Adam King: Final Presentation at Collège Jean Vilar

St. Edward’s students at the final presentation at Collège Jean – Vilar.

Yesterday, sitting patiently, and at least in my case, nervously, we St. Edward’s students waited for the culmination, the climax: the presentation of autobiographical movies created by the students of Madame Thareau’s Sixième students. 5 o’clock finally arrived, and after some introductory comments, Dr. Sloan ushered us through each student’s video. Recorded in English, the films offered a peak into the lives of the students we worked with for the past couple of weeks.

Cecily Gutierrez: Jean Vilar

After reflecting upon my last two visits to Jean Vilar, I began to take notice to smaller details from within the classroom. As I worked with Selin on her iMovie, I noticed how each student had different backgrounds and were actually from many different countries. Selin had pictures of home-cooked meals which she explained to me were meals she and her family from Turkey eat together. This was so fascinating to me because it opened my eyes to how much she probably struggles in school simply because she speaks a different language at home and might be used to completely different culture. After this realization, I began to take into consideration the many different cultures and languages that the classroom embodied. This was quite thought-provoking because I was able to relate to Selin, in some aspects.

School of Education student, Cecily Gutierrez works with Selin.

Growing up, I spoke Spanish whenever I attended family events or simply went over to my grandma’s house. However, my classes were taught completely in English. Continue Reading

Gerardo Villavicencio: Hi my name is ______ and I’m in immigrant in education.

I never thought I would make a connection with immigration and education, until I walked in the halls of Jean Vilar. I was never an immigrant student but I was placed in an ESL class since Kindergarten up until Second grade. ESL stands for English as a second language. For a long time I remember being introduced into different classrooms that weren’t ESL classrooms in order for me to practice my English. I would talk in Spanish to Hector, the only other student in ESL. I remember children snickering because I couldn’t speak English so Hector and I would speak in Spanish so the other students wouldn’t understand.

Coming into a different country, sometimes against your will, isn’t easy. My parents weren’t from America and we didn’t speak English at home. Continue Reading

Emma Lampson: Immigrant Students in French Schoools

After being at Collége Jean Vilar for a few weeks, I began to notice certain aspects of the classroom and the classroom dynamic in closer detail.  How the students interacted with each other and with their teacher was one of the obvious observations I made, but something larger was made obvious to me after being at the school for only one day – most of the students were immigrants.  This realization led me to ponder how immigrant students were treated in French schools and how this compared to the experiences of the native French students.  How are immigrant students being treated in the classroom?  I wanted to find out.

Walking around the classroom, I immediately noticed the different languages that were being spoken.  Continue Reading

Emily Colwell: “Summer in the States.”

The English Language Library in Angers, France provides French teenagers with the opportunity to engage in conversation with native English speakers through programs like Summer in the States. This program was designed to allow French teenagers to learn more about summer activities in the United States through a dialogue with students from St. Edward’s University. I was able to attend the first two sessions of Summer in the States, which allowed me to learn more about the lives of French teenagers.

The students from St. Edward’s University planned to discuss the typically American activity of camping during the first session of this program. Though we had planned to discuss camping and camping activities throughout the entire session, the fluid nature of programs at the English Language Library led to a transition in conversation that centered on the desires of the French students.

Global Studies Major Emily Colwell

The conversation eventually transitioned into a dialogue regarding future goals for both the French teenagers and St. Edward’s students.

While discussing future career goals, differences in gender and gendered expectations became obvious. The singular boy in the group, Hugo, told me that he wanted to become an engineer, a typically masculine career choice. He discussed how his desire to become an engineer was inspired by his father, who also participated in that career. It seemed as if Hugo’s goal of becoming an engineer was largely motivated by a desire to become like the primary male role model in his life. One of the French girls in the program, Capucine, mentioned her desire to become a doctor, despite the fact that careers in medicine are typically seen as masculine. Though it is not as unusual today for women to participate in medical professions, I decided to discuss this career choice with her in order to find out if she felt as though it was a gendered occupation. Through our further discussion, Capucine expressed that she would like to be a pediatric physician, thereby reinforcing some societal expectations for females. The fact that Capucine wants to become a pediatrician is not a flaw, though it does highlight the stereotype that women are more suited for more maternal professions. Continue Reading

Mariel Sahad: Can’t Hold Us

During my second visit to Jean Vilar I fell in love with Mathilde. When fellow St. Edward’s student Gerardo and I first began working with Mathilde and Senjur, Mathilde was quiet and reserved. Senjur, a male student, was already confident within the conversation. But as soon as we took out the iPads, Mathilde became an entirely different person. She sped through the iPad vocabulary game Futaba as if she already spoke English and she became more and more comfortable trying to speak English with me.

