Learning Letter/ Plan of Action

            What stood out to me more than anything in the course was during Jane’s visit. She presented data on China’s GDP and showed that it was approaching America’s. After this she said in a fully serious manner “doesn’t that make you want to be better?” To be fully honest, my answer is no. Numbers and statistics don’t usually influence my passion for teaching or the betterment of my society. To her, the idea that her country (now America) has to be the best in the world was deeply engrained in her thinking. This astounded me and made me think much harder about what I am doing and why.

Overall this class brought of perspectives I had never considered. I had to think about the perspectives not just of the countries but of the writers who were thinking about these issues. For example I wonder whose story has more truth, the memoir or the journalist. One has compiled perspectives and one has written only from his own. I wonder if I were to write about an issue if I would write from my own perspective or from another’s. Either way though, I have been able to vastly expand my perspective on the world in general. 

I find myself more empathetic about culture beyond my own I can recognize the hurt and pain beyond what we might call “first world problems.” Through the projects in this class I have been able to recognize even more vast perspectives and the hard work that goes into creating the art that is in front of the pain.

The question of the day however is “what now?” What happens once I have digested all this cultural information. First of all I do not want it to end. I do not want to discontinue seeking out new cultural background and knowledge. I do not want to stop empathizing and connecting with the cultures I have learned about nor do I want to stop discovering things about new cultures.

Learning is far from my true plan of action however. Though I don’t have plane tickets or a destination I have a distinct desire to teach beyond the locales I know and understand. Learning about China has already led me to research teaching opportunities there. I have also looked into the American Institute in Tel Aviv. My goal however is to teach in an area outside of the modern American city. I want to experience another culture and share my own experience somewhere beyond big city culture. Even rural Alaska presents radically different cultural experience and I have kept that open as an option. Some day I will teach beyond the borders of my current knowledge.