Fellows’ Assignments for the week of April 15th

Thank you for your hard work and energy. Each team of fellows is in a unique place getting to know their Brazilian students and developing a rhythm in their interactions. We hope that this week gives you time to develop an even stronger rapport with your Brazilian students, as well as support with your U.S. team.

1. Action – Look for an email from your US-Brazil Connect Coordinator about E-Blasts: While in Brazil, each team will be sending unique E-Blast reports to family and friends. These E-Blasts will be descriptions/photos of activity happening on the ground at your site. Early this week, be on the lookout for an email from your Team Coordinator with information on how to invite your family and friends to sign up for the E-Blast.
2. Coaching group – Post and Interact: Please post the assignment (both the assignment text and link) to your individual coaching page. Then get chatting. Each week, this should include a variety of forms of communication (group discussion, individual chats, Google Hangout/Skype calls, etc.)
3. Conduct an icebreaker activity with your Brazilian students: To get to know each other, lead your group in an activity – such as: 1) two truths and a lie; 2) twenty questions; or 3) “would you rather…?” Try to make these activities inclusive for all levels of English speakers. For example, consider using the poll function so that students can both vote and comment on a question. Examples: “Would you rather be able to fly or live forever? Why?” or “Would you rather only eat cake or pizza for the rest of your life? Why?”
4. Reflect and Post:  As we all know, once we’re in Brazil there will be times that you will feel stressed and even overwhelmed. It’s time to start thinking about the question, “How will we be massively supportive of each other while we’re in Brazil?” It will be helpful to not only have self-awareness about what you will need during those difficult times, but also to be able to respond and support other members of your group when they are struggling as well. To begin preparing for this, share your thoughts on your US-Brazil Connect Fellows’ FB Page about to this two-part question: “What do you typically do when you are stressed? How would you like the team to support you?”
5. Ongoing – complete your Student Progress Report (SPR): fill this out on Saturday, April 20 or Sunday, April 21 (due Sunday at midnight MST). Remember that the purpose of this spreadsheet is to keep our Brazilian partners informed of how the program is going.
6. Ongoing – Reflections: fill this out on Saturday, April 20 or Sunday, April 21 (due Sunday at midnight MST).

Fellows’ Assignments for the week of April 8th

Congratulations on a great start working with our Brazilian students!

This week’s assignments include: 1) your assignments as a Fellow; 2) purpose and method for tracking Brazilian students’ participation; 3) assignments for Brazilian students;

1. Complete: Please fill out the US-Brazil Connect Survey. This survey is designed to help US-Brazil Connect; it should take no more than 5-8 minutes – if you can, please complete it NOW!

2. Tracking and recording your students’ progress: this will be the first full week when everyone is interacting with your Brazilian students. Please read this 2-page document to understand the process better (a weekly timeline), as well as how you should be evaluating these students (and why).

3. Coaching group – Post and Interact: Please post the assignment (both the assignment text and link) to your individual coaching page. Then get chatting.

4. Coaching group – Google Hangout: Hold at least 2 Google Hangouts with your Brazilian students. Consider it somewhat like “office hours”: 1) check to see what times might work for them and you, 2) get your students’ Gmail accounts (or ask them to find you in Google +); and, based on their availability and yours, 3) inform them of a window of time that you will be “hanging out,” and 4) invite them to join you. Have fun! (You will need to sign up on Google+, if you haven’t already)

5. Reflect and Post: What is working with your coaching group? What questions or challenges are emerging? Please post (and consider even doing a screenshot) your reflections onto your US-Brazil Connect Fellows’ Facebook Group (Colorado, JCC, FVCC/NMC, or Global Leaders).

6. Complete your Weekly Reflection: Tell us how things are going, using this link. Thanks!

    

Assignments (and updates): Week of April 1^st

As you all know, this week you will receive the names of 10-15 Brazilian students who you will be working with over the next 20 weeks (for all three phases of this program, Phase I, distance exchange; Phase II, in-person exchange; and Phase III, distance exchange). We are working hard with Brazil to finalize these groups as soon as possible. Please be patient – and take this as a reminder that not everything will go 100% according to plan or expectations.

Please work on the following assignments:

1. Action – Managing your individual Facebook group page: Your Team Coordinator will share the list of the names of the 10-15 Brazilian students assigned to you. They will request to join your group. Please only accept those students to your page. Ask the Brazilians to help encourage their peers to join the group if all of your group members have not joined by Wednesday of this week.

2. Action – Begin Leading Conversations with Brazilians. The Brazilian student assignments have been posted on the US-Brazil Connect Facebook page and website: click here. Take this link and post the assignments to your own group page.

