Marlene Vasquez Blog

Marlene Vasquez        

December 15, 2021

School Family Comm

Fall 2021- EDCE 22102

 Center creation- Rontae’s Poster Board

             I decided to base my poster board on something that my student can relate to. I work in a high school as a Paraprofessional. I help students with different cases of disability. This year I have a student named Rontae; he is a bright student who is filled with outstanding knowledge and ideas. Starting off this center I thought of different ideas on what my center should be based on. Many ideas came to mind, but I decided to narrow it down to something that would grab his attention and that would be portable for him as he travels from class to class. That is how the idea of the poster board came about. I first introduced the idea with Rontae by discussing his thoughts on the center creation. He expressed to me little details of what he is interested in so that way it could be a clear indication of what types of magazines I should look out for. I collected data on a notepad regarding the questions and responses he gave me.

Question Data:

1.     What are your interests? It can be anything.

-       “Famous artists in the rap game, I think Kevin Hart is so dope. I like to watch my mom’s shows because she loves to talk about how she would love for me to become someone wealthy so I could buy her a house one day. I think that looking at famous people’s lifestyles inspires me.”

2.     What are your goals?

-       “I want to be rich and famous for my rap songs. I also want to have a good job so I could have my own place and car. I want to have a famous girl that understands my lifestyle. I want to have a rip body where everyone I know would go crazy because they were expecting me to look so good”

3.     Who inspires you?

-       “Kevin Hart, Bruno Mars, Jay Z, Michael B. Jordan, DMX, Kanye, M&M, honestly I like a mix of artists in the music and acting industry because I know I could do what they do and who knows, I might be even greater. We’ll see.” As he laughed. He continued on saying, “I do like female artists too as inspiration. There’s a lot of things that they have done that sometimes overpowers the men artist. Sometimes I listen to Beyonce or Lizzo for inspiration throughout my day or workouts. I think that they are really dope and they have real topics in their songs that I could connect with.”

4.     Who is someone that is a great representation of you now or who you want to become?

-        “I think that Kevin Hart is the perfect example of who I am now and the success he has achieved is what I want to reach. I think that his storyline of life is not only inspirational but also, I feel like I’m going through the same path that he has gone through. Many of my friends don’t know this in this school but I love to make jokes and I was known for my jokes in my old school. I also was a part of the school’s plays, but I don’t want to do it in this school. I would rather show them my rap skills and have a new image here so that I could get better at this part of myself since I already know I’m good with acting and making jokes. I think Kevin Hart is a perfect example because he is also a good reader and was smart in school and I think I am too. My grades show it, and the teacher says it too, so I don’t know if Kevin Hart is the best example I can come up with right now that represents me.”

5.     What’s your favorite color?

-        “Green”

6.     What is something new that you would like to show in your poster board that not everyone knows about you?

-        “I would like to show off my home stuff. I am really into interior home design. As I watched the shows with my mom I kinda got into it and I want to buy a house one day and have it designed with my own style and taste. I think that none of my friends here or even the teachers don’t know that I love looking at new ideas of how to flip houses and put together all the furniture.”

The second time I collected data was when I sat down with him for a quick five-minute conversation after his first period class where he expressed to me what he plans on doing with the poster board after he finishes creating it. As well as what period of class would he like to focus on finishing the poster board. He expressed to me that he would like to put the poster board in his room as a form of inspiration. He would like to use the like 10-15 minutes of music class, math class and global class since he is ahead with the assignments with those classes. I also Asked him which magazine brand he would like. He expressed that he doesn’t usually look through magazines to know the different brands, but he would like to know which ones he could choose from. So, I went on my laptop and googled the most common magazines that would be easy to find and had him choose three from the ones he saw.  

After listening to my student and gathering all the data that he shared with me I decided to go out and go on a hunt for three magazines. Each one would have some if not all the details that he shared so that he could post it all on the board. I wanted to make this center something that he could take home and have it in his room in a way that inspires him every day. It took me three days of hunting for the magazines until I finally found the right ones. I went to stores like Walgreens, Duane Reade, Whole Foods and Barns and Nobles and I was able to gather the three magazines that made the most sense to all the details that Rontae gave me. I had to speak to the teachers from Rontae’s classes to allow him to take the last 15 minutes of class to start working on poster board. It took him a full week to finish it up. It was very interesting to see him pick and choose the images from all the magazines and explain why he chose them to his friends in the classroom. This activity definitely broke down a barrier for my student and his friends. They were able to ask Rontae questions about himself and where his inspiration came from to cut out so many pieces of house images. He was very excited to explain to his friends the shows that he watches with his mother and why he put Kevin Hart in the middle. It was so great how the students were gravitating to the Rontae to help him with the poster by gluing down the pictures.

