Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. Experiencing the Local to Become Global: A Portrait of Teaching and Learning Abroad Kristy A. Brugar, Ph.D. University of Oklahoma Norman, OK, USA ______________________________________________________________________________ Abstract: This case study analyzes the experiences of two first-year American (U.S.) social studies teachers, Sam and Libby, working aboard. Over the course of the year, these two teachers developed an understanding of place and themselves as global educators. Using place-based theory (Sobel, 1994) and drawing on case study methodology, the research question is: How do international teaching experiences impact in-service teachers’ identities as global educators? I interviewed Sam and Libby six times over the course of one calendar year about their teaching and living experiences in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, their first-year teaching as well as their thoughts on global teaching and learning. Findings show each teacher developed a growing understanding of place and their identity as global educators. The implications of these understandings have an impact on their work as social studies teachers and ways in which international experiences may be used to facilitate better global understandings. Recommendations for future research, teacher education, and in-service teacher professional development are identified. Key Words: international teaching experiences, social studies, place-based education ______________________________________________________________________________ Experiencing the Local to Become Global: A Portrait of Teaching and Learning Abroad The fan slowly pushes the hot air around Libby’s brightly painted Caribbean classroom. It’s early October and Libby has been in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for less than two months. She takes a deep breath before collapsing into a chair. I ask, “How are things going?” She takes another deep breath before responding, “This is hard.” This case study describes an inquiry into the impact of local experiences and place-based education in an international setting on the global teaching and learning of two first-year American (U.S.) social studies teachers (Libby and Sam)1 teaching abroad in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Through each teacher’s growing understanding of the local history, place, and the implications 1 The names of the teachers and school are pseudonyms. 23 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. of these understandings on their work as social studies teachers, their growing identities as global educators emerge. According to the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), social studies is “the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence” (2010, p. 9). One purpose of social studies education “is to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.” (2010, p. 9) With the focus of an interdependent world, NCSS issued a position statement in which they delineate global and international educations. Global education focuses on the interrelated nature of condition, issues, trends, processes, and events while international education emphasizes specific world regions, problems, and cultures. International education encompasses studies of specific areas or regions of the world as well as the in-depth examination of a single culture or some aspect of that culture, such as its history, language, literature, religion, political organization, economic system, or current issues. (NCSS, n.d., para. 3) With this in mind, social studies teachers must provide global perspectives in order to assist students to understand the similarities and differences of people around the world through universal ideas (Merryfield, 2002). Thus, global educators teach their students about the world through multiple perspectives in order to develop the skills necessary to live in an increasingly global society. The purpose of this study is to describe the international teaching experiences of two American teachers as they learn about their new locality, varied points of view, and to develop a greater global awareness. Selected Literature Review This study draws from two areas of educational research: (1) global education and (2) international teaching experiences. Global Education As defined above, global education is focused on the interrelated nature of issues and events. Avery (2004) explored the ways in which social studies teachers identify (globally and nationally) in order to negotiate varied spaces. Teacher preparation programs should provide pre-service teachers with pedagogical and content knowledge in order to successfully teach in an increasingly global society (Diaz, 2004). Metzger (1988) identified several challenges associated with global education. These challenges include: controversies and misconceptions of global education, curriculum mandates, media, student attitudes, teacher knowledge (content and pedagogical), and textbook bias. Regardless of these challenges, teachers are approaching social studies from a global perspective (Kasai & Merryfield, 2004). Merryfield (2002) found global educators share common approaches to teaching and learning. For example, they encourage the use of multiple 24 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. perspectives; teach about social justice issues; and explore experiential learning opportunities. In addition, she found that global educators share some personal characteristics. For example, global educators tend to confront stereotypes and try not to oversimplify the global issues. Finally, many social studies teachers with global dispositions have had personal experiences with other cultures through travel, reading, or other cultural experiences (Merryfield, 1998). International