Cuba Trip - 2016

David Hite – Cuba Trip 2016

Cuba – Nov. 2016A Cultural and Educational ExperienceDavid HiteGeorge Washington University


Purpose: The trip was initially planned to be a mix of exploration of business and tourism development through my role as a business instructor at Bluefield College.

I decided to focus this travel opportunity more on Cuban culture and education because of my classes in these two areas of study. As relations with Cuba have opened up, the experience was enriching in a variety of ways, and seeing the culture through my lens as a doctoral student studying social and experiential learning theory and also culture, influenced my interactions differently than if I were traveling for fun.


Transportation Was Exciting



As relations with Cuba have opened up, the experience was enriching in a variety of ways, and seeing the culture through my lens as a doctoral student studying social and experiential learning theory and also culture, influenced my interactions differently than if I were traveling for fun.

Havana, Cuba


Culture - Schein – a pattern of shared basic assumptions learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration

Artifacts (visible) – Music, dance, art, food, and Che (Che Guevara)

Beliefs and Values – Hard work, social connectivity and support, pride

Underlying assumptions – Previous communist past, political instability, and economic challenges.

Havana, Cuba




Cuban values center on the importance of community, family, and equality and they seem to have a strong sense of nationalism.

Between his communist past and Marxism foundation which were drivers of his life’s research, His strong sociocultural theoretical orientation fit well with the revolution’s goals of changing the culture to a socialist system.

Vygotsky Would Love Cuba

Santa Clara, Cuba


EducationIn the early 1960’s, Castro started a significant literacy campaign which increased literacy from 50% to over 98% today. It is ranked 5th in the world compared to the United States which is ranked 24 (National Center for Education Statistics).


The importance of this has deeper meaning as Vygotsky argued that a child's cognitive development stems from a conscious or deliberate understanding of literacy concepts which serves as a foundation as a social tool to help foster stronger thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and language skills (Dorn, 1996).

Near Trinidad, Cuba

Education



The social connections between families and students is greatly influenced by their culture and their challenging environment.




Besides their classwork, students are required to do agriculture work as part of the secondary school program and also be part of political organizations.


The goal of the Cuban educational system is to provide ongoing opportunities of learning for all students, develop an effective learning curriculum reflective of real-world situations,

Considering this, Vygotsky’s cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) has relevance in a country like Cuba.

This theory places heavy emphasis on learning through cultural exposure.

David Hite – Cuba Trip 2016Vinales, Cuba


Educational efforts of the Cuban culture have attempted to model situated learning in the classroom by selecting situations that will engage the learners in complex, realistic, problem-centered activities that will support the desired knowledge to be acquired.


Actively finding solutions to everyday problems when there are limited resources.



I asked why there were always students walking around during all parts of the day. I was informed that students are taught to spend part of their day in social activities outside the classroom. This stresses the importance of mental and physical activities on learning.


One example of a social activity that is expected for a child is to help the parents with work outside, such as working in a family garden or in the fields. This approach teaches youth the importance of the Cuban cultural traditions, along with establishing a positive environment for social interaction which is especially needed for learners in the rural areas of Cuba.

David Hite – Cuba Trip 2016Vinales Cuba

Caves where Fidel Castro hid out



Playa…something something beach near San Cristobal

Conclusion…..


My experience in Cuba was enlightening by helping recognize the power of social and cultural impact on learning.

In addition, the opportunity to engage in additional research related to the significant researchers in the social learning field provided a valuable chance to examine this culture.

As the country engages in the struggle for liberation and social justice, Cuba may provide the roadmap to a more socially just and democratic future that we as educators may learn much from.

Conclusion…..




Entrepreneurs and Business in Cuba

Castro had placed a ban on foreign vehicle imports, making it nearly impossible to buy a brand-new, foreign-made vehicle. It also made it difficult to buy new parts and fuel for the old-school American cars Cuba is known for. The only cars that Cuban citizens can own legally are cars created and bought before 1959. After this year, the Cuban government seized all of the cars, and owns them all to this day. Most of the pre-1959 cars in the country are from the United States.

One very unique experience we frequently had in Cuba dealt with transportation. Most of the cars in Cuba are very old and due to limitations on types of cars that can be imported, a car is a luxury item in Cuba. Until recently, Cubans couldn't legally sell their vehicles so they learned to do everything possible to keep them on the road. We rode mostly in cars that were made before 1960. They treat their cars like members of their family because you couldn’t sell a car, it stays in the family forever.

The General Environment in Cuba

The country of Cuba is only 90 miles from Florida, but theUnfortunately, the combination of low-grade diesel and older engines with no emissions control is causing a major environmental problem for the city. You can see the black clouds of diesel exhaust discharging behind every old car. With the economy picking up, there are more and more cars on the road. The stink of burnt diesel is everywhere. And since most homes and restaurants don't have air conditioning, there is no way to escape the fumes.

Additional notes from my journal: