December 2018
To my school community -
When I think about my position as a public school teacher, I am constantly thinking about the future. Will our students be ready for the demanding world that awaits them? Will our students be willing and ready to make the world a better, more tolerant place? And, am I - as the classroom leader - doing enough to prepare my students for a world that seems increasingly polarized?
Everything I say and do in the classroom is geared towards making our students ready for the future. Our future is Global Education. I want students to be prepared for rigorous classes that await them in high school and later college. I want them to be willing and able to speak truth to power when they see injustices in their community. I want our students to be able to tell their own stories - of their families, of their culture, of the past. I want our students to be able to use technology to bring ideas - and, more importantly, people - together. I want our students to be leaders of the 21st Century who can navigate seamlessly across borders, religions, and traditions.
Right now, in Texas, global issues are not a priority. Global issues are not part of the state curriculum (called TEKS) for middle school. This is wrong. Students - not matter how young - have ideas worth sharing. Their ideas need to be nurtured and shared with the world. Programs like Teachers for Global Classrooms, are working to unite students from around the world in promoting tolerance, communication, and conflict-resolution.
What is global education? Global education is taught using shared experiences, story telling, and teaching tolerance. Global education is not something that can be tested in a multiple choice exam.
In July of 2018, I was given an amazing opportunity to learn more about education systems around the world. After completing ten weeks of coursework, and attending a symposium in Washington D.C., I - along with 12 other educators - was chosen to visit schools in Indonesia - a country whose population is 90% Muslim. In this website you will find a journal I kept as I traveled around Indonesia with strangers who - despite our differences - treated me like family.
As you can read in my blog, my reaction to my placement was not a positive one. I was very hesitant to go to Indonesia. I had no idea what I was walking into or how I would be treated as a woman who likes to voice her opinion. I realized almost immediately that my perception of Indonesia was based on falsehoods and my own ignorance of other cultures. I was treated like family and welcomed everywhere I went. I learned more in three weeks about myself and about other cultures than I did in any classroom setting. I hope you enjoy reading this blog and looking at my images from Indonesia. I went expecting to feel like a fish out of water, and, instead, I was reminded of home.
I hope all of my students have a similar experience in their lifetime. People - no matter what religion, country, or status - are more alike than we are different. We all need to leave our comfort zones every once in while to learn about each other. Otherwise, our world will never change, and none of use will be ready for the future that awaits us.
Sincerely,
Sarah Carrola
To my school community -
When I think about my position as a public school teacher, I am constantly thinking about the future. Will our students be ready for the demanding world that awaits them? Will our students be willing and ready to make the world a better, more tolerant place? And, am I - as the classroom leader - doing enough to prepare my students for a world that seems increasingly polarized?
Everything I say and do in the classroom is geared towards making our students ready for the future. Our future is Global Education. I want students to be prepared for rigorous classes that await them in high school and later college. I want them to be willing and able to speak truth to power when they see injustices in their community. I want our students to be able to tell their own stories - of their families, of their culture, of the past. I want our students to be able to use technology to bring ideas - and, more importantly, people - together. I want our students to be leaders of the 21st Century who can navigate seamlessly across borders, religions, and traditions.
Right now, in Texas, global issues are not a priority. Global issues are not part of the state curriculum (called TEKS) for middle school. This is wrong. Students - not matter how young - have ideas worth sharing. Their ideas need to be nurtured and shared with the world. Programs like Teachers for Global Classrooms, are working to unite students from around the world in promoting tolerance, communication, and conflict-resolution.
What is global education? Global education is taught using shared experiences, story telling, and teaching tolerance. Global education is not something that can be tested in a multiple choice exam.
In July of 2018, I was given an amazing opportunity to learn more about education systems around the world. After completing ten weeks of coursework, and attending a symposium in Washington D.C., I - along with 12 other educators - was chosen to visit schools in Indonesia - a country whose population is 90% Muslim. In this website you will find a journal I kept as I traveled around Indonesia with strangers who - despite our differences - treated me like family.
As you can read in my blog, my reaction to my placement was not a positive one. I was very hesitant to go to Indonesia. I had no idea what I was walking into or how I would be treated as a woman who likes to voice her opinion. I realized almost immediately that my perception of Indonesia was based on falsehoods and my own ignorance of other cultures. I was treated like family and welcomed everywhere I went. I learned more in three weeks about myself and about other cultures than I did in any classroom setting. I hope you enjoy reading this blog and looking at my images from Indonesia. I went expecting to feel like a fish out of water, and, instead, I was reminded of home.
I hope all of my students have a similar experience in their lifetime. People - no matter what religion, country, or status - are more alike than we are different. We all need to leave our comfort zones every once in while to learn about each other. Otherwise, our world will never change, and none of use will be ready for the future that awaits us.
Sincerely,
Sarah Carrola