Teaching Experiences The international teaching research is somewhat limited about American (in-service) teachers living/teaching aboard. The majority of this research has been conducted with student teachers and student teaching (teaching internship) requirements met abroad. Clement and Outlaw (2002) examined the impact of student teaching abroad and found participants learned about their teaching, the culture of the host country, and themselves (personally and professionally) through their work abroad. Research suggests that pre-service teachers’ participation in meaningful international experiences can be transformative (Cushner & Mahon, 2002; Marx & Moss, 2011). In an essay about their experiences teaching internationally, Potash and Potash (2011) described their time in Bulgaria. As in-service teachers, they described their own growth and development. In particular, they identified three distinct gains: (1) having a global context for the lessons they taught; (2) developing a greater understanding for their international students; and (3) positioning themselves as school and community leaders. Stevens (2001) suggests local history provides opportunities to take a Deweyan approach to historical study by personalizing the curriculum through connections of abstract historical events and students’ lives and experiences. Students’ lives and experiences are often referred to as funds of knowledge. Funds of knowledge are defined as “historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning and well-being” (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 2001, p. 133). Teachers should see their students as having rich resources created outside the classroom. Students need to be cognizant of important domestic issues and to be knowledgeable of important global issues (Merryfield & Wilson, 2004). In light of this research my research question is: How do international teaching experiences impact two first-year teachers’ identities as global educators? Theoretical Framework For this study, I employed the theoretical framework of pedagogy of place or place-based education (PBE). PBE is grounded in curriculum and instruction of local contexts (Woodhouse, 2001) with an emphasis on authentic learning experiences. Sobel (1994) defines PBE as “the process of using the local community and environment as a starting point to teach concepts . . . across the curriculum” (p. 7). In order to examine place, learners inquire through observation, investigation, and application of knowledge. Researchers (Gruenewald, 2003; Orr, 1994 Sobel, 25 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. 1994; Woodhouse & Knapp, 2000) have identified several guiding principles associated with place that include (1) content is specific to place; (2) experiences are experiential/participatory; (3) place is multidisciplinary; (4) connection of individual to place; and (5) reflection of a more broad educational philosophy. PBE is an important lens through which to look at international (or national) teaching experiences because it roots teachers and their experiences to the contexts in which they are teaching and learning. Methodology To examine my research question, I employed an interpretive case-study method (Yin, 2003). A case study was utilized because it allows for the examination of “specific phenomenon such as a program, an event, a person, a process, an institution, or a social group” (Merriam, 1988, p. 9). In this instance, the case study is an examination of two American teachers working in a school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti (PAP). Data Collection Over the course of one calendar year, I conducted six interviews. These interviews included individual interviews (2) and focus group interviews (4) and ranged in time from 60 to 90 minutes. The individual interviews focused on the teachers’ backgrounds and various history experiences including participating in community activities (Appendix A). The interviews were concentrated on their school and living experiences over the course of the academic year. The final interview was held during the following academic year and was reflective in nature. I transcribed, coded, and analyzed each interview. Participants I met Libby and Sam in the fall of 2011: they were enrolled in masters’ level courses coinciding with their teaching internship that I taught (one per semester). During the academic year in which they were my students, I learned about their interests in international teaching, encouraged them as they went to international teaching job fairs, and explored online possibilities for teaching abroad. During the summer of 2012, I became aware of teaching opportunities at Alliance School in PAP and immediately contacted Libby and Sam. At the start of this study, Sam and Libby had just completed their teacher preparation program, gotten married, moving to a new country, and were embarking on their first-year of teaching. Libby and Sam went to high school together in a middle class community outside a large, urban area in the Midwest. From high school, they attended a large, Mid-western university approximately 75 miles from their childhood homes. Both Sam and Libby had international experiences. Most notably, they participated in a university-sponsored program (Merryfield, 1998) to Australia. During this experience, each was paired with a collaborating Australian teacher who (1) they observed, (2) co-taught with, and (3) observed their teaching. Sam and Libby completed a fifth-year (post-bachelor’s) teacher certification program in which they participated in a year-long internship (student teaching) while taking two masters-level classes 26 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. each semester. Both completed their internships in suburban middle schools closer to their homes than the