It's Not Goodbye, It's See You Later...

Well everybody, this is it. Try to hold back the tears. We really appreciate everybody who took the time to read a post, or keep up with the blog daily. It is really nice to know that people are interested in what we were doing here, and want to know more about it. Our blog started off more as a mandatory assignment to complete our journaling portion of student-teaching. Before long, it was more of a diary and something we can all look back on in the future and be thankful we took the time to write.

Our day is pretty mapped out today. The 3 girls are already at the middle school right now, finishing up last minute things. Around 3 pm (6 pm your time), we are going to check in our bags and get our boarding passes. Here in Barrow, you can come and go as you please after checking in, because you only go through security right before you get onto the plane. Once the bags are checked in, we will head back to the college for our room check outs and one last meal before our departure. Our flight out leaves around 8 pm tonight, and we already know of a handful of people who will be on the plane with us. A lot of teachers are done with their end of the year work, and will be flying out to head home for the summer. Our first stop is in Anchorage. From Anchorage, we will then fly to Seattle. After about a 3 hour layover in the middle of the night in the upper Northwest, we will board our final plane and head back home to Minneapolis.

There were times when a lot of us could not wait to get home, be back to what is comfortable, and stick to what we know. But I'm sure I can speak on behalf of the group when I say that we are really going to miss this place. It has grown on me a lot personally, and I am going to be really sad to fly out of here. I really cannot say if I will ever be back here again, and that is a hard pill to swallow. You never realize how big of an impact you have on the students until it is time to leave. The kids here make you feel so special and like what you are doing is worthwhile. You don't get that much back in Minnesota, at least not to the degree that you do here. Justin and I had kids from the 1st, 2nd, 5th grades (all of which we never taught) that came up to us, knew our names and said goodbyes. I'm sure it was the same for the girls, where we can say with much certainty that we made an impact on these kids and they most definitely made an impact on us. There were good days, bad days, great days and horrible days. But you know what? We did it. We came to the top of the world, immersed ourself into the Inupiaq culture, and made our presence known. It is experiences like these that help us grow and help shape us who we are.

Best,

Travis

A special thanks to Steve Culbertson for guiding us and making sure everything was in order throughout this whole trip. He took a lot of time out of his schedule to make sure we were in good hands and where we were supposed to be. Without him, who knows how it would have gone.

Thanks to Tony Bissen and Steve Gillespie for graciously opening their house to us for a few nights to just come and unwind. They really went above and beyond with the meals, games, and just a place to go when you needed something new. It was really nice to hear all of their advice and observations about Barrow.

Thanks to our cooperating teachers and staff members. It is never easy to mentor somebody, especially while trying to teach a class at the same time. This is probably one of the most crucial times in our teaching careers. Without their willingness to invite us into their classroom, we cannot grow as teachers.

Lastly, thanks to Gustavus for making this possible. From itinerary dates, to plane tickets and setting up everything from meal cards to bus rides. It was nice to know that even 3,000 miles away from home, there were people engaged in what we were doing here in Barrow.

Thank you everybody for your support! We hope you enjoyed the blog and our adventures.

Travis Spaeth, Rachel Anderson, Justin Helget, Molly Koppel, Alyssa Fitzgerald

The Last Well-Educated Response.

What does it mean to be well-educated?

When initially presented this question, I immediately thought that a well-educated person must, at the very least, obtain a high school diploma. To be truly well-educated, I believed that one must possess a college degree. Upon further reflection, however, I am forced to revise my previous beliefs for Barrow, the Inupiaq, and others who may live in extremely unique locations. Living in the continental United States, I feel that a college education is needed for success, most especially in today's economy. In Barrow, throughout Alaska, and in other remote locations, a college degree does not ensure survival in harsh conditions. Without the native knowledge of the land and its resources, the Inupiat people would not have survived this long. Without proper educational support, the skills that have allowed the Inupiaq to survive and the language that connects its people may be lost.

Over the course of the past five weeks, I have struggled to include the local culture and history into my lessons. I feel pulled in so many different directions when in my classroom and when planning lessons as I know Barrow is very diverse and a number of my students are not native. I, however, feel it is my obligation as an educator to promote understanding of local culture as a means of keeping it alive. At first I was taken aback by the bilingual nature of the schools which posted signs in both Inupiaq and English, but now I have come to appreciate it and truly respect the efforts of the community to keep its culture alive. The Inupiat elders, those who know so much about the language, culture, and local history may not have a college degree or even a high school diploma, but are certainly well-educated for their environment.

