Intercultural Connections

i2i Film Exhibition....Success!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:08:00 +0000

Drum roll please!!!!!!! Now revealing…. the i2i student/staff-produced films you have all been waiting for!!!! Yesterday 40 i2i students, 8 i2i volunteers,2 i2i staff, and a few extras made the trip to PUC to view these films in a conference room on the big screen (Thanks PUC). We began by showing a photo slideshow with music that I made with the pictures I have been taking while in Rocinha. We then moved into the 9 films. Before each film the students were instucted to come to the front to introduce their film. Most of the students were embarrassed, but it was nice having the participants recognized in front of the group. It was a great event full of cheers, laughs, hooting, and clapping. From the enthusiasm of the students and staff at i2i for this project and event I have a feeling that this will not be the last i2i Movie Exhibition.

You can view out the i2i Films by clicking on the links below or you can visit YouTube i2i (http://br.youtube.com/instituto2irmaos).

YouTube i2i

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:56:00 +0000

i2i has a website, blog, and photo sharing site (Flickr).

Now, with the first i2i student-produced films complete, its time to unveil

YouTube i2i.

(http://br.youtube.com/instituto2irmaos)

Over the past 5 weeks students and staff at i2i have been hard at work creating photo-stories and music videos. These excellent films need to be shared with the world. The 9 videos will be posted and available for viewing on YouTube i2i after today's video exhibition, which is taking place at PUC. You can connect these videos to your Orkut, Facebook, Myspace, personal blogs, and/or websites. Plus, you can share them with friends, family, colleagues, past, present, and future volunteers. People should leave comments with their thoughts and/or questions that arise from the videos. Ideas are also welcome to improve the next round of student-produced films.

These videos can also be used by i2i to promote their organization, fund raise, and solicit future volunteers. They can also be used as a classroom resource to learn and discuss Brazilian/Carioca/Favlea culture and practice the Portuguese language.

Today - The first i2i Film Exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:22:00 +0000

Today is the well anticipated i2i film exhibition. The planning and organization is coming together just at the right time. One week ago Rogerio started to hand out permission slips to the students and slowly they began trickling back to the institute. As of this moment we have 39 returned permission slips. Plus many of the i2i volunteers plan on attending. The transportation costs to PUC are settled thanks to John Vitaglione at LARC. Everyone will meet at i2i at 4 pm and take 2-3 mini-busses directly to PUC's doorstep. From there Mateu will meet us and lead the group to the conference room we have reserved. In the conference room a school technician will help us prepare the projector and DVD player.

It will be great to have a professional from the school helping us with the technology. Presentations and the possibility of technology malfunctions always scare me; something always seems to go wrong or needs trouble-shooting. Today, though, we have a pro. Stay tuned on the new YouTube i2i for all of the videos later today or tomorrow.

Thanks again to John and Chris at LARC for their continued support!!!!!!!

Forward steps into future i2i film productions

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:36:00 +0000

Students and staff at the i2i are now in control of making their own media. They have watched me drive the computer through uploading pictures and videos, loading them into iMovie, and add titles, music, narration. After four weeks of this repetition some of the students now want to drive the computer. They are able to navigate through iTunes to put on their favorite funk song, open iMovie and record narration, and some are beginning to think of their next projects. To the right are two i2i students recording themselves read a story in an attempt to make a second video. Although they were not satisfied with their reading, they were able to work iMovie on their own. As I have commented earlier, all of the students very quickly learned how to work my digital camera; turn it on, take pictures, and view pictures.

Rogerio, the i2i coordinator, has also begun his second video production. In the first video I did most of the editing while Rogerio looked over my shoulder instructing me the title animations and video effects he wanted. This time Rogerio is doing the entire project on his own.

Both the students and staff have made great progress in their knowledge of video production using iMovie. With more practice and more projects the video qualities will increase and editing will become more proficient. I think the quick learning is due to their desire to do video projects, interest and past exposure to computers, and the wish to take control of their media production. Forward steps into future i2i film productions.