university. During their teacher preparation program, each expressed an interest in teaching overseas. Sam described “the possibility for adventures” and Libby expressed an interest in seeing “new parts of the world, like we teach about in social studies.” (interview, October 18, 2012) Following the completion of their teacher education programs, Sam and Libby took teaching positions in an American school, Alliance School, in PAP. In operation for almost 100 years, Alliance School is a K-12 institution that Libby and Sam describe as a “school for the elite and bourgeois in Haiti.” (interview, December 20, 2013) In this teaching position, Sam taught a variety of high school courses including World History, American History, and Advanced Placement United States History. Libby taught middle and high school courses including World Geography, United States History, and Current Issues. Interviews. The first interview was conducted with Libby and Sam individually. The purpose of this initial interview (Appendix A) was to gather background information about each of the participants. For these interviews, I met with Libby in her classroom in PAP and Sam via Skype. I approached the second, third, and fourth interviews as focus groups and conducted with Sam and Libby at the same time via Skype. As identified above, each interview was a discussion of “how things are going” in their classrooms, with teaching, at school, and, most generally in PAP. The final interview was conducted approximately one year after the initial interview. At the time of this interview Libby and Sam had left PAP and were teaching in two different high schools, outside a large urban area in a Mid-Atlantic state. Sam prompted this interview. Initially, he sent me an email asking for recommendations for a historical/realistic fiction book set in Haiti for his high school students. As part of this request, he stated, I wanted to offer if you would like to Skype again, Libby and I could discuss our reflections about teaching in Haiti after returning and how it has affected teaching in our current classrooms. I feel that our conversations in Haiti were my current reactions to the environment and now since returning I have really thought about my experiences and had time to reflect on them. While they are not totally different, some situations that did not seem very odd at the time, I’ve realized really were. (email correspondence, December 20, 2013) Data Analysis This study is interpretivist in that it seeks to make sense of Libby and Sam’s experiences. In order to analyze these data, I used a three-step interpretivist approach (Miles & Huberman,1994). To begin, I read through the transcribed data to determine patterns and themes that became codes (Merriam, 1998). Next, I organized the coded material into categories. The categories that emerged fell into two broad categories: teaching and place. 27 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. Through further examination of the teaching, notions of global education emerged. During further examination of the place category, I recognized elements of PBE. Last, I revised the original outline to include the categories thus allowing me to compare and contrast. Findings At the start of the academic year and this project, I asked Sam, “How and why did you come to teach in Haiti?” He stated frankly, “It is a job and I think it will be an adventure.” (interview, October 18, 2012) However at the end of the year, he was more hesitant to describe Haiti saying, “It is interesting” and rhetorically saying, “How do you describe it?” (interview, June 15, 2013) Similarly, Libby was cautious to describe Haiti saying, “It is difficult to explain . . . hard to be accurate . . . sometimes, I just can’t share because I am not sure people with get it.” (interview June 15, 2013) Their experiences were laden in local histories and experiences, which facilitated their growth and development as global educators (Merryfield, 2002). Over the course of the academic year, Libby and Sam grappled with multiple perspectives, question issues of justice (for their students and themselves), and explore opportunities to learn about their new home. Sam and Libby demonstrated the guiding principles (Gruenewald, 2003; Woodhouse & Knapp, 2000; Sobel, 1994; Orr, 1992) associated with PBE: (1) content is specific to place; (2) experiences are experiential/participatory; (3) place is multidisciplinary; (4) connection of individual to place; and (5) reflection of a more broad educational philosophy. In this section, I describe Sam and Libby’s experiences and development in light of each of these principles. Utilizing these principles, I will address my research question: How do international teaching experiences impact first-year teachers’ identities as global educators? Content is Specific to Place In order to integrate local history and global thinking to one’s curriculum and instructional practices, they must first understand that locality. According to Gruenewald (2003), a place has particular attributes or content which are distinct to the culture, geography, politics, sociology, and “other dynamics of that place” (p. 11). Port-au-Prince, Haiti is no exception. The distinct characteristics of PAP are geographic and economic factors (e.g., port city; one of the poorest cities in the western hemisphere; the destruction left as a result of the earthquake in January of 2010). Libby and Sam exemplified this aspect of PBE throughout the year. Most generally, Sam and Libby peppered our conversations with phrases like “That’s Haiti” or “It’s so Haitian” or simply, “It’s different here.” (interviews, March 17, 2013; June 15, 2013) They identified PAP as having distinct attributes, which they were trying to understand. One such distinction Libby and Sam identified was in reference to celebrations. Sam