Peter Fairbrother Week #9

Peter Fairbrother
12/6/11
Service Learning Week #9

This week was our last week doing service learning at Shea High School. Due to the fact that this week was our final time with these students it was a little different than the other weeks. It was much more informal. First we gave them a survey to complete so that somebody could gain some information for their final paper. Then we past out food. I was shocked at home much food their was. Then as everybody ate we discussed more things about college that they wanted to clear up before explore was over before the semester. Mostly we discussed how to get involved in sports in college. We had a good time reminiscing all that has happened while we have been visiting Shea and discussing the relationships that we have built with these students. The students also had to write a letter to their future-selves about why they want to go to college now. The school counselor is going to take this letter and give it to them when they begin the college process. I had a chance to talk with the students in an informal way to get more feedback about the building structure for my final paper.

Then when it was time to leave we had to say good-bye which was more emotional than I thought it would be because all of us have become so accustomed to meeting with each other every Tuesday. Then the students and the counselor handed us a thank you note which they all wrote something in. It was a very nice gesture and made all of the volunteers laugh as we read through it. I was skeptical about doing service learning when I found out we had to do it for the Urban Education meeting but now looking back on it I am glad that I took part in it. I feel like I made a connection. These students may not go to college but I took an interest in their lives and gave them something to do after school which other than athletics they normally would not experience.

Shea Final Week

Just as Carolyn and Erin stated, this was our final week at Shea which we used as a 'celebration' day. The environment was very laid-back - we had cake, discussed students' lingering questions about college and had them write letters to themselves that they will see again during their junior year of high school. We had students write why they wanted to go to college so that while they should be applying to college they can re-read these letters and hopefully trigger further motivation to apply to college. Some topics we discussed were financial aid, playing division 1/club sports in college, and scholarships. We also gave students certificates demonstrating that they successfully completed the EXPLORE program and Erin helpfully noted to students that EXPLORE would be a great addition to add to a resume that they'd send to colleges. Students were a little more off task than usual today but I suppose that is expected since it was a very informal last meeting. I hope that next semester there is a little more structure in EXPLORE curriculum so that students stay on task and ultimately take more away from the club.

Final Week of EXPLORE! at Shea

As Carolyn previously stated, today was our last day at Shea for EXPLORE. We had an informal session and the guidance counselor and our CL brought in goodies for the students. I was disappointed in the fact that only five students showed up for the last session (although three of the boys could not come because they had basketball practice). The first week of EXPLORE we had twice as many students and the last few weeks it proved to be the same 5 or 6 students who showed up. The students asked a few questions about college and we had them write letters to their "future self" about why they wanted to attend college and how the EXPLORE program this year has helped them thus far. After we finished the letters we just talked to the EXPLORE students about their experience with the EXPLORE program. If I could make one recommendation for the improvement of the EXPLORE program it would be to add more structure. I believe that it should be an easy going environment in which the students feel comfortable speaking their minds and asking questions but often times the students were disruptive and it through off the conversation. I am happy I was able to participate in this experience at Shea and I hope that the students we worked with this semester continue to stay focused on college.

Shea Final Week

This week was our final week at Shea. Instead of planning a formal lesson, we had an informal celebration of the students' accomplishments this semester. We opened up discussion for any questions the students had about college, and it was encouraging to see that they had things to ask even when we were not talking about a specific topic. We also asked the students to write letters to themselves talking about why they want to go to college, which their guidance counselor will give back to them junior year when they are starting to look at colleges. I think this will be be encouraging and hopefully motivating for them as they continue on the path toward college. I am glad I was able to volunteer with Explore! this semester, and I hope the students benefited from their experience as well.

This past Tuesday

Last week at Shea, the topic was time management. Together we talked about the importance of time management and how good time management skills are essential to being successful in high and beyond. We had students make schedules using a template that they accessed on the computers. Overall, it was a good lesson that I think students enjoyed and got a lot out of.

Last Day at Mt. Pleasant!

