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University of Puerto Rico at Humacao English Department Special Project: Extreme Classroom Renovation María E. Jordán Gómez and Emmanuelle A. Soto Ríos Dr. Aníbal Muñoz Claudio EDPE 4006-001 April 29, 2013

Practice Teaching Special Project

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Page 1: Practice Teaching Special Project

University of Puerto Rico at Humacao

English Department

Special Project:

Extreme Classroom Renovation

María E. Jordán Gómez and Emmanuelle A. Soto Ríos

Dr. Aníbal Muñoz Claudio

EDPE 4006-001

April 29, 2013

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Table of Contents

Phase I- Proposal..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……1 Justification and Permanence………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….2 Action Plan………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 Action Plan Table…….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4 Note………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5 Action Plan Table II….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………6 Final Report: Results………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 Reaction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 Appendix 1: Pictures…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………10-14 Appendix 2: Donation Letters……………………………………………………………………………………………………………15-17

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María Edith Jordán Gómez February 22, 2013

Emmanuelle Alejandro Soto Ríos Dr. Aníbal Muñoz Claudio

Special Project decisions

Phase I: Proposal

Title:

A Student Center for Dr. Conchita Cuevas

Purpose:

As our special project in Dr. Conchita Cuevas High School for the second semester of the

201-2013 school year, we decided that we wanted to prepare a student center, which is

something that is useful for the whole student population. The school has no facility like this.

The school has a large population of 678 students, 144 of these belong to the special education

program. Unfortunately, the lack of motivation, escalating amount of absences, and ever

increasing dropout rate are very common and recurrent in this school. These students don’t

have a space where they can congregate safely without having to occupy a classroom or

interrupt a class. Our purpose for choosing this project is to create a secure space with adult

supervision where the students can invest their time in productive activities that will enrich them

socially and emotionally. Students can use the space to study, do group projects, play board

games, ping pong and dominoes, meet with friends outside of the sun, and wait for their classes.

Additionally, the student center can be used for tutoring sessions, educational staff meetings,

and other extracurricular activities that will benefit the school population. Another reason we

decided to do this project in the school is because they have the space available for it. A large

room which would be perfect for the amount of students in the school is completely empty. We

got the approval to use it for this project. We feel this project will benefit the whole school

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population because the students will feel that they are important members of the school

community; they will have a safe place to congregate and a place that is their own.

Justification:

The foundation and formation of this special project that we have thought of producing for the

school is a way to express our integration and appreciation to the institution for giving us a place

that we could work freely and lively without feeling unsafe or unsure. Maria and I developed the

plan with the idea to give the students a place where they can remember each and every single

one of our traits to be engraved in the commodities of the student center. Even though we

haven’t really thought of the future of the student center we hope to see it become something

worth our time, money and dedication.

Permanence:

Since the space we plan to use for the center is already part of the school, there will be

no problems in terms of having to invest any extra money on it in the long run. However, there

will have to be investments done to prepare the space to serve the purpose of being a student

center. We plan on covering these investments through donations from companies adjacent to

the school. The handy work to prepare the student center will be done by us in collaboration

with the senior class and cooperating teacher. Having the students work on this project will give

them a sense of pride in this place. Its giving them the message that it is theirs, so they have to

take care of it. This could eliminate the possibility of vandalism. On another note, the

maintenance can be covered by the school janitors. It will be a low maintenance place, which

will need cleaning, just like any other part of the school. In terms of human resources, there will

have to be a teacher present at the center to supervise the students and check them in and out

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of the center the entire school day. This schedule has to be organized by the teachers to see

who will volunteer their free hours take turns supervising the center. This special project will

become a permanent part of the school community because the students need a place like this

to spend their free time. It is a safe and supervised place; therefore students will stay out of

trouble. Students need these types of positive activities to keep them busy and entertained,

which is why the school staff will give the extra mile so they can have this.

Action Plan:

As part of our work team to enable the progress of this school center we asked the helped of our

students from the graduating class and eleventh graders. This way the students who would take

place as seniors next year can enjoy a relaxed and productive room to enjoy and love truthfully.

With the students helping to achieve this plan they would learn about respect and responsibility

of a place they helped to create as well.

It is in our hands to give our a hundred percent and asked for help with the faculty members and

the Gurabo community who is willing to help us. We will ask of the students to help us spread

the word and form part of the growing and success of this plan. This February we have already

begun sending cards and waiting for response. For March, we expect to have already begun

constructing and forming the environment of what would be the student center. During the

month of April we will be formatting and editing the place we will occupy with tables, chairs, TV

sets, board games, video games and some other technological resources they can utilize in the

near and proximate future. Thus ending the project on May before the class ends.

