El Camino Real De Tierra Adentro
Junio 2002
Pagina 5

SubeConnects

Preserving the cultural and ecological diversity of our planetSubeConnects is a cultural exchange program between elementary school classrooms in New Mexico and Mexico. Our vision is to connect teachers and children between the U.S. and Latin America, providing them with the training and resources to cross-culturally explore common cultural and ecological issues. We facilitate the communication and cultural exchanges using new multi media tools such as digital storytelling, video-conferencing camera software and internet technologies.

Note from the founder:

SubeConnects evolved from a language program that I created called SUBE. My goal was to develop a multi-media approach that taught and helped to preserve the Spanish language in elementary school classrooms in a new and exciting way, I hope to eventually create the same model for English and other languages.

I believe one of the greatest challenges of globalization is that of preserving language and cultural diversity instead of melting all cultures into one. Elementary school teachers such as those participating in the SubeConnects project, strive with this challenge everyday. In this column I will highlight their personal stories and contributions. Their experiences make ourvision a reality. If you are interested in joining the project or becoming a sponsor please contact me. Thank you,

Agnes Chavez, Founder

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Teacher stories:

To live along the Camino Real...to live among cultures older than that of the Founding fathers of America...to live midst the sand dunes alongside the Roi Grande in sight of the Sangro de Cristo mountain's...this is Northern New Mexico. You see the twisted pillars and the tiles of the Moors in architecture. You listen to the folk tales that were brought from Spain. You attend performances of medieval plays found in old church archives. You see native dances that combine elements of our tri-cultures. The native arts, foods, language and old traditions, many stemming from Mexico.

Having lived in Spain over twenty years and having studied New Mexico cultures for ten years, I was still at a loss on how to present these traditions to elementary school students. With a low budget, I found few teaching materials available on the rich natural resources along the Camino Real. I wasn't sure how topresent the often tragic history, of the Camino Real to young children. When Agnes Chavez created SubeConnects, I saw a solution to my problem of limited preparation and class time.

SubeConnects is the beginning of a link between New Mexican children and children in Mexico. It focuses on cultural, linguistic, environmental and ecological comparisons along the Camino Real, from Chihuahua to Taos and can be viewed at www.subeconnects.org. Lesson units are easily accessed by parents, schools and interested groups. They are in Spanish and English.Words can not describe the look oh the face's Of my second graders when we made our first internet connections with our Spanish-speaking "e-pals". The interest in the Spanish language, the history of Mexico and Spain, the native plants of different areas, the monarch butterflies migration, the music, dance and artexplored in this project will stay with them always.

We are going to continue this connection next year, thereby fulfilling Spanish and portions of the natural sciences, geography, language, arts, computer training, multicultural awareness, fine arts and social studies curricula required by the State Department of Education.SubeConnects, has inspired wonderful enrichment activities in our school. We made a book of native plants, we learned how to write letters in Spanish, we made a video clip of the children singing in Spanish and will send it to our new friends. We went to a retired citizens home and sang songs in Spanish and we studied the geography and history of the Camino Real. We studied the rich and sad history of the Aztecs and the Mayans. Next year we will plant trees in Riparian habitats...all of this in collaboration with our cultural exchange classroom that tell us about similar projects in their region through photos and drawings.

I foresee the day when Subeconnects will expand to include all ages with actual, exchange visits in both countries. The SubeConnects vision brings pride to our New Mexican children...pride in their heritages, in their languages, in their uniqueness. As one of my students wrote to his new e-pal, "¡Que seamos amigos para siempre!"

Stefanie Stevens, Spanish teacher
Taos Charter School
Taos, New Mexico