Mi Viejo a Puerto Rico!

Si mi amigos...estoy en Puerto Rico on a graduate recruitment trip! and NO, this trip is not all fun and games. I have come in contact with interested students who know more about the program and school than some students I met at schools in the states! This trip has been so successful as far as meeting good master's and doctoral candidates. Several times this year when I have visited schools, there may have only been a few students that would come visit GSE's table, without me first harrassing them; however, I have not had to do much harrassing here. Most of the time I have teamed up with Teacher's College and we have presented the students with two wonderful options as far as graduate degrees in education. And please do NOT think that this is a relaxed vacation and I'm at one school for a few hours, then back to the hotel and the streets of San Juan for fun and games...ese viego es trabajo! The first day we (all the recruiters) were gone from 7am to 7pm! Hay dios mi! Today was not as bad, we only had onew school, which was close to the hotel, but the humid heat made up for the hours of work that we didnt have today...

Now to the fun part...These people like to party! Dancing, shopping, eating, drinking, etc. After visiting the school, I joined a few of the other recruiters, one who is from the island and others who have been here before, to tour Old San Juan. Old San Juan is the historical (and party) part of San Juan. It was a very beautiful place...walking those streets were a workout too...

Well, let me get back to the fiesta, then off to bed for another day of meeting students! Adios mi gente!

Close to the end!

November 19th! That's the day I am done with the RWL program...it was a love/hate relationship. Right now, we're more on the hate side of things. The closer I get to the end, the further I distance myself from love and the closer I snuggle up with hate.

Much of this semester has been devoted to compiling my program portfolio. Although I am taking one class, it has taken a backseat to portfolio. I have been doing portfolio work right along, but the closer it gets to November 8th (the actual day I have to hand it in) all the things I've failed to do seem so tedious. Everything is getting in the way of me completing this project...I lost my jumpdrive, the battery on my computer died, i think my computer has a virus, i fall asleep when I plan on working, etc. I think I just need to take one day where I cut myself off from the rest of society and spend the entire time with Portfolio (yes, it has now become a proper noun).

Most people stress about the 25 minute "exit" interview where you have to present you portfolio and answer questions...I see that as the easiest part! If I had my way, students would be able to choose between the written portfolio or an exit interview. For the last year of my life I have been eating, sleeping, breathing, and living reading/writing/literacy, I talk people to death with my conversations about literacy. I don't know everything, but I'm smart enough to know that learning comes from inquiry and not knowing. I know this is just a dream, but its dreams that have gotten me and Portfolio this far in my relationship!

Me...A Chaperone?

This weekend I chaperoned a college tour to several HBCU's on the east coast, Howard, Morgan State, Bennett, NC A&T, Clark Atlanta, and Spelman. The Spelman Alumnae Association, Philly Chapter sponsors this tour every year for high school girls in the area. The tour is so much more than just visiting and finding out about colleges, but it is also and social experience. The young ladies who participated in the tour learn about proper dress, behavior and social interactions. Yes, it was a rough beginning, and there was much backlash against dressing professionally, using certain language, not wearing head scarves and slippers in public venues, and just presenting oneself in a professional manner at all times, but by the time our debriefing rolled around, all the ladies were appreciative our the guidelines. They realized that they had stood out during the tours and info sessions, they were recognized for their professional demeanor, although at times it was forced. By being away from the "Spelman" environment and way of doing things I had forgotten somethings; this trip was like a refresher course. While at Penn I have grown began to lower my standards as it relates to presentation of oneself. It is NOT okay a give a class presentation is t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers...it is NOT okay to come to class in sweats or pajamas...and it is definitely NOT okay to attend a meeting or go on an interview in anything other than business professional attire!

We also presented the ladies with something other than professional etiquette. They were exposed to Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark during the Homecoming weekend! The students experienced Market Friday, a hip-hop concert, the football game, a step show, coronation, the parade, and tailgating! These high school students were blown away! We fused with them for not paying attention or keeping up with the group, but that was not a reasonible expectation because many of the young ladies had never been in this environment.