As a result of this experience, I now believe that to be well-educated, one must be well-rounded. Some people can be book smart, readily recalling facts, events, dates, and information that others struggle with, while others may be hands-on learners who would rather complete a lab or make something tangible. Students should not only strive to excel in the core subjects of Math, English, Science, and Social Studies, but to expand their knowledge into music, art, or whatever other hobby or skill that interests them. In a climate like Barrow's, skills such as butchering an animal, sewing skins for boats and clothing, or making eccentric, colorful parkas would help a student become well-rounded and thus well-educated. While I may not value the ability to skin and butcher an animal, for example, I respect the fact that those skills are important to and esteemed by the Inupiat people here.

In conclusion, just as today marks the conclusion of our time here in Barrow, my definition or being well-educated has changed and evolved over the course of my time here at the Top of the World. Education can mean so many things and can occur anywhere at any moment. Parents teach their kids manners, community members teach the younger generation the ways in which people should interact, and educators guide students towards their futures. Well-educated people do not necessarily have college degrees, but must use their time to expand their mind and become well-rounded members of their community, both locally and globally.

Farewell,

Alyssa

What Does It Mean To Be Well Educated?

Clearly, when tackling a subject as debatable as this, there won't be one consensus answer. One's view all depends on their upbringing, experiences and goals. I will take my best stab at explaining what I think a well educated person can possibly do. Here goes nothing...

First off, I do not feel just showing up means you are going to be an educated and well-prepared student. It won't mean squat if you cannot retain the information being presented and APPLY it to future instances. Just because Student A shows up to class 100% of the time does not mean that they are going to be a straight A student. I would even go as far to say that I would take Student B who shows up 75% of the time, but when they are in my classroom, they are engaged, participating and working to become a better student and individual. Bold? Maybe. But as a teacher, what good is a student who does not want to be there and will more than likely be dragging down those around them.

Next, there is this notion that those who know the most trivial information are the ones who will be most successful in life. Hats off to those who can memorize facts and numbers, but I feel it would be more beneficial for somebody to use these facts in a conversation or life experience outside of the confines of the school. It is great that students can think of devices to help them remember difficult things, but this should not be the gauge to judge their academic ability on. Again, I go back to my key word of being able to APPLY that knowledge and put it to use in a situation outside of a test or the classroom.

Whatever vocation, job set, or future endeavor one chooses; there is going to be an array of skills needed to succeed. Who are we to say that there is one finite way to define somebody being well educated? Student A may be one of the best mechanics in their respected profession, but they did not get a high score on the SAT...does this mean they are an uneducated or less educated student? On the flip side, we have student B who excelled on their SAT, went to an Ivy League school and eventually became a lawyer. Is this the bar we should hold every student to? I say absolutely not. There are so many external factors (i.e. family life, economic status, genetics, environment, etc) that play a huge role in one's outcome. Setting a personal bar on what YOU feel it means to be well educated is the message I want to resonate.

There is no right way to define this, and as teachers I feel we tend to believe that because students do not see or think the way that we do, they may be wrong. Student A, the mechanic, may not have the best test scores but they are well educated in their field. Once we, as a society, accept the fact that not one individual has been the same, is the same, nor will be the same on most every level, we will be far better off. Holding everybody to an individual standard will enable more students to have a sense of self-worth and accomplishment.

Best,

Travis

Our Last Night in Barrow!

Hey all! Today was our last full day in Barrow and the last day for the 6th and 7th grade students at Hopson. We spent the majority of our day cleaning up our classrooms, writing thank you notes, and wrapping things up in general. Some of us decided to order from East Coast Pizza for lunch, but the funny thing about dining establishments in Barrow is that most have EVERYTHING. So, for example, at East Coast PIZZA you can buy pasta, enchiladas, hamburgers, salads, and seafood, oh and pizza as well. Mr. Taylor, my cooperating teacher, and I split a pizza, while most of the others ate a random assortment of food.

After school, Travis, Justin, and Molly went to Pepe's to meet a few elementary teachers while Rachel and I went with Lilo and John to cruise around town. We took some pictures next to the frozen ocean and while around town. We really wanted to take pictures of a number of houses with flags raised and whale sitting out in the yard. When a crew catches a whale, they have a cook out and to signal both the catch and the cook out, they raise their crew's flag at the house. We, however, didn't want to interrupt the fun by asking if we could take pictures, so it just means you're going to have to come up here to see such as scene if you wish.

Tomorrow is the big day and I have a feeling most of us have yet to finish packing. Thanks to all your support and attention following our blog! I hope it has been enjoyable and we'll see you soon!

