What I Have Learned

 One thing I hope when working with children and families or anyone is that I never make them feel uncomfortable, not important or not belonging. One goal I would like to implement in the early childhood field is suggesting an opportunity to discuss biases in trainings. It is important to talk about how to educate our children but in the process we have to understand there are many factors that prevent children from learning. All educators need to be aware of their own biases and remind them of the obstacles these children face.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of my colleagues for your continued support. It is reassuring to read encouraging comments. As well it is nice to see my colleagues being able to relate to my feelings and experiences. I hope to continue working with each and every one of you. I wish you all nothing but the best; as well as a Happy Holiday and a prosperous New Year. 

Creating Art

I am me

I am just like you because you are different just like me

My family is unique because there is no other family like this.

I have beliefs and you have yours

Black, white, limbs, no limbs, Muslim, Christian, old, young, lesbian, gay,  are all people at the end of the day

During this course I was able to talk about the biases that others ignore. I was once the “other” who thought it was best to pretend like my biases did not exist and that those who were different did not exist. I thought that was the proper way of handling things. I understand that by not acknowledging their presences does not make the fact that they are different go away. Everyone wants to feel important.

My collage represent that our world is filled with all different races and religions. Some people are happy and living luxury lives while others are experiencing pain, sadness and poverty. Some have obvious disabilities while others plainly look different.

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

I have a student who has Tourette syndrome so he twitches a lot, his neck jerks, which causes his head to shake quite often, his eye twitches and he stutters. On the other hand, he is a very talkative student who does talk more than needed and at times he irritates other students around him. Due to the fact his behavior is a problem at times the students are very short tempered with him. One student yelled out “would you shut up and stop doing all that twitching”. The teacher assistant immediately tells the student “No, do not say that” and silenced the student.

I think the student was confused on why she was being asked to stop talking. The teacher assistant did not want to draw attention by saying that is not nice to say. The student asked why she was asked to stop talking when she felt she was telling the boy the right thing to do. The boy in return told her he has Tourette syndrome and is unable to control his twitching. There was a long pause of silence and then she replied that she was sorry that she didn’t know.

I think in a classroom setting when the children and the student are going to be working together for many months, I think it is important to get a good understanding about each other. I think if we openly talk about things such as disabilities, it no longer becomes a foreign topic. I remember in school if we had someone who has a disability we would talk as a class and would ask questions so everyone would feel comfortable. Once you talk things out, it is out in the open and there is no more curiosity or ignorance which can lead to biases. The way things have changed so many people are scared of being sued. Even if the child is open to talk about their disability the discussion it brought to an end abruptly. I think if people were aware that he has Tourette syndrome the students would not have ridiculed him for twitching and been more sensitive.    

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

I remember when the Ellen DeGeneres show first aired, I was immediately hooked. I started watching the show daily. I remember one particular time my cousin came home with me and it was time for the show to come on. I turned to the show and was all ready to watch and the look of disgust came over her face. She asked “are you about to watch that; I can’t stand to watch gay people I just can’t do it”. I was shocked that she felt that way but I continued to watch the show. While watching the show I felt uneasy because I knew she was not comfortable watching the show. It amazed me how opposite two people from the same family could be.

In one situation I had a class of all boys except one girl. Basically I had a room full of boys around the age of thirteen. Majority of these boys played sports and were on the football team at that time. The boys that did not play sports were looked upon as an outcast; they were portrayed as weak because they were not on the team. In the peak of an argument I would you “fag” “you are gay” “you act like a girl” “you are a sissy” and anything else that would mean a boy acted like a girl. I took offense to hearing those slurs and immediately addressed the issue. I wanted the boys to know their behavior was unacceptable and would not be tolerated. I did not want anyone to take offense, be ashamed or embarrassed. I feel you have to stop things instantaneously before anyone begins to feel it is appropriate to use such disgraceful language. 

