Final Reflection Service at Villiage Library

by Bobbi Lin

After completing service at the Village Public Library I have a new appreciation for the dedication of the parents and teachers that serve our children.  Please see my final reflection below:

Final Service Reflection

Hello world,

It's "ya boy" Drake again with the final blog post of the semester. Here I discuss my last trip to the Lexington Public Library and discuss some highs and lows of the volunteer work.

In all seriousness, I have very much appreciated my time volunteering there, and I am happy to know I will always be able to come back to the posts that are my ideas I have preserved on the Internet. It's like a little cross section of some thoughts- a microcosm of my life. I have enjoyed running this blog, and I loved my group this semester. I am glad to have worked with them.

See y'all on the B side,

Drake Boling

Final Service reflection

Hello world,

It's "ya boy" Drake again with the final blog post of the semester. Here I discuss my last trip to the Lexington Public Library and discuss some highs and lows of the volunteer work.
In all seriousness, I have very much appreciated my time volunteering there, and I am happy to know I will always be able to come back to the posts that are my ideas I have preserved on the Internet. It's like a little cross section of some thoughts- a microcosm of my life. I have enjoyed running this blog, and I loved my group this semester. I am glad to have worked with them.
See y'all on the B side,
Drake Boling

Final Service Learning Reflection

Final Service Reflection

By: Samantha Schulte

As the semester comes to a close, so does my time working with the Lexington Public Library. I'm so grateful to have had this opportunity to work with the children at Homework Help, as well as the chance to get to know my group members a little better. This video highlights my most challenging moments at the Library and also my most memorable. 

I feel truly blessed to get the chance to work with these children and hope that I can find a time next semester to go back and volunteer at Homework Help. 

And in the End.../Final Service Reflection

Quite the Experience

Hey there! So, I have finished serving the Homework Help this semester, and I had some things to say about my experience there. Overall, it's been great working with the Lexington Public Library, and it's something I will remember for the rest of my life. So, this will probably be my last post, and I just wanted to thank those who have been following us on this blog.

Sincerely,

Jacob Whitmore

Written Reflection 3

Some Pre-Thanksgiving Break Reflections:

          So much depends on what child Lynn assigns you. Whether that child has 5 minutes of homework or two hours of homework. I have been on both sides of the spectrum. Sometimes, after working with a child for an extended period of time, I find myself wondering "What would this student do if Homework Help was not offered?". At these times, the help we volunteers provide seems extremely valuable. I look around to the adults that are there to help everyday. That never fails to impress me. 

          Jeremy is one adult that is always there when we are volunteering. He is kind of a rock star when he steps in the room. He knows all the kids' names and is always joking around with students. He knows what kind of homework each child will have, and he knows how to help. Jeremy is also at The Learning Center, the alternative high school I volunteer at on Tuesdays. When I look at Jeremy, I can really see the commitment he has for helping kids, and I can't help but admire the heck out of him. I think anyone volunteering should strive for the level of all-around benevolence he possesses at this program.

         I encountered a new problem upon the last time I visited the library. I did not understand a certain procedure to multiply a string of long numbers. I only learned one super gimmick-y way to multiply: the lattice method (shout out to Noah). This newfangled, confusing method of multiplication was completely beyond me. Luckily, I the girl I was helping understood the process, just not necessarily the correct arithmetic. I would punch the problem into a calculator, and correct her arithmetic at the end if needed. If my student was more in the dark about the method, I would have had to frantically learn the convoluted method. I was thankful for this.

Lattice math. From elevenplusexams.com.uk

         The last time I was there, I also worked on "carrying the one" for about an hour. This is pretty consistently a major focus. I often ponder the level of abstract or critical thinking involved in learning the concept of numbers. It is impressive such ideas can be communicated at such a young age. I find that when a student finishes a paper more quickly than they started  it, I feel very rewarded. 

