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Egypt youth and BRIDGE Alumni gather for a
meeting to brainstorm future plans for iEARN
youth activities and events.
BRIDGE Newsletter
Visit new BRIDGE Testimonials,
In This Issue: iEARN Egypt: Professional Development,Student Alumni Meet, Students Engage in WESC Water Project; iEARN Lebanon: US and Lebanese Students Break Down Stereotypes, Exchange Reflections, Professional Development; iEARN Morocco: Using Technology in the Classroom; iEARN Nepal: iEARN Nepal collaborates with Education Journalist Group, Professional Development; iEARN India: iEARN India Workshops, Lauch of iEARN in Garware College, Pune, BRIDGE Students Visit Atlanta, GA
Professional Development in Egypt:
This month iEARN Egypt congratulates six individuals enrolled in
iEARN's Online Professional Development Courses including ESL, Social
Studies, Creative Writing and Sciences. Teachers come from the
following schools: El Shahid Walid El Gafary School, Hoda Sharawy
Experimental Preparatory School, El Nasr Experimental Language School,
The Egyptian English Language School and Alexandria Language
School. To learn more about online courses and click here.
Next session begins February 2006! Also this month, Country
Coordinator Dalia Khalil, conducted two workshops at the national
Institutions in Cairo and Alexandria. Students, teachers and
principals attended the workshop, including the General Manager of the
National Institution in Cairo. As a result, iEARN Egypt expects
13 new schools to join their global network this November.
 iEARN Egypt Student Alumni Meet:
This month, youth alumni of the BRIDGE program and other iEARN Egypt
projects, recovened to follow up on discussions held during their first
meeting this past September (click here
to review topics discussed during the September meeting). Youth
revisited alumni feedback to iEARN activities, the BRIDGE Exchange,
school visits, iEARN International Conference and shared new
ideas. Such meetings are great ways to bring youth together in a
collaborative setting in order to stay abreast of how iEARN youth feel
about programs and resources.
 iEARN Egypt Students Join the WESC Water Project:
This month, iEARN Egypt students from experimental and public schools
throughout Cairo, Alexandria and Fayoum attended a workshop at The Wadi
Environmental Science Center [WESC].
Students discussed water issues facing Egypt and how to resolve
problems through the use of technology. In addition, students
explored how individual as well as community attitudes can negatively
or positively impact the state of water in Egypt. In workshops,
students collaborated using presentation media that examined ways to address
water issues and in turn, will share this with their individual schools and
communities.
iEARN Lebanon host US BRIDGE Students and Break Down Streotypes:
On October 10-27, four students and one teachers from Verona Area High
School in Madison, WI participated in iEARN's BRIDGE exchange.
The Universal School of Lebanon hosted the US Delegation and worked
closely with Country Coordinator Eliane Metni to create an exchange
agenda complete with cultural, social and academic activities. Reporter, Ann Marie Ames, from Madison, Wisconsin's, The Capital Times, interviewed US students about their feeling's:
 "It
was certainly no vacation as the American students discussed issues
that would make many adults cringe. Gay marriage, abortion, religion in
the classroom and terrorism were just a few of the topics in the
presentation. At times, the dialogue was intense....The Verona students
didn't just knock down stereotypes; they had a chance to see
through...Sue Reget, a social studies teacher, accompanied the students
on the trip. Aside from being proud of her students and impressed with
the way their public speaking skills improved with each presentation,
Reget noted that one person can make a difference when it comes to
international understanding." Click HERE to read the complete article.
iEARN-Lebanon also distributed a press release about the BRIDGE program and
the success of this recent exchange. Here is an excerpt:
"On school visits,
the American students gave presentations on American life. These were
delivered at: The American Community School and Al-Ahlieh Schools in
Beirut; The Hajj Bahaa School and Dr. Nazih El Bizri School in Saida;
at the Abassieh Secondary Official School in Abassieh; and The Youssef
Kamel Jaber Cultural Center in Nabatieh. The presentations were
followed by engaging discussions about the American visitorsí
perception of Lebanon and vice versa: "We have come as part of a
cultural understanding and we have a lot of work when we go home. We
want to share what we have learned with our peers. Everyone is waiting
for us to hear about this trip. I really canít describe how much I have
gained from this visit," Caitlin [US student] said; "I am very much
grateful to everyone who made this possible and I will certainly be
back."
Click here to read more about exchange activities and events.
US BRIDGE Teacher, Sue Reget, shared reflections about the exchange and the positive impact on her students:
"...Another
unforgettable component of the exchange was the welcome the entire
staff and student body at Universal School of Lebanon [USL] showed us.
We all felt absolutely comfortable and at ease with everyone in the
school. By staying in a classroom with host Lebanese students each
Verona guest was able to understand the curriculum, teaching styles,
and schedule at USL...The most special events for me were the
presentations our students gave for various audiences. It was truly
humbling to observe the seriousness, earnestness and sense of humor
that marked their presentations. I saw them become more mature students
who understood their mission as ambassadors of goodwill...By
communicating through the iEARN forum we were able to put aside some of
our apprehension about travel and the changing political
environment. It was especially fun to read the messages of the
Lebanese BRIDGE students who sounded so eager to see us in their
country. Surprisingly, we heard from students not part of the exchange
who read the hundreds of messages and [watched] the exchange unfold.