Reflecting on Communication in the Early Childhood Field

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for your continued support. Some of you all I recognize from my very first course. It is comforting to see familiar names; it is almost like seeing a familiar face. I thank you all for your words of encouragement and questions. The questions that some of you all proposed to me pushed me to expand on my thoughts and even see things from a different light. I appreciate each and every one of you all and wish everyone nothing but the best through their education journey and throughout life.



ksaleh21@gmail.com

Team Building and Collaboration

Last school year, due to the budget crisis our school lost a wonderful vice principal, a counselor, and three teachers. Together we were a group that focused on working together and developed ways to help each other when in need. It was the hardest dealing with the last week of school and the last day of school was almost unbearably. I literally wanted to cry and had to hold back tears while saying good-bye. It was not the fact I felt I would never see them again but more because the bond was being broken. When you get use to working with certain people you begin to feel comfortable and then you are able to start building trust. Toward the end of the summer it was realized some of the cuts did not have to be made after all and a vice principal, counselor and one teacher were hired. It was too late to try and get the initial people back because they had already found jobs. It was hard getting use to the new people because they were new. In my mind I felt no connection.

 I do know it makes it much harder to say good-bye to a group who is high performing. In my past experiences with unproductive groups, I could not wait to say my good-byes and hoped I never had to cross paths with them again. However, through it all, I am able to have had the chance to work with those colleagues and the chance to say good-bye.

When this program concludes, I imagine adjourning from my colleagues through blogging. I feel I have developed a relationship with many of my colleagues. I would like to formally say my good-byes from the program but not from each other. I have learned so much from my colleagues and would like to continue learning from their experiences. 

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

Due to uncontrollable circumstances I was asked to temporarily switch positions at work. I have been working with special education students and the classes are small. I was asked to take on another subject, grade and class size. My original class is being split up amongst other special education teachers. I am happy to help out until the teacher is able to come back but I am trying to adjust to this abrupt change. I now have seven class periods with 30 children in each. Behavior issues are an all time high for these junior high students. I understand it is an adjustment to them as well, not being use to have me in the classroom.  Recently, a colleague across the hall walks over during passing period and asked a student standing right in front of me do you think you all are better or worse since Ms. Saleh is here. The student who has behavior problems herself replies “oh I think we are way worse” the teacher shakes her head and say “oh”. I was completely shocked this teacher asked this student a question like that with me right there in front of her and I felt that was unprofessional. This is a Title 1 school and behavior has always been an issue for many teachers with years of experience including her. For the past three years, I have personally witnessed behavior issues. Since that statement was made I find myself putting distance between myself in this colleague. I talked with another colleague who is a teacher assistant (TA) and comes in during a few class periods to work directly with the special education children. I explained how my feelings were hurt because this colleague made it appear I am doing a horrible job. The TA reassured me it was not my fault and that I was doing my job. She also told me behavior issues have always been a problem for the class since the first day of school. The original teacher did not enforce the rules as much as other teachers. Also, she told me I should speak up more when there is something I do not like. For me I think I did the best thing by not saying anything originally because my feelings were definitely hurt by what she said. Sometimes when we get hurt our initial thought is to say something back that is hurtful. Now that I have time to think and especially after this week I could use the NVC principles and the three R’s. I can talk to her an address the issue to stop the casual verbal attacks and remind her we are all there for the same reason. Through that conversation I can implement respect and be able to get her response on the matter. There is a possibility she does not even know what she said was hurtful. 


Corso, R. M. (2007). Practices for enhancing children’s social-emotional development and preventing challenging behavior. Gifted Child Today, 30(3), 51–56.

O’Hair, D. & Wieman, M. (2009). Real Communication: An Introduction. Boston, MA: Bedford/St.Martin’s

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

Who Am I as a Communicator?

During this week I was surprised that one of my friends rated my listening skills better than how I rated myself. I know at times I have other things on my mind and should listen more. Apparently I listen well enough to give the appropriate feedback and give the level of attention needed. As well, I was surprised with my own survey. Through this survey I realized I can be aggressive when I feel a person is not communicating the way I feel they should. This is something I know I really have to work on because as individuals we all are different, meaning we handle situations and communicate differently.  Being too aggressive can cause the conversation to abruptly end sour. Combined this awareness can help me to try to improve my listening skills even more and work on being less aggressive.  If I can work on these two communication skills it will better my personal and professional life. Lastly, I was reminded how certain situations can change how you communicate, such as lack of time.

