Amanda+W.

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

I have always been, at my core, an outdoorsy girl who loves to read, play sports, and have fun. I have always been interested in the new, the strange, and the different things about the world as I encountered it. I love to build things as a child, from wood and clay and even snow, and I almost became an engineer. That is a main reason that I became a teacher; because knowledge is never stagnant, every learning experience unique, and constantly expanding and changing, I get to learn everday along with my students. Reading was a favorite way to explore new worlds and points of views as a child, and it has stayed with me through adulthood. As a reading and language arts teacher, I try to instill a love of reading and an appreciation of what one can do with it, along with the skills and strategies to be successful as a reader, in my students. I love sports and am still athletic, and I have seen more of the parks, countryside, beaches, and mountains of North Carolina than downtown Raleigh in the six months since I moved here. Bringing nature and science, activity and exploration and discovery into reading and language arts is what I have always done as a teacher, and it is a metaphor of me as a person; a bookworm, a nature-lover, a writer, an athlete, an investigator, a creator.
 * What __really__ makes up your identity?
 * What __really__ makes up your sense of place?

I am from South Kingstown, Rhode Island. It is a colonial town on the coast and has some of the most beautiful beaches on the east coast. The original state capital, it also is home to the University of Rhode Island. There are old fishing villages and one room schoolhouses, colonial houses from the 1600s and mills from the 1800s around the town, but there are many stores and restaurants, developments all over, and between the university students and summer tourists, the economy is strong. I went to school from kindergarten on with children from all over the world, as my elementary school encompassed the university and the children of graduate students were my classmates. Because of this, and the people from all over the USA and the world drawn by the university, the town's location between New York City and Boston, it was a diverse community in many ways. Those reasons also kept the socio-economic status of the vast majority of residents quite high, and so I spent the first 18 years of my life having very little sense of what true poverty and "going without" //really// was.
 * What roles do your identity and sense of place play when you work with others in a group project?

When working with others in a group, I have the experiences working in many different jobs and with many different people tht have made me a good listener, but they have also made me a leader. I tend to take charge of situations, looking at options and points of view, making a plan, and taking action quickly and efficiently. As a teacher, I have become more patient and understanding, and have slowed down in order to make sure that everyone in the group has had time to speak, share, think, and consider all options, not just myself. Growing up as I did, hearing points of view and ideas from others cultures, being aware of our differences of culture as well as the commonalities of a people from such an early age, has kept my mind open and has made me a better collaborator, teacher, and person.
 * What are the qualities that you bring to the GLIP conversation that will help you make a contribution to your global group?

Aside from those I have already brought up, one quality that I bring to the GLIP conversation is a wealth and variety of experiences. I have lived in Rhode Island, in my hometown and the city, rural Connecticut, and now Raleigh, North Carolina. I attended the University of Maryland, College Park, for my undergraduate degree, which is located right outside of Washington, DC. There, I interned in schools in both Prince George's County and Montgomery County, at arguably one of the poorest and one of the wealthiest schools, respectively, in the state. These experiences, within a year, gave me a first-hand look at the disparity and inequality of education and exactly what is lacking in too many schools and for too many children.
 * 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?

One problem that I have seen locally, everywhere that I have lived, one in which teenagers have too few options or too little access to positive places to spend their time. Too often, programs needed the most to help teenagers stay focused on education, like art, music, athletics, drama, clubs and activities, are getting cut just as the economy makes it harder for teens to get part-time jobs. We are in a time like that right now in America. Teenagers have little to do that does not cost money, be it to pay for private leagues or lessons or the vast entertainment choices available today. For those teens who cannot afford these things, and whose parents have no funds for such "extras" just as the schools do not, there are few positive choices left. These are the times when we most need to fund technology, afterschool programs, and extracurricular activities in our public schools; those are the places where key social and communication skills are learned and honed, and where intelligences other than mathematical-logical-linguistic are taught and nurtured.
 * 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?

Those problems that have been issues for generations, like poverty, illiteracy, injustice and intolerance, can only be solved by large shifts in the social consciousness. In order for that to happen, every facet of society must take responsibility for playing a part in shifting the paradigm away from one-size-fits-all anything to creative, innovative, tailored solutions that involve all parties and are done for the greater good and focus on the specific problem in the given situation. To do this, a person must be wise enough to consider all opinions, options, and points of view, practical enough to make an informed and unbiased decision, and determined enough to see it put into action or completed, depending on the particular issue. One must also be sensitive to all parties beliefs about the problem and the solution(s) each wants, but also firm in one's own opinions to stand for logic and truth, democracy and justice, and not be easily persuaded or coerced. Finally, creativity is the most necessary characteristic in problem solving, as each problem is different depending on the situation, the context, and the people involved.

Phase II: Sense of Place

Upload image (s) here:

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)

These images each capture some sense of place for me, but in two very different places. The first image, which includes my shadow, is a small part of the Art Trail at the North Carolina Museum of Art. This place blends two things that are very important to me, an appreciation of art and the beauty of nature and getting people outside and active. The Arts Trail combines both, and there are many different outdoor art installations to discover along the trails, which bring both art and nature to the city of Raleigh.

The second image is of Matunuck Beach in South Kingstown, RI, my hometown. There are many beaches and ocean views that I could have chosen, but this one was taken from the deck of the Ocean Mist, a place where I have had reunions over breakfast, seen bands play since I was 15 years old, and reconnected with friends every time I go home for a visit. There is history on this deck, which used to be yards from the high tide line and now is barely on dry land a low tide, and it is a landmark of the town and state where college kids and old fisherman, accountants and hippies all come together to have fun and relax at the beach.

Phase III: Identify Local Issue:

What is your local issue? A local issue that concerns me is poverty. This is a local and global issue, and one that can be addressed both locally and globally. Poverty affects so many other aspects of life, like health and education, that addressing this issue will, I hope, help to combat other problems in our society as well.

What can you do to address the issue? One way that I try to address the issue of poverty is by donating food throughout the year, not just during the holidays season. I also donate clothes to charities that do not resell them. Finally, I try to raise awareness of the situations of others with my students because awareness of an issue is the first step in finding solutions.

What is the global impact of your local issue? Poverty is a global issue, and poverty exists everywhere. Poverty affects the health and education of people living in poverty, and the cycle is difficult to break. However, education is also one of the best ways out of poverty, and so as a teacher, I am fully invested in reducing and eliminating poverty.

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