Fortunately for me, I got to celebrate Women' Day with my ladies, the boys, and Thay. It was definitely worthwild...a day waking up to flowers, watching Nancy, Irene, and Kristine swallow a snake heart, chewing on snake and trying real hard to imagine that it was chicken, drinking snake blood and bile, and singing to Cau Vong Khuyet. I think it was the closest ever was to being a vampire; it couldn't have been a better day (minus the blisters I got from my damn heels from Hoi An).
In addition, my Services Marketing professor bought food and drinks for the women in class on behalf of the handful of joys in the class. The boys even brought in their friend to play the acoustic guitar while they seranaded us. My professor began busting out his rhymes...and mocking his marriage (all for the fun of it--I'm pretty sure he loves his wife). LOL.
I was afraid that Women' Day was another day that some genius made up to make money like Valentine's Day. BOY was I wrong! It's actually celebrated to honor all the historic women and heroines in Vietnamese history.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Don't Dis My Abilities
No matter where we go, no matter what we do, no matter who we are, people are always judging us except for The Big Guy upstairs.
I came into Sao Mai with an open mind and no expectations. Through the weeks and months there, I have grown to appreciate the things I have more often. Although I do not agree with all the ways in which the organization is run, I have quickly learned to appreciate that there are non-governmental organizations like Sao Mai in place. Sao Mai provides children with an education while catering to their special needs. There are teachers that pulls the kids out one at a time to teach them. This is a great one-on-one time for the kids to excel because all the attention is focused on them. I really respect the organization and even more recently because I learned that the teachers are trained regularly by Peter, a British specialist for children with disabilities. Although the teachers are train in how they teach and handle the children, their mental conceptions of the kids remain the same and they do not seem to change how they perceive the children in the sense that they don't believe that the children has potential in the world and that they will never be accepted by society.
This job is designed specifically for people who live children and have patience and tolerance. When people hear the word tolerance, the words: discrimination and racism come to mind, but I mean that they have to train themselves to deal with situations like this one child who has mood swings.
My jr. high, Irvine Intermediate School, was the only school that had a program designed for students with psychological and mental disabilities. I remember one of the boys serenading me with the song "Come Clean" by Hilary Duff (popular song at the time). He would sing the song for me for days. nd there was Peter. Peter has down syndrome. He would chase my friends and I every where and so we played along. He was a really nice guy and he had a great sense of humor. I remember learning that he was Vietnamese when I saw him at mass with his family. Growing up, I didn't feel any kind os separation from those with disabilities. I think that I'm a pretty diversified person, thanks to my parents, but there are many instances not too long ago when it was hard to accept myself because of my appearance or because of the things that I do. I think that when we learn to love and accept ourselves, it is easier to accept everyone. It is difficult but I think that we all should get past that point and once we do, we'd be happier and better people.
Acceptance and tolerance is applicable to everything, whether the trend is having Apple Ipods or the way we dress. People seek approval and acceptance from society as a whole.
I came into Sao Mai with an open mind and no expectations. Through the weeks and months there, I have grown to appreciate the things I have more often. Although I do not agree with all the ways in which the organization is run, I have quickly learned to appreciate that there are non-governmental organizations like Sao Mai in place. Sao Mai provides children with an education while catering to their special needs. There are teachers that pulls the kids out one at a time to teach them. This is a great one-on-one time for the kids to excel because all the attention is focused on them. I really respect the organization and even more recently because I learned that the teachers are trained regularly by Peter, a British specialist for children with disabilities. Although the teachers are train in how they teach and handle the children, their mental conceptions of the kids remain the same and they do not seem to change how they perceive the children in the sense that they don't believe that the children has potential in the world and that they will never be accepted by society.
This job is designed specifically for people who live children and have patience and tolerance. When people hear the word tolerance, the words: discrimination and racism come to mind, but I mean that they have to train themselves to deal with situations like this one child who has mood swings.
My jr. high, Irvine Intermediate School, was the only school that had a program designed for students with psychological and mental disabilities. I remember one of the boys serenading me with the song "Come Clean" by Hilary Duff (popular song at the time). He would sing the song for me for days. nd there was Peter. Peter has down syndrome. He would chase my friends and I every where and so we played along. He was a really nice guy and he had a great sense of humor. I remember learning that he was Vietnamese when I saw him at mass with his family. Growing up, I didn't feel any kind os separation from those with disabilities. I think that I'm a pretty diversified person, thanks to my parents, but there are many instances not too long ago when it was hard to accept myself because of my appearance or because of the things that I do. I think that when we learn to love and accept ourselves, it is easier to accept everyone. It is difficult but I think that we all should get past that point and once we do, we'd be happier and better people.
