Name: Nanbo Li PA: Ali Vogelsang
Team: Budapest
JEP site: St. Raphael School
Supervisor: Ms. Jordan
Course: BUAD 285a
Date: 09/25/2015
Essay #1: Prelection I have been interested in education for many years, even though I am still a student. I saw many documentaries of education for the last two years, but it was when came to America that I could have a first-hand experience of how education shapes a nation. American higher education encourages people to be creative, enthusiastic and independent, so America becomes the most innovative country in the world. On the other hand, China, the country where I come from, forces people to be productive, diligent but obedient to the authority, making it the world’s biggest factory. While education can affect the development of a society, a society could also determine the development of the education. In a relatively equal society, education could be the guarantee of its upward mobility. But in a class-polarized society, education becomes a catalyst for its further polarization. This is why I want to join the JEP program. According to what I know, University Park neighborhood is constantly exposed to street violence and crimes. The prevalence of poverty is the symbol of wealth disparity of Los Angeles. So as a service-learning student, I will be able to find out the direct impact of the community situations on the education. In this unequal context, how will the attitude, creativity and enthusiasm will be affected. I would also like to find out the teachers’s reactions to the community context. Will they still shoulder the responsibility of American dream? Will they spare no effort to help the children to fulfill their full potential? JEP program allows to figure out how education may shape the development the children, their families and the entire community. More importantly, JEP could also shape my personal thoughts and skills. How would I react to improve the situation. How would I respond when the children are not enthusiastic about what I’m teaching? So I want to develop my communicating and response skill. This is pretty hard because those who I will be interacting with are young children. Since I am some years away from that age, I must try hard to find ways and tones to talk with elementary school students. What concerns me most is will I be patient enough to the children. Since my knowledge is far beyond that of them, will I be able to simplify the concepts and problems adequately? Besides these concerns, I am happy that I could get the first hand experience of what it takes to be a teacher. And I am also very excited about the fact that I am able to help children to learn something new. It is time to swallow my pride to get along with young children.