U.S. HOSTS VIRTUAL ORIENTATIONMarch 8, 2010 : U.S. HOSTS VIRTUAL ORIENTATIONMarch 8, 2010 2010 Thailand Teacher and Principal Exchange Program
Sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
U.S. Department of State, the Thailand-United States Educational Foundation, and the Thai Ministry of Education
Administered by American Councils for International Education
Orientation Goals : Orientation Goals Understand the goals of the Thailand Program
Learn about hosting expectations
Learn more about the Thai participants
Understand what to do if…
Learn about follow-on grant possibilities
Ask questions of American Councils staff
Dialogue with other American hosts and share schedule ideas
Program Goals : Program Goals To support mutual understanding between school teachers and principals in the U.S. and Thailand through professional development and exchange;
To provide U.S. and Thai teachers and principals with the opportunity to interact with one another, other principals, teachers, students and community leaders and to share perspectives and best practices from their respective school systems and management;
To support the internationalization of school curricula by providing opportunities for the broader school community to learn about global issues, to be exposed to Thai or U.S. culture, and to participate in joint collaborative projects and school partnerships.
How to Achieve the Program Goals? : How to Achieve the Program Goals? Make sure your hosting schedule:
Is educationally and professionally fulfilling
Includes a variety of cultural activities
Includes the whole community
Two-Week Program in the Host Community : Two-Week Program in the Host Community During the two-week U.S. program the Thai educator will:
Participate in discussions on best teaching/school management practices and related educational issues with the host school teachers/principals and with a wider community of educators
Visit local schools, parent committees, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
Serve as a guest speaker (as requested) on their home country education and culture
Visit cultural sites
Arranging the Program in the Host Community : Arranging the Program in the Host Community Work with your visitor remotely to create a schedule where the time is roughly broken down:
70% for professional and educational activities
30% for cultural enrichment
Keep in mind that your visitor is participating in this program to:
deepen his or her professional understanding of education in the United States;
develop skills and methods that can be used in his or her home country;
become acquainted with the U.S. culture; and
serve as a valuable resource on Thailand for your school and larger community.
SCHEDULE: Professional and Educational Component : SCHEDULE: Professional and Educational Component Plan for the Thai educator to…
Visit a variety of schools:
Elementary, middle, high schools
Charter, public, private, magnet
Rural, suburban, urban
Attend any or all of the following in your school or in the other schools:
Classroom lessons to observe teaching done by you and your colleagues
Departmental, faculty, school board meetings
Student Council/PTA meetings, community/civic meetings
Presentations about your school, school open houses
Parent-teacher conferences
SCHEDULE: Professional and Educational Component : SCHEDULE: Professional and Educational Component Provide opportunities for your visiting educator to:
Make presentations on their school and/or the Thai school system
Speak with members of the school community (students, teachers, and parents)
Attend school events (orchestra/band/drama, extra-curricular events, school sports games)
SCHEDULE: Cultural Component : SCHEDULE: Cultural Component Beneficial for both the host and the visitor
Provides opportunities for meaningful dialogue
Some cultural component ideas:
Attend a high school, university, or professional sporting and/or music/theatre event
Visits to museums or historical sites
Visits to local, regional, or national parks or other sites of local interest
Seasonal events—fairs, food festivals, music events, etc.
Anything that typifies your town, city, or community
Ideally, there should be some cultural outings planned for the work week evenings as well as on the weekends.
Getting the Community Involved : Getting the Community Involved This is a crucial piece of the exchange and can be extremely useful in making hosting honoraria stretch.
Make sure that you let the entire community know about this exchange and how it will benefit the school/community (many people will want to get involved if you show that you are very excited for this opportunity).
Don’t be afraid to “pass” your partner around within the school. If they are comfortable with this, then it is a great way to see different aspects of American schools.
Let’s look at some case studies… : Let’s look at some case studies… It seems that my visitor doesn’t want to do anything by herself and expects me to accompany her for all the planned activities and I don’t have the time to do all these…
In the evening when I described the plan for the next day—a meeting with an educational NGO—my visitor seemed to be very enthusiastic. However, the next day I found out that he has made his own arrangements for a different meeting and won’t attend the one that we were planning to attend together.
