Category: Faculty

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...

  In his book, India Calling, author Anand Giridharadas wrote that, "India has become -- in a way that it has not been -- a land of opportunity for millions and millions and millions of people." Anand's words have certainly rung true for us in our few short months here; India has allowed our legion of intrepid students to partake in some fantastic opportunities of their own. Stunning locations have...

Before embarking on last month's eight-day trip of northern India, Media Specialist and newMedia Lab teacher Lindsay Clark provided students with the hashtag #TGSNIN and encouraged them to "tag" their photos, videos, and writing with it throughout the journey. Many students keenly got on board and proceeded to post pictures marked with the hashtag on their favorite social networks. For the users of websites and mobile apps like Facebook and...

This past week, 9th grader Kiana and 11th grader Amelia traveled to Sri Lanka to compete in an international swimming competition. They represented our host school, INDUS International School Hyderabad, and competed against swimmers from India and Sri Lanka at the Visakha Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Amelia and Kiana were invited by the INDUS swim coach and traveled with the 13 little boys (ages 12 and under)...

In Art this term, Grade 10 students have been investigating and exploring some of the dominant styles of Indian painting. Using the epic tale The Ramayana as a common subject matter, we have investigated the characteristics of Patachitra, Patua, Madhubani and Mughal Miniature paintings. While analyzing a piece that depicts a moment from The Ramayana, students focus on three things: style, story and character. Initial research and analysis helps identify...

  It seems that our Hyderabad term is passing more quickly than a speeding auto rickshaw, as our eight-day weXplore excursion to the northern and central regions of India is already upon us. The trip presents an opportunity for our students to visit some of India’s most famous monuments and landmarks while also embedding themselves within the surrounding culture. In doing so, they can engage with the back-stories, critical issues...

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...

  This past Saturday, after completing their first week of classes, our students and faculty put aside their laptops and books to take in their first weXplore excursion of the school year. The day trip had generated a lot of excitement throughout the week and featured a packed itinerary, including a visit to the Golconda Fort — an archaeological treasure that is currently being considered for inclusion as a UNESCO...

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...