U.S. teacher Katherine Korte shares about her experience at the CSYN workshop in Doha, Qatar in her district newsletter. Read about her experience below and check out the e-newsletter from Pattonville School District.

Summer School in a Foreign Land
Teachers’ summer learning experiences are impacting their classrooms
Katherine Korte, Social studies teacher
iEARN Conference/CSYN Project-Based Learning Workshop in Doha, Qatar

September 12, 2013, Pattonville @ Work

Korte received a full scholarship from the Christopher Steven Youth Network (CSYN) to attend the 2013 iEARN Conference and CSYN Project-Based Learning Workshop in Doha, Qatar. The mission of the CSYN is to connect educators and students from the United States, North Africa and the Middle East in meaningful project-based learning collaborations. The CYSN is a U.S. State Department-sponsored initiative administered by iEARN (International Education And Resource Network). Here’s what Korte said about her experiences:

“While in Doha, I attended a three-day workshop with other CSYN teachers and the five-day iEARN conference. The experience was absolutely transformative. The project-based learning workshop challenged me to imagine a more creative classroom, with authentic assessments that developed 21st century skills. The conference had educators and youth from 55 other countries. To be surrounded by global educators united with the common purpose to improve education and instill the world back into world-class education was inspiring. The young people in Doha set the tone by exhibiting incredible curiosity, tolerance and community amongst themselves.

At PHS I started a professional development cohort that is focusing on how to globalize our classrooms and engage students with their international peers in a meaningful collaboration. This cohort is being supported by Globalwise St. Louis, a non-for-profit social change organization. Also, iEARN and the CSYN are holding five scholarships to their six-week online course in both the spring and fall for Pattonville teachers. This course will allow them to train with other educators in North Africa and the Middle East.

Specifically, my students will be engaging in a mural project to send to Syria. While in Doha, I connected with two Syrian educators. They brought two tapestries to Doha for iEARN conference participants to reflect on global peace, youth and education. They brought one mural back to Syria and gave the other one to me to display in PHS with the understanding that we will send one back to show our support of Syrian youth in this time of crisis.