We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.
Anais Nin
The best way to learn about the world and its people is to explore it! To learn the details of my field placement in Morocco for Teachers for Global Classrooms, then this is the right spot. If you think you may want to lead your own trips with students, then you may want to check out the School of Global Education trips I have led for over fifteen years (included below). If you are interested in other travel opportunities for teachers, then scroll down for information about "teacher tours".
Anais Nin
The best way to learn about the world and its people is to explore it! To learn the details of my field placement in Morocco for Teachers for Global Classrooms, then this is the right spot. If you think you may want to lead your own trips with students, then you may want to check out the School of Global Education trips I have led for over fifteen years (included below). If you are interested in other travel opportunities for teachers, then scroll down for information about "teacher tours".
TGC Morocco 2015
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The photos and captions above are just a preview of the two weeks I spent with my TGC colleagues in the beautiful country of Morocco. Please check out the blog I wrote while abroad to learn more about this incredible culture and the many wonderful people we met.
As part of TGC, the fellows were asked to develop a research question to investigate while in their field placement. What follows, is my analysis of Moroccan education reforms.
Reflective Research Response
Quite honestly, when our TGC cohort arrived at the first school visit in Rabat, Moulay Youssef High School, I was unimpressed. The director seemed distracted, disheveled, and simply unprepared for our visit. The building looked as I expected Moroccan schools to look: traditional arches and columns, like an abandoned palace, with cracking and peeling paint. The school culture felt sterile and overly serious. The classrooms, equipped with only chalkboards and simple student desks were uninviting. For the teacher, there was no projector mounted in the ceiling, or even an overhead projector. All writing was on the blackboard, in perfect linear columns while the students recorded this information in graph paper notebooks, all with the same precision as their neighbor.
Based on our first school visit, I was certain I would have to change my research question: What progressive educational reforms have been adopted and implemented in Morocco? Of course one cannot evaluate the entire Moroccan education system based on a single school experience, and as it turned out, there may have been more positives than I originally perceived at Moulay Youssef High School.
Before continuing with my reflections about our school visits, it is important to consider just what I mean by progressive reforms. Typically progress reflects advancement, development, and a continual aim to improve. In the U.S. we are in an intense educational debate about what the right improvements are, and there are numerous contending ideas coming from our levels of government, universities, businesses, educators, and parents. In Morocco, reform seems more straightforward: increase enrollment and retention, improve teacher training, update facilities, and prepare students to participate in a changing Moroccan and global economy.
Meriem Lahrizi, an innovative English teacher who led and supported our TGC cohort in Rabat, explained in her presentation “Education in Morocco: Then & Now” that Morocco’s “decade for education” began in 1999 with the adoption of the National Education and Training Charter. This program was further supported in 2009 by the Education Emergency Plan (World Bank). The most noteworthy success of these initiatives, as reported by the World Bank, is seen in the number of children attending school: primary education rates have risen from 52.4 percent to 98.2 percent, 17.5 to 56.7 percent increases in lower secondary schools (middle schools) have been reported, and a 6.1 percent to 32.4 percent rise in upper secondary schools (high schools). While there is certainly still work to do in retention, the improvements in initial enrollment are astounding.
A related reform effort is keeping high school students in school and maintaining enrollment for both girls and boys in Morocco. USAID supports such efforts as, “2,400 students in two pilot regions received training in the skills necessary to enter the work force and established organizations to support improvements in school projects.” The English Club, Philosophy Club, and Human Rights Club are a few exciting student organizations that have recently been developed at the schools I visited.
