Indira Varma - Both Blog Posts

Indira Varma
After 3 visits reflection
November, 2015
Kira Edwards, KEdwards@bgcp.org

Before becoming my PACT project, I had never worked with the Boys and Girls club before.  I was really excited to get to know all of the kids, and to teach them about a sport that means a lot to me. During my first three visits to Garfield Middle school, both myself and my two teammates were able to work with sixth and seventh graders.  Starting with the first session, we all got out to the field, and started by leading the kids in some stretching and warmups. During warmups the kids would always be talking about what their day had been like, usually with the girls gossiping to each other while the boys teased one another.  I thought it was really interesting watching these kids talk, since most of their conversations were similar to the ones I have with my friends.  After warmups, we split the group into boys and girls.  We then handed out all of the sticks and goggles and started on some drills.  Working with the girls most of the time, it was hard since they were constantly talking and not putting a lot of effort into the drill. I wasn't expecting the challenge of getting the girls attention, and having to take charge of the drill. Only having an hour to work with the kids made it difficult as well to get their attention since we were only left with around 45 minutes to do drills.  Often times I found myself making compromises with the girls in order for them to compete in the drill.  Usually it was a trade of off them having a water break once all of them participated, or allowing them to play a fun game at the end.  However, once we introduced competition with the boys, the girls became eager to participate.  It was after this that we were able to make progress with the kids and have them have fun while also learning a lot. For my first three visits, it was hard to have a meaningful session since most of the kids didn't pay attention or refused to most of the time.  It was also hard because despite my older age, I was not yet an adult, and therefore not seen as an authoritative figure towards them.  The sessions continually became more fun though as the kids became more involved and reading to play, making it possible for me to have a relationship with some of the kids. 


Indira Varma
After 6th visit
November 2015
Kira Edwards, KEdwards@bgcp.org

After my sixth session teaching lacrosse, I had established relationships with some of the kids who had grown to really enjoy the sport.  For most of my sessions, I spent time coaching the girls, and was able to teach them about a sport that I have played for over five years.  As I said in my last visit, it was difficult to get all of the kids involved, and hard to take control of them.  But as I continued to go, I found that the kids were gradually becoming easier to work with, and having a greater desire to play.  Before, the girls would usually huddle in the corner talking, but after a couple of sessions, they began to stop talking once our drills started, and also volunteered to participate in any game or activity.  It was really great seeing the girls become more involved in the session because it made it a lot more fun to be with them and coach as well.  Despite the group only being there for practice, it was fun seeing the kids get a chance to run around and play a sport.  As I visited Garfield, I realized that these kids don't have an opportunity to participate in sports without the BGCP's help.  This struck me because as a kid I was always playing outside, or participating in sports, and being able to allow these kids to have the chance to play a sport was something that was very important to me.  I think working with this group for my PACT was very rewarding since I saw tremedous improvement in the kids participation and spirit throughout the course of my numerous visits. Seeing the kids grow to love sports was very compelling for me, since I have always loved sports. 

Amelie Diaz - Both PACT reflections

Copied from another blog site

Day 3 of PACT:  Because this line of volunteer work is so entirely new to me, there have been some bumps along the way. Here at Peninsula Humane Society in the Wildlife department, as a volunteer I am mostly in charge of feeding birds, squirrels, and other wildlife and cleaning their cages. Something I quickly learned was that some birds tend to escape their terrariums when you open them even the slightest bit to replace the water, food and newspaper. In these special situations there is a special protocol that is to be followed. In the nursery, where younger birds and birds that have just been brought into our department are kept, if a bird gets out we have to turn off the lights and make sure no one opens the door to the room. We use a pool cleaning-type net to catch the birds, careful not to further damage any injuries or harm the birds in any way. On my very first day I accidentally let out a bird and experienced the stress of trying to catch a small bird that flies in and around every nook and cranny within the nursery.

Last day of PACT: Something unique about the organization I chose to volunteer for is that they have a 6 month commitment, so while the PACT requirement was only 6 visits, I worked around 17 three-hour shifts at the humane society. This was an incredibly rewarding experience, and especially unique to me because I had never experienced anything like it before. I'd never really done any sort of work before that I had absolutely no experience in, so I ended up learning a lot. The workers were very helpful and always open to any and all questions I had, and made sure that I was able to complete the task on my own by the end of my shift. Every single staff member was incredibly passionate about their job, and it was clear that they truly had a great appreciation for the animals. On my last day I got to have a new volunteer as my shadow so I could teach them the basics of the assignments. This was a really cool way to end my time here because I got to kind of prove to myself how much I actually knew and had learned.

