How we can support the upcoming International Class?

Dear all,

I want to invite you all to a creative discussion on how we can creatively support and guide the upcoming International Class. The people from the IC 07/08 have already discussed some of this aspect, but I want to raise this question again, especially when Lois informed us that the new IC’s are chosen…

We are the pioneers of this blog, and the beginning is always the most doubtful thing, but with the solid communication base that we have created give us a powerful voices to speak about…

My first suggestion is that the newcomers have to be introduced with this blog, right in the beginning, maybe from the moment when they start to prepare for the IC, or on the first residential. So, we all will have the opportunity to participate in more fruitfull discussion, because their reports from The Filed will be ongoing and will suport their learning process.

Second issue, is to provide them a methorship for the new process and environment that they approach. We can do that through separate yahoo, or google group, and again, for us the oldies:) this is also an opportunity to explore and to join further into new creative and learning process. This new people will bring new issues, that will provoke our own issues, or maybe makes us active to explore more of our own communities. And maybe this is chance for us to explore how it is to be International Class online. So I really embrase this opportunity. What about you…

The third issue, is again to be active in the online classes, and paralel to that to think of how we can create our own, with older and new people from International Class and to figure it out how to stay in contact with our methors, teachers and supporter. I think that the offer of Lois to create a online modules of International CLass are fantastic because this way we can continue our collaboaration on more specified issues.

I also think that we should initiate some new additions to the programe of International Class. Let our creative suggestions be a legacy that we will leave to the new generations. So what we would like to change or to add to International Class? Maybe more fundraising informations and concrete practical approach on a local level, maybe more about how we can invite and create a groups and how we can lead the process  and some practical component here also…Maybe this can be a new challenging moment for the New IC’s…

However, this shows that the opportunities are big, that the challenges are even bigger, and that the support is crucial, the support of each other…

This blog alows us to do that so let start sharing and creating…

I invite you on this new journay…

Radmila

Volunteer training week for Kid’s Summer Camp

Photo of volunteers

This entry involves informing the world about our summer camp. CASA Promoción Juvenil has been summer camps for years now, if I’m not mistaken this is the 11^th edition. This is my third year coordinating a summer camp and I am glad to say we have worked hard in making every year better and better!

We began this year planning a few months ago with general ideas of what we wanted to work on this year. My training at the East Side Institute really influenced how we did our summer camp this year. Last year in our weeklong training course for our young volunteers we were very concerned about providing them with the knowledge and skills needed for working with kids, and although it was valuable to have that this year we approach it totally different. For starters we developed the training course with our volunteers as an exploration of childhood, learning and development and community, so we spend more time playing and having conversations which was very refreshing for our young crowd who expected a lecture. These conversations were so rich they covered the topics we talked about last year and then some. In terms of skills, we played and performed different scenarios with kids, so rather than just giving steps regarding how to play, we actually played and performed, which was very valuable. The five days went flying fast!

We are half way through the summer camp! (already!) and I will be sharing more as I get a chance to write. For know I’ll just add we collectively composed a theme for our camp. The song was performed by Claudia, Ponce and Mario on voices, Agustin on guitar, my self on percussion and editing, and screams by volunteers and children in the camp. Click here to down load “¡Lo vamos a lograr!”

My feelings

I am not sure whether this is the way of writing a blog or comment.This is the first time I am doing it. I am stupid & afraid whenever I do something new.But as East Side Institute has given us the courage to perform differently I am trying this without any help though I am not sure whether my writings would reach to anyone or not.

I am really happy after trying the first Social Therapy session with children & parents.I was apprehensive. I thought Indian children are not matured enough- but to my surprise it worked out really well. The parents are very satisfied. Now I would practise it regularly.

Thank you East Side Institute for giving me this opportunity rto know something new & help others who are in need.

Ishita

Sharing the passion

I’m excited about teaching again this coming fall semester at the university. There was a vacancy for the Community Education Class and how appropriate is the timing of this opportunity after just finishing our training at the International Class (at least the symbolic finishing of this period of our training because as Fred said we take our development with us). I will have to follow a curriculum but I’m not complaining, I’m revisiting Paulo Freire, a required reading for the course is Pedagogy of the Oppressed. It is such an amazing book and the rereading of it has allowed me to see how much I’ve grown. In my first reading I was mesmerized and caught by the passion it was written with and by a book where actually was talking about making a difference in the world. Up until then passion and commitment to change was not part of my vocabulary as a psychologist. Today reading it, it is different, I won’t go into much detail but there is one mayor difference, today I’m actually working to make this world “a little less ugly, a little less inhumane” as Freire used to say. It has transformed my reading of it, but I’m just starting maybe I’ll tell you more about it latter as I go along. I actually wanted to share this part of actually working towards change.

It is probably unnecessary to say I have no clue how to tell you what I want to say, there is just so much, so bear with me.