acknowledged that the general Haitian population is very poor but the people approached a celebration of their culture with a great richness. He described the community becoming 28 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. “engulfed in a celebration of culture.” (interview, March 17, 2013) In particular, he described the annual Carnaval celebration. For Carnaval, Sam and Libby travelled from PAP to Cap Haitian. Historically, the official carnaval was held in PAP. However following the earthquake in 2010, PAP was unable to host this national event. In 2013, Carnaval was officially held in Cap Haitian, which is less than 100 miles north of PAP and takes four to six hours to drive there. To Sam and Libby, it seems like a world away. This experience provided Libby and Sam with the opportunity to talk with their students about this Haitian tradition and the impact of the earthquake on their lives, which ranged from massive loss (e.g., family members, property) to spending a school year in the United States or elsewhere so that there would be little interruption in their academics. Sam reflected on this experience as “life changing” and “a top experience of my life.” (interview, February 16, 2013) Unlike PAP, Sam and Libby felt they were more able to walk around Cap Haitian, and they were able to visit two historical sites: the Citadelle and Palace Sans Souci. In the early 19th century, Haitian revolutionary, and later king, Henri Christophe built the Citadelle and Palace Sans Souci. In 1982, both were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Citadelle is a massive stone fort built at the top of a hill. Sam and Libby rode motorbikes to the site and explored the rooms and vistas. Sam recalled, “It was amazing. The Citadelle is one of my favorite historical places.” (interview, February 16, 2013) At the bottom of the hill sits the remains of Palace Sans Souci. “It reminded me of the ruins in England,” (interview, February 16, 2013). Libby recalled the similarities and differences of this place as it related to her other international experiences. As a global educator, Libby considered these multiple perspectives, or this case, her experiences. These experiences exemplify the experiential learning opportunities Sam and Libby took advantage of as global educators (Merryfield, 2002). Place is Multidisciplinary In addition to the distinctions of a place, another characteristic of PBE is a multidisciplinary approach to education. A multidisciplinary approach involves the use of content and skills associated with across academic disciplines in order to holistically address problems and experiences. For Sam and Libby, they needed to use what they knew about the world and Haiti (content) and various skills (e.g., talking, viewing, and listening). In several of our conversations, Libby and Sam described their Haitian experiences and the texts they were reading in a variety of ways from conversations to visual material they were seeing to language barriers. Sam and Libby spoke extensively about their interactions and discussions with students. Their students provided them with an insight into Haitian culture and society they did not have. Libby began to express her understanding of place in multidisciplinary ways; she made connections between the content of each text and Haitian geography, ideology, and politics; “I never realized the interconnectedness of all these places [U.S., Haiti, and France]. I want my students to get that because if they live here they have to depend on other countries.” (interview, March 17, 2013) She went on to describe an experience in her Current Issues class – discussion about the 29 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. issue of poverty. She said, “My students like to talk about Haiti, actually they love to talk about it. But some students got angry when I brought up poverty here because they said I was trying to make them feel guilty.” (interview, March 17, 2013) These multiple perspectives and inquiries into issues of social justice pushed Libby as a global educator. Sam reified these notions by saying “they [students] love talking about Haiti but they want to distance themselves from the people [italics added].” (interview, March 17, 2013) As stated earlier, Alliance School serves a privileged population in PAP and socially just conversations were sometimes tricky for Sam to negotiate. He recalled a student saying, “If we change Haiti, I lose my privilege.” (interview, March 17, 2013) Sam shared this experience several times trying to make sense of historical, political, and sociological implications of this statement/classroom experience. Sam and Libby did not and do not speak French nor do they speak Haitian Creole (the official languages of Haiti). However, they rarely discussed the language barrier – all their students spoke English, all school business was conducted in English, and people they met spoke English. The issue of language came up in our second interview. I asked Libby and Sam if the radio was a way in which they are getting local information. Sam said, “Not really, since I can’t understand what they are saying, but it seems relevant. Our driver2 listens to the radio all the time.” (interview, May 7, 2013) Libby chimed in, “sometimes he yells back at it. So, I think they might be saying something important or at least provocative.” (interview, May 7, 2013) While Sam and Libby were able to talk with others, make observations, and listen, it was also important that they have experiences in Haiti that I will discuss in the next section. Experiences are Experiential/Participatory PBE is inherently experiential for the participants/learners. Teachers and learners become involved in their communities and environments through a variety of activities. These types of experiential opportunities