Tesoro Cultural Center- Nicole Mittelstadt

            We went to the Tesoro Cultural Center as a class for IS 201.  The whole place was really neat.  There were several little shops, booths, and even a tipi.  A couple of my roommates got their faces painted with designs Native American women would have worn in that time period.  The artifacts in the tipi were very interesting.  It’s so hard for me to imagine only living off the land and having to use animal parts and other natural objects for everything from clothing to tools.  On the other side of the fort there were several booths set up.  Each one was selling a different type of art or jewelry.  Their pieces were so original! I had never seen anything similar to any of them.  The Spanish style is so unique and colorful.  Most of the pieces were a tad pricey for my college student budget, but if I had the money I would have bought several items.  One of my favorite parts of the trip was watching the flamenco dancing.  The guitar and percussion instruments had to maintain a complex rhythmic beat while keeping up with the pace of the dancer.  Her beautiful costume was an authentic flamenco dress with a bright pink design on the skirt.  Her feet seem to be moving a mile a minute.  She must have to practice very frequently to stay in such great shape.  We also listened to a real cowboy talk about his experiences with being on the range and dealing with the other cowboys.  He had told some pretty fun stories.  We even got a picture with him.  While browsing around the authentic clothing, a couple of us had a conversation with the man who handmade everything he was selling.  He said that he has been making his living creating these items for 45 years.  He definitely knew what he was doing.  He also told us how long it took him to make some of the pieces.  Some simple pieces took only a day, whereas other more complicated pieces could take up to eight days to finish.  That’s a lot of work, but it was obvious that he loved what he did.  Overall, I think we had a wonderful time being immersed in this vibrant culture.  

Another Semester in the Books- Sarah Kraayenbrink

Another Semester in the Books!

It’s hard to believe that I only have five more days left of student teaching.  The epitome of my college career is coming to an end, and I look ahead to the future and the joys of being a teacher.   Looking back, time has gone really fast.  Four months ago I was moving to Denver feeling anxious about what lay ahead for the semester.  Now, however, I feel well-prepared and excited for my career as an elementary teacher.   

My name is Sarah Kraayenbrink, and I am from Sioux Center, Iowa.  I didn’t know that I wanted to become an elementary teacher until the end of my sophomore year of college.  Needless to say, I had a lot of catching up to do in order to complete my schooling in just four years.  After having field experience in numerous schools around the Waverly area, I knew that I wanted to experience teaching in an urban setting in order to prepare myself for any kind of teaching job that I might consider in the future.

My experience in two different inner city schools has opened my eyes to the diversity of students.  I started in third grade at Cowell Elementary.  About 90-95% of the students at the school are Hispanic, and I gained a lot of insight and experience working with English Language Learners (ELL).  The school that I am currently working at is Ellis Elementary.  I am in kindergarten, and there are students from Libya, Russia, Albania, Thailand and Mexico.  Nineteen of the twenty-seven students in my class are ELL, and I have enjoyed learning about their home countries and the languages that they speak.  The students have taught me as much as I hope to have taught them, and I have an even deeper appreciation for the diversity around me.

Besides student teaching, I have enjoyed exploring Denver.  A few places that I visited during my time here were the Denver Art Museum, Botanical Gardens, Denver Zoo, a Nuggets game, Balistreri Vineyards, Hammond’s Candy Factoryand and so much more.  I am going to miss Denver and the students that I have been working with a lot, but I am excited to come back in the near future to visit and to enjoy the beauty of this city and the mountains again!

Sarah Kraayenbrink 

Time to say goodbye, winter 2012.

We are sad to say goodbye to another great group of Wartburg students.  Good luck, we will miss you!  To view more pictures from this semester head over to https://www.facebook.com/wartburgwest!

Greetings from Ellis Elementary- Matt Brunsvold

Greetings from Ellis Elementary School in Denver,

My name is Matt Brunsvold and I am from Apple Valley, Minnesota. I decided to do my student teaching out here in Denver for two main reasons: just for the change of scenery and to get experience teaching in an urban school environment. I had been completing field experiences at Wartburg in mainly private schools and a couple in neighboring rural public districts. I am originally from a suburban area and wanted to see the entire spectrum by living downtown in an urban area. Wartburg West is about as downtown Denver as one could get. Taking the bus north for ten minutes or around 14 blocks and it will drop you off right at the state capitol.

The school that I am placed at is named Ellis Elementary. I have had two placements in my time here at Ellis; the first being a 5^th grade reading classroom and the second a 3^rd grade math classroom. I spent seven weeks at my first placement in 5^th grade where I was exposed to the diversity Ellis had to offer. Saying that Ellis is a wonderfully diverse school would almost be an understatement. In the school there are around 25 different native languages spoken by the students and the school right now has about a 68% ELL population, which I’m told is lower than in past years. Students that are identified as ELL are English Language Learners who are learning to speak English on top of the school’s curriculum. On top of the diversity of the school, there is the glaring issue of poverty. 93% of the students receive a free/reduced price lunch which is how the school’s poverty level is determined.

On top of all my teaching experiences, there are so many other things to be doing here. I was so excited that I got a chance to see the group Atmosphere perform at the first ever winter concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater. The weather was freezing but the snow set against the mountain scenery made it all worth it. Other things I have been able to do include seeing 2 plays at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, going to Rocky Mountain National park and hiking around a frozen lake at 9,500 feet elevation, seeing the Denver Botanical Gardens, and go to a Denver Nuggets game. 

