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Since arriving here in Japan, we have seen and been told numerous times that the Japanese are different. We are told that as "outside people" or "gaijin," we will struggle to conform to the daily practices of the Japanese. As traveling students of anthropology, we have always attempted to see the similarities of human beings rather than the differences. After our first 48 hours in Japan, I think we can...

This past weekend, our students participated in a TGS first: choosing their own weXplore adventures across India. I, along with the other teachers, presented them with eight different options to choose from, each offering unique content and curricular ties. The students had narrowed these options down to five by the time the weekend arrived, and we sent them in different sized groups to all parts of India. Two of the...

7 blunders of the world   Politics without principle. Wealth without work. Pleasure without conscience. Knowledge without character. Commerce without morality. Science without humanity. Worship without sacrifice.   How does this relate to you, TGS, or our world?    Gandhi Jayanti is a worldwide celebration of the birth of India's "Great Soul" Mohandas K. Gandhi. This is not only an Indian holiday, as it is also observed by the United...

This year in my tenth grade Global Studies, we will be publishing an e-magazine called the World Wide Walkers every two weeks. My class is operating as an independent publishing company, in which the students will be paid in grades and have to work as a team to meet publishing deadlines. Through watching Michael Wood's phenomenal six-part documentary, The Story of India, my students gained a chronological overview of Indian...

The following post originally appeared on Nick Martino's blog Defenders of Ma'at. Since the blog was written, Nick's visa was approved, and he is now with his students in Hyderabad, India. As I sit sipping my white mocha espresso at Hyperion coffee shop in Fredericksburg, Virginia, I am very impressed with the ease of using technology to flatten my classroom, and in turn, the world. My Global Studies and Social...

The following post was written by Global Studies teacher Nick Martino and originally appeared on his blog Defenders of Ma'at.   Last month members of the TGS staff organized an adventure into the wild to provide a leadership and character building activity for our students. Each student was given the choice between ocean kayaking or hiking during the four day trip with the amazing Chewonki Foundation, who have been leading...

The following opinion piece was written by Global Studies teacher Nick Martino and originally appeared on his blog Defenders of Ma'at. Why was 9/11 so important in the psyche of Americans, specifically New Yorkers?   We don’t get attacked. We attack others. We rarely lose. Wars aren’t fought on our home turf. We don’t live in fear.   Former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, stated, “Freedom from...

The following post was written by Global Studies teacher Nick Martino following the Boston Bombings and originally appeared on his blog Defenders of Ma'at Marathon Monday, as it is known in Boston, is a holiday that brings all of Boston out to the streets and stadiums to celebrate. People are celebrating the warm weather that is starting to show, the Boston Red Sox who always schedule a home game and...

My goal for our visit to the USS Massachusetts was to use it as a weXplore trip that would benefit all TGS students. Students in Mr. Cailey's IB History class, for instance, have been studying war strategies used in World War II, so getting a chance to spend the night aboard a battleship that was involved in the Allied Island Hopping Campaign would be a perfect opportunity to further their...

We started our Harvard workshop at Howard Gardner's office. Yes, the same Howard Gardner that published his work on the theory of multiple intelligences plus countless other educational gems. Needless to say, we were a giddy bunch of teachers! The Project Zero staff had given us the simple task of using one of their global thinking routines (GTR) while exploring Mr. Gardner's office. Upon hearing that a bunch of international...