This fall, five education faculty members from two universities
in the Philippines, including the president of one of the universities,
spent time living, learning and sharing their educational insights
with students and professors in the University of Georgia’s
College of Education.
The visit, the second this year by professors from West Visayas
State University (WVSU) and Western Mindanao State University
(WMSU), was part of a two-year Fulbright Educational Partnership
Grant received by science education faculty at UGA.
The Filipino teacher educators attended colloquia with UGA faculty,
visited Pinewood Estates (a mobile home community in Athens
in which UGA students do volunteer tutoring of Hispanic students
in an after-school outreach program) and observed a UGA service-learning
class related to science at Barnett Shoals Elementary School.
The Fulbright Partnership is an expansion of the work of Deborah
Tippins, a professor of science and elementary education whose
research in community-based science education over the past
several years led her to the island of Panay in the Philippines.
During the 2001-02 academic year, Tippins resided at WVSU as
a Fulbright scholar.
The visiting Filipino teacher educators also learned about some
of the innovations in teacher preparation, particularly in relation
to elementary science teaching and learning; exchanged ideas
regarding socio-cultural research in science education; and
promoted a deeper understanding of issues of culture and diversity,
according to Tippins.
“These exchanges are important
because there are more than a million Filipinos living and working
in the United States,” she explained. “Cross-cultural
exchanges can help American educators understand the experiences
and backgrounds of these students.”
The visit also provided an opportunity for both UGA and Filipino
professors and students to erase some of the existing stereotypes.
“For example, the Filipino professors mentioned to me
that they had a stereotype of U.S. students as ‘spoiled,
rich students,’” said Tippins. “The professors
were very surprised to learn how our students volunteer and
contribute to their community through service learning.”
Similarly, Tippins says that U.S. students often think of the
Philippines as a country much like Korea and Japan.
The Fulbright Partnership, an initiative of the U.S. Department
of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
supports the three-way collaboration and exchange involving
UGA science education faculty, the Regional Science Teaching
Center and College of Education at WVSU and the Regional Science
Teaching Center of WMSU.
Competing
in a Global Economy
The University of Georgia is at the forefront of the globalization
movement in higher education with a wealth of opportunities
for international experiences. Our students are flocking to
study-abroad programs, thriving on the challenges inherent
in confronting a new cultural environment. More and more,
students on campus are also making choices that reflect an
understanding of the importance of global awareness—from
living in a residence hall-based language community to starting
a radio program in another language to minoring in a foreign
language. These experiences, whether at home or abroad, influence
how our students perceive the world and their place in it.
We’re producing graduates prepared to be world citizens—well
informed, culturally sensitive and technologically sophisticated.
They’re ready to take on the challenges of our global
society, and they’ll be equally at home whether in the
Peach State or the Republic of Georgia.
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West
Visayas State University professor Imelda Espigar (left) and WVSU
president Lourdes Arandaor (right) observe UGA student volunteers
working with children in a Latino community in Athens.