Communication and Culture

I think as much as we hate to admit it many people find themselves communicating with people of the same age, race or religion. Reason being, there are more commonalities; you are more likely to have things in common. I do find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures. For instance, having a conversation at lunch may go completely different depending on what group of people you are talking to. I have experienced situations where I was talking to a colleague, who is a different race, religion and much older. The conversation appeared smooth but my feelings inside did not match. Actually, I was on edge with every word coming out of my mouth, not sure her perspective on issues or how she would interpret what I was saying.  I found myself wanting to agree with her just so the conversation would not go south. I also found myself talking about things I had no interest in or really wanted to talk about. Now, when I am talking to someone who I feel we share plenty in common close in age, race, religion etc. the conversation is differently. It may appear similar but I am more relaxed the conversation flows natural; we share commonalities without looking for something in common. If there is dead silence, I do not feel awkward. I can look at a person directly in the eye because I am not leery of what I am saying. It may be laziness not trying to put forward the effort to communicate with people who are different from us or fear at times but it is easier during certain situations to communicate with someone with similar likings. 

Communication Skills: Language, Nonverbal, Listening

I decided to watch a television show called “10 Things I Hate About You”. The title should have given things away but I wanted to watch the show and not incorporate the title. The show is based around teenagers in a High School setting. At the beginning of the episode I gathered that the relationships were two sisters and their father living in a house. Based on their behavior I sensed plenty of sarcasm. The sisters were giving each other side eye looks, batting their eyes, rolling their eyes at each other and long sighs. Sarcasm continued at school, it was obvious there was a popular girl who was full of herself from the way she walked as if she were bouncing on a trampoline with every step she took, throwing her hair constantly and making everyone move out of her way as she pranced around the school.  It was hard watching the show without hearing what they were saying. However, when I turned the sound on I was exactly right; the show was based on sarcasm and rude remarks toward each other. The conversation I gathered in my head was actually very similar to the actual conversation. If I had of watched a show I know well, I would not have second guessed my thoughts about what I was observing. After this assignment I feel more confident about my opinion about people from their expressions. We all at times we judge people by their actions and the last thing I want to do is misjudge anyone. 

What Is Communication?

Out of all the people I have ever met, my aunt is the person who demonstrates competent communication better than anyone I know. I have always felt comfortable talking with her because of her behavior and mannerism, she embraces my thoughts with a gently nod of the head. She looks at me straight in the eye, so I know I have her attention. She possesses wonderful listening skills and always listens completely before interjecting. I can clearly be wrong about a topic but she will never degrade me. Instead she will try to get me to think about a situation from a different perspective. Even as a child I would run to her before my mom because I knew she had the best communication skills. Whatever I had done, I knew when she told the story to my mom it would go more smoothly than if I had of told my mom. I definitely try to model my communication skills after my aunt. I try to listen to a person’s thoughts completely before expressing my opinion. As well, I try to ensure people that whatever we talk about stays confidential and I never try to put anyone down for feeling a certain way. My goal is to incorporate what I have learned from my aunt and what I will learn in this class to better my communication skills.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope I have, is for people to become more understanding of other cultures. This goes way beyond educators; it would be wonderful for everyone to be willing to embrace other cultures instead of holding bias feelings.  As well, I hope more people educate themselves on different cultures. I realize ignorance is the key reason why biases take place.

One goal I am very passionate about reaching is becoming an advocate for young children and their families. I realize my background is so crucial to having a relationship with these children and their families. In order for everyone to feel comfortable it’s important to find similarities between cultures.

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their continued support. It is very helpful to see positive feedback and to know that other people can identify with your experiences. I have enjoyed reading everyone’s blog and have learned much from you all. Thank you again for everything! I wish you all well in the courses to come!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

At the child care center where I work I have a family who recently emigrated from Morocco. First I will research the location of Morocco. Morocco is located in North Africa, to understand the origin. Secondly, I will search the type of government they have which is a constitutional monarchy; this helps me understand the level of power in their country. They have a King in Morocco who holds a lot of power.  Thirdly, I would like to be familiar with the language they speak which is either Berber or Moroccan Arabic. Fourthly, I will research the dominant religion which Islamic. Lastly, I will look to see what offends them. For instance, during the month of Ramadan, I never knew it is considered rude to eat and drink in front of them while they are fasting.