I think that this center creation was great for my high school students. It’s a great activity that can be modified to all age groups. Which is why I think that it would work perfectly with children in elementary school. Giving them materials and visuals that they can relate to and have discussions with would be essentially the idea of the center. When children have conversation with one another throughout the activities within the classroom based on the lesson that is being brought forth in the classroom, that’s where new vocabulary is introduced from one child to another. It is great for all our students to have moments like this where they can interact with one another in creative centers because one of the richest, empowering learning covers is when each child is able to express their thoughts and opinions. Not only that but in those moments is where each child’s culture and native languages are expressed further into conversation where other children that aren’t as exposed to the language would learn a new language and expand their vocabulary.

The third time I gathered small data from Rontae was after he finished his poster board. The reason for this was because I thought that it would be great to listen to his point of view now that he finished. I started off by expressing to him how I enjoyed watching him flip through the magazines and have such joyful expressions. As well as seeing how it brought some of his classmates together. As I was expressing my point of view to him, he was smiling and began to express his thoughts. He stated that he thought it was fun to look through the magazines and try to imagine he owns a nice house like the ones he saw. He felt inspired to change up his style a little after seeing the way Kevin Hart was dressed and how other artists showed off their own form of fashion sense. Not to mention how cool it was to see the different workout moves that he started to try at home because he saw it in the magazines. He said that it was so much fun when his friends from the different classrooms would gather around him and give their opinions about what the cut out that he chose to put on the poster board. He expressed that he liked how it all came together and that he got a lot of comments on social media after he showed off the finished product. He stated that a lot of his followers started to copy him and come up with their own “vision board” for what they want their future to look like. He stated proudly that he felt like he started a new trend. This was great news to hear from him and felt that collecting this data was a great idea because I was able to see how the journey went. From the start, just brainstorming on what the center creation would be. To then actually have all the materials and see how the poster board was executed. Into the final result and reflection on it.

My thought of this center creation can be viewed as a “Self-soothing corner” where it could be transformed into a corner where any child with special needs can have this corner where the materials that are there can help them calm themselves. There are a couple articles that touches upon the importance of activities such as my center creation. In one of the articles titled, “The Imperial arch” toward Early Literacy: Locating Popular Culture in a Kindergarten Classroom” by Haeny S. Yoon, it states, “Validating popular culture as an intellectual activity in children’s lives requires the space and time to play. Furthermore, it requires the same observation, documentation, and analysis we would give to any kind of “serious” activity” (Yoon, pp 174). This is very important to note because making sure that the teachers have these types of soothing centers for the children, should give the same level of importance to these activities in these centers where it’s self-soothing. Just as important as the subject for math, literacy, and social studies; having the time and space for the children to have an area where they have purposeful time to create or in other words have something accessible for them to self-soothe. I think that it is important for all children to be able to have a center in the classroom where they could go and gather themselves in a way that helps them calm down and feel good.

 Another great reading that helps this center creation is from the article “[Re]claiming “Inclusive Education” Toward Cohesion in Educational Reform: Disability Studies Unravels the Myth of the Normal Child” by Baglieri et al, it states, “. Yet despite this common discursive heritage, a good deal of divergence currently exists in the meanings attributed to the construct of inclusive education, both between and within the various educational discourse communities circulating among nations around the world that draw upon the term” (Baglieri et al, pp 2125). This is a wonderful quote that focuses on the topic of school education with children that have a disability, connecting with “inclusive education” in the English-speaking world and how it has emerged. In other words, centers like the one I have done for Rontae helps with this idea that Baglieri et al is bringing forth throughout this article. Having a center in a classroom where they’re children with disabilities (which are considered Inclusion classrooms) would benefit greatly by having a self-soothing area for the children.

Lastly, another article that is great is “DisCrit Classroom Ecology: Using praxis to dismantle dysfunctional education ecologies” by Subini Annamma & Deb Morrison, it states, “When considering how DisCrit Pedagogy extends this commitment, it is again considering the multiple-marginalization’s that Students of Color face and how others can learn about them without essentializing” (Annamma & Morrison, pp 76). I found that this part of the article is perfect as to a connection to my student. Rontae is an African American student who has an amazing personality and stands out amongst the crowd when he feels free enough to express himself. This center creation allows him to express himself in all angles, which includes his race and ethnicity. This center creation helps him demonstrate all the various systems that relate to him and it’s a visual description on who he is and how he envisions his present and future. There are many layers that this center creation targets, and I think that it would be great to implement this for all age groups. Thus, including this center creation in an elementary school where young children can express themselves through a form of arts and craft while at the same time stimulating a part of their brain and emotions where it could help them independently self-soothe if need be.

I believe that his center highlights family and community in a visible way. This project of Rontae using the artist and pictures of the dress codes that they are wearing in the poster board demonstrates culture. He also demonstrates family in his own way by putting a lot of house pictures which for him represent his mother. He expressed in the data I collected from him that he spends a lot of time with his mother watching shows on houses and that is their form of bonding. Therefore, using and requesting to have a magazine solely on household represent family to my student. As far as community, Rontae was able to use artists that are highly known in his community as well as basketball players and actors. These are points that were very important for Rontae because it helped him relate to his friends more every time they gathered around him to do this activity.