Presidio Parks Stewards; Visit 6

In San Fransisco's Presidio, invasive species of plants are taking over. Weeds such as radish and nettles are taking over space that native species need to grow in. Since the weeds grow quicker than the natives, weeds can easily kill the natives before the natives have time to mature. We used pick axes and miniature pick axes to remove invasive species. Scott and I did this visit together. One thing I found interesting was that we had to scrub off our shoes and spray them with alcohol before we worked. This was to prevent the spread of plant pathogens in the already weak ecosystem. By removing weeds, our group created more space for the already planted natives to grow. By adding space the natives will have more access to nutrients and will be more likely to reach maturity. During our lunch break we also learned about plant asters. An aster is a collection of little flowers within one "flower". For example, a sunflower has lots of little flowers in the middle of its one big "flower". 

Park Stewardship San Mateo; Visit 3

Today we volunteered at Milagra Ridge in San Mateo County. At Milagra Ridge we initially started off by de-rooting and killing the nearby pine trees. Pine trees are not native to Milagra Ridge. These pine trees grow in clusters and release many nettles that cover the ground and prevent other species from growing. Because we were unable to remove the large pine trees, we primarily focused on saplings and small trees. To kill the trees we either directly pulled them out of the ground or we used tools. These tools include clippers and hand saws for the older saplings. After, we removed many mustard plants. Mustard plants are not native either and can spread easily which takes up the space that native plants could have grown in instead. By attending this volunteering event, I was able to learn more about the plants native to the San Mateo county and the ecosystem that makes up the land. The balance between native and non-native species is very delicate and is something that we were restoring.

Jack Swisher Blog Post #2

Jack Swisher
6/27 - 6/31 @ 8 am to 3 pm
Rolando Victoria
rvictoria@menloschool.org

Teaching a new computer science program is hard work. On Thursday, I taught the first day of Embark Labs which included teaching the students about the differences between humans and computers and the distinction between position and orientation. In preparation for the first class, I helped train the other TAs by reviewing the activities to teach for week one. The curriculum for week one included a pre-class survey, humans vs. computers, and a human robots activity. The class was meant to last for an entire hour and each activity could be extended if time permitted. The premise of the class is to establish a climate of inquiry in which students are given open-ended questions that guide their thinking but do not lead them directly to the answer. All of the activities feature logic puzzles that challenge students by requiring them to think and form conclusions based on the information presented. The class went well but some of the students were bummed that they did not have enrichment after a tiring day in the classroom. In the future we could let the students have a short break before jumping straight into computer programming. Overall, the rising sixth graders enjoyed learning about the differences in the way humans think and how computers process information. My students were engaged and their energy is one of the reasons I love working at Peninsula Bridge. By teaching the campers about computer programming when they are young, they are given the ability to connect with the world surrounding them and presented with a new possible interest. Bridge is about helping students enjoy learning and the computer science curriculum helps accomplish that goal.

Jack Swisher Blog Post #1

Jack Swisher
6/20 - 6/24 from 8 am to 3 pm
Peninsula Bridge
Rolando Victoria
rvictoria@menloschool.org

At Peninsula Bridge I am working as a lead teaching assistant and helping lead a new computer science program. As a lead TA, it is my job to run enrichment and assign students to each elective. This week students were able to choose from a range of enrichments: frisbee, soccer, volleyball, capture the flag, dance, basketball, chalk drawing, survival tag, and foursquare. Students were also given the opportunity to visit the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco if they were particularly interested in art and painting. The intrepid six graders were given a rundown on art analysis and introduced to the idea of visual literacy. Enrichment gives students the time to play with their friends and expand their horizons by trying something new. During the first week the students began to warm up to the program and what was expected of them in the classroom and out on the quad. The role of Peninsula Bridge is extremely apparent during this elective time because students can become better teammates and members of the community. My relationship extended beyond the classroom as a mentor and supporter. As a TA I am close to the students but at the same time I am not their friend; the campers look up to their TAs as role-models and it is through their relationship with positive role-models that Bridge hopes to close the education gap.

Mr. J's MEA CULPA (Read This!)

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