told us not to talk Spanish at home and to encourage them to only talk in English. The teacher thought they would be able to become more proficient in English in this way, forgetting or not knowing (or not wanting to accept) that language and culture go hand in hand, that to respect a person is to respect their personal characteristics, that knowing how to talk a second language does not impede the learning of other languages.

Four basic principles guide Godwin Primary School; four principles we should always follow. They call them the four C's and are: cooperation, care, consideration, and courtesy. These are presented in each class through different representations in the bulleting boards. They are also acted upon throughout the school and you can see it when students interact with teachers, other students, and mentors.

Godwin calls itself 'A small school with great expectations' and indeed it is!

Pictures coming soon!

ILET has taken me to London, UK

Coming back to London has been like getting back to a place you've lived before. You know the place, the streets, the buildings, ... You get around with a sense of belonging, finding your way around as if you had not left. The first time I visited London was in 2003, for the Summer Institute at the Institute of Education (IoE), University of London. We were here for two weeks or so and just got a glimpse of the city. But that was enough for it to become part of me, so much I can walk around the places I've been without getting lost. This is a lot to say, especially when I always get lost, because I have a very bad sense of direction.

One thing I wanted to do when coming back to London was to take a picture of Gandhi’s statue. I first saw it the last day I was in London in 2003, and did not had my camera with me at the moment. There was no time left to come back and had to leave without this precious picture.

Gandhi’s statue is close to the IoE, in a small square (park), surrounded by flowers, green grass, big trees, and a very peaceful environment. As the many other little squares (parks) around the city of London, they give people a chance to escape from the noise and the busy streets. Some of the squares are fenced, secluded from the apartment buildings, stores, hotels, and educational institutions (including the University of London). Once inside, you are surrounded by tall green bushes. You then walk over small paths that take you to the statues and benches, so you can read and relax, talk to a friend, or just sit there and keep to yourself. It is like being transported to a magical place of serenity.

I was lucky enough to have a friend to share with me the experience of visiting this little square. She even took a picture of Gandhi and we talked a little about why people still remember him.

In the labyrinth - Part II

This Wednesday we skipped going to the Labyrinth. As the week progressed everyone was busy working on a different project. Due dates were close and time seemed so precious (and so little) that the coffee break in the morning and lunch was the only time to spare. Nevertheless, I have the pictures from last week's visit that had not uploaded, so I will share these with you today.

At the center of the laberynth is the statue of Eros. We had a good time trying to figure out how to get there and also how to get to the building at the other side. The labyrinth is small, but as Martina, a catalunyan friend says, it is a perfect place for kids. Parents can let them run around the different routes, while watching them from the top. This is the place to go when you want to have a relax walk with a little puzzle added to it. The garden is beautiful and the ponds and statues make it a perfect place!

A whole week went by!

I am done for the moment with my paper. It has been a slow process of writing and re-writing. Trying to find the best way to express ideas, trying to find the right words, going over what has been written, checking references and quotes ... But the good thing is that I have a draft, yes just a draft! We'll see how it works.

A quick note ...

I'll be kind of silent at the beginning of this week. I am writing a journal paper and a reflection paper. Last weekend was great, I went to Girona and Figueras (Dali's town), had a wonderful dinner with Victoria's friends on Saturday evening, and on Sunday a wonderful lunch with Martina, a real catalunyan cultural experience!

I'll post more pictures soon!

The Science Museum

Last Friday, after work, Victoria and I went to the Science Museum. This is a state of the art location with lots of interactive exhibits. Children of all ages will enjoy this visit that includes: prehistoric animals, laws of Newton, a tropical forest, a planetarium, and lots more. The planetarium will take you away to the Universe, from where you will see 'The Milky Way ("La Vía Láctea") where our solar system is, as well as many other. The tropical forest will make you believe you have been transported to the Amazon, where the vegetation is dense and rain is very common.

I know my friends Wanda, from Luquillo, Puerto Rico, and Dina, from Gainesville, Florida, both Science educators, would enjoy this visit enormously. And it would be very hard for them not to stop at the store to look at and buy some educational Science books with experiments they could try with their students. Solar toys are also available here.

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Notes on Beyond Crossroads: Implementing mathematics standards in the first two years of college (2004) will be coming in on Monday. This is a document from the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges that in the same way as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (mainly for K-12 education) presents standards to guide mathematics education at college level.