Hello from Nicole Felton!

Hi Everyone,

As I write this most of the interns and social work students are packing and preparing for the trip back to the Midwest.  The student teachers have a couple more weeks before they come back to Wartburg.  I cannot believe it is time to say goodbye to Denver.

I have spent the semester doing my senior social work field practicum at the Bridge Project.  Bridge is an afterschool program and community outreach program that serves children living in public housing.  I work in the South Lincoln public housing section of Denver, which serves students age 3-18.  Bridge works to increase the graduation rate among low-income children in order to help reduce the cycle of poverty.

Every day I teach classes to help students progress in literacy skills, assist in teaching social, emotional, and behavioral skills, and provide family support.  I also help with getting the kids snack, doing homework, and being a resource to about 100 kids per day.  I work one-on-one with children who need a person to talk to and I help children work through emotional problems.  My time at the Bridge Project has increased my enjoyment of working with children and I plan to continue my work in this area after graduation.

My time in Denver has been busy.  I have been to the symphony, the Denver Zoo, the ballet Peter Pan, a Colorado Avalanche game, Red Rocks Amphitheater, The Taming of the Shrew, and the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory.  I have spent time exploring downtown and experiencing several new restaurants.  The time I have spent in Denver has allowed me to embrace all the urban setting has to offer.  Coming from a small town, I struggled to understand how so many people could live in a small space, but after living here for a few months I see they do not live on top of each other.  The people actually work together to make the urban lifestyle vivacious and engaging.  My time in Denver has been an amazing chance to practice social work and indulge in living in the city.

Nicole Felton

Hello, Hola, Aloha, Hallo, Olá- Marcela Correa

I am a junior engineering science major from Colombia. I have always been interested in diversity and cultures. The US has always been portrait as a diverse place and it is commonly known as “the melting pot.” My Wartburg West experience has certainly helped me to understand and experience the diversity in this country. My first exposure to diversity was my first night in Denver when I order my food in Spanish in a restaurant just a block away from the apartment building. In my placement, at the University of Colorado, a lady greeted me in Spanish without even asking me if I was from a Spanish speaking country. In a city like Denver is easier to experience diversity and to see how different cultures come together in one place. In my way to work I take a street that is called Colfax Avenue. From downtown Denver to the University of Colorado medical campus you can see how as you keep going east, the different cultures are uncovered. As you get away from downtown, a few blocks are full of African restaurants, then a little bit further, you can see some Asian restaurants, and if you keep going east you will encounter a big portion of the road full of Hispanic stores and restaurants.

 I have definitely enjoyed the large Hispanic community in Denver. I have been able to find places and products that remind me of home. For instance, there is a place where every Saturday they have Salsa night. It is incredible to go to this place and see all the people dancing. It is truly a Latin environment and an example of how cultures can get this far.

Although Denver hosts a lot of international cultures, it also has examples of different places within the States. A couple of weeks ago I went to a place called Luciles. It was a completely different experience. I felt like being in the south. This restaurant is characterized for its food which depicts New Orleans and the south. I was with some friends from Iowa and they mentioned that some of the food that they had was not common in their region. One of them was amazed that we could experience the south by only going to a restaurant.

I have been in Denver for 3 months and I can clearly say that I still have so much to experience. I have had a lot of different experiences with diversity, but there are so much more things in this city that I would like to live. It has been a really good semester and it has certainly opened my eyes to the large diversity of the US. 

Denver Celebrates St. Patrick's Day!

Denver Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day!
By Kimberly Morische

            We have now been in the Mile High City for almost three full months, and our cultural experiences have widened in terms of theater, art, sports, food, and even public transportation.  We have experienced that vast interests of the city’s many inhabitants.  However, during a bright Saturday morning on March 17th, the city came together for one celebration – St. Patrick’s Day.  Nelson and Bonita notified our group in advance that a parade would take place going down Blake and 17th streets, and many of us attended it. 
            I watched the parade with some other Wartburg West students, and it was so much fun to see the energy that was present.  Hundreds of people crowded along the sidewalks, wore green clothing, and cheered as various groups of people proudly sported their Irish heritage in the parade.  My favorite group was a studio of young Irish performers.  We eagerly tried to look over the heads of the many people standing in front of us, wishing for a glimpse of the group of female dancers.  Donned in red-haired wigs and green sparkly dresses, I saw the group dance to a jig as the bagpipers and drummers behind it played with all the bravo they could muster.
            After the parade, people quickly flooded the downtown area surrounding 16th street in hopes of getting a seat in an Irish pub.  We walked as fast as we could to the Tilted Kilt, a very popular restaurant, but unfortunately a line outside the door covered nearly a third of the block.  We did make it to another restaurant called Katie Mullen’s.  They had a festive green tent sent up outside and a Irish band playing onstage.  Spending St. Patrick’s Day in Denver was a wonderful experience that both allowed me to celebrate my small bit of Irish heritage as well as the culture of the city.
            I have very much enjoyed my time spent in Denver.  I am student-teaching in both Spanish and English classrooms.  My first placement was teaching Spanish at Abraham Lincoln High School, and I am now teaching English at Scott Carpenter Middle School.  I love how language is viewed as a precious source of knowledge here in the city.  Because there are so many cultures, nationalities, and languages represented here, I have enjoyed teaching both Spanish and English.  I can see that, overall, my students understand the power of language in society.

Best wishes,
Kimberly Morische