A Syrian educationalist in the USA : reflections on human relations, practical skills, and intellectual empowerment

Abstract

I was born in a small village on the outskirt of Homs (Syria) to a family of modest means but great confidence in its members. The community in which I grew up had little resources beyond farming, manual labour, and vending business. This unpropitious economic condition did not disturb the simple and happy life of the community, but it did stratify people based on their possessions, income, and position. Though my parents had no formal education, they believed in schooling as a means for socioeconomic mobility and financial security. My parents instilled in me the importance of hard work, high grades, and a sense of responsibility for my family and community. My family’s orientation has allowed me to excel in my primary, middle, and high school education. I completed a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Al-Baath University, Syria in 1999. I received an award from the Syrian Ministry of Education as the top graduate in my department and a letter of distinction from the College of Arts and Humanities for having the highest average throughout the history of the College. In the same year, I was listed as the top Humanities graduate in the country by the yearly The Top Graduate Record (Published by the Syrian Ministry of Higher Education). I moved to the United States in 2001, where I completed my graduate studies and obtained two doctoral degrees, one in Education and another in Linguistics. I currently teach at Utah State University in the United States. A major milestone in my personal life is the death of my father in 1994, which has allowed me to re-examine my thoughts about life and afterlife, reconsider the purpose of my human existence, and rearrange my priorities in life. On the professional level, my graduation as the top student in my college and the subsequent awards I received from the Ministry of Higher Education are major milestones in my career. I came to believe in myself and in my ability to improve my life and the lives of those around me. For the first time in my life, I came to ‘experience’ the value of education and its role in defining who we are and what we are. This experience provided me with the momentum to pursue my first doctoral degree in the United States and later overcome the minor difficulties I faced as a ‘stranger’ in the new culture. My concentration on my graduate studies in the U.S. left me little time to explore the American social life yet allowed me to finish my first doctoral degree in Education in three years (2001–2004, the Ohio State University). At this point, I started to ponder on how much we humans can and cannot achieve, the relevance of what we achieve to the lives of others, and the utility of our ‘knowledge’ for dealing with real-life problems. My biggest achievement as an educator has been my ability to relate to students from different backgrounds, share and discuss with them thoughts and ideas, and allow them to see the world from multiple perspectives and explore critically and systematically different modes of thinking, practice, and beliefs. I have received several teaching distinctions in the past ten years, which reflect my positive contribution to the education and lives of my students. In terms of scholarly work, I have published a number of papers and a book on education, educational change, and cultural relevance that I hope will benefit researchers and scholars interested in the connection between education, community, and culture. I have also published a number of articles that focus on the intersection between education, language, culture, and technology. In these works, I tried to bring to scholarly attention the importance of re-examining the assumptions upon which the new technologies are based (McLuhan, 1964), how they can limit or expand our cultural views, and their relevance to wider societal issues and concerns. The comments and inquiries that I received from colleagues in several developing countries, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, point to the relevance of these works to a wide audience.