Find what inspires you

Here in San Diego there are a lot of interesting events of educational sphere for youth and educators. It gives new inspiration for students and educators. So...

4-7 March

Conference of CABE 2015 (The California Association for Bilingual Education is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1976 to promote bilingual education and quality educational experiences for all students in California). You Know that California has a broad with Mexico. Because of the large number of migrated families, bilingual education became actual here. For me as for a teacher it was very interesting and useful. I visited several sections, participated in workshops. during the breaks we shared experience with teachers. It encouraged me as a teacher. I'll come back in Russia with new ideas in teaching language. Thanks! 

       hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

10-13 March

Schoolship competittion"Futureboss" 

It is a free project based entrepreneurial training and student scholarship competition. Three days young people learnt basics of entrepreneurship and prepare their own business projects. 

"This program will change lives, make dreams a reality and provide a path for youth leaders to succeed." Really...first day we met those guys they were not sure of themselves. And on the day of presentations participators were real businessmen and businesswoman. Now you can not worry about your future! Their ideas were bright and very social orientated. 

This is what I see

Before the internship #‎seefellows‬ I had a very serious idea: to learn how the American education system works and how they develop their youth policy. Now I understand it's impossible. It's impossible to tell about the American system in general, observing only one piece of it. And this piece is really amazing. State California - state of the everlasting Sun and spirit of the ocean, the place where there are a lot of finances. Schools receive money from fundraising, donations and implementation of their own projects (eg - shooting films using there excellent equipments).

And I want to show you some interesting features and differences.
Некоторые комментарии для моих русских друзей, интересующихся тем, что здесь происходит.

Laguna Beach School.
 Good example of the schools in the digital age.
Учебные классы в старшей и средней школе Laguna Beach.
 Классы оснащены удобными партами, стульями, 
интерактивными экранами - досками по периметру класса, все свои тетради дети 
ведут в "гугл доках".
 Обучение часто ведется в группах, стулья-парты легко передвигаются. 
Учитель использует удобный микрофон, объясняя материал, курсирует по классу, 
делает записи на своем digital планшете - весь материал выводится на экраны для детей. 
Одна из лучших школ цифрового века.

Students and teachers are very free in their cloth style.
Ученики и учителя очень свободны в выборе одежды для учебного заведения. Очень свободно себя чувствуют в школе. Незадисциплинированные дети, но при этом создается ощущение "порядка".

Innovative chairs in Laguna Beach High School. 
Над созданием удобных-современных условиях в школе Лагуна Бич трудится целый техно отдел. Вашему внимание - инновационные стулья-парты. Удобны для групповых занятий и индивидуальной работы. Это не первая школа, в которой мы побывали, и где хорошо организовано интегрированное образование. Дети with special needs  чувствуют себя комфортно. Вместе в учебных классах, в столовой - везде. 

El Cajon Valley High School
School library.
Так нас встречали в библиотеке в одной из школ.

El Cajon Valley High School
Сeramics class
Класс занятия керамикой

El Cajon Valley High School
Photo class
Фото класс

El Cajon Valley High School
Sport facilities
Спортивный зал и стадион школы

Jefferson Elementary School
Так проходят общешкольные мероприятия в начальной школе  Джефферсон. Директор школы ведет церемонию награждения отличившихся учеников за месяц. Награды за рефлексивный, осознанный подход к делу (Rewards for being Reflective). В Американских школах в каждом классе, коридоре найдете мотивирующие плакаты и американские флаги (motivation posters and American flags). Акцент ставится на развитие патриотизма и стремление к успеху.
Еще здесь популярна идея "сидения на полу" (Sitting on the floor is popular) . Уроки, сборы могут быть организованы таким образом. Учителя также подсаживаются к своим ученикам.

School Theatre Class
Школьная театральная студия 

Carlsbad High School 
School TV
В каждой школе, где мы были: от начальной до старшей (в Америке это разные здания ) везде было школьное телевидение (где-то попроще, а где-то как в в этой школе Super Modern Digital)

I think you liked it. It's interesting, but in spite of all these opportunities for children, many parents and people from the educational sphere are not satisfied with the system of education in America. 

Of course, both countries: Russia and America, has global educational problems and local. There are some differences and similarities.

For example, when we (my colleague - a teacher from St. Petersburg and I) are asked about Russian educational environment, our answers could be different. 

Anyway, we have something to share with American educators and there is smth. that we will take with us. 

And I know that being a teacher is a difficult job. It does not matter what country it is.  In spite of all the modern facilities, a good teacher - the main source of a good education.

И воспитание, и образование нераздельны. 

Нельзя воспитывать, не передавая знания, 

всякое же знание действует воспитательно.

Л.Н. Толстой

Exploring the educational area nearby

As a teacher  I was eager to visit schools of California, to meet typical American teenagers. 

And we did it!

We visited two High Schools and communicated with students. Interesting…they know nothing about Russia and the Russians. At the same time our teenagers know everything about Hollywood actors and actresses, wear “Converse”, “Levi’s”, “Gap”, drink coffee in “Starbucks’, prefer American music to Russian  and tend to have the latest model of iPhone.

This way Students of High School in California see the Russians

Our first school.

Carlsbad High School has great facilities for study and self development. A lot of classes for choice.  Сhildren are not forced to get involved they do it with a great pleasure. And, for example, in order to participate in School Educational TV you should pass the test. They do a great job and of course it requires a lot of funding. As Russian guests we were interviewed by Carlsbad High School Educational TV. Look here.

Second school.

El Camino High School, in Oceanside.

Again it’s an excellent example of High School Education.

We visited theatre class there, watch their video works, were on their ‘big’ stage. There  we found the wall of social wishes. Of course, honest thoughts of teens can help identify problems that they faced nowadays. These photos are about…

That was our school trip. Now I know that people here are interested in people more than political issues.

It’s not the ideal world but it is a good example of a good education for teenagers. Here in California everything seems perfect but it’s only the part of a big system. I am planning a visit to a school for children with difficulties with studies or behavior.  It can be another side of a coin. We’ll see.

In the wake of youth development

Hi, I'am Lena. The participant of SEE Fellowship of the working group 'Education And Youth'. I am 24 years. I am of the age category of "youth". In addition, this category is an object of my professional direction. Following my blog you will open with me interesting facts, learn about the differences between Russian and American cultures, their common features. We will observe and study youth in California, collaborate with  organizations which are working with this category. ....let's do it!

24 February. 

We are in San-Diego. And at least we started our great professional trip. Today our little but very friendly team visited «San Diego County Office Of Education». Yvonne, our supervisor and the host organization Global School Net arranged this meeting. The meeting with the professionals, the people who are directly connected with the development of the educational environment. All the participants were very welcoming, interested in our professional interests. Together we could identify what organizations we can visit to expand our knowledge and get new experiences. 

And of course California is a wonderful place to create, to have 'sunny' ideas and implement them!