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Eleutheros

Eleutheros

The Human Ecology, Histories, and Literature Departments have collaborated on a series ongoing personal reflective essays called Eleutheros. Each week students are asked to write a reflective essay that demonstrates their understanding of the themes from their coursework and effectively links these themes to their unique thoughts and experiences.  For each essay, students are asked to answer a new interdisciplinary prompt which inspires an integrated reflection on class learning. Our final essay asked students look at their academic semesters holistically  and consider the value of their learning. In the coming week, look forward to some articulate examples of how our students have deeply and personally engage with this essential question. The prompt: So What? Why does what you have learned in your classes matter?

by Chris Foote

So what?  It is hard to say when I’m still learning so much about this world and my self.  When first considering what to write on for this assignment, I was at a loss for words.  Then, as I looked out onto the pristine, blue ocean, the last line left Ashley’s mouth and lingered in the air: “When he left the beach the sea was going on” (Walcott, 325).  This triggered something deep in my mind, and I thought of all I have learned here.  First, I thought of the complexity of the life underneath the monotonous waves on the surface and its surfaces; then, of how that life is threatened by fisheries today.  I thought of Tito’s dilemma, the Mexican Fisherman who we learned about from Brady, and understood how he was conflicted between his family and the sea; of Hector’s burial, the swift, the sea-almonds; of the empty Spanish bottle landing on Cotton Bay after a long journey at sea. And at that moment, I realized: I am invested in my education. Continue reading →

Student Update

Student Update December 4, 2012

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This past semester, we’ve learned so much. From learning how to read Omeros to learning how to make bush tea from Joseph, we have gained so much knowledge. And yesterday, we had the task demonstrating all of that knowledge within 15 minutes. There was no set format for the demonstration, and so it was amazing to see the creative ways that other students came up with to show what they’v learned. Students made movies, monologues, tours of campus to show what they have learned this semester. One student’s that I especially liked read parts of her journal in certain parts of the semester to show the challenges she faced and how she overcame it. Many of these demonstrations were also emotional, especially because they marked the end of our semester. But I, for the most part, have managed to save the tears for the last day. For my Demonstration of Learning, I took my advisory up to the second floor deck of the faculty offices to reminisce about how far we had come. That same deck was where our advisory first came together in our initial “who am I?” presentations. Now, after three months, it was interesting to see how much we’ve changed, developed, and bonded together.

My time here has been a life-changing experience, Continue reading →

Uncategorized

Their Heroic Journeys

Last week, students were asked to undertake another in a series of epic challenges at The Island School. The Literature Department assigned students to write a story of their Island School experience through the form of the traditional Heroes Journey. Even more difficult, they were made to do it in the very specific stanza and rhyme form in which Derek Walcott’s Omeros was written (the primary text for their course). In the truly triumphant tradition of our students here, they persevered and were able to articulate beautifully written poetic expressions of the knowledge that is gained through the journey.

Enjoy this example written by James Boyce, describing the epic experience of free-diving with Maxey as his epic guide:

Free diving through Cathedral

The conch horn blows as a calling to free diving.

The sun is just emerging from the blue ocean.

I don’t want to wake up and have trouble finding

 

the motivation to move. I feel a notion.

The thought that my time here is limited comes to

me and I decide to put my day to motion Continue reading →

Cape Eleuthera Institute, News, research, Student Update

Student Update December 3, 2012

Last Saturday was a very big day for all of us. It was the day where all of the research and work that we had done in the past three months culminated to a big Research Symposium. During the Research Symposium, each research group gave presentations about 8241856250_fb2e5a00d3_btheir research, booths, and posters. This was a little different from the presentations we did during Parent’s Weekend because we were presenting all of our work to people who could look at our results and make change in the Bahamas, and in the world. The Bahamian Minister of Environment attended the symposium as well as Friends of the Environment, BREEF, and many other NGOs. To see these people listen to and think critically about our research made me appreciate and feel proud of all of the work we accomplished these past few months. Continue reading →

Cape Eleuthera Institute, CEI, News, research

Maxey Celebrates a Monumental Research Symposium

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Dear Proud Parents,

We circled up at noon; I was moved to tell your children in the more intimate moment of our small circle how proud I am of the good work that has been accomplished. Yesterday after the research presentations we gathered in Hallig House to listen to key note speakers share impressions. Eric Carey, Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust, is big in stature and huge in spirit and brutally honest; he was “blown away” by the work. Eric mentioned specifically the turtle project at Half Sound and the conch research as monumental and pioneering efforts that will encourage (he used the word force) the government to enact laws to protect and conserve these vital habitats and endangered species. As a boy growing up in Tarpum Bay he confirmed the story retold by the research team, ” when I was young we would go to Sandy Cay and load our boat with 100s of conch that sat dry at low tied and if you go back now you can not find a single conch.”

Next to speak, Mr. Sandy Mactaggart, Chancellor Emeritus University of Alberta. Sandy has dedicated his full and extremely successful life to save beautiful places; he realized that the work here by young scientists proved beyond a doubt that education as it continues to exist is tragically flawed. He then shared a story; I encourage you to read the link, http://philosophy.lander.edu/intro/introbook2.1/x874.html . Your children are producers of knowledge, they have stretched to ask and answer new questions and they are well tested and confident — watch out world!