At the newly built Industrial Zone School in Nador, Youssef Elboutaibi, my host teacher, sponsors the English Club which organized an incredible Amazigh cultural evening to welcome my teaching partner Wendy and me. The room was filled with eager students, staff, and parents, and the presentations were creative, interactive, fun, yet also educational. Youssef has also partnered with Berkshire schools in Massachusetts for monthly Skype sessions discussing global issues, and incorporated Edmodo, Google+, and social media into his classes. It is clear that Youssef’s participation in the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP), a U.S. State Department-Moroccan Ministry of Education initiative, is not only helping to improve student learning, but student interest and engagement as well. His willingness to host TGC teachers demonstrates his commitment to global education, and what an added bonus it was for his students to practice their English skills with native speakers like Wendy and me. Youssef is just one example in Morocco of a teacher reforming his classroom and school, “1,937 teachers, including 830 women who participated in USAID-developed training modules, are now applying new teaching methodologies in classrooms nationwide” (USAID).
The third and final school our cohort visited in Rabat, Abi Dar Alghiffari International Baccalaureate School, is another impressive example of staff innovation. Unlike our first school visit to Moulay Youssef High School, here we were enthusiastically greeted by the director. Bright posters welcomed our visit, others advertised student organizations, and the classrooms included inviting colors and decorations. The English class we visited was equipped with more technology than I have in my class. Besides the Power Point presentation on display, the instructor incorporates music into his lessons. Instead of a traditional desk in the corner he had a keyboard, soundboard, microphones, and guitars…how exciting for his students! The student desks were grouped, and it was clear that this is not only an engaging teacher, but a class where group work and project-based learning is fostered.
Abi Dar Alghiffari is one of three pilot schools offering the International Baccalaureate in English in Morocco. This, is another symbol of progress. I do not say this as an ethnocentric anglophile, but rather as one who recognizes the importance of the English language for tourism and business opportunities in the quickly developing country of Morocco. If it weren’t for my French skills, for example, my teacher colleagues and I would have struggled to order food and bargain in the medina. More than once I heard English teachers express, “English is the language of globalization, French is the language of colonization.” In January 2015, Mohamed Belkhayat authored “Open Letter to Morocco’s Ministers of Education: French is Obsolete” in which he points out, “Over 55% of internet websites are in English while just 4% are in French, and less than 1% in Arabic. Moroccan students are indirectly deprived from over 50% of human knowledge on the internet…At this rate, they can never truly compete in a more and more global world.” I should note, Belkhayat’s letter was published on the Morocco World News website in English.
As a dedicated Francophile, I would never suggest cutting French from the curriculum, and I hope this doesn’t happen in Morocco. French is part of the fabric of Moroccan society. In Rabat the street signs and billboards are written in both French and Arabic, the vendors in the medina speak French, while Peugeots and Renaults rule the roads. Currently in the official centralized curriculum students learn Arabic initially, then French in their third year, and they begin learning English in tenth grade. Since high school attendance is still low, introducing English earlier would be more effective. Nevertheless, English education is expanding in Morocco. Youssef Elboutaibi explained the move in teaching English from simple objective assessments to a standards based approach. “Communication, community, culture, connections to other subjects, and comparisons to other languages are part of the new pedagogy of integration,” he states. Thus it isn’t just that English is being taught, but how it is taught that is progressing. I would think that once the students know French, which shares 10,000 cognates with English, then acquiring English will be easier for students.
While visiting with Rebecca Smoak, the Regional English Language Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Morocco, we learned about the ACCESS programs sponsored by the State Department. English teachers in Moroccan schools identify students of low-income who would benefit from additional English language instruction and support. Meriem Lahrizi described in her presentation materials, “ACCESS gives participants English skills that may lead to better jobs and educational prospects.” While in Nador, Youssef’s student Mohammad, an ACCESS participant, presented the benefits of this program using the communication and Power Point skills he learned there. He effortlessly articulated the benefits to his peers, encouraging other students to get involved in ACCESS if they have the chance. Mohammad’s English skills and overall confidence are a powerful testament to the success of ACCESS. I was thrilled to see such success, and proud to know the U.S. State Department is playing such a positive role in the region.
The British Council also has a strong presence in Morocco, including support for teachers and a program called Connecting Classrooms which aims at helping teachers globalize their classrooms (or is that globalise?). In 2014 the Moroccan Minister of National Education and Vocational training signed a partnership agreement with the British Council to establish the International Baccalaureate option in Morocco (Lahrizi). English usage and English education is certainly expanding in Morocco, and in each classroom our cohort visited the students were eager to practice with us. Actually, since many of the students sent me friend requests on Facebook, they are still practicing with me!
