My brain is on overload. All with stuff I am thoroughly fascinated by and interested in...I think I have ADD (don't tell Jacob) because I want to do it all and am too excited to focus long on only one of these things!
Challenge Based Learning--http://ali.apple.com/cbl/
I am exceptionally interested in teaching both Character-based and Challenge-based Learning modalities and want to reform education in my classroom for the next school year! Do I have time today to study all I want to about it? No.
Why?
Because I'm planning my trip to the other side of the WORLD!! I'll be traveling Sunday & Monday...and on Monday night I will be exploring Dubai!! THE Dubai. United Arab Emirates Dubai. I already want to spend more
time there than I will have. Then, because it's a "forced stop-over", the airline will pay for my shuttle to the hotel they're also paying for......and the next morning I will travel to Uganda!! THE Uganda. Africa Uganda. Where I will be met by people who will take me to the guest house at St. Moses Primary School, where 240 of my kiddos have been pen-pal-ing, thanks to my Clint friend who I can't thank enough (even though I'm not always perfect at showing it). 700 kids, and 1/2 of them are AIDS orphans. My heart already goes out to them, but that's not enough. I need to do something about it. So I want to see them in their daily life and learn what their needs are and learn the best and most meaningful ways that I, and perhaps the kids at my school, can contribute to their success. I'm learning about what that means, to sincerely listen, and not be the white person who goes in thinking they have a solution, and it turns out it wasn't what was really needed or even wanted. I'm excited to learn this. And can't do it fast enough.
I will then have a most amazing weekend joining up with a girl I'm only briefly acquainted with so far, but am growing to admire immensely. She has been the country director for Uganda with HELP International, and though I'm not over there officially with them, has invited me to stay at their house with other mzungus (white peeps) and join them on their projects!!
That weekend, though, we will be taking a 10-hr bus ride to RWANDA!! THE Rwanda. Paul Rususagabina, Rwanda (who I skipped school a couple years ago to see speak at a BYU forum). We will see some sites that I'm sure will be powerful and life-changing...mentality-changing, I'm expecting. And I'm so ready for that to happen.
Before I can go, however, I must finish my application to the Masters of Education program that I can apply my newly completed ESL endorsement to...already finished 1/3 of it!! The deadline will pass while I'm gone. So I have to hurry and decided right now if I'm applying to the regular Masters of Ed program, or administration emphasis...which is only 6 credits more...but if I decided in the future to get it, after only doing the regular one right now, then it would be 33 more credits, plus licensure. Yeah, I just decided. I need to do all of it now! Except...that would mean committing to this program longer than I want to be in America...maybe they'll let me finish it overseas.
Why?
Because the second masters I want is in Europe, called the Masters of International Humanitarian Action. And I started the process--submitted all the online stuff--last year, but the timing wasn't right. Well, this year it is. I'll apply now for the 2010-2011 school year, in time for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship, which will pay for ALL of it!! ALL, all of it.
In the next couple weeks I will get to fish on an island in Lake Victoria. I want to see the source of the Nile where Gandhi had some of his ashes sent. I want to white water raft on the Nile. I want to mostly spend time in the daily life and learn about these people. I want to play Ninja Destruction with the kids at St. Moses. I want my brain to be expanded beyond what I've experienced. I want my eyes to be opened and my heart to be touched and I want to continue to be propelled toward my dreams. I feel it in my bones that I have been, always have been, but feel like I've been on the fast track these last couple years. I feel empowered to make of my life what I dream it to be. And why wait? I feel so motivated to learn all I can and make it happen...the sooner the better.
Plus there's a couple hundred books on my summer to-read list. Good thing there's a long plane ride =o)
5 comments:
Okay, first of all, it's about freaking time!
Second, I am so jealous! I want to go to Africa! And for some reason, I thought this trip you had planned a while ago fell through! So I'm very happy for you that you get to go- it sound like it will be absolutely incredible.
Third, so does everything else you've got going on in your life right now! How did I miss all of this in such a short time frame?? I'm excited to hear how everything works out and where all your schooling takes you.
Fourth, how am I supposed to set you up with a friend of mine if you leave the country so much?
Miss you!
Wow, awesome! Sounds like you've got tons of opportunities! Have a great time doing things few of us ever will.
Venicia! Seriously? For REAL? You're going to AFRICA!!!!!!!!!
I think you are exactly the right kind of person who can do all those things, and MORE. You are amazing. What a great opportunity! I cannot WAIT to read all about your experiences. Wow. Wow. WOW!! I can't even say how cool that is! You will do great things, my friend. Great, great things. I love you!!!
Wow. Double wow. I'm super stoked for you! It all sounds so overwhelming. I'd want to get off at Dubai. You're the coolest.
That's so exciting that you're actually doing what you've wanted to do for so long! I'm sure you'll have an amazing experience in Africa, and sounds like many more to come!
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