Abstract
Our research over the last fifteen years supports the idea of creating a “worldly teacher” (Germain, 2018) through a more globally focused university education as a component driving an increasingly popular and valuable movement, especially in these uncertain times, supporting international practicum experiences for prospective teachers. Each semester, Bridgewater State places (for ½ of their student teaching experience) over 10% of its student teachers in diverse international settings. To recognize BSU’s exceptional program, The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE); awarded BSU the 2017 Global and International Perspectives award. With an increasingly multicultural society in the United States, there is concern about designing teacher training programs that provide new teachers with experiences to better prepare them for a demographically diverse classroom setting (Kissock & Richardson, 2017). Internationally based practicums provide experience for pre-service teachers to develop the knowledge and skills required for practice in culturally responsive teaching (Jiang & DeVillar, 2011). The underlying premise is that teachers exposed to an international experience will be more effective educators in a multicultural U.S. classroom. This beneficial training is a prominent strand in the literature on student teaching abroad (Quezada, 2014). Our students have the opportunity, relaunching in fall 2021, to student teach in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Belize and Ecuador, and Zurich, Manchester (UK) and Dublin. The stresses and successes of teaching a diverse group of learners and living in a new culture shapes the professional perspective of student teachers and serves to refine their understanding.
Presenters
Robert Mac MillanProfessor, Department of Special Education, Bridgewater State University, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Vectors of Society and Culture
KEYWORDS
A Worldly Teacher, Global Focused University Education, International Perspective