There are so many other educational reforms in Morocco worthy of mention. For example, providing funds for poor families to send their kids to school, building new schools and infrastructure, and encouraging rural students to start school on-time are additional national goals (Elboutaibi). Although there is still a gender gap at the secondary level, while we were in Morocco every school we visited celebrated International Women’s Day with great enthusiasm. During our welcome reception in Nador led by the English Club, the girls were clearly the organizers of this activity, even directing the boys in their roles. Not long after leaving Industrial Zone School in Nador, wi-fi was installed, providing greater technology access to staff and students, and the end of the year activities included an exciting after-school soccer match. We know that students are more likely to stay in school when they have a positive environment and feel part of a community, and this is clearly what I observed my week in Nador. Youssef, his colleagues, administration, and parents should be proud of the work they are doing for their students, and also for the future of Morocco.
What I witnessed in my short time in Morocco is certainly progress. And yet, there is still the rigor of a classical education, which I hope the Ministry maintains. Training the mind must always come first. Now I realize why Moulay Youssef High School, the most prestigious engineering school in Morocco that students from around the nation apply to attend, didn’t appear innovative at first glance or why the staff wasn’t as welcoming. They have the best students. They have motivated learners. They are not trying to narrow an achievement gap or retain students. They have the reputation of success. Their students will go on to be successful scientists and engineers. They are what the other schools in Morocco strive to become. Education doesn’t have to come from a computer, mounted projector, or freshly painted walls. Sure we need to prepare students with 21st century technological skills, but observing the complex student engineering schemes hand written in student notebooks reminded me that being overly dependent on technology is not advancement. Can U.S. students solve sophisticated equations without calculators? Do all U.S. schools have equitable resources? Do they recognize International Women’s Day? Can American high school graduates read, write, and speak three languages? By recognizing the different educational perspectives in Morocco, I can now see those of my own country more clearly, and that too is progress.
Reflective Research Response
Quite honestly, when our TGC cohort arrived at the first school visit in Rabat, Moulay Youssef High School, I was unimpressed. The director seemed distracted, disheveled, and simply unprepared for our visit. The building looked as I expected Moroccan schools to look: traditional arches and columns, like an abandoned palace, with cracking and peeling paint. The school culture felt sterile and overly serious. The classrooms, equipped with only chalkboards and simple student desks were uninviting. For the teacher, there was no projector mounted in the ceiling, or even an overhead projector. All writing was on the blackboard, in perfect linear columns while the students recorded this information in graph paper notebooks, all with the same precision as their neighbor.
Based on our first school visit, I was certain I would have to change my research question: What progressive educational reforms have been adopted and implemented in Morocco? Of course one cannot evaluate the entire Moroccan education system based on a single school experience, and as it turned out, there may have been more positives than I originally perceived at Moulay Youssef High School.
Before continuing with my reflections about our school visits, it is important to consider just what I mean by progressive reforms. Typically progress reflects advancement, development, and a continual aim to improve. In the U.S. we are in an intense educational debate about what the right improvements are, and there are numerous contending ideas coming from our levels of government, universities, businesses, educators, and parents. In Morocco, reform seems more straightforward: increase enrollment and retention, improve teacher training, update facilities, and prepare students to participate in a changing Moroccan and global economy.
Meriem Lahrizi, an innovative English teacher who led and supported our TGC cohort in Rabat, explained in her presentation “Education in Morocco: Then & Now” that Morocco’s “decade for education” began in 1999 with the adoption of the National Education and Training Charter. This program was further supported in 2009 by the Education Emergency Plan (World Bank). The most noteworthy success of these initiatives, as reported by the World Bank, is seen in the number of children attending school: primary education rates have risen from 52.4 percent to 98.2 percent, 17.5 to 56.7 percent increases in lower secondary schools (middle schools) have been reported, and a 6.1 percent to 32.4 percent rise in upper secondary schools (high schools). While there is certainly still work to do in retention, the improvements in initial enrollment are astounding.
