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PLA Farewell Thoughts

First, I wanted to take an opportunity to thank Ed and Helen for everything they do for the PLA. I truly believe that they are the heart and soul of the program and it has been a pleasure to spend time with them throughout my time at Penn State. The energy and...

Spanish Education (Part 2)

The constitution that was written reaching many compromises to allow for a successful transition to democracy set the grounds for an ideological battle fought through education and pitting public and private education (generally related to the Catholic Church) against...

Spanish Education Reform (Part 1)

Education is central to any society’s advancement, so it is not surprising that its state is one of the main concerns that people have when it comes to which of our nation’s pillars the government should be invested in improving. However, serious consideration...

Separation of Church and State

From a very young age I have considered education the central pillar on which society rests, so being now enrolled in my sixth educational institution and third away from home I cannot help but notice the flaws in our educational system. The rooted imperfections that...

Institutional Endogamy

I came to the US to study in an effort to escape the decrepit educational system in Spain. There are many intrinsic issues that are deeply rooted in the Spanish educational system, which joint to the erroneous approaches to repair it, is making Spanish education...

Spanish Schoolmaster Part 2

Education is the main pillar of society and teachers are the backbone of education. The government needs to focus their attention on assessing and tackling the problems that the teacher force faces today in Spain. Currently, teachers are discredited, unmotivated,...

Spanish Schoolmaster

After being in five different schools as I grew up, I can say that I have encountered several special teachers that have had a strong influence on who I am today. Thinking back, I can name a couple names of educators that became my mentors and to whom I looked for...

Embracing Change?

I have always considered change to be a good thing. I do not like the feeling of stagnation and do not fear an upcoming change, but instead enjoy adapting and learning. This Christmas break was a little bit different. For the past eight years, I have been studying in...

A Dormant Pedagogic Revolution

In late June of 2008, after years of hearing about ‘El Colegio Estudio’ at home, I said goodbye to my friends at the British school I attended in Madrid to fulfill a dream I did not yet fully understand. ‘Estudio’ was a very special school, one that many members of my...