School of Teacher Education

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Harlaxton, England - Fall 2015

International Initiatives

The School of Teacher Education within the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at WKU seeks to parallel the university goal to become "a leading American university with international reach." To this end, education students have the opportunity to partake in international experiences at the beginning and end of the undergraduate degree program. EDU 250, Introduction to Education-International, was taught in Costa Rica in May 2012 and was the first of several on-going opportunities for education majors to learn about the history and philosophies of education from world-wide perspectives. During the Fall 2012 semester, students were able to take the equivalent of EDU 250 Introduction to Education and ELED 345 Teaching Strategies at Harlaxton College in Grantham, England. During the last four weeks of the student teaching semester, education students have the opportunity to teach in schools in partner countries, such as, Belize, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Ecuador.

The faculty members in the School of Teacher Education are currently meeting regularly to determine ways to integrate international perspectives into all coursework with the intent to become an academic unit that guarantees that all students will graduate with global perspectives and are prepared to teach in our diverse society. Brown Bag Seminars are held monthly in which faculty members share the effect of international experiences on their own instruction. Resources for faculty use are being collected to provide information on international funding sources, support for study away and study abroad course development, and database of contacts.