story by Claire Miller
In her Student-Centered Learning and Curriculum Design course, Associate Professor Chantee Earl leads conversations about how educators can incorporate their students' cultural knowledge and experiences into their lesson plans.
Phuong Anh Nguyen, a mathematics teacher at Phan Dinh Phung High School in Hanoi, Vietnam, hopes to do the same with her students.
"The class inspired me to reflect on the cultural knowledge, background and values that students bring to the classroom, and how my insight into culturally relevant pedagogy and this opportunity to travel around the world can develop actions to bring more valuable learning opportunities to students in Vietnam," she said.
Nguyen is one of 19 teachers from 18 countries who participated in this spring’s Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program at Georgia State University. This six-week, U.S. Department of State-sponsored, highly selective initiative brings teachers from other countries to a host university for professional development.
As part of the Fulbright program, participating teachers attended classes with university faculty, visited local cultural sites and taught classes in local schools.
Nguyen spent time at Cross Keys High School in the DeKalb County School District and was particularly impressed with the school’s Career, Technical and Agricultural Education program, which helps prepare students for the workforce or to transition into post-secondary education.
“In the most recent effort to reform education in Vietnam, we have an emphasis on providing career orientation starting with high school students,” she explained. “I learned how schools can use curriculum maps to allow students to make choices about different pathways, and how they organize and utilize resources to provide essential career training to students.”
She also appreciated the Fulbright program’s Culture Day, where teachers dressed in traditional clothes and shared cultural touchpoints from their home countries.
Nguyen gained new perspectives from her fellow teachers and returns to Vietnam hopeful about the impact she can make on her students.
“My journey with the Fulbright program was a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other and helped me value our differences,” she said. “I learned how the education system varies from one country to another, and how our Fulbright teachers make the extra effort to overcome challenges and bring the best learning opportunities to their students. It really inspires me to keep up with my work in Vietnam.”