DEPARTMENT OF LEARNING AND TEACHING INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS
I.
GOALS AND GUIDELINES
SOLES Vision Statement and Strategic Plan The programs within the School of Leadership and Education Sciences will develop highly effective, socially responsible, and marketable students through international programs. Beginning with students enrolling in the Fall of 2008, all students enrolled in degree programs will be required to participate in an international experience prior to program completion. Department of Learning and Teaching Guidelines An international experience within the Department of Learning and Teaching (L&T) is defined as an opportunity for students to interact with individuals and/or institutions from a nation outside the U.S. in a manner that supports their personal and professional growth, nurtures cultural understanding, and prepares students to interact with and effectively serve diverse communities in a professional capacity. Through this experience, it is hoped that students will: ♦ Develop a deeper understanding of another culture ♦ Appreciate its differences and similarities ♦ Consider its gifts and challenges ♦ Understand the educational and practical implications of cultural diversity and globalization issues.
II.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES
The L&T faculty and administration will facilitate international experiences such as those described below. Participation in these experiences, along with appropriate documentation and reflection, may fulfill the international experience requirement. Alternatively, L&T degree candidates may elect to complete an international experience on their own if the experience meets the guidelines outlined above. Individuals planning to complete international experiences on their own must obtain prior approval from their academic advisor. Please be careful to review the specific degree program considerations found on page three of this guide.
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Sample International Experience Alternatives: Global Study: L&T degree candidates may participate in a global study course through the SOLES Global Center. These courses may include a direct substitution for an on-campus course that is a required part of your degree program or may be taken as an elective. To help offset the cost of travel, tuition is reduced for Global Study courses. Scholarships are also available. If you are interested in participating in a global study course, you should visit the SOLES Global Center early in your program to learn about upcoming travel opportunities, and must discuss plans with your advisor. International School Visitation: L&T degree candidates may spend time observing classes, meeting with teachers and administrators, and interacting with students in international schools in San Diego, Tijuana, or abroad. Faculty and/or administrators from SOLES will provide readings and facilitate discussion to help contextualize candidates’ experiences. International Community Interaction: L&T degree candidates may visit with international and/or immigrant parents, students, and community leaders within San Diego. These visits will provide opportunities for constructive dialogue that addresses the challenges international and/or immigrant students face in U.S. schools, the expectations parents and community leaders have for their students, and potential forms of collaboration that may be built between U.S. schools and international and/or immigrant communities. International Education Week: Each November, USD presents a week of activities that focus on international issues and awareness. L&T degree candidates are encouraged to participate in these events. If you take on a leadership role during international education week (for example, helping to organize an international film presentation, giving a slide lecture on your own international experience, or attending multiple events during the week and presenting a synopsis of events back to your class or cohort group), you may be eligible to meet the requirement with prior advisor approval. International Student Teaching: Degree candidates who are also enrolled in a credential program may elect to do a portion of their student teaching in an international setting. Past international student teaching placements have included Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. Candidates who are interested in considering an international student teaching placement must contact their advisor, the field placement coordinator, and the SOLES Global Center at least one semester prior to beginning student teaching. Student-Led International Experiences: Degree candidates come to L&T programs with a rich array of international experiences and a wealth of knowledge about cultures, languages, and international education. Candidates are encouraged to draw upon that knowledge to develop international experience opportunities for their peers. L&T International Experience Information – Page 2
