More than 5,000 miles away from Central Florida, Kouffi Kouadio is an active member in his community in the Ivory Coast.<\/p>\n
A single father and local radio host, Kouadio volunteers in the American corner in Tiassal\u00e9 and teaches English in a secondary school.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s also a lifelong-learner who is joining 21 other teachers from around the globe in an immersion experience that\u2019s exposing them to high school classrooms in America. Thanks to a program hosted at the University of Central Florida, the international teachers are learning about American high schools and shadowing teachers in Orange and Seminole counties to share experiences and best practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m delighted to be here, but I\u2019m also excited to return home and implement the teaching methods I\u2019ve learned during my time in the U.S.,\u201d said Kouadio. \u201cI have noticed that the relationship between student and teachers provides students the opportunity to speak their minds without restriction. This is different than in my country, where fear plays a role in the learning process.\u201d<\/p>\n
UCF is one of five host universities for the Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program, which brings outstanding secondary school teachers from around the globe to the United States to develop their expertise, enhance their skills and increase their knowledge.<\/p>\n
The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State\u2019s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs in partnership with the International Research & Exchanges Board.<\/p>\n
Twenty-two science and English teachers from 14 countries\u2014including Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Rwanda\u2014are spending five weeks at UCF. They first joined 83 other international participants in Washington, D.C., where they got a primer on American life and a preview of their program.<\/p>\n
The group arrived at UCF this month and has learned about teaching methods in the U.S. and what to expect when they step into an American classroom.<\/p>\n
Since last week, the international teachers have been sharing education strategies with teachers and interacting with students from America.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that when we facilitate interaction between people from other cultures and worldviews with ourselves, we expand our understanding of the world around us,\u201d said Tom Owens, director of UCF\u2019s Center for Educational Research and Policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the international teachers enter Central Florida\u2019s classrooms, students will meet someone from Uzbekistan, India or other countries they might not even be able to find on a map,\u201d said Owens. \u201cThat undoubtedly expands students\u2019 ideas about the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kouaido experienced that firsthand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen students discover you are from another country they are very interested in learning about your country. This is not the same in my country. The people in the U.S. are very curious and want to know more,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Program participants went through an intense application process run by the American embassy in their home countries that included exams, essays and interviews to narrow down the best and the brightest.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t UCF\u2019s first experience hosting educators from abroad. This summer, the College of Education and Human Performance hosted 50 English teachers from Brazil for a program on history and culture sponsored by the Brazilian government and the Institute for International Education.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese programs enhance UCF\u2019s global visibility,\u201d said Owens. \u201cParticipants marvel at UCF and our facilities and when they return home, they\u2019ll share all the great things UCF has to offer with their students.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"More than 5,000 miles away from Central Florida, Kouffi Kouadio is an active member in his community in the Ivory Coast. A single father and local radio host, Kouadio volunteers in the American corner in Tiassal\u00e9 and teaches English in a secondary school. He\u2019s also a lifelong-learner who is joining 21 other teachers from around the globe in an immersion…","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":54712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[5,6],"tags":[9657],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-54708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colleges","category-community","tag-tom-owens"],"yoast_head":"\n