My goal in preparing for this family is to make the transition as smooth as possible. I want the family to feel comfortable. I understand many things will be different.  The last thing I want to do is offend them. I am aware the smallest thing such as a hand shake can be disrespectful. Hopefully all of my research will make the family feel more relaxed. 

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107800.html

http://www.traveltaboo.com/morocco-travel-tips-dos-and-donts/

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

During the 2010-2011 school year, I spent majority of my time working with special education children. Some of the children do not have physical or mental problems but are just extremely slow learners. For instance a few of the seventh graders were reading at a third or fourth grade level. Many people choose not to work with special education children (SPED) because they fear it will take too much patience and it is difficult. Indeed, SPED children do require a different kind of attention but they learn just like everyone else nevertheless. I have overheard other teachers in the building expressing negative remarks about SPED children “saying there is no way I could deal with those children”. I confronted one of the teachers and asked why she would say that. She told me she could not deal with children like that climbing all up and down the walls. Already there is a bias basically saying SPED children are just unbearable to teach; anytime someone categorizes a group, biases are produced. Saying that they are climbing up and down the wall makes it seem as if they are not even human. I remember talking with another SPED teacher who was furious with another teacher because of his remarks about SPED children. The SPED teacher told me a teacher asked what on earth made her want to teach SPED children, it just seems like you are babysitting all day. I was enraged with the comment as well because this teacher was acting as if SPED teachers are ranked lower and less important. SPED teachers are just as important as any other teacher. Dealing with the situation I experienced multiple biases; teachers holding biases against SPED children as well as SPED teachers. I guess I was shocked with the actions of some teachers. I feel teacher should have bond and be looked as one unit and should never put another educator down. For incidence such as this one to decrease people have to put their biases aside and not speculate. It is easy to guess about a situation but if you have not personal experienced a situation you should not be so willing to pass your opinion.  

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

In everyday life we become so use to stereotypes and prejudice actions that we sometimes over look the obvious. This assignment helped raised my awareness and I have been able to recall certain situation and actually witnessed microaggression. For an example, I was at the bank waiting for a notary. I was the first one in the waiting section. Soon after I was there, a Caucasian male showed up. Then two other people showed a man and woman who appeared to be Hispanic or Mexican decent. When the notary finally appeared and asked who she could help, it appeared that she talked right over my head and the non-Caucasian people that were present. She never made eye contact with me. The entire time she was talking she looked at the Caucasian male and back down at the papers she was holding in her hand. When I spoke and told her I was next in line she was very polite and friendly. I honestly don’t even think she realized what she did, or how she made me feel like I didn’t have any power.

During the summer time I enjoy my vacation time. I can run errands during the day while majority of the people are at work. Many times I get a stereotype for being unemployed and uneducated. People are quick to ask so do you work? Are you in school and when I say yes I am; I am working on my Master of Science degree and tell them what it is in, they’re completely shocked. To cover things up, people usually tell me they are so shocked because I look so young. Sometimes I dread going out during the day because I get the look as to say I’m wasting my life away and I am unimportant. Sometimes I feel like designing a shirt saying I am educated just on vacation, it is really frustrating.

Listening to Dr. Derald Wing Sue it reminded me of other situations I have experienced. I remember Dr. Derald Wing Sue talking about his experience with a taxi cab driver. How the driver told him he spoke perfect English and how the driver seemed amazed that his English was so well. This reminded me of my next example that I talk “white”. I remember in High School being told by African American girls and the kicker is also told by Caucasian girls that I talk “white”. This puzzled me because I never knew there was a “white language”. The way I talk is natural and I can’t alter how I sound. I believe the way I speak reflects my education. I can’t understand why speaking incorrect grammar makes you part of a specific race. When situations like this occur I almost feel as if people are trying to strip some of the power I possess maybe unintentionally or intentionally, either way it is offensive.

Reflecting on certain situations and circumstances I have endured reiterates that discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes are very much alive. However, what I realized most is that many people are unconscious of their behavior and do not even realize that it is offensive. When finding yourself in a situation is difficult to figure out what you should do. As Dr. Derald Wing Sue says you can either ignore the situation or confront the matter. Ignoring doesn’t resolve the situation and sometimes addressing the matter doesn’t either. I really do not feel there is an easy answer for resolving this issue.   