Last to speak was the Honorable Kenred Dorsett, Minister of the Environment, Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Continue reading →

Eleutheros, Uncategorized

Eleutheros

The Human Ecology, Histories, and Literature Departments have collaborated on a series ongoing personal reflective essays called Eleutheros. Each week students are asked to write a reflective essay that demonstrates their understanding of the themes from their coursework and effectively links these themes to their unique thoughts and experiences.  For each essay, students are asked to answer a new interdisciplinary prompt which inspires an integrated reflection on class learning. Our final essay asked students look at their academic semesters holistically  and consider the value of their learning. In the coming week, look forward to some articulate examples of how our students have deeply and personally engage with this essential question. The prompt: So What? Why does what you have learned in your classes matter?

by Ryan Schendel:

My parents always told me it started when I was four years old. According to them, we were sitting on a plane on the way to North Carolina, and I turned to my dad and asked him a question. Apparently, it was a basic question like, “Where are we going?” and “How big is this plane?” In the number of times I have heard this story from my parents, they always exaggerate more and more, but as I have been told, by the time we had landed, I had asked them hundreds of questions over the course of two hours. My dad always told me how exasperating it became, but he and my mom were glad that I turned out to be a curious boy.

I have been asking questions throughout my entire life. I always look at the world as a great wealth of information that I can learn about through asking. My teachers at school tell my parents every year that they’re amazed at how inquiring I can be and how often I ask questions, even if it eventually bothers them. My grandmother, who used to be a high school English teacher herself, has always told me, “Don’t stop your questions. You can always learn something new, you just have to ask.”

Reflecting on my life before The Island School, I came to believe that I arrived on Eleuthera because I was curious. My sister embarked on a semester in 2010, and she returned home as someone who I did not recognize anymore. She had changed in positive but drastic ways, and seemed to be extremely happy in regards to her time here. I wanted to know why. I did not want to only hear her stories about The Island School. I needed to come here and experience it myself. Continue reading →

Student Update

Student Update November 30, 2012

Continuing the trend of lasts, yesterday was our last class for Human Ecology Final Projects. Jack and I finished up our inner loop project. We were finally able to put the signs up around the inner loop and we also cleared up several trails for future explorers. I can’t wait for today’s Human Ecology extravaganza and show what we have accomplished. We will be giving short presentations about each of our projects, on a rotating schedule all afternoon. And, we will be hosting local students guests from Deep Creek Middle School and Central High School.

In the afternoon, I was with my awesome advisory and we worked on our Demonstrations of Learning that we will present together on Monday. The DOLs are our final assessments, showing what we have learned here for the past three months. People can do Power Points, speeches, or any other creative way to express what they have learned.

Afterwards, I went with my kayak group, K2 (wahoooooo) to eat dinner early, and leave for our night dive. Continue reading →

Student Update

Student Update November 28, 2012

Yesterday was the last full day of classes. Although some of us were sore after the big events over the weekend, we pulled through and were able to wrap up each class very well. Our classes were math, histories, literature, and art. I really enjoyed histories yesterday where we talked about an article from The New Yorker called The Headstrong Historian. It told a story about the colonial past of Nigeria, the impact of the Christian missionaries on the people, and how a family changed because of it. I especially liked this reading because it had a lot to do with the concepts we’ve learned in the Humanities curriculum here. I thought it was interesting to see parallels between the Nigerian family who had sent their children to a Catholic school to learn the ways of the white man in order to regain the land they had lost, and our book from literature, Omeros. A lot of change happens in Omeros with the personal journeys of Achille, one of the main characters, and the author himself. But in the end, amid all the tourism coming into their island of St. Lucia, Achille does not give into tourism and retains his connection to the sea. I appreciate how the concepts from a single class here can inform and enrich our learning in other classes.

Last night during study hours, we also wrote letters to our sending schools to tell them about the experiences we’ve had here. It’s been amazing here, and I can’t believe we only have 9 days left in the semester.

Student Update

Student Update November 20, 2012

We did it! The Half-Marathon and the Super Swim were great successes. The first event was the Half-Marathon which took place on Saturday. After getting up at 5:00 in the morning, the supporters, consisting of the swimmers and faculty, each went to their respective spots along the 13.1 mile run. I was cheering the runners on at the 1.5 mile mark, and because the run was an out and back, I was able to see everybody at the very beginning and then as they were finishing. We gave each runner water, grapefruit, and plenty of screaming and shouting to keep them going. Maybe I went a bit overboard with my cheering. I did feel a bit sorry when I was screaming in their faces and jumping up and down as the exhausted runners began their final stretch. But all in all it was amazing to see the runners accomplish their big event after training so hard for it. Congratulations to all runners! “You is my hero” (words on the support sign I held up as they passed).

The next day, Sunday, was the Super Swim. Continue reading →

Student Update

Student Update November 23, 2012

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It’s the day after Thanksgiving (Happy Black Friday)! Yesterday at the Island School was a great day. It was full of laughs, giving thanks, as well as classes. In Human Ecology, we continued to work on our final projects. It was great to see each project coming together as the Human Ecology Extravaganza in the upcoming week approaches, where we’ll all be presenting what we’ve accomplished with our group. After classes, the whole community came together dressed up at dinner circle. Each one of us at circle went around saying what we were thankful for. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be here at the Island School and to be part of such a wonderful community.

After giving thanks, we all sat down in the dining hall. The walls of the dining hall were decorated with the hand turkey drawings we made, as well as the final touches of the Caciques and faculty. Continue reading →