make the learning more meaningful and more sustainable. The fondest memories Libby and Sam shared were those in which they participated in community and cultural experiences, within and outside the school setting. Libby reflected and said, “People celebrated being Haitian.” (interview, December 23, 2013) She spoke more broadly about celebrations in which they participated and every day occurrences. The first holiday Sam and Libby experienced in PAP was Dessalines Day (October 17), which commemorates the death of the Haitian revolutionary leader, Jean-Jacques Dessalines. During our interview, Libby stated, “I learned a lot about these guys [Dessalines and L’Ouverture]. I have heard of Toussaint [L’Ouverture] but I had no idea why he was so important. . . . It was interesting to see how one country’s actions relate to another country’s history.” (interview, 2 Alliance School provided a driver to transport all the international teachers from their apartment building to and from school. 30 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. February 16, 2012) Further, Libby described the relationship among Haiti, France, and the United States. Sam added, “It was cool to know how important Dessalines was to the Haitian Revolution . . . and, I guess to world history.” (interview, February 16, 2012) Libby and Sam’s acknowledgment of this new information helped to develop an understanding of Haiti’s complexities and they started to personally connect with Haiti. Connection of Individual to Place The fourth over-arching idea associated with PBE is an individual’s connection to a place. It is the notion that an individual and community are linked to a place. These links or relationships are persistent in the ways in which Sam and Libby describe their experiences in PAP and helped them to better connect with their students. Haiti is now part of each of them and their life stories (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990). Libby described the value of thinking about the place that you live from a more critical lens to better understand the diversity of one’s own community. One such example is relatable to those who have traveled and those who have always stayed close to home. In the reflective interview, I asked Libby and Sam, “What do you miss most about Haiti?” Libby described missing her students. She described individual students with whom she connected with over the year in ways that many teachers do. Sam also spoke about missing his students – not individual students, but rather the discussion he had with his students. “They didn’t just agree with everything I said. I miss the discussions where they talked about America – the things they didn’t agree with or the problems they saw in democracy.” (interview, December 23, 2013) Each of their reflections exemplified what they learned about teaching, the place, and themselves (Clement & Outlaw, 2002). Through their localized experiences, Sam and Libby were able to broaden their thinking about education. Reflection of a More Broad Educational Philosophy The final aspect of PBE is the reflective broadening of one’s educational philosophy. This includes the exploration of larger educational objectives, which may encompass the other four tenants of PBE. Sam and Libby consistently reflected on their experiences at the Alliance School and on their development as global educators. Experiences:. While Sam and Libby acknowledged that teaching at Alliance School was challenging, they each grew as educators. Libby said, “because we had to do so many things [e.g., school leadership, coaching, chaperoning international travel with students] I developed a lot of skills that my friends in the States didn’t in their first year of teaching.” (interview, December 23, 2013) Sam identified one area of growth as “my knowledge has really expanded because I had four preps. I was always reading and thinking and trying to connect the material to my students so it would make sense and they could get it.” (interview, December 23, 2013) (Metzger, 1998; Moll, et al., 2001). After their experience in PAP, Sam stated he developed skills like flexibility and Libby described herself as resourceful and incredibly flexible. Libby told a story of the power going out at 31 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. Alliance School – there was no access to the internet, photocopying, light or fans for almost a week but school was in session. She described her planning process as “I have a lesson plan and a back up plan and then one or two more ideas in case something goes wrong.” (interview, December 23, 2013) Sam parroted Libby’s ideas about having back up plans but also explored the idea of flexible thinking in reference to his students. “I have to remind myself that my students are not Americans even though this is an American school. They think differently about things. I have to be aware of those other perspectives.” (interview, December 23, 2013) Libby reflected on her experience in PAP as a very vivid reminder of importance of a basic education in order for people to not simply survive but thrive. Global Educators. The content, skills, and experiences Sam and Libby had and discussed over the course of the year demonstrated their development as global educators. I asked Libby and Sam if they identified themselves as global educators. Demonstrating his understanding of multiple perspectives, Sam responded, “Yes, especially teaching internationally in Haiti. The perspectives [e.g., students, teachers, families] are completely different. Much more critical of the United States than you would expect.” (interview, December 23, 2013). Libby continued, “They [students] are critical of the United States but they don’t have a lot of evidence about the United States. . . . What they do know, well a lot of the feelings about