Week 1-- Excursions

Since I have experienced so much during my first week and second weekend in Italy, I had to write about my trips in a separate blog posting. My first weekend and week here in Carpi were pretty low-key. I spent time with Paolo, Nellina and Giulia and got to know them better. Nellina took me shopping at the factory outlet mall in Monteva and to the shops in the actual factories here in Carpi. Carpi's main industry is textiles, so many of the factories for the high end clothign companies are located here in Carpi, and many of those factories have little shops were you can get the merchandise for almost half the store price! Yay! Other than shopping and eating nonstop, I settled into a routine of school in the morning, some activities with the other American students in the afternoon and usually dinner with the family. The excitement came when Paolo, Nell and I went to Rome then Ravenna!

Rome was absolutely amazing and tiring! We had to leave the house by 6 to catch our train, which was at least a 4 hour ride. Once we got to Rome, I was awe-struck. The traffic and noise reminds me of NYC, but the buildings (even the new apartment buildings) are stunning. The part of Rome that I will never forget is walking through the streets crowded with people on their way to work or from the bakery, and BAM--Colosseum or ancient ruins! We took the tour around Rome (great deal!) to save time and to cut out

the amount we would be walking throughout the day. We saw St Peter's Basilica (although we did not get to go inside, the line for entrance was rapped around the entire piazza, which is the largest piazza in Italy), the Trevy Fountain, Spanish Steps (I drank the water from the fountain in front of them and got a rose),  the ruins, Piazza Navona, and so many more things! I wish I could remember the names of all the beautiful buildings, duomos (cathedrals), palaces, monuments, statues, etc, but there were so many of them everywhere! I sadly did not get to see the Colosseum except for from the street due to time restraints. I am deciding to look at this as a reason to return to Rome (as if I needed one!) With the insane heat, blistering sun and what felt like miles of walking--lunch was a very important part of the day! In Rome, there are ristoranti, trattatori, and  hosterias. Ristoranti are more expensive and tend to have a more upscale atmosphere, while the other two are whole in the wall places--all of which have the best food you will ever taste! Nell and I got different kinds of pasta a shared, and we all shared a Italian sampler for antipasti (appetizer--"before pasta"). Everything that I ate was so full of flavor that I took my time eating so that I could revel in every bite! I remember sitting there, eating an amazing lunch, and being stunned that I was actually having lunch in Rome. I have always dreamt of coming to Italy! Seeing many of the things that I have now seen--I am so blessed! I can never thank Paolo and Nellina enough for helping me to achieve, not only my dream of visiting Rome, but also for welcoming me into their home and their culture.

Ravenna was not nearly as exciting as Rome, but was very appreciated. Paolo and Nellina have an apartment on the shore of Ravenna, so when we got there, we had an amazing lunch and went straight to the beach. Nell played with Giulia in the water as I took a much needed nap basking in the Mediterranean sun :)




That is all for tonight! Although I already have a never ending supply of stories and experiences to share, my energy is dwindling! More to come later! Ciao!

Week 1

Wow-- time has absolutely flown by! I have already been in Italy for over a week! The first week and two weekends have been jammed packed with everything!! Nellina and Paolo are even better than I thought! They are always so nice and talkative (which I appreciate greatly, because I am too). I have been able to have many many conversations with Paolo and Nell about so many things: food in Italy and America, the places, the people, the politics in Italy, the education system here in Italy and in America, Paolo and Nell's college, everything! I feel very comfortable with them, I feel that if I have a question about any part of Italian culture they will listen to my questions and answer the best that they can. I hope they know that I will do the same! They do ask me many questions about how things are in America, relative to the current subject matter, but sometimes I worry that they hold back because they are unsure of their English. Paolo knows so much more English than I thought (I think more than he thinks too) and Nellina's is improving every day! I feel bad that they are working on their English way more than I am practicing Italian, but I know so little that I feel as though I am starting from scratch. They are both very understanding, though, and patient with  me when I either don't understand them or I can't explain myself in English or Italian well enough for them to understand. Beside the language barrier, which is fading more and more everyday, everything with my family is perfect! Giulia has taken to me so well, too! We play together a lot, and I help Nell to get Giulia to eat (in international 2 year old fashion, she is a very picky eater). I feel bad, sometimes, though because I think I get her too excited often and it can make her more hard to work with at dinner and bedtime. I don't know how to communicate with Paolo and Nell that they can tell me to stop playing with her whenever they want her to start settling down... Hopefully I will figure that out soon!

