Friday, May 7, 2004

Clifton named Fulbright Scholar A third Coweta County teacher has recently been named a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar. Brenda Clifton of Ruth Hill Elementary School was named to the scholarship and and will travel to Japan for an in-depth review of the Japanese culture and educational system this fall. Arnall Middle School Principal Dr. Marc Guy and Central Educational Center horticulture teacher Barbara Rickles have also been selected for the teacher program. “It will be exciting to share Japan with my young students and with students throughout our county. This truly is a dream come true for this first-grade teacher,” said Clifton. “It is very important to me that my students and all students realize that all cultures are important and very valuable to the composition of our American Society. “Each culture should be respected and appreciated for its differences while together we can become united in our dreams of peace and freedom," said Clifton. “When I was an elementary child, I thought Georgia was the only place in the world, through this trip I can help my young students realize that the world is an open opportunity to them-education is their ticket to adventure and success. Through hands-on experiences they can ‘visit’ any where in the world.” Each year, the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program, administered by the Japan-United States Educational Commission in Tokyo, seeks American educators to participate in fully funded three-week study visits in Japan. Dale Sizemore, a Newnan High School art teacher and former Coweta County Teacher of the Year, was awarded the scholarship last year and traveled to Japan. It is rare for more than one Coweta County teacher to be awarded a Fulbright Memorial scholarship in a single year. During the visit, Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholars are introduced to Japanese culture, the educational system, government officials and educators. Participants also have the opportunity to personally interact with local schools and their teachers, students and parents, in addition to visiting historic landmarks and museums. By exposing American teachers and administrators to the Japanese culture and education system, the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program inspires participants with fresh ideas for curriculum development. Participants are asked to commit to sharing what they have learned about Japan and intercultural encounters with their respective students, colleagues, schools and communities in the United States. The Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program seeks residing US citizens from a broad cross section of the American educational community in order to reflect the cultural, institutional, and regional diversity of the United States. Qualifications for the program also include being committed to implementing a long-term plan to share experiences gained from the Fulbright Memorial Fund in the classroom, school, and community. Moreover, applicants must demonstrate a serious academic professional interest in curriculum development, teaching methodologies, and projects or activities related to Japan. Clifton is a first-grade teacher and former Coweta County Teacher of the Year and Georgia Teacher of the Year finalist. She said she has “always been intrigued with (Japanese students’) disciplined learning styles. Many years ago, I had a Japanese student with whom I remained in touch throughout her years in school. As a junior in high school, she came and lived with my family for the summer. She taught me a great deal about the Japanese culture, but I dreamed of going to Japan to experience the culture firsthand. Each summer I travel to a third world country — Romania, Russia, Nicaragua — to help abandoned, homeless children. Through an integrated curriculum, I have been able to vicariously bring the world to my classroom of first graders as we have learned to count, speak and read literature of different cultures where I have been. “The largest Social Studies QCC requirement in first grade is the teaching of maps and globe skills. Through a first-hand experience in Japan I can authentically engage my children as they learn about the Japanese culture and more about map and globe skills through pictures, hands-on artifacts and hopefully via web-cam communication while I am there in Japan. It will be exciting to create a partnership exchange with a Japanese elementary classroom.”

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