Susan Monaghan, associate professor of education at Worcester State University, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Specialist Program grant by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Monaghan, an expert in STEM education standards, will travel to Estonia in May to collaborate with the country’s Ministry of Education and Research on improving their STEM standards and integrating new technologies like AI into the classroom.
The Fulbright Specialist Program allows countries around the world to request the expertise of American specialists for short-term projects, and Estonia selected Monaghan from the program’s roster of experts. The project aims to establish partnerships and benefit participants, institutions, and communities in both the U.S. and Estonia through educational activities.
During her four-week residency, Monaghan will facilitate workshops, seminars, and discussions with Estonian educators and policymakers. “I’m going there to work with their STEM experts and their Ministry of Education to try to help them in their ongoing efforts to reform their STEM education standards,” she said.
Monaghan has experience working on education standards for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and will share her expertise in communicating educational goals to teachers and other educational stakeholders.
In preparation for her trip, Monaghan has been having discussions with Estonian counterparts about several educational issues, including developing processes for integrating AI and other technologies into the classroom in a way that keeps the focus on student learning, rather than just being enamored with the new technology.
“While AI can be a useful tool, it needs to be used thoughtfully, and students need to be taught how to properly evaluate and interpret the information AI provides,” she said.
Monaghan, who is on sabbatical this semester, sees the opportunity as a valuable chance to gain new perspectives. “It just gives you a different way of looking at things,” she said. “At Worcester State, I’m trying to prepare teachers, and sometimes you get so busy and so used to the way you do things here that you don’t really have time to examine it as deeply as you might want to.”
When her work in Estonia is complete, Monaghan plans to visit her sister in Ireland. Though the schedule will be intensive, she is looking forward to the experience. “I am flattered and really grateful that I was chosen for this project,” she said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
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