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| A variety of foods sampled by the group from Upper Iowa University that traveled to Istanbul, Turkey in June 2012. |
By Janell Bradley
FAYETTE – A favorite quote of UIU associate professor Dawn Jacobsen is, “If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn" – Haim Ginnott.
Jacobsen believes there's always more she can do to improve the way her students learn. And for more than 20 years, she's been an advocate for those with learning disabilities. Jacobsen was a preschool through 12th grade special education teacher for 17 years before she joined Upper Iowa five years ago. She currently teaches classes in individual behavior and classroom management at the university in Fayette.
"In my classes we talk a lot about cultural acceptance," she says. Jacobsen lives with her husband and youngest daughter on a farm near Clermont. All five members of the family are either working as teachers or pursuing careers in the field of education. Oldest daughter, Molli Steffens, will teach 9th grade English at North Fayette this fall, and daughter Kelli, just began her career in Phoenix, Ariz. where she teaches third grade. Dawn's husband, Kirk, is a third grade teacher in the Valley School district, Elgin. Youngest daughter, Shannon, just began classes at Upper Iowa where she will be studying early childhood special education.
This past June, in her first travel outside the United States, Jacobsen weathered a nearly nine hour flight to Amsterdam, and then another three hours to her group's destination: Istanbul, Turkey.
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The trip was part of the UIU Faculty Internationalization Program, to which Jacobsen had earlier applied to be a participant.
It didn't take the group long to realize how much they were in the minority as tourists in a country that is situated across both Europe and Asia.
Not speaking any other languages but English, she said she was initially frustrated in Istanbul: a city that is a melting pot of many cultures.
"I couldn't read the street signs, the menus, or even the newspaper." After just those first few hours, she says she better understood the challenge for UIU's international students when attending classes on campus in Fayette. Because UIU has centers all over the world, the trip gave Jacobsen a new awareness of cultural contrasts.
"It really broadened my horizons about the differences and how we can accommodate those kids in our classrooms," she said.
The group of nine from UIU traveled from June 1-9. In addition to the professors, UIU President Alan Walker joined the group. As his father was in the military, Walker lived in Turkey while in high school. He was able to provide other insights and suggestions about sights to see.
During their Turkey experience, the group toured General Electric Headquarters. A CEO spoke to them about GE innovation, the Turkish work force and the local economy. The educators toured Big Blue Denim Factory, where they saw men working alongside women in sewing, distressing, achieving a 'prewashed' look and conducting quality control.
Jacobsen said the average monthly income for a denim factory worker is about $1,800 – not enough for a family of four on which to subsist.
She said over half the population of Istanbul is aged 29 or younger. Many of the older generation still reside in the rural areas of the country where labor isn't as mechanized. There appeared to be a strong work ethic in Istanbul, she said. At the denim factory they saw a lot of technology used as part of the process. The group also visited a leather goods' factory.
The group stayed in an historic area of the city where the streets were still cobblestone. Jacobsen said the presence of armed guards wasn't unusual on some street corners. She also marveled at the open air restaurants and lack of insects and bugs due to the proximity to the sea.
When dining out, the group did as the Turks do, and ordered 'meza' or starter appetizers. This often included bread, and perhaps fish such as calamari or smoked mackerel. There was bread, and then the main entree – sometimes they chose foods like lamb kebabs or there was the day they chose a restaurant where guests pick their own fish.
Jacobsen describes how a large platter of raw fish – yes, most had the heads and eyes intact yet – was brought to the table from which they were to choose.
"They weigh it at the table and then you haggle for the price you want to pay per pound," she said. Seafood offerings included seabass, scorpion, and shrimp.
They also sampled "raki" an anise liqueur. Served in a six-inch tall, slender glass with a glass of water, when the water is poured into the liqueur, it turns milky and is referred to as, "lion's milk."
As most travelers to Turkey will do, the group went to a Turkish carpet and rug store. The owner took the Americans to an upper level where they sat on benches situated around the perimeter. Hundreds of carpets were rolled, folded, and stacked there. They were able to watch as a woman wove a rug on a loom. The tourists were offered a beverage and then provided a verbal history on Turkish rug making. As he spoke, assistants literally rolled out rugs demonstrating the techniques, styles and patterns from the various eras, peoples and regions.
During their eight days away from the U.S., the group cruised the Bosphorus on a 35-foot pleasure boat, at dusk. The Bosphorus is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia and connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.
They saw the Blue Mosque and toured the Hagia Sophia, a former Orthodox basilica and now a museum in Istanbul. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople, except from 1204-61, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire.
Also during the week, the group walked through the Grand Bazaar, bought nuts at the spice market, saw the underground Basilica Cistern and they dined on the Golden Horn, a large inlet off the Bosphorus Strait that divides old and new cities.
As she reflected on the week, Jacobsen said she realized just how many more accommodations there are for the handicapped in public areas in the United States due to the American Disabilities Act.
The group was unable to get access to any primary or secondary schools in Istanbul, but they did visit a nursery/preschool because their guide's child attended there. The curriculum used a project-based approach so there were numerous examples of art, sculpture and projects around the room.
"We didn't see any accommodations or evidence of students with any signs of disabilities," said Jacobsen. The building was on four levels and there were no elevators or ramps.
Beyond the education experience of the trip, Jacobsen is unlikely to forget the historical aspect of visiting Istanbul, and haggling to reach a price before making a purchase. She said it was a common joke amongst the group when determining the cost of an item in American dollars as they converted the price given in lyra: "how many doctorates does it take to convert money from the American dollar?" they good naturedly joked.
The Faculty International Grant (FIG) is available annually to individual faculty and supports a group experience abroad each year. Group grants such as this one, allow up to eight full-time faculty to travel together to an international destination where they can conduct collaborative or independent research.
Any full-time UIU faculty member is eligible to apply. The travel group will give a presentation to to the UIU community, most likely in September.
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| When water is added to the anise-flavored liqueur known as 'raki,' it turns milky white, hence the nickname, lion's milk. |
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A wide variety of jeans were manufactured in the Big Blue Denim Factory. Those are washing machines above the jeans on hooks – used to distress the fabric, and/or provide a stone-washed look. (Photos courtesy of Dawn Jacobsen & Cindy Waters.)
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