Ireland (Summer A 2024)

Countryside in Donegal, Ireland

 

Ireland (May 4-18, 2024)

Summary

          Fields of Study: Literature and Mathematics

          Courses:

      • LIT1000 Literature Appreciation (Johnston)
      • ENG1920 Group Study (Johnston)
      • MGF1107 Contemporary Mathematics (Hooks)
      • MAT1920 Group Study (Hooks)

You can explore how study abroad courses are related to your general education curriculum by reviewing these forms.

Fall 2022 General Education Handout with SA 2023.pdf Download Fall 2022 General Education Handout with SA 2023.pdf 

Fall 2021 General Education Handout with SA 2023.pdf Download Fall 2021 General Education Handout with SA 2023.pdf 

          Faculty Leaders: Prof. Breanne Brooks and Prof. Rebecca Johnston 

          Locations to be visited: Dublin, Donegal, and Northern Ireland

          Estimated Cost: $3,470 

          This program is capped at 20 students.

​Instructional Intent

This study abroad program will create a learning community between LIT 1000 and MGF 1107. Students will be immersed in the worlds of Irish literature and the ethnomathematics of Ireland.  The students will participate in the interdisciplinary study of poetry patterns and rhyme through mathematical sequencing and rhyming patterns.  They will also study The Books of Kells and The Book of Invasions as pieces of literature and examples of mathematical knot theory. They will also read cyphers and learn about encryption past and present. The students will participate in classroom and experiential learning with SF and Irish college professors. Students will also explore Irish dance and music through its story telling and the geometry, algebra, and sequences involved.

Course Descriptions

LIT1000 is an introduction to literature as an art form, emphasizing the historical, cultural, and aesthetic elements of written art. Students will learn to identify and interpret formal and genre-related elements in texts; they will learn the structures and conventions of different literary genres; and they will recognize the power of language as an art form. This course fulfills a state core requirement within the Humanities. For this study abroad opportunity, students will focus on the literature of Ireland and make connections and comparisons between Irish literature and world literature. A focus on Irish Literature of the early twentieth century will allow us to explore Ireland’s successful rebellion against their British colonizers. That will compare nicely with African American literature of the same period that often focuses on social justice. Irish and African American poets of that era often wrote to each other and shared experiences. Comparisons will also be made with the literature of other nations oppressed by subjugators and oppressors. This course will study short stories, novels, poetry, and plays.

ENG1920 is intended for students who have completed LIT1000. Students enrolled in this one-credit hour class will research specific works of Irish literature under the guidance of Prof. Johnston.

MAT1920 is intended for students who have met their mathematics general education requirements. Students enrolled in this one-credit hour class will research the ethnomathematics of Ireland under the leadership of Prof. Hooks.

MGF1107 is an optional mathematics class for Liberal Arts students that fulfills a state core requirement for mathematics.  Students will explore the use of statistics by utilizing real world data sets such as population data of the Irish famine and emigration and financial data showing the impact this emigration had in the country. Students will discover math in nature and art through an exploration of the Irish environment and artists.  Students will also investigate the application of mathematics in the culture and practice of Ireland through investigations into navigational practices and Irish trades. Students will research Irish mathematicians and historical uses of mathematics in their built environment.

Required Abilities

  • Participants must be able to sit in long airplane rides for nine hours while in close proximity to others and with little personal space.
  • While in Ireland, participants will be required to participate in excursions that will last several hours at a time. Students will be required to participate in walking and hiking tours with changes in elevation. At times, they will be required to sit in long bus rides for several hours. Students must be able to carry their own belongings.   
  • The tour is very fast paced and can be very tiring. It will require spending many hours sitting on a bus or train.
  • Participants must be ready to share personal space, bedrooms, bathrooms, and to follow the dynamics of a very large group of people.
  • Interpersonal abilities must be sufficient to interact with students in a large group setting. Participants must be comfortable with interacting with others that come from a variety of social, emotional, and intellectual backgrounds.  
  • All participants must be able to comprehend and follow directions.  

Faculty Leaders

Breanne Hooks is a designated professor of mathematics at Santa Fe College with specific responsibility to serve students at the educational centers in Archer and Alachua. Prof. Hooks has traveled to Ireland multiple times and has extensive experience travelling throughout Europe and Latin America.  She grew up in and divides her time between the U.S. and Canada.  Hooks has taught for the past 15 years, most of that time at Santa Fe College. She also led a study abroad program to Cuba with Oak Hall School and has taken students on overnight trips throughout Florida.  Hooks’ thesis encompassed course development for MGF1107 with a focus on math in culture and has invited students in this course to study ethnomathematics and culturally responsive mathematics.  Hooks is a doctoral candidate at the University of Florida’s Agricultural Education and Leadership program. Email breanne.hooks@sfcollege.edu 

Rebecca Johnston is a designated professor of English at Santa Fe College with specific responsibility to serve students at the educational centers in Archer and Alachua. She has travelled extensively to various foreign countries and has lived in Eastern Europe and Puerto Rico. She is thus comfortable navigating different cultures. Prof. Johnston has also led student groups to Eastern Europe to teach English as a second language. She recently travelled to Ireland and is comfortable navigating the country with a group of students. While Ireland’s original language is not English, everyone in Ireland speaks English, even those for whom English is not their first language. Prof. Johnston is currently writing her dissertation which focuses on African American poets of World War One, with frequent comparisons with Irish poets of the same era as both groups of poets were writing social justice themed poetry in order to fight their own oppression. Johnston is a doctoral candidate at the University of Exeter in England with contacts all over England. She is also in contact with the Irish Traditional Music Archives in Dublin and the University of Limerick for research purposes. Email rebecca.johnston@sfcollege.edu 

Both Johnston and Hooks are experienced working with students outside of the classroom as Academic Success Coaches, mentors, and club advisors and, therefore, both are comfortable leading a group of students on a study abroad trip.

Suggested Payment Plan

We have created a monthly payment schedule to help students keep their payments small and manageable over time. However, students may choose to pay the full cost of this program in one or two payments instead. Students interested in participating in this program will be expected to make the following payments totaling $3,470:

As soon as possible: $250 non-refundable deposit to reserve a spot

October 20, 2023: First payment of $550

November 17, 2023: Second payment of $550

December 15, 2023: Third payment of $550

January 15, 2024: Fourth payment of $550

February 16, 2024: Fifth payment of $510

March 15, 2024: Sixth payment of $510

Payments should be made to the Santa Fe College Cashier's Office. You can visit them in person on the first floor of F building or call them to make a payment by phone 352-395-5227. Be sure to tell them your Santa Fe College identification number and ask that funds be deposited in the Ireland Study Abroad account. 

Bridge in Dublin