         I believe we have just finished the required amount of hours for the curriculum. I believe we will either go back Monday, or at least one time before the end of the semester. I am glad we no longer are kind of forced to do it. Perhaps it will feel even more rewarding if we continue to go after we have to. I enjoy it enough to want to go back a couple more times. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. From history.com

Drake

Worth the Wait

By Bobbi Lin

It seems as the semester goes on some recent nights at the Homework Help Program have slowed down a bit.  I guess those students feel the need for a mid-term break as much as I did.  On my last two visits I have waited for someone to help rather than the usual full lobby helping student after student. 
As I was waiting for the others in my group to finish up thinking we would just call it a night, a little man who was visible upset came in and announced he needed help.  He was not on the list but Mr. Lynn pointed to me so we sat down.  It seemed he was very upset over not being able to work division problems.  We sat there and wrote out each problem on a side sheet of paper and I watched him make guess after guess when I asked questions like how many times does eight go in to twenty-four.  This is how I learned long division.

After a while I switched to multiplication table to see if we needed to start there.  He knew a lot of answers but then told me he did not know his sixes very well.  As we worked he stated he didn't know his sevens very well, and then his eights.  I was started to understand his frustration. 

We spent the next half hour working on the multiplication tables. I spent the time to show him how if 2*3 = 6 then 6/3=2.  I showed him the 8*4 is just 8+8+8+8.  He seemed to relax with addition as a tool.  We made table after table practicing while focusing on understanding the math rather than just memorizing the numbers. 

  I find that high fives for correct answers is a huge motivation.  

It seems tedious, and at times at the end of a day with work and class, it can be tedious but the look on his face was worth it.  He relaxed and when we went back to his homework problems he attempted to write the problems out all by himself.  It is times like this that reminds me why we are there.  That taking the time to work through the problems no matter how tedious or late is worth it and makes all the difference to a student who just needs some help.

I am not sure how well he did the next day but I do think he went home a little more confident.  I know that although I was just waiting to leave I was grateful to have been there when this one student walked in the door.  It was worth the wait.

 

Written Reflection 3

OMG... Are we done yet?

By: Sam Schulte

Okay, I’m trying to think back to my freshman year of high school. The typical school day didn’t consist of more than maybe an hour of homework. However, at Homework Help sometimes it seems like the students’ homework is never-ending. Last Monday I worked with a girl who is a freshman in high school. I thought it would be a little easier than helping some of the younger kids because she would be less distracted and know what to do. Well, as usual, I was wrong. 

The book she had to write about

We picked a spot to sit and she pulled out her homework folder. One by one, she pulled out worksheet after worksheet. Finally, with a small pile in front of us, she looked at me and said, "Alright. What should we start with?" I immediately knew that I would be staying later than usual. We started with her business worksheets, which weren't too hard. Next she pulled out an essay assignment about a book she had recently read, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As I read the essay prompt she kind of just looked at me like she was waiting for me to say something. I asked her if she knew what to write about, and she explained that's why she needed my help. Having never heard of this book, I took out my phone to Google some information about it. After getting a basic understanding of the plot, I gave her some characters she could write about, but she still seemed confused. Ultimately, the essay took a lot longer than it should have because I really had to help her think.

After we finally finished the essay, she worked on a math worksheet, which thankfully didn't take long. Almost two hours into Homework Help, we began her assignment on Jim Crow laws. Honestly, I felt a little uncomfortable discussing them aloud because the topics were really heavy and there were a lot of younger kids around us. But I was there to help, so I helped explain them. Finally, we were down to one more worksheet and it was so easy! All she had to do was make a time capsule drawing that represented Lexington. I felt so relieved because I can't even remember the last time I had so much homework all in one night. 

Time capsule items from left to right:
 Paul Lawrence Dunbar poems, Wildcat jersey, horseshoe, bluegrass, Keeneland tree trunk

As I put my coat on to leave she said, "Oh shoot. I forgot about my biology project!" All I could think was "Oh my gosh. So. Much. Homework" but then she said, "No I left it at school so I'll just do it tomorrow" Almost three hours later with only one student, I was finished. Don't get me wrong, I love helping out the kids there, but holy cow! Three hours of homework for one night?! My brain was fried; I can't even imagine how she felt. We were exhausted. 

