Attitude of Gratitude

What I am learning from GCC Program:

I have been a big fan of technology in my classroom.  Within the last two years, I have explored how to use social media for professional growth.  As a result of being on Twitter, I found the Newseum’s Summer Institute Opportunity.  My only complaint about the Institute was that it was too short.  I wanted to spend more time.  However, I am fortunate to reside in DC and will take my students on a fieldtrip to the Newseum in December.  My time there was spent with a wonderful group of educators who are just as passionate as I am.  The Institute’s Museum Educators prepared, delivered, and implemented some of by the best 21^st century professional development I had received in a very long time.    

Additionally, while using LinkedIn, I found yet another opportunity to grow myself as a globally competent educator through a chance encounter with Jennifer Lofing.  After an informational webinar about the program, I knew that this was a ‘can’t miss’ opportunity. 

Columbia University (Teacher’s College more specifically), World Savvy, and Asia Society have partnered to create a unique program to support the transformation process.  This is the first cohort of the program and I am excited to be a part of it.  I am challenged daily by supportive and expert professors in the own fields.  William Gaudelli (Introduction to Global Competence) and Deidre Combs (Dialoguing in Global Education) have led us through topics, readings, and discussions that involve both theory and practice requiring us to reflect and grapple about who we practitioners in the classroom, but also about our identities in daily lives as parents, family members, children, and community members.  I definitely feel I a getting a real dose of what my International Baccalaureate students endure (at the graduate level) as our explorations are interdisciplinary and require an understanding of multiple perspectives.

I would be remiss if I did not highlight the awesome educators who are in this first cohort with me.  They are from all over the world as my colleagues are in San Francisco, New York, Utah, and the United Kingdom (to mention a few).  Our discussion boards are lively!  I feel comfortable taking risks when posing questions to classmates or sharing information about myself.  My Skype sessions with my classmate in Utah, Margot, have been invaluable.  We recently discussed bias and language.  Margot serves on the diversity committee at her school and talked about the novel approach of dialogue dinners with teachers, parents, students, and community members.  My e-discussion with Margot prompted an hour-long discussion with two students in my class about identity. 

I look forward to my continual learning, reflection, and refinement of my own practices.  And I especially am looking forward to the fieldwork and Capstone projects that are a part of the GCC certificate.  I have a teacher pen-pal in Uganda and I am crossing my fingers that I will get to meet him in person while conducting my fieldwork for the program.  I have learned so much from him as a result of our inter-cultural communication through ePals and Facebook.  

My professor for Dialoguing in Global Education has written a book and I am hoping to apply many of her teachings from the book and in the class to use with students and colleagues.

Worst Enemy Best Teacher