Rontae oversaw this center. I made sure to ask him questions that would help me gather the materials that “HE” wanted, not what I thought he needed. It was great to see how he looked so happy sharing and demonstrating to his friends and people within the classroom what he was creating with this center creation. Hearing him saying that he will post this poster board on his bedroom wall proves to me that he felt self-empowered. This happened after he completed the board as well as when he expressed that he feels like he started a new trend. He stated he posted on social media his poster board and because of that his followers are starting to do the same.  

The resources for this center creation can be found all around our environment. I think that this poster board in particular is perfect because it shows that it all really depends on the systems that the child is in and what attracts their attention. Using materials that surround us is all you need for this center creation really. I used the resources around me that helped me gather the proper materials that were needed to complete what Rontae asked for. I use magazines which were found in the stores around the school. I also got the glue poster board and scissors from a nearby dollar store. This is all within the system and community that my student Rontae is exposed to, as well as the students and teachers that attend the same school as him. We used these things for this center creation. However, this center creation can be modified to other items to help the student in the classrooms that would need a self-soothing area. The school that Rontae attends is mixed with students that relates and connects to him despite the cultural background which is why I thought that because of his age (being a teenager) and the school community, I think that it all ties well with the developmental systems in Rontae’s life.

I believe that system theory plays a huge role in this center creation. I think that every component that was used is based on the systems that relate and connect to Rontae. Which is great because he is the focus in this center creation and having a new way for him to express and demonstrate all the systems that makes up who he is into one center is truly amazing. I learned a lot more from him throughout this center creation and I think that it helped him come out of his shell a bit more, not only with me but with his friends and classmates as well. I think that system theory was shown greatly when the students that were around Rontae while he was doing his work on the center creation, were able to join him and ask him questions. These were just a one-worded response that the students were waiting for; they were asking questions that nudged Rontae to share more of himself on things that I don’t think he would have done if it wasn’t for the poster board. Moreover, this meant that the students around Rontae, who all have their own groups of systems that they relate to; came together for that one moment when Rontae was doing his center creation because they all have this one common system that ties them as one for just those couple of minutes.

This project and assignment went great for me and my student as well. It opened new ideas for the other teachers around us that saw how the other student gravitated to this center creation. It has started a wave of conversation amongst the teachers and now they would like to incorporate projects like my center creation in their assignments. Which proves to me that this center creation is a great strategy that can be used in different subjects and manipulated in a way that grabs the attention of the students. Which ties into the many systems that this center creation can connect with and the wide range of age group that it can impact with. It was a great idea to have because it brings together family and community systems into this great activity which helps the children to visually demonstrate in a beautiful poster board. I think that this was a learning curve for me and it’s something I would definitely use in the classroom for my future classroom in an elementary school. This creation definitely helps to break a barrier with my students, and I think that it would continue to do that in other classes and systems. I hope to see this center creation be implemented in other classrooms and systems. The systems I focused on in this center creation were special education, public education, and popular culture. The readings that were used were from Baglieri et al, Annamma & Morrison, as well as Yoon. I focused on just one student (Rontae) and the systems that related to him. I also made sure to try to use this center creation in the best way that could be modified and be implicated for early childhood. The main purpose of the center is for children with disabilities to use it as a self-soothing corner.   

 Poster Board:

His finish produces of the poster board:

                                                   Citation

 Haeny S. Yoon. The Imperial arch” toward Early Literacy: Locating Popular Culture in a Kindergarten Classroom. Article Language Arts Lessons.

Baglieri et al. October 2011. [Re]claiming “Inclusive Education” Toward Cohesion in Educational Reform: Disability Studies Unravels the Myth of the Normal Child. Teachers College Record Volume 113, Number 10.

November 5, 2021

Family and Community Treasures

EDCE 22102 - Fall 2021

 Breaking the Barriers “Farmers Market”      

             After our last assignment, I realized something very interesting about the Farmers Market. People who have “snap” benefits are able to use their cards to pay for fresh produce in any NYC farmer’s market. So, this got me thinking about the area where I live and how many Farmers markets are available to people within my community, which is low-income families. I took it upon myself to investigate this. I did some research online to see how many farmers markets I could go to within a 5mile distance from where I live and the dates/times they are open. This is what I found:

1.     McCarren Park Green Market only open on Saturday 8am-2pm

2.     Down to Earth McGolrick Park Farmers Market only open Sunday 10am-3pm

3.     Ridgewood Farm stand Open only Saturday 8am-3pm

4.     RB Bushwick Farmers Market Open only Saturday 9am-4pm

Then I interviewed some of my friends and families on the topic. I simply asked them three questions. First, “Do you know what the farmers market is? Second, do you know where the bears famers marketplace is around the area where we live? Third, did you know people with Snap benefits can use it towards buying fresh produce from the farmers market? Their responds where:

Lisette G:

Question 1: “Yes”

Question 2: “No”

Question 3: “WOW No I did not, That’s amazing!”

