My name is Eugene Matusov. I'm interested in innovative education. What
else to say? ... I just finished writing the first draft of a grant proposal
for postdoctoral Spencer fellowship titled Educating for Agency.
What else is important? I'm a part of the 5th Dim fungus, network, web... It
is an afterschool program for kids based on informal learning. Our
undergrads have teaching practicum there as a part of my class requirements
(I teach a class on cultural diversity in teaching and schooling and a
method class). We have a partnership with a Latin-American Community Center
(LACC) in Wilmington (Delaware, USA). About 80% of elementary school kids
are mainly Puerto-Rican descent but also kids from Dominican Republic and
Mexico. 20% of kids are African-American kids. 100% of my students are
white upper class and upper-middle class women (future teachers). The
project and the class (on diversity) seems to be very successful (so far!).
My students learn to work and to love "minority kids" (then, but now they
are "our kids"). They really enjoy going to LACC. And I enjoy working with
them.
What else? Currently, I study a use of interactive webs in my classes.
I have started learning Spanish -- it is definitely in-between Russian and
English (e.g., nouns have genders, like in Russian, but articles, like in
English). Kids at the Latin-American community center think that I'm from
some "Spanish country" because I have an accent... After a year or two, when
I can speak Spanish at least a little bit, I hope to confuse them
completely... :-)
By the way, if you what to check missed XMCA messages this week, go to
http://communication.ucsd.edu/MCA/Mail/Current.Mail/index.html
Adios,
Eugene
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Eugene Matusov
School of Education
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716
Office (302) 831-1266
Fax (302) 831-4445
email ematusov who-is-at udel.edu
Website http://ematusov.eds.udel.edu/
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