A related reform effort is keeping high school students in school and maintaining enrollment for both girls and boys in Morocco. USAID supports such efforts as, “2,400 students in two pilot regions received training in the skills necessary to enter the work force and established organizations to support improvements in school projects.” The English Club, Philosophy Club, and Human Rights Club are a few exciting student organizations that have recently been developed at the schools I visited.
At the newly built Industrial Zone School in Nador, Youssef Elboutaibi, my host teacher, sponsors the English Club which organized an incredible Amazigh cultural evening to welcome my teaching partner Wendy and me. The room was filled with eager students, staff, and parents, and the presentations were creative, interactive, fun, yet also educational. Youssef has also partnered with Berkshire schools in Massachusetts for monthly Skype sessions discussing global issues, and incorporated Edmodo, Google+, and social media into his classes. It is clear that Youssef’s participation in the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP), a U.S. State Department-Moroccan Ministry of Education initiative, is not only helping to improve student learning, but student interest and engagement as well. His willingness to host TGC teachers demonstrates his commitment to global education, and what an added bonus it was for his students to practice their English skills with native speakers like Wendy and me. Youssef is just one example in Morocco of a teacher reforming his classroom and school, “1,937 teachers, including 830 women who participated in USAID-developed training modules, are now applying new teaching methodologies in classrooms nationwide” (USAID).
The third and final school our cohort visited in Rabat, Abi Dar Alghiffari International Baccalaureate School, is another impressive example of staff innovation. Unlike our first school visit to Moulay Youssef High School, here we were enthusiastically greeted by the director. Bright posters welcomed our visit, others advertised student organizations, and the classrooms included inviting colors and decorations. The English class we visited was equipped with more technology than I have in my class. Besides the Power Point presentation on display, the instructor incorporates music into his lessons. Instead of a traditional desk in the corner he had a keyboard, soundboard, microphones, and guitars…how exciting for his students! The student desks were grouped, and it was clear that this is not only an engaging teacher, but a class where group work and project-based learning is fostered.
Abi Dar Alghiffari is one of three pilot schools offering the International Baccalaureate in English in Morocco. This, is another symbol of progress. I do not say this as an ethnocentric anglophile, but rather as one who recognizes the importance of the English language for tourism and business opportunities in the quickly developing country of Morocco. If it weren’t for my French skills, for example, my teacher colleagues and I would have struggled to order food and bargain in the medina. More than once I heard English teachers express, “English is the language of globalization, French is the language of colonization.” In January 2015, Mohamed Belkhayat authored “Open Letter to Morocco’s Ministers of Education: French is Obsolete” in which he points out, “Over 55% of internet websites are in English while just 4% are in French, and less than 1% in Arabic. Moroccan students are indirectly deprived from over 50% of human knowledge on the internet…At this rate, they can never truly compete in a more and more global world.” I should note, Belkhayat’s letter was published on the Morocco World News website in English.
As a dedicated Francophile, I would never suggest cutting French from the curriculum, and I hope this doesn’t happen in Morocco. French is part of the fabric of Moroccan society. In Rabat the street signs and billboards are written in both French and Arabic, the vendors in the medina speak French, while Peugeots and Renaults rule the roads. Currently in the official centralized curriculum students learn Arabic initially, then French in their third year, and they begin learning English in tenth grade. Since high school attendance is still low, introducing English earlier would be more effective. Nevertheless, English education is expanding in Morocco. Youssef Elboutaibi explained the move in teaching English from simple objective assessments to a standards based approach. “Communication, community, culture, connections to other subjects, and comparisons to other languages are part of the new pedagogy of integration,” he states. Thus it isn’t just that English is being taught, but how it is taught that is progressing. I would think that once the students know French, which shares 10,000 cognates with English, then acquiring English will be easier for students.