After reading Freire it made me realize how much I appreciate growing and learning with you (the IC, ESI and Esther’s home) because of many things but one important thing is reviving hope that we can change everything. I had became distrustful of people claming they were changing the world, forgetting how much we have transformed it in just over 100 year (for example). As am writing this I realize that my distrust has to do with the claim that through The Perspective, that through knowing we can in fact change the world. This has caused so much harm in the world, in Mexico and even personally. So isn’t the ESI approach a way of knowing, it a difficult question I yet don’t understand fully, I wont talk about just now but can say this, today I got a visit from an old friend, we met about 4 years ago during a drum circle, we had a conversation regarding creating community and how it has been a struggle, I was thinking about my work at CASA, he was talking about creating a creative collaboration with other artists, and as it turns out some colleges had in the past collaborated with him and our selves were talking about collaborating. As we were talking I almost was about to say, “How much things have changed in the last 4 years” but stopped and then said “How much WE have been able to change thing over the last 4 years”. I’m not clamming that both of us have done the changing, but that WE, himself and his colleges, my self our community. We are now doing thing that were not possible 4 years ago, where we where struggling to learn to play drums, I was struggling to adjust my self to working at the University I dreamt of doing community work but had no idea of how to do it, my fried was trying to find people he could work creatively with, and now, through totally different paths we come to be involved in doing community work with youth, and so we know cannot only play drums together, we can now record albums created by youth, we can create workshop about comics that reflect life at Juarez, and so many other things. In just 4 years WE have created conditions where we can do things unimaginable before. And it wasn’t by reading the “7 steps for successful community building” or “Community building for dummies”, it was our growing and playing and creating community, it was participating creating with our groups which is not a “let all hold hands” kind of thing, but a huge struggle, of us at times having now ideas what we where doing, of people leaving our community, of finding ways of continuing our work even when the conditions don’t exist for it.

I’m really proud of our growth this past year, after coming back to Juarez I been working with so many works, at times doing the Wosh almost daily, as well as so many other games and conversations. I want to talk more about this later, because I’ve found this process challenging, but for now I’ll just add that in additions to changing how I go around and about doing workshops and talks, I also deeply and passionately know we are making a difference. This past Friday we concluded our week long “training” sessions with our volunteers for the summer camp, which will start at Monday and 3 weeks. On Thursday I have a short but passionate speech that even surprised me, not because of what I said but because of the passion while saying it. I told them that the week of hard work and the next 3 weeks of hard work to follow effectively demonstrate that young people in our city are not just trouble makers, and that WE are in fact creating a summer camp that stands out from most other camps in the city, not just because of the exiting games we will play, not because of it affordable const, not just because our intention goes beyond entertaining kids for a couple of hours but because of it’s spirit, the recreating of our community so that it is natural for youth and children to play and create together, and that is saying a lot!

After sharing this I’m more confident about teaching the community education class!

pics..

My first steps on this blog

My dear friends,

old and new to come…These are my first steps into digital blog writting. It is something as the children start to speak. so, it is more than obvious that we have to do it all together.

Your support and experience will be very valuable to me and to us…

All together in this new and promising space of ours…

Radmila

What now?

This is the next to last day of the last residency with the International Class (2007-8) of the East Side Institute. Tomorrow is our graduation ceremony and after that most of us will have contact only through the internet.

I will miss the physical warmth and presence of my colleagues, thinking of the many heart-felt hugs and smiles that we have shared with each other. In what ways can we continue and develop the connections and relationships that have begun here? How can I bring that quality of closeness and intimacy into my life and my communications with others?

That is my puzzle.

Jane

ignacio’ s last days in new york

Here I am… My name is Ignacio Dalton,41. I am from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am a Educational PSycholigst and work at Universidad del Salvador.

My family live at Buenos Aires.

I applied to the International Class two years to learn more about Vygotsky ‘ ideas and how to implement using play as a resource.

As you may know, I have finished my Ed. M thesis related to the interface literacy-play in kindergarteners in Buenos Aires.

Actually, my perspectives and ideas have changed a lot from the day I came to the first residency.

Sometimes, you do not realize how people contribute to your own development. They are everywhere in this city and around the world. I have seen many different theraphy group sessions, but mainly with children and parents and the feeling remain the same: people are there offering you part of their lives without being completely aware of this contribution. They may have conversations but, at least, they sometimes share a live sign, a hug, a whisper which may the other feel different.

What i lived and felt during these residencies worth a lot of experiences, situations, ideas, concepts, words, and feelings gathered in the same “bag”.

This bag will be used worldwide, in community, and in personal level.

It will used whenever I need it or others will need it.

Vygotsky and thru Lois Holzman or others gave this blessed chance to create it.

I will always remember

bendito vygotsky estas conmigo siempre

Svetlana Kijevcanin

I am excited to create this blog. It’s been wonderful experience participating in International Class. I hope we’ll use this blog to stay in touch and continue to share our thoughts, ideas, feelings…I am looking forward to our graduation tomorrow!

Regards,

Ceca

Emina Dervisevic

Just to say hi. I am Emina from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I will be back to you in few days from Sarajevo.

Ta-ta!