Summary: The Proof is in the Pudding
These journeys laid the groundwork for future developmental experiences that have a broader impact than expected. One science teacher, a 2005 participant, together with her social studies teacher cooperatively developed an entire unit to teach the following year, using an on-site created notebook with many activities, web-sites, and resource materials. Another teacher developed a power point presentation with amazing photos and video to use in his classroom and to share with others in his local community. Dr. William Cunningham, Scientist on Staff of the 2004 trip, included sections in his environmental science textbooks. Cunningham shared that it has taken time to understand the immensity and significance of his experience in Brazil. He has included a Brazilian case study in his new text for high school and college students (Cunningham, Cunningham, & Saigo, 2007).
Michael Tally, Science Supervisor in a large metropolitan school district, wrote:
I was honored to have been part of the delegation to Brazil in 2004. This international educational experience has helped me refine my interest in global education. It has helped me organize and manage innovative science teaching methods learned from others and other cultures. The professional colleagues I met there will be remembered for the rest of my life. The visit there awakened my desire to explore the world. It gave me the commitment to improve my relationships with my peers and Brazilian educators. When one takes a trip, you see things that you have only seen in books or movies. You truly understand more about this small world. It changed the way I thought about the U.S. and the world. We do not have all of the answers. The collective thought of all of us does. I have always said, ‘The way to evaluate anything, is - after it is over, ask yourself, would I do that again? My answer is a resounding yes.’ I will visit Brazil again and soon.
Prior experience of the investigators has shown that experiential learning in new environments can stimulate teachers to collaborate in professional development activities that exponentially expand knowledge and skills (Howe & Stubbs, 1998). This type of experience can be transformative for the participants. It can be informative for the community as well, by engaging experts with preK-16 educators. These educators are the foundation, where students are first exposed to science, research, the environment, and to the opportunities for exciting, fulfilling careers which can impact the very global communities their teachers reveal to them.
Finally, these experiences have proved a pilot study, to delineate techniques, strategies, and methodologies to be used in the future, as this type of professional development reaches larger and larger audiences. We know what works; we know what does not work. We believe this model can be scaled up to larger numbers of traveling teachers. This model can be exported to the study of other countries’ education, environment, and culture. This model can thus promote subsequent transfer to students through development of the “global teacher.” We can follow the lead of Thomas Friedman (2005), who says to his own children,
… the world needs you to be forever the … generation of strategic optimists, the generation with more dreams than memories, the generation that wakes up each morning and not only imagines that things can be better but also acts on that imagination each day (p. 169).
Acknowledgements:
We wish to thank: Ben Sangari, President Instituto Sangari, for his support and commitment to this project; Bianca Rinzler, Ingrid Imenez, Sangari organizer and educator, Arlita McNamee, and the Staff of Instituto Sangari; John Penick, Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education, NCSU; Sharlene Simon, NCSU, Alex Davis and Dee Davis, SCI-LINK staff for their help and encouragement. And we are indebted to all the participants of this unique type of international professional development experience for educators. We will report results of activities developed by participants, with reactions of student and community responses, by the end of 2008.
About the Author
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Harriett S. Stubbs, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor Emerita, member of the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education since 1988, and located in the Office of Professional Development at North Carolina State University. She is Director of the SCI-LINK/ GLOBE-NET Projects, author of books and articles, presenter of methodologies and strategies for professional development of educators and environmental topics of interest for teaching and learning. In the past five years, she has developed and coordinated international professional development experiences for educators in Brazil and for more than 25 years in the USA.
Email Harriet S. Stubbs
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References
Anderson, N. D. (1993). SCI-LINK: A project linking research scientists and science teachers. Journal of Science Teacher Education. 4(2), 44-50.
Bornstein, D. (2004). How to change the world: Social entrepreneurs and the power of new ideas. N. Y., N. Y.: Oxford University Press.
Friedman, T. L. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York, N. Y.: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux.
Cunningham, William P., Cunningham, M.A. & Saigo, B. W. (2007). Environmental science: A global concern. (9th ed.) New York, N. Y.: McGraw Hill.
Howe, A. C., & Stubbs, H.S. (1998). "Empowering science teachers: A model for professional development." Journal of Science Teacher Education 8(3), 167-182.
Howe, A. C., & Stubbs, H.S. (2003). "From science teacher to teacher leader:
Leadership development as meaning making in a community of practice." Science Education 87. 281-297. Or Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nobel, J., Draffen, A., Jones, R., McAsey, C., & Pinheiro, L. (2002). Brazil (5th ed.). Oakland, CA.: Lonely Planet.
Pearson, D. L., & Beletsky, L. (2005). Brazil: Amazon & Pantanal. Northhampton, MA: Interlink Books
Sangari, B. (2007). Fazer menos, muitas vezes, é fazer mais. Linha Direta:113(8), 34-35. Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Spence, L., Stubbs, H.S. & Huber, R.A. (2000). TELEE. THE Journal, 28(2), 25-30.
Stubbs, H. S., Devine, H., & Hagevik, R. (2002). Thinking Spatially: GIS Curricula K-16 and Professional Development for Educators. In Proceedings of an IOSTE Conference 2002. International Organization of Science Technology Educators, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. July. 280-286.
Stubbs, H. S. & Anderson, N.D. (1995). GLOBE-NET: A partnership of research scientists and teachers for the development of instructional materials on global change. In Proceedings of an IOSTE Conference1994. International Organization of Science and Technology Educators, Enschede, The Netherlands: National Institute for Curriculum Development (SLO). 817-832.
Stubbs, H. S., & Howe, A. (1997). Evolving from Teacher to Teacher Leader: The Challenge for Change. In Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the National Association for the Research in Science Teaching, Chicago, Ill., March 21-24.Hatano, G., & Oura, Y. (2003). Reconceptualizing transfer using insight from expertise research. Educational Researcher, 32(8), 26-29.
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Other helpful information in planning an international trip:
Guidebooks. It may be difficult to locate guidebooks or identification guides in English. This situation is changing as new books are published or web-sites are established. If not available, then obtain books, pamphlets, and articles from the country you are visiting and make these available to the participants. More and more language dictionaries and CDs of different programs become available each year.
Websites. Websites specifically referred to in this article are:
SCI-LINK www.ncsu.edu/scilink
Instituto Sangari www.institutosangari.org.br
Helpful in designing and planning an international experience are the web-sites of the specific country, sites such as New York Times travel destinations, local travel agencies of the country, government publications (national and state), in both the Home country and Cooperating country. Films, literature, culture (foods, customs, holidays, clothing, music, dances) are all of interest to teachers and students. Be sure to check the CDC, Embassy, and State Department sites in the U.S.
