I had heard some past Andean region Fulbrighters say that their Regional Enhancement Seminar was one of their grant year's most unforgettable highlights. I guess prior to this April 10th, I had underestimated the truth of that statement. The objective of the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Enhancement Seminar is to allow the Grantees to intermingle, swap ideas about research and pedagogy, share intercultural experiences, and overall, gain a refresher as they head into the final months of their grant duties. Meanwhile, we have the opportunity to receive coaching by informed Fulbright and State Department officers about how to improve their cultural sensitivity and teaching tactics in the classroom. Each year, the Enhancement Seminars for the Central American, Andean, and Southern Cone nations are respectively assigned to one of the participating Commissions, and it is their responsibility to put on a scholastically stimulating but also fun and memorable event for the Grantees. In some ways, it seems the event is nearly a showcase for the hosting Commission--a chance for that agency to show how committed it is to serving its Grantees' needs, and to demonstrate the beauty of the surrounding countryside. This year, from April 10th through 16th, my Fellow ETAs from Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela engaged in an Ecuador-hosted conference in which we accomplished all aims in style.
On Sunday, the 10th, after a Aerolineas Galapagos (recently acquired by Avianca) flight from Bogotá, the ETAs from Colombia and Venezuela and I walked through a set of the friendliest customs agents I've experienced in the Americas, arriving in Quito. We were greeted in typical Ecuadorian hospitality by Karen Aguilar, Program Officer at Fulbright Ecuador and the major coordinator of all the week's plans. Upon first glance out the windows of Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Quito felt, well, just like Bogotá--overcast and rainy. But something immediately told me I was no longer in Colombia: the noticeable degree of indigenous influence present in Ecuador's demography. I grinned viewing the darker skinned citizens greeting their friends and loved ones beyond the customs post, and pondered the strength of Ecuador's native Andean population, something all but washed away in the Highland capitals of Colombia... A batch of the grantees and I hopped onto a bus, provided courtesy of Fulbright Ecuador, and we were off to our resting place for the first half of the week. Checking in at Hotel Akros, I was at once impressed by the accommodations--in the best part of town, beyond comfortable, fully heated amid the chill of the Ecuadorian Highlands, and replete with the finest international and Ecuadorian food in its dining area. Let's just say that during its flagship events, the Fulbright Program is concerned that its Grantees sleep very well! Now I wonder if it would not have been more sensible to ahorrar the money the State Department and Commissions spent on our luxury lodging and instead inject it into the Grantees' stipends... But I digress...
The 29 of us Grantees from all four countries convened at Akros, and a spirit of laughter and relaxation immediately surfaced. During our first evening, a few of us were already off by foot to explore Avenida 6 de Diciembre and to seek out some authentic Ecuadorian ceviche, which took only about a hundred yards to find. I relished the seafood, and smiled wishing that the amount of spice and seasoning found in Ecuadorian gastronomy were more available back in Medellín. I also felt odd paying for my meal in developing world prices, but in dollars (the US dollar has been the official currency of Ecuador since 2000). Either way, the grub was delicious, and it was refreshing to briefly get familiar with a pricing system and currency other than Colombia's.
The Grantees and I spent our first two days at the Fulbright Ecuador Commission, swapping notes and experiences amongst ourselves, and getting to know their staff, including Susana Cabeza de Vaca, the hilarious, wise, and culturally savvy Executive Director of Fulbright Ecuador. We also had the fortune to meet two outstanding US State Department language experts, Regional English Officer David Fay, stationed in Peru, and Regional Language Fellow Stephanie Hanson, stationed in Ecuador. Fay and Hanson delivered numerous teaching strategies, exercises, and fun games to employ with students. Best of all, the Grantees got to test each new game learned, putting them into action and laughing all the while. My personal favorite is what we have dubbed "Telephone Pictionary." Each player in a circle writes a simple sentence down on a piece of paper, usually describing an action or a piece of scenery. The papers are shuffled clockwise, and then the receiver must interpret that text into a drawing. Once those images are drawn, the players fold over the initial sentences, making them invisible. When the papers are again passed along clockwise, the next receiving player must this time interpret the remaining image into text. The first interpretive image is then folded over, and the process repeats, transferring between drawings and text until the round is called off by a timer. At the end, all iterations of the English sentences and drawings are revealed, and what follows is evidence of the inevitable confusion arisen throughout the process--and usually uproarious laughter... In one instance, my original sentence about the heavy rainfall in Medellín turned into "There are many street performers in the streets of Antioquia." The result of several rounds of hazy interpretations is much similar to the verbal confusion that typically concludes a conventional game of whispering Telephone. Learning interactive activities like these got me animated to get back to Medellín to engage the creative capacity of my students. Try a game like Telephone Pictionary out with your ESL students--I bet you won't be disappointed!