While visiting with Rebecca Smoak, the Regional English Language Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Morocco, we learned about the ACCESS programs sponsored by the State Department. English teachers in Moroccan schools identify students of low-income who would benefit from additional English language instruction and support. Meriem Lahrizi described in her presentation materials, “ACCESS gives participants English skills that may lead to better jobs and educational prospects.” While in Nador, Youssef’s student Mohammad, an ACCESS participant, presented the benefits of this program using the communication and Power Point skills he learned there. He effortlessly articulated the benefits to his peers, encouraging other students to get involved in ACCESS if they have the chance. Mohammad’s English skills and overall confidence are a powerful testament to the success of ACCESS. I was thrilled to see such success, and proud to know the U.S. State Department is playing such a positive role in the region.
The British Council also has a strong presence in Morocco, including support for teachers and a program called Connecting Classrooms which aims at helping teachers globalize their classrooms (or is that globalise?). In 2014 the Moroccan Minister of National Education and Vocational training signed a partnership agreement with the British Council to establish the International Baccalaureate option in Morocco (Lahrizi). English usage and English education is certainly expanding in Morocco, and in each classroom our cohort visited the students were eager to practice with us. Actually, since many of the students sent me friend requests on Facebook, they are still practicing with me!
There are so many other educational reforms in Morocco worthy of mention. For example, providing funds for poor families to send their kids to school, building new schools and infrastructure, and encouraging rural students to start school on-time are additional national goals (Elboutaibi). Although there is still a gender gap at the secondary level, while we were in Morocco every school we visited celebrated International Women’s Day with great enthusiasm. During our welcome reception in Nador led by the English Club, the girls were clearly the organizers of this activity, even directing the boys in their roles. Not long after leaving Industrial Zone School in Nador, wi-fi was installed, providing greater technology access to staff and students, and the end of the year activities included an exciting after-school soccer match. We know that students are more likely to stay in school when they have a positive environment and feel part of a community, and this is clearly what I observed my week in Nador. Youssef, his colleagues, administration, and parents should be proud of the work they are doing for their students, and also for the future of Morocco.
What I witnessed in my short time in Morocco is certainly progress. And yet, there is still the rigor of a classical education, which I hope the Ministry maintains. Training the mind must always come first. Now I realize why Moulay Youssef High School, the most prestigious engineering school in Morocco that students from around the nation apply to attend, didn’t appear innovative at first glance or why the staff wasn’t as welcoming. They have the best students. They have motivated learners. They are not trying to narrow an achievement gap or retain students. They have the reputation of success. Their students will go on to be successful scientists and engineers. They are what the other schools in Morocco strive to become. Education doesn’t have to come from a computer, mounted projector, or freshly painted walls. Sure we need to prepare students with 21st century technological skills, but observing the complex student engineering schemes hand written in student notebooks reminded me that being overly dependent on technology is not advancement. Can U.S. students solve sophisticated equations without calculators? Do all U.S. schools have equitable resources? Do they recognize International Women’s Day? Can American high school graduates read, write, and speak three languages? By recognizing the different educational perspectives in Morocco, I can now see those of my own country more clearly, and that too is progress.
A Bit More About Morocco:
As part of TGC we were also asked to share our experience with staff in our buildings and districts. I had the opportunity to present to all staff at our May PD day, which allowed me to share with my colleagues all about my adventure in global education throughout the school year. Below is the Power Point presentation I used. Cue the presentation audio: Rock the Casbah, the Clash!
As part of TGC we were also asked to share our experience with staff in our buildings and districts. I had the opportunity to present to all staff at our May PD day, which allowed me to share with my colleagues all about my adventure in global education throughout the school year. Below is the Power Point presentation I used. Cue the presentation audio: Rock the Casbah, the Clash!
Student Travel
As teachers we are continually bringing the world to our classroom, but the ideal experiential learning for students is immersing them in the world. Educational trips abroad allow students to develop their global competencies in the most authentic way possible. On tour, we don't just see a picture of the Great Wall, we walk on it. We don't just read about medieval castles, we explore them. We hike in the Alps, exchange pesos, learn German phrases, sample stir-fry, and make lasting friendships.
