Asher+Lantz

** “Filling the Gaps” ** 
 * Asher Lantz **

** My Service Learning Portfolio **

** Table of Contents **
 * 1) 1. Reflective Essay – a reflection on the past year.


 * 1) 2. SMART Goal – the main goal of my project in precise detail.


 * 1) 3. Updated Action Plan – how I worked to achieve my goal.


 * 1) 4. Journal Entries – four journal entries reflecting learning and growth.


 * 1) 5. Disability Research – research on Down syndrome.


 * 1) 6. Pictures – pictures of students I work with.


 * 1) 1. Reflective Essay

T his year in Service learning I am working to fill the gaps of Sudanese, South Sudanese and Ethiopian Children’s learning. What is filling the Gaps? Filling the gaps is finding the lessons that these children did not learn when they were younger and teaching them. For example, some of these children, in seventh grade are trying to multiply and divide fractions when they do not know how to multiply and divide whole numbers! I have learned a lot this year academically, personally and have gained experience for years to come. This year was the first year I worked weekly with these children. Every week or two times a week I go out and teach these children. As many people know, the best way to learn is to teach. This exactly has happened to me this year. Teaching seventh grade math has actually helped me in ninth grade math. There are things I learned to years ago that I have forgotten about and teaching it to these children helped me to remember them and know them better than before. In example I had forgotten a lot about fractions and decimals from seventh grade. Though when I had to teach the children after remembering the things I had forgotten I learned how to add multiply and divide fractions. It seems simple but there are always a few things that you forget from your lessons as a child and this was one for me. Teaching these children helped me learn new basic skills as much as it helped them. I was not completely new to the subject of service this year because I had done community service classes before and I am in Boy Scouts. However I have never done a constant weekly service program before. I have to say, sadly, at the beginning of this year I was very uptight and almost nervous when I worked with these children. It is completely different when you go weekly than when you go once every few months. I got to know the kids and learned how to best teach them, or serve them. That is to be open, fun and enthusiastic when helping. It makes it fun for the people you are serving, the people around you and most importantly for you. Service is not completely new to me but this type of continuous service to the same people is utterly different than what I have done, and this has taught me about the subject of service in a completely different way. Service is one of the weirdest things humans do. In nature, it is against instinct to help another if it doesn’t help you. However, obviously, we are humans, we are different. Serving another does help you. Yet, many humans do not know this. There are many people in this world that try to buy things and do things to make themselves feel rich, but in actuality the way a person feels the richest inside is by helping another. The only way a person really feels connected with another person is by helping them and this is what I learned this year in Service Learning. You learn many things when you teach. One main thing is learning to make decisions. Decisions on how you teach, decisions on what you teach and decisions on what to do in special cases. In this category I have not learned a lot about deciding what to teach because the children already had a set plan on what they are learning. However I had freedom in how I taught these students and this was one of the hardest things I had to do. I would teach something in what I thought was a simple explanation and these children would not understand. I tried different methods of teaching, some worked and others didn’t. One thing that helped me was when I had a group of children that were all the same level. One of the best feelings is when you manage to teach a child something. It could be as small as adding two digit numbers and they may still make mistakes yet it still feels good. An even better feeling is when they remember it the next week you come. In all there are some decisions that you make that are mistakes and others that work well, it all comes with experience. The experience of serving is unlike any other experience. Service this year has taught me a few things that I could have learned without it. For example, it has taught me basic knowledge in Math and English, also how to teach better and more effectively. However it has also taught me things that I could only learn from serving. I now know why people serve and how it affects you. I know that serving is not easy and that it is different from what people generally think it is. In all, this year in service has not changed my life, or anything major like that. But it has taught me things that I know will help me with the rest of my life. I feel that service is not something one does for fun. It is something one does to help other people and to help oneself. I believe service should be a necessity for all people in first world countries. Sadly, this is not the case but I know that this is unrealistic. It is obvious though in history, but I know that a small group of people can make a large difference. Even if I can’t make a large difference I have still made a difference. Just as Ellen Goodman said, “I have never been especially impressed by the heroics of people convinced they are about to change the world. I am more awed by those who struggle to make one small difference.”


 * 1) 2. SMART Goal

S pecific – I have three main goals that I wish to achieve: M easurable – My goals are ongoing and do not have a certain point when I know they are complete. Though I can tell when they make progress. When they recognize me and say hi to me that is progress. When they learn to multiply easier that is progress. And when they start speaking English more and Arabic less that is progress.
 * 1) 1. Get to know and become friends with the children at Found Africa Learning Center.
 * 2) 2. Help them learn more about math specifically.
 * 3) 3. To make them be able to speak English easier and more fluid.

A chievable – Of course these goals will be challenging but I have not made them too hard. I think that just working with the kids alone will help me to get to know them better and help them speak English easier. Teaching them math will require more patience and teaching ability but will not be impossible.

R ealistic – These goals will not be hard to accomplish because my mother goes to this school to teach these children twice a week. It is easy for me to go with her and teach math to the students. Though I will have to sacrifice time every week.

