Category: Reflections

#AgEd2Malaysia: Kristi Mensen’s Final Reflection

Kristi J MensenAgriculture

Today I left, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and will return home after a 28-hour flight to Dyersville, IA. As the #AgEd2Malaysia team had arrived in Malaysia 27 days ago. Our time has flown by- just as I was told it would. Our study abroad program has been an experience. I have tried to replace or come up with another word or perhaps a better word than experience. Yet, each time I try to come up with a better word I scratch it out. I think this is because there is no adjective to describe my experience in teaching and studying in a foreign country.

Over the course of this trip, I have often heard and found myself saying it is a “life-changing experience.” This may be true for some, but not for me. Every time I have been abroad studying the experience has taught me to bring myself to the world and bring the world to myself. For this typical exchange, it is something very different. I am the same person with additive perspectives. Studying abroad in Malaysia has provided me with teacher enrichment, opportunities that have empowered me to engage globally, and learn the intricacies. Studying abroad has given me a greater sense of the world and my place within it.

During my time in Malaysia I lived in Johor Bahru at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Malacca, and FELDA Ayer Hitam Kluang with a host family. I was fortunate to interact with so many different nationalities, cultures, and lifestyles; no two people were alike. I am certain after what I have experienced that I have been fortunate enough to receive everything I could ever ask for in my life, and will never take the luxuries in my life for granted.

The month spent in Malaysia was full of knowledge about tropical fruits, religious values, wildlife, and Malaysian secondary schools. I have prepared, instructed, and reflected for forms 2-5. (high school) The teams made up of one student from UTM, one per-service candidate, and one teacher candidate objectives where to always have cooperation, creativity, and innovation for the agricultural topic assigned to the Malay students.

During the classes I wanted to see the students become successful by showing engagement, collaborating with their peers, and the obvious one; excitement. Reflecting post workshop was beneficial to me, questioning myself what did I do to become a better Agriculture Educator? The impact of connection is so crucial for students. I want to be able to relate to the students; knowing the topic was relevant to the scholar. While I am sad to leave my UTM family and friends, I am feeling a lot of mixed emotions right now, but I most strongly feel a sense of appreciation and gratitude. Thank you #AgEd2Malaysia participants,  Jeff Zimpleman Iowa Sister States Scholarship, and UTM for the experience abroad in Malaysia.

Ms. Kristi Mensen (@kristi_mensen) is a
pre-service agriscience educator candidate
at Iowa State University (@AgEds_IaStateU)
who graduated from
Hawkeye Community College
(@GALC_Hawkeye, @HawkeyeCollege)!

 

Bonus Blog! Oh, The People That You’ll Meet!

Carson T LetotCulture

When you travel to a new country, you’re supposed to meet its people. Eat its food. Walk its streets, and breath its air. We’ve done that in Malaysia for over three weeks. But there’s something that people don’t often talk about because we tend to think that we are on the journey alone, or just within the confines of our group. What about the other people around you in a country who are ALSO not from there? What about the other tourists? The other students studying abroad? The other business people working overseas? I wonder who they are and if they feel the same way as me. Do they like to get to a hotel and hunker down till it’s safe to step a foot out in a straight line towards the nearest McDonalds? Do they open yelp as soon as they get wifi and make plans to hit the top three restaurants in the first three hours? Or do they just walk out into the unknown and let the breeze and the traffic signals carry them to the experiences that come with a roll of the metaphorical dice?

I think about these people because even if they’re from Germany, China, or Australia, they’re probably not very different from me. In fact, from what I’ve observed, they’re a lot like me. Case in point: a couple from Holland and a couple from Germany. Oh and some Americans….

We met a couple named Jack and Sara. They were on a boat with a group of us riding back from an island off the coast of Kota Kinabalu. Jack and Sara were/are on a trip going from Borneo to Brunei, and then home. We caught them in week 3 of the trip and they were as animated and friendly as anyone we could have dreamed up. Jack especially was incredibly excited to tell us about his excursion in the US back in early July when he witnessed the 4th of July through the haze and bustle of Los Angeles. We all had a good laugh at the spectacle that is our independence day, and how theirs in Holland is not a significant departure from the one we hold dear. They drink, they party, and they wear a lot of orange; the national color. What could people who speak another language and live over 3000 miles away from us have in common? Almost everything.