Today was the final session of the Explore program at Mt. Pleasant. It was supposed to be somewhat laid back, so we had the students write down on an index card one thing they have learned from Explore and then share their answers to a smaller group. The guidance counselor passed out "Upper Bound" applications to some of the students who were interested. I had never heard of this program before but one of the students explained to me that it is a Saturday class that takes place at a college campus to prepare high school students for college.The program targets students who attend urban schools and is known to increase college attendance of inner city students. If the students perform well during the Saturday classes, they have a chance of being able to attend the Summer program offered as well. I found this very interesting and think it sounds great for students like those who attend Mt. Pleasant. I plan on doing some research into this program to find out more about it. It was a rewarding experience spending time in an urban school setting, and it made me happy to hear some of the students asking us to come back next semester. Overall, I enjoyed my time volunteering for Explore and hope to have made a difference in these students' lives.

Tavares

Like Kayla said, we were unable to go to our service learning site because it had been cancelled.

Chad Brown

We went to the Tavares Center as usual tonight, but it was locked and there was a sign on the door saying the Teen Program was cancelled for tonight. There was no explanation and no one told us. I texted our CA and she had no idea it was cancelled either. I will try to go on Monday if I am able.

Service Learning Week #8 Peter Fairbrother

Peter Fairbrother
12/1/11
Service Learning Week #8

This past Tuesday was our second to last service learning at Shea High School. To begin our lesson we past out a survey with some questions on it in order to get a better perspective about how the students think about the building structure of Shea. I also had time to ask the students when we were going through the lesson about Shea. The information that I gained during this service learning is going to go a long way towards completing my final paper. Next week I just need to meet with Dr. Lord the school principal one more time to finish my interviewing process.
Now when it comes to the actual lesson that we were teaching the students it was about time management and using an agenda or planner to keep track of assignments and meetings one has to go to. I was shocked to hear how many of the students did not use their planners because Shea gives each student a planner at the beginning of the year. This means that they do not take advantage of something that was given to them so we tried to get them to see how important it was to keep track of one’s appointment and assignments. Unfortunately I do not feel that the lesson got through to the students. I feel as though the main purpose now of the Shea EXPLORE! program has become a social event after school where the students get to interact with the volunteers. They like asking questions about college but I feel that they only go through the motions of the lessons which we are teaching and they do not take anything away from it. I hope that I am wrong, however, I hope that these weekly visits will help the students become motivated and better prepared for college.

EXPLORE @ Shea, November 29th

As was previously stated, today at EXPLORE Grace led a lesson/discussion on time management. All of the students knew what time management was when we asked for a definition and examples. We then split and talked about keeping a planner/ agenda with our schedule and assignments. Although the students seemed to understand the importance of keeping one and managing time efficiently and effectively, many of them did not write in theirs. When I asked one student if he had his on him so I could see it he said that it was somewhere buried in his locker. I got the vibe that the students did not seem motivated to keep one even though they knew it could benefit them. We then went into the computer lab and created our own schedules so the students could compare how much time they spend studying and doing hw compared to how much time they spend playing video games and watching t.v. The time there today went very well and the students seemed disappointed when we explained how a college schedule works and how we will not be returning next semester. I believe that thus far EXPLORE has impacted these students' lives and I hope that they keep attending next semester even though we have a break for a month in December and January.

Shea Week 8

This week, we discussed time management with the students. The topic went over very well and i think it was beneficial for the students. We talked about what it means to manage your time and shared our planners with the students so they could see how we manage our time. Then, we went to the computer lab and had the students create their schedule on excel for the rest of the week. As always, the students enjoyed the interactive activity on the computers. At the end of the session, we announced the students that we will not be returning after winter break. Some seem disappointed that they will be working with different volunteers and they would have to get to know them again, but they understood that this is how the college schedule works. I am excited to celebrate the students' hard work at our final session next week!

Shea Week 8

Today’s lesson/experience at Shea went really well. Grace conducted a lesson on time management during which we all shared our personal agendas and tactics in making agendas. Some people had planners on a website, on their phone, or in a notebook. We discussed the definition of time management and how useful an agenda can be when balancing academics and personal events. We then proceeded to the computer lab where students made a schedule for the week online and printed it out to help them time manage this week. We explained to students at the end of the lesson that while our CL, Tara, would be returning next semester, the rest of the PC volunteers would not. We explained that since college runs on semesters that we would all be changing classes and therefore not returning to Shea due to different schedules. A few of the students expressed sadness that we’d be leaving and one noted that he’d “miss us” while another said that they’d “have to get used to all different people.” While this was sad, it was good to know that these students find our sessions beneficial and that we’ve made at least some impact on their lives. Next week, we will be having our final session/celebration while simultaneously discussing college/any lingering questions students may have.