Program Logistics - Housing : Program Logistics - Housing Host schools are expected to make housing arrangements
Apartments, houses, and host family arrangements are all acceptable
The educator must have their own room—it cannot be shared with another family member
Program Logistics: Transportation : Program Logistics: Transportation Host schools are expected to have a plan in place for visiting educator’s transportation needs
Visiting educators can walk or use public transportation if their housing is strategically located
The American host need not be solely responsible for their partner’s transportation, but it is essential that your partner is able to travel easily
In those areas where public transportation is not available, many people from host schools and communities have volunteered to help with the exchange teachers’ transportation
Program Logistics - Meals : Program Logistics - Meals Though each visiting educator will receive a stipend to help defray their food and transportation expenses, they generally expect to be fed by the U.S. host
When possible, always try to provide food for the visiting educator
Let meetings and cultural events serve dual purposes and provide food at these events
Program Logistics – Thai Language Facilitation : Program Logistics – Thai Language Facilitation American Councils will provide a Thai Language facilitator for each U.S. school and will provide housing (as needed) and a per diem that they can use for meals
The Thai Language Facilitator is to be used for spoken communication and should not be asked or expected to translate written documents into English
If you would like the TLF to accompany you to a cultural event for language services you will need to purchase admission for them with your hosting stipend
Cultural and Communication Scenarios : Cultural and Communication Scenarios I offered food but my visitor said that she isn’t hungry. Later I learned that she hadn’t had any food since morning when she left DC.
I told the visitor that he is welcome to open my refrigerator and eat anything that he wants but I have noticed that he doesn’t open the refrigerator and never prepares any food for himself.
You get a phone call from the facilitator who tells you that he/she has been asked to drive the participants around to do some shopping. What would you do in this situation?
Making Hosting Work Logistically : Making Hosting Work Logistically As a program host, you receive $800 toward covering meals and incidental expenses
The visiting educators received a stipend of $440 for miscellaneous expenses and a stipend of $200 for the shipping of educational materials purchased in the United States
If you would like to take your visitor to a museum you should arrange to pay for their entrance fee
If you choose not to pay for something and would like your partner to cover the cost, it is important to explain that the activity is optional or will be “on your own”
A Little about your Thai Partner… : A Little about your Thai Partner… He/she has received the following:
A J-1 Visa (a non-immigrant visa issued by the United States to exchange visitors participating in professional, cultural, and academic programs)
A pre-departure orientation held in Thailand by the Fulbright Commission
Accident and sickness insurance through ECA’s Accident Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE)
An international phone card from American Councils so they can make calls to Thailand. It is a good idea to make sure that they are clear on how to use it before calling from your home
About your Thai Partner Continued… : About your Thai Partner Continued… The Fulbright Commission in Thailand has booked all international travel
American Councils has booked all domestic travel
The visiting educators U.S. program includes two workshops in Washington D.C.:
A two-day Orientation and Educational Workshop upon arrival to the U.S.
A day long Educational Leadership Workshop before returning to Thailand
Some things to remember… : Some things to remember… About the J-1 Visa
The visitor’s U.S. address is the address you provided to American Councils as your hosting address
All participants are expected stay “on program” (in your community, following the schedule you have agreed upon) for the duration of their time in your community. Alert American Councils immediately if your partner says they want to go off program.
Other Programmatic Difficulties : Other Programmatic Difficulties Please inform American Councils immediately if any of the following happens with your visitor during his/her stay in your host community:
An accident, serious illness, or hospitalization;
Professional difficulties at the host school;
Arrest or violation of U.S. law; and/or
A situation that would prevent his/her participation in the program.
How to Continue Collaboration : How to Continue Collaboration Educational Seminars Program has an Alumni Small Grants component that funds collaborative projects that benefit the international alumni home school and U.S. host school or district
The maximum grant award is $5,000 regardless of the number of collaborators
Applications are available on the American Councils website http://www.americancouncils.org/news/9t/Grant_Application_Available_for_Educational_Seminars_Alumni/
Brainstorm with your visitor about ideas for applying for Alumni Small Grants
About Travelling to Thailand… : About Travelling to Thailand… Travel to Thailand will occur in July 2010
An Orientation in Washington, DC will occur on July 8-9 prior to your departure
Another WiZiQ session will occur approximately one month prior to the orientation in Washington in order to prepare you for travel
Most Importantly… : Most Importantly… American Councils staff is here to help you and your international visitor. Please contact one of our staff if you have any questions or concerns or if you run into any problems.
We can help you with ANY problem you have…but only if we know about it!
We would also love to hear about any of the program success stories!
American Councils Contact Information : American Councils Contact Information American Councils for International Education*
1776 Massachusetts Ave NW - Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
(202)833-7522 - telephone
1-800-621-9559 - emergency phone
(202)833-7523 - fax
* If you are mailing something, please state who you would like it sent to (i.e. Julia Homstad, etc.)
American Councils Staff Emails : American Councils Staff Emails Senior Program Manager Zara Hovhannisyan zhovhannisyan@americancouncils.org
Senior Program Officer Tim Hair thair@americancouncils.org
Program Officer Julia Homstad jhomstad@americancouncils.org
Program Officer Elise Schneck Skiba esskiba@americancouncils.org
Questions? Comments? Concerns?GOOD LUCK WITH THE PROGRAM!! : Questions? Comments? Concerns?GOOD LUCK WITH THE PROGRAM!!