Acceptance and tolerance is applicable to everything, whether the trend is having Apple Ipods or the way we dress. People seek approval and acceptance from society as a whole.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Inclusion and Exclusion
Children with disabilities need special attention, but there are other arguments that support why they should be in the same classroom as other students as well. Students with disabilities need to be included in the classroom with other kids under certain circumstances in order to get a balance of normality while receiving the special help with their problems. I guess this come down to the question whether the class is sustainable enough for the student and teachers themselves.
An important factor to consider is whether the teacher are well-trained for the students with special needs and whether this could and will inhibit the learning process for other children. I remember talking to one of the teachers and she told me that these kids will never leave Sao Mai and because of their autism, they cannot enter society. The closest to society and outside interaction is at the coffee shop at Sao Mai where they wipe down tables, sweep the floor, etc. Chi Uyen who manages the coffee shop said that all they can really do is say their name, age and asks customers how they were.
It's not that these children do not know anything, it is that their mind develop at a slower pace than others. Hien, a child at the organization, is able to talk and sing but it may be that he is a little older than the other kids. I feel like sometimes the people and teachers there have less hope and optimism for the kids than how I see it. Although these kids have special needs, at Sao Mai they can get the interaction they need growing up even though they are still excluded.
I am not saying that full inclusion is the answer but it is helpful in some aspects. I think that exclusion would inhibit the children' abilities to walk, talk, run and play more. My cousin grew up being home-school, although he is literally a genius, he missed out on a lot of daily interaction/social with other kids. So, I feel like in an organization like Sao Mai or anything or anywhere you go, you will experience some sense of inclusion or exclusion whether you like it or not.
An important factor to consider is whether the teacher are well-trained for the students with special needs and whether this could and will inhibit the learning process for other children. I remember talking to one of the teachers and she told me that these kids will never leave Sao Mai and because of their autism, they cannot enter society. The closest to society and outside interaction is at the coffee shop at Sao Mai where they wipe down tables, sweep the floor, etc. Chi Uyen who manages the coffee shop said that all they can really do is say their name, age and asks customers how they were.
It's not that these children do not know anything, it is that their mind develop at a slower pace than others. Hien, a child at the organization, is able to talk and sing but it may be that he is a little older than the other kids. I feel like sometimes the people and teachers there have less hope and optimism for the kids than how I see it. Although these kids have special needs, at Sao Mai they can get the interaction they need growing up even though they are still excluded.
I am not saying that full inclusion is the answer but it is helpful in some aspects. I think that exclusion would inhibit the children' abilities to walk, talk, run and play more. My cousin grew up being home-school, although he is literally a genius, he missed out on a lot of daily interaction/social with other kids. So, I feel like in an organization like Sao Mai or anything or anywhere you go, you will experience some sense of inclusion or exclusion whether you like it or not.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Sao Mai Structure
Growing up, my grandma always told me that an organized room is an organized mind. For the longest time it went into one ear and out the other because I thought she was wanted to make sure that my room was clean just in case anyone ever came over that they do not think that I live in a pig sty, that I was lazy or that my family didn't raise me right (BTW: I love mi familia--I'd do anything for them as long as I don't lose sight of who I am...it's unlikely that it'll ever come down to that). Lol.
Anyways, this week at Sao Mai, Anh Thai, Nancy, Lan, and myself were finally able to meet to talk about our final project. YAY!!! After working at the organization for about a month and a half we've gained a lot of insights about the organization and we think that there are some possible changes that we'd like to see happen. As I might have mentioned before Sao Mai is a well organized and ran organization dedicated to help and teach children with mostly psychological disabilities. During the morning the parents feed their children and drop them off at school. The day starts out with a few children sing-alongs. Next, they dedicate 30 minutes to an activity where the child has to pick out the picture of themselves from a pile of pictures and then they would trotroduce themselves to the class (the tracheebuaually take the child's hand and speak as if they were the child so that they can be conditioned to understand what it meant). Then came play/exercise time and the day continued with every 30 minutes being a different activity. Everything that happens in Sao Mai is structured and they have a pretty strict time schedule. It so happens that on Friday though, one of the senior teachers decided to skip learning/classroom time because it was Friday Nd she wanted to go home.
Structure is important because without it, some teachers or not know what to do or does not want to do anything that might make them tired. Also, these 30 minute intervals are also helpful in the sense that the child doesn't get bored becuase of their short attention span. When I first came to Sao Mai, I was closed minded. I thought that the organization was unorganized, ineffective and inefficient. Although I still do not believe in hitting children, I understand why the teachers do what they do and what goes through their mind when they do that, I believe that the classroom is well organized and there was a lit of though and planning put into the program and this is due to the effort of the higher people of the organization.
I learned during pledging that "poor planning promotes poor performance" and I think that that phrase does not apply to this organization.
Tre em la van hoa,
Tre em la hanh cong,
Tre em la tuong lai,
Sao Mai Ton Tai Vi Tre Em...Sao Mai Muon Doi!