My second major piece of praise toward the Enhancement Seminar hails the quality of the food served throughout the event. Though our days were busy in the lectures and workshops, after about four days, the Grantees and I came to feel that all we were doing was eating! Fulbright Ecuador spoiled us with everything from deluxe Ecuadorian pastries between meetings, to puffed maize appetizers, to fresh ceviches, to empanadas of all fillings, to marinated, slow-cooked pork, to stuffed avocadoes, to steak, tomoto, and potato stews, to gourmet pizza, to maracuyá (passion fruit) pudding, tiramisu, and tres leches cakes for dessert. Numerous times during meals I would look around to hear my fellow grantees exclaim, "My, if only I ate this well on my stipend money in [name of assigned host country]!"A joke emerged among the Grantees that after our time in "sexy" Latin America under the limitations of the grant stipend, the Commissions were fattening us up in preparation for re-entry back into the obesity of the United States. Whatever the motive driving our caloric overload during the Seminar, none of us complained too much...
On Wednesday, April 13th, the 29 of us, plus two Program Officers from Fulbright Ecuador, and Jody Dudderar, Assistant Director of US Student Programs at the Institute of International Education, traveled by bus from the capital, heading into the Ecuadorian jungle. Impressed and grasping the oncoming humidity, we arrived at Arashá Rainforest Resort, a truly special place located about three hours to the northwest of Quito, outside of Pedro Vicente Maldonado, in one of the world's few remaining biodiversity "hotspots" (see http://www.arasharesort.com/arasha.htm#where). Gazing at the perfect manicuring of the palms and abundance of exotic birds around, the Grantees entered full chill mode--and then realized we still needed to remain sharp enough to coherently present our supplementary research and volunteer projects to one another, in a late-week breakout session. After breaking into our groups, we prepared interactive presentations about how we've each spent our time outside of teaching during the grant year. Grantees discussed their volunteer efforts to help rehabilitate victims of landmine blasts in rural Colombia, to aid reading achievement in sub-literate barrios in places like Caracas, to develop English curricula in private institutes in rural Ecuador, to teach poor youth the value of art, not violence, as a social outlet, to publish papers and grant proposals to increasing awareness about and protections for Colombia's millions of Internally Displaced Persons. I myself delivered two poems condensing the findings of my research into Medellín's urban development miracle... And then we all jumped in the Arashá pool for more joke telling and swapping of cultural anecdotes.
Late in the week, we enjoyed a torch-lit rainforest exploration by night, during which we gazed at glowing insects pointed out by our Arashá guide, and I even caught a toad. (Yes, I know, they say "don't do that; they can be poisonous!" But I'm still here...) During a waterfall tour on Friday, and I caught glimpse saw by far the most humongous snail of my life... Nothing like the biodiversity of the Andean hotspots!
In all, I will always consider the 2011 Enhancement Seminar a highly rewarding opportunity to network with my fellow Grantees and to get to know a slice of an awesome Andean nation other than my host country. Because it is tough to summarize the full value of this conference in narrative form, I figured that I would simply include here some responses to my Enhancement Seminar Survey, which I think better capture my enthusiasm toward the event:
1) Please state your individual goals for the Enhancement Seminar and outline your personal expectations:
My individual goal was to learn more effective interactive tools to teach grammar and pronunciation.
4) List the materials that you received prior to the Seminar that were most helpful. What items were least helpful and why.
The most helpful item was the organized agenda. The least helpful item was the initial lack of disclosure about the per diem stipend, until I asked. Grantees should be allowed a chance to know more of the financial details of the conference so they can plan and budget better with respect to the conference.
6) Please comment on any aspect of the Seminar planning, logistics, organization, or facilities.
