Delighted to be back in contact with a Lithuanian contact and patient international mentor, I came across a couple of pieces I wrote when I was expanding my global education efforts….
As I have written elsewhere, I devoted a large amount of my “discretionary” academic time for several semesters attempting to becoming a “more networked learner, ” expanding my knowledge of and reaching out to individuals in other countries. An especially rewarding experience was my becoming acquainted with and being regularly mentored by Ms. Irma Milevičiūtė and her students at Vilniaus Gabijos gimnazija. I was quite impressed at the interesting, creative, and engaging E twinning projects she involved her students in as they reached out to other countries. Never have I felt so healthfully competitive with or learned so much from fifth graders!. Thank you for allowing me to learn from the International PenPals Club and your FaceBook page.
Irma was kind enough to share photos and invite me to participate in her projects. I tried to be a well-behaved fifth-grader respectful toward my teacher, but Irma’s kindness, playfulness, and intelligence often resulted in my trying to relate to her as my peer even though I was teaching before she was born! Time and again she provided me and my students with feedback and responded quickly, thoughtfully, and constructively to my many direct and indirect requests for help. What a wonderful motivator, role model, and teacher she was for her students such as Greta Gudauskaite, Meda Go, Kristijonas Jucevicius,Beatrice Vileikyte and Martyna Petroskaite— and for me!
Though I am reasonably efficient at finding information on the Internet, say, about Lithuania and I have availed myself of local resources, there is no substitution for direct contact across cultures and countries. Thank you for expanding my exposure to music, musicals, folk dancing, and learning about Edgaras!
Dėkojame už pasidalijimą. Niekada prarasti savo džiaugsmą mokytis.