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Opportunities may include on-campus presentations (lectures, films, panel discussions, etc.), electronic exchanges (video-links, web-based interaction, etc.), and/or international travel opportunities (short or long-term). Interested candidates should work with their advisor to ensure that the planned experience meets the objectives outlined above. Resources to support planning and implementation of student-led international experiences may be available through the SOLES Global Center Program Specific Considerations— Induction Master’s Partnership Program (IMPP) -- IMPP faculty have worked to intentionally thread international experiences throughout the entire program’s course of studies. Examples of IMPP embedded international experiences include: 1) reading and analyzing books in your IMPP courses that have a theme of international education, 2) attending or hosting an international/cultural parent event at the school or in the community where you teach, 3) comparing/contrasting the teaching in US classrooms with teaching in other countries via videos available on international websites, 4) videotaping your own classroom teaching and analyzing it with reference to international themes, 5) incorporating an international component to your Action Research project, and 6) with your IMPP class, attending and reflecting upon lectures and/or events during International Week at USD each November. The IMPP faculty and coordinator will explain how successful completion of these experiences may be used to fulfill the L&T international experience requirement. Literacy, Culture, and TESOL (LCT) -- Candidates are encouraged to participate in travel that would be more specifically focused on language and literacy. Literacy is broadly defined as including media, visual, spatial and informational literacies. All literacies are situated within specific technological, social and cultural contexts so no matter where you go, you will encounter similar and different ways of living in the world including belief systems about gender, race, class, identity and ethnicity which impacts everything about us including our literate lives. Therefore, students in LCT may engage in any international experience that SOLES offers and will benefit from being immersed in other ways of being. Master’s Credential Cohort (MCC) -- The MCC course schedule is tightly organized, and as such, long-term international experiences that involve extensive travel present some challenges. However, it may be possible, with careful planning, to participate in a global study course through the SOLES Global Center. Participation in global study courses may only take place during intersession or during the second summer of the program and may delay graduation if travel schedule extends beyond mid-July program completion. If candidates are interested in participating in a global study course, they should visit the SOLES Global Center early in the program to learn about upcoming travel opportunities and must discuss plans with their advisor before the end of the Fall semester. Please note that within the MCC program, international
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student teaching is not available as an option due to the concurrent nature of the coursework and student teaching. Math, Science, Technology Education (MSTE) – MSTE candidates are encouraged to participate in international experiences that examine comparative studies of math and science such as TIMSS and PISA, in order to understand unique aspects of US-based math and science education in terms of the global criteria, and discuss how to improve US math and science education. For instance, candidates might 1) analyze online videos of teaching in the classrooms in foreign countries available in the websites of the international studies, 2) videotape their own teaching in a diverse classrooms, 3) and compare/contrast the teaching in the US classrooms with the teaching in other countries. Candidates may also witness foreign teachers living in the local community teaching math/science in a foreign language and discuss the teaching approaches unique to the culture. Or, MSTE candidates might analyze Japanese lesson study, a widely advocated pathway to improving their teaching through teacher collaboration. MSTE candidates could actually engage in mini-lesson studies, and analyze the process and outcomes in reference to international studies.
III.
PROCEDURES & ASSESSMENT
To meet the International Experience requirements, L&T candidates should follow the procedures outlined below. Candidates should work with their advisor and/or program faculty when selecting, preparing for, and reflecting on international experiences. 1. Plan ahead – Determine what international experience(s) best meet your learning goals and scheduling needs early on in your program. Advance planning is particularly important if you intend to embark on physical travel outside the U.S. (you’ll need a passport), participate in a Global Study program through the SOLES Global Center, or if you would like to organize an international experience independent of activities planned for L&T degree candidates. 2. Complete Section I of the “International Experience Requirement Application Form” – You must complete the first section of this form and obtain your advisor’s signature before you begin your international experience. 3. Organize for your experience— Sign and return any necessary waivers or other paperwork. Read up on the organization, individuals, and/or communities that you will encounter. Where appropriate, read materials that the facilitator has provided. Gather your passport or other ID if traveling outside of the United States; find out about visa, immunization, and other country-specific requirements. Bring a copy of your “International Experience Requirement Application Form” with you. If you are arranging for your own transportation, be sure that you have clear directions and contact information. If you get lost on the way to your destination and arrive late, you may not be able to satisfy the requirement.