Ricardo A.

Question 1: “Yes”

Question 2: “No”

Question 3: “Nice”

David F.

Question 1: “yes”

Question 2: “No clue”

Question 3: “Oh word! I thought that was only for rich people”

Johnny A.

Question 1: “No Se”  

Question 2: “No”

Question 3: “Que bueno” how good

Tony V.

Question 1: “Yes”

Question 2: “I think There’s one all the way down, where the Williamsburg Bridge is”

Question 3: “For real? Then How come we don’t have it near our house though?”

Ana V.

Question 1: “Si”         

Question 2: “hay uno en la 14st cuando tu sales del tren L” There’s one on 14st when you come out the L train

Question 3: “no lo creo, dejame decirle a Patria” I can’t believe it, Let me tell Patria (her friend)

Jasmine T.

Question 1: “yes”

Question 2: “Not a clue bro”

Question 3: “That’s awesome, it’s sad they don’t announce it on tv or social media so that people would be well informed of this”

Bryan M.

Question 1: “Isn’t that where people from close farms like from NJ come over to the city and sell their crops?”

Question 2: “I don’t think they come to Brooklyn. That’s for rich wealthy people”

Question 3: “Oh word! No way! I have to look into that. I have a lot of friends that are going to be really hype to hear that”

             I also when to the farmers market that is located in Union Square Park, and I was able to interview one of the venders that was there. I was able to ask if he often gets many people paying for the produce that they purchased, by using EBT/Snap. He responded that he does get some customers that uses it but he has noticed that most people pay with either Apple pay, Debt/credit or cash. I then asked him why he think that is and what he thinks would help people become more aware of this amazing benefits? He explained that he does think that the reason why most people use other forms of payment instead of EBT/Snap, is because it’s not promoted well enough. The way that it could change would be by making the signs up higher on each tent that shows that people can use their EBT/Snap benefits. It was a great experience because I was able to be well informed on this topic and it influenced me to speak more about it with those around me as well as positing it on my social media to inform others that perhaps have EBT and would like to get fresh produce from the farmer’s market.

 The way That I would be breaking this barrier would be by talking with more people on this topic. Which I started off by doing so with the interviews of those around me. The second thing I plan on posting this information out on social media so that it not only reaches people within my home community but also those that live in different locations where they could then do their own research on whether or not they would get the same benefits with their nearby farmer’s market. Lastly, I spoke with a couple vendors in the farmers market located in 14st Union Square about putting up a large sign that indicates all the different payment methods and showing off the Snap card in bold. So far this action has brought awareness to many people that I know, and it has provided those people to spread the word to others as well. I think this barrier needs to be broken down because there's a lot of people that should be able to benefit from having fresh produce in their home without having to use other forms of payments and not having to travel far to get this service. In the reading “Language Development in Early Childhood” by Beverly Otto states great insights on the importance of children's exposure to language not only in schools but also with their families. Chapter two states, “Verbal interactions with children at home are more tailored for each child or, at most, shared with other children in the family unit” (Otto, pp 30). This is something that is very important because children grasp so much from their family and the day-to-day involvement that their families go through. One of the greatest things about breaking this barrier is that children can help their parents obtain this information when they go with their families to the farmers market. Going based off the community I based this topic on, there’s a large amount of people that would have trouble speaking English to the venders, therefore they can have their children not only be exposed to this new place of getting fresh produce but also exercising their language by helping translate for their parents/guardian at the farmer’s market. There is another interesting article that gives some rich insights of system theories titled, “Ecological Systems Theory: The Person in the Center of the Circles” by Nancy Darling. This article states, “When predicting the strength of association of parental knowledge with positive aspects of development (social skills, friendships with prosocial peers, good academic performance), one might predict a stronger association in high-resource environments'' (pp 215). This is so important for children to be exposed to a new system, where people come from a different state to provide fresh farm grown foods that their families can enjoy together. I think this is a positive aspect of what can occur with this barrier breaking.  

Another insightful article is “The Experimental Ecology of Education” by Urie Bronfenbrenner states, “Thus the experience of a child in day care, in the classroom, or the informal peer group, may change the pattern of activities and interaction with parents or siblings in the home, or vice versa, with consequent implications of learning and development” (Bronfenbrenner, pp10). I think this quote is very important because as I stated before when families go food shopping, they tend to bring their children alone with them. By doing so they are exposing them to a new way of shopping for fresh produce that they could eat as a family and perhaps use that information through imaginary play with their friends and open to the conversations about the farmers market that that child’s family goes to. In the last article “What Is a System and a System Perspective?” By David Aloyzy Zera, I’ve gathered insight into system theory. It stated, “When one part of a system changes (or adapts to change), further change occurs, necessitating self-organization as the system tries to equalize itself to the new demands” (,pp). I think that this is a very important quote to analyze because it relates to many systems changing by breaking this barrier of exposing the information of people with snap being able to use their benefits to pay for fresh produce in a farmers’ market. As well as the change that would occur if more farmers market stations would open around the low-income family’s area and they would be available more than just once a week. I believe that system theory would play a big role in this area.