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Action Plan Table:

Date Plan People Involved Comments

February 2013 1. Prepare letters asking for donations from neighboring companies.

Emmanuelle Soto María Jordán Eduardo Martínez (Cooperating Teacher) Magda Resto (School Director)

Letter subject to approval from School Director and Cooperating Teacher.

2. Send letters asking for donations to neighboring companies.

Emmanuelle Soto María Jordán

Companies in Gurabo…

March 2013

3. Collect Donations

Emmanuelle Soto María Jordán

4. Begin Ground Work in the space assigned as the student center.

Emmanuelle Soto María Jordán Eduardo Martínez (Cooperating Teacher) Senior class 2013

Patch walls Clean Paint

April 2013

5. Finishing Touches Emmanuelle Soto María Jordán Eduardo Martínez (Cooperating Teacher) Senior class 2013

Bring in Materials Organize

6. Grand Inauguration The entire school community.

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Note:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were not able to carry out the special project we first intended for

the school. The following is phase 2 of the special project we were able to carry out.

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Special Project: Extreme Classroom Renovation

Action Plan Table II:

Activity Date Purpose People Involved

Buy materials April 25, 2013 To collect the materials we needed to improve the classroom. -paint -duct tape - painting tools

Emmanuelle Soto Maria Jordan

Prep for painting April 26, 2013 Prepare classroom for painting. -remove posters -arrange desks -discard of damaged classroom materials.

Emmanuelle Soto Maria Jordan

Paint the classroom

April 27,2013 -Paint classroom with new youthful and vibrant colors. -Paint chalk board. -Renovate storage area.

Emmanuelle Soto Maria Jordan Sylvia Rios (Emmanuelle’s mom) Krisztina Soto (Emmanuelle’s sister) Ricardo Alvarez (Maria’s Husband) Luis Delgado (Emmanuelle’s Neighbor) Melina Morales (11th grade student) Genesis Diaz (12th grade, Maria’s student) Jonathan Candelaria (12th grade, Maria’s student) Maria and Octavio (Maria’s Parents)

Paint the classroom Arrange the Room Final Details

April 28, 2013 -Paint classroom -Arrange desks -Arrange teacher’s desk and file cabinets -Renovate storage areas. -Paint white gates. - Clean windows.

Emmanuelle Soto Maria Jordan Sylvia Rios (Emmanuelle’s mom) Ricardo Alvarez (Maria’s Husband) Luis Delgado (Emmanuelle’s Neighbor)

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Phase II:

Final Report

Results

Although we were unable to accomplish our original special project idea, this special project was just

as beneficial to the school. We decided to renovate Mr. Martinez’s classroom because we noticed it is a

place where a considerable amount of students spent their free time. Here the students play their

instruments, sing, do homework, play cards and more. It is like a refuge for them, a safe area where

they are free to express themselves. The classroom however was in bad conditions. It was very

cluttered, unorganized, dull, and dirty. Our objectives were to create a more suitable learning

environment for the students to enjoy school and feel comfortable. We decided to paint the walls a

vibrant green and cool blue color, we decided to fix the worn out blackboard by painting over it with

chalkboard paint. We decided to renovate the storage areas by covering them with colorful duct tape.

Finally we sorted through and organized books, and other school materials. Thankfully, we were able to

accomplish everything we proposed on time. We decided to work in the school the weekend after the

Puerto Rican Exams. Luckily we had a lot of wonderful people helping us. We greatly appreciate their

hard work and dedication. We definitely could not have accomplished this project in the amount of time

we did without them. The following is the list of people who spent their free time helping us:

Sylvia Rios (Emmanuelle’s mom)

Krisztina Soto (Emmanuelle’s sister)

Ricardo Alvarez (Maria’s Husband)

Luis Delgado (Emmanuelle’s Neighbor)

Melina Morales (11th grade student)

Genesis Diaz (12th grade, Maria’s student)

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Jonathan Candelaria (12th grade, Maria’s student)

María Gómez and Octavio Jordán (Maria’s Parents)

Thankfully, we were able to carry out our action plan as originally specified, with the exception that

we had to buy two extra gallons of paint, and a few rolls of duct tape, which we used to renovate the

storage areas. The classroom turned out wonderful! Now it looks fresh, clean and youthful. It is more

organized and there is room for the students to do various activities during their free time. The best

part of the special project was seeing the students’ reactions. Everyone who walked in the room was

amazed. The students love the colors, the “new” blackboard, the brightness (because the windows

were uncluttered and clean), and how clean and organized the classroom was. The students expressed

they felt like they actually want to come in to take class. This means we accomplished our goals.

