iEARN-USA - The International Education and Resource Network

TEACHER SPOTLIGHT

Scott Parker
Technology Teacher
Grades 5-7
Longfellow Middle School

Hill City, KS

Scott Parker with Generation YES's Dr. Dennis Harper and iEARN-USA Executive Director, Dr. Ed Gragert. Parker is an iEARN member whose school won the 2008 KCIES Award for Excellence in International Education.

1. Why did you become a teacher and what is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

I decided to become a teacher while attending Missouri University where I earned my BSED. My social studies teacher in high school gave me a worldview that I try to instill in my students. The most rewarding part of teaching is when students are able to apply what they are learning in the classroom to real life endeavors.

2. What are some of the challenges? Many of the challenges I deal with on a daily basis involve matching our technology with the needs of our learners.

How did you first get involved with iEARN? I became involved with iEARN through the Rural Symposium project at Fort Hays State University. FHSU is also where I earned my MS in Instructional Technology.

3. Were you always interested in global education? do you have personal international exchange experience, such as study abroad, etc?

I have always been interested in global education. Last year our family hosted an exchange student from Hong Kong through the ERDT/SHARE program. She now attends college in the state of Washington. We Skype with her regularly at college, but also with her and her family when she is back home in Hong Kong.

4. You obviously see a value in incorporating global education, particularly iEARN to your curriculum. What is that value and how have your students responded?

When students see that they are not doing "busy work," but what they are doing is something valuable, not only for themselves, but for others as well, most students respond well to the challenge. Adding a global aspect to that concept makes it even more exciting for students.

5. Which iEARN projects are you and your students involved in?

Our students have been involved in both the Kindred Project and the Local History Project as part of our work with the Rural Symposium.

6. How will you continue to incorporate global education in your classes?

We recently became part of a "Sister School" program through Generation YES (www.genyes.com). We are partnering with SMT Sepang as part of the Malaysian Student Technology Leaders (MySTL) project.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Power of One: Protecting Our Planet

Students at the Root Middle School in Medina, Ohio are educating their community on how to be environmentally savvy. Through the iEARN collaboration site, teacher Terese Tye and her 7th grade students have been researching and sharing stories with others around the world on how we all can reduce negative impact on the environment. Their project, “Power of One: Protecting our Planet” is an international collaborative project in which students create individual family plans for protecting planet Earth. Students monitor their progress and update their plans regularly on the Collaboration Center.

Ms. Tye was inspired to create and facilitate “Power of One” after she received a Japanese teacher on a Fulbright Scholarship for a month-long trip to study environmental issues.

Ms. Tye’s class was recently featured in The Gazette, in Medina for the class’s “Go Green Root” night , an event where the students presented their plans for energy efficiency to the local community using presentations, games made from recycled products, and “Go Green” trivia. To read the full article click here.

RECENT EVENTS

Magical World of Words

This year-end project exhibition was held May 18, 2009, at the Loyola University of Chicago; Multi-purpose Room in the Simpson Living and Learning Center by the Chicago Public Schools Literature and Writing Magnet Schools. It showcased iEARN projects and Reading Fair Regional winning projects. Ted Pincus a columnist for the Chicago Sun Times and member of iEARN-USA Board of Directors spoke to the group and gave students their awards. Tiana was one of many students displaying iEARN project work in the Folk Tales Project. You can read her story of Cinderella as Cityrella at http://tiny.cc/cityrella.

YouthCaN 2009

YouthCaN (Youth Communicating and Networking) is a project sponsored by iEARN and the American Museum of Natural History. Teachers and students from Bangladesh, India and Nepal came to New York City to present at the YouthCaN Conference. They had been working in the Four Rivers, One World Project with the New York City Planning Committee and other schools in the New York City area. Also participating in the conference were students and teachers from Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Louisiana who participated in the CATALYST project and also gave presentations. These programs are funded by U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Michelle Peters (ECA) and Andrew Revkin (NY Times science reporter) were in attendance and presented certificates to the students and teachers at a reception following the conference.

YouthCaN conferences are held around the world to bring students together to exchange ideas about the environment and empower others to make a difference in their own communities. The New York City Conference was held April 4-6, 2009. The students and teachers went to the Queens Botanical Garden for Activity Day. They helped prepare beds for a new rose garden and weeded the beds of the existing rose garden.

IYLEP Workshop

The Iraqi Youth Leadership Exchange Program (IYLEP) which brought Iraqi students to Florida last summer, made it possible for teachers in the Orlando area to attend a workshop. The teachers learned how they can have their students communicate with Iraqi youth through iEARN projects. Farah Kamal, the Coordinator from iEARN-Pakistan attended to help facilitate the workshop. IYLEP is funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is administered by AMIDEAST, Sister Cities International, Legacy International, and iEARN-USA.

OPPORTUNITIES

Register now for upcoming iEARN Online Courses!

Courses run from September 28 to November 29 and bring together educators from around the world to communicate and plan how to integrate standards-based iEARN projects into various curriculum areas. The enrollment deadline is September 10th. We advise you to enroll early because there are only 25 places available per course. Read more and register now to save your spot: http://www.iearn.org/professional/online.html.

iEARN-USA is a member of iEARN (International Education and Resource Network), the world's largest K-12 non-profit global network that enables young people to use the Internet and other new technologies to engage in collaborative educational projects that both enhance learning and make a difference in the world. To learn more about iEARN USA click HERE.

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