eBook Beyond Tourism: A Practical Guide to Meaningful Educational Travel: A Practical Guide to Meaningful Educational Travel ePub

This book was really interesting as the author, Mr. Cushner used statistical data while keeping the book entertaining. I rallied liked the stories that were told about his trips and his students and their personality changes, and the relationships that he made with his students. Even with all the information, reading this book wasn't like an informational guide or textbook, the book was about personal stories and the adventures that the author wrote of were really exciting and interesting to read about. I read this book to learn more about travel and the reason people travel besides the obvious one which is to relax. While reading this book I realized that there are different levels of travel and that when you travel there are so many different things you learn besides culture. Even the people who are the travelers change. In the book Mr. Cushner talks of intercultural people, and that there are different types of people, and that when they travel those types are defined as someone who experiences everything, one that learns in moderate ration, and one that learns nothing. I found this set of information really helpful because I had never thought of their being levels of intercultural people. This book was really fun to read, and I never got bored of it. The author always kept me entertained and I really enjoyed the international adventures that the author would describe in the book. The book was a fantastic way of showing how seeing other countries and living with that country’s people is a necessary thing for the 21st generation, because a kids and teenagers we don’t see the need of travailing, and this book really shows this issue and how we can fix it. The author uses many personal examples as well as history to make it a fun book but while keeping it educational, which I personally enjoyed, because as I read through this book I learned a lot about travel and what it does to people. Even the data that the author presents in the book shows how many people travel and what it does for countries, which I though was really cool, because not many people think of how travelers effect the country they visit. This book was really fun and interesting to read, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes to travel or likes history. This book will keep you entertained and you won't be able to put it down.

Through the pages of his book, Kenneth Cushner reaches out to fellow educators and administrators in an effort to help them develop better educational travel programs. Although this book is most useful for someone in the field of education, it could also be beneficial to those who are seeking to transition from simple tourist into appreciative traveler. Cushner begins chapter one, entitled "Teacher as Traveler - Travel as Teacher," by telling the story of his youthful yearning to become a game warden and his African adventure that unfolded as a result. Throughout the next nine chapters, he continues to regale the reader with his personal experiences while abroad, both as an educator and not, to illustrate one of his key points - that one needs to expect the unexpected, so be prepared for even the best of plans to change when traveling. Cushner deftly entwines various theories about intercultural competence with his international travel tales allowing the reader to easily understand the real-world application of terms such as U-curve hypothesis and reentry. With stories and theories covered in chapters one through ten, the eleventh and final chapter focuses on sharing useful travel tips and resources. Tips for teachers, students, and parents are divided into three categories: pre-departure tips, tips while traveling, and tips upon return. The tips are followed by three more sections that contain contacts, books, articles, and other valuable resources. Following this final chapter is a wonderful index to guide the reader who gets so wrapped up in the text that he fails to remember to jot down adequate reminders of where certain topics are mentioned.
Among the many strengths of Beyond Tourism is the attention-capturing quality of the writing from the very beginning. The author's literary energy continues to stimulate the reader throughout the book, provoking fascination and riveted interest. Although it may seem trivial, it is no small task to engage a reader, especially a student, for the entirety of a textbook. This allows for maximum transfer and retention of information, which is important for educational materials. His writing style relates to another positive aspect of this book. Cushner discusses several cross-cultural education terms and theories with examples that enable the reader to easily grasp the concepts. Not only is the understanding of these concepts maximized, but the practical application of them is readily apparent. In addition to easily gleaning academic knowledge to share with others by reading this text, one can better prepare himself for his own travels. A person might not feel as bewildered and anxious in an unfamiliar situation while abroad if it is similar to something he read that was written about by a seasoned traveler. Sharing personal anecdotes, then, is like giving a person pseudo experiences that enhance his ability to handle difficulties in a foreign setting.
One flaw, in particular, stands out to me when examining Beyond Tourism - the title. The title indicates that this book is "a practical guide to meaningful educational travel." While this is completely true in one sense, it is a bit misleading for people who are searching for a "how to" book to prepare a student for a study abroad trip. The book does not contain information about how to choose a study abroad program, which classes should be selected, or what to pack like many people might assume of a book with the words "guide" and "travel" in the title. Nor does Cushner's book give educators step-by-step instructions about how to set up an educational travel program. It is only a "guide" in the sense that it is an informational book about the many aspects of international experiences in education. Also, the book is very comprehensive. In other words, it is not an effective tool when only one or two chapters are selected for quick information. To fully extract all that is offered in this text, one must read it in its entirety.
Educators will find that the first 10 chapters of Beyond Tourism are packed with examples of cultural learning, and the eleventh chapter contains a list of cross-cultural simulations and activities such as Barnga and Bafa Bafa. This combination is a particularly beneficial aspect of Beyond Tourism because these things equip the reader with the right tools to take advantage of cultural teaching opportunities. Teachers can use these tools in their classrooms to add an element of cultural learning. Also, educators and administrators involved with study abroad arrangements can use this information to enhance the cultural aspects of their preparation programs. The usefulness of this enriching material truly depends upon the creativity of the reader. In addition to using the material presented in this text to shape a study abroad program into a better cultural learning experience, it is an ideal textbook for courses related to educational travel programs.

The subtitle "A Practical Guide" is misleading, this book covers very little practical information for anyone interested in gaining detailed knowledge of educational travel programs. A mix of social science theory and anecdotal episodes, a more appropriate subtitle might have been "Some Social and Psychological Aspects of Educational Travel from a Contemporary Academic Perspective."