Touching hearts - Young/Old @ Home/Abroad: Toward internationalization in education through K-12 & university partnerships

Location

Room 212

Strand #1

Teaching - General/Other

Strand #2

Service/Programs - General/Other

Relevance

This presentation will focus on teaching & connections between K-5 & University, Service is listed as the second strand because the aim is to benefit US students through serving students (and others) in Nicaragua.

NOTE: Dave is submitting two proposals with different co-authors. Both are being submitted under "panel." While the primary & secondary strands are inverted, the two sessions together would work well as a single session. The other session is entitled “Serving to Learn: Blending Education with Sustainable Humanitarian Service.”

Brief Program Description

Let the “Edventure” begin. Come explore a fledgling partnership between a US elementary school, a nearby university, and both urban and rural schools in Nicaragua. Presenters will explore efforts to serve underserved populations and spread global good-will both domestically and internationally as we seek to address the need for young people to prepare for life in a global society.

Summary

This session will explore the cooperative efforts of an International Baccalaureate elementary school with faculty from a nearby university to expand the perceptions and world-views of students and teachers at both the elementary and post-secondary levels. As the globe shrinks through technical advancements in transportation, communication, and global business endeavors, the onus increases for faculty at all levels to consider ways to prepare students to not only think outside the box, but to also think outside their own cultural constraints. The presenters for this session believe these efforts should begin early and continue throughout the entirety of a students' educational career and are in the process of forging connections between the elementary school, the university, and a two school systems in Nicaragua: one urban and the other rural.

The planned collaboration between the elementary school and university will include connections through the International Baccalaureate program, focus on expanding students world view through gradual, repeated, and meaning-filled exposure to Nicaraguan culture. Since it is unrealistic to expect elementary students to travel directly to Nicaragua, several "next-best-steps" will be implemented instead. In-service teachers from the elementary school and pre-service teachers from the university will travel to Nicaragua, serve in the schools there, take videos, and share these experiences with the elementary school students as they lead students on virtual field trips. Parents of school-age children from Nicaragua will also be invited to come and address students. Further, we will attempt to establish traditional pen-pal connections and, if possible, video-conference connections between children in the US and in Nicaragua. Domestically, efforts to include, highlight, and value the local Hispanic community are already underway.

The team working on this projects is aware of the danger of unintentionally doing harm through ignorance of cultural norms and though imperialistic humanitarianism and is making every effort to ensure that their efforts are both culturally aware and sustainable, so that the benefits are received not only on the US side, but in Nicaragua as well. A primary goal of this session, therefore, is to suggest new ideas and best practices for global education initiatives.

EVIDENCE:

Fischer, K. (2009). Short study-abroad trips can have lasting effect, research suggests. The Chronicle of Higher Education, (February 20).

Gándara, P. C., & Aldana, U. S. (2014). Who’s Segregated Now? Latinos, Language, and the Future of Integrated Schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, 50(5), 735-748.

Malewski, E., & Phillion, J. (2009). International field experiences: The impact of class, gender and race on the perceptions and experiences of preservice teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(1), 52-60.

Pence, H. M., & Macgillivray, I. K. (2008). The impact of an international field experience on preservice teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(1), 14-25.

Poole, C. M., & Russell, W. B. (2014). Global Perspectives of Elementary School Teachers: A Research Study. Journal of International Social Studies, 3(2), 18-31.

Stainfield, J., Fisher, P., Ford, B., & Solem, M. (2000). International virtual field trips: a new direction?. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 24(2), 255-262.

Tang, S. Y. F., & Choi, P. L. (2004). The development of personal, intercultural and professional competence in international field experience in initial teacher education. Asia Pacific Education Review, 5(1), 50-63.

Willard-Holt, C. (2001). The impact of a short-term international experience for preservice teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(4), 505-517.

Wilson, A. H. (1984). Teachers as short-term international sojourners: Opening windows on the world. The Social Studies, 75(4), 153-157.

Format

Panel Discussion - 30 minutes

Biographical Sketch

Tina Humphries

Principal, Hendrix Elementary IB World School-Spartanburg District Two Schools

Associate of Arts, Spartanburg Methodist College; Bachelor of Arts in Special Education, Converse College; Masters of Elementary Education, Converse College; Masters of Education in Supervision and Administration, USC Columbia; Coordinator Cultural Exchange Programs-Gifu City Japan, Izumi Chuo Kindergarten; Parcels Community School, Nicaragua-English Teacher/ Supervisor, Baoding Elementary Baoding. China; Shi Jia Zhuang Elementary Heibe, China; American Delegate of Education to China Hanban-Confucious Institute Beijing, China; Compassion for Migrant Children, Administrator of Professional Development, Beijing, China; Camp Raphayada, Seiki, Japan; Exploratory Team, Ruuska Village Porta Prince, Haiti.

Maria Trejo

Bilingual Computer Lab Technician, Hendrix Elementary IB World School

Associate of Arts Spartanburg Community College, Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, USC Upstate, Masters of Teaching in Elementary Education, Converse College Translating and Interpretation, USC Upstate, Facilitator Spanish Club Hendrix IB World School, Partnership Nicaragua, Parcels Community School; Facilitator Rosetta Stone-Hispanic Community, Coordinate Friday Fiesta Program at Hendrix IB World School; English Crossing-Childcare Coordinator; Partner with Sonrise Church –Backpack Meals; Community Outreach-Chosen Children Ministries- Co Author of El’ Dia de Santiago/Santiago’s Day -bilingual Spanish Book

Allison Watson

Allison Maxwell Watson, IB coordinator at Hendrix IB World School. Compassionate about teaching others the importance of being internationally minded. Enjoys traveling to developing countries and gaining new perspectives.

Robin Brannon

Robin Brannon is a Physical Education teacher at Hendrix Elementary IB Word School and Adjunct Instructor of Health Education at University of South Carolina Upstate. She has taught ESOL in Nicaragua and serves there with Chosen Children Ministries.

David Marlow

David W. Marlow is Associate Professor of English, ESOL, and Linguistics at the University of South Carolina Upstate. He has taught ESOL in China, Japan, Nicaragua, and the US. He also serves on the Board of Directors for 516NOW, a faith-based international humanitarian service organization.

NOTE:
< We can reformat any or all of these bios for consistency if you'd like!! >

Keyword Descriptors

School-University-Community partnerships, Nicaragua, Pre-service/In-service teachers, Sustainability

Presentation Year

2015

Start Date

9-18-2015 2:15 PM

End Date

9-18-2015 3:15 PM

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Sep 18th, 2:15 PM Sep 18th, 3:15 PM

Touching hearts - Young/Old @ Home/Abroad: Toward internationalization in education through K-12 & university partnerships

Room 212

Let the “Edventure” begin. Come explore a fledgling partnership between a US elementary school, a nearby university, and both urban and rural schools in Nicaragua. Presenters will explore efforts to serve underserved populations and spread global good-will both domestically and internationally as we seek to address the need for young people to prepare for life in a global society.