Course Description
Designed for students enrolled in a study abroad experience. Students will examine the teaching profession in an international context, engage in observations and analyses of how culture and context impact public education systems, and make comparisons to the United States. This course has a required field experience component.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Additional readings and a research paper on the comparison of
the education systems in the host country and the United States
will be assigned to graduate students. All written work and
project assignments completed by graduate students will be
assessed with higher expectations and standards than those used
for undergraduate students.
Athena Title
International Educ Experiences
Non-Traditional Format
This course includes exposure to and experience in P-12 school- and community-based international educational settings. Students will be involved in educational settings through observation, tutoring, and teaching. Course includes 7 hours per week of lecture and 5 contact hours a week at approved formal and informal educational settings.
Prerequisite
Must have completed 30 semester hours
Semester Course Offered
Offered summer semester every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will: •Develop an in-depth introductory understanding of how culture and context can impact an education system. •Compare and contrast a variety of educational practices and critically evaluate the positive and negative outcomes of these practices. •Consider a variety of local, state, and federal educational policies for both the U.S. and the host country and compare and contrast their impact on students, teachers, schools, communities, and society. •Understand how schooling practices are a function of culture and context and can serve to reproduce or disrupt societal inequalities. •Compare and contrast their personal educational experiences with those of others in an international setting in order to develop attitudinal and ethical dispositions that make it possible to interact peacefully, respectfully, and productively with fellow human beings from diverse geographies. •Compare and contrast the organization and structure of the U.S. and the host country’s system of public education, including the roles and responsibilities of various school-based personnel. Additional requirements: •Submit to and pay for a background check; •Attend all seminar sessions held either in the school or on the campus of the host institution; •Participate in school-based activities as assigned.
Topical Outline
•Orientation to the host country and U.S. education systems •Orientation to working in K-12 schools in the host country •Teacher preparation in Georgia and the host country •Roles and responsibilities of classroom teachers •Local, state, and federal accountability policies (standards and assessment) for both U.S. and the host country •Social and political issues impacting education •Professional development and ongoing support for teachers in the host county •Supervised field experiences in K-12 schools in an international setting (4 days over 4 weeks)