Aside from the family--Italy is great! Things at the school, Giotto, started out rough, but have quickly improved! My first two days in the classes I sat in the corner (between the wall, teachers desk and teacher) and strictly observed. Looking back on it know, I am glad that I had time to observe how Italian teachers work with the students because almost everything is different. The first thing that I observed is the physical communication/relationship if you will between the teachers and students. Teachers here can hug, pat, rub backs, pull, push (in a playing manner), etc with the students and don't stop students from doing the same. I was told by the school psychologist that the teachers in Italy see it as very important to establishing a relationship with your students, which helps students to learn what you teach. Thinking of it this way, I can understand, and definitely see that it is a cultural difference in America (where such action can get you fired and worse). The second thing that I observed is the interaction between teacher and student during instruction. The teachers, for the most part, stay stationary at their desks and lecture students from there. I am so used to interacting with students, being mobile and walking amongst students that this at first made me think that the teachers were lazy. After spending some more time in the classes, however, I now understand that this, too, is a cultural difference--the students don't need the teacher constantly entertaining them or grabbing their interest for them to pay attention the lesson. Also, I noticed that the discipline is completely different--almost opposite as in America. I have seen teachers yell and scream at the class as a whole or berate a single student for many minutes as the other students watch for things as simple as not knowing the answer to a question. This seemed to slightly phase a couple of students, but if there were any evidence of embarrassment (anger towards the teacher has never been present), it dissipated quickly. Other than the potential emotional damage, which would be the biggest concern in America,  this tactic does not seem to work because the only time the students are quiet is when she/he is yelling. As soon as the teacher stops yelling and get back to whatever  he/she was doing, the students go directly back to talking or playing around. I told Nellina some discipline techniques that I learned in Clemson and she seemed very interested to try them out. I was surprised to find out that education is one of the most important factors to the citizens of Carpi, yet discipline is such a bad issue and so hard for the teachers to manage. If I have any affect on the teachers in Giotto and on Nellina, I hope to be able to help them with some classroom management/discipline techniques!

This entry has gotten really long really fast, so I will post all about my adventures next! Rome, Ravenna, Rimini,  Carpi's historical monuments and daily life in Carpi, Italy!

Day 1

It was a two hour bus drive to Carpi, but once we got there, Paolo and Nellina were the first people I saw. They are so welcoming and nice! Paolo knows a lot more English than Nellina, but they both try really hard to understand me, and I try hard to understand them. I think we will all get along great! I told them that I know more Spanish than Italian and they said that that would help us some too.
The scenery here is beautiful! Carpi is a small, kinda old town, but it is beautiful! Paolo and Nellina have already asked when I want to go to Ravena, told me about a festival going on Friday and a free marathon that I can run in before I leave! I can tell that they want  me to have a good experience here!
As soon as Paolo and Nellina picked me up, we stopped by the gelateria and picked up gelato to bring home. We then came home and had lunch. It was just a light rice salad thing with ham, olives, corn, cheese and olive oil, and of course, there was bread on the side. After we finished lunch, I gave them the presents that I brought-- Clemson t-shirts, an US Army hat for Paolo and Necklace for Nellina. They loved them! Then they brought me upstairs to meet Nonna (grandma) and Giulia. Giulia is the cutest little girl ever! When I first met her, she came to me with open arms! She loved the play doh I bought her-- we played with it for a long time.. By the end of the night she was calling me "mia tat" (my nanny). Hearing her talk in Italian is the absolute cutest thing!
After that, I got settled into my room and they let me nap for a while, then we went to the grocery store. I was amazed, and I could tell that they must have thought I was crazy for oohing and aahing at a super market-- but it was so different! Basically, it is a mall with a Wal-Mart inside! The bakery and deli part of the store smelled so good! Paolo kept asking me if I prefer this or that, and I just kept saying "No lo so" (I don't know) or 'Non ho preferenze" (I have no preference). I want to try everything while I am here!
When we got home, we had dinner (Cantaloupe melon with sliced prosciutto on top--amazing!) then went to the piazza. Wow--it is beautiful!  There is the old palace (on the left side of the picture on the right), and the buildings in the piazza, I think, are the same buildings that have been there for hundreds of years! It is so amazing to live in a place with such a strong history!