Start the activity on your page by welcoming your students to the program. Post an introductory video about yourself, much as you did when you joined your US group. Ensure everyone is contributing, and help initiate other conversations beyond just the homework.

This program is about connection, not teaching formal English – so remember to get to know each of your students as individuals and to make the interaction positive and fun.

*Your page should be English-only. Although we encourage you to be developing your Portuguese since you will be working in Brazil, remember that this project (including your lodging, food, and stipend) has been funded to help Brazilian students improve their English. Your students need to develop their English in order to get into educational institutions, secure jobs, and contribute to Brazil’s economy, so please do not work with them in any language except English!

3. Action – watch + share: Watch the 3:17 minute video, The Student Experience, which provides an overview of Longman English Interactive. This is the online English program that Brazilian students will be working on independently in Phases I and III. You are not responsible for their work with this, but we want you to know what else they’re doing to prepare for Phase II, the in-person exchange with you at their school.

4. Action – Portuguese study: Practice your Portuguese for a minimum of 30 minutes this week.

5. Action – Keep up the conversation:

Comment on at least 5 posts of others in your US coaching group.

6. Action – Reflection on your students: Starting this week, you will be responsible for assessing your Brazilian students’ work via a Google document. Our Brazilian partners have asked for this data and have a right to know their students’ efforts. Likewise, your Team Coordinator will be reviewing this spreadsheet to ensure you are tracking your students. Please create accountability with your students right away – this program is an honor for them and their participation should reflect that.

Instructions: 1) Check your Gmail account for a link to a spreadsheet entitled, “City Name Student Progress Report 2013.” 2) Open the spreadsheet and find your students; they will be organized by Fellow/Coach name; 3) Using this rubric, indicate the quality and quantity of each of your students’ participation; 4) Complete this each week by Tuesday at 5pm, MST for the week prior. 5) Actively follow-up with any students consistently not performing at an acceptable level. You will be responsible for completing this form every week until you arrive in Brazil (and also upon your return from the program through the end of August).

7. Action – personal reflection: Please complete your personal reflection (what you’ve already doing, evaluating your work each week). This is due Sunday, April 7th midnight MST.

Assignments (and updates): Week of March 25^th

Are you getting excited about the program? Next week you will be receiving a list of the Brazilian students assigned to you. You should expect between 10 to 15 students. These students will be responsible for joining your individually-created, Facebook group. Over the next several months, prior to your arrival in Brazil, you will be connecting with these students through Facebook, Google Hangout, and other methods to develop relationships and help them practice English.

When you arrive in Brazil and get to meet these students for the first time, how do you think that will feel? The power of that moment is up to you and your students – starting next week. The more you interact, play, and have fun with each other these next few months, the more incredible that first meeting and four-week period will be.

Remember: US-Brazil Connect is about helping Brazilian students improve their English not through technical language instruction from a highly-qualified teacher, but instead through authentic connection – with you.

In addition to being responsible to your students, you are responsible to your team – to take care of each other, to support each other, to be creative, positive problem-solvers. Now is the time to build those relationships as well.

If you ever reach moments that feel difficult or vulnerable (because you most likely will), keep in mind that in US-Brazil Connect, you are a creator of your experience, never a consumer. These assignments are intended to support you in being prepared to create your own positive, impactful experience.

Please check in with your groups throughout the week to complete the following assignments:

1. Action – watch + share:  Learn about US-Brazil Connect’s institutional partner, the Brazilian Confederation of Industry (CNI), which is one of the world’s largest trade associations. Your Brazilian students are enrolled in CNI’s educational systems, SESI and SENAI – learn a little about the institutional system to which they belong. SESI/SENAI operate more than 700 technical training schools in Brazil, serving 5 million students annually. Watch the video, and check out their websites too.
2. Action – watch + share: Have you seen the 2:46 minute video, US-Brazil Connect? Watch it again, noting the three distinct phases of the program (Phase I: distance interaction, Phase II: in-person exchange, Phase III: distance interaction). Comment on your fellows’ group page (not your private group) about the following: Do you feel like you have a better understanding of what you’ll be doing in the next few months? What are you most excited about?
3. Action – Portuguese study: Practice your Portuguese for a minimum of 30 minutes this week. Consider labeling 5 items in your living space (chair, desk, sink, etc.) in Portuguese (thanks for already sharing this idea, Shannon Macdonnell. You’re ahead of the game!).
4. Action – chat + build relationships: Hold another brief Skype or Google Hangout call with someone from your team – this time with someone new. Discuss your coping mechanism(s) for dealing with stressful situations and try introducing yourself in Portuguese. In addition to wanting to ensure everyone is comfortable with this technology in preparation for your Brazilian students, we also want you to be getting to know each other more!
5. Action – learn + share: Share a group-facilitation technique for working effectively with students. For an example, look up “think, pair, share” online (include ESL or EFL in your search). Find another student-centered way to facilitate an activity. Share the steps so that other fellows will be able to utilize this technique as well.
6. Action – Keep up the conversation: comment on at least 5 posts of others in your group.
7. Action:  Reflections for this week are due by Sunday, March 31st midnight MST. Please keep up the reflections. This helps us know what’s going on across a big project.