Jack and Sara come from a similar place to us culturally, but what about when they get here? What do they think? Anna and Stephan let us know in about 30 seconds at the airport.

We ran into them in line checking bags and both they and our group had a great laugh at the large family ahead of us who didn’t get tags for their bags. We both connected with grins when they realized they had to get out of line and then connected with chuckles when they left grumbling, and thus saving both of us upwards of 10 minutes waiting in the queue. (It was a big family.) Stephan and I proceeded right into some small talk, as one does whilst queuing and he commented on my height saying “and here I thought I’d be the tallest person I’d see in all of Sabah.” I replied humbly that I thought the same thing, but knew there’d be someone from Denmark or Germany who’d have me beat. Is there a culture in the world who DOESN’T appreciate irony? What a magical uniter of nations. Meeting Stephan was enjoyable, but brief. Meeting Zooey and Kelly, however, gave more time for connection and even collaboration.

Zooey and Kelly waited on a bench at the reception area of the Mari Mari cultural village. I didn’t want to assume, because well, most people here in Malaysia who look like us, are not Americans, but these two seemed like a sure bet, and sure enough, they were! But it wasn’t until later at a restaurant on the waterfront that we made an authentic association.

What were the chances that we’d pick a place to get some food at the end of the day, and run into the same people we’d seen at the village? Apparently good. We talked, and laughed and even though they weren’t coming from an exotic place like the one we’re in right now, they still had a wealth of banter to offer. We stuck around until late, and agreed that if we went snorkeling the next day, we’d let them know and try to plan together. At the jetty the next day, right before we left the ticket counter to go to the dock, who should be standing in front of us? None other than Zooey and Kelly. We snorkeled together and just happened to pick up some strategies for proper fish viewing from Zooey.

The cherry on the cake? Zooey’s grandmother lives in K.L. and her mother is Malay. Her father? American. Just the right person to give us a perspective that has adornments of both cultures. She spoke about what her grandmother has witnessed in the country since she was little, and what she herself thinks about Muslim traditions and how they work for her at a school in the US. Meeting them was as refreshing as it gets. They were American sure, and I’d be lying if I said a little part of me wasn’t thinking of them as a “port in a storm.” But as I reflect back on our time in Sabah and our time with them, I think that they are yet another piece of the trip that has built us up into better travelers, scholars, and global learners. We know that everyone has a story to tell, and when we listen, we learn.

Carson Letot (@Letot_Carson) is a secondary agriscience teacher
from Montague, Michigan.

Reflecting on a New Family – Much Love on Day 19

tsg5162In-Country Sharing

The world is so much more than what we see in our own backyards.

Being nineteen years old,  the opportunity to travel over 9,000 miles away from home can be quite intimidating. As I was finalizing my preparations prior to the experience, one overwhelming fear came over me. What will the people of Malaysia be like? Fear of the unknown can be a powerful thing, but it is when we test that fear, that we can discover beautiful possibilities.

While I was terrified to spend a month in a new country, having a group of kind, caring, and skilled participants from the United States helped me to calm my nerves slightly. The very moment we stepped off the airplane into Johor Bahru, my fears evaporated.

These past few weeks have been filled with laughter, learning and a lot of love, due in large part to all of our friends at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Every single day, we have been shown the utmost hospitality, but it does not stop with our friends.

Two days into the experience, the team decided to embark upon a bike tour of UTM’s campus. However, one small problem arose, I never learned how to ride a bike. But never fear, as the man, the myth, the legend, Wan Mohammad Ali Wan Mohammad Zaharuddin (better known as ALI) was there to teach me the ways of bike riding. My trainer soon became played out amidst constantly trying to keep my bicycle upright as I struggled to balance. This is when a random family took time out of their day, to teach a stranger to ride a bicycle. The next hour was spent with this family and Ali cheering me on as I made progress but still have much to learn.  How likely would that happen back in the United States? Through our experiences here, it is almost a normal occurrence.

A great day improving my bicycling skills with new friends!

I will fully admit that my knowledge of  Islamic faith was filled with only the what was shared in our U.S. daily news cycles.  I had shared the same apprehension when discussing their religion when asked about it. I was completely wrong to think that way.

Famous actor and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda once stated in a speech given at the Tony’s that “Love is Love is Love is Love is Love,” and this statement has never meant more than it has during this trip.

