"As a woman I have no country. As a woman my country is the whole world." Virginia Woolf
In the past four days, my Global Classrooms Fellows and I have accumulated more new knowledge than could possibly have been captured by books or online courses alone. We have participated in lectures and group discussions about the ways in which history and politics influence education systems, and compared the similarities and differences between Morocco and the U.S. We have formed individual essential questions to guide our research interests, and experienced first-hand through visits and interviews with Moroccan teachers, administrators, government officials and students, new perspectives which will continue to inform us as we now branch out with our teaching partners to various parts of the country before returning to Rabat to share with each other and then our home communities in the U.S.
Our first stop was the American Embassy where we met with Mr. Robert Lindsey, from the Regional English Language Office. We then enjoyed informative lectures and panels facilitated by local coordinator Meriem Lahrizi, followed by a meeting with the Moroccan Association of Teachers of English to learn about the highly successful and innovative "Access" program. In addition, we visited MACECE (The Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange) and ENS (Ecole Normale Superiore) as well as local public and private schools. Through these informative and interactive field experiences, we have received comprehensive and highly valuable professional development which takes the meaning of the term to a whole new level. Our quest for knowledge in the arena of global education is both professional and also deeply personal and meaningful. We are invested in our commitment to raising global awareness in our schools and home towns. Our sense of community continues to shift in both subtle and profound ways to include the whole world as our country.
In the past four days, my Global Classrooms Fellows and I have accumulated more new knowledge than could possibly have been captured by books or online courses alone. We have participated in lectures and group discussions about the ways in which history and politics influence education systems, and compared the similarities and differences between Morocco and the U.S. We have formed individual essential questions to guide our research interests, and experienced first-hand through visits and interviews with Moroccan teachers, administrators, government officials and students, new perspectives which will continue to inform us as we now branch out with our teaching partners to various parts of the country before returning to Rabat to share with each other and then our home communities in the U.S.
Our first stop was the American Embassy where we met with Mr. Robert Lindsey, from the Regional English Language Office. We then enjoyed informative lectures and panels facilitated by local coordinator Meriem Lahrizi, followed by a meeting with the Moroccan Association of Teachers of English to learn about the highly successful and innovative "Access" program. In addition, we visited MACECE (The Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange) and ENS (Ecole Normale Superiore) as well as local public and private schools. Through these informative and interactive field experiences, we have received comprehensive and highly valuable professional development which takes the meaning of the term to a whole new level. Our quest for knowledge in the arena of global education is both professional and also deeply personal and meaningful. We are invested in our commitment to raising global awareness in our schools and home towns. Our sense of community continues to shift in both subtle and profound ways to include the whole world as our country.