Assignments (and updates): Week of March 18^th

Congratulations on your introductions in Portuguese! Thank you for submitting your bios, continuing to get to know your group on Facebook, and sharing your reflections with us.   We will be posting your bios by next Monday.

Please check in with your groups throughout the week to complete the following assignments:

1. Action: Hold a brief  Skype or Google Hangout call with someone on your team (not a phone conversation). It is really important we become comfortable with these forms of communication now so that we are prepared for our Brazilian students.

2. Action: Watch a Brazilian movie or documentary this week and post about it- let your group know what you saw and if you recommend it.

3. Action: Share a language learning game or activity. This can be 1) from something you like in your Portuguese study, or 2) from an activity a foreign language teacher has shared with you in one of your own classes or 3) from internet research on a teacher’s ESL site such as Dave’s ESL Cafe.

4. Action: Practice your Portuguese for a minimum of 30 minutes this week – more is better! Remember to have fun with this; the more time we commit to learning with each other, the better.

5. Action: Keep up the conversation: comment on at least 5 posts of others in your group.

6. Action:  Reflection for this week are due by Sunday, March 24th midnight MST. Please keep up the reflections. This helps us know what’s going on across a big project.

HEADS UP: You may notice some new members joining your Facebook group this week. These are a group of US-Brazil Connect Brazilian advisors who have offered to be resources for you as we prepare for this summer.  Be sure to say hello, start practicing your Portuguese, and learning more about Brazil!

UPDATES:

1.    Get ready to connect!  The schools in Brazil are doing testing of students this week and  you should get your group by April 1^st.

2.    Travel Dates Confirmed: Our Brazilian partners have confirmed travel dates and there are no changes.   They have promised details on hotels by April 1^st.

Assignments: Week of March 10^th

Congratulations!  Our groups are up and running.  We hope you are enjoying the videos and the first step in getting to know your team.

Thank you to those you submitted your weekly reflections.  If you did not complete your reflection for week one, please do so now.  In a virtual community, we need this feedback to get a pulse of how everyone is doing.

Assignments to complete throughout the week:

1. Post one thing you are doing this week to get ready for Brazil that you want to share with your group.  Share what you want and be creative!  (Examples: watched a good Brazilian movie,  found a cool website, etc.)
2. Use your Portuguese in the group. Write a short post introducing yourself in Portuguese.  You will get a glimpse of what it feels like to try to communicate in another language.  Our Brazilian students should be coming with more experience with English than you have with Portuguese, but this will probably be the first time they have posted in English.  Continue the discussion about the resources you are using to learn some Portuguese.
3. If you haven’t done so yet, view all the videos and comment on at least three videos or introductions that were posted in your group last week.  Start getting to know your group members and have some fun with this!
4. Keep getting comfortable with the system of Facebook groups (privacy, etc)
   Remember, in a few weeks you will be facilitating a group of Brazilian students in your own Facebook group, so use this time to get used to the system, make sure you have set your privacy the way you want it, etc.  If you need help with this, ask your team members in your group.

For submission by Sunday, March 17^th, midnight MST:

1. Complete a short personal bio for our “Meet the Fellows” press release and page on the US-Brazil Connect website. See how this will look by viewing the Fellows from last year on the US-Brazil Connect site here 

Instructions:

Please send the following to: [email protected]

1. Attach a photo of yourself (high quality/high resolution for use on the website)
2. Fill out your name, college, and major and then respond to 3 of the 5 remaining questions. Just answer the ones that paint the best portrait of you. This content is for our website, so please be concise with just a phrase or two for each. Thank you!

Name:

College:

Major:

Pick 3 of the following 5 for your response:

Professional Aspirations:

Words of Wisdom:

International Experiences:

Proudest Accomplishment:

Favorite Hobby on a Saturday Afternoon:

2. By Sunday March 17th midnight MST, complete reflections/feedback on your week.  Click here

3. Get your next assignment for the week of March 17th at this page. 

Assignments to Fellows 2013. To be completed during the week of March 2nd.

Congratulations Fellows!  Here are your assignments for this week.