Every Friday at 5:00 pm throughout the spring semester, Hasnain arrived at the Carriage House senior care center in Denton, Texas. Over bingo and cards, he talked to the elderly about his Pakistani culture, his community, and his family. He listened to their stories, tales of growing up in the US and of life in a Texas town.
As a spring fellow of the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan studying at the University of North Texas, Hasnain took seriously his duty as a cultural ambassador. Throughout his five months in the US, Hasnain spoke in local schools, on the university campus, and at the Carriage House, sharing cultural and personal aspects of Pakistan often obscured by the outpouring news in theof media attention.
“People were curious to know about my country, and they often didn’t know any details. I wanted people to know the real Pakistan, and I wanted to tell them about Pakistan through my character. I was a cultural ambassador.”
Hasnain reached more than 200 ninth and tenth graders at a local high school, speaking to them through a series of small-group discussions throughout the semester. Talking with groups of 15-20 students, he led discussions on a wide range of topics, such as the differences and similarities between romantic relationships in the US and Pakistan. “Students were surprised that wedding ceremonies last for three days in Pakistan.”
Explaining the “real Pakistan,” Hasnain told students about the geographic and cultural differences among regions in the country. He talked about the government structures, described major cities, and discussed some of Pakistan’s history.
His host advisor, Aleka Myre, said Hasnain’s drive to talk about Pakistan and learn about the US helped the campus and community. “I think he’s had a tremendous effect on the community. He participates in a lot of different international events and shares his culture as much as he can.”
And now that he’s returned to Pakistan, Hasnain is speaking in his university, sharing his reflections about the US to further his work as acultural ambassador. “There is much diversity in my university. People from remote areas, tribal areas, plain areas and every other part are studying here. Many from remote areas and tribal areas have no access to Internet or other technologies, so my discussions are removing the negative and false thoughts that were growing in their minds. They are rethinking their views, and many are motivated to make Pakistan a better organized and more peaceful country.
The Global UGRAD-Pakistan program is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US Department of State, and administered by IREX.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Learning with Technology: A Day with a Student from Senegal
Mouhamadou Mansour Diallo, a 14-year-old youth from Senegal, is using a computer in his classroom for the first time this year. His English teacher, Abdoul Aziz Niang, traveled to the US last year to see firsthand how technology can be leveraged in the classroom.
Mr. Niang is an alumnus of the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP). As a 2010 ILEP Fellow, Mr. Niang was among 84 secondary school teachers from around the world who traveled to the US for a five-month professional development program. During the program, Mr. Niang studied student-centered teaching methodologies and technology for instruction, and developed a teacher training module on best practices for interdisciplinary curriculum design.
He returned to his school in Soumbedioune, a neighborhood known for its fish market and vibrant arts outside of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, equipped with more teaching strategies and a network of international colleagues.
IREX recently interviewed one of Mr. Niang’s students, Mansour, to learn more about what a typical day is like for him and how his classroom experience has changed since Mr. Niang returned from the US.
What is your typical school day like?
On school days, I always get up at 6:30am, before leaving home at 7:30 since school starts at 8:00 and ends at 5:00pm. My parents never assign me chores before class. I walk to school, which is not far from our house. I carry all the books and classroom items I need with me.
We usually have four classes of two hours each in the day. My main subjects are Math, Physics, French, English, History, and Geography, in addition to Science, Physical education, and Arts. Math is my favorite subject. After school I go back home just to eat and come again to school in order to work in a group with my friends.
What is your class like?
There are 47 students in my classroom. The school is not very nice, but it is big and there is space for all of us.
Have you noticed a difference in Mr. Niang’s teaching style compared to before he participated on the ILEP program?
Mr. NIANG’s classes are much livelier now because everything is illustrated with videos which help us to understand easily. We also practice the language recording our own videos and getting feedback in order to correct mistakes or better our performances. In addition, we share a social network called WIGGIO in which many activities related to our lessons are posted.
We are happy since we are the only students in the school to learn this way; that makes us different from others. Last year we didn’t use computers in our classes. We were not equipped with computers before our teacher left for the ILEP program. Our school was fortunately given fifty laptops and other materials by USAID.
What do you and your friends talk about the most?
We mostly talk about school, news and girls.
What do youth in your community care about the most?
We care about peace, our future, the environment and our parents’ satisfaction. Most people my age dream of immigration. This is not my case because I believe I must stay home and help in the development of my country.
Mr. Niang is an alumnus of the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP). As a 2010 ILEP Fellow, Mr. Niang was among 84 secondary school teachers from around the world who traveled to the US for a five-month professional development program. During the program, Mr. Niang studied student-centered teaching methodologies and technology for instruction, and developed a teacher training module on best practices for interdisciplinary curriculum design.
He returned to his school in Soumbedioune, a neighborhood known for its fish market and vibrant arts outside of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, equipped with more teaching strategies and a network of international colleagues.
IREX recently interviewed one of Mr. Niang’s students, Mansour, to learn more about what a typical day is like for him and how his classroom experience has changed since Mr. Niang returned from the US.
What is your typical school day like?
On school days, I always get up at 6:30am, before leaving home at 7:30 since school starts at 8:00 and ends at 5:00pm. My parents never assign me chores before class. I walk to school, which is not far from our house. I carry all the books and classroom items I need with me.
We usually have four classes of two hours each in the day. My main subjects are Math, Physics, French, English, History, and Geography, in addition to Science, Physical education, and Arts. Math is my favorite subject. After school I go back home just to eat and come again to school in order to work in a group with my friends.
What is your class like?
There are 47 students in my classroom. The school is not very nice, but it is big and there is space for all of us.