Alyssa

School Board Meeting and Dogsledding

In the afternoon, I got to attend a Barrow school board meeting with Mr. Wells (HMS assistant principal), Mr. Kalvig, and some 7th grade students. Mr. Wells was to give an update on HMS and the students and activities that take place here. The students were here to show off their 6-foot scale model of an umiaq (traditional seal-skin whale hunting boat) that they made in Inupiaq class. Mr. Kalvig didn’t know it but Mr. Wells had tricked him into coming because he was getting an award for being an outstanding teacher. They begin each meeting with words of wisdom from an elder of the community. Unfortunately, the trip that was scheduled to last an hour ended up taking about 4. ! The Barrow meetings are broadcast on the local radio station, so a big effort was spent trying to coordinate that with people calling in by phone and commenting over the Internet. They also tried to make better phone connections with schools across the North Slope—as far away as Point Hope! It makes sense that communication is an issue, as this is the largest school district in the Nation…covering a land area bigger than Minnesota!

Later in the evening, the girls got their turn at going dogsledding with Geoff Carroll. Molly took the first shift, and then we met to trade off so that Alyssa and I could get a turn. Geoff went to the North Pole with Ann Bancroft and has always been fascinated with the arctic—ever since he was a little boy growing up in the Northwest. He has 4 kids: 2 older girls and 2 boys—the youngest boy is a sophomore in high school. Right now, Geoff is in charge of studying the land animals in Barrow like the caribou and fox and is the local biologist here. His favorite part of Barrow is being out on the sea ice.

He let us try out mushing, and we learned the commands of Whoah, Gee, and Haw. For a portion of our trip, Geoff even hooked the sled to a harness he wore and skied behind the sled while we controlled the sled! You could feel how well the wooden sled, lashed together with sinew, was able to flex over the mounds of sea ice or snow. For padding, there were two Therm-a-rests covered by caribou skins, and some intertubes as a backrest. He also had his gun lashed into the sled so that we would be prepared, should we meet a polar bear. I tried to imagine what it would have been like for the grandparents, or apas and akas, of my students to live here a few decades ago…to use sled dogs as your transportation, to know the ice, to hunt for your food, and to get to see this beautiful, bright, barren sight everyday.

When we got back to Geoff’s house, we were greeted by five or so neighborhood kids playing basketball on Geoff’s porch. They sounded like they play here often and get to dogsled with Geoff quite a bit. The most important part of the trip is that when you’re done, you have to pet each dog and say thank-you. We also got to help bring them back to their kennels, take their harnesses off, and feed the dogs their own fish. What an exciting experience, just before we go back to Minnesota!

"What does it mean to be well-educated?"

Quite obviously, the answer has to depend on who is asking the question. The teachers here in Barrow are in process of revising the curriculum. In doing so, they are interviewing elders in the community to ask what characteristics a 19 year-old Inupiaq student should have. They respond with answers like: a good hunter, good at knowing and dancing the traditional dances, able to prepare the traditional foods, know about the sea ice. If you were to ask a high school in Minnesota, your responses would be different: able to balance a checkbook, able to drive in the snow, able to buy food at the store, know how to read and write, be able to pass tests in order to go to college. The standards change based on where you live and how to survive in your climate. They also depend on your culture and what kinds of qualities are valued and what kinds of jobs are available.

In any location or culture, there are some universal beliefs that go along with being wise and therefore being well-educated. A well-educated person understands that human life is to be valued, and that people must be taken care of and respected. A well-educated person understands that the Earth we live in is to be valued, that we should use the Earth, take care of it, protect it. A well-educated person also must understand that there is so much more beyond what they know, that there are alternatives, that there are other perspectives and whole worlds of thinking beyond their own. In understanding this, they must also see that they can learn from others and continually search to know more and experience more. A well-educated person learns from their mistakes. A person can have all the experiences in the world, but if they never reflect on it and grow from it, the experience didn’t help advance their understanding at all, which doesn’t contribute to the “well” part of the “educated.”

As a person who is learning and stretching myself, I understand that there is so much more to learn. I know I will never reach it, by definition, but I know I am farther down the road to being well-educated here and now than I was when we flew out of Minnesota.

--Rachel

Dog Sledding Photos!!!!

Wrestling Fundrasier, Musical, and Dog Sledding

Good evening from Barrow, Alaska. It's currently 10:26pm and like always the sun is still high in the evening sky. Today, was a very eventful day. The student's performed their end of the year musical concert. In which, one of my students played a piano solo and another sang a solo. Both of them did an amazing job and it was awesome to see all of their hidden talents. Once school was over, all of the staff gathered in the gym for some end of the year activities. The activities/games we played were: Blind fold bean bag game, where you had to drop bean bags in a bucket while being blindfolded and a scavenger hunt. Of course my team beat Travis and Rachel's teams in the bean bag relay.... haha. I should also mention Rachel Anderson came to the elementary today and observed Travis and I and got a chance to interact with all of the students.