Video Conference with KU

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:04:00 +0000

Yesterday was the long awaited video conference meeting with Paul Sneed's Portuguese class at Kansas University. Leticia from my adult English class came to i2i to participate in the conversation. I used the MiniMac because it has direct internet connection, as opposed to my wireless connection. We were set. The first call came a few minutes after 3 pm. We received the video from KU. I could see a few students sitting in desks. We tried to open our video and we lost the connection. We had the same results for the second and third call. I saw Paul for a second and then the connection was lost. Leticia said a few words to Paul, but couldn't hear a response and then the connection was lost. I tried to write to Paul to leave the video off, but the message never went through. KU signed off of Skype and the conference was over without barely a word exchanged.

Although the attempt to connect i2i English students with KU Portuguese students was a failure, I am not going to give up and I will remain positive for another attempt.

Week 4 Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:43:00 +0000

About half of the groups have finished, including Group Açai and Group Super Heroes. Other groups I thought were finished, but wanted to rerecord their dances once they heard they were going to be shown on the bog screen. A few other students approached me and asked if they could also do a project. I feel bad, but I have to say no because time is running out. I have one more week to help students complete their project and make all the preparations for the film premier.

I tell the students that are unsatisfied with their finished projects that they will have future opportunities to make films and digital stories. They now know the process and the end result, so the next round will be much smoother, better quality, and more organized. The goal is always to create a sustainable project and I do think i2i students will create more student-based media productions, but questions still remain as far as personnel (volunteers) and time lines.

Internet in the Favela? Perceptions and Misconceptions

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:34:00 +0000

Thinking about a conversation with a local resident on on Copacabana beach last Friday I have begun to realize some of the many perceptions and misconceptions from people form outside of Rocinha have of the favela. Most of the information people from outside the favela get of Rocinha is negative, of military operation, killing, drug trafficking, etc. These images are projected in the news, on the internet, and in the movies. With the constant negative images people are constantly fed about Rocinha it is easy to understand that many people know very little of how people live, work, and play in Rocinha.

I stopped to ask a man directions on the beach. I was on Copacabana beach and I wanted to walk to Impanema beach, so I asked him the route. I have had to ask directions many times in Brazil and people are always friendly and helpful. When time is of no importance, like my day on the beach, asking direction usually leads into a conversation; where are you from, what are you doing here, do you like it in Rio, etc.

The man I was talking to on the beach was in his 50s. I told him I am living in Rocinha and I described to him my project. As I described computer use, internet access, and knowledge of technology in Rochina he would say, "Really??? I thought that......" and the misconceptions were revealed. Here were some of his misconceptions of the peoeple in Rocinha related to technology:

No technology

No home computers

No home internet access

No knowledge of how to use computers

Knowledge of life in the favela is learned through the media and the media doesn't report about such facts of everyday life, so it understandable that many have these assumptions about Rocinha. The digital divide, as I argue in my thesis, is no longer a useful way to describe technology distribution around the globe and between the classes. There are complex levels of access, knowledge, use, and needs for modern communication and information technology around the globe. We can no longer assume poor people don't have technology, we have to assume they do.

The News is Out and the Unintended Consequences

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0000

News spreads quick at i2i. One minute we were making plans for the video exhibition, the next Rogerio was making student permission slips, and next many of the students wanted to redo their digital story. (I didn't see that coming.) There are 4 groups of girls doing their digital story about music and dance, and in their projects they have a choreographed dance. Many of the girls are good dancers, but by no means are they professional. Well it doesn't seem to matter, they think they are professional , and they want their dance to be perfect. With 10 days to go and 10 videos to complete I have told the groups that they can not record their dance again. I try to make them understand the time needed to edit, make titles, and insert transitions and effects. It doesn't matter to them. Its been hard and annoying, but thats the way its got to be. I continually tell them that their dances are great and there will also be a next time, which helps calm their nerves.

