Some additional thoughts

The rich culture of India has been developing for thousands of years and it shows in their customs, mannerisms, dress, and cuisines.  We were introduced to people of many religions and it was obvious that tolerance is a way of life within the culture of India where I was.  My perceptions of the Indian culture is based on the people with whom I interacted while in Vadodara, all of whom were warm and friendly.

The students in the school I visited were all very bright, inquisitive, and friendly children.  I was at a middle class school where the parents pay tuition for their students to attend.  The parents want to see that their children all attend the best professional schools, and so the students are preparing for rigorous placement tests to ensure their admission.

Within the education system of India the students must past a state test at the end of standard 10 and the next two years are used to prepare for their national exam which determines their college placement. At the Navrachana there are 40 students in a class and even with those high numbers teachers are using progressive methods to engage students and develop higher order thinking skills.

Back in my classroom I’ve also taught from a global perspective given the nature of my subject area.  My experience in India and the Navrachana School will assist me in developing new activities that will unite these two disparate regions of the world.  For instance, I foresee my students comparing how the climate of New Jersey and India impact all aspects of living in these two regions of the world.  Also, the new pond project has the potential to be a science-across-the-miles project where my students can compare, contrast a project in each town and also support each other in times when progress may appear to be slow or when great progress is being made.