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Ashley Walters-Otwell, seated at laptop computer, is fulfilling her student teaching requirement in Poland.

(Feb. 22, 2012) Teaching is only part of the experience Ashley Walters-Otwell, an education major at North Georgia College & State University, is getting by fulfilling her student teaching requirement in Poland this semester. She is also making an effort to better her students' learning environment.

Walters-Otwell, a senior majoring in early childhood education and special education, is the first North Georgia undergraduate student to complete her teaching internship by spending a full semester abroad in Poland. The School of Education study abroad program was initiated almost a decade ago by associate professor Dr. Marlene Anthony, now deceased, and her husband, Jacek Tlaka, who remains active in the program. The program started as a summer option for graduate students, but is now available to undergraduates as a full-semester experience, a three-week summer experience or a four-week school placement under the direction of Dr. Jacque Leeper.

The program integrates North Georgia's mission to educate leaders for life and leadership in a global community, and Walters-Otwell's dedication to her students demonstrates one of the core values upon which that mission is based -- service.

Walters-Otwell has spent her internship teaching English to kindergarten through eighth-grade students alongside English teacher Maja Matoga. Matoga and Principal Marta Ratynska have worked with North Georgia students since the program's inception.

"Being in Poland and working with students everyday has changed my life in so many ways," Walters-Otwell said. "I took for granted how privileged the students in the United States are. I never realized how much technology and resources we had until I came here and saw that there are only 10 computers for kindergarten through eighth grade and that many of them do not work."

Despite the lack of technology, the Polish students are very successful in their educational pursuits. Walters-Otwell has developed "Skype dates" every week with a class in the United States so that her students can practice English with native speakers. She currently uses her personal laptop for the Skype dates, but has raised money to purchase a laptop for the English class. With their own laptop, the class can continue to Skype with students in the United States after she has completed her internship. This will help both the students in Poland and the students in the United States to learn more about each other.

"I want the students to be able to continue to learn and practice their English with native speakers. My students take pride in their country and want others to know about Poland," she said.

Next month, four more North Georgia seniors will join Walters-Otwell. Madeline Jones, Brittany Partin, Katie Levine and Brittany Jamison, all of whom are majoring in early childhood education and special education, will teach English and visit important sites surrounding Krakow.

The program in Poland is only one of the School of Education's study abroad destinations. This year, students will also participate in programs in England and New Zealand.