   Citation

 Beverly Otto. 2018. Language Development in Early Childhood. 5th ED. Pearson

 Nancy Darling, 2007 “Ecological Systems Theory: The Person in the Center of the Circles”

Urie Bronfenbrenner. (July 16, 2014). The Experimental Ecology of Education.

  http://www.jstor.org/stable/1174755. 10.

David Aloyzy Zera. What Is a System and a System Perspective?

1. Did you know that the farmer’s market accepts EBT/Snap as a form of payment?

2. Do you know the nearest Farmer’s Market place near your community? 

3. Do you think this this is an important topic to share? if so, why?

Marlene Vasquez        

October 25, 2021

School Family Community 

Fall 2021- EDCE 22102

                                 Reflection on Family Assumption Comic

            This assignment was very interesting to do. I had never done a comic strip before now and although I struggled to try to figure it out; I did end up like the end result. I made a comic about the assumptions that happened to Dominican women/girls. Which was about the idea that people would make assumptions that we all are supposed to look alike Light skinned, long curly hair and a curvy body; always talking in Spanish or a heavy accent if talking anything else but Spanish. Which is something I have been dealing with all my life since I’ve lived in the United States. Going to school here was different for me at times because people would just assume that I was African American and they would talk in Spanish about me, while I was in front of them, and I often wondered what it about me is that doesn’t seem to show that I’m Hispanic. I am so proud to be Dominican and proud to be a Latina. Every time people make these assumptions about me, it feels like I am being stripped away from my culture and roots. It may sound silly to many people, but I know that they’re girls out there that feel the same way. I was so hard because I felt like I needed to doe something about my hair and my body and the amount of Spanish that I would speak around people because if I didn’t then it meant that I was less Latina then the other girls that fit the mold of what “Latinas” should look like. I think that as a people we must not assume but instead ask if curios about something because you don’t know how it may affect the other person. We live in a world that is full of different types of people that come from many different places and background. It is not okay for anyone to be placed in a box as if we’re all supposed to fit in one mold.

I often wonder:

1.     Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in the stereotype that people put your culture or ethnicity in?

2.     Have you ever experienced this situation as the I demonstrated in the comic?

3.     Do you know anyone that has experienced these assumptions?

4.     What have people assumed about you?

5.     How did you handle it?

Marlene Vasquez        

September 24, 2021

School Family Community 

Fall 2021- EDCE 22102

                                      Family Assumption Comic

 https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=13111107C3531232

This comic is about how many of us Hispanics are often put in situations where people assume that we all “look alike” We come with all different types of shades of complexions. Different hair textures and many more. I focused on Dominican girls in particularly since I could relate more to that and have had so many personal experiences of people assuming that I’m African American because Dominican girls have big curls and long hair. Meanwhile, my hair and complexion isn’t what “Dominican girls” look like. It’s an assumption to have people think that “Hispanics look alike” when we come in all types of complexions and hair type.

Marlene Vasquez

October 11, 2021

Family and Community Treasures

EDCE 22102 - Fall 2021

                                              Blog II Reflection

             For my second blog post I have decided on posting my “My Ecological Map” assignment. This was a fun assignment for me because I decided to keep it very local to the places where I spend most of my time with and make the most memories in. As a class assignment me had to show in the map the places where we’ve been to and write a description on each place and how it can relate to a song and/or movie line. I think that by connecting the places to music and movies that I’ve enjoyed made the assignment even more amazing because now I have found myself quoting them whist I go to those locations. We also had to connect them to system theory which allowed me to rethink of how those locations connect me to other systems. Not to mention, how other systems can be affected by just one switch or change that can be caused by other systems. After this assignment I think of how music and movies can relate to the places that I’ve been and how those things are systems in it of itself. I now think of/ wonder if others think the same way that I do. Weather they ask themselves how the systems they are in may cause an effect on other systems. Which leads me to the class dissection on the September 2, 2021. We disused the storm that happened in New York. 

The way the subways got affected and places in the stress where floated which affected the bus. The system of transportation was affected by the storm. Which them affected the way people would get to work or hospitals or reach family members; thus, causing an affect to other systems. I now wonder about the many ways one system failure can cause an effect on others. The way of thinking is one thing that I have started to change after this assignment. As well as trying to find other ways that I can solve the problems when something like “a storm” happens again; that way it won’t affect my day-to-day life. In other words, not only dependent on one solution but instead having options. This way I could feel better prepared in the future. According to the article “The Experimental Ecology of Education” by Urie Bronfenbrenner states, “While the Thesis that most behavior in social situations is reciprocal is generally accepted in principle, it is often disregarded in practice” (Bronfenbrenner, pp 9). What I understood from this passage is that even though we may think we have thing in order we would still be able to have disruptions that can occur, thus, affecting the systems we are in. Which is something that was discussed in the class on the day after the New York City storm.

