Brady+K.

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


 * What __really__ makes up your identity?

Identity for me is defined through my family and commitment to working with children. Although the majority of my family lives in Southern California, we consistently come together, whether it is on the East or the West. I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters. My father passed away a few years ago, but our family continues t o rally around my mother. My father always told me to never give up and always strive to do my best. I have adopted many of the same values that my parents instilled in me and applied them to the field of education. I am driven by relationships with teacher, students and community members.

My sense of place has recently taken a pretty significant turn. I am originally from Southern California. My wife and I decided to move to North Carolina about 3 years ago. We based this decision off of several factors, but ultimately we want to provide our children the best opportunities possible. Although I truly appreciate where I was born and where I grew up, my heart is in North Carolina.
 * What __really__ makes up your sense of place?

Without identity a person has not sense of place. You must ground where you are to have a global persepctive, to see the world through mutliple lenses.
 * What roles do your identity and sense of place play when you work with others in a group project?


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

I never give up. When I set my mind on a task, I do whatever it takes to get that task complete. I am assertive, but rely on forming meaningful relationships with others to create a sense of family with everything I do. I am a global thinker and can see the big picture. Although detail may escape me at times, I have no problem delegating and or leading within a group.


 * 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?

North Carolina is has one of the highest growth in immigrant families. Many of these families have children that speak a language other than English. These very same children are often placed in mainstream classrooms and expected to perform at the same level as their English speaking peers. Teachers are expected to modify their curriculum to support the needs of these children, but I the gap between our limited English proficient and native speakers continue to grow. I want to examine LEP student’s perceptions of teacher immediacy and instructional discourse behaviors of their mainstream teachers and the impact these perceptions on their language acquisition and/or academic achievement. I believe there is limited research in the area of the impact of immediacy behaviors, and their interaction with instructional discourse patterns, during teacher directed classroom discussion on LEP language acquisition/achievement.


 * 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?

Communication. Too many of are starting to rely on technology as our primary way of communicating. Our students are losing the ability to effectively communicate whether it is orally or in writing.

Phase II: Sense of Place

Upload image (s) here:



The reason for choosing this picture is to represent all the reason why I moved from Southern California to North Carolina. This is a local park that was recently opening in Ganer (White Deer Park)

Living in So. Cal all your life means that you may have run in's with movie stars and sports figures. I have had my fair share, but being from a town that actually produced this individual talent is a much differnt feeling. Scotty has made a big difference in the town of Garner.



One of the biggest celebrations in Garner is the Firework display at Lake Benson. Thousands of families gather for all day festivities culminating into a spectacular display choreographed with beautiful music.

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?

What can you do to be address the issue?

What is the global impact of your local issue?

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