As seen in the many stories throughout NSLI-Y Interactive, many alumni of the NSLI-Y exchange program share their experiences through various types of multimedia. How did creating this media help to educate their peers and families back home about their host countries? How did compiling photos, editing video, and crafting stories inform their own experience? What advice do these alumni have for others about effectively sharing the study abroad experience?
"Some people might say that writing blogs can maybe be a distraction to experiencing the life, but I think when you have the choice between going out with your friends and blogging in your room, just go out because it’s very important to spend the majority of your time living in the moment and enjoying yourself while abroad. But later, you should remind yourself to write about your experiences so those happy moments don’t just go away."-Anli, NSLI-Y Morocco, Summer 2014
iEARN Program Coordinator William Stewart and several NSLI-Y alumni presented at the Global Education Conference during International Education Week on the topic of "Bringing the Study Abroad Experience Home: Using Tech to Share Your Stories." Anyone interested in study abroad and storytelling can watch the recording of this unique virtual event to learn from NSLI-Y alumni about the craft of creating effective blogs and videos, hear their stories, and find out about study abroad opportunities. The video will go over benefits of the cultural immersion experience, best practices for documenting their observations, and the newfound understanding that comes from a more participatory approach to the exchange experience.
"It’s really rewarding to look back and see something tangible that has come out of this experience or at least seeing my experience compiled into these short videos is...really something."-Anjali, NSLI-Y Morocco, Summer 2013
"The most important thing that I got out of my experience was the relationships I formed with the people there behind the scenes and not just visiting all the tourist locations, and I think that’s what I was trying to show with my blog." -Kristen, NSLI-Y Korea, Summer 2013
The following are examples of the student-created projects that were shared in the webinar presentation.
Anli's Blog: http://anlizhang.tumblr.com/ Ramadan Life by Shaheen, Felix, and Shunhe
Le Desert by Anjali
Kristen's Blog: http://mynsliyexperience.tumbl... Square by Kristen