1. What changes and impact did MTP participation brought to you,
to other teachers in your school, to students, to entire school, and
to your community, especially in the areas of science,
multicultural understanding, language, and information technology?

The MTP participation has increased my awareness of the value of international collaboration and education. The teachers and staff have all taken an interest in learning more about participating in this program, and a few have applied to the FMF (three week study) program of whom one has been granted to go to Japan next fall. More and more teachers and administrators are fully examining the possibilities of participating, and asking me to help them apply. MTP science and cultural online collaboration have given my students everlasting imprints which I believe, will impact their professional and educational success in the future. The 7 week Japanese language instruction was by far the most successful Foreign Language learning experience my students have had. Learning about the value of a global science classroom and cross cultural awareness were the most important objectives of this Project from the beginning, and this put our school and community in a higher educational and cultural caliber.



2. What were the highlights and what did you learn from participating in MTP?
The visit of our partner teachers to our school and community was the beginning highlight. Obviously my trip to Japan was an unforgettable experience as usual. Classroom participation at Kogo JHS was very delightful. However, the highlight of this year-long project was to see the enthusiasm of my students during each video conference. The light in their eyes was a reassuring indicator for me that this innovative online collaboration will most significantly benefit all of the students in many positive ways in the future.

3. How are you planning to continue and make the best use of your
experiences in MTP?
MTP has given me a professional purpose to pursue and encourage international education through different venues. I was named the outstanding International Educator of the year on May 4th, 2007 by the Las Vegas World Affairs council, and have been awarded a complimentary trip to India along with 5 other educators in March of 2008. I believe I will continue to to be an advocate of Programs such as MTP for our community in general and my colleagues and students in particular. I have given several presentations to small and large groups on the value of MTP participation and how it has been a life learning experience. I would like (and plan) to initiate a Fulbright chapter in Southern Nevada with the help of other FMF/MTP recipients and spread the culture of international education.


In conclusion, I would like to first thank all of the MTP staff for their tireless efforts in organizing and managing the A through Z steps for this program to be completed. I would also like to thank Dr. Edward Jones for believing that this global classroom is worth all of the efforts. Special thanks to Ms. Kyoko Jones for her continued encouragement. I would also like to thank Gary Young, Our Educational computer Specialist, for staying after school to make sure the connections were complete. Las but not least, I would most cetainly like to thank my partner teacher Mr. Kasai Sensei for being the best teacher colleague anybody could have in the beautiful country of Japan. Thank you all very much. Kindly, Azita Zarrabi