Frequently Asked Questions |
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Questions from educators: Who are your clients? Our clients include educators who want to organize an international learning experience but do not have the time or expertise to do it effectively. With TCE, you don’t need to be fluent in a foreign language. We know the hotels, transportation system, local experts, organizations, etc. that will make the trip a success. Also, all of our trips are custom designed, so the educator controls the academic content of the course. I would like you to help with travel, but I know what I want to teach and don’t want help with the syllabus or course content. Is that a problem? Absolutely not. We are there to help as much or little as you want with the course design, and we always work within your requirements—after all, you are the teacher, not us. Remember, we are working with you to help with your course, but it remains your class. Will I have input on class activities and other activities such as length of the trip, free time, non-academic activities, etc? Absolutely. We custom design all of our travel and service learning courses, and you always have input and will ultimately approve the itinerary. I am looking for something to do during the summer. Are you looking for teachers to teach courses for you? No. We are looking for people currently teaching at an academic institution who are offering courses with which we can help. We are always interested in hearing from experts/scholars with experience in Latin America or elsewhere who might participate in a course, but do not yet offer courses directly through Tropical Classroom Expeditions. Will my institution have to pay a fee for these courses? No. All of our costs are included in the student fees. Will your travel courses be more expensive than one the I could plan myself? Not necessarily. Due to our experience in the region, we are often able to save your students money, even figuring in our expenses. Also, we have access to local and international experts as well as community leaders and members who will greatly increase the value of the experience for the students. We truly believe that we can create the best possible educational travel experience for your students. Will somebody from Tropical Classroom Expeditions be with the group during the entire trip? Yes. Most of our trips are to Spanish-speaking countries, and a bilingual guide will accompany the group at all times. In some cases, additional experts from TCE will accompany the group. Programs for middle or high-school students will involve more staff and/or chaperones. What are the benefits to me as a professor/teacher in using your services? The primary benefit is having a team of bi-lingual people familiar with the region working with you to create a great learning experience. Also, we take care of all the logistics so that you can concentrate on teaching and not spend the previous semester trying to arrange the trip. I’ve seen tour companies and travel agents that have tours that are available to students. How is this different? Tropical Classroom Expeditions trips are designed for educators, by educators, with education rather than entertainment as the goal. We organize speakers, activities, and materials that will allow students to really explore the issue under discussion. Will you help with grading? No, not really. We will certainly give input on student participation during the trip, but you will have to do the grading as faculty member. Sorry. Do you offer college credit for you courses? Most of our courses would be college courses, taken for credit, but that is up to the faculty members for which we create the course. Any of our established trips or other programs are not set up to count towards college credits. Our services are primarily for current faculty members at academic institutions who want to add a travel or service-learning component to one of their courses. The faculty member will teach the course through their college, university, or other school, with their own students participating, just like any other course. We help add the international component to the course, taking care of all logistics, arranging everything in the host country, and also providing help with syllabi, reading lists, PowerPoint presentations, etc. as desired. |