How could have I avoided this situation?

Tell the students in the initial stages of the project that their movie would be shown on the big screen infront of their peers?
Keep it a secret?

It's great that the groups expect the best and if I had more time I would definitely re-record their dance. In a way this is a great set-up for the next volunteer who want to direct a media, photography, and/or digital story project. The next round will be taken more seriously and groups will prepare to do their best, listen to the instructor, and cooperate with the other students to succeed. For a first-time activity I feel things have gone great and if media projects follow the i2i trends, projects will only get better!

Connecting with KU: Video Confrencing

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:57:00 +0000

On Monday, September 22, I had a video conference test with Paul Sneed at KU. The test went as usual, there were the normal frustrations, like lost signals and voice delays. Initially I started on my MacBook, but then I changed to the MiniMac because it has direct ethernet connection. The voice worked much better, but the MiniMac doesn't have a webcam. The institute has a webcam, but I couldn't get it working, it thought it wasn't Mac compatible. I talked to Tiago later and told me there is a way to go around this issue. Hopefully he can work it out.

The plan is for the student to respond in the Orkut community forum about American and Brazilian stereotypes. Paul wrote a great introduction to the forum starting with a definition of a stereotype followed by a variety of questions referring to where the stereotypes came from and are they useful or harmful. The forum about American stereotypes was written in English and the forum about Brazilians was written in Portuguese. I recently sent a message to all the i2i students in the community to respond to the forum. It will be interesting to see who answers in what forum and in what language. The responses can be the base for our video conference we have scheduled for Monday, October 6 at 3 pm, though we are not limited to only this topic.

I also sent a message to i2i students and community members to attend the video conference on Monday. 3 pm is a tough time for some of the adults, but I am hoping a few will show up. If all goes well this can be the beginning to an exciting exchange project for everybody involved.

Week 3 Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:01:00 +0000

The week went fairly smooth, but no without its usual hiccups. I had some technical difficulties on the day I was supposed to record on the dancing groups. The girls were ready with their makeup and outfits and I had to announce that we couldn't film this evening. Well, as you can imagine they were not happy. I had to ask Tiago to come help explain the situation because my Portuguese was faltering. Things were worked out and yesterday, Monday, we filmed.

There are currently over 50 members on the Orkut community, but there continues to be little group activity. Most communication takes place between individual 'scrapbook' posts, which is great, but difficult for me to analyze interaction and exchanges. I will continue promoting the group forum communication and I think Paul will be assigning it for homework.

Last Monday Paul and I had a video conference test with Skype and technical assistance from EGARC.

Plans to reserve a conference room at PUC continues to be developed, but things are looking good. The staff is really looking forward to this event and plans to have a lot of participation. Now we have to figure out student transportation - money and logistics. (Perhaps this is something I should have written into the grant.)

Prioritizing Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:58:00 +0000

In Santa Maria Atzompa and Zimatlan, Oaxaca and now Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil I often question the importance of the technology and media projects when it appears to me that there are greater needs than the computer. Each of these organizations have a variety of needs, but only limited resources and each organization has to prioritize their needs with tough decision making. In the case of the two NGOs, CENTEOTL and i2i, resources are primarily directed towards those in need, the focus of the organization, and in the case of i2i, the students.

When prioritizing resources, people, projects, plans always get left out, put to side, on hold, especially when resources are limited. The computer and its ever increasing importance in school and the work-force, is increasing gaining ranks in priorities in NGOs such as i2i. But what or who is being left behind?

People will support an art, computer, or media project, but who wants to donate money to support the electricity bills, paper for the printer, or giving the staff a raise? The staff at i2i work extremely hard and they should be rewarded for their dedication with a good salary and other benefits, like the recent trip to Sweden to attend a conference. While the students are the focus, the base, longevity, and success is a result of the staff and compensation must be a priority.

If anyone is interested in donating to the 2 Brothers visit their website: http://2bros.org/

Tech Problems - Solutions???

