Independent Study Abroad 101
Studying and living overseas has valuable benefits for the second language educator:
Cultural benefits:
1. Enhanced cultural awareness
2. Current knowledge of customs, dress, politics, music, travel, economic conditions, etc.
Linguistic benefits:
3. Improved communicative skills: interpretive, interpersonal and/ or presentational
4. Increased vocabulary
5. Awareness of current idioms, quotes, sayings, etc.
6. Improved knowledge of the connection of language to culture and the community
7. Better ability to contrast the US with the country visited
As in life, not everything of value can be documented and accounted for.
8. One should not expect to receive anything close to the amount of CEUs for the amount of time spent in a foreign country.
9. ONE MUST REQUEST APPROVAL OF ANY CEUs TO BE EARNED IN ADVANCE TO BE CERTAIN ONE RECEIVES THE EXPECTED CEUs.
CEUs could be earned from the following methods if submitting an SD 17 Independent Staff Development Activity Application form for Prior Approval. SD 17 can be found at http://staffdev.ucps.k12.nc.us/default.asp?INVUSER Login and choose Course on the left hand side and then Prior Approval. Please refer to the Staff Development Manual in Moodle for details.
10. Documentable events that create a tangible product one can use in teaching.
a. No more than one CEU can be earned from documentable events gained during a time frame of less than 7 full days.
b. No more than two CEUs can be earned from documentable events gained during a time frame of at least 7 full days.
c. No more than three CEUs can be earned from documentable events gained during time frame of at least 15 days.
d. One CEU could be accrued at a rate of 20 event/study hours = 10 contact hours = 1 CEU
11. Tangible products that use information, data, photos, etc., to use in teaching.
a. No more than two CEUs can be earned from tangible products created from time frame of at least 7 full days.
b. No more than three CEUs can be earned from tangible products created from time frame of at least 15 full days.
Maximum CEUs:
3. A maximum of five CEUs can be earned per course/trip from enrollment in Union County’s “Independent Study Abroad 101”.
4. For example, summer 2008 one could enroll in “Independent Study Abroad 101” while traveling/studying abroad in the rainforest of Costa Rica, and in summer 2009 one could enroll in “Independent Study Abroad 101” while traveling/studying abroad in the rain forest of Brazil.
5. For example, summer 2008 one could enroll in “Independent Study Abroad 101” while traveling/studying abroad in the rainforest of Costa Rica, and in December, 2008 one could enroll in “Independent Study Abroad 101” while traveling/studying abroad in the rain forest of Brazil.
Documentable Events: Can be documented with tickets, programs, receipts, menus, brochures, photos that are presented in an electronic or paper format. Electronic format would include scanned objects that are organized and labeled. Paper format would be an organized and labeled scrapbook or notebook. The term “hours” are the units used here in order to measure “documentable events”. 20 “HOURS” SHOULD INCLUDE A MINIMUM OF FOUR DOCUMENTABLE EVENTS.
6. Artistic Events: art museums, cultural museums, dance performances, theatre, cinema, concerts
7. Business / Professions: shadow a worker in a local business; visit a factory or research l (three hour minimum)
8. Historic Knowledge: history walking tours, speeches or tours from historians or museum guides, history museums visits, cemeteries, battlefields, palaces, urban vs. rural life;
9. Medical Encounters: hospital visits or tours, pharmacy visits,
10. Restaurants: Ordering / Cuisine:
11. Shopping : Clothing, food, personal products,
12. Social Events: weddings, political rallies, church services,
13. Sporting Events : Baseball, soccer, basketball, ping pong, bullfighting,
14. Transportation: train, bus, plane within the country, subways, car rental, motorcycle rental, buying gas,
15. University/ School Tours :
16. Homestay
17. Other: Submit other ideas for “Documentable Events” with your request for prior approval for CEUs.
Tangible Products = Quantifiable Results of Overseas Study Recognizing that seat time does not prove knowledge or competence, likewise travel abroad does not prove professional development. To show the relevance of travel to teaching, one should create a product that exemplifies lessons learned from travel. The term “hours” are the units used here in order to measure “Tangible Products”. ANY TOPIC BELOW CONSTITUTES 10 “HOURS”. Ideas include:
18. Create a Power Point of personal photos taken on location in the country of residence of topics of relevant interest to the teacher’s topic of instruction: rivers, mountains, historical monuments, etc. See “Documentable Events”.
19. Create a lesson plan, game, cultural capsule to teach knowledge of the “Documentable Events”.
20. Film or tape conversations, interviews, speeches, plays, live music that can be used in class for the level/s one teaches. See “Documentable Events”.
21. Create an annotated memorabilia display of regalia, souvenirs and memorabilia relevant to the teacher’s topic/s and level/s of instruction worthy of a school 6’ x 6’ display / trophy case. See “Documentable Events”.
22. Maintain a daily diary of notes, facts, reflections and ideas on how to apply the cultural and linguistic observations to teachings
23. Submit other ideas for tangible products with your request for prior approval for CEUs.
Documentable Events and Tangible Products may be combined for coursework “hours” in “Independent Study Abroad 101”.
Frequently Asked Questions:
24. Should a teacher receive credit for study in a country whose second language is not the language that a second language teacher teaches? “Documentable Events” could qualify for CEU credit while “Tangible Products” would not as they are not items that could be directly used in teaching.
25. Do sabbaticals qualify for renewable CEUs? If so, what are the criteria? Yes, if they are meeting the aforementioned requirements.
26. Is there a ceiling for the amount of CEUs per renewal cycle? What if a person were to study / travel abroad every year of a renewal cycle? Would they still be limited to 5 CEUs per renewal cycle as Independent Study? They are not limited to 5, but they should be limited to 5 that counts toward licensure. This means that they would basically be using the remainder of CEUs as a type of curriculum vitae. The 15 total requirements has an unwritten expectation that the credits will come from numerous venues and topics ( i.e. best practices, classroom management, etc.)
27. Do CEUs from “Independent Study Abroad 101” meet the “Content” requirement for second language teachers? (3 CEUs of “content” are required for those due to renew their license beginning in June, 2009). Yes.
CEUs could be earned from the following methods below if submitting an SD 18 Education Program OUTSIDE UCPS/College Coursework-Application for Prior Approval. SD 18 can be found in http://staffdev.ucps.k12.nc.us/default.asp?INVUSER Login and choose Course on the left hand side and then Prior Approval. Please refer to the Staff Development Manual in Moodle for details.
28. Using an SD 18 Form for Prior Approval (completed online):
Formal Classes in an accredited institution that can document hours of instruction could accrue CEUs if an SD 18 form is submitted for prior approval: One hour of class (10 contact hours) is the suggested conversion rate for one hour of CEU.
1. An accredited institution would include universities, language institutes and colleges, cultural centers that can document attendance / contact hours.
2. See existing policy of converting classroom hours to CEUs.
3. CEUs from formal study abroad would be earned at the same rate as CEUs from US universities and colleges. Note: Formal study abroad does not fall into the category of “independent study”.
Research to Cite:
29. US Dept of Education Study on the Internationalization of Teacher Ed Programs
30. Creating Internationally Competitive Schools: Public School Forum’s Study Group XII Dec 2006
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