Argentina Tour, "Fulbright" style: Stop IV Corrientes

I'm excited to report that about a week ago I was able to continue my self-made tour of other Fulbrighters' universities and institutions by attending a class with my Northeastern Argentina partner in crime, Hannah Dalporto. As I think I've mentioned previously in several blog posts, Hannah lives just a 40 minute bus ride away on the other side of the Río Paraná, separating Chaco from her province and city, Corrientes. Thus, while I was still on vacation last week, I decided to take advantage of the fact that Hannah had already returned to work and was more than willing to have me as a visitor in one of her classes.

Thursday afternoon we went to her institute, Josefina Conte, for a language and grammar course with her second year students. Although I imagine the students and teachers often feel pressed for space, I have to say that I liked the layout of the institute and its facilities. It certainly matched the rest of Corrientes, which is marked by its narrow streets and sidewalks and colonial architecture. Tucked neatly away on a street corner, we find Josefina Conte not far from the city center and even closer to Corrientes' beloved costanera. And while the institute may be limited on space, I shouldn't have been surprised to find that it features, like every other school I've been to here in Argentina, an open air patio that acts too as a sort of atrium for the otherwise enclosed-on-all-sides facility.

A view from the third floor balcony down into the patio of Josefina Conte

Hannah and I first went to her language and grammar class where I was pleasantly surprised to observe that the classroom was equipped with a computer. No, you're not hallucinating; I tell you there was a real/you can touch me/I have Internet and other useful programs/bona fide computer. While I don't know for certain if all the classrooms at Josefina Conte are technologically outfitted with such equipment, I do have to confess that I'm a bit jealous of Hannah for having the aforementioned computer technology in her classroom. For the particular day that I visited, Hannah had prepared a lesson featuring discussion on a portion of an NPR broadcast from This American Life. In my first semester experiences at San Fernando, I took my netbook to class just a handful of times to show a short video clip and/or read sections of downloaded articles. However, my computer's tiny speakers only reach so far in a class of 15-20 students and to have an in-class computer would totally change the way that I approach teaching certain subjects. I'm not claiming that technology (in this case computers and Internet access) is fundamental to sound teaching. On the contrary, I believe that technology, unfortunately, can easily aid teachers who wish to skirt the necessities of communicating well with their students and providing at least one variation of their initial explanations to ensure a comprehensive understanding of class materials. For me, access to cultural capital including music, sound bites featuring examples of other native English speakers, and real images from other places and cultures is the real issue at stake regarding technology in the classroom. Internet access via a computer can, with the inclusion of these elements plus analytical discussions, serve as a transformative element in the classroom.

As I live Chaco, the provincial neighbor of Corrientes, it was interesting to hear the opinions that Hannah's students have about Resistencia and my institute, San Fernando Rey. They didn't share anything that seemed too out of the ordinary about Resistencia, however, I was was surprised to hear several of them say that they they were very jealous of our facility at San Fernando. I found it humorous that several of these comments revolved around the poor status of Josefina Conte's restroom facilities and how those at SF must be in better condition; likewise, I teased the students a bit that they should probably all immediately switch schools, since a restroom is clearly the defining element of an educational institution's caliber.

Other comparisons made by the students reflected on the size of their classrooms. Josefina Conte's classrooms were comparably smaller than those of San Fer; however, I will also note that I do not necessarily observe this "structural limitation" (as noted by the students) to be a bad thing. You see, at San Fer, students in each year of the program are all grouped together in one classroom (with the exception of first year students who are divided into two large groups, the 2nd years students in one classroom, 3rd years in another, etc. ) for the entirety of their studies each day. This means that, with everyone in attendance, students are often sitting in a class with 25 (or 30+ in some instances) of their peers. As a strong advocate of smaller class sizes for a variety of reasons (more participatory discussions, opportunities for more intentional student-professor interactions and relationships, etc.), I could see where the size limitations at Josefina Conte might work to the students' benefit in relation to the environment created by a class' size.

After Hannah's language and grammar class, she took me on a short tour of the rest of the institute which houses several other programs in addition to the English teacher training studies, a few administrative offices and teacher lounges, and a small library and study area. Of all the educational institutions that I have visited thus far in my Fulbright "tour," Josefina Conte is the one that has reminded me most of the institution where I work. I know this is partly due to its small size (vs. the other, much larger universities I have visited of other assistants) but I also think the students and general atmosphere of the institute more closely resemble what I have experienced at San Fer. I don't know if I can describe this feeling of similarity any better than the above description (at this moment anyways), but I am fully reassured that I have a colleague just across the river who knows more or less what is happening in my life without her ever having to be here.

The take-away from this most recent, more local continuation of my Fulbright tour: I have the blessing and valuable opportunity to share teaching experiences and receive thoughtful insight on a (generally) weekly basis when Hannah and I see one another. And Fulbright thought our midterm seminar in Montevideo, Uruguay would be "all that" (ok, it was. hehe).... check it out: Chaco and Corrientes with some tag team English teaching assistant efforts, trying to collectively navigate this vaguely defined English teaching and cultural exchange process.