I remember the first time I got on a plane to spend eight weeks in Spain on a study abroad program. I was 19, traveling alone, and had never navigated an airport by myself before, let alone an international airport in another country. I was so afraid, but under that fear was this wonderful level of excitement..... one that seemed to be whispering to me that I was going to have not just an amazing summer, but a life-changing one. And it was. Since 2001, I have completed two additional study abroad programs in Spain, another in Chile, and have spent a portion of a few summers in Peru and Costa Rica. What I experienced on that very first study abroad trip turned me into a global citizen. I saw that there was not just one way of living, one way of learning, one way of growing up, one way of dying. It made me hungry to know more of the world.... more of its perspectives, people, history and places. Here I am again, about to embark on a new travel experience to a place, a continent I've really never been before. In just a handful of days I'm off to Ghana. It is a culture I know almost nothing about, a language that I will understand but probably have some difficulties with due to variations in English, and a people that of course look very different from me! In the two weeks I'll be in Ghana, I will be spending almost a week in Sunyani, at the Notre Dame Secondary School for girls. A Catholic boarding high school, I will surely feel somewhat out of place as a white American in a building of over 500 African girls. While I most certainly have felt like an "outsider" before in various situations in my life, I think this will be a different kind of feeling. That being said, based on the fact that their school motto is "We Are One," just maybe I will feel right at home. After all, we ARE one.... one human family. One of my favorite phrases is the African phrase "Ubuntu"-- I am because we are. I think these next two weeks will change me once again. This kind of fear isn't so much the "I fear for my safety fear." It's the fear of the unknown. The fear of something you can't quite name, but in the gut, you know is a good thing. That's what I've learned about fear. It's not always something to be so afraid of :)
2 Comments
Africa... I'm ready! Since 2001, I've done a lot of traveling. I've spent substantial time in Spain over the course of many summers, short vacations in Italy and Paris, two months in Chile, various weeks in Peru between 2006 and 2012, and most recently, I spent three weeks in Costa Rica. I've done so much traveling to Spanish speaking countries in order to enhance my language skills and always have new cultural experiences to bring to my students. This will be my first time in Africa. I couldn't be more excited. I am traveling as a part of the Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellowship with the US Department of State. I will be in Ghana for two weeks. The first few days will be spent in the capital, Accra, and a week will be spent in Sunyani, working with and teaching at Notre Dame Secondary Schools for Girls. From gathering information via the internet, I've learned that Notre Dame Secondary School is one of the best schools in the country, but the area historically had one of the lowest education rates for girls in all of Ghana. The motto of the school is "We Are One." It is also a boarding school, so there are girls that come from villages throughout Ghana. Classes are conducted in English, however, many languages are represented in the school. I love this motto. It made me think about my own high school. At my high school, over half the population constitutes of minorities (I think I need to make a blog post about why I hate that word), mostly being Hispanic. There are over 20 languages spoken by students within the district. The history of our town in rooted in Dutch colonization, and sometimes it seems to me that the city is still trying to figure out its identity, often going back and forth between its traditional history and current multicultural status. I have been asked to develop an essential question while I'm in Ghana; one that I can take perspectives of and apply locally. Using the theme "We are One" and what I've learned about the school, my question is "How does a diverse school create a shared identity while still honoring individual traditions and beliefs?" I'm excited to see how their "we are one" motto plays out in the school's daily and yearly activities, as well as its programs. I wonder if it's what kids rally around. I'm curious if it empowers all in their learning and growth. I simply can't wait for this experience! So much to learn, so much to see, so much to gain! "I can see myself in all things and all people around me." ~Sanskrit phrase I love learning new concepts and ways of thinking because there's always some "aha" moment, and then it becomes impossible to turn back to the way I thought before. As a world language teacher, one could say that I've always taught through a global education lens. Perspectives, practices and products of the target language culture is always something I've considered important to teach about, but after completing the State Department's "Teachers for Global Classrooms" fellowship program, my lens became magnified. Learning a second language is not just a gateway to the countries that speak that language, it is a gateway to the world. While I absolutely want my students to gain an understanding of the products and practices of the Spanish-speaking world, I want them to be able to apply the skills they've gained to the world at large (learning to appreciate other perspectives, a desire to understand perspectives different from one's own, and seeing that one's personal way of life isn't the only way, or even always the best way). Since the Teachers for Global Classrooms program has ended, I've expanded my teaching to exploring the whole globe, in Spanish. Recently, students were learning how to describe daily routines (getting ready for school, the school day, and afternoon and nightly activities). Each student investigated daily life in any country in the world, and presented to their classmates what life was like for a teenager there. We learned about daily life in various countries within Africa, about daily life in Afghanistan, Brazil, Australia, Norway, Ireland, and Indonesia, to name just a handful. Actually, out of 55 students or so, only 5 or so picked a country where the official language was Spanish! I think that's quite telling as to the curiosity of these teens. Music from the country was featured during the presentations, and in many of them, we learned about typical lunch and dinner dishes. We also sometimes were able to explore gender differences. The presentations led to many conversations outside of just vocabulary and grammar. If it weren't for all the snow days lately, we could have done even so much more. In the past, I think education has been thought of as a preparation for the world after graduation. I think it's time to re-frame, and grow. Why prepare students for the world in 18 years? We must bring the world to our learners, today. View " Daily Life in Our World" assignment here:
|
AuthorI am a teacher, traveler, and life-long learner. I connect students and teachers to globally -focused learning. I believe students crave to understand and interact with the world. I have a Michigan home, and a global heart. Archives
August 2018
Categories
All
|