“Microaggressions in Everyday Life”

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

There three people I decided to talk to were my Dad and two friends (both friends are different races and religions).

Dad- Culture means who I am, what  I stand for and what my family stands for, the way we live, how we treat people being able to represent what is important to us.

Diversity- Anything different, from culture ways or the way I think.

Friend - Culture is expressed through one’s beliefs and values.  For instance, Latinos and Asians are very much family oriented.  They value their elders.  In fact, in the Asian community is normal for their grandparents to live with them until death.

 Diversity--- Incorporates a person's acceptance of other (races and genders).  In most cultures, women are still the lesser sex.  Men are dominant in the Latino and Asian cultures.

Friend- What you believe in, where you are from and what you are taught.

Diversity - Being able to embrace change.

I feel like the responses I received are very similar to many of the conversations I have heard throughout the course. Everything coincides with background and the beliefs of how a person was brought up. Also, I think everyone has agreed on diversity as being about differences. I don’t think any aspects are being technically omitted; however, I feel the surfaces are barely being scratched. There are so much more when it comes to culture that’s almost impossible to be covered for instance music, certain instruments are used to represent different meanings. From asking these questions I feel people want to group things together instead of specifically naming things such as music, food and even clothing.I feel that by listening to other people’s definition of culture and diversity continues to help me be open-minded and willing to accept other people’s opinions. As well, listening to other people helps me to understand different cultures and helps me shape my idea of what culture means.

“Culture and Diversity” (approximate length: 4 minutes)

My Family Culture

If I had to evacuate and could only take three items with me I would choose a photo album, Bible and a ring.  All three are very important to me. First the photo album is vital because if only the immediate family survived there may be plenty of family members in the album who unfortunately may not have made it. Family is important and at the end of the day, the only thing left are memories. Photos can help you remember distant memories. Secondly, in a devastating situation the Bible plays a crucial part. It is a must to keep your faith at an all time high to survive.  Lastly, I received a ring that was given to me by my mom, who her aunt gave to her and has been passed down from one generation to another. The ring is very important to me because I feel blessed and lucky enough to have the ring. The ring could have been given to anyone else in the family but it was passed to me and for that I feel honored and special.

To have to part of two of the three items is a huge dilemma for me. I thought about taking a few pictures out of the album and putting them in the Bible. However, having to let go of the ring knowing it represents my family is something I don’t think I can do. So I decided if I keep the ring every time I see it on my hand, I will be able to remember my family and have a visual image of everyone who wore the ring. As well, having faith is something that is in your heart and can never be lost. 

When I Think of Research...

In concluding each class, I look back over the previous weeks. Each week was packed with vital information pertaining to research. I have gained plenty of insights such as how to ensure research is actually valid. As well, as a whole new perspective when I even think about research. I realize the thought process is a horrendous part prior to and during research. Even once the topic is identified there is plenty of rough drafts, tweaking and sometimes even changes that must be made for the research project to continue and be successful. My ideas and nature of doing research has changed. I wouldn’t necessarily say I was a blank slate in the thought process but knew very little about the process. I realize now how much goes into research. It takes time to even think of a topic that can be researched, plus where, when, how, what methods will be used and who will the participants be and more. Prior to this class I never thought about the information so profoundly. I have learned that if you don’t go through and have a plan about what or how your research will be done it will make the task very difficult. Plus if the information is not planned out properly it will be confusing for the participants or anyone else reading the information. Planning and testing are top priorities for research. I had plenty of challenges throughout this course. The topic of research went well beyond what I am use to doing. Of course, I am use to standard research but this was very different. Conducting my own research assignment is something I have never had to do. I felt every subject was completely new to me and out of my realm. However, I feel my major issue was not thinking through it thoroughly enough as a researcher. I had to put on my researcher’s hat which was difficult at times for me to keep on. As well I had to ask myself plenty of “what if” questions. I feel this class goes well beyond the eight weeks and has to be something I continue to work on and may one day use again to the entirety. My perception has changed because I have a new level of respect for researchers. I now understand how much goes into the research that we read. Before I looked upon research as just an article to obtain information but never understood how much goes into the article to get the material. As well, I see what important role researchers have in the field of early childhood and in our world today.

Research Around the World

I decided to research Early Childhood Australia. There are many current international research topics such as the following:

·        Respecting diversity: Articulating early childhood practice

·        Learning and teaching through play

·        The Early Years Learning Framework: Building confident learners

·        Learnings from High/Scope: Enriching everyday practice

·        Discovering letters and sounds

·        Diversity and difference: Lighting and spirit of identity

Some new insight I gained was from the “About Everyday Learning” section. This quote caught my attention “making the ordinary, extraordinary”. Sometimes repetition can become stale and become so ordinary that a child does not learn anything new. However making the most out of a day and trying new ways to spice up the day to make it different can make a huge difference in a child’s education. Also, in this link there is a guide to assist parents, grandparents and care givers.

Some noteworthy information I found on the website was under the link Resource themes. There are five themes.

1.   Being, Belonging and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework

2.   School readiness and children’s transition

3.   Sustainability, global warming and climate change

4.   Baby and toddler sleeping

5.   Child health and childhood obesity

Over these five themes the site allows you to print the information. The resources are there to assist practitioners and give practical support to services and early childhood education. There are entire sections that can be used for guidance and support.

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/ 

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Option 1

Research can be very beneficial to children and their families. When I first had the feeling that I wanted to explore the education field, I started visiting my Mom’s school. Any opportunity that was presented I made sure I was at the school to be present so I could observe. At the time my Mom was teaching the fourth grade. Her class was well behaved until about after Christmas when a new student arrived. The child was making a transition to this school because his parents were getting a divorce.  The student showed extreme signs of not paying attention or being able to stay focus on simple task, not completing homework, forgetful, couldn’t stay still and had problem being courteous and waiting his turn. The problems were causing his grades to decrease and his mother became very concerned. At time when I was present, the Mom would come and peer into the window of the classroom door, checking to see if his behavior was consistent at the home and at school. My Mom and the boy’s Mom decided to research his behavior and realized his symptoms resembled ADHD symptoms. Of course this was a speculation and wanted a doctor to confirm it. However, the Mom was adamant that she didn’t want the boy on medication if this were the case. Together they researched alternatives such as new behavioral methods or counseling. After taking the boy to the doctor, it was confirmed that he did have ADHD. If it were not for doing research everyone would have assumed the boy was having behavior problems because of the divorce. The boy started receiving counseling and over a course of months there was noticeable change. Research made a tremendous impact because it help change this boy’s life for the better.

Personal Research Journey

The impact of my previous class is still thriving and left me curious about poverty. I have chosen to research poverty because I never realized how many adults and children endure poverty in the area I live in and where I work. I would like to research poverty in certain races, education and age

When I started being aware of my surroundings I realized there are different forms or levels of poverty everywhere.  I started talking to the students in different grades at my school. Many of their parents have lost their jobs. Some are lacking food when they go home. Many of them would prefer to stay at school than go home because they are able to have breakfast and lunch but many of the times no dinner. I started noticing the students didn’t own seasonal clothing and many didn’t live in the same place very long.

So far, I have learned I am on the right track in my research project. I am keeping the age consistent, talking to Junior High students ranging from 12-16 years old. I am noticing many students are repeaters which is the reason they are 16 in the 8^th grade. As I analyze more, I see they face many issues which make me wonder if they are enduring certain situations because of poverty. Also, now I am aware of reliable internet sources I can use to make sure my information is accurate. If anyone has any advice or personal experience on the topic of poverty or has any insight you would like to share, please feel free to do so.

Final Blog Assignment

The first major consequence of learning about the international early childhood field was that I was unable to touch basis with a professional. Even though I gained information from the podcast, it’s nothing like getting personal feedback from someone. Secondly what works in other countries may not work here. I realized we are more competitive than other countries. Thirdly, children are the same in a sense but depending where they are from the may respond differently due to different methods. It was hard to understand how children learn best or their style of learning through the podcast.  My goal is to continue researching other countries. It’s important to understand issues that are happening locally but also worldwide. It did help reading other colleges and seeing their point of views; I plan to keep in touch with my classmates.