The 2011 English Teaching Assistant Enhancement Seminar in Ecuador was excellent. During our lectures and discussion, the other Grantees and I reviewed many useful exercises and games for teaching pronunciation, writing, and grammar. Candid discussions with the Fulbright Ecuador staff about cultural challenges faced by Grantees were highly relevant, educational, and refreshing. The facilitators, David Fay, State Department Regional English Language Fellow to Peru, and Stephanie Hanson, Senior English Language Fellow to Ecuador, were superbly prepared to present valuable information. They spoke clearly, patiently, and effectively with the Grantees. Their lessons were in fact so engaging that they heightened my interest in the possibility of continuing my professional development in the area of English teaching (albeit one still remote at this point). But my major complaint toward the organization of that conference was that it was scheduled too late in the grant period to be maximally transformative for Grantees. That is to say, the majority of the Andean region ETAs returned to their sites of work with too little time to put into practice all that was learned during the Seminar. I myself returned to Medellín with a mere four weeks to try out the new exercises with my students. It is really too bad that the Enhancement Seminar was not scheduled at a near the midpoint of the grant period, such as in January or February, when the lessons presented would have been more timely and pressingly relevant.
8) Comment on value and structure of the Sessions for individual project presentations (e.g. were you given adequate time and instructions for preparing the presentation, was the time allotted adequate, etc.)
I don't think the instructions for individual project presentations adequately clear, which led to inconsistency in what each of the individuals and groups presented. I would suggest that in the future, the hosting Commission instruct each Grantee to bring a specific number and a specific type of props (e.g., five printed photos) and then be recommended a more specific time limit for his or her presentation. Consistency and a bit more regulation would lead to more concretely useful outcomes for the audience members.
9) Comment on value and structure of the two high school visits at Pedro Vicente Maldonado.
Working with the high school students was very rewarding. They showed apparent appreciation for receiving native English speaking guests through their body language, curiosity, and overall energy. Furthermore, gaining familiarity with the physical campuses themselves gave me a good deal of preliminary insight into the infrastructural conditions of public primary education in Ecuador. For me having the chance to absorb the physical layout of such sites, and to note the facilities available to local students, is always humbling and inspiring. About the quality of the Grantees' teaching itself: it is true that some of the groups were not excellently prepared, simply because the teaching group members had only limited time with which to personally bond and get to know team chemistry. But with all said and done, I believe my group was successful in accomplishing a fundamental goal—
10) Comment on value and structure of tours, visits, and other non-academic activities.
I found the Quito cathedral tour too long after a very long and tiring day of lectures. It became difficult to pay attention to what the tour guide was saying that evening because the Grantees were already mentally maxed out and physically fatigued. In the future, I suggest that either some of the church and historical site visits in Quito be optional, or that that entire section of the Seminar be optional. The tour guide at Arashá Resort was very knowledgeable about the surrounding natural landscape and biodiversity. I thought his tone of responsible adventurism added a very refreshing and fun element to the week. I learned a great amount about the biodiversity of Ecuador through this individual.
11) Comment on overall seminar format and structure.
I would suggest in the future continuing with a similar schedule and format: a few days of lengthier, intensive lectures and discussions inside, followed by the chance to get outside. The key here is to continue stressing balance between sitting down and moving about, between doing mental work inside, socializing and swapping insight with other Grantees, and getting fresh air. I believe this year, the conference coordinators were rather successful in achieving such a balance; it should continue to be a primary goal of the conference coordinators in years to come.
12) Do you feel that you had ample opportunity for useful exchange of information with the Seminar speakers and other Fulbright Program representatives?
YES!
13) Do you feel that you had ample opportunity to interact and share perspectives with your fellow Fulbright grantees from other host countries?
Yes, especially over meals!
14) General Comments:
I haven't eaten as well as I did during the Enhancement Seminar in months! Thank you very much for taking such kind care to offer the Grantees outstanding cuisine from Ecuador and elsewhere! It was a much welcome change from eating typical Colombian food on a Grantee budget that I will value forever.
15) What components of the seminar were the most valuable?
I most enjoyed:
1) Simulating new language exercises amongst the State Department Grantees and the Regional English Language Fellows;
2) Fulbright Ecuador Executive Director Susana Cabeza de Vaca's presentation about cultural differences between North America and South America. Her attributions regarding individualism versus group orientation, respectively, were hilarious, refreshing to hear, and true. She should be an anthropologist!
16) What components of the seminar might be improved?
I would suggest separating the student presentation aspect from the group’s stay at Arashá resort. While at the rainforest resort, the Grantees slid into a very relaxed, vacation-worthy frame of mind. The need to rehearse and deliver the group project presentations in that environment seemed contrived, and a bit of a contextual and conceptual mismatch. Maybe a better set up would be requiring the delivery of the Grantee presentations while folks are still in a higher degree of "work mode" back near the Commission in Quito, or the given host city.
17) What additional, if any, components do you feel should be added to an Enhancement Seminar?