Questions:

·       Have you thought of system theory?

·       IF so, how to you find it to be relatable to you?

·       What might be three Locations in your hometown that you’ve been to?

·       Can you come up with a song line that can describe or connect to each place?

·       Where you affected by the storm that happened in New York City that happened on September 1, 2021?

·       If you could think of three different types of food you enjoy, would they all be in one country/city, or would it be around the world?

·       If so, would you be interested in creating a map to show it?

                                                Citation 

Urie Bronfenbrenner. (July 16, 2014). The Experimental Ecology of Education.

Marlene Vasquez

September 9, 2021

Family and Community Treasures

EDCE 22102 - Fall 2021

 My Ecological Map and Reflection

 For my first location I pointed out my home and the first song I think of is from Michael

Buble's home lyrics “Let me go home, I'm just too far, from where you are, I wanna come home”. The reason why this song comes to mind is because it's all about the warmness of being home and it has such a sweet melody to it. Which reminds me of being in my house where I’m surrounded by my loved ones. I also believe that my family would agree with this song because I often sing this song at home, and they join in singing it with me. For my second location I pointed out my job. There’s a line The Movie “The Intern” by director and writer Nancy Meyers that reminds me of work. Which is from one of the main characters, Ben Whittaker: You should feel nothing but great about what you've done, and I'd hate to see you let anyone take that away from you. This was advice that was given to motivate the second main character to be proud of the hard work she put into her job so it could become successful. This is something that I feel I could relate to since I am a paraprofessional and I believe that the hard work that I invest on my students makes a difference.

This is also a great line from the movie because my family encourages me with a very similar saying in Spanish so I believe they would agree to this line from the movie. The third Location is My church. The song that comes to mind is “Rez Power” by Israel and New Breed. The line from that song that relates to the location of the church is when it says, “I’m alive, I’m alive in you, Resurrection Power ''. The reason for this is because in my faith we believe that we are the church and God abides in us. So, this song reminds me that although I’m in the four walls of my church, I as an individual am the church. My family and I attend the same church and this is a song that we sing often in both English and Spanish.

For my fourth location I chose my friend’s house. I spend a lot of my free time in her house and the song that made the most sense to choose was “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars. The line that stands out is “You can count on me 'cause I can count on you”. The reason is because I know my friends would always be there for me. My family enjoys this song because I upload this song into one of my videos with my friends. For my fifth location I pinned one of my favorite restaurants. I vlog the different restaurants around New York City as a hobby. The song that comes to mind is “Ojala Que llueva Café” by Juan Luis Gerra. Which is a famous song in Spanish that is saying that he wishes that it rains coffee. The line that stands out is “Ojalá que llueva café en el campo” because it’s referring to the rain of coffee. Which is a common drink I order in all the restaurants I go to. This song also is sung a lot in my household since my parents used to sing it when they were younger in the Dominican Republic. It’s mainly sung as a hint to my mom to make some coffee for the family.

 https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=4205826 

Questions: 

1. Where are the places you’ve traveled to? 

2. If not traveled, then Where are the places you have been to in the city you currently live in?

3. Where would you like to travel? At least three locations

Marlene Vasquez        

September 25, 2021

School Family Comm

Fall 2021- EDCE 22102

                                 Blog Assignment Two – First Post

               I chose to post the “Family and Community Treasure” assignment as my first post on my blog. This assignment is about what my family treasure is as well as my community treasure is. As for my family treasure, I wrote about the coffee maker that my family loves and we all use from generation to generation. I go in depth on why it is my family treasure and the reasons behind why it makes it so special to us. As for my “Community Treasure” I wrote about the Bible and why it’s so important to my community. The assignment is filled with rich details about what makes the Bible and the coffee maker a “treasure” to my family and community which I believe would be a great read for the audience I’m reaching for.

            This assignment is important to the class contact because it targets the systems in which I am associated with. This class has focused on the ways that everything functions in its own system and how it can connect to other systems and how it could cause various effects in each system. A great example of this is when I think about my family treasure and how a simple coffee maker can be viewed and valued in my family system with such beauty. But yet it could affect/connect to the system in which I, as a teacher, would cherish each coffee break that I could have while at work; thus, causing an effect to my work system. Whether or not I get to have my coffee break during work or not, it would shift the way my day would go while at work as well as my focus. We all know how important it is for teachers/educators to have a great sense of focus while at work with the children. Furthermore, making this assignment appropriate for this first blog.

            After having participated in this assignment I will say that I have a mix of emotions. Over all the feelings that I have, I will say the ones that stand out the most would be feelings of being overwhelmed, grateful and intrigued. The reason why I feel overwhelmed is because I am not tech savvy and having to create a blog and learn a new website is stressful to me. Not to mention the fact that I must post my assignments so that others could see, nerve wracking. Also writing about what my family and community treasures are can be offensive to others or just not appropriate. Thus, making me have a feeling of being overwhelmed by posting it on a website. This is not to say that I am not proud of my treasures and how it affects the systems that I am involved in because I am very much proud of them. In fact, that leads me to why I am grateful for this assignment since I am able to branch out and speak up about things that matter to me and who knows I may not be the only one who feels this way and treasures the same things I do. Which leads me to feeling intrigued on what may be the outcome of all this.

