Megan Weand
Pre-Trip
Hi, I am Megan Weand and I am an Elementary Education Major. I enrolled in this course to give myself a broadened perspective on education and to learn how educators around the world teach. I wanted to be a part of this course because I thought it would be a great learning experience that would give me a different outlook on my philosophy of education and teaching pedagogy.
I think this course is a once in a lifetime experience that gives future teachers a better understanding of culture in education and helps them identify international teaching styles. The course before the trip offers enrichment in cultural and historical aspects of the country to be visited. It gives student a better knowledge base of what they are getting themselves into and introduces them to the languages as well as what to expect in the schools.
Post-Trip
I see myself as an ambassador of cultural education for students wanting to become a teacher and will reinforce the importance of embedded study abroad courses. I believe giving students this opportunity during their course to becoming a teacher will not only enrich their education but give them a better understanding of how culture is involved and important in education. It will broaden their world views and be able to utilize what they learn to teach others such as fellow students, future colleges and future students.
I would do this trip again because it gave me the opportunity to learn so much about teaching and student-teaching interactions from a different culture and how to compare it to my own culture. From this experience I learned a lot of new practices that I will use as a teacher in my future career.