Because people are people. From every corner of this Earth, there are individuals out there, who only want to make the world a better place and share their love. We all want to be loved and need to do more to find these people and break out of our scared shells caused by only seeing what is in our backyards. I consider myself blessed to have been able to find some of the greatest people on this trip.

A group dedicated to improving the world through agricultural education! (At our first school visit, SMK Telok Kerang!)

There are good and bad people in every religion and faith in the world, but we cannot let the bad overshadow the good. No matter how many differences can be spotted, this experience has allowed my new family to grow, with members of many different faiths. I cannot wait to see how every single individual on this trip shares their love going forward. Here is to a strong finish and more adventures to come with this family even after our experience concludes.

 

Thomas Gabel (@gabel_thomas) is a pre-service agricultural education candidate (#psuaged22) at The Pennsylvania State University (@TeachAgPSU).

Do you see what I see? Day 17

Tessa C MeyerIn-Country Sharing

Take a moment and think about what you see in this picture:

It’s so easy to keep your head up and looking forward where you can see all the beauty of the world, but we need to keep in mind to look down every now and then, so we can see what reality is in the moment we are standing in.

In Malaysia, I would catch myself looking out into the distance at the mountains, ocean, and beautiful natural landscapes; however, occasionally, you will notice trash polluting the ground you are standing on or the water you are swimming in.

Our group stayed at Rose Cabin with a view of Mount Kinabalu on Thursday night. A few of us stole a few moments to walk through the trails to tour the wildlife and vegetable farms. One thing I noticed on our walk and on the parts of the drive to Rose Cabin and Sabah Tea Plantation was the amount of trash scattered across the ground.

Caring for our natural resources and really reflecting on our human impact on the one world. The one world we all share responsibility for. This is truly a global issue where evidence can be found in any nation in the world. We can reflect: What are we doing to be problem solvers and not problem makers?

We have witnessed where Malaysia is making strides. From using coconut shells for creative biodegradable hardscaping to teaching sustainable gardens in the national curriculum to hotel rooms that require your room key to run the electricity; thus, using fewer resources when there is no one in the room.

It’s important to keep in mind when you throw your trash onto the ground, you are affecting the homes of the animals we seek, the beauty of the land we admire, and the future places we want to last forever.

Even in landlocked areas such as Iowa, our trash affects our wildlife. Whether it be the habitats we see every day or the marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. Trash is light and will move. It makes its way from the ditches of the roads, into the creek, the rivers, and eventually the oceans.

Be conscious of your role in the environment.

Ms. Tessa Meyer (@tessa_c_meyer) is a pre-service agricultural teacher candidate attending  Iowa State University (@AgEds_IaStateU) and a graduate of Hawkeye Community College [IA] (@GALC_Hawkeye, @HawkeyeCollege).

Interview On Location: Touching base with Huzaimi! An Entry from Day 15

Carson T LetotCulture

What better way to learn, than to listen? I decided to take a breather from the hustle and bustle of the last few days to sit down with Huzaimi; a student, a translator, a friend. 

Me: how are you today Huzaimi?

H: Good. Very very good.

Me: nice. Well, we’ve officially arrived in Sabah, a state on the island of Borneo. What’s on your mind?

H: its very nice. Very hot, and i’m angry at the bus and management. But its very nice.

Me: Is this your first time in Sabah?

H: No, second

Me: how long ago was your first time?

H: I don’t know, maybe 10 years ago? I was 11, and i’m 21 now. So yes

Me: It seems like, and this may be a skewed view, but it seems like the rest of the world outside of the US travels abroad. A lot. Is this true for Malaysians?

H: Oh yes. Very much. Malaysians travel a lot.

Me: including you?

H: Yes, I like the travel a lot. I like the adventure.

Me: when your family travels, is it for adventure? Relaxation?

H: no when my family travels, it for relaxation. They like to go to nature, see the people, see the environment. They do not like adventure like me though.

Me: what do you mean when you say “adventure”?

H: paragliding, parasailing, I like things that are adventure. Like courage for them.

Me: oh for sure. Are all of your friends like that?

H: Yes, a lot of my friends like the adventure. They like to go and be courageous. I like it

Me: Do your friends value experiences over material items?

H: Yes, they like to. But not all of them. Most like gadgets and things. Me, I like the adventure and experiences though.

Me: So your friends like tech. Besides the obvious cell phone, what do they buy?

