I am filled with anticipation and excitement for my study abroad trip to Strasbourg, France. The idea of combining traveling and teaching makes me beyond happy because I have been considering teaching abroad. Strasbourg, France is a beautiful place (according to all of the pictures I have looked up about it) and a genuine opportunity to observe and teach in a high school abroad. I have many goals and ideas for learning activities to accomplish in France to help me further my education and to help me become a better teacher!
My first goal is to observe and document the similarities and differences between a WV high school and a French high school. I think it is important for educators to not only know what is going on in the county around them but also the world! With the individualized state testing, the students and faculty are not as familiar with where other countries are ranked. It would be exciting to see what the students are learning compared to what I was teaching my students during my internship. I want to observe classroom routines, social interactions between the students, lesson planning, technology usage, and the teacher-student relationship. The learning activities that I will use to accomplish this goal are observations, interviews, and note-taking. I’m not talking about just recording what is going on in the lesson, but how the students are interacting, asking if they are engaged, and the asking my mentor teacher about the planning that went creating the lesson.
Another goal that I have for studying abroad is to be immersed in a new culture that I really know nothing about. Throughout middle school, high school, and college I have studied Spanish; I have even studied abroad in Spain. I want to sight-see and explore and look at the numerous influences that this amazing town will have where it is so close to a variety of countries. I will be going on many weekend trips to help me achieve this goal. I believe that this will help me be able to connect to my ESL learners when I have them in my classroom. American immerses kids in grade level curriculum, so I want to be immersed to know what it is like!
The last of my three main goals is to look at the school beyond the classroom. I truly want to see how the school works, know their mission for their students, see how they treat teachers, and see if they engage in professional learning communities. As a life-long learner and lover of reflection I want to see how other teachers and the administration feel about these characteristics to help me understand if I would be truly happy teaching abroad. I will engage in this by using observations and interviews as well. I want to talk to the principal (headmaster?) and discuss with other teachers outside of the classroom! Researching the school and schooling in France and Europe will also help me achieve this goal.
I plan to assess myself through my online blog. I will be taking notes and observations during the school days and hopefully blogging about my notes and experiences about four times a week. With each post I wish to dig deeper into my goals, expose new inquiries, and answer the questions that I am already curious about. I plan on sharing my blog with the teachers at my home PDS of Morgantown High School so that they can see the routines, strategies, and level that students in another country are engaging in. I will also be doing a presentation on fun teaching techniques and what I learned while being a teacher abroad to the teachers of MHS and the students of the Benedum Collaborative. I have also been in contact with the French teacher at MHS in hopes to come in and talk to her classroom about what students their own age in a different country are like.
I am so excited for this opportunity, and can't wait to get started!
Literature Review
Coryell, J. E. (2011). The Foreign City as Classroom: Adult Learning in Study Abroad. Adult Learning, 22(3), 4-11
This research study discusses why studying abroad is a great way to develop and intercultural sensitivity and awareness. Studying abroad in America has increased by 150% in only the last ten years, and of those students studying abroad most of them are upper level junior, seniors, or grad students. This study specifically researches “What is the nature of learning interactions (the socially-constructed and relations) within a short-term study abroad community of practice?” Coryell (2011, p.4-5) Observations, Student journaling, and interactions with the programs activity were the assessments. The findings stated that most learning was done with the professors and other learners at the institution; though the cross-cultural interactions with natives helped the students understand culture diversity. The act of self-reflection was the major factor in the calculations of this data.
King, R., Findlay, A., Ahrens, J., & Dunne, M. (2011). Reproducing advantage: the perspective of English school leavers on studying abroad. Globalisation, Societies & Education, 9(2), 161-181. doi:10.1080/14767724.2011.577307
This study researched the type of people who were interested in studying abroad in England. They looked at the proportion of higher education students who showed interest, why they want to study abroad, and characteristics about the schooling and abroad experience that they would be receiving. Some statistics were that only about 3% of students study abroad, while 10% really want to but do not apply. Many people in England go to places that also speak English instead of other European countries. Though studying abroad does improve a student’s interculturalism and graduate level competitiveness many students, there is a dividing factor that the elite become more elite because they can afford it and have previously experienced abroad in another fashion.
