iamevaorg

[iamevaorg]

Week 12: Materials Matrix

I was tasked with creating a document that details scope, distribution, and functionality of my deliverables. After speaking with Anthony, I realized that my middle set of deliverables was not working. What was really needed to tie the whole project together is ESL curriculum that is tailored to Latina learners, because that just doesn’t exist now. A lot of people are turned off by traditional teaching methods. Also, Phil mentioned how acculturation is a major issue as well. This made me think: What if my curriculum could both engage the Latina learner AND aid with acculturation? And that’s how my old second insight, strategy, and deliverables were tossed out the window and replaced for something that I believe will better serve my thesis. 

The above picture is my first draft and you can see how changes started to be made.

[iamevaorg]

I translated letters written by Sunday Family moms from Spanish to English this past Sunday. In each one, I learned a bit more about these women and how support from the community has changed their lives and those of their children.

 This particular letter detailed how a mother and her 4-year-old daughter’s lives have changed for the better since attending the program. You can sense the great pride she feels for daughter and how she lives for her. This reinforces one of my insights that familial ties can be used as either strong motivators or detractors for Latinas, particularly mothers.

[iamevaorg]

Style ideas: Photography, Palette, Typefaces

[iamevaorg]

Phil mentioned volunteering at an organization related to our theses. I did a search on volunteermatch.com and learned about a group called Sunday Friends in San Jose. I loved their mission and signed up to volunteer. I served as a tutor for the kids this past Sunday. It was so much fun seeing them get excited to earn their tickets. I hope to participate with their adult ESL program in the coming weeks, but I had a great introduction to the program and will definitely be back.

[iamevaorg]

Week 11: I was tasked with coming up with three words to help with defining my thesis’s brand. I came up with three pairs of words that I felt encompassed my thesis, design-wise, and made three Pinterest boards. This was helpful, because I was able to see many interpretations of the same idea, visually. 

[iamevaorg]

Week 9: Identity Exploration/Naming

Names are some of the most difficult things to come up with. I really liked the idea of using an acronym that mixed Spanish and English somehow, without alienating either my Spanish-speaking audience or English-speaking stakeholders. I was inspired by ALBA, a bilingual organization that does a pretty good job of keeping a balance between the two. 

I liked the phrase “en voz alta”, which means “out loud” because I want my audience to feel empowered to use their voices. BUT, it is difficult for many English-speakers to say. Geraldine suggested creating an acronym from this Spanish phrase, and that is how EVA came about. This works well because it is a woman’s name, something that a classmate had mentioned a few weeks back, because it makes things more personal. I like the tagline that can be generated as well: “EVA is strong”, “EVA is smart”, “EVA is beautiful”, etc. 

I like the idea of using traditional patterns in a modern way as well and started playing around with some logo sketches, but I am far from even scratching the surface. I know that next semester this will be the focus.

[iamevaorg]

Week 9: Production Timeline

I was tasked with creating a timeline for the next year in my thesis journey: what classes I will take, research I will do, projects I will complete, etc. It was so daunting to think concretely about where I will be one year from now. Seeing it on paper is crazy—there is so much! But, it also made me feel better about having a plan of attack. Even if I don’t follow the schedule to a T, it will serve as a great guide and a way to keep me centered.

[iamevaorg]

Said during lecture this week, by Phil. This is so true, especially when it comes to thesis development. This is not just a graduation requirement or assignment to complete. Getting my Master’s is something that I chose to do. Focusing on Latinas and English Illiteracy are topics that I chose and am passionate about.

Being at the table means being in a position where your voice is heard, where you are more than simply affected, but where you are one who affects—a mover and shaker. Getting invited to the table comes from being in the know, having a unique perspective on the subject, showing genuine interest in what others have to say and are doing, and learning from leaders in the field. My goal for the next year is to become an expert in everything that is at all related to my topic and, in the process, to become a better designer, i.e. a better design problem-solver. 

[iamevaorg]

After presenting my research deck, Phil recommended that I look at Cannon Design’s Third Teacher + project. The work they do is so inspiring. I love the way they are turning the way we approach education on its head, via design, and simply by rethinking physical spaces. I aim to do the same for my third strategy: Environmental Graphics for a Community Center.

[iamevaorg]

Week 7: Research Deck (Part 2)

[iamevaorg]

Week 7: Research Deck

I was tasked with distilling 18 insights from all of my research thus far: questionnaire, interviews, articles, videos, etc. I chose three of these insights to build my strategies on.

[iamevaorg]

Language Barriers for Indigenous-Language-Speaking Immigrants

I never thought about Latino immigrants who don't speak SPANISH. The challenges they face, particularly in terms of finding their place in the community, are very singular and isolating. I can't imagine how hard that must be.

[iamevaorg]

LANGUAGE BROKERING:  a practice in which children facilitate communication between two linguistically and/or culturally different parties. Unlike formal interpreters and translators, brokers mediate, rather than merely transmit, information.

I had seen this done personally growing up (and even brokered on behalf of my grandmother on occasion), but never knew the term for it. This scene from the film Spanglish perfectly encapsulates the effort, emotions, and intricacies of language brokering. 

[iamevaorg]

REMITTANCE: a transfer of money by a foreign worker to an individual in his or her home country.

I had never heard of this term before, though I am very familiar with the concept. In fact many of my questionnaire respondents mentioned having to send money back home as one of their many financial obligations. 

[iamevaorg]

Week 4: Deliverables Strategy

I was tasked with further distilling my thesis into 3 insights, which drive 3 strategies, which are formulated into three deliverables. My insights (fittingly) deal with 3 barriers to learning English: emotional, time-based, and social barriers.