My thinking has changed a little bit in the sense that I am now more aware of the different systems I am involved in and how it connects in my world. This assignment has also helped me think of the valuable things that are in each of the systems I am involved in and how amazing it is to create a platform where I could share it with others. I don’t think I would change anything for the assignment. I feel very confident in what I’ve written down. Perhaps I might have added more details on the type of coffee my family uses when we use the coffee maker. As well as how both systems connect to each other or who it can affect if one detail is changed or added. But overall, I am grateful for the assignment and how it turned out.

            The best way that I would use my assignment in my ecosystem would be by having conversations with those of similar cultures. I think that since we could relate to many things, it would be assumed that the same treasures that my family has as well as my community, might be the same for those of similar cultural backgrounds. I hope this assignment reaches many people and the goal is for those who read the post, enjoy what is written and share their point of views.

La Cafetera

            My family treasure is our coffee maker. In Spanish it’s called “una cafetera”. I could confidently say that the coffee maker is something that my family system would agree to as a treasure for us. In all my sibling’s houses, my aunts and uncle’s houses, my cousins' houses and of course my parents' house, anyone who goes would find this one common object. The coffee maker is an object that is used in our culture. Making coffee in the morning for breakfast and sitting at the dining table together to talk about our plans for the day and share reminders. After every meal a small cup of coffee is shared amongst the family as a form of tradition and unity. The most important cup of coffee is the one we each share after dinner. This last cup of the day is where everyone comes together to share stories about their day. The reason why this one last cup of coffee is important is because it’s a symbol of love and laughter before everyone disperse to their rooms or get sucked into social media or calls. The beauty behind these magical, heartfelt moments are made up by the famous coffee maker; also known as the “cafetera”. Many coffee makers can be made, claiming that is the best way to make the most delicious coffee but nothing would ever compare to the cafetera. The sound that it makes while it’s simmering at the top of the cafetera is like music to my families’ ears. The strong aroma of coffee that fills the kitchen and slowly dances in the air of the hallway till it reaches one's nose as a light touch of heaven. To the delightful smooth liquid texture running down our tongue into our souls. This is something no other coffee maker can do. But the one and only cafetera will make it happen. As I describe my family treasure and how it’s been passed down from generation to generation, I am reminded of what I read in the article “What is a System and system perspective?” by Davd Aloyzy Zera. In the article it states, “For example, a child is a system comprising that individual, as are individual teachers and administrators who are constantly changing and evolving” (pp 18). This caught my attention because I thought about the many ways that we could make coffee in this generation and how we have evolved from what our parents and grandparents used to use to make coffee but yet for my family it is very difficult to change our traditional way of making coffee. Which brings me to the idea and concepts of how children have their own family treasures that they carry with them. Although, there might be another “new” evolved object that may seem more effective, it won’t be the same for that child to change out of what they’ve been taught at home. As teachers we must be open minded with the objects that each child is comfortable with and ask questions on why each object that the child carries with them is important to them and their family system. As a three-year-old child I remember gathering in the living room with the family after a delicious dinner. My mother would clean the table as the coffee maker was singing its beautiful tone screaming that it’s ready to be serviced. I could still remember the excitement of my family as they scooped a teaspoon of white sugar and stirred quickly causing a harmonic song above the laughter that filled the air. Although I was too young to drink the coffee, I still felt like I was a part of the family unity. The important part wasn’t the delightful taste of the coffee. It was always about the conversations and family time together. Creating wonderful memories that would last a lifetime. That is why the coffee maker is a part of my family's system. This is a part of who I am as my own system which is a small branch in the whole definition of what makes me Marlene. A great example of this is found in the article “Socio-scientific Issues Instruction” by Molly Ewing and Troy D. Sadler. It states, “For example, in order to understand how a plant grows we might define the systems of the plant itself with component parts (e.g., stems, leaves) making up the whole, which can carry out a function the individual parts cannot” (pp18).  This was described perfectly because it brought me to mind how I approach each cup of coffee especially when I know it’s made from a cafetera. I remember two weeks ago, going to visit my sister’s house and the first thing she did after we shared a meal was prep the coffee maker and set the table to share a heart-to-heart talk while we indulged on a hot cup of fresh coffee while her son sat with us drinking milk from his sippy cup. This is tradition, this is relationship, this is culture, moreover, this is a part of who we are as a family system. In each story family system theory is shown by how just this one object brought forth several generations together to share this one moment. From the time when I was only three years old and looked up at my family enjoying these moments. To the present time of my sister and I sharing these moments as my nephew would sit joyfully, just as I used to do as a child. My family cannot understand the significance of the cafetera and how it plays a great part of our family system.

