It became known from custom papers that Bonnie Cramond, a professor in the College of Education’s department of educational psychology and instructional technology, has recently joined two UGA alumni and faculty from some U.S. universities in order to improve the education in schools for Tibetan refugee children in India, namely the process of teaching and the system of evaluation in schools for Tibetan refugee children in India. Recently a contract with the purpose of increasing the global visibility of the center was signed between Martin (Ph.D. ’82), director of the Center for Program Evaluation and Development at Georgia College and State University, and Anders (Ph.D. ’82), a professor of education at Newman University in Wichita, Kan.
The latter started negotiations with Madame Jetsun Pema, the Dalai Lama’s sister and then-president of TCV concerning the schools needs. They both kept in touch discussing the schools for almost three years before the meeting with current TCV president Tsewang Yeshi, and other TCV leaders to develop a plan. During a private meeting with Martin and Anders, the Dalai Lama approved the plan. According to it, UGA shall work with TCV schools and it marked the beginning of a multi-year commitment from Georgia College, Newman University.
Bonnie Cramond was invited to take part in the project so that he improves the education program and helps the feeder schools to implement a relevant selection procedure. Cramond, a head of UGA’s gifted education program and former director of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development, has agreed to work with the TCV School for Gifted Children in Selakui during 5 years. Redesigning the school’s selection process and adding programs that will help the school meet the Dalai Lama’s goal of producing professionals who will become ambassadors of peace and compassion in India and all over the world is what this commitment presupposes.
During the visit, Cramond observed classes and met faculty members to learn about their educational system and their culture and their wishes. Moreover, she introduced the faculty to three curriculum innovations that she believes would fit the program. One of the programs she proposed was the International Future Problem Solving Program. This program was developed by the late UGA Alumni Foundation Distinguished Professor Emeritus E. Paul Torrance in 1974. Another Cramond’s idea was to use the organization of the DaVinci Academy in Hall County (Ga.) developed by Hall County Rigor Specialist and UGA alumna Sally Krisel (Ed.D. ’00).
The purpose of this one is possible providing of a program that meets student’s interest in the arts and sciences and becomes the basis for advanced learning in all content areas. The fundings for the TCV Schools program were provided by the Georgia College and State University Center for Program Evaluation and the University System of Georgia’s Digital Innovation Group. Over the next few months Cramond will work with the TCV faculty and plans to bring all resources for carrying out the plan in October when she returns to India.
