Jeremy & Andrea's Brazil Endeavor
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Hello! Thank YOU for clicking on our page and being interested in this exciting opportunity. Our names are Jeremy Brewster and Andrea Wedemeier. We are both currently Seniors at SUNY Oswego, majoring in Childhood Education. We will be student teaching in the fall of 2016, and graduating in December. Recently we were invited by our inspiring Professor, Doctor Alfred Frederick, to present and facilitate a workshop at an International Seminar at the State University of Piauí in Brazil. We have been selected to represent Oswego's School of Education. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The seminar takes place August 3rd, 4th, and 5th.
As future educators, it is a given that we must be knowledgeable in content areas, as well as in special education and the like. However, in order to be successful and effective teachers, we must be more than knowledgeable. We need to practice compassion in school and in our daily lives. We must care for the students, and we must teach them the simple, yet true core values, that are seemingly drifting away in this technology-based society. These core values are love, compassion, and connectedness. In the world we live in today, it is not enough to stand in front of a classroom and teach the content. These students represent our future! As teachers, we have power. So, why not use it to teach students simpler subjects, in hope of creating a more harmonious society?
The presentation that we are beginning to develop will focus on who and what teachers are, underneath all that knowledge. We will be conducting many interviews, while doing our research, to support our position. As Doctor Frederick says, "Teachers can make a life, or they can break a life. In that sense, they have an enormous amount of power." The workshop that we are also just beginning to develop will focus on perception and open-mindedness. All of these ideas are values that we believe to be important as human beings, and more specifically, as educators.
So, why is this a once in a lifetime opportunity? Well, Doctor Frederick is a hidden gem in the educational world. Not only is Doctor Frederick a professor, but he is also a six-time Fulbright scholar. He studied the art of teaching here in the United States, as well as abroad. He received his doctorate in education science in Brussels, and spent time studying in France. Doctor Frederick is the creator of Project CLIMB, a program that links Oswego State students and faculty with the West African country of Benin. He is also the leader of Project Smart, which is a collaborative effort between Oswego State and Zumbi dos Palmares, Brazil's first Afrocentric University. As you can see, Doctor Frederick is an outstanding and prestigious individual, and it is an honor to have been personally invited by him, to present and facilitate a workshop at his multicultural/educational conference in Brazil. (To read more about Doctor Frederick, click here:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/poststandard_achievement_award_8.html)
Fortunately, many of our costs will be taken care of, since it's Doctor Alfred Frederick's seminar, but the one thing holding us back is the airfare money. Before we can begin seriously planning, we must have our airfare purchased. Basically our school wants to make sure that we are totally serious about this once in a lifetime opportunity, before they begin filling out the vast paperwork. We must present our plane tickets to the supporting faculty before anything else.
As college students finishing up our method's coursework (before we student teach in the fall), it would be nearly impossible for each of us to dish out about $1,000 in one months time, while maintaining our grades. Therefore, we are looking to raise $2,000. This amount would pay for both of our round-trip airfare.
This project has began to consume our minds, and we are so grateful to be presented with this opportunity. At first it was a far reached goal, but now it has become a real dream of ours. We believe our stance would be an asset to the educational community. If you feel inspired after reading the lengthy description, please consider donating. We would be so appreciative of any donations, as they will help us fulfill the amazing opportunity presented to us. As we receive more information, we will continue to make updates to this page. So far we have conducted a meeting with the Dean of the School of Education, Doctor Pamela Michel, who supports this experience. You can reach her through email ([email redacted]) if you are seeking verification before donating. If you have ANY questions regarding this journey, please feel free to email Andrea at: [email redacted]
As future educators, it is a given that we must be knowledgeable in content areas, as well as in special education and the like. However, in order to be successful and effective teachers, we must be more than knowledgeable. We need to practice compassion in school and in our daily lives. We must care for the students, and we must teach them the simple, yet true core values, that are seemingly drifting away in this technology-based society. These core values are love, compassion, and connectedness. In the world we live in today, it is not enough to stand in front of a classroom and teach the content. These students represent our future! As teachers, we have power. So, why not use it to teach students simpler subjects, in hope of creating a more harmonious society?
The presentation that we are beginning to develop will focus on who and what teachers are, underneath all that knowledge. We will be conducting many interviews, while doing our research, to support our position. As Doctor Frederick says, "Teachers can make a life, or they can break a life. In that sense, they have an enormous amount of power." The workshop that we are also just beginning to develop will focus on perception and open-mindedness. All of these ideas are values that we believe to be important as human beings, and more specifically, as educators.
So, why is this a once in a lifetime opportunity? Well, Doctor Frederick is a hidden gem in the educational world. Not only is Doctor Frederick a professor, but he is also a six-time Fulbright scholar. He studied the art of teaching here in the United States, as well as abroad. He received his doctorate in education science in Brussels, and spent time studying in France. Doctor Frederick is the creator of Project CLIMB, a program that links Oswego State students and faculty with the West African country of Benin. He is also the leader of Project Smart, which is a collaborative effort between Oswego State and Zumbi dos Palmares, Brazil's first Afrocentric University. As you can see, Doctor Frederick is an outstanding and prestigious individual, and it is an honor to have been personally invited by him, to present and facilitate a workshop at his multicultural/educational conference in Brazil. (To read more about Doctor Frederick, click here:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/poststandard_achievement_award_8.html)
Fortunately, many of our costs will be taken care of, since it's Doctor Alfred Frederick's seminar, but the one thing holding us back is the airfare money. Before we can begin seriously planning, we must have our airfare purchased. Basically our school wants to make sure that we are totally serious about this once in a lifetime opportunity, before they begin filling out the vast paperwork. We must present our plane tickets to the supporting faculty before anything else.
As college students finishing up our method's coursework (before we student teach in the fall), it would be nearly impossible for each of us to dish out about $1,000 in one months time, while maintaining our grades. Therefore, we are looking to raise $2,000. This amount would pay for both of our round-trip airfare.
This project has began to consume our minds, and we are so grateful to be presented with this opportunity. At first it was a far reached goal, but now it has become a real dream of ours. We believe our stance would be an asset to the educational community. If you feel inspired after reading the lengthy description, please consider donating. We would be so appreciative of any donations, as they will help us fulfill the amazing opportunity presented to us. As we receive more information, we will continue to make updates to this page. So far we have conducted a meeting with the Dean of the School of Education, Doctor Pamela Michel, who supports this experience. You can reach her through email ([email redacted]) if you are seeking verification before donating. If you have ANY questions regarding this journey, please feel free to email Andrea at: [email redacted]
Organizer
Andrea Elise
Organizer
Oswego, NY