Have you noticed a difference in Mr. Niang’s teaching style compared to before he participated on the ILEP program?
Mr. NIANG’s classes are much livelier now because everything is illustrated with videos which help us to understand easily. We also practice the language recording our own videos and getting feedback in order to correct mistakes or better our performances. In addition, we share a social network called WIGGIO in which many activities related to our lessons are posted.
We are happy since we are the only students in the school to learn this way; that makes us different from others. Last year we didn’t use computers in our classes. We were not equipped with computers before our teacher left for the ILEP program. Our school was fortunately given fifty laptops and other materials by USAID.
What do you and your friends talk about the most?
We mostly talk about school, news and girls.
What do youth in your community care about the most?
We care about peace, our future, the environment and our parents’ satisfaction. Most people my age dream of immigration. This is not my case because I believe I must stay home and help in the development of my country.
Friday, May 20, 2011
At Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Fellows Link US Past and Present
For many international exchange fellows who study at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), their stories are those of growth. Quickly moving beyond the one-dimensional images of the US normally shown abroad, fellows at HBCUs often leave with a deeper understanding of America’s complex history, broad diversity, and continuing struggle for equality.
Until two years ago, Tsovinar of Armenia had never thought much about race relations around the world. “Actually, I didn’t care,” she said. “I didn’t think it made a difference.”
That changed after Tsovinar was selected as an Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program fellow to study at Howard University. Tsovinar has become more mindful of racial and ethnic issues since being in the US. “When I’m following my friends’ thoughts on Facebook, I see them bring attention to improper jokes and emphasize how you can’t do that. Now, even when I hear improper jokes about Armenia, I’m pushing them to be more sensitive.”
Studying at HBCUs has provided some fellows rare opportunities to learn about history right where it happened. “The Civil Rights history is here in Howard,” said Tsovinar. Howard University is where Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice, received his law degree, and it has been a hub of civil rights activities since its founding in 1867.
“Sometimes it’s hard to understand what the US is because you can meet so many types of people,” said Evdokia, a Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia fellow from Russia. Evdokia studies at Lincoln University, founded by the 62nd Colored Infantry at the close of the Civil War. “But Americans are many groups in one, and they are proud of their culture and religion. They remember all the generations before them. They keep their history.”
Beyond history, the experience of studying at a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) has provided many fellows with a broader social perspective. “Professors’ and students’ contributions in the classroom are coming from their personal lives and struggles,” Tsovinar said.
And the reverse is often true: just as exchange students benefit from the experiences of their peers at HBCUs, their counterparts gain new insight from international fellows.
Dr. Barbara Hines, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Mass Communications and Media Studies at Howard University, said, “Our students come from 105 countries and pretty much all of the US states. Their understanding globally tends to focus more on the African Diaspora and South America, and so having someone in class from a totally different part of the world really did give each of the students a new perspective. They were very curious to hear about Tsovinar’s home country, and they hadn’t been as aware of the political strife that has gone on in that young democracy.”
“I think programs like this open people’s eyes,” Dr. Hines said. “They create a better understanding of culture and humanity, and ultimately a more civil universe.”
For students like Farman, a Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan fellow also studying at Lincoln, this greater understanding provides lasting inspiration: “Students here are so concerned about the problems in society, and they always take action,” Farman said. “This has motivated me to work for the betterment of my society back in Pakistan.”
The Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program, the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia, and the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan are funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, and implemented by IREX.
Until two years ago, Tsovinar of Armenia had never thought much about race relations around the world. “Actually, I didn’t care,” she said. “I didn’t think it made a difference.”
That changed after Tsovinar was selected as an Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program fellow to study at Howard University. Tsovinar has become more mindful of racial and ethnic issues since being in the US. “When I’m following my friends’ thoughts on Facebook, I see them bring attention to improper jokes and emphasize how you can’t do that. Now, even when I hear improper jokes about Armenia, I’m pushing them to be more sensitive.”
Studying at HBCUs has provided some fellows rare opportunities to learn about history right where it happened. “The Civil Rights history is here in Howard,” said Tsovinar. Howard University is where Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice, received his law degree, and it has been a hub of civil rights activities since its founding in 1867.
“Sometimes it’s hard to understand what the US is because you can meet so many types of people,” said Evdokia, a Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia fellow from Russia. Evdokia studies at Lincoln University, founded by the 62nd Colored Infantry at the close of the Civil War. “But Americans are many groups in one, and they are proud of their culture and religion. They remember all the generations before them. They keep their history.”
Beyond history, the experience of studying at a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) has provided many fellows with a broader social perspective. “Professors’ and students’ contributions in the classroom are coming from their personal lives and struggles,” Tsovinar said.
And the reverse is often true: just as exchange students benefit from the experiences of their peers at HBCUs, their counterparts gain new insight from international fellows.
Dr. Barbara Hines, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Mass Communications and Media Studies at Howard University, said, “Our students come from 105 countries and pretty much all of the US states. Their understanding globally tends to focus more on the African Diaspora and South America, and so having someone in class from a totally different part of the world really did give each of the students a new perspective. They were very curious to hear about Tsovinar’s home country, and they hadn’t been as aware of the political strife that has gone on in that young democracy.”
“I think programs like this open people’s eyes,” Dr. Hines said. “They create a better understanding of culture and humanity, and ultimately a more civil universe.”
For students like Farman, a Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan fellow also studying at Lincoln, this greater understanding provides lasting inspiration: “Students here are so concerned about the problems in society, and they always take action,” Farman said. “This has motivated me to work for the betterment of my society back in Pakistan.”
The Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program, the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia, and the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan are funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, and implemented by IREX.
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