Over the past 8 weeks I have studied and learned about issues and trends from a global perspective. I have listened to many different stories from around the world via pod casts. I started this class trying to communicate with other educators around the world but quickly realized how extremely difficult that task is given a language and time barrier.
The first insight that I learn when learning about education around the world is that no matter where you live or what the background you have, education is a passion. People teach because they have a passion, the want to educate and help others learn what they know. All over the world people are teaching day in a day out and sometimes for nothing but a smile. This is what I think teaching should be about, it's about making a difference in a child not matter your situation or theirs. Children are often too stressed about their personal lives and need a teacher to help them feel successful in their own way.
The second insight that I had is that poverty is all over the world, not just where we most expect it. Doing the research and seeing how many children in my own state live in poverty is shocking to me. There has to be something more that government officials can do around the world to get children in schools and educated. This is only of the reasons that in my own state of Nevada we are pushing for full-day kindergarten funding. The children coming into school are no where near ready and need a full day of school instead of just a half. We can't start them off only giving them 50%.
The third insight that I had is that it is extremely important for teachers and educators to continue their education. Educators always need to stay up on best practices and educational teachings. They need to make sure that they are high quality teachers and know how to best educate children no matter what their ability level. This is part of the reason why I decided to go back to school. I want to be as educated as possible for myself, my families and my students. I think that it is extremely important to continue to have staff development and educational resources for anyone that works with children.
The goal for continuing my education is to continue to research and study different educational systems in the world. I will try to remain in contact with other parts of the world and also try to develop new contacts. One of the goals that I have always had is to teach in another country and help educate children. I still think that it would be an amazing opportunity to build relationships with teachers in other countries and share teaching experiences in their communities.
Hi Lauren. I agree that the International communication can be hindered by the time barrier. However, we can always work to overcome barriers-unfortunately I wasn't able to in this past 8 weeks. Don't allow it to become an extended barrier so that it wont hinder your goal. I have enjoyed reading your posts and your insights and goal is wonderful. Keep up the good work and allow your passion to stay aflame so that you can continue to make a change for children.
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