Mt. Pleasant-More info about college

Yesterday at Explore we began by discussing the differences between a 2-year and a 4-year college. During this discussion a few of the myths about attending each type of school came up and we addressed them as a group. Following this activity, the students logged into their College Board accounts and browsed the website, paying special attention to the "College Planning" Tab. There were as many Explore leaders as students so we were able to work one-on-one with a student. I find doing something as simple as this can really make a difference to these students because they are less likely to go home and do this on their own. So even if we expose them to the College Board website a few times this semester at least they will gain some knowledge about the college process. The students had to fill out a survey for the Explore program, and then we talked about what the students would like to do for the last session. The guidance counselor gave us a good suggestion, which was for the Explore leaders to come up with their most helpful website that they used either for applying to college or that they currently use in college.

Week 5

The past few weeks have been an interesting time at the center. The week before Thanksgiving the center had a Boys and Girls club dinner for all of the kids on the night we usually go to volunteer. It was a big party held somewhere downtown, and for most of the kids it was probably the first time they were exposed to an event like that. Knowing that we would not be able to go the week after that because of Thanksgiving a couple of us went to the center before we left for break. As like most weeks, the kids just come to run around in the gym and enjoy being kids. As always basketball was a crowd favorite. This week there was a larger group of older boys that came. Normally it is full of middle school students, but when the older kids come they take control of the gym space and the younger ones fall to the background and try to stay out of the way. If anything, my basketball skills went from non existent to a little bit better. Also recently students have been exploring jumping over mats and doing flips and tricks. They don't tend to listen to us when we tell them not to do something, and the main adviser doesn't really leave his office. The past few times at the center no children have chosen to do arts and crafts or any other alternative activities. The girls won't play basketball, but when asked if they would rather do something else they say they just want to watch the boys play. It is obvious that most of the children have not accepted us as authority figures or people they want to open up to. They are reserved and try to push our buttons to see how far they can go. They are acting like regular children.

Chad Brown Week 5

The Tavares Center was closed last Thursday 11/17 and obviously we were not on campus this Thursday because of Thanksgiving. Instead, I went on Monday 11/21 for extra time to make up for the two weeks we missed. There were a lot more kids there than we usually have on Thursdays, including a lot of older teenagers I had never seen before. We played knowckout with the kids for the majority of the time. The arts & crafts teacher only comes on Thursdays. It was a little chaotic with that many kids. I was able to talk to several and ask about vacations, trips to museums, and things like that. I was happy to hear that some of them had taken a trip to the museum with Boys & Girls Club a couple weeks ago. However, there was limited space on this trip and overall the students did not visit many of these kinds of places.

St. Pat's 2nd to last week

This week was a lot of fun. We started off by giving the students a test where they answered questions to see if they were visual, audio, or kinesthetic learners. They really seemed to be interested by the results. Then we did this communcation activity where one person gave directions to us. We had our eyes closed and we were given directions about how to fold and rip the paper. The directions were very vague so at the end we saw how everyone interpreted the directions differently. Then we played the game telephone to show how things can get lost in translation. Then on Saturday we took the students to the PC basketball game. They had a great time! We only have one week left. These past 9 weeks flew by. I really hope with my schedule for next semester i have time to volunteer again!

Service Learning Week #7 Peter Fairbrother

Peter Fairbrother
11/20/11
Service Learning Week #7

This past week was our seventh visiting Shea High School. We discussed note taking. The thing that caught me most by surprise was how some of the students approached their note taking. There were some students who really knew what they were doing and had different strategies which I thought was truly impressive because it did not seem that any of them had any training in note taking. That was one difference between my school and Shea that really stood out. If the school does not prepare students how to benefit most from their classes then how can they expect them to excel. The thing that truly stood out at me were the students that said that they did not like taking notes and that they did not care about their notes. I do not understand how students plan to pass classes and then get into college if they do not care about their notes or take notes. The idea that they can just get in to a college without trying in high school shocked me. So when I heard this my EXPLORE! volunteers and I tried to stress the importance of good note taking and working hard to get into college. I hope that these themes and ideas got through to them but I do not know if they did.

