Today was our first full day in Meknes!
We woke up, had breakfast, and attempted to spend some time working on our blogs. Khadija picked us up around noon, where we headed to her house for lunch with her and her friend Kim, from the ALC. Here, Khadija prepared a special meal of couscous for us, as couscous is traditionally prepared on Fridays. The meal was absolutely delicious, followed by fresh artichokes and oranges for dessert (and don't forget the coffee!). Khadija has a lovely home and I am so appreciative to be welcomed with such enthusiasm and generosity, and feel very grateful to her and her family. We then headed the the school, where the students were having a public speaking competition. There were 12 participants, and many musical and theatrical acts in between, including song, beat box, rap, and break dancing. One young lady even played "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan, while playing the guitar and harmonica. Quite the performance! Jennifer and I were judges to the public speaking competition, of which the theme was, "Be the Change You Want to See in the World." I was so impressed by these young people and their ability to speak in front of a crowd, and in their non-dominant language to top it off. I was also equally impressed by the talent of the musicians and actors that performed songs/skits/etc. When the competition was over the students rushed to welcome us and take pictures with us, which was so nice and made me feel right at home. It also made me miss my students! I also gained great respect for Khadija and the work that she does at her school. She goes above and beyond to offer her students experiences that they would normally never have and her school is lucky to have her. Students from other schools had even come to the school to try to participate in the competition. We then went for a quick drive to see some sights, had dinner, and headed back to our hotel. I can't wait to share the video of the talent to my students! Today my travel partner Jennifer and I arrived in Meknes, about two and a half hours from Rabat. Khadija picked us up at the train station, and we headed to our host school, Lalla Amina High School, where a banner was displayed welcoming us. We met with teachers and the principal while we enjoyed tea and many homemade treats that were prepared special for us. We felt very welcomed and excited to finally be at out host school! We also presented Khadija, along with her colleagues, a certificate from Teachers for a Global Classroom, which brought great pride to not only Khadija but also the entire school.
We then headed the the American Language Center (ALC), where we met the Director and other staff there, including a wonderful teacher, Kim. We then headed to the cafe for the ALC, where we chatted with students that were attending English classes there. It was really inspiring to talk with young people and learn about their culture and answer questions they had about American culture. Again, I am realizing that there are more similarities than differences. We ended our day with dinner at Pizza Hut (cultural diffusion at its best) because we were too exhausted to walk further than the parking lot of our hotel. A great, busy first day in Meknes! Rabat, continued...
Tuesday morning, we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel again. Breakfast was a buffet of assorted croissants, fruits, some typical Moroccan soup, sometimes omelets, and sometimes hard-boiled eggs; always espresso (and in my case, with milk). We then returned to our conference center to learn about Moroccan Education, then and now, again, by the wonderful Meriem Lahrizi. The education system in Morocco is different than the United States in many aspects but there are also many similarities. High school students enter either a science or arts track, and are basically on that track for good and this continues into their studies at a university, which is free for Moroccan people. However, there are private institutions that have a cost. I will post again about the Moroccan education system after my school visits. We then had another presentation by Meriem entitled: Language Planning and Education in Morocco. This was truly fascinating. Most Moroccans speak four languages, and many speak five or six. However, language is also a challenge for the Moroccan education system, as there are so many languages being taught and used that many feel it interferes with student learning. Many university level courses in math and science are only taught in French, limiting those that have not been adequately trained in French. This is a prime example of how more doors are open to students of affluent backgrounds, a challenge that plagues the United States education system as well. Language opens many doors in Morocco, but it is also used to shut people out, which is unfortunate and fascinating at the same time. In reflecting on language in America, I feel that Americans should be trained in another language from kindergarten through 12th grade. I was also embarrassed that I could only speak one language and am now more motivated to really finish learning my Spanish (I will of course need some help from my students;)) In the afternoon, we had a meeting with the President of MATE (Moroccan Association of Teachers of English), Mr. Abdellatif Zaki. MATE works to make it