Using Geoboard app to teach the concept of reflection.

She even touched my arm and asked me if she could take the iPad. She excelled in vocabulary every game we played and she joked with Senjur. My interaction with her reminded me of one of the reasons we are working with the Jean Vilar students. We have the ability to inspire these kids and to help them become more confident to do well in their studies. Continue Reading

Victoria Peña: Gender Dynamics in the Special Education Classroom

Madame T stands in front of the whiteboard quietly speaking French to her classroom of nine boys and three girls. The boys in the front row turn around in their seats to shout at the boy in the lone seat in the center of the room. Placed there after too many disruptions, the boy still talks to his friends across the room. Three girls sit in their own row watching the classroom dialogue as Madame T’s voice drifts over them. The other side of the room is quieter. One boy stares out of the window, another diligently draws a small rabbit, another continuously taps a glue stick against the bruises on his shins. The after lunch lesson has begun, but the students focus their attention on each other.

Victoria Peña conducts a geometry lesson in Mdm. T’s classroom.

During my four sessions working in the SEGPA classroom, I have observed two general types of students: those who are easily distracted and those who struggle grasping new concepts. I have seen students who fall into both groups. The boys have the most trouble paying attention; they move around the classroom during the geometry activity and constantly yell across the classroom during lessons. Two of the girls sit quietly in their seats, almost becoming a part of the background as the boys take center-stage of the classroom.  Continue Reading

Sydney Adkins: Boys Will Be Boys

These past few weeks at Collège Jean Vilarhave been amazing and as our time with them comes to a close, it makes me so grateful for the experience. We have been working with them to make an iMovie describing themselves in English. They were each given a disposable camera to capture pictures of their family, home, things from their homeland, favorite food, friends, etc. Once the photos were developed, each St. Edward’s student was assigned an iPad and a Jean Vilar student to create the movie.

Sydney Adkins, from the School of BSS, works with students at Jean Vilar

We worked with them to choose which pictures to include, type the captions and record them narrating. With the presentations nearing, the students went to the computer lab to type invitations for their families in French and English. This day was particularly interesting. Computer lab day is always exciting for children, but this day the differences between genders emerged making all the more fascinating for me to observe.

As we began, Ryan told me to sit next to him so I complied. He speedily typed up his invitation, copying what Mdm. Thareau had written on the write board. He made a few mistakes that I and Mdm. Thareau corrected and then we went in search of an American flag picture to put on the invitation. Continue Reading

Christina Clifton: Gone to Jean Vilar, Be Back Soon

Stepping off the tram at Station Jean Vilar for the first time, I realized that not all of Angers was like its center. Though only 10 tram stations away from my apartment, I felt like I had entered a different city, one in which the subtle hum of activity I had associated with Angers was absent, not noticed until it was gone. I could not find any of the fountains, statues, or cobblestoned roads I’d grown accustomed to seeing; the buildings appeared smaller, closer together, and more plain. It was only when I arrived at Collège Jean Vilar (CJV) that I found any semblance of what I had expected to find on my visit: typical pre-teen students.

I arrived at CJV and met my professor, Dr. Sloan, and my classmates.

Special Education major Christina Clifton works with Peter

We were led into the school and upstairs to Mdm. Thareau’s Sixième SEGPA class, which is the French education system’s equivalent of a Special Education class. Though I couldn’t understand what the students said to each other, they reminded me of their American counterparts, shouting across the room to their friends and speaking in undertones to their neighbors. The students seemed excited for me and my classmates to be there, sneaking looks at us in between bouts of listening to their teacher, Mdm. Thareau, introduce the plan for the day’s activities.

When it was time to begin working with the students, I introduced myself to Peter, a student who immigrated to France 2 years ago from Guadeloupe. Continue Reading

Students of Mdm. Thareau’s Class

This Google Map locates the country of origin for the children St. Edward’s students have been working with this summer at College Jean Villar.

School of Education student Cecily Gutierrez and BSS student Iram Gonzalez work with students from Kosovo, Chechnya, and Guadeloupe.

The map indicates that of the 8 of the 12 students in Mdm. Thareau’s class have immigrated to France from 5 different countries.  This parallels the diversity at a school as a whole which has students from over 30 different nations.  This context has enriched the students’ explorations of course content related to societies in transition in general and immigration and education in particular.

The College Jean Villar students created this map during a mapping lesson.  It was fascinating watching the students trying to locate their home countries, then “pinning” the google map.