<3
Anyways, this week at Sao Mai, Anh Thai, Nancy, Lan, and myself were finally able to meet to talk about our final project. YAY!!! After working at the organization for about a month and a half we've gained a lot of insights about the organization and we think that there are some possible changes that we'd like to see happen. As I might have mentioned before Sao Mai is a well organized and ran organization dedicated to help and teach children with mostly psychological disabilities. During the morning the parents feed their children and drop them off at school. The day starts out with a few children sing-alongs. Next, they dedicate 30 minutes to an activity where the child has to pick out the picture of themselves from a pile of pictures and then they would trotroduce themselves to the class (the tracheebuaually take the child's hand and speak as if they were the child so that they can be conditioned to understand what it meant). Then came play/exercise time and the day continued with every 30 minutes being a different activity. Everything that happens in Sao Mai is structured and they have a pretty strict time schedule. It so happens that on Friday though, one of the senior teachers decided to skip learning/classroom time because it was Friday Nd she wanted to go home.
Structure is important because without it, some teachers or not know what to do or does not want to do anything that might make them tired. Also, these 30 minute intervals are also helpful in the sense that the child doesn't get bored becuase of their short attention span. When I first came to Sao Mai, I was closed minded. I thought that the organization was unorganized, ineffective and inefficient. Although I still do not believe in hitting children, I understand why the teachers do what they do and what goes through their mind when they do that, I believe that the classroom is well organized and there was a lit of though and planning put into the program and this is due to the effort of the higher people of the organization.
I learned during pledging that "poor planning promotes poor performance" and I think that that phrase does not apply to this organization.
Tre em la van hoa,
Tre em la hanh cong,
Tre em la tuong lai,
Sao Mai Ton Tai Vi Tre Em...Sao Mai Muon Doi!
<3
Monday, October 4, 2010
Private versus Public
Woke up at 5:45am, had mud all the way up to my knees, saw another side of the :moon”; it has been one incredibly long day. Fortunately for me, it wasn't hot and I learned a great deal...never leave a single stalk of rice behind just like never leave a brother behind :) love you pbros lol
Last Friday at my service learning organization, Sao Mai, my daily tasks were a little bit different than usual. I actually felt more useful for once. I took it upon myslef to teach one of the children something while the teacher was teaching one other child. Although, I have no experience or qualifications to teach, I thought that I was able to get through the child. Eventually, one the child, Ky Anh, pointed to a word I could keep on repeating the word until he pointed to the next word. I thought that was pretty effective in the sense that he could associate the word with the way that it sounded even though, he, himself, was not able to speak. And I guess one of the other bigger task and responsibility I had on Friday was feeding one of the seventeen kids that were in the classroom. Luckily, the child, Duc was easy to feed; for a little guy, he can really eat. Lol. This kind of relates to the topic of public versus prvate space. The organization itself is sponsored by a foreigner. It is considered a private space because the organization and its services is not open to the public, it is not open to everyone. There are standards and qualifications in order for children to be admitted to the program. Another important idea to consider is the fact that not only do this children have to be accepted by the organization but also the family has to have the financial stability in order to pay for the schooling. Although it is fortunate that there are programs that provide special children with special needs but it is sad in the sense that not all families and children can get the same kind of schooling that these kids get.
I believe that there should be more government developmental program along with government assistance for families of low income. I know that that means a major chuck of the Vietnamese community, but it is just hard to see people go without getting the help that they need. We need more public organizations that strive to help more people.
Last Friday at my service learning organization, Sao Mai, my daily tasks were a little bit different than usual. I actually felt more useful for once. I took it upon myslef to teach one of the children something while the teacher was teaching one other child. Although, I have no experience or qualifications to teach, I thought that I was able to get through the child. Eventually, one the child, Ky Anh, pointed to a word I could keep on repeating the word until he pointed to the next word. I thought that was pretty effective in the sense that he could associate the word with the way that it sounded even though, he, himself, was not able to speak. And I guess one of the other bigger task and responsibility I had on Friday was feeding one of the seventeen kids that were in the classroom. Luckily, the child, Duc was easy to feed; for a little guy, he can really eat. Lol. This kind of relates to the topic of public versus prvate space. The organization itself is sponsored by a foreigner. It is considered a private space because the organization and its services is not open to the public, it is not open to everyone. There are standards and qualifications in order for children to be admitted to the program. Another important idea to consider is the fact that not only do this children have to be accepted by the organization but also the family has to have the financial stability in order to pay for the schooling. Although it is fortunate that there are programs that provide special children with special needs but it is sad in the sense that not all families and children can get the same kind of schooling that these kids get.
I believe that there should be more government developmental program along with government assistance for families of low income. I know that that means a major chuck of the Vietnamese community, but it is just hard to see people go without getting the help that they need. We need more public organizations that strive to help more people.
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