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:30:00 +0000

At the telesecundaria in Atzompa, Oaxaca when the printer would not work, the secretary opened the cover and blew on the innards hoping it would solve the issue. Luckily the computer teacher was on duty, worked on the problem, and found out the printer installation needed to be reinstalled. This summer in Zimatlan one computer stopped working and every body's computer was slow because of the excessive amounts of media on everybody's computer.

There is always bound to be technical computer problems. Some are easy to solve with a quick computer search, some just take some common cleaning of space and unused programs, and then there are more severe problems that need professional help. Potential technical problems and solutions is a topic no organization wants to face, especially small organizations such as i2i. i2i is so excited and motivated to begin a larger computer education program a discussion has yet to arise about this small issue....glitches, melt down, closures, viruses, etc. They are common problems and the solutions can be difficult at times. Luckily Tiago, the Mac professional, is here to lend a hand (especially when my computer melted down last week.) These are just points that the i2i InfoCenter will have to face, and better to formulate a plan now than freak out in the future.

Project Reflection: Video Themes

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:42:00 +0000

Initiating the project, where I met the participants and explain the details to the project, was perhaps be the most important stage. Its where I made my first impression on the participants and participants started forming their initial ideas about the project. Explaining clearly and setting the rules was crucial so confusion could be avoided and I wouldn't have to change the rules in the middle of the project.

Reflecting on the initial days of my project and the introduction I made to the potential participants there are something that I would have done differently, specifically in setting the theme options for the digital histories. The arguments and tensions between student groups surrounding themes has really surprised me and I believe that I could have avoided this headache by setting strict rules for selecting themes. Many of the girls have decided to do a dance for their video. There are actually 3 different groups of girls with choreographed dances and there are tensions between the groups about what music they choose and who is in each group. I imagine that some of these tensions between the students.

I actually like the the dance theme. After being here 3 weeks it is obvious how important and prominent music and dance is in the lives of the i2i students. It has taught me a lot about their interests and culture of dance, but the issues between the groups has taken away from some of the fun. If I were to do it over again I would specify that students have to write down the idea of their project and can only change the project idea with a good excuse. I would have said that students can choose the same theme (actually I find it interesting to compare projects when students choose the same theme), but they must choose different music.

This week some of the students have been missing for one reason or another, but a solid schedule up on the wall so the students can write down the times and days they meet would have help with some confusion.

I find it important to reflect, but it also frustrate me that I didn't think of these things earlier.

Planning the Film Exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:41:00 +0000

It is essential to end the project with a video exhibition. My prior two projects in Mexico ended with exhibitions and they were a great success. I ended the PowerPoint project at Atzompa's telesecundaria with a school-wide video contest with prozes to the winners. The project at CENTEOTL in Zimatlan, Oaxaca ended with a final exhibition and approximately 50 people attended. Amaranto bars and horchata was served to everybody.

A final exhibition (or contest showing) is a great way to finalize the project, allow the other students and parents to view all of the videos, and view the videos in on the big screen. This is very useful especially for the next media project because if the students know their videos will be showed on the big screen in front of many people, then they will put more pride and effort into their project.

Having the final exhibition at i2i would be the easiest option, but there are a few essential thing lacking. i2i does not have a projector nor a room large enough to fit everybody. I asked my roommate Matheu, who is studying at PUC (a private university), to find out some information about renting a projector and reserving a room. Matheu approached one of his professors, who was willing to help us out. Matheu reserved the conference room with the help of his professor, which fits up to 70 people, and has a projector/DVD hook-up.

The next obstacle is coordinating transportation to PUC. Its only a 10 minute ride on the public bus, but it will cost 2 reis ($1.10 USD) each way. I now need to find out who is able to pay and who wants to go to the event.

