Leadership Training Workshops (LTW)

The Experiment in International Living (EIL) campus is located in Brattleboro, Vermont. I met for five days with ninety-five other group leaders for a variety of preparatory workshops designed to train us to handle the many aspects of leading a group of students into the field of cultural and linguistic immersion. This proved to be a long, exhausting and fruitful experience. We were trained to handle emergencies (given first aid kits), to keep a budget of all meal, transport, and activity expenditures, and, guided in developing skills for designing a quality cultural orientation which incorporated techniques to help 'experimenters' in group bonding.
Chris Frantz of EIL came to Falmouth as a guest speaker and ultimately recruited me (invited me to submit an application to become a group leader). Many students will remember he spoke to us in Czech and shared his personal insight by contrasting cultural differences found in eastern philosophies. The application process required letters of reference for which I remain grateful to Madame Grant, Senorita Austin, Senor Brock and Madame Hutton who graciously afforded me this request which surely assisted in the selection process... as I was promptly interviewed. The EIL interview was done in a small group format on the Bowdoin campus with Devin of EIL. Finally I received correspondence from Carla of EIL in the form of an acceptance letter. I have found the EIL staff have been caring and professional individuals.
The friendships that were made during Brattleboro training have continued post departure. I have received numerous e-mails from leaders that have gone on to places such as London, Mexico and other areas of France. The first few photos (which may be accessed via the below link) were taken at LTW -- several during our last evening together in which we are seen posing in front of la grande carte du monde. Group Leaders appear by host country, in alphabetical order (Argentina, Chile, and so forth).

http://fr.msnusers.com/5kced0dmll8o0i2i2cku5mahd0/documents.msnw?fc_p=%2FImages&fc_a=0

Copy and paste the above link into the URL addresse to view photos online.
I am unfamilar with how operate digital equipment and posting photos on the web. Hopefully I will close the gap on this soon. Please bare with me in this learning process. A bientot!

International Sabbatical Blog of Bruce Carver

Bienvenue-Bienvenidos-Welcome!

This Sabbatical Blog may serve as a conduit to Falmouth High School community and area colleagues, friends, and my dear family. It is meant for educational purposes to discover the modern culture and historic elements of each nation that is visited.

Please note the below itinery is a general outline noting the basic themes centered around each sabbatical excursion.

Summer, 2004 parle francais en France
June/July Biking Brittany with The Experiment in International Living (EIL)
June 23-28, 2004 Attend Brattleboro, Vermont EIL Orientation Group Leader Training
June 29-July 28, 2004 Paris and Brittany, France
Serve as EIL Group Leader to eight experimenters (program participants). Design a three day Paris City tour with a cultural orientation. Then, immerse in two weeks of homestay in Brittany followed by two weeks of biking and snorkeling across Brittany and her majestic coast. Surtout le Mont Saint Michel. Just for fun, VISIT Brittany website at www.brittany-bretagne.com
August Emerson & Dickinson's Candies, Old Orchrd Beach, playing host to the francophone Quebecoise!

Fall, 2004 mejora el espanol en la America Central
September & October, 2004 Antigua, Guatemala Language School and Homestay
November & December Tour of Central America: from as far south as the jungles of Costa Rica and as far north as Mexico City. Discover the ancient cities of the lost Aztec, Mayan and Incan civilizations. Step into the jungles and remote villages of Central America. Learn of agricultural exports among other interdependent activities between nations. Return to Portland, Maine for the holidays.

Winter, 2005 Aligning the Standards and Personal Reflection (Location To Be Announced)
January/February/March Curriculum & Assessment Development based on field collections in cooperation with Falmouth High School world language colleaues and members of the World Language Southern Maine Collaborative. Purpose: Aligning the World Language curriculum to state mandated standards (native speakers, viewing and listening for understanding). Finalize graduate school application and prepare for hike. Time dedicated to personal select readings and required advance readings per graduate program syllubus. Enroll (as necessary) in pre-requisite courses to prepare for graduate school. Edit digital images for use in curriculum development and future presenation.

Spring, 2005 fais du hiking a travers des Pyrenees -- trepa por los Pirineos
April/May/June France & Spain: Discover the Pyrenees on a centuries old prigrimage journey of personal reflection along El Camino de Santiago de Compostela (The Way of Saint James). The backpacking pilgrimage begins after a tour of the Bordeaux region in France, crossing the Pyrenees into Northwestern Spain along the Bay of Biscay into the Galicia Province.

Summer, 2005
June/July/August
Will it be Graduate school in Compostela, Spain?, or a Fulbright-Hays Comexus Summer Seminar as teacher-scholar to Costa Rica & Mexico (studying indigenous peoples)?
September--Compile selections to include in Guidance Resource Manual for the World Language & Culture enthusiast. Edit digital images for use in curriculum development and re-entry presentation.