Erin+B.

Phase I: Who Am I? What's My Place?



My identity comes from my lived experiences. I am a Christian woman. I lived in Kentucky, Texas, and North Carolina in the USA; in Cambridge, England; and in Madrid, Spain. I traveled to Greece, Turkey, Peru, and France. Most importantly, I am an educator, a graduate student, and a mother. I am an educator. I taught high school for 6 years and college for 8 years. I am currently teaching online classes for a community college. I teach professional and technical writing. I am a graduate student. I am a doctoral candidate at NC State and am completing my last two classes this semester. I hope to earn my doctorate by May 2013. I am interested in conducting research about literacy and technology. I hope to teach at the university level and help train teachers. I am a mother. I have two children. My daughter is almost 5 years old, and she questions everything. Her favorite response to any question or statement is "Why?" My son is 7 1/2 years old and in second grade. He enjoys playing video games and sports. My identity is grounded in my lived experiences. Through family and friends I learn much about what is important to me. My identity is every changing as events occur that impact who I am. I believe experiences and our reactions to those experiences make up our real identity.
 * What __really__  makes up your identity?


 * What __really__  makes up your sense of place?

The one place that is truly "home" is Louisville, Kentucky. I was born there and lived there for 16 years. However my sense of place is determined by my interactions with those around me. If I feel safe, if I feel I can express my ideas without judgment, and if I can be comfortable with my surroundings then I feel a sense of place. If I think that I am needed and I make a difference to those I am with then I feel a sense of place. A physical location does not matter as much as a sense of belonging to something that I believe in and that something is larger than me. I also love the mountains! I feel at peace in the mountains.


 * What roles do your identity and sense of place play when you work with others in a group project?

My identity and sense of place play major roles when I am working with others in a group project. I am a leader, a doer, and an educator, so I want to lead, do, and help educate others in a group project. I am a graduate student, so I want to learn. I am a mother and therefore some of my time is limited. I will contribute to a group if I feel my sense of place is needed and makes a difference. I will contribute if my ideas are valued. I usually enjoy working alone, but group projects can be rewarding if everyone knows their own role and contributes accordingly.


 * What are the qualities that you bring to the GLIP conversation that will help you make a contribution to your global group?

The qualities that I bring to the GLIP conversation are leadership, literacy and technology skills, creativity, an ability to challenge status quo, and organization. I am a leader. I study literacy and technology and have been in the field for many years. When working in a group I can be creative and challenge status quo. I am extremely organized and as a leader am willing to help others.


 * What is one local problem (where you live) that you believe needs to be addressed? Suggest some steps could you take to try to solve it?

I believe that one local problem that needs to be addressed is the lack of foreign language options in the elementary schools. In my area, only magnet (specialized) school or private schools are allowed to teach foreign language at the elementary level (kindergarten-fifth grade). Several steps that I could take to try to solve this would include: 1) petitioning the school to add foreign language options, 2) petitioning the school board to make changes, 3) running for school board member, and 4) taking the petitions to the state level.
 * Finally, some problems have been around for a long time. What qualities do you think a person must have to step up and try to solve them?

I think that if a person is going to try to solve them then that person needs to be creative, work well with others, and needs to not be afraid to challenge status quo. I think the person should possess the qualities of problem solving, creativity, organizing, interpersonal and intra-personal skills, and the ability to communicate the ideas with others.

Phase II: Sense of Place

Upload image (s) here:



The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the fall when the leaves are changing is an image of comfort and home. Growing up in Kentucky, I would travel to the mountains of North Carolina once a year with my family for vacation. Mountains have always seemed majestic, peaceful, and serene to me. Several facts about the Blue Ridge Mountains are: One group that provides support and resources to the Blue Ridge Mountains is the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Their site is [|www.brpfoundation.org]. It is a non-profit organization that helps keep the parkway clean and beautiful for everyone to enjoy the Blue Ridge Mountains.
 * 1) Chimney Rock has a 404-foot waterfall—absolutely breath-taking.
 * 2) Grandfather Mountain has a mile-high swinging bridge—beautiful view but a bit scary.
 * 3) Linville Caverns has stalactites and stalagmites—but also has bats.
 * 4) Thomas Wolfe Memorial has a 29-room “Old Kentucky Home” boarding house—reminds me of home.

Use these questions to help you determine which picture shows someone else why your “place” is so special to you.
 * Does a scenic picture represent the beauty you believe that your town has?
 * Does a picture of a group of people represent and show a warmth and friendliness that your town has?
 * Does a statue or building convey the feeling of history that makes your place important and unique?
 * Is there a cultural event that represents the values of your home location?

What are your initial thoughts about how your image addresses the questions above? Later, you will be working with the members of your group to create a travel package that includes visits to each group member's home location (see Phase II)

Phase III: Identify Local Issue:

What is your local issue? Violent crimes is an issue for Raleigh, NC. Violent crimes includes murder and manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Raleigh Crime Statistics found online at [] show that violent crimes are on the rise from 2009.

What can you do to be address the issue? I can help raise awareness of this issue in Raleigh through educating people how to protect themselves against violent crimes. I can help young people learn to be aware of their surroundings. If someone is going to attack you, do you know how to protect yourself and where to go for help? I would help teach students in Raleigh to protect themselves and be aware of their surroundings and how to call for help if necessary.

What is the global impact of your local issue?

The global impact of violent crimes is safety. If people do not feel safe at home in their local environment, they will likely not want to travel due to safety reasons. I also think that violent crimes that occur locally impact global trust because if someone is attacked in their local environment they may be less likely to trust others and that may impact their global views.

Add these thoughts to your Group's Discussion Forum on Local Issues