Shea Week 7

This week, we talked about self monitoring, focusing on note taking and study skills. Erin led an activity in which the students were divided into three groups and given a different set of notes with varying levels of quality on how to build a paper airplane. The students with the better sets of notes were able to complete the task more accurately than my group, which had very unclear notes. The students responded well to the activity and understood the importance of the quality of their notes. After the activity, we talked about taking notes and study skills. The students had some good strategies for note taking, like using bullet points. When we were talking about study habits, some students said they usually studied ahead of time and tried to break things up into smaller pieces to remember them more easily. This was encouraging to hear and will certainly help them to achieve the grades necessary to move on to and succeed in college. However, some students said they only studied right before the test. I think it is important to encourage these students to become more enthusiastic about school now so that they will be move motivated to continue on to college.

This week at Shea

This week at Shea the focus of our time was spent talking about taking good notes, what good notes look like and how taking good notes will help students in high school and eventually in college. We did an activity where students received directions (notes) on how to make a paper crane, and then three groups competed to see who could make the crane fastest using their notes for the directions. There were three different sets of notes, one set was just right and clear, one set was WAY too detailed and one set had a bunch of doodles on it. The point of the lesson was that by taking good notes students are going to be able to later on look back at their notes and study for quizzes and tests and their notes should help them stay organized and ultimately be successful high and college students. The Shea students enjoyed the hands on activity and I think they comprehended the message the lesson was to send to them.

Week 7 at Shea

I thought Erin’s lesson about Self Monitoring was very effective and well received by students. We did an activity with three different sets of notes describing how to create a paper airplane. One set was too detailed, another set was messy and another had a succinct, good description. Students with the neat set of notes made a successful paper airplane, students with the too detailed set of notes made an accurate airplane but had a harder time getting through each step, and the group with the messy notes which were not clear enough did not even create an accurate plane. This activity was a good way to show students both the correct and incorrect way to take notes. We then split into groups and described our own as well as each student’s method of note-taking and tactics to use one’s notes when studying for a test. We looked at students’ notebooks to further demonstrate their tactics when taking notes – most bulleted their notes or numbered steps in order to organize the material in an effective way. I thought that giving students advice on how to note take and study was a very useful skill for them to use both currently in high school and in their futures in college. EXPLORE volunteers made this connection for students and explained that in college many courses are lecture style or use powerpoints and therefore you must prepare for each class in a different way. Students really seemed receptive to this lesson and were open in sharing their personal methods to the entire group.

SHEA- WEEK 7

Today at Shea it was my turn to create a lesson on Self Monitoring. I had the students break up into groups and do an activity . For the activity I gave each group a different set of notes I created on "how to build a paper airplane". One set of notes had clear and concise notes, one set had notes with too many details, and one set had notes that didn't make sense and had scribbles in the margins. I had the students follow the notes to see who could finish making the paper airplane first. We then discussed effective note taking and why it is important to take good notes and how you take notes. I think this was a successful lesson because the students were able to make the connection between learning to take good notes now and the importance of taking notes once you're in college. I also had the students complete a survey at the beginning of class with random questions about their previous education and programs they are involved in. I found it interesting that 4 out of the 8 students went to pre-school and 2 students did not know if they went to pre-school or not. I do not know what grades the students receive or how they have done on the NECAP but I believe I can use this information to either support or refute the claim of a "culture of failure". These students want to go to college and seem to be very supportive of furthering their education. I know I can tell and I am sure all of the other EXPLORE workers can tell as well that the students seem determined on going to college.

My Explore Lesson!

So today was my assigned week to create a lesson for Explore at Mt. Pleasant. The topic was college preparations so I decided to have the students work on the computer and research some questions regarding college. For example, they researched the difference between a college and university, a public and private college/university, a major and minor, undergraduate and graduate, SAT and ACT, early action and regular decision, and federal loans versus grants/scholarships. The students were divided into 2 groups and the questions were split among the two groups. After some time to look up the questions, the two groups shared their answers to the whole group. The students did a pretty good job with their answers to the questions and I really hope they learned something from this activity. Because so many of the students talk about basketball and sports in college I gave them a handout about how to apply to become a student athlete and some information about the process. During the remaining time the students took a survey about their experience at Explore so far. I'm interested to read their responses and get some feedback about the program.

