A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education

Vaughan M. Blaney
Director
BSc(UNB,Canada), BEd(UNB,Canada), TEFLA(University of Cambridge), MEd(HKU, Hong Kong)

Book: "A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education"

A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education has beautiful illustrations

                                                                                          -Phyllis Capello, Corwin Press, Inc.

The Letter 'E'...

East, west, north, south,
Valley, mountain, prairie
We each have a place of origin
And a home that makes us merry

Each of us is different, still all can agree that we:

• admire the beauty of the eagle
• know the importance of the earthworm
• love to eat a special treat
• know 'enculturation' is a very big word
• use electricity
• know even from odd
• live in an era of information technology
• know east from west
• feel sad when the 'cookie tin' is empty
• know how to print the letter E 

Morose skies, lazy, desultory snowflakes, chilly prickling rains, the massive meandering Mother Volga, slushy, muddy walkways, treacherous potholes, crumbling structures, dank, unlit hallways, tangled and overgrown parks, physical decay amidst verdant forests of birch and fir. Bright smiles, hearty laughter, magnanimity, warmth, kindness, hugs, overwhelming hospitality and tenacious perseverance. The incongruous admixtures of shabbiness and elegance, despair and optimism, and material impoverishment with the richness of culture. Scurrying children laughter, dedicated yet exhausted teachers, shoddily constructed schools, meager supplies, third-world toilet facilities, and low-budget texts.  These are some of my most vivid images of Russia...

In retrospect, my Russia experience was profound, personally and professionally, in terms of forging enduring cross-cultural friendships, fostering mutual respect and understanding, and providing an opportunity for educators to assist in the democratization of the former Soviet republic.

Eaton, Jana Sackman