Intercultural Communication

When I was a sophomore in high school I went on a mission trip to Acuna, Mexico. I knew nothing about this culture and we were supposed to be helping out with their youth program. However, my friends and I couldn't really communicate so it was quite difficult to get a good feel for what they wanted us to do. A lot of the local teenagers tried to make friends with us but the language barrier was far too great. If only I had known just a little Spanish I could probably have made some really awesome friends.

It was also quite difficult for me to wrap my head around the haggling system there as well. I kept wondering why anyone would lower their prices just because the customer asked them to. This was very foreign to me and I really wasn't very good at it at first. Initially, I wasn't going to buy any souvenirs because everything was so expensive, but my uncle was able to talk them down to a reasonable price for the things I wanted. If I could go back knowing what I know now, I know that I would have had a significantly greater time.

The Netflix original series "House Of Cards" is a show about an American politician who is denied his position as Secretary of State, and for revenge, inches his way into the presidency in only one year through lies, deceit, and corrupt dealings. This show, although very entertaining and incredibly exciting, makes every U.S. politician out to be corrupt and evil with nothing but self-interest at heart. While there is a little corruption in all politics, not all politicians are totally self-interested and evil. Some truly want what is best for their constituents and try very hard to get legislation passed that is beneficial to their area. This is something that I have noticed while watching the show and just thinking about how ridiculous some of the concepts are.

21st Century Skills

My experience in the classroom, both as a student and an observer, will help me to instill 21st century skills in my students. In my experience, kids often wonder why they are doing certain activities in school or why they have to learn a certain concept. I have heard students say, "where are we ever going to use this in the real world?" Because of this, I will address this question before they have a chance to ask it. No one buys a product without know what it does or how it can be applied. When introducing a knew concept I will show students why it matters and in what ways they could use it later.

Social studies specifically deals with world communication and cultures, which are very applicable skills in our world today. I look forward to teaching these skills to teenagers and inspiring a desire to go abroad and apply these skills.

Lens Shifting

I have always been curious about the world overseas. I can understand however, why Americans would be worried about traveling abroad or visiting new places. After WWII we were in a cold war with the Soviet Union for so long and it made the U.S. afraid of everything except ourselves. The constant fear of being thrown into a nuclear war with communist countries was definitely enough to make us fear the rest of the world. Another fear of traveling may be from the lack of connection that we have with the rest of the world. The internet does connect us in a way, but not like the centuries of history that the European powers have together. Whether it be times of conflict or peace, the Europeans have had no choice but to be connected to one another for centuries. However, the U.S. has pretty much been going it alone from the time that it first gained its independence. We are somewhat isolated from other major powers.

A lot of Americans are ignorant about cultures not just in other countries, but also at home too. There are plenty of stereotypes between the northern, southern, eastern, and western U.S. that other people simply believe because of their portrayal in media. This is one reason that I want to be a social studies teacher. To motivate students to get away from their homes and experience a life that they are not necessarily comfortable with.

Globalization

Globalization has brought economic prosperity to Ireland. In the early '90s, Ireland was one of the poorest countries in western Europe, but now they have become one of the wealthiest. Ireland is a large manufacturer of high and medium high technologies and that has made their economy explode over the last fifteen years. Because of this, Ireland has high employment and plenty of jobs. Tourism is also an important part of Ireland's economy which brings cultures together, strengthening the effects of globalization.

I am very interested in the similarities between the U.S. and Ireland and Scotland. It will be just as interesting seeing the similarities as it is the differences between these cultures. I do know that American television is big in Ireland, and therefore, people think that American life is like what is depicted in Hollywood. From what i have been told, people over seas have difficulty understanding just how big the U.S. is and how different each region is.

The difference between an Irishman and an American is that an Irishman thinks 200 miles is a long way, and an American thinks 200 years is a long time.

From what I understand about the Irish and Scottish cultures, both are very proud and committed to their heritage. The Irish are mostly very Catholic and devout to their religion. So much so, that they fought for a long time to become independent of Britain's protestant ways. Northern Ireland still has a group, known as the Irish Republican Army, that radically fights in an attempt for Northern Ireland's independence. Many of the Scottish are also trying to gain their independence from Britain. They are going to have an election later this year. 

I don't really know too much else about these cultures and i understand that not everything is as it seems. I greatly look forward to speaking with the locals and learning about their culture first hand.

My name is Travis Gardner and I am a senior Social Studies Education major at Henderson State University. I am 22 years old and have lived  Daingerfield Texas since I was 8. I am excited to go on this trip because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create memories and have experiences that would be otherwise unavailable to me. Music is a huge part of my life as I am a percussionist. I spend much of my time listening to music especially when I study or write. I have an incredibly open mind and never get offended. I always look forward to listening to someone's differing opinion on a matter. I love discussions, debates, arguments, etc. and often look for opportunities to open up my mind and, in turn, hopefully open up someone else's.

One reason that I want to become a high school social studies teacher is because I want to motivate students to go on after high school to do bigger and better things, and the best way I know to do that is through example. I hope to inspire aspirations of greatness by showing students the influential figures of the past. I also want to inspire my students to create their own ideas, ask "why questions," and be open minded to new ideas, possibilities, and points of view.

I truly cannot fathom what this trip is going to be like. I have no expectations for the trip. I want a completely blank slate so that I can keep an open mind on the trip. I look forward to trying everything that the trip has to offer and intend to say "yes" to everything on this trip. I most look forward to experiencing the different cultures within the cities and countries.