October 16, 2007

Grace Olaes on the cliffs of Tiger Beach in Dalian, China.

Grace Olaes is one of 19 student teachers who traveled to Dalian, China last February for a 10 week practicum. The ITEM program was established with a belief that integrating experience locally and internationally enhances pre-service teachers' growth and understanding of the relationship between educational theory and classroom practice within a context of international education.  Since the program’s inception in 1996, programs have taken place in Oaxaca, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama and now, Dalian, China.

Being part of the first ITEM groups traveling to Dalian has been one of the most memorable experiences for Olaes.  “I know that people always say after they have done something incredible that it was life-changing…but really, it was.  I couldn’t have asked for anything more, and couldn’t have made a better choice to have applied to ITEM and gone to Dalian,” she says.   ITEM combines the best of both worlds, a little exposure to a part of the world that one may never go to on their own, and practical classroom teaching experience.

Coming back into the classroom after an experience like Dalian makes being part of the Faculty of Education so much more meaningful for Olaes.  She reminisces about her short time abroad and how much she has learned personally and professionally and what it really means to be a teacher.  “I would recommend ITEM to everyone because it enabled me to open my eyes to a whole new world, a whole new culture and made me appreciate everything that I have more deeply.”  Particularly in British Columbia's schools where diversity, English-as-an-additional-language, multicultural and anti-racism education as well as intercultural communication have become critical components of classroom life and the curriculum, it is crucial that cultural sensitivities and ethical and responsible interactions are developed with and for local and international communities.

This September, Olaes returned to teaching in a local grade 5 classroom where she is putting her Dalian experience to good use in working with her ESL students.

For more information, please visit: http://www.educ.sfu.ca/pdp/admissions/international.html