After school, the crew, along with Tony and Steve Gillespie, gathered at the middle school to prepare for the wrestling fundraiser. The fundraiser consisted of the Gustavus student teachers going along with a group of varsity wrestlers. The goal was to raise as much money as we could to help support their upcoming season. In order to raise the money, the team members went door to door asking for toilet paper donations. They would then go to the next house and ask if they would be willing to buy the toilet paper for a cash donation. The toilet paper was being bought for as much as 100 dollars, which is great to see when it's going to such a great cause. After walking door to door down the Barrow streets, everyone gathered at Northern Lights for a couple slices of pizzas. While eating, we also totaled up our total income, which ended up being around $1,200. Great Work Whaler Wrestling Team!!!

Yesterday, Travis and I had an opportunity of a life time. We went dog sledding with Geoff Carrol. He is an amazing individual and it was a pleasure to ride on his sled and hear all of his stories. When we arrived at his house, he was busy getting the sled ready for our adventure. Travis and I instantly helped him with anything he needed and before we knew it we were placing harnesses around each of the dogs and connecting them to the ropes. Once all of the dogs were strapped in and ready to go, we were ready to take of. The dog sledding adventure lasted for about two hours. During this time, Travis and I were able to listen to some of Geoff's stories, lead the dog sled team, and take in the beautiful weather and scenery. I loved listening to all of Geoff's amazing hunting stories and his story about going to the North Pole. Geoff is an amazing individual and I would love to sit down with him again. When we returned to Geoff's house, it was time to take the dogs out of their harnesses and get them chained up. Then each dog was given a frozen white fish to eat. Each fish weighed about 1 t0 2 pounds. The dogs must have been extremely hungry because most of them finished their personal fish in a few bites, bones and all. Both Travis and I had our favorite dogs on the team. Travis' favorite dog was a white husky named "Cookie" and mine was brown, black, and white husky that had an Inpiauq name which meant "Trouble." Fitting right? Overall, this was an awesome time and one that I will never forget!!! Truly AMAZING!!!!

What Does It Mean To Be Well-Educated?

1. Continue your education.
A well-educated teacher should continue to educate themselves on the latest findings and information. There is new findings and methods of teaching being discovered everyday. It's a teacher's job to continue educating themselves on those strategies and methods. If these means taking college classes or attending weekend seminars. Do what you can do to learn the new material being discovered.

2. Understanding the culture.
Know the culture in which you are teaching. Take time to learn the traditions of the culture and try to learn their language. This will benefit you in so many ways. It will help you when communicating with parents, elders, and community members. Also step out of our comfort zone when doing so. Don't be afraid to meet people and ask them questions about their culture. Elders and other community members are here to help you learn the culture and traditions. They can also serve as a great resource in your classroom when discussing the culture.

3. Get to know each of your students.
All students are different. Some learn faster then others and some look different than others. Take the time each and everyday to learn something new about each of your students. Learn from them. Also find out what each of your students are good at (talents). Then apply what the students are good at into your lessons. Set the students up for success and make sure to incorporate all of them in your lessons. Everyone learns at a different pace and in a different way. It's a teachers job to figure out what the students are good at and show them that they can be successful. Demonstrate to the students that they will be using this material in the future. Relate the material to the students goals, culture, and show it's importance.

4. Positive Role Model.
Understand that you are the student's teacher, but more importantly you are their role model. Act with class where ever you go and make sure you take care of yourself. Your students look up to you and will follow your lead if you like it or not. Be responsible and respectful!!

5. Get to know all of the faculty members.
In order for a school to be successful all ends have to meet. A school can only be as strong as it's weakest link. Get to know everyone in the school from the nurse to the preschool teacher. Everyone serves an important role within the school and it's very important that you show your appreciation.