Kutner, L. (2010). Study-Abroad Programs as Information Producers: An Expanding Role for Support of Our Students Studying Abroad. Journal Of Library Administration, 50(7/8), 767-778. doi:10.1080/01930826.2010.488962
This research paper goes into the needs of people who study abroad, as a specific user group, are supported by librarians. It also explores how those who do not go to commercial places but go with service-learning/ project-based learning in nontraditional locations can find support. Research was looked at expanding traditional collaborative relationships, the possibility exists for librarians to work alongside study-abroad programs to ensure that valuable work done within host communities is left accessible to the local community as well as to future students and scholars. The findings suggest that buy supporting libraries and the research that goes into databases; we can explore study abroad opportunities and history through them. Global libraries can connect people at home and abroad through research and development.
MARTINEZ, L. (2011). The Study Abroad Advantage. Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, 28(21), 25
This article talks about how students need to be in contact with customs outside of the U.S. because of globalized market and to help them be prepared for the job field of so many new markets. It also states that 80.5% of the students who studied abroad were white and that minority students should not overlook this experience and miss out on a crucial job market. No matter what you study abroad, the act of studying abroad shows initiative and has increased your understanding of the world. Studying abroad can also be an act of rejuvenation because it is a break from the monotonous school work load. Learning about diversity through conversations is just as fundamental as sitting through a lecture. This article stresses that there needs to be better access to financial aid, study abroad opportunities, and a discussion to help the school gauge where most students want to go especially for the minority students.
Mastroianni, A. J., & Kelly, D. L. (2013). Undergraduate Study Abroad Experiences: Changing Attitudes Towards Cultural Diversity and Careers. Insights To A Changing World Journal, 2013(4), 1-11
This research study focused on three hypothesis: individuals who study abroad before college will most likely study abroad again in college, individuals who study abroad in college are most likely to seek out career opportunities in a culturally diverse work environment, and individuals who study abroad prior to graduating college have a higher openness to experience factor with respect to careers, travel, and/or relocation. This was calculated by 286 surveys by students with a variety of backgrounds. The authors continue to do research.
My first goal is to observe and document the similarities and differences between a WV high school and a French high school. I think it is important for educators to not only know what is going on in the county around them but also the world! With the individualized state testing, the students and faculty are not as familiar with where other countries are ranked. It would be exciting to see what the students are learning compared to what I was teaching my students during my internship. I want to observe classroom routines, social interactions between the students, lesson planning, technology usage, and the teacher-student relationship. The learning activities that I will use to accomplish this goal are observations, interviews, and note-taking. I’m not talking about just recording what is going on in the lesson, but how the students are interacting, asking if they are engaged, and the asking my mentor teacher about the planning that went creating the lesson.
Another goal that I have for studying abroad is to be immersed in a new culture that I really know nothing about. Throughout middle school, high school, and college I have studied Spanish; I have even studied abroad in Spain. I want to sight-see and explore and look at the numerous influences that this amazing town will have where it is so close to a variety of countries. I will be going on many weekend trips to help me achieve this goal. I believe that this will help me be able to connect to my ESL learners when I have them in my classroom. American immerses kids in grade level curriculum, so I want to be immersed to know what it is like!
The last of my three main goals is to look at the school beyond the classroom. I truly want to see how the school works, know their mission for their students, see how they treat teachers, and see if they engage in professional learning communities. As a life-long learner and lover of reflection I want to see how other teachers and the administration feel about these characteristics to help me understand if I would be truly happy teaching abroad. I will engage in this by using observations and interviews as well. I want to talk to the principal (headmaster?) and discuss with other teachers outside of the classroom! Researching the school and schooling in France and Europe will also help me achieve this goal.
