Our intention with this activity served a dual purpose. The first part included a way for the learners to identify and express a representation of their culture through a community walk. The second part provided us with the opportunity to gain an understanding of an aspect of their culture that we otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to. It helped us to see what was underneath the surface and to dig deeper in our quest to gain a better sense of the community.
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During this activity, every learner was given a camera and told to walk around the community and take pictures or collect symbols of what they thought best represented life in their community. After we finished our walk, everyone came back together and shared why they choose their respective symbols. This activity was done in the same way in both El Manzano Uno and Providence.
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Our expectations and hopes were not only met but exceeded. The learners were able to identify with their own culture, while also providing insight to us. This activity encouraged every learner to be equally involved in the process and in the discussion afterwards. During this activity, even some of the shyer learners were excited to participate in the celebration of their cultural symbols. Overall, we think that this activity was a great way to both learn from the walk and also serve the community in helping the learners to realize what is truly important to them.