Spooky Night and Hello Kitty, What Could Go Wrong?/Written Reflection 3

by Jacob Whitmore

Some of her "tricks"
(Photo Credit: Jacob Whitmore)

Boy Oh Boy, Let Me Tell You...

I understand that doing schoolwork is not the most exciting thing in the world. I don't like doing it any more than the other person; however, I realize it's something I've got to do, so I buckle down and get it over with. Most of the students I've worked with at the Homework Help, although they can overly display their dread, are willing to get through their assignments and work with me. My last visit to the library left me with a new experience.

When she worked on her spelling...
(Photo Credit: Jacob Whitmore)

I had to help a 1st grade girl with a spelling assignment and reading. She was a sweet girl and very open with me. She told me it was Spooky Night (although I don't know why that was so), she loved Hello Kitty (as her attire showed), and her birthday was in two days.  As soon as she set her backpack down, she looks at me and tells me, "I'm going to show you a cool trick." In order to establish a friendly relationship with her, I let her go on and show me. In my opinion, I wouldn't call what she showed me a "trick", and things didn't get much better from there.

...and wetting a tissue when she wasn't.
(Photo Credit: Jacob Whitmore)

As the evening continued forward, progress wasn't coming along very well. In the time it took to write down 7 spelling words, we had gone through a few more "tricks" and journeyed to the other side of the library to find some tissues; this entire process took about an hour. When she would try to change  the subject or do something else, I always had to bring her back saying, "Now, we have to finish this so we can get to other things." Saying this worked less than half of the time. Her older sister, the girl I had helped with make-up work that I talked about in my first written post, came over to set her straight. It helped just a tiny bit.

Then we began to read some of her short stories. Her sister had told me she needed to work on her reading skills, and as we started I saw why. She could not stay focused, groaning and messing with her jacket between each page. When she was reading, she would not sound out the letters to read words she didn't know, and when I did tell her what sounds they made, she would forget the next time she came across the same word later on. Man, it was a challenge.

One of her stories, which was about skating.
(Photo Credit: Jacob Whitmore)

We did finish one of the stories, which was all she was asked to do, so I guess the evening was a success. I've never had such a hard time helping a student. It makes me wonder how she behaves in class and what is done to address the issue. She was an extremely nice girl, but someone needs to help her readjust her behavior and keep her focused.

In retrospect, I think I know why it was called Spooky Night.

Analyzing a TED Talk

Analysis of Nick Bostrom’s “What happens when our computers get smarter than we are?”
Available at
 https://www.ted.com/talks/nick_bostrom_what_happens_when_our_computers_get_smarter_than_we_are?language=en#t-459618

Nick Bostrom, April 2015. From ted.com

Nick Bostrom has an quirky Swedish accent, which forces listeners to pay an extra big of attention to this intelligent looking man. The audience does not seem more than somewhat aware of the current state of artificial intelligence, so he begins slowly and makes his ideas easy to follow.  He starts off his speech by making audiences laugh with a familiar picture from the film Office Space, and says the photo represents the human condition. He then introduces some statistics that really make the human race sound short-lived, “If the earth were created one year ago… the industrial era happened two seconds ago”. He also makes a slapstick joke about not wanting to sit on a pointy graph showing human progress. He then dives into the body of his lecture. All of this is what I would consider his introduction, before diving into a brief background over the history of artificial intelligence.
“Creating algorithms that learn… the AI is not limited to one domain”, he warns later. He has taken on a much more serious tone, and the audience is aware that some dismal future is about to be described. After describing the advantages technology has over us, he than includes another humorous visual to somewhat lighten the mood, calling “Village idiot” the lower bound of human intelligence. One of the most important visuals he used was while relating the dormant power of artificial intelligence to the dormancy of the power of the atom through human history. Bostrom then predicted if we unlock that information… there will be an “information explosion”, and showed a nuclear blast filled with circuitry. He also criticizes the media by describing how anthropomorphized the subject has become, and he flashes a picture of an evil Terminator on screen, resulting in a few laughs.