I plan to assess myself through my online blog. I will be taking notes and observations during the school days and hopefully blogging about my notes and experiences about four times a week. With each post I wish to dig deeper into my goals, expose new inquiries, and answer the questions that I am already curious about. I plan on sharing my blog with the teachers at my home PDS of Morgantown High School so that they can see the routines, strategies, and level that students in another country are engaging in. I will also be doing a presentation on fun teaching techniques and what I learned while being a teacher abroad to the teachers of MHS and the students of the Benedum Collaborative. I have also been in contact with the French teacher at MHS in hopes to come in and talk to her classroom about what students their own age in a different country are like.
I am so excited for this opportunity, and can't wait to get started!
Literature Review
Coryell, J. E. (2011). The Foreign City as Classroom: Adult Learning in Study Abroad. Adult Learning, 22(3), 4-11
This research study discusses why studying abroad is a great way to develop and intercultural sensitivity and awareness. Studying abroad in America has increased by 150% in only the last ten years, and of those students studying abroad most of them are upper level junior, seniors, or grad students. This study specifically researches “What is the nature of learning interactions (the socially-constructed and relations) within a short-term study abroad community of practice?” Coryell (2011, p.4-5) Observations, Student journaling, and interactions with the programs activity were the assessments. The findings stated that most learning was done with the professors and other learners at the institution; though the cross-cultural interactions with natives helped the students understand culture diversity. The act of self-reflection was the major factor in the calculations of this data.
King, R., Findlay, A., Ahrens, J., & Dunne, M. (2011). Reproducing advantage: the perspective of English school leavers on studying abroad. Globalisation, Societies & Education, 9(2), 161-181. doi:10.1080/14767724.2011.577307
This study researched the type of people who were interested in studying abroad in England. They looked at the proportion of higher education students who showed interest, why they want to study abroad, and characteristics about the schooling and abroad experience that they would be receiving. Some statistics were that only about 3% of students study abroad, while 10% really want to but do not apply. Many people in England go to places that also speak English instead of other European countries. Though studying abroad does improve a student’s interculturalism and graduate level competitiveness many students, there is a dividing factor that the elite become more elite because they can afford it and have previously experienced abroad in another fashion.
Kutner, L. (2010). Study-Abroad Programs as Information Producers: An Expanding Role for Support of Our Students Studying Abroad. Journal Of Library Administration, 50(7/8), 767-778. doi:10.1080/01930826.2010.488962
This research paper goes into the needs of people who study abroad, as a specific user group, are supported by librarians. It also explores how those who do not go to commercial places but go with service-learning/ project-based learning in nontraditional locations can find support. Research was looked at expanding traditional collaborative relationships, the possibility exists for librarians to work alongside study-abroad programs to ensure that valuable work done within host communities is left accessible to the local community as well as to future students and scholars. The findings suggest that buy supporting libraries and the research that goes into databases; we can explore study abroad opportunities and history through them. Global libraries can connect people at home and abroad through research and development.
MARTINEZ, L. (2011). The Study Abroad Advantage. Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, 28(21), 25
This article talks about how students need to be in contact with customs outside of the U.S. because of globalized market and to help them be prepared for the job field of so many new markets. It also states that 80.5% of the students who studied abroad were white and that minority students should not overlook this experience and miss out on a crucial job market. No matter what you study abroad, the act of studying abroad shows initiative and has increased your understanding of the world. Studying abroad can also be an act of rejuvenation because it is a break from the monotonous school work load. Learning about diversity through conversations is just as fundamental as sitting through a lecture. This article stresses that there needs to be better access to financial aid, study abroad opportunities, and a discussion to help the school gauge where most students want to go especially for the minority students.
Mastroianni, A. J., & Kelly, D. L. (2013). Undergraduate Study Abroad Experiences: Changing Attitudes Towards Cultural Diversity and Careers. Insights To A Changing World Journal, 2013(4), 1-11
This research study focused on three hypothesis: individuals who study abroad before college will most likely study abroad again in college, individuals who study abroad in college are most likely to seek out career opportunities in a culturally diverse work environment, and individuals who study abroad prior to graduating college have a higher openness to experience factor with respect to careers, travel, and/or relocation. This was calculated by 286 surveys by students with a variety of backgrounds. The authors continue to do research.
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