Two years ago, a colleague told me about a wonderful program through the U.S. Department of State that allowed him to travel through India. Known as the Teachers for Global Classrooms program, coordinated by the Department of State and IREX, the program encourages American teachers to think globally about their profession, their pedagogy, and their impact on students.
I feel very fortunate that I have been chosen as a 2014 TGC fellow. Over the course of the past year, I have worked with teachers across the country to learn more about global education, ranging from resources that will put my students in contact with students from around the world, all the way to methods that will develop skills to help my students achieve greatness in the 21st century world.
Prior to my participation in this course, I viewed global education as merely adding global elements to my classroom, a feat that was relatively attainable as I teach courses (World and European history) that force students to look beyond the borders of the United States. Now, however, my view on global education is truly global. Global education requires all participants to not only think about the world around them, but also to empathize with various perspectives.
Additionally, this course only reaffirmed my long-standing belief that education is the most powerful tool in any corner of the world. It is through education that people are liberated from themselves, from oppressive governments, from the plights of the 21st century; however, it is through a lack of education that many continue to suffer.
This paradigm shift has already transformed my approach to education and my own views of the world; I look forward to continuing that shift this summer as I travel to India. I travel this summer with the hope of continuing to expand my understanding of the world, of global education, and of a culture vastly different than my own that I have spent the last 12 years studying. At the same time, I hope to continue to explore the relationship between education and power in South Asia.
I feel very fortunate that I have been chosen as a 2014 TGC fellow. Over the course of the past year, I have worked with teachers across the country to learn more about global education, ranging from resources that will put my students in contact with students from around the world, all the way to methods that will develop skills to help my students achieve greatness in the 21st century world.
Prior to my participation in this course, I viewed global education as merely adding global elements to my classroom, a feat that was relatively attainable as I teach courses (World and European history) that force students to look beyond the borders of the United States. Now, however, my view on global education is truly global. Global education requires all participants to not only think about the world around them, but also to empathize with various perspectives.
Additionally, this course only reaffirmed my long-standing belief that education is the most powerful tool in any corner of the world. It is through education that people are liberated from themselves, from oppressive governments, from the plights of the 21st century; however, it is through a lack of education that many continue to suffer.
This paradigm shift has already transformed my approach to education and my own views of the world; I look forward to continuing that shift this summer as I travel to India. I travel this summer with the hope of continuing to expand my understanding of the world, of global education, and of a culture vastly different than my own that I have spent the last 12 years studying. At the same time, I hope to continue to explore the relationship between education and power in South Asia.