 So far, I love it here in Italy. I cannot wait to experience all that waits for me!

Here are pictures of the view from my room. Not exactly what you would expect, but were are in the city, so no rolling hills in view from here. It is a nice street, though! 

What is Reflective Practice?

What is Reflective Practice? by Joy Amulya

Main Points:
1. Reflection is about "examining [an] experience rather than just living it" so that we can learn from all that we experience.
2. Reflecting on experiences can be done in depth or not, frequently or span over a long period of time, carry many purposes, and in groups or individually. Reflection is not a structured process, but one that can be tailored for different people and experiences.
3. Reflection is powered by asking questions and through dialogue and stories.

Discussion Questions:
1.Should reflection be a formal event which is vehemently recorded or a routine personal process?
2. Is reflection only important with experiences that one goes through in life, or should it also take place in the classroom for students? Would reflection help students process new information better?

Ethnographic Eyes

Ethnographic Eyes by Carolyn Frank

Main Points:
1. There are many different versions of the truth because everyone sees and understands things differently.
2. It is very important for educators to be able to view things for multiple perspectives because "our schools are becoming more ethnically and linguistically diverse." It is up to the teachers to be able to understand the needs of all students.
3. Ethnography is about separating what truly happened and what happened with your interpretation.

Discussion Questions:
1. Since there are different "truths" because everyone sees differently, is there a wrong way to take ethnographic notes?
2. How does ethnography affect an educator's ability to teach all of the children in a classroom?

The Reluctant Tuscan

The Reluctant Tuscan by Phil Doran is a true story about an American screenwriter past his hay-day whose wife drags to Tuscany to live a more tranquil life. Little did she know that life in Tuscany for a stranieri can be quite difficult—at first. The couple struggled against the very odd and archaic legal processes for getting approval to restore a piccolo rustico, which did not have a road leading to it nor an address when they began. They also had to struggle with their neighbors, the Pingatores, who sold them il rustico but then decided they wanted it back. The couple found life in Italy to be a struggle, but at the same time a complete breeze, because, if nothing else, the Italians know how to enjoy life. Aside from the hilarious story of this American couple trying to settle down and find their “inner Tuscan,” Doran described the people of the town, the beautiful landscapes, amazing food and rich culture to such an extent that I thought I was actually there. Since it was the perspective of an American writer, I felt as though I could relate to the differences that he explored between Americans and life in the US versus Italians and life in Italy. I feel as though Doran was speaking directly to me giving me secret tips and cultural traits of Italians, for example, how close all Italian men are to their mammas and how Italians are loud, enthusiastic, very expressive speakers. I felt as though I was taking a little trip to Italy as I was reading this book because Doran describes his surroundings with such clarity and detail. For example, he said this of his amazing lunch one afternoon in Montepulciano “the pici all’agion…was hearty and superb, the sweetness of the garlic elegantly melding with the natural tartness of the tomatoes…” Needless to say, after reading this book, I am most excited to eat true Italian food.  Overall, I loved Doran’s story of how he found his “inner Italian” and it made me want to go to Italy and find mine.