Cultural Exchange

Pakistan and Boone may be a world apart, but for 15 Pakistani biology teachers this summer, Boone became home. Their six-week visit was enabled by a grant from the U.S. Department of State to Appalachian’s Office of International Education and Development. With a goal of improving their science and technology education skills, as well as English. A team of Appalachian faculty members came together to design the program for the visiting teachers. Often, the teachers played the role of student in order to learn how to engage them in learning.

Transcript

Narrator: Pakistan and Boone may be a world apart, but for 15 Pakistani biology teachers this summer, Boone became home. Their six-week visit was enabled by a grant from the U.S. Department of State to Appalachian’s Office of International Education and Development. With a goal of improving their science and technology education skills, as well as English. A team of Appalachian faculty members came together to design the program for the visiting teachers. Often, the teachers played the role of student in order to learn how to engage them in learning.

Shazia Naz, biology teacher, International Outread Program: In Pakistan, we use lecture method. But in America we found it is a student-centered methodology. There is a great relationship between the students and the teacher. Students can ask any question to the teacher. They will not hesitate to ask the questions. The teachers are very friendly to the students. I would love to implement these strategies in my college.

Narrator: While they learned there were distinct differences between teaching in Pakistan and the classroom experience here, the love of teaching bound Pakistani and American participants together. And the visitors were delighted to find Appalachian and the community warm and welcoming.

Asim Bukhari, biology teacher, International Outreach Program: I was quite fear about the way the people react with me or my colleagues. But when I reached here, and how the people reacted ... all fear vanished in one day.

Narrator: The opportunity to practice in the classroom what they had learned came at the end of the summer when they spent two weeks teaching in Watauga County schools. As their time in Boone came to a close, the visitors were excited to return to their families and schools, but sad that the rich learning experience they found in Boone was ending. Nevertheless, friendships were forged, new cultures explored, understanding exchanged and lifelong memories were made.

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