Orkut Community Growth

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:26:00 +0000

In the past few days the i2i-SDSU-KU community on Orkut has jumped from 6 members to 39 members. Beleza! Paul Sneed brought his KU Portuguese students to the lab to join Orkut all at once. I opened my Orkut and I had 20 requests from the KU students to be part of the exchange community. The KU students heavily outnumbered the i2i participants, but just today more i2i students began joining. I am keeping the community closed to Paul's KU students and the i2i adult students, except for the teachers and onlookers. Thanks to the message from Rogerio, I received requests from adult age ex-i2i students. So, to make the numbers more even I allowed them to enter. I believe the most important is to keep the age groups even (18-30 years old).

Although there are 39 participants, there has been very little action in the community. The polls and forums remain unused. A few people said they have received individual messages, which is great, but I would like to seem some group discussion, debate, and participation using the community's tools. Either people joined just to join, or this is the calm before the storm. (I hope its the latter.)

i2i's Internet Assault

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:55:00 +0000

Blogs, websites, social network sites, photo and video posting, i2i is taking advantage of the free and far reaching communication and networking tools the Internet provides. Today, i2i has a website that allows people to learn about the structure, visions, and goals of the i2i organization, as well as posting fund raising goals and calls for new volunteers. More recently i2i has added a group blog and photo sharing location. The i2i blog allows all i2i affiliates, including students, staff, directors, and past, current, and future volunteers, to write under one umbrella. Posts range from personal experiences and thoughts to practical information about i2i projects, students, and life in Rocinha. Finally there is the i2i photo sharing hosted by Flickr. This site also allows any i2i affiliate to register and post photos.

In my opinion, the i2i Internet assault is extremely important for the future growth of the organization. The assault is allowing more people around the globe to access authentic and up-to-date information about i2i and understand the vision of the i2i organization, which in turn will help find new donors and volunteers. The increasing online exposure, participation, and communication is creating a new sort of growth and network and is reflection of the real growth i2i is experiencing in Rocinha.

Look out for new i2i video posts around October 10th as students finish their digital stories and music videos.

Week 2 Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:53:00 +0000

Communication Test with KU
Friday at noon I had a video conference test with Jon at KU. He asked me to use XMeeting, a video conference program made by Microsoft. I had never used the program, so I was curious to try it out. I entered the number and my face appeared, but no voices nor video from the other end. After some corresponding emails we moved to MSN messenger. We chatted and attemped to trouble shoot, but nothing. So, we moved to Skype and finally I could see and hear the KU team. KU, Jon explained, has a problem with Skype and they are not supposed to download the program onto university computers, but he was willing look past the red tape. Jon is going to set Paul classroom up with a computer and webcam. After an hour we passed over the obsticles and the test was a success.
Next: Set up a video conference with Paul's Portuguese class.

Digital Story
The digital story project has really picked up steam. Some of the groups even want to work 2-3 days a week! This week all the groups began taking pictures, videos, and recording voice for narration. This week I also took over the adult advanced English class and we began their digital story on the Popular Market. On Thursday me and the 6 students walked down the street to the outdoor market. I taught the vocabulary words of the market, the students wrote down the word, and we took pictures.
Next Week: Groups will continue taking pictures, recording narration, and start working on titles and effects.

Wire World

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:10:00 +0000

Webs of wires and cables weaving from pole to pole on the main streets, above your head down the narrow alleys, bringing lights, Internet, and telephone to houses throughout Rocinha has become one of the main symbols of the community. These nets of wires are a direct reflection of Rocinha auto-construction, or perhaps organic, nature of of community growth and modernization. Built up, on top of each other, no permits, make it affordable, and just make it work - Themes commonly found throughout Rocinha.

Internet connection in Rocinha has followed a similar system of infrastructure growth; illicit, adaptive, easy access, affordable, and up. The Internet has grown organically and out of demand. The Internet in the favela, from my experience, has fluctuating quality and speed depending on many factors like time of day and location of access. I mostly notice the connection quality during a Skype video conference, which requires a high bandwidth. Somedays it will work perfectly and others days it reminds me of the days when I first had dialup Internet, tapping my fingers as a web page opens. Considering the time Internet has been in the community, access has increased exponentially and one only knows what the future will bring in the Rocinah if this trend continues.