Although we, Spelman Alum, would love for all the ladies to attend Spelman, but just the mere fact that all the ladies are seriously interested in college is a success!

Picture

GSE has various student organizations. One of the cultural organizations is the Association of African American at GSE. This was the welcome dinner for this organization. We went to Warmdaddy's on Delaware Avenue. This is a soul food resatuarant that has a live jazz band, Brass Heaven.

Another Week...

I have started this blog over 3 different times. I have no idea what to talk about.

Well, I'm watching VH1's Hip Hop Honors...did anyone else watch this? As I'm watching it, I can't help but to think of the evolution of Hip-Hop over the last 30 years. I don't know if its a good thing or a bad thing. You have people like Mos Def, Common, Kanye (I know he's debatable "You can be my Black Kate Moss tonight"), and Talib K., then at the other end of the "New Age Hip Hop Artist Continuum" you have 50 Cent (ILL), the Game, Lil Boosie, Gucci Mane, etc...How can something so different be considered Hip-Hop? Taking it back to the old age RWL question, What is Literacy?, I have to stand back and ask, What is Hip-Hop? As I watch the legacy of Hip-Hop and what was Hip-Hop, I hate that some of the garbage that consumes the media today is considered Hip-Hop. I can even deal with some people who may not rap about the best things or most positive situations, but they still manage to maintain a level of creativty and consciousness in thier "16 bars of fire"...such as Weezy (The Lexical Navigationist! LOL) T.I., Ludacris, and Jay-Z. I thought Hip-Hop was fun, creativity, self-expression, and something that was supposed to uplift, but the state of Hip-Hop is quickly deteriorating as a result of what we accept from artist. Why do we buy the music? Why do we request the songs on the radio? Why have we allowed something so creative and innovative to turn into something that lack substance? By not listening, I don't know if that makes me active in the backlash against some of the garbage that is considered Hip-Hop...but I feel like more people should, just not listen. I even feel like the Hip-Hop legends should take an active stance in speaking out against dispicable "rappers" like 50 Cent...but maybe they don't care. Maybe I'm the only one who hates this commercial Hip-Hop and all its popularity...

Multitasking...Learn It Or Else

The key to success in grad school, maybe in life, is to multitask. While you're in a restaurant waiting for your food...READ, BRAINSTORM about that paper you need to write, WRITE that paper you need to write... I work (more than part-time, less than full-time), I have a class (this class has an assignment due every week), I travel for GSE, and I write portfolio. If i didn't steal time while at work or in class to "think" about other things I need to do, they would not get done. When I travel for GSE, its not a vacation or freetime, when I'm not recruiting I stay in my hotel room to work on my portfolio and class assignments. That is actually the best time and place to get work done. I usually don't know anyone else when I travel and I definitely don't know how to get around in the cities I go to, so there are no distractions, I have to other choice but to work. My cyberfriends, if you are thinking about going to grad school and actually being active and not a bookwork, you should really learn how to multitask. Balancing and juggling acts are the only things that will get you through grad school successfully

Another Semester...?

I'm back at GSE for (hopefully) my last semester, and I am off to a running start! I only have one class this semester. It's called Language and Diversity in Education, taught by the renown Nancy Hornberger. So far everything we a learning is very intriguing; this past class we had a discussion on how implicit metaphors used in the media and in daily life sometimes oppress different groups of people. Bet you never eventhought about that!
Even though it's only one class, and it's interesting, it's A LOT of work. Which in and of itself would be fine, but I am also trying to complete my portfolio at the same time. For those of you who don't know, the portfolio is for the RWL program, and it is basically a compilation of what you've done in this program and your reflection on your time here. Sounds easy, but it's a bit more complicated than it sounds. I'm just going to really throw myself into it, though. Luckily, I have a great support network of friends/my cohort, and understanding faculty members that help me laugh my way through this busy time!
On that note, let me try to work on portfolio a little more before the night is over. Peace!