Responding to Tip #4: Think Globally

I have always had an interest in other countries and cultures. I traveled abroad in 1972 as a freshman at Brewton-Parker College as a part of a combined Southern Baptist College Choir Tour to the Holy Lands that lasted for two weeks. It was quite an eye opening and and mind expanding experience. We did not have foreign exchange students there but when I transfered To Georgia Southern College (now a University) I encountered many students from foreign lands and became friends with quite a few. I enjoyed their different perspectives on life, their accent when speaking English and learning things about their culture and homeland. Since then I have read broadly including books written by foreign authors as translated into English, studied World Religions and continued to go out of my way to make contact with those that I recognize as not being from our country. I also in the past have helped teach ESL (English as a Second Language) classes here in Tuscaloosa to primarily Spanish speaking adults which was a good experience for me and my students. The idea of having students interact with students from other countries via the internet is a wonderful concept. Since English is now considered the International Language it is quite easy to access other classrooms, materials and students. The material given in Tip #4 proves as a great beginning to introducing our students to educational dialog on a Global scale. Another good thing is they make new friends from other countires though they may never meet them in person. I have checked out the sites listed in the article and see how they could serve as a helpful tool and link to students in the world at large and plan to incorporate some of the concepts discussed into my own classes that I may teach in the future.