the US come from their parents. They are cautious of the United States.” (interview, December 23, 2013) The process of learning and growing over the course of this academic year was one of give and take. While Libby and Sam were the teachers in the classroom, they describe themselves as students and the adolescents in their classrooms as the teachers. These adolescents provided Sam and Libby with insight into Haitian culture and classroom teaching. Thoughtful examination of these experiences impacted their identities from social studies teachers with global awareness to global educators who explained the complexity of places and relationships (beyond Haiti). These identity shifts will impact their future work as social studies teachers through 1) instruction centered around a global interconnectedness and 2) the use of students’ funds of knowledge to connect to global issues. As mentioned earlier, Sam, as a teacher in the Mid-Atlantic, “teach[ing] a global studies/AP Government, [I] teamed up with AP Language. As a result, I have to teach a fictional novel that incorporates global issues. Due to my experiences in Haiti, I have been looking for a novel that takes place in Haiti.” (interview, December 23, 2013). Thus, he was looking to teach with a more global perspective (Kasai & Merryfield, 2004). Implications Sam and Libby reflect the previous research done on international teaching experiences (Clement & Outlaw, 2002) and the dispositions (Merryfield, 2002) and challenges (Metzger, 1998) associated with global educators. They exemplify challenges – teaching knowledge, student attitudes, and instructional opportunities. However, because much of that research has been conducted with pre-service teachers, this case provides another dimension to that body of 32 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. work. The case of Libby and Sam provides opportunities to think about teacher learning in schools, both domestically and internationally. This study has implications in two areas: teacher professional development and teacher practice. With regard to teacher professional development, I suggest three school-based or district-based possibilities. According to Darling-Hammond and McLaughlin (1995), “effective professional development involves teachers both as learners and teachers, and allows them to struggle with the uncertainties that accompany each role” (p. 598). Professional development involves “deepening teachers’ understanding about the teaching/learning process” and “continue throughout a teacher’s career” (p. 598). First, districts and schools should provide in-service opportunities to explore ideas associated with global education, the notions of global perspectives, and the possibilities for the integration of these ideas in their classrooms. Second, administrators could encourage short-term international teaching experiences through various organizations (e.g., Fulbright-Hays programs, Teachers for Global Classrooms). Once teachers have an understanding of the concepts, materials, and instructional possibilities for global education in their classrooms, my second implication can be addressed: teacher practice. I suggest professional learning communities in which teachers participate in an on- going process of evaluation and re-evaluation of materials, their practice, and students’ learning in light of global education goals. This may lead teachers to develop collaborative and supportive professional relationships that help them develop further in other aspects of their work. For teachers designing and implementing curricula for their classrooms, this fosters growth of their content knowledge, increases their pedagogical content knowledge, extends their curricular knowledge, and, most importantly, deepens the work they do with students. Limitations There are two limitations associated with this study: the small number of participants, and the teaching experiences of those teachers. This study examines the experiences of two teachers. In addition, the experiences of Sam and Libby are complicated by the fact that they are first-year teachers. Thus the various experiences they grapple with could be attributed to their international setting or their first-year of teaching or a combination of these two factors. For example, when asked about the challenges they encountered in Haiti, Sam identified “creating good, quality lessons. I do what I can so they will learn it but it is not creative.” (interview, March 17, 2013) Libby lamented, “I can’t live up to my expectations.” (interview, March 17, 2013) Each of these statements can be attributed to teaching in PAP where resources (e.g., teachings, internet access) are limited as well as being a first-year teacher (Ingersoll & Smith, 2003; Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Conclusion Existing research on international teaching opportunities suggests that international experiences expand teachers’ knowledge and understandings of the places in which they teach. In addition, 33 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. international teaching experiences can foster a stronger connection between teacher and place and, as a result facilitate a teacher’s ability to globalize their instruction for their students in a variety of settings. Future research and development should aim to replicate these experiences with more tenured teachers in PAP and other in-service American teachers teaching abroad in other contexts. References Avery, P. (2004). Social studies teacher education in an era of globalization. In S.A. Adler (Ed.), Critical Issues in Social Studies Teacher Education (pp. 37–57). Greenwich, Connecticut: Information Age Publishing. Clement, M. C., & Outlaw, M. E. (2002). Student teaching abroad: Learning about teaching, culture, and self. 