Interview craftspeople, farmers, and entrepreneurs in Otavalo, Ecuador, to develop a case study documenting the stages of production of various goods and create a non-fiction book and museum-in-a-box that enlivens economics and models primary source research.
The biggest change I experienced was in my ability to risk talking to new people in a language I am not fluent in. My desire to hear people's stories and learn more about them allowed me to overcome my own fears about making a fool of myself. Two weeks of Spanish classes and living with a host family also allowed my Spanish to blossom. I felt much more comfortable conducting interviews at the end of our stay.
I feel capable of teaching economics in a way that I believe will completely engage the students. I look forward to using our museum in a box along with pictures and stories to show how goods are created using natural resources and how individuals make choices about what to sell and how to market goods. I also feel well prepared to model non-fiction writing and primary source research for students.
My greatest personal accomplishment was conducting many interviews in Spanish. I have always loved Storycorps because I believe that everyone's story is important. This fellowship was a true dream come true for me because it mainly involved asking people lots of questions and listening to their stories. Even when the topic was something seemingly impersonal (economics, or how goods are made), I still felt that we got to know the people we interviewed in an important way.
Our museum in a box, together with the book we are creating and the stories we share, will bring economics to life in am amazing way for our students. We plan to use the museum in a box and book to teach students how craftspeople make goods using natural resources and how they market those goods. I also believe that showing students footage of our interviews and talking about how we decided to organize our information into sections will give students a unique model for research and writing.
My team is writing a book together about the economy and entrepreneurship in Otavalo, Ecuador. We will also plan together how we will use this book to model non-fiction writing and how we will use our experiences interviewing craftspeople about the creation and marketing of their products to guide students as they create products for market day.
We plan to use our non-fiction text as a model and have the students write non-fiction books. We will share these books with each other in a gallery walk. We also plan to have a market day where the kids sell and market goods that they have created.
Yes! We hope to support craftspeople, artists, and fair trade in Ecuador. Although our expedition is in the spring and we have not completely planned the details yet, we are planning on having the kids learn about fair trade as well as sell fair trade goods at our market day.
I have struggled with anxiety for much of my life. I have learned that the less I focus on myself, the happier I am. I can sit at home with my worries for company or I can travel, learn, and listen to other people's stories. I believe that we grow most when we allow our fears to be with us but do important things anyway. Nothing is more important to me than honoring my belief that everyone's story is important. Traveling to Ecuador allowed me to hear, honor, and share many people's stories.
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