H: I don’t know. They like the Go Pro. It depends on their interests. If they like the pictures to take then they buy Go Pro, camera, but me I like the travel. I also like watches though.

Me: Yea so what’s the big deal with watches in Malaysia? It seems like everyone has a G-Shock!

H: yes, we like the G – Shock

Me: what is it about them?

H: I don’t know. They’re sporty. We like the sporty, the teenage look. We like to wear young things.

Me: I can see that. Alright so to all the readers out there, what else would you like them to know about your generation besides their love of g-shock watches and adventure?

H: we like to do things that are adventure. And everyone should get out and travel. They need to experience things and be out to be courageous. People who do not, are not living. To live you must be brave and try things.

Me: absolutely. Well, Terima Kasih Huzaimi!

H: hahaha soma soma

Mr. Carson Letot (@Letot_Carson) is a secondary agriscience teacher at Montague HS in
Montague, Michigan.

Carson and Huzaimi playing traditional music!

 

4 Day Detox – Quick Observation from a Millennial Teacher Candidate!

Tessa C MeyerIn-Country Sharing

You may have noticed the trend lately of people trying the latest “detox” and “cleanses” the last couple of years. They are meant to rid your body of anything that may be harming it or just not the best for it. Myself along with the 11 other U.S. participants just had a “detox” of our own…

We just spent four days without any wifi connection! (Keep in mind, we don’t have a cellular connection here like our 10 UTM friends.) Although we were all very worried about our Snapchat streaks being lost, not being able to check our social media, or check-in with family, this was one of the best experiences for us on this trip.

Our four-day detox of digital connection allowed us the opportunity to fully immerse ourselves in the Malaysian culture and to spend time with our host-families uninterrupted. It took away the distraction of being caught up in our digital lives and allowed us to fully utilize our senses to dive into our physical lives.

We’ve all been guilty of being present physically but not necessarily mentally. In today’s age, most of us have a tendency to subconsciously check our phones more often than necessary. The co-dependency of having our phones constantly attached to our hands has eliminated many of our abilities to be fully present in the moment. Hence, the detox we all just experienced! Not going to lie, I am one who definitely needed this experience to learn what it feels like to be fully connected to the world again! 

After spending the last four days fully focused on creating a stronger bond with our host-families and UTM friends, I would say our detox was a success! We all had the opportunity to reconnect with our family and friends tonight when we arrived back at Scholar’s Inn on UTM campus; however, we aren’t staying put long… On to our next adventure in Sabah! (We will have our wifi connection on our next adventure to keep y’all posted along the way.) 

 

Ms. Tessa Meyer (@tessa_c_meyer) is a pre-service agricultural teacher candidate attending  Iowa State University (@AgEds_IaStateU) and a graduate from Hawkeye Community College [IA] (@GALC_Hawkeye, @HawkeyeCollege)

 

Cultivating Relationships–The Story of our “Home Stay” – Day 10

Darla Joanne RombergerCulture

Wednesday, July 18th marked the start of our homestay at the FELDA community in Ayer Hitam, about an hour north of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Read more about the mission of the Federal Land Development Authority and the purpose of its establishment in 1956.   While becoming a part of the FELDA community, American Agricultural Education students/teachers were paired with an agricultural education student from UTM and placed with a family who expressed interested in hosting. Ms. Yazlin Yaakop (UTM) and I were placed with Mr. Abd Rahman Bin Md Basri (Rahman), his wife Maruyah Binti Mohd Irsat (Mar), and their family.

Mar’s oldest son, his wife, myself, Mar, and Yazlin after my first meal with my host family.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the leader of the community and the liaison for our trip, Zol. After being introduced to our host parents, our group of US students/teachers and Malaysian students gathered our bags and traveled to our new home for the next 4 days. On the short drive to our home, Yazlin started a conversation with our host in Malay. Usually, I am very conversational, but I suddenly realized that the next 4 days would challenge me as I would need to depend upon Yazlin’s translations to communicate with my host parents. I became more and more thankful for Yazlin’s ability to speak both English and Malay and wondered what I would have done if I wasn’t paired with one of our friends from UTM.