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Kasai, M., & Merryfield, M. (2004). How are teachers responding to globalization? Social Education, 68(4), 312–316. Marx, H., & Moss, D. M. (2011). Please mind the culture gap: Intercultural development during a teacher education study abroad program. Journal of Teacher Education, 62(1), 35–47. Merriam, S. (1988). Case study research in education: A qualitative approach. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 34 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. Merryfield, M. (1998). Pedagogy for global perspectives in education: Studies of teachers’ thinking and practice. Theory and Research in Social Education, 26(3), 342–379. Merryfield, M. M. (2002). Rethinking our framework for understanding the world. Theory and Research in Social Education, 30(1), 148–51. Merryfield, M., & Wilson, A. (2004). Social studies and the world: Teaching global perspectives. Silver Spring, MD: National Council for the Social Studies. Metzger, D. (1988). The challenges facing global education. Louisiana Social Studies Journal, 15(1), 13–16. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (2001). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory into Practice, XXXI(2), 132–141. National Council for the Social Studies. (2010). National curriculum standards for social studies: A framework for teaching, learning and assessment. Silver Spring, MD: Author. National Council for the Social Studies, (n.d.). What are global and international education? Retrieved from http://www.socialstudies.org/positions/global/whatisglobaled Orr. D. (1994). Earth in mind. Washington, DC: Island Press. Potash, B., & Potash, B. (2011). Why teach abroad: Two American teachers explain their motivations and experiences teaching in Bulgaria. Independent School Magazine, 70(2). Retrieved from http://www.nais.org/Magazines-Newsletters/ISMagazine/Pages/Why- Teach-Abroad.aspx Smith, T. M., & Ingersoll, R. M. (2004). What are the effects of induction and mentoring on beginning teacher turnover? American Educational Research Journal, 41(3), 681–714. Sobel, D. (1994). Place-based education: Connecting classrooms & communities. Great Barrington: The Orion Society. Stevens, R. (2001). Homespun: Teaching local history in grades 6–12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Woodhouse, J. (2001). Over the river & through the ‘hood: Re-viewing “Place” as a focus of pedagogy: An introduction. Thresholds in education, 27(3–4), 1–5. 35 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org http://www.nais.org/Magazines-Newsletters/ISMagazine/Pages/Why-Teach-Abroad.aspx http://www.nais.org/Magazines-Newsletters/ISMagazine/Pages/Why-Teach-Abroad.aspx Journal of International Social Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2014, 23-36. Woodhouse, J. L., & Knapp, C. (2000). Place-based curriculum and instruction: Outdoor and environmental education approaches. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED448012.pdf Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Appendix A: Interview Protocol Thank you for agreeing to talk with me. As I have mentioned previously, I am interested in learning about how Americans teaching abroad incorporate local history into their curriculum. I am going to ask you a series of questions. Name:/ Current Teaching Position:/ Teaching Background: What other teaching and/or preparation have you done prior to your current position? PROBE: Did you have any additional training or preparation for teaching in international schools? First, I am going to ask you a few questions about Haiti. How long have you been in Haiti? What was your purpose for coming to Haiti? In other words, why did you come to Haiti? Now I am going to ask you three inter-related questions. Prior to arriving in Haiti, what did you know about Haiti? What did you think about Haiti? And What did you feel about Haiti? Let’s start with what you knew about Haiti prior to coming? What did you think about Haiti? In other words, what were your impressions of Haiti? Last, prior to arriving, did you have any feelings about Haiti? Having been here for X months/years, what are your current impressions of Haiti? Next, I am going to ask you about the curriculum you are teaching. What is your philosophy about teaching and learning? What types of materials do you use in order to prepare your lessons/units? What types of materials do you incorporate in your lessons? Are there materials you would like to include but for some reason have been unable to? What might you include and for what purpose? Are there opportunities for you to take field trips with your students? If YES, where have you visited and for what purpose? If NO, why not and where might you like to take your students? For what purpose would you take students to that location or those locations? In what ways do you incorporate the place you are in the lessons you are teaching your students? 36 | P a g e Corresponding author email: kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu ©2012/2015 International Assembly Journal of International Social Studies Website: http://www.iajiss.org Experiencing the Local to Become Global: A Portrait of Teaching and Learning Abroad Selected Literature Review Global Education International Teaching Experiences Theoretical Framework Methodology Data Collection Over the course of one calendar year, I conducted six interviews. These interviews included individual interviews (2) and focus group interviews (4) and ranged in time from 60 to 90 minutes. The individual interviews focused on the teachers’ backgroun... Participants Data Analysis Findings Content is Specific to Place Place is Multidisciplinary Experiences are Experiential/Participatory Connection of Individual to Place Reflection of a More Broad Educational Philosophy Implications Limitations Conclusion References