 Community Treasure:

The Holy Bible

            My community treasure is The Holy Bible. Reason being is that I grew up in a Christian community in which my family was deeply involved in. My mother is a pastor, my brothers and I are in the music ministry and the majority of my lifetime I’ve always been devoted to my church and faith. I remember taking the bible everywhere I went, including school. The bible would be the book that I would use for reading time. Of course, my parents would give me age-appropriate bible story books, nonetheless in my mind I understood it as it being the Holy Bible. Ever since I could remember I would go to church every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday of the week. Plus, every Saturday for children’s events. Needless to say, all of my friends were and still are a part of my Christian community. Thus, The Holy Bible is undoubtedly a community treasure. The Bible is our common guide that brings us all together to be in the same mindset and have profound conversations. The value of the Holy Bible is unmatched for the members of my belief community. One of the most direct description of the important of community meaning in a child was found in the article “Toward inclusive understandings of marriage in an early childhood classroom: negotiating (un)readiness, community, and vulnerability through a critical reading of King and King” by Frantz Bently and Mariana Souto-Manning. The article states, “The connections with and between the children will carry and shape the conversation” (pp 197).  Which is very interesting to me because I thought about the connection of how a child’s character and mindset is molded due to the surrounding that child is exposed to. I recall a moment when I was in first grade, and it was reading time. All of my classmates were taking out their princess books or/and robot books, yet I was the only one taking out my Holy Bible book. My teacher pointed out that I could borrow one of the classroom books instead of reading the book I brought as if there was something wrong with my Bible book. This moment was very hard for me because my classmates started laughing and making fun of my book. Little did they know that in my mind I view my Holy Bible book just as important and interesting to me as their princes/robot books were to them. That experience led me to understand that teachers must take into consideration the importance of a Child's community. In my community the Holy Bible was and still is a beautiful treasure, which the stories never end and holds new meaning every single time a person reads it. Which leads me to the article, “Ecological Systems Theory: The Person in the Center of the Circles” by Nancy Darling. A great quote from this article stands out, which states, “When predicting the strength of association of parental knowledge with positive aspects of development (social skills, friendships with prosocial peers, good academic performance), one might predict a stronger association in high-resource environments” (pp 215). This quote brought me back to the way I felt in that moment when the teacher suggested choosing a different book to read. At that moment I felt very confident with the choice of book that I wanted to read. Not because I felt obligated to stick to the bible, instead I felt that I had a choice of my own and regardless of what others may think of my choice of book, I will remain strong with my choice. My parents never forced me to do anything unless it was regarding my safely. Which meant that I had the option of choosing what I wanted. However, due to the fact that I felt like my teacher didn’t understand the type of community I was a part of, it led to this moment of misunderstanding and what I felt was a lack of carelessness towards my community system. A great example of a moment when I felt like my community treasure was seen as the gem that it is, was when I would go on playdates with my friends, and we would each bring our Holy Bible with us. Showing each other the colorful pictures and sharing our own thoughts on what the pictures meant was the highlight of the day. As an adult I still have these moments with my friends, and we share such wonderful insights on what we understood of the bible. The value of the Holy Bible is truly incomparable. I wouldn’t treat it for any amount of money this world can offer me, and I feel that the members of my community would agree with me on this. 

Reflection:

            Family and community treasures promote family school community partnerships by bringing forth more clarity of each child and the systems that make them who they are as individuals. Understanding the cultures and values that bother the family treasures and community treasures hold is a powerful thing. Not only for the child but also for the relationship between the parents and the teachers. One Idea that I think would work towards bringing these two systems into another system would be to have the children express what one of their family systems or community systems is during circle time and use that information to pour into another system. A second idea would be to come up with a project where the parent could be a part of and have a presentation in class where both parents/family and child can speak about their family or community systems. Which would transition into a classroom system whereas a classroom, new games can come to be created. Overall, I think that each of the reading were perfectly clear on the importance of what systems theory is and how important it is in a Childs life. Which follows them into their young adult lives.  Most importantly as teachers it is important to be open to the different systems/ cultures a child brings into the classroom. As it was wonderfully explained was how Dana Frantz Bently and Mariana Souto-Manning stated, “To be a critical teacher is to embrace the discomfort of not knowing, to become vulnerable, to embrace the complexity of an identity that encompasses both teaching and learning (Freire 1998)” (pp 197). This is an important factor that all teachers must remember in order to bring for a great learning experience and journey for their students and their parents.

                                                                   Citation

 Davd Aloyzy Zera, Fall 2002, “What is a System and system perspective?”

Molly Ewing and Troy D. Sadler, November/December 2020 “Socio-scientific Issues Instruction”, The scienceTeacher.

Dana Frantz Bently and Mariana Souto-Manning, March 2, 2016, “Toward inclusive understandings of marriage in an early childhood classroom: negotiating (un)readiness, community, and vulnerability through a critical reading of King and King”, Https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2025.1104899