Peter Fairbrother Week #6

Peter Fairbrother
11/13/11
Service Learning Week #6
This past week at service learning I got a new insight into the lives of the students at Shea High School that I had not seen before. This week we worked with the students on collegeboard.com. College Board is a very important website that for students who want to go to college. On it you can discover a lot of information about different colleges and you want to go to, you can sign up for standardized tests that you have to take as admissions requirements, and you can search for what type of college you want to go to and the search engine will find the college that match what you want in a college. This Tuesday we we having the students do their own personal college search. I sat in with one boy who new exactly what he wanted. He wanted to go to school in Massachusetts to become an architect. When the search was completed the University of Massachusetts Boston was one of his choices. He then wanted to find out home more in state tuition was and he told me he had already seen the campus and he liked it. I was shocked that this boy already knew about the college and seemed to have an interest in it. What shocked me even more was that he was thinking about the instate tuition because he is moving back to Boston. Based on all of our previous Shea experience I never would have guessed that a student would be this advanced in his college searching process. This just reminds me not to underestimate these students.

st.pats

Unfortunately because of Veteran's Day we did not have EXPLORE! this week. But I am looking forward to getting back there next friday and I am also looking forward to the field trip we are taking on Saturday. We are bringing the students to the basketball game. They are all SO excited and I am too. It will be fun interacting with this outside of the school!

Chad Brown Week 4

This week at Chad Brown we played basketball with the kids. The arts & crafts teacher did not come, so many of the kids played in the gym for the entire time or sat in the art room just fooling around. There were some older boys this week, not as many as last week but more than the first two. They kids were more boisterous and rowdy than usual. Two of the younger boys rapped a song for us they wrote themselves. The lyrics were actually really good. I asked the kids about where they eat most of the time. Many of them either skip breakfast or eat it at school. Almost everyone said they buy lunch at school (they qualify for free/reduced price lunch). For dinner, the answers varried greatly depending on parental work shedules and who was available. Next week it is closed on Thursday, and I have meetings every other night. Thanksgiving week I hope to go on Monday night so I do not miss another week.

Week 6 at Shea

This past tuesday was a very productive week at Shea high school in the EXPLORE program. This week the students were told about a day in the life of a PC student. We broke into groups and gave students an example of what a day for us at PC looks like. We gave Shea students all the details right down to cooking our own dinner, doing our laundry, going to the gym and everything in between. The students had many questions about various activities so this was a productive activity for them. Next, we brought students into a computer lab where we had them create College Board accounts. This was a very productive activity for Shea students because many of them had never heard of the website College Board before so just the fact that they now all have an account that they can reference is a step in the right direction. It was a little shocking to learn that many students had never heard of College Board before just because it is such an essential and important part of applying to college. The students were very focused and determined when looking at the College Board site and making their account so that was encouraging for me as the volunteer. This was a very productive week at Shea and I'm happy that the students are more informed about the college process because of the EXPLORE program.

WEEK 6- SHEA

This past Tuesday was a very good session at Shea. For the majority of the hour we brought the students into the computer lab and had them set up an account on CollegeBoard.org. None of the students had ever heard of College Board before but they did know what the SAT is so when we made the connection between the two I think they grasped the importance. All of the students worked very well in the computer lab. I have noticed that the students work best when we use computers and technology. They are more focused and more engaged in the task that we assign to them. For example, when we have the students do a project in the classroom they seem to get distracted by one another and become off task easily. When they each have their own computer and have a task to complete they prove to be more engaged and less distracted. I think this shows how meaningful technology is in this day and age and how urban schools that do not have computers or urban schools that have broken and inefficient computers are immediately at a disadvantage. Students in suburban schools most likely have at least one if not more than one computer at home. Suburban schools most likely have a variety of technology in the classroom. I think from watching the students at EXPLORE it proves that any student can be engaged and be successful in the classroom if they have the means. Some of these students had trouble answering some of the questions on College Board but that is most likely because they don't use computer programs that often to fill out their information.