HEY SDSU and KU Portuguese Students!!!! Join Orkut and meet i2i Students

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:50:00 +0000

No, I'm not trying to sell anything and I don't work for Orkut. I am just trying to find a common locations where the advanced English students at the Two Brothers Institute (i2i) and the Portuguese students at SDSU and KU can meet, converse, and begin exchanging language and culture. As I wrote earlier, Orkut nearly everyone at i2i is has an Orkut account. Lets go and meet the i2i students on their turf.

Make an account with Orkut
Fill out the profile in your native language (English or Portuguese)
Find me, Evan Rubin, by searching with my email (evanrubin79@gmail.com)
Send me a friend request
Join my community: i2i-SDSU-KU exchange
Participate in polls and forums, make your own forum topics and polls, meet i2i advanced adult English students, find 1-on-1 conversation partners, exchange culture and language
- Use you English and Portuguese -
To extend your network more - Search for the Instituto Dois Irmãos - send a friend request - begin finding i2i students

Group Açai in an Unusual Atmosphere

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:20:00 +0000

Group Açai began their photo capturing this morning, despite the unusual atmosphere in the favela. This morning just after I woke up I heard fire works. I automatically thought that something was going on in the favela...at least that what the books say the fireworks indicate. Sure enough the military has entered the favela. There are currently soldiers posted at the entrance to the favela and in the area where I normally buy my açai. This is the reality in the favela. After discussing the situation with Rogerio and Maria they confirmed that it was safe. So, I ventured out with the two students.
(Two others students did not come to class. Perhaps because of the soldiers?)

I took the two girls to the Rei do Açai (King of Açai). We explained to the man working that we were doing a photo project about Açai and we asked it was okay if we took picture of him making the Açai. He said no problem. He even made a few smooth poses for the students. The two girls snapped fotos and we took our açais to go and take more picture back at the institute. We walked back amongst the soldiers and onlookers. Even though today there are a new obstacles, life, and the project, continues in Rocinha and i2i.

Moving Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:28:00 +0000

I am pleased at the project's progress so far. So far two of the teams have done some great brain storming and are ready to record their images, two other groups have already recorded their images and have begun on their audio and editing, and Rogerio, the coordinator, has already produced a short film explaining the rules to Futebol de Butão, a soccer board game.

Daniel, Rocinha's i2i director, has recently returned from a trip to Europe to participate in the Informal Cities Conference of the Royal University College of Fine Arts in Stockholm, Sweden. I am hoping that he has many picture and is willing to do a digital story of his experience and views of Europe. I think it would be really interesting.

There has never been a stagnant moment during my stay at i2i. There is always new people, young and old, inquiring about class options and availability. Rogerio is always ready for a discussion or debate on any topic, from Rocinha to international documentaries. Plus there are volunteers, students, and i2i neighbors constantly coming and going. Its an active place with a life of its own. Once inside I forget the harsh realities that lie just outside the door and I am able to write in my blog, engage in one of Rogerio and Rodulf's many discussions, and practice my Portuguese. Everyone benefits from i2i's constant movement, growth, sprouting ideas, and even failed attempts.

Orkut vs. The InfoCenter

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:45:00 +0000

One week into my web-based language and culture exchange and multimedia project and its is already becoming clear the ways in which the computer and Internet are playing a role in the lives of the residents of Rocinha and the need for the i2i Info Center. One of the first steps to this project has been to assess the current access to communication and information technology, general knowledge, and general use amongst i2i students and in the community in general. Through observation, participation, and informal conversations it is seems that the main use of the Internet in Rocinha is to communicate through Orkut and MSN programs (Hotmail and Messenger). In a conversation with an informant he claimed that 99% of the young people in Rocinha have an Orkut account, and out of that percentage many of them believe that the Internet is only for Orkut, MSN, and video games (Counter Stike). The informant continued by saying that Orkut and MSN are mainly used for fofoca, or gossip. Spending a week on Orkut and observing Internet use in the LAN Houses, my informants accounts don’t seem too far from the truth.