possible for people to learn the English language while making them a part of the forces to improve conditions in the country. What was impressive about his organization is that they seek to provide empowerment to young people to make them agents of social change while also reinforcing the importance of teaching English. They also urge people to write textbook materials that are more innovative rather than the standard textbook material, which I feel is extremely important. I was very impressed by this organization and the overall emphasis on making change that is holistic and not just simply teaching a language. We then went to Oulja, Sale, where we got to shop in the artifact village of a Moroccan goods. The items here were beautiful! I may return here sometime to look for presents for people! After a busy day, we returned to our hotel to have dinner and head to bed. On Wednesday, we met for breakfast and quickly head out to our first destination, to learn about MACECE. MACECE stands for the Moroccan-American Commision for Educational and Cultural Exchange. They coordinate many different programs in conjunction with the State Department, including the Fullbright program. Dr. James Miller, the Executive Director, spoke to us about these programs. It was very interesting and inspiring to learn about all the programs available to people to visit other countries to experience cultural exchanges. While many times it is easy to see America as being self-consumed, I was reminded by this visit that we do value other cultures and recognize that learning about other cultures is a valuable experience, and quite frankly a necessary one if we want to survive in today's global world. However, there is currently a bill in Congress to strip some of the funding away for this program, so I plan on writing my senators to convey my disappointment in that and urge them to continue to fully fund programs such as the Fullbright program. We then had a delicious lunch at the Bab Esaad restaurant. Since there is not too many traditional Moroccan meals I can eat (vegetable tarjine can only be eaten so many meals in a row), I had a grilled cheese and French fries, which were prepared for me in the shape of a heart (aww). I then had a wonderful nougat dessert that is somewhat like ice cream and Meriem requested we both have chocolate drizzled on top (she spoils me!). Our next stop was a visit to the ENS (Ecole Normale Superieure) where we had the opportunity to enjoy a panel discussion with teacher trainers and trainees. They shared information about the Moroccan education system and teacher training with us, and we reciprocated by sharing about the United States. The most remarkable thing about this experience was how similar teachers are anywhere you go. We all struggle with the same things- not having adequate resources, and teaching what and/or how we are told to by people who have no idea what it is like to be in a classroom. We all also agreed that there was too much testing and curriculum requirements limited us in terms of what we can teach in the classroom. Furthermore, we discussed the need for more counselors in school. There are not any in Morocco, but even in the United States, we see a need for more to meet the needs of our students. It was really nice to have a conversation with other teachers and it made me realize how similar teachers are, no matter where we are. Most of us just want the best for our students, and we face many challenges on providing them with this. We then headed to the Udayas Kasbah, which is an ancient castle that people actually still live in today. This was on the ocean and it was absolutely beautiful. We then returned to our hotel for dinner and to pack. On our last day in Rabat, we visited two different schools, one private and one public, the Salmane Alfarissi High School and AlQods. For these visits, we were accompanied by a representative of the Ministry of Education and the Moroccan ELT Supervisor, Mr. Abdelkader Cheddoudi. Here, we visited with principals, staff, and students, and observed classes. I will post more about these schools later. We then hopped on a train and headed to Meknes, where we would meet our host teacher, Khadija Nour El Attar. Along the train ride, we saw many rural areas that were poverty stricken. We then went through a tunnel and were in a city. It is shocking how quickly things can change. We began our school visits, accompanied by a representative of the Ministry of Education and the Moroccan ELT Supervisor Mr. Abdelkader Cheddooudi. The first school is a public school, Salmane Alfarissi High School. The second school is the private school, AlQods.
The ENS (Ecole Normale Superieure) is a teacher training center that teaches University students. We had a panel discussion with a group of students that are studying to be English teachers.
MACECE stands for the Moroccan-American Commision for Educational and Cultural Exchange. The coordinate many different programs in conjunction with the State Department, including the Fullbright program. Dr. James Miller, the Executive Director, spoke to us about these programs.
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Author- Ms. BennettI will be traveling to Morocco through the Teacher's for a Global Classroom fellowship. ArchivesCategories |
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