Our first night consisted of refreshments at 5:00 pm (i.e. a small meal between larger meals), then preparing to visit Rahman and Mar’s oldest son at his home in Ayer Hitam, a short 10 minutes away at 9:00 pm. I quickly learned those evening activities (including the night meal) start much later than in the United States.  Other members of our #AgEd2Malaysia team enjoyed visiting their neighbors, going out to eat with their host families, or watching the popular catfishing tournament. I experienced a variety of emotions while enjoying our meal that night—happiness, awkward silence, confusion, and anxiety. Slightly nervous about the social dynamics during the rest of my homestay, I quickly agreed to go shopping for make-up (at 10:00 pm) with Rahman’s daughters. This experience really helped to break the silence as we shared our interests in shopping.

The next morning consisted of nasi lamak (coconut rice) served with a fried egg for breakfast and a friendly conversation over the photo album I brought from home. I am so glad I got the idea to bring photographs while reading I Will Always Write Back. The pen pals in this book always enjoyed viewing photos of each other’s family, so I thought this was a great idea to share photos with my host family. I left the house that morning for our scheduled group tours with a renewed confidence that I had found a way to have a conversation with my host family.

Our first family photo before attending the community party.

As we continued to share more meals and participate in the evening activities scheduled by the FELDA community liaison, I felt more accepted and we continued to swap stories about our families and interests. I felt like a part of the family when Mar loaned me her traditional Malaysian clothing to wear for a party that evening and Yazlin helped me pin my hijab in place. Rahman must have been proud as he insisted that we take a family photo before we left for the party.]

Becoming a part of the FELDA community for a short 4 days has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding opportunities I’ve been a part of during my past travel experiences. Perceived obstacles such as cultural norms, a language barrier, and multi-generational homes quickly faded as I was greeted with genuine hospitality and a family willing to teach me about their culture while I shared about my culture. This experience has allowed me to realize that the most important facet of life is the people we encounter and the relationships we cultivate with them. I will never forget the Basri family and hope that somehow I can repay the hospitality they’ve shown me in the future.

Ms. Darla Romberger (@DJR_131) [Cumberland Valley High School (@FlyCVEagles)] is a secondary Agricultural Science Teacher (@CV_AgSciences) & FFA Advisor (@CV_FFA1954) in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania!

We are back! Fulfilling our Professional Responsibilities- Moving from Digital Citizens to Digital Leaders

Daniel Douglas FosterIn-Country Sharing

We are back! The #AgEd2Malaysia group had a great experience for the past 5 days at the FELDA Ayer Hitam; however, due to connectivity availability, they took their “blogging” offline.  They are excited to share some of their observations from the past few days.

As Fulbright Scholars [Learn more about the Fulbright Program], we are asking a great deal of our of participants on the #AgEd2Malaysia experience to move beyond digital citizenship and move confidently into the role of digital leaders exerting a positive influence on the dispositions of the profession as a whole!

We are doing this through daily blogging and the strong development/extension of the professional community of learners utilizing the hashtag #AgEd2Malaysia across multiple social media platforms, but primarily, Twitter.

But Why?

  1. For Yourself as a Professional.
    • Moving into digital leadership pushes you as an individual to not just “experience” something awesome, but to crystallize into actionable thoughts to advance professional goals developed as individuals on this journey.
  2. For Your Students (both current and future).
    • Being able to effectively engage/share in digital space is a necessity that is only projected to grow in the future, not decline! When we ask our students to do tasks, it is also wise to engage and serve as role models in those actions.
  3. For Your Profession.
    • We need strong advocates for education and for school-based agricultural education. This focused sharing allows us to increase awareness of secondary school-based agricultural education as well as share this transformative learning experience for a potential exponential impact with our colleagues across the world. Together, we can do anything and collectively we must work together to ensure a bright future.

We do hope you will actively engage with us! Do not hesitate to leave a comment on a blog or ask a question for us to answer! Share your thoughts and feelings on Twitter. Let us know that someone is reading, learning, and enjoying the effort being expended to share.

We are entering the third of four phases of our experience in the next week as we travel to Sabah and visit two rural agricultural education programs (Taman Tun Fuad National High School; Mat Salleh National High School) and the Kinabalu National Park. We look forward to sharing with you as we continue to grow and learn!

Daniel D. Foster (@FosterDanielD)
is an agricultural teacher educator
at Penn State University (@TeachAgPSU).