Peace, Love, and Whaling; Get After It; It's a Beautiful Thing,

Captain Justin Robert Helget

Goodbye 8th Graders :(

Well, today was a very fun and sad day for us teachers at the middle school. This morning we helped the 8th graders practice for the promotion ceremony from 9-12:30, and after we cleaned and helped organize flowers, etc. for the actual ceremony. I signed us ladies up to help with hair and makeup for any girls that needed an extra hand, so we were back at the middle school at 5:45 pm with beauty supplies. We did some hair curling, styling and makeup :) All the students looked very clean and grown up, it was a rare sight to see! During the ceremony the students were able to pass out roses to people in the crowd who helped them get to where they are now. We all received a few roses, it was very flattering to know that we had an impact on these kids... After the 2 hour ceremony we helped put away gowns and set up the stage for the dance- I was a DJ! It was fun to chaperone a dance for students we all knew:) I had a very good time. I saw Rachel and Alyssa out there jumping around for almost the entire night- nice moves ladies :) I was able to use them as examples for how slow dances should work (spacing, etc) and they were great sports about it! The dance ended at 11:00pm and it feels like 3 in the afternoon. The sun is still out and everyone is very much awake- strange.. Tomorrow we do not have to be at school until 9am so we can sleep in- which is nice. Alyssa will still be at the middle school teaching her 6th grade class and Rachel and myself will be at the elementary, and high school hopefully (watching classes). This was our last night with the 8th graders- they have no more school. I don't think it has hit me that I will not be seeing all their faces at school tomorrow.. I miss them already...

The boys were able to go dog sledding tonight and they were already asleep when I got home, so I will let them tell you about that tomorrow. For each of our last blog posts (and this is mine) we have been asked to define what it means to be well educated. I personally believe that some of the most valuable education is taught outside the classroom. So here I go..

After my experience in Barrow, Alaska I want to approach this question from a different angle. Rather then attempting to define what it means to be well-educated, should we instead be asking about the purposes of education? A majority could state that the priority should be intellectual development. However, I believe that the main focus of education should be to produce competent, caring, loving, and lovable people. This leads to my next question, "how do we know if education has been successful?" This question can not be truly answered until we have asked what education is suppose to be successful at. I see many students at Hopson Middle School who, in my opinion, are competent, caring, loving and lovable people. Does this mean they are well educated students?

So do we evaluate people or their education? I have learned that, in Barrow, it can be easy to hire someone to teach based on their education. However, if they have a great resume does it mean they will be a good teacher here? I don't believe so. Yes they could be, but I feel the judgement lies more on the person than their education in this situation. So does the phrase well-educated refer to a quality of the schooling you received, or to something about you? Does it denote what you were taught, or what you learned (and remember)? If the term applies to what you now know and can do, you could be poorly educated despite having received a top-notch education. However, if the term refers to the quality of your schooling, then we’d have to conclude that a lot of “well-educated” people sat through lessons that barely registered. All these questions further support that I am still discovering (and learning) what it truly means to be well educated, and frequently find myself asking more questions...

Each school has assessments that tests standards of excellence (evidence, relevance, point of view, etc.). To offer the best answer to the original question would be that to meet this criteria, in my opinion, is as good a way as any to show that one is well-educated. It’s not only the ability to raise and answer questions that matters, but the motivation to do so. For that matter, any set of intellectual objectives, any description of what it means to think deeply and critically, should be accompanied by a reference to one’s interest or intrinsic motivation to do such thinking. I agree with John Dewey that the goal of education is more education. To be well-educated, in my opinion, is to have the desire as well as the means to make sure that learning never ends.

Now my brain is fried and I must sleep.. :) I hope this made some sense to you all.

Much love,

Molly

Leavitt Crew Strikes First

Finally, Barrow has successfully struck a bowhead whale. The Leavitt Crew, as they are called, was the first to help provide for the Barrow community this Spring whaling season. It is a really interesting thing to see how fast news travels. Last week, Justin and I were asking how we would be able to find out if a whale was struck and an elder replied saying, "The only way you wouldn't hear about a whale, is if you were living under a rock." That shows how close the community is and how any news, good or bad, can travel so quickly. I am not certain on the procedure from this point on, but I do know that there is a festival for the first whale struck every season, and I can assume it will be in the days to come. Justin and I were even lucky enough to see a handful of sleds carrying whale meat from the ocean to a house today after school. Quite the experience for a drive home from the school.

Justin and I are gearing up for the staff versus students dodgeball tournament this Friday. This is like a dream come true for us! How many chances does a teacher get to pay back all those kids who wouldn't listen or quiet down, by throwing foam balls at them?! We are more than excited to showcase our skills and represent teachers and Minnesota to the fullest. We are already talking strategies before we go to bed to ensure a victory. Otherwise, we are both wrapping up our teaching duties and just enjoying our time here the last week. It is going to be really sad to leave this school and the children. They welcomed us so graciously, and with the blink of an eye we will be gone. I hope they realize the impact they had on us and our future endeavors, but of course we hope there was some reciprocity and we gave them something they can take with themselves. They may not always remember what we taught them, but they will always remember how we made them feel.

We hope everybody's week goes well. Go Twins.

Best,

Travis