Terminator: not necessarily realistic...yet. From theatlantic.com

The rest of the speech follows a similar pattern- him making light of dire situations, along with scattered visual effects. He has an incredible ability to build suspense. This is one of the most effective tools Bostrom utilizes. When he introduces a sci-fi sounding thought experiment regarding superintelligent takeover, he delivers the narrative in a very intense way. He even uses a disturbing circa 1920’s era photo of some strange science involving electroschock therapy. All of this makes his warnings and points about the future of AI that much more impactful.

The way I relate this speech to my topic is because with the other volunteer work I am involved in, my peer mentor is working in the field of artificial intelligence within education. I have been thinking about programs that learn how to learn how to teach (as confusing as that sounds). But artificial intelligence has a tremendous effect on the future of education, and being able to customize lessons around computer- derived information. I think this is an interesting field of research at the moment, and I think in the near future applications of artificial intelligence to the academic world will change education. Even elementary schools could utilize this technology and better tailor lessons to student’s individual needs… perhaps eradicating the need for Homework Helpers (I know…not likely).

Analyzing a TED Talk

By Bobbi Lin

The Village Public provides the Homework Help Program to meet a need of their immediate neighborhood.  Although all types of students attend the program the majority are Hispanic. Rich Benjamin, author and social observer, gave a TED Talk in May 2015 in Monterey California called “My road trip through the whitest towns in America”.   Over a period of 2 years Benjamin travelled 27,000 miles to visit and experience living in the fastest-growing whitest counties in America.  His trip was immerse himself in the communities to learn what makes a “Whitopia” work and thrive. 

Benjamin immediately drew the audience in by asking them to “Imagine a place where your neighbors greet your children by name; a place with splendid vistas; a place where you can drive just 20 minutes and put your sailboat on the water” and follows up with  “I don’t live there”. 

Benjamin first defines Whitopia as having “an ineffable charm, a pleasant look and feel, and a je Ne sais quoi.” Just the term whitopia could be controversial or offensive but Benjamin continued to use charm and humor to engage the audience in his experiences as a minority living in three majority white towns.  Benjamin flashed pictures of pleasant days filled with white families enjoying a walk on a sunny day.  These pictures helped the audience to see his impression of the sitcom “Happy Days” communities of white America.  

His first story was about St George Utah. Benjamin told of how he attended zone meetings and Democratic and Republican Clubs.  He threw dinner parties and learned to play poker and golf all to participate and become a part of this community. Benjamin noted that bluffing might exist in poker but some of the most honest conversations about beliefs happened at those tables.

The second town he visited was Coeur d'Alene Idaho, a town he noted was primarily settled by LAPD retired cops who left after the race riots.  In order to fit in and become a part of this community he found himself at the gun range.  He also noted a large number of confederate flags, odd since Idaho is not traditionally considered a southern state until he describes “crashing” a retreat at a local Arian Nations compound. Benjamin again draws a laugh while telling that at this compound he was told they are not supremacists who think they are superior but white separatists who just don’t want minorities around.  You can better understand how so many associate the southern flag, a sign of heritage, to racism.  Benjamin described a sense of paranoia in this town that he attributed to the large number of guns and cops. 

Benjamin’s last story described his living in Forsyth County Georgia. In order to become part of this community he joined a megachurch.  He stated “In Utah, I found poker; in Idaho, I found guns; in Georgia, I found God.” He spoke of feeling more comfortable and less “exotic” in Forsyth County, a comfort he credited to the historic familiarity of blacks and whites.

It is important to note that Benjamin recognizes that he does believe white towns in America are full of racists and that many people move to these towns for comfort, safety and security.  He states that we as a society associate these things to whiteness itself.  I do not agree but can understand his conclusion.

Benjamin is a natural story teller. He is very honest and endearing.  While speaking for just over 12 minutes he was able to help the audience see that while we strive to provide safe nice communities for our families and for the most part person to person we are kind, all people seek a utopia.  Even in Lexington you see parts of town are populated by different races, or religion beliefs and economic status.   I bet if I were to walk in any library in Lexington I would find different programs based on the different preferences or needs of the local residents.  Benjamin made me think of the unconscious results and impacts of these separations.