Day 3- three schools
Our third day of International Field Experience in South America took us to Uruguay, where we had the opportunity to visit three schools and witness the different dynamics that exist within them. As teachers, it was eye-opening and inspiring to see how education is approached in a country with a unique cultural and historical background. I am excited to share what we experienced during our visit to each of these schools and the valuable lessons we learned.
The first school we visited was Casona de Políticas Lingüísticas, a vocational school where we had a conversation about inclusion in Uruguay. Ms. Reidy, our special education teacher, came to my mind when we discussed the topic of inclusion. The school is a training institute for teachers to implement inclusive practices in their classrooms. I was inspired to learn that in Uruguay, inclusion is not just a term but a way of life. The integration of sign language as an additional language ensures that students with disabilities are not labeled as disabled but are called "students of other languages." I loved this term as this approach emphasizes their individuality and strengths rather than focusing on their deficits. I realized that implementing inclusion in our classrooms is not just about compliance but a necessity for creating a positive learning environment for all students.
Next, we visited a technical school in the Piedras Blancas neighborhood, characterized by a low socioeconomic level. It was an emotional visit for me. Being able to experience education in a slum neighborhood made me realize the importance of education and how lucky I am to have access to it. The school's mission is to provide industry-specific education to help students secure stable jobs in the future. They bring street children to the school and provide incentives to their families to send them to school. Families can only access to government funds (like the EBT cards in United States) when they forced their children to attend this school. During my visit, I was astonished to see how this school provides students with industry-specific education to help them secure jobs in the future instead of getting involved in drugs and crime. They have workshops for carpentry, mechanicals, and cooking. One of the highlights of our visit was the cooking workshop where students prepared a delicious lunch for us. The students were eager to show off their skills and were excited to share their plates with us. The teachers at this school were quite involved in ensuring that their students were equipped with hands-on skills.
Our last stop was in a rural area, where we visited a school renowned for its science projects ( Ms.Guirand, I am bringing ideas/information for next years). This visit taught me the true meaning of passionate teaching and we were blown away by the inspiring teachers and students we encountered. One of the most outstanding projects was focused on preservation of biodiversity, where students collected data on different trees and their attraction rates to butterflies. They then compiled their findings in a database and shared their knowledge with the community by creating QR codes and posted them on fences. This project demonstrated the students' collaboration, communication, and data analysis skills. We met with the two students who won The NOVA jr. Award, which recognizes youth initiatives for carrying out collective projects in scientific research. They will be in Colorado to attend the conference in December. It was a humbling experience to witness teachers who are helping for making a difference in their students' lives despite limited resources. As we were about to leave, the parents and families of the schoolchildren arranged tea for us and brought homemade sweets. We were overwhelmed by their warm hospitality and kindness. It was a beautiful experience to witness the close-knit relationship between the school and the local community.
Visiting the three schools in Uruguay was an eye-opener, as I got to learn about the different practices that educators use to engage their learners. From inclusive practices, community participation, and STEM activities, it was evident that each school had its unique approach to education. It had been a long day- a full 10 hours of visiting schools, but we left feeling energized and excited about the future of education. It was a wonderful experience that I shall never forget.
