Alumni of the 2009 TEA program returned to their home countries in November 2009 and have been steadily working to put their experience into practice in their schools and communities.
In Azerbaijan, TEA Alumni Halima Fatullayeva organized an hour-long session during International Education Week at the Azerbaijan English Teachers’ Association (AZETA). Halima presented her experience on the TEA program and her knowledge of WebQuest learning tools. She is also planning to conduct a series of trainings for secondary and high school teachers in the newly opened Ganja Community Information Center.
In India, Sarada Narendranath conducted a workshop for social studies teachers at her school toshare the subject-specific methods and assessments she learned during the TEA program. Also in India, Rugmini Kongattil has embarked on a classroom-to-classroom email exchange project in collaboration with U.S. teacher Barbara Miller (Cowan Junior Senior High School, Muncie, Indiana). Students in the two English classes – one in India and one in Indiana – have exchanged letters about their local culture, customs, and language.
Another teacher from India, Devika Raman, wrote an article about her experience on the TEA Program that was published on her school’s website. The article highlights her experiences at the University of Nebraska and can be read by clicking here: http://psbbschools.ac.in/tea-programme-kkn.html [12].
In Argentina, Nazarena Cali made a presentation to a group of teachers and students during International Education Week at the Universidad Autonoma de Entre Rios on November 18, 2009. She was a member of the first group of teachers from Central and South America to participate in the TEA program. By sharing her experiences, the projects she completed, and other successes, Nazarena has encouraged a new group of teachers in Argentina to apply for and participate in the program next year.
Congratulations to all the TEA 2009 Alumni, and special congratulations to those who have already put their experience into practice in their home schools and communities.