InfoCenter Advantage: i2i students have computer experience
InfoCenter Disadvantage: i2i students are addicted to Orkut and MSN.

Ross and the InfoCenter team are a determined bunch and soon the InfoCenter will be a reality at i2i…and there will be planning to be done to move students away from typical Rocinha Internet usage to project/educational oriented programs. Technology is only a tool and it will take these clear projects and programs to keep the InfoCenter from becoming a LAN House. The goal for the InfoCenter is to turn the disadvantage into an advantage. For the InfoCenter the Orkut addiction can be used as a reward, a prize for behaving during a word processing class or not signing on during a photography workshop. Orkut too can be used for educational exchange project, but this will take strict vigilance by the teacher to keep them away from the fofoca. The InfoCenter, I believe, has great potential and will be a great success because of the work and planning going on now.

If you can't beat them - Join them!

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:57:00 +0000

Next week I will start working with the advanced English students on the actual exchange part of the project. We will be communicating on a variety of platforms, starting with Orkut. There are many choices similar to Orkut, including the powerful Moodle program, but why try and start something new? Why go agianst the grain? Like I wrote earlier, Orkut is extremely popular here, so why not use it for our advantage. Orkut is more comonly used to networking and communication, but there are not rules saying that it can be used for educationa purposes.

Through my Orkut account I have started a community where the students in both countries can meet, discuss in forums, and design polling questions. Paul Sneed brought up a great point regarding the language? How will students descide what language to use while communicating in the Orkut community? Should we set up 2 communities, one for Portuguese language and another for English? It is my opinion that we should begin with one community and the language use should be decided by the origonal language of the forum question. For example, if the forum begins with, "Que é sua comida favorita?" then the students should continue the forum discussion in Portuguese...and the opposite. I really want to let the community to be directed by the students and see where it goes. If the community needs some new topics or motivation then I will get my hand in there, but it is supposed to be an exchange between the students.

Well, first thing is first. I am waiting for the US students to get on Orkut, which is perhaps going against he grain in the US (facebook), but I'm putting the responsibility on them.

Week 1 Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:33:00 +0000

The first full week living in Rocinha and working at the institute has been exciting and challenging. The project is beginning to take shape; the students are broken into groups, they have chosen the themes for their projects, and they are ready to bein working next week. There are 4 groups doing digital stories; Group Super Powers, Group Hip-Hop, Group Funk, and Group Açai. Most of the groups changed from their origional theme, but I think that it is natural part of the process since these students have never made a digital history (or music video). I hope that the groups will now stay with the themes they have chosen. Next week the students will begin to capture their images for the project.

S-Turns and U-Turns

noreply@blogger.com (Evan Rubin) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:49:00 +0000

This is a bit how my first my first week has been. Organized chaos I like to say. I know where I started and I know where I am going, but the middle is a mystery. Here the road takes improvisation, S-Turns, and U-turns. Being a new place and the first week I believe I have taken many this week. It has been a good week, a successful week, but there is still more road to cover.

Groups have changed their themes, but we have adapted and found new themes. Connecting with the students at SDSU and KU has been frustrating as far as the Internet connection, but planning has turned into visible steps and from here I expect the speed to accelerate.

Orkut appears to be the route we will take to connect students, at least initially. Orkut is exteremely popular amongst the i2i students, so why not use a programs that is already established, and focus the functions to educational purposes? From here partnerships can be formed and students can meet in other forums if they wish. Paul Sneed has signed up for Orkut and is promoting his students to do the same. We will see what will transpire.

If you want to participate and communicate with i2i student just join Orkut and search for the Instituto Dois Irmãos.