Reactions

The Special Project Maria and I prepared for the school was an upgrade version of Mr. Eduardo

Martinez’s old classroom. Eduardo Martinez is our cooperating teacher and although at the beginning

we had in mind to prepare a student center. We couldn’t achieve the student center since the space we

had planned for the preparation of it the director gave it to the special education students. We took that

opportunity to then work on the renovation and update of Mr. Martinez’s classroom.

The design of the classroom at the beginning was too crowded with a lot of unused books and

useless computers. After the special project the classroom was more enjoyable and pleasing. The

students felt more energetic and attracted to the upgraded classroom. It was definitely something we

had to do and leave our footprints at the school.

During the implementation we had a fantastic and marvelous team of helpers. Along with my

family members and Maria’s, we could accomplish our goal of having a diverse and socially transformed

classroom that captivated not only our attention but strangers and students as well. Maria and I worked

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as leaders of the teaching community of the Dr. Conchita Cuevas High School and we were able to use

our creativity to its full extent. After the special project was finished we encouraged and had some of

the teachers come and express their need to do the same renovations in their classrooms. Some

students of Maria’s class and of the school came to help us. Although the director didn’t help on the

renovations of the classroom she brought the keys to us every morning.

The completion of the project was done with an arduous and hardworking spirit. Even though it

was not an easy process, it was very much our task to fulfill this with a passion. As practice students we

think that it was a life learning experience that we will never forget. It helped us learn that there is no

support from parents and other teachers. That must of the hard work is to be done by ourselves and

with the little help we can get.

Recommendations

Thankfully everything turned out according to plan. But, if we had to do something differently, it

would have been to renovate the classroom earlier in the semester so everyone could have enjoyed it

for a longer period of time. We would have insisted that the school committee let us do fundraisers so

that we could have done more in the classroom. For example, get a new television, fix the broken desks,

and get an air conditioner, even a projector and smart board. Unfortunately due to lack to time,

according to the school committee, we were not allowed to do the proposed fundraiser, a bake sale.

The advice we give to future teacher candidates in order to complete the special project requirements

effectively is to start working on it as soon as they get to the school, in terms of organizing fund raisers,

and other areas. This is a costly and time consuming project, so future practice teachers will need all the

time and money they can get. The last words of wisdom we would like to give them is that this project,

whatever they decide to do, will completely be worth it because the students will truly appreciate it.

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Appendix 1: Pictures

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Pictures:

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Buying some chalkboard paint and other

supplies.

Cleaning, Painting, Fixing, and more!

Our crew worked hard a full weekend to

get the job done. We couldn’t have done it

without them.

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The Results:

We were very proud and pleased with the

results of the classroom renovation.

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Appendix 2:

Donation letters prepared for the community and school committee.

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Escuela Superior Dra. Conchita Cuevas

Gurabo, Puerto Rico

Departamento de Inglés

Querido Consejo Escolar: Escuela Superior Dra. Conchita Cuevas,

Como parte de nuestra práctica docente estamos convocados a llevar a cabo un proyecto

especial para mejorar el ambiente de la institución académica. Dicho proyecto debe ser

permanente y de carácter educativo. En este proyecto especial decidimos hacer mejoras al salón

de inglés de nuestro maestro cooperador, Eduardo Martínez. Preparamos una lista de mejoras

necesarias para la actualización de este ambiente tales como arreglar las luces, la pizarra que esta

malgastada, las paredes necesitan una mejor pintura, una actualización de equipos (televisor,

proyector) y más. Esta carta tiene como propósito pedir su autorización para realizar un “bake

sale” para recaudar fondos. Tenemos que hacer esta venta debido a que no podemos costo

efectuar este proyecto. Los fondos serán utilizados única y exclusivamente para el mejoramiento

de la institución y el ambiente de los estudiantes. Deseamos poder comenzar lo antes posible

para utilizar el tiempo de las Pruebas Puertorriqueñas ya que los estudiantes no estarán presentes

en este salón.

Agradecemos su pronta respuesta.

Sinceramente,

Maria Jordán y Emmanuelle Soto