2008 Woodie Awards
From Russia with love - of education
MSU faculty among those who attend international educational conferences in Russia
by Derek Wehrwein
Issue date: 7/9/08
Section: Campus News
Minnesota State education professor Elizabeth Sandell is no stranger to Russia.
Sandell first visited the country in 1993 and has been back 10 times since, including this June, when she and three other area women attended two international education conferences there.
In addition, the group - which also included MSU faculty member Mary Behrens, South Central College faculty member Lynn Grenz and MSU education student Ashley Milewski - worked with North-Eastern State University of Magadan, Russia, to design a new education course for both MSU and Russian students.
"It was a wonderful experience," said Behrens, who was making her first visit to Russia and gave presentations on parent education and school readiness in the U.S. "The Russian people are very gracious and generous, and I guess my expectation was to absorb as much as I could about the people and the culture. We had wonderful experiences as we traveled."
The group, which left June 2 and returned June 22, participated in both an early childhood and elementary education conference in Magadan and an Association for Childhood Education International conference in Moscow. Members of the group gave several presentations at the two conferences.
"There were curriculum presentations and presentations about research between cultures," said Sandell, who noted that Russian and American theories of education tend to differ somewhat. In America more emphasis is put on the individual while in Russia emphasis is put on the role of society. Those different theories developed after the 1917 communist revolution in Russia, she indicated.
"They have theories that are important to them and we have theories that are important to us," Sandell said. "Some of them are the same and some of them are not, so we thought it would be helpful for our students to understand from a global perspective." That's where the new course Sandell has helped developed comes in.
This was also the first visit to Russia for Milewski, who is president of the MSU early childhood and elementary education club. She was asked by Sandell to come along as a student representative and gave a presentation at the early childhood conference on how to create and maintain a student organization.
Milewski said the trip was a unique experience.
"All four of us from Minnesota had our own translators so we could understand all of the other presentations given in Russian," she said. "In return, they also translated our presentations so the Russians could understand us."
The four Minnesotans did more than just attend conferences, however. Milewski indicated they also had plenty of time to tour various attractions with private tour guides, including cathedrals, an art museum, Red Square and the Kremlin.
Sandell plans to make a 12th trip to Russia in spring or summer 2009 to lead a study tour, while another MSU faculty member, Linda Good, will visit there in October.
Derek Wehrwein is the Reporter editor in chief
Sandell first visited the country in 1993 and has been back 10 times since, including this June, when she and three other area women attended two international education conferences there.
In addition, the group - which also included MSU faculty member Mary Behrens, South Central College faculty member Lynn Grenz and MSU education student Ashley Milewski - worked with North-Eastern State University of Magadan, Russia, to design a new education course for both MSU and Russian students.
"It was a wonderful experience," said Behrens, who was making her first visit to Russia and gave presentations on parent education and school readiness in the U.S. "The Russian people are very gracious and generous, and I guess my expectation was to absorb as much as I could about the people and the culture. We had wonderful experiences as we traveled."
The group, which left June 2 and returned June 22, participated in both an early childhood and elementary education conference in Magadan and an Association for Childhood Education International conference in Moscow. Members of the group gave several presentations at the two conferences.
"There were curriculum presentations and presentations about research between cultures," said Sandell, who noted that Russian and American theories of education tend to differ somewhat. In America more emphasis is put on the individual while in Russia emphasis is put on the role of society. Those different theories developed after the 1917 communist revolution in Russia, she indicated.
"They have theories that are important to them and we have theories that are important to us," Sandell said. "Some of them are the same and some of them are not, so we thought it would be helpful for our students to understand from a global perspective." That's where the new course Sandell has helped developed comes in.
This was also the first visit to Russia for Milewski, who is president of the MSU early childhood and elementary education club. She was asked by Sandell to come along as a student representative and gave a presentation at the early childhood conference on how to create and maintain a student organization.
Milewski said the trip was a unique experience.
"All four of us from Minnesota had our own translators so we could understand all of the other presentations given in Russian," she said. "In return, they also translated our presentations so the Russians could understand us."
The four Minnesotans did more than just attend conferences, however. Milewski indicated they also had plenty of time to tour various attractions with private tour guides, including cathedrals, an art museum, Red Square and the Kremlin.
Sandell plans to make a 12th trip to Russia in spring or summer 2009 to lead a study tour, while another MSU faculty member, Linda Good, will visit there in October.
Derek Wehrwein is the Reporter editor in chief
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