The forum is an indispensable format to encourage and facilitate
communication between the groups."
Click here to read more of Sue's reflection and other testimonials.
One of Sue's students, James Doing shared:
"...Before
I was involved in this exchange program, the name Lebanon sounded
vaguely familiar and I thought it was in Africa...One of the things Iím
really glad I experienced was Islam. Sitting in a classroom with a
textbook in a predominantly Christian country means nothing compared to
actually going to an Arab country and seeing it firsthand. I donít know
many people who have done that, and Iím SO LUCKY to have had the
opportunity. I feel like a knowledgeable, well-rounded
person...programs like iEARN, people like me are given the chances of a
lifetime. Iím pretty positive that if I hadnít gotten accepted into
this exchange program, I would never have gone to the Middle East..."
Professional Development in Lebanon:
This month, iEARN Lebanon is launching a new training program in
collaboration with the American Language Fellow in Beirut and the
Center of Research and Development. In addition, selection has
begun to select a new group of teachers from 10 new schools to run an
introductory course this December. In turn, the introductory
program will guide teachers to use the Internet as a tool to engage
their students in collaborative online projects through iEARN.
Using Technology in the Classrooms:
On October 28th, iEARN Morocco held a roundtable discussion on how to
effectively integrate technology, such as online collaborative
learning, into classrooms. The meeting brought together 25
educators from four different regions to examine what makes technology
work in classrooms.
 iEARN Nepal collaborates with Education Journalist Group [EJG]:
Working closely with EJG, iEARN Nepal was among the many educators
participating in a meeting held on October 5th in Kathmandu. Mr.
Laba Tripathi, representative from the Ministry of Education Nepal,
attended the iEARN presentation that examined the benefits of online
collaborative projects. Mr. Tripathi spoke of the
Ministries appreciation of iEARN Nepal's efforts in computer education for the betterment of youth. In addition, he
remarked that although the integration of technology in all Nepal
schools is slow, the Ministry is aware of the good work that iEARN
Nepal has started in moving Nepal forward.
Professional Development in Nepal:
On October 6-7 Country Coordinator, Binita Parajuli, conducted an
Introductory Workshop in Lubu Patan and Kathmandu. A total of 50
educators attended from two different schools. Ms. Parajuli
introduced participants to iEARN's network, projects and
resources. Teachers showed interest in projects such as LEWIN, Kindred and the Teddy Bear Project.
In November, iEARN Nepal will present to 300 schools with over 1,000
participants at the National Conference of Nepal Private and Boarding
Schools in Bokhara.
iEARN India Conducts Workshops: On
September 30-October 1st, iEARN India held a workshop for 58 teachers
in Pune. The workshop was faciliated by Dr. Sunita Bhagwat, iEARN
India's Country Coordinator, along with Surabhi Bhagwat and Sayli
Bhalerao. Sessions were conducted to introduce teachers to the
iEARN global network, collaborative learning and professional
development opportunities for teachers.
LAUNCH
OF iEARN IN GARWARE COLLEGE, PUNE:
On October 30th, iEARN
India launched at Garware College, Pune. Garware College is one of the
Education Institutions under Maharashtra Education Society. Among those
attending included Mrs. Surhabi Bhagwat, an iEARN Master Trainer and
staff member of the college, high school students and the principal of
Garware College. Country Coordinator, Dr. Sunita Bhagwah conducted a
presentation introducing iEARN; and after, students visited computer
labs direct hands on experience. In the lab, Dr.
Sunita explained how
one can navigate the website. Mrs. Sayali, a computer teacher in Bal
Shikshan English School, helped to register some students who already
had email addresses and showed them how to join interactive
forums to connect with other youth around the globe. Mrs. Surabhi,
shared specific iEARN Projects students can join.
 BRIDGE Exchange Students in Atlanta, GA:
The India BRIDGE Delegation is currently on their exchange to Riverwood
High School located in Atlanta, GA and ends November 12th. On
October 26th, students participated in an International Dinner and
shared traditional Indian dishes with their US host families and other
community members. Students also experienced Halloween with
candy, costumes and celebration. During a visit to an elementary
school, students participated in a youth mentoring group and were able
to experience American education at the primary school level.
Students met the principal of the school who was enthusiastically
dressed as Dorthy from The Wizard of Oz in celebration of Halloween.
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Global Connections & Exchange Program (GCE) is made possible through support and funding from the US State
Department's (DOS) Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). It
is a part of iEARN-USA's BRIDGE project which is committed to
connecting students and teachers in the US to those in countries with
significant Muslim populations |
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July 19-25, 2009
Ifrane, Morocco
All are welcome to attend.
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