Successful Collaborative Project between U.S. and Egyptian Districts

Inspired by his colleagues in Plymouth, Wisconsin and the Itay Albaroud School District, alumnus Ez Eldin Salem (2010) developed a successful Critical Language Project that brought together both groups of teachers and administrators during intercontinental meetings using videoconferencing technology.

In a multi-layered project, Ez Eldin videotaped 15 U.S. classrooms and interviewed teachers and administrators about best practices in American education, then shared these videos and information with Egyptian teachers during a day-long conference (above). His TCLP colleagues Ahmed Mohamed (2010) and Samy Hendawy (2010)contributed to the teacher-training session and presented information based on their experiences in the U.S. They spoke about methods that could be adopted in Egypt from the American school system and administration and demonstrated a mini lesson about student- centered instruction (right). In October 2011, a videoconference brought all of the educators and their superintendents face-to-face as Ez Eldin facilitated a discussion about best-practices in Egypt and the U.S. The project received very positive accolades from both countries’ educators.
After designing and implementing his own Critical Language Project, Ez Eldin’s words of advice to other TCLP alumni are to “consider that their TCLP experience is just a beginning for more collaboration, understanding and cooperation between their educational systems in Egypt and China and those of their host communities in the United States. The U.S. schools also need to contact and collaborate with their schools in Egypt. This will bring in unbelievable benefits for both school systems, and it will work for very good understanding and acceptance between very far communities. We are living in a small world now, and it is time to realize that the world is to be really better and happier if we cooperate for the good of us all.”