5-RESEARCH

The Heuristic View

CI Masters degree graduates, as critical consumers of educational

research, appreciate the role of educational research for informing
practice. M. Ed. graduates develop the skills to conduct classroom
research. M.S. graduates, as producers of educational research, collect
and analyze data and formally share their research findings.
As part of my masters program I have been working with the student
chapter of Engineers Without Borders-UIdaho as their Education Lead.
We are currently designing a water distribution system for a small
village in the Altiplano of Bolivia. I have had the opportunity to write
grants, negotiate with government officials, travel to Bolivia, teach
about safe water practices (covering sources, water management,
hygiene), and present our project at multiple venues. The research I
have conducted and the training about how to report my findings (EDCI
570) have influenced who I am as a teacher and as a humanitarian.
Teaching in other countries gives one an appreciation for cultural
diversity in the classroom and prepares teachers for all types of
students with individual learning styles. One finds universal references
and experiences from which to draw when they are exposed to
different cultures. EWB-UI is still in the early stages of partnership with
this community, but we have been preparing materials for hygiene
instruction and an Operation and Maintenance Manual for the system
that we are implementing this summer. By teaching community
members using pictures and hands-on experience, we hope to give
them the tools for sustainable use and expansion of their current
system, including but not limited to other distribution systems with in
the community, latrines, and further source development. After each
trip we are required to document our findings and experience for EWBUSA, our national organization. This gives us an opportunity to
organize data and make improvements for the next phase of the
project. We keep in contact with the community throughout the year
using Skype, so we have a continually open dialogue to discuss
concerns and measure progress.
I love humanitarian aid work because I feel that I am contributing to
the world in a meaningful way. My desire to positively impact peoples
lives is one of the reasons that I am interested in teaching. My
involvement with Engineers Without Borders has taught me how to

collaborate with many types of people, be patient in times of adversity,

be flexible, be kind, smile more, be hard working, express myself in
writing, teach despite language barriers, and how to value every step
of the learning process including making mistakes. I learn every day as
part of EWB-UI and my involvement has changed who I am as a
teacher and a citizen of the world.

The Service View

Many people will never feel that they have made a difference. I get to
see how I am making a difference every time we have a Skype meeting
with members of the community. I have traveled to Bolivia and shaken
hands with people who dont have access to clean water but still want
their children to get an education. I am so grateful that I can use my
talents and resources to help these people achieve their goals.
Teaching and humanitarian aid work are so rewarding because I can
see progress correlated with my service.

I am prepared to teach different cultures and learning styles based on

my experience teaching in Bolivia. Many of my students are adults
who can read and write but are not accustomed to the Western
classroom format. Much of my teaching is done using pictures and
petrifilm samples because they are powerful tools and I do not have a
very good grasp of the language. My assessments are observation of
behaviors but I only get to see the community members in person once
a year and some of the leaders every couple of months through Skype.
The paperwork and presentations associated with our project
give us good sources of reflection so that we can improve building,
designing and teaching techniques between visits to the community.
The success of our project hinges on collaboration with the
community. Our goal is to meet their needs on their terms. We include
members of the community in the design and give them full veto
power on the project at any time. We do much of our work remotely
which necessitates open communication from both parties.
As members of the Moscow community, we build a bridge from
our community to theirs through fundraising and different events.

I intend to stay active in humanitarian aid work throughout my career. I

would love to set up a program where high school students could be
involved in fundraising and design efforts to better their community or

other communities around the world. Humanitarian aid work is

empowering and rewarding and I believe that everyone should have
the opportunity to see their efforts come to fruition in a meaningful
way.
The Learning View

I joined EWB-UI in August 2013 and have continued to grow as a

person through my involvement. I believe in the cause and adore the
people that I work with. My grandmother says, If you are lucky enough
to find a job that you love, you will never work a day in your life. I
found that in EWB and I found that in teaching. I have gained
confidence in myself as an educator and as a capable member of
society through my research and have become a collaborator and
designer. I love what I do and I love the people that I do it for and with.
I have written so much over the course of my research and continue to
be responsible for filling our massive amounts of paperwork and
meeting hard deadlines. This has given me an appreciation for hard
work and timeliness. I have also gained research skills such as data
collection and organization, information gathering, report writing,
interviewing, and designing. I have learned to work under pressure and
in uncomfortable circumstances. I gained an appreciation for the
opportunities that have made my life easy and allowed me to receive
an education.
What language have you acquired to share your insights with others?
Broken Spanish, 3M petrifilm, municipality, valve box, source
protection, assessment trip, implementation trip, red tape, Altiplano,
concrete mix design, 500 series, 600 series, TLA, spring box, tapstand,
Civil 3D, EPANet, AutoCad, etc.