Acknowledgement: The picture of the Van de Graaff generator was taken by Victoria Martín.

The Opera House (El Liceo)

Walking down Las Ramblas from Plaza Catalunya, you'll find El Liceo, which is also known as the 'Opera House'. My friend Julie remembers it in a very special way, and when I walk by it I can only think of her and Sano.

Well, if you think about this, you might say, 'so what?' But consider this. When Julie finished her doctoral degree she went to Japan for a year to teach English. On her way back to the United States, in 1980, she decided to visit Barcelona. She never thought she was going to meet her husband here, and never could have imagined that he would be Japanese. But that was the case!

Julie says she thought Japanese men were horrible creatures at that point and during dinner when the topic of Japanese men came up she told him "I could never marry a Japanese man!"  Now she thinks they're the nicest creatures in the world!!!

Today when I walk by the 'Opera House' I can imagine Julie and Sano, smiling to each other, maybe even blinking their eyes in a special way!

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Check the notes on the new readings from: Barron & Hynes (1996) and Sharma. & Hannfin (2004) about mathematics education and critical thinking.

Slow days ...

Sometimes there are days that you can't do as much as you wish. Think about getting an airplane ticket and trying to find the correct one ($$) at a good time! Well that's pretty much how the first two days of the week went. But at last I have my ticket to get to London, to the Institute of Education, where the ILET Summer Institute will meet. I have also submitted for presentation in the Doctoral Conference. We'll see what happens!

Finally, I have managged to read a couple articles too, more coming in tomorrow.

Picasso is waiting!

Today I’ve been working on another presentation, for the ILET Doctoral Conference in the Institute of Education, University of London. It is hard to be concise, 150 words that summarize a research project are very hard to write. How to write what is most important so that others can have a good idea of your work? How to cut out those things that seem important to you – that are close to your heart – but that might not be as relevant to a reader that does not know about your research? It was hard, but I did it! Is is good enough? We’ll see what the reviewer has to say.

Meanwhile, Picasso is waiting for me. His museum was one that I wanted to visit from long ago, but Gaudí has captured my attention. Before coming to Barcelona I knew a little about Picasso, the painter, but almost did not know anything about Gaudí, the architect. Both are well known in the world.

Gaudí's architecture

During the weekend I visited Gaudí’s La Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera. Both visits included an audio guide that was excellent. Learning about his pasion for architecture, his drive to connect nature to his work, and his absolute dedication to his last project, La Sagrada Familia, gave me an understanding that La Casa Batlló didn’t. To the left you can see el árbol de la vida from La Sagrada Familia.

It is hard to express in words how magnificent his work is, how being so great he lived a simple life, with no luxury, probably because his work was his richness. Very few have this dedication, this conviction. I am very much impressed by his work and his humbleness!

The Coffee Break

Taking a few minutes to relax, drink coffee, and have a friendly conversation is something I used to miss when in Gainesville, FL. Here at Barcelona, the same that in Puerto Rico, gathering together and sharing ideas is a tradition. Nothing better than a hot coffee cup, or a "cortado", to clear your mind and continue with the day's work! The pigeon sculpture on the left is at the entrance of the terrace, in Mundet's Campus at UB, where friends take a few minutes off a busy life.

Hospital Sant Pau

Yesterday, after work, I visited the Hospital Sant Pau, a modernist complex that started to be built in 1905. From its entrance you can take a walk through the Gaudí avenue (similar to a ‘rambla’), that ends at La Sagrada Familia. The picture on the right is one of the many mosaics you'll see on the Hospital Sant Pau’s walls. The roofs are covered with colored tiles as well. It is an enormous and beautiful complex that houses a hospital and the School of Medicine of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

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Check the notes on the new readings from: Waits, Lewis, & Greene (2003, July), about a Distance Education report.

In the Labyrinth

Today Victoria and I went for lunch to the Labyrinth, here at the University of Barcelona. It is like an oasis in the dessert, as if you had entered a magic world with beautiful gardens, big trees, and paths that take you around fountains and hidden places. This is a very special place right in the Mundet's Campus of UB.

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Check the notes on the new readings from: Norman & Sprague (1997); and A Nation Online (2002, 2004).