T imely – There are no deadlines except the end of the year. I go every week once or twice depending on how it fits into my schedule.

3. Updated Action Plan

Target Problem: Lack of education

Target Group: Sudanese/South Sudanese/Ethiopian Refugees at FACLC.

Project Title: Filling the Gaps

Goals:


 * 1) 1. To get to know the children of FACLC
 * 2) 2. To help them learn their multiplication tables.
 * 3) 3. To help them speak English more fluidly.

Obstacles:


 * 1) 1. Students’ ability to learn.
 * 2) 2. My ability to teach
 * 3) 3. Students’ interest and attention.

Tasks:

4. Journal Entries 18th October 2011
 * 1) 1. Learn to teach.
 * 2) 2. Teach in different ways. (I.E. with rewards and models).
 * 3) 3. Be patient.

Today I went to the Sudanese school FACLC, I taught Math. This was not my first time going but I’m still new to this. Math is always an interesting subject to teach these children because you don’t know what they know and don’t. One child may know how to multiply and divide, but not know how to add. Or one child may know how to add 3 plus 5, but not 103 plus 105. This obstacle keeps me on my toes and is sometimes a nuisance. However it does teach me to be more flexible and patient. I do not feel as lost with the children anymore, even when I feel I am going in circles. Now even a little accomplishment makes me happy and content. Teaching a child how to long divide, even if it takes one hour is a great accomplishment for me. I understand how service alone can change your character.

15th November 2011

Today I went to FACLC and I feel very experienced with this school. Nothing really interesting happened today. I was just teaching math as usual. We used the ‘Snap Cubes’ as usual which gives the students visual and kinesthetic reinforcement to learning math. Being able to see and create 2x3 on a set of snap cubes seems to make them understand easier. I guess that is because this is he 21st century. All of the new technology like computers and faster televisions has made people, especially children become visual and kinesthetic learners because they always need to be stimulated. That is why they can pay attention to a movie for a long time but they cannot pay attention to a lesson for a long time. You can see this in FACLC as you can see it anywhere. I am starting to see that these children DO get a lot of the technological benefits like computers and TVs that we do. Though theirs may not be as advanced as us. The real place where these children lack is in their physical and educational nourishment.

13th March 2012 Today, in FACLC we worked on math. It was not a special day but I am feeling more and more confident as this year goes on. I am almost done with the year and I can see the difference in the point of view I have of service and of the children at the school. I now am able to talk to them openly and confidently and I am better at teaching. However I still feel that feeling that I just don’t want to do service today. It is not what I would define a ‘fun activity’. Though I know that it is a very rewarding activity.

5th May 2012 Today some students came to my house to work with me. I helped them make puzzles and talked to them. Today was a different day for me because I am used to just teaching them. However this time I just worked with them. I found that just working with the children and speaking English to them also helps them. I also learned about the children’s ability to problem solve. They seem to have trouble seeing patterns and solutions to problems. I am not sure whether this is because they are young or because they were malnourished as children. I hope it is the first one. Otherwise I found that I had to help them solve the simplest puzzles except for a few of them. Some were better than the others and seemed to see patterns and find solutions easier. It’s interesting to see how some cope better in some situations and others cope better in other situations. 1.Disability Research

Down syndrome is birth defect cause when person is born with an extra chromosome, which means they have 47 instead of 46. This extra chromosome affects the development of the body and the brain.

There are ways to see if a person has down syndrome.

They have very distinct physical traits and symptoms:


 * Decreased muscle tone at birth


 * Excess skin at the nape of the neck


 * Flattened nose


 * Separated joints between the bones of the skull (sutures)


 * Single crease in the palm of the hand


 * Small ears


 * Small mouth


 * Upward slanting eyes


 * Wide, short hands with short fingers


 * White spots on the colored part of the eye (Brushfield spots)


 * Physical development is often slower than normal. Most children with Down syndrome never reach their average adult height.


 * Children may also have delayed mental and social development. Common problems may include:


 * Impulsive behavior


 * Poor judgment


 * Short attention span


 * Slow learning


 * As children with Down syndrome grow and become aware of their limitations, they may also feel frustration and anger.


 * Many different medical conditions are seen in people with Down syndrome, including:


 * Birth defects involving the heart, such as an atrial septal defect or ventricular septal defect


 * Dementia may be seen


 * Eye problems, such as cataracts (most children with Down syndrome need glasses)


 * Early and massive vomiting, which may be a sign of a gastrointestinal blockage, such as esophageal atresia and duodenal atresia


 * Hearing problems, probably caused by regular ear infections


 * Hip problems and risk of dislocation


 * Long-term (chronic) constipation problems


 * Sleep apnea (because the mouth, throat, and airway are narrowed in children with Down syndrome)


 * Teeth that appear later than normal and in a location that may cause problems with chewing


 * Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

Source: Board, A.D.A.M. Editorial. "Causes, Incidence, and Risk Factors." Down Syndrome. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Nov. 0000. Web. 24 May 2012. .

6. Pictures