After traveling on two student tours as a teacher-chaperone with the director of the School of Global Education, I was groomed to take over the travel program. Each educational tour is customized, reflecting the curriculum of the School of Global Education. We typically have from 30-45 students travel, chaperoned by 6-7 teachers or other educational staff. In 2013 we partnered with Madonna University to build a course around our summer study so that our students can earn college credit as well. Destinations include: Spain and Portugal (2016); Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland (2015); Greece (2014); England and France (2013); Italy (2012); Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland (2010); China (2009); France and Spain (2008); Greece and Turkey (2007); British Isles (2006); Italy (2004); France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland (2003); Australia and the South Pacific (2001); Scandinavia (2000); British Isles (1999)
After traveling on two student tours as a teacher-chaperone with the director of the School of Global Education, I was groomed to take over the travel program. Each educational tour is customized, reflecting the curriculum of the School of Global Education. We typically have from 30-45 students travel, chaperoned by 6-7 teachers or other educational staff. In 2013 we partnered with Madonna University to build a course around our summer study so that our students can earn college credit as well. Destinations include: Spain and Portugal (2016); Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland (2015); Greece (2014); England and France (2013); Italy (2012); Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland (2010); China (2009); France and Spain (2008); Greece and Turkey (2007); British Isles (2006); Italy (2004); France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland (2003); Australia and the South Pacific (2001); Scandinavia (2000); British Isles (1999)
If you are interested in planning your own trip for students, check out Explorica travel, EF Tours, ACIS, and World Strides for ideas. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about establishing your own travel program.
Teacher Tours
Each year, more and more staff inquire about joining the student trips, yet with a full group of kids there simply isn’t room for adults. Upon returning to school in the fall of 2013 I decided, why not plan a trip for educators? In the end, the first ever “Teacher Tour” was born and 33 of us traveled to London, Oxford, and Bath. Not only was our itinerary perfect, but so were the lasting memories and friendships we made as a group. It was such a success that I organized another tour for Paris in 2015, and it looks like Italy is on the horizon for 2016.
The intent is to first offer this opportunity to all educators from different schools, areas, and levels, as well as a wide-range of ages. For our first trip, we had a reading specialist from Ann Arbor; two retired teachers and a counselor from Manchester; a librarian, Spanish teacher, science teacher, special education teacher, and two English teachers all from Livonia; a kindergarten teacher from Novi; and even a middle school teacher from Texas and retired art teacher from Florida. Our youngest traveler was 24 and our oldest was 71.
Educators are encouraged to have a spouse or friend join them, as getting a great group of people together is part of the goal as well. Some participants had gone abroad before, but most had never traveled outside of North America. Of course an added bonus is the significant savings traveling as a group provides.
As a global education teacher, the most authentic professional development is study abroad. Teacher participants may choose to earn continuing education credits through Madonna University for these "Teacher Tours", or just enjoy cultural immersion for their own personal growth and enjoyment.
The intent is to first offer this opportunity to all educators from different schools, areas, and levels, as well as a wide-range of ages. For our first trip, we had a reading specialist from Ann Arbor; two retired teachers and a counselor from Manchester; a librarian, Spanish teacher, science teacher, special education teacher, and two English teachers all from Livonia; a kindergarten teacher from Novi; and even a middle school teacher from Texas and retired art teacher from Florida. Our youngest traveler was 24 and our oldest was 71.
Educators are encouraged to have a spouse or friend join them, as getting a great group of people together is part of the goal as well. Some participants had gone abroad before, but most had never traveled outside of North America. Of course an added bonus is the significant savings traveling as a group provides.
As a global education teacher, the most authentic professional development is study abroad. Teacher participants may choose to earn continuing education credits through Madonna University for these "Teacher Tours", or just enjoy cultural immersion for their own personal growth and enjoyment.