Learning Through Travel

TAKING THE CLASSROOM ACROSS THE GLOBE

In June of 2018, I traveled along with 13 high school students to London, England for 8 days. We enjoyed hands on historical and cultural experiences and truly made the world our classroom.

In June of 2020, I planned to travel with students to London, Paris, and Amsterdam. However, due to the pandemic, plans changed. I hope to reschedule this trip soon, and plan to continue traveling with students throughout my educational career.

On this page, you can view images and reflections on my travels with students and why I choose to lead international educational trips.

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."

- William Shakespeare

The world is truly our stage.

I believe that education's purpose is to prepare students to engage in the world around them. Today's society is truly a global one, and immersive education can help students use what they learn in the classroom authentically and meaningfully in the real world. It is one thing to learn about Shakespeare from a high-school desk, and a whole other thing to learn about his plays while walking in the same rooms he set foot in more than 400 years ago.

It is part of my philosophy that learning should be interactive and hands-on in order to create a lasting impact for students. We can learn the motives behind Macbeth & Lady Macbeth, but why not experience that text come to life and watch their motives play out in real time at The Globe Theatre? We can discuss how the stage may look after reading descriptions and directions in our books, but why not go backstage to The National Theatre to watch a set designer bring the symbolism of King Lear's madness to life by creating a striking and formidable backdrop?

Though skills practiced in school are undoubtedly important to a student's development, it doesn't always mirror what they will be doing once they move beyond the educational landscape. Students will become thinkers, creators, inventors--they will live in a world of doing. Educational travel fosters that mentality of doing, and pushes students to see that learning can happen--and continually happen--beyond the confines of classroom walls. Our students will soon become the leaders of our world's stage, and taking the classroom across the globe can help prepare them for that role of a lifetime.

Below I have included images of the London, England, education trip. Each image is accompanied by a description of the learning activities we experienced as a part of this enriching opportunity.