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4. Engage in the experience—Participate in the experience to the full extent possible. Be open to new ideas and perspectives. Listen to the insights and information shared by those who are hosting or facilitating your experience. Ask questions that will deepen your understanding of the individuals, communities, and cultures you are encountering. Discuss your observations and experiences with fellow participants. 5. Complete Section II of the “International Experience Requirement Application Form” – a. Obtain the activity coordinator / supervisor’s signature— At the end of your experience, ask the individual who served to coordinate the activity or who supervised your participation to verify your attendance with their signature. If this person is not directly associated with SOLES, they need to provide contact information in addition to their signature. b. Attach a written response that reflects on your participation in the experience-- The response should show evidence of engagement, reflection, and learning as a result of your participation in this international experience. Responses should include the following elements: i. Description of the activities and individuals involved in the experience – What was the experience? ii. Description of your participation in the experience – What did you do during the experience? iii. Discussion of your learning – What new information and ideas did you gather from the experience? iv. Reflective discussion of the connections between your participation in this activity and your prior beliefs and experiences – How did this experience support or contradict your prior understanding based on your own K-12 education, readings and discussions in your USD coursework, and/or your experiences as a teacher in the K-12 classroom? v. Discussion of potential applications – How will you use the learning from this international experience inform your future academic, professional, and/or personal interactions? 6. Submit the completed application form to your advisor – Both your advisor and the degree program coordinator must sign off on your application in order for your International Experience requirement to be met. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all signatures are obtained and to respond to any questions or concerns that SOLES faculty or administrators may have. It is strongly suggested that you maintain a copy of the completed application for your records. The original form, with appropriate signatures, will be maintained in your file by the program coordinator. Of Special Consideration: ♦ If you need help finding or planning for an experience… We want to ensure that you are able to engage in an international experience that fits your academic, professional, and personal interests, and that meets your time and financial concerns. If you have special concerns about your ability to participate in an experience, please contact your advisor, L&T International Experience Information – Page 5
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your program coordinator, and/or the SOLES Global Center. We will work with you to find an opportunity that works for you. ♦ If plans change… If there are substantive changes in the nature of the planned experience once advisor approval has been granted, the candidate will need to re-submit the form prior to commencing the international activity. Changes that would require resubmission may include but are not limited to the following: A change of venue (e.g. A planned visit to a secondary school is replaced by a visit to a health clinic), a change in topic (e.g. A lecture on education for girls in South Asia is supplanted by a film on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan), or a change in leadership (e.g. A web-exchange that was to be hosted by a non-profit international education foundation is replaced by web seminar from a textbook publisher). ♦ If you wish to apply for a waiver… It is our intent that all L&T degree candidates engage in international experiences while enrolled in our programs. However, in unique circumstances individuals may apply to waive the international experience requirement if they have had extensive recent international experience that focused on K-12 education or if they are international students themselves. In these cases, it may be appropriate for candidates to complete the “International Experience Requirement Application Form” and structured reflection based on prior or on-going international experiences. Candidates who believe they may be eligible for a waiver should discuss the possibility with their advisor. The advisor and program coordinator may grant the waiver if they believe it is warranted based on the nature of the experience, the length of time that has passed since the experience, and the degree to which it meets the objectives intended for international experiences. ♦ If your application is denied… If your application for completion of the international experience requirement is denied, it is important that you work with your advisor to discuss the rationale behind the denial and the steps you should take to satisfy the requirement. In some cases, a revised written response or an in person interview may be all that is required for application approval. In other cases, you may need to complete a different international experience. If you feel that your application was inappropriately denied, you may appeal the decision to your program coordinator, to the Director of Programs in your degree area, and then to the Learning and Teaching Department Chair.
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DEPARTMENT OF LEARNING AND TEACHING INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT1 APPLICATION FORM SECTION I: This section of the form must be completed before the international experience begins. 2 Name: ________________________________________________________ USD ID: __________________________________ Advisor: ______________________________________________________
Degree Program: ____________________________
Description of proposed activity:
Date(s) of activity: ________________________ Anticipated learning outcomes:
Candidate’s Signature: _________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________
Advisor’s Signature: ___________________________________________________________
Date: ______________________
SECTION II: This section of the form must be completed after the international experience. Complete documentation of the experience must be submitted to your advisor within one month of the international experience and at least two weeks prior to program completion. By signing below, the candidate and the activity coordinator / supervisor confirm the candidate’s participation in the pre-approved international experience: Coordinator’s signature: __________________________________________ Title: __________________________________________________
Name: ____________________________________ Phone / E-mail: _____________________________
Candidate’s signature: ____________________________________________ Date: _____________________________________ Candidate must attach a written response to the international experience that includes the following:3 1. Description of the activities and individuals involved in the experience – What was the experience? 2. Description of your participation in the experience – What did you do during the experience? 3. Discussion of your learning – What new information and ideas did you gather from the experience? 4. Reflective discussion of the connections between your participation in this activity and your prior beliefs and experiences – How did this experience support or contradict your prior understanding based on your own K-12 education, readings and discussions in your USD coursework, and/or your experiences as a teacher in the K-12 classroom? 5. Discussion of potential applications – How will you use the learning from this international experience inform your future academic, professional, and/or personal interactions?
1
All experiences must meet the International Experience Goals and Objectives set by SOLES, the Department of Learning and Teaching, and the candidate’s degree program. 2 Some variation between the anticipated activity and the actual activity may be expected. However, if there is a significant change in the nature of the activity, this form must be resubmitted to the advisor for approval prior to commencing the international experience. 3 Please be aware that failure to show evidence of engagement, academic and/or personal growth as a result of your participation in the international experience may result in your application being denied. 4/2008