E-Portfolio

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATORS PROGRAM(IEP) NAMA: OOI ENG LYE HOST UNIVERSITY: DREXELUNIVERSITY, PHILADELPHIA REPORT This program is well-planned and organized. With participants from diverse cultural and ethnic background, this program has widened my knowledge and educated me culturally and intellectually. Being able to interact and understand such diversity is indeed very challenging, as each individual has a different perspective at all times and this has made me more sensitive towards global understanding in the pursuit of world peace. The orientation programs at Washington have prepared participants with a wide spectrum of topics, covering American education and schools to the culture of the American people. It was indeed a wonderful experience to together as a group, though diverse but sharing the same goals of education. IREX staff have been very supportive and they have provided the participants with the support and assistance in making our stay there memorable and comfortable. With our international colleagues, participants have to make an effort to work together to sustain a good working relationship. The faculty and staff of Drexel University have supported us in our stay there, and they have gone to their great lengths in making our stay there as memorable and rewarding. Drexel University through it’s uniqueness and variety of non-academic programs have kept me occupied and intellectually motivated and challenged. There were so many events in and around campus that I have to manage my time well, so that I am able to attend those events. In fact, the Malaysian participants have participated in the “Festival of nations” event organized by the Multicultural Education department of Drexel University and we got the 1st prize for being the best booth. This program is unique in a way that the participants are able to learn and experience American culture and it’s diversity. Auditing the education classes and sharing our experiences with the American students have made us richer in terms of knowledge, cultural education and independent learning. Staying at the International House, Phildelphia, the IEP participants were able to live together with other students from other countries. I have managed to organize a “Malaysian Night” featuring home-cooked Malaysian food and a joget dance workshop. Thus, we Malaysians were together in showcasing Malaysia to other countries. This has given us the means to socialize with the rest of the community at International House and among the IEP participants. I have benefited in terms of knowledge and teaching methodologies at Drexel University. I know more about the American school system and my internship at the “School Of The Future” at Philadelphia had given me a different perspective towards education for the future. The multimedia class that I have attended have provided me with the technology skills to apply what I have learned. It has also given me various options and alternatives to make my classroom teaching more interactive. Being given a lap top helped me a lot, especially when I did my online learning. Online learning is a new and exciting experience for me, whereby I am an independent learner and I have to submit my assignments online with datelines to meet. It’s something that I would want to set up with my students here whereby my students would have the chance to interact with their classmates online and the teacher would be able to post their assignments for the students. I have planned to share my experience with my master teachers in my state during one of our professional development programs planned, tentatively on 2nd August 2007. I will also be presenting a paper on the “School Of The Future” in an international conference for master teachers in September 2007. Besides that, I have sharing my learning experience with my colleagues as part of our professional development program. What I have learned and experienced would also be shared with the education officers from my state. Reflections: The IEP program was a wonderful, exciting and enriching experience for me as an individual and as an educator. It opened up my eyes to American Education system and culture and I have learned more about diversity through my interaction with my international IEP fellows. Last but not least, I wish to thank MACEE , IREX and Drexel University for making this program a success and an enriching experiential learning for me.