My first day at the Salvatierra prepa was all that and then some!

After meeting with some of the maestros/teachers and discussing a plan for our visit, we ventured to a class where students made posters about various Mexican topics of their choice (music, food, sports, Day of the Dead, etc.) and presented them to us—in English, of course. It was not only very enjoyable, but it was quite impressive as well! As one might expect, teenagers in Mexico are very similar in terms of their likes, dislikes and favorite free time activities. Of course, Facebook and texting top the list!

We also met with the Computer and Audio Visual teachers and had a very informative show and tell session with our respective school web pages. In addition, I was able to  showcase B-A teacher wikispaces and blogs—including this one! I also had the chance to highlight a variety of digital projects from my multimedia class which led to the sharing of several Web 2.0 tools—Glogster, Voki and Wordle to name a few. I am hoping I will have the opportunity to create a project with students using one or more of these “cool tools”.

The school day concluded with a conversation circle in which we met with students interested in sharing dialogue with native English speakers. This was essentially a Q&A session regarding what life is like in Pennsylvania in comparison with Salvatierra. Students wanted to know anything from what clothing Americans like best to what kind of food we have in our cafeterias. Most notable, however, was how concerned they seemed to be with the upcoming U.S. presidential election. They expressed concerns about us having a leader that is a strong supporter of immigration as well as one who wishes to build a good relationship with the Mexican government and its people. It was a very interesting  discussion and learning experience!

As we met with students throughout the day, we also discussed the idea of creating a school-wide video about Salvatierra prepa—a concept that generated excitement and enthusiasm, especially when I mentioned posting the finished product to You Tube. That made me laugh!

In short, I really like this place! To Cuquis, Alberto, Ramon, Rocio, Jesus and the students—muchas gracias for a fabulous day! Until next time… Buenas noches!