By Samantha Cronk – Journal staff writer (scronk) , journal-news.net
SHENANDOAH JUNCTION – While Laurie Smelter is used to promoting international education in her classroom, she will soon have the opportunity to experience educational practices and techniques from other countries.
Out of more than 300 applicants, Smelter was one of 65 teachers chosen nationwide to participate in the Teachers for Global Classrooms program. Smelter teaches English as a second language at Wildwood Middle School.
The goal of the TGC program is to provide teachers the opportunity to explore the themes and applications for global education in secondary school classrooms.
“I would like to gain insight about a new culture and a place that I have not traveled or lived,” Smelter said.
Smelter will attend two Global Education symposiums in Washington, D.C., as part of the program.
“They will be connected to our travel,” Smelter said. “We will be meeting with teachers from the host countries.”
Smelter also will spend two weeks in an international fellowship in one of six participating countries. She will be visiting schools and classrooms, meeting with fellow secondary school teachers and educational leaders to compare techniques and applications for international education.
The six countries participating are Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco and Ukraine.
Smelter is looking forward to the program not only for herself, but for the potential influences she hopes it will have on her students and the school.
“For my students at school, I would really like to lay the groundwork, a foundation, for my students to have more experience with (other) cultures, so when they go into the workforce they will be able to compete and work with many different people,” she said.
“For my school I would just like to incorporate more international education.”
According to Smelter, the two-week fellowship is slated in 2012 for either June or July. Although Smelter had to list three preferred countries to visit, she said she would be happy visiting any of the six countries. Smelter listed her top choices as Morocco, India and Ghana.
“I feel it is an honor (to be chosen), and I am looking forward to working with the international teachers and my fellow teachers in the nation,” she said.
– Staff writer Samantha Cronk can be reached at scronk
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