 

#AgEd2Malaysia Status Update – A New Phase (July 18th-22nd)

Daniel Douglas FosterIn-Country Sharing

Thank you so much for following along on our adventures! For the next 4 or 5 days, we will be traveling to a location where connectivity is not as accessible. We will be traveling to the FELDA Air Hitam Community and will be staying with host families.  FELDA stands for Federal Land Development Authority. They were created in 1956 as a government initiative for human settlement and land development. [Here is a 1995 journal article describing more detail about the Air Hitam]

In addition to the powerful learning experience of a “home stay” with a host family for four nights, our adventurous learners will be:

  • Conducting Agriculturally oriented industry visits including:
    • a Fish Farm
    • the Veterinary Institute of Malaysia
    • the Agriculture Institute of Ayer Hitam
    • Food Industry Tour with Kluang Coffee Power Factory
    • Touring a Palm Oil Plantation
  • Engaging in Cultural Events like:
    • UK Farm Evening
    • Cultural Show with FELDA Community
    • Community Zumba
    • Trading Game Evening
    • Zapin Dancing
    • Teaching an Agriculture Day at SMK Seri Lalang

Be sure to subscribe to the blog so that you can see all the updates from these experiences when the new blog posts come out!

Engaging The Senses: Global Competence

Melanie Miller FosterIn-Country Sharing

You might be sitting on the other side of the world, reading the #AgEd2Malaysia blog and following our tweets and wondering why our group is engaged in such a wide variety of activities.  I thought they were there to study agriculture education, you might ask yourself.  Why on earth are they doing things like learning to play musical instruments?

The answer to this question is global competency development.  Global competence is a big term that helps us express all the knowledge, skills and dispositions that students need to be global citizens in the 21st century.  One of the four aspects of the Asia Society definition of global competence is that globally competent students have the ability to investigate the world.  This means that globally competent students are aware, curious, and interested in learning about the world and how it works.

Looking at the four items listed above, you can start to categorize our activities.  For example, we are engaging all five senses as we investigate the country and culture of Malaysia.

We’re using the sense of taste by eating different types of Malaysian food, including foods we’re never tried or even heard of before! An early and impactful tasting opportunity included visiting the university orchard, where students were able to walk up to a tree, pick off a fruit, and enjoy it in the moment.  The picture to the left is a photo of students trying rambutan for the first time in the orchard.

Our sense of smell is overwhelmed as we smell the durian fruit, which is unique to Malaysia. You don’t even have to get close to the fruit to smell it – you can easily whiff the aroma from quite a distance.  In fact, durian is not allowed in many hotels because the smell can disturb other guests!  The picture to the right was taken immediately after three participants tried durian for the first time – they are trying to decide if the strong smell matches the actual taste of the fruit.

We’re using our sense of hearing to listen to the different languages we hear around us, notice the calls for prayer, and to engage with traditional musical instruments.

The picture to the left is from our gamelan music lesson.  The gamelan is a traditional instrument from this region of the world that remains very popular.  Not only did we engage deeply with our sense of hearing, but learned other important lessons as well.  The music teacher, Mr. Seth, emphasized that with gamelan, teamwork is essential.  When we started to rush through the song, he wanted to know if a ghost was chasing us.  And finally, we got to experience what it might feel like to be in a high-pressure Malaysian classroom when each of us had to play the entire song through by ourselves.

We’re using our sense of touch through experiencing the weather, riding bikes through campus, dancing the traditional Zapin dance, and trying new things such as weaving a traditional fabric called songket.  The picture to the right is of a teacher participant getting her hands in the soil by planting a pineapple plant at the Pineapple Development Center.

Finally, we’re using our sense of sight to take in our new surroundings.  Whether it is people watching in public spaces, noticing different styles of dress, observing different religious spaces, and seeing how people interact with each other.  The picture to the left is of the group exploring the inside of a Hindu temple.

Of course, with each of these experiences, we are engaging more than one sense.  At the end of each day, we spend at least half an hour in a reflection session, but there is no way to talk about everything that we saw, heard, smelled, tasted and touched that day.  But because we are engaging all of our senses, we have a better chance of creating lasting memories and developing global competence. Stay tuned as the bold learners and adventurers continue to expand their horizons and share their discoveries with you!

Dr. Melanie Miller Foster (@GlobalMelanie) is a Global Learning Specialist (@GlobalTeachAg) at The Pennsylvania State University (@Penn_State @Agsciences).

Pictured is Dr. Melanie Miller Foster seeking one of her favorite foods: Korean BBQ!