I would like to see more instruction about incorporating multimedia into the classroom as a pedagogical tool.
18) Any additional remarks on the overall program content and quality?
The 2011 ETA Enhancement Seminar was one of the highlights of my grant year. It was precisely planned and executed. I applaud the Fulbright Ecuador staff for their high level of responsibility, organization, and care toward the Grantees. My only final suggestion would be to move the Enhancement Seminar to a time earlier in the grant year. For instance, for an August through May grant period, an appropriate, practical, and much more highly relevant date for holding the conference would be January or February. In such a case, Grantees would be afforded more ample time and opportunities to get back to their respective host institutions and classrooms and apply their new knowledge and skills!
...
Representing the West Coast before the gorgeous stained glass inside La Basílica
The interior prayer hall of La Basílica
Downtown Quito in all of its color and--fog...
With Fulbright Ecuador Program Officer Karen Aguilar and colleague, inside the tower of La Basílica
The volcanic fog spreading out across Quito creates an eery and increasingly gothic feel, befitting of the cathedrals...
La Virgen de Quito, watching out for the town from her elevated outlook...
Trying on typical knit Ecuadorian mountain hats with Lianne Gonsalves, North Carolina State University class of '10, ETA to Venezuela
Reminding of Granada, Nicaragua, colonial Spanish-style courtyards abound at central Quito's archealogical and religious sites...
In Quito's Old Town drinking flame-brewed canelazo, the delicious, piping hot sugarcane liquor and cinnamon tea popular throughout the Andean Highlands, made Ecuadorian by the addition of naranjilla extract, making it pulpy and citrus-like
Learning indigenous Ecuadorian line dances at a special exhibit set up just for the Fulbrighters in Quito's Old Town
Just one example of the excellent cuisine afforded to the Grantees by the Commissions at this year's Seminar: cheese and potato empanadas, grilled marinated vegetables, marinated steak, and all varieties of wild rices...
Arriving at Arashá Rainforest Resort, it was clear I had only one destination in mind: "Negrito Beach." Just more evidence that racial references some North Americans would find appalling are perfectly acceptable and common in South America. No offense, but only truth, intended here.
The Grantees and I kicking back at Arashá
Enjoying soccer and friendly conversation with students during a service visit to Colegio Nacional Técnico Vicente Anda Aguirre, a primary school in the small town of San Pedro Vicente de Maldonado
Boosting Fulbright's Public Relations: Delivering a gift package of notebooks, courtesy of Fulbright Ecuador, to an official at Colegio Vicente Anda Aguirre
"I am the Path, the Truth, and Life," proclaims this inspiring plaque at the Unidad Educativa San Juan Evangelista, another rural primary school. Academic development at work!
With my impromptu pupils after a volunteer morning class at the Unidad Educativa San Juan Evangelista. Nothing like Service Above Self!
ETAs delivering the findings of their supplementary research and volunteer projects, inside the amphitheatre at Arashá Resort
JUNGLE BOOGIE! Fellow Colombia ETAs Max Counter and Ned Littlefield, Kenyon College class of '10, and I prepare for a nighttime firefly hunting tour lit by torch at Arashá
To the river tour we go! Enjoying truck bed transport from Arashá with Venezuela ETAs Lianne Gonsalves, right, and Olga Leonida, Yale University class of '10
Hiking in the rainforest near Arashá with fellow ETAs Tim Herrmann, University of California at Berkeley class of '08, Max Counter, and Ned Littlefield (listed from left to right)
Can someone please get a load of the symmetry of this palm!? Enjoying the view from Ned and my rainforest hut porch at Arashá Resort
The only real way to juice sugarcane...
Thirsty, I had to give the thing a grunting effort...
After mixing the resulting caña pulp with tons of fresh lemon, enjoying the Real Thing: the best sugarcane juice on the planet!
Straddling zero degrees latitude at the equator, just outside of Quito, with my Fulbright Colombia boys. From left to right: Kylle Halle-Erby, Tufts University class of '10, Tim Herrmann, Max Counter, Ned Littlefield, and yours truly
...Turns out, though, the whole "zero latitude" claim of the Middle of the Earth monument might just be a sham... Greater time and personal measurement will tell for sure...
Okay, this time around, my bags are already thoroughly stuffed as I return to the States from the Andes... But in the future, I'd like to deck out my house with indigenous Ecuadorian artwork... *SIGH* Again, if only these sorts of genuine cultural artifacts were more readily available in Colombia...
Ecuador: a gringo-friendly place of color and fun! LOL...
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