IES Abroad is committed to providing developmental opportunities for its faculty from its Centers around the world as a means of giving them professional development, a greater connection to IES Abroad, and an opportunity to exchange with international faculty in similar fields. Faculty Development opportunities include participation at local, regional or international conferences; participation in IES Abroad-sponsored academic seminars; research fellowships at the Newberry Library in Chicago; and involvement in inter-Center workshops.
In the summer 2014 term, we were pleased to welcome 10 faculty from our IES Abroad Centers to participate in faculty development opportunities here in the U.S.
Best Teachers Institute
Three faculty members were invited to the Best Teachers Institute held in West Orange, New Jersey. Participating faculty members are usually newer to the IES Abroad faculty team. After attending, they also run a workshop for the faculty at their Centers when they return.
Ken Bain, the chief facilitator of this workshop, is highly regarded in the field of college pedagogy and has developed teacher training programs at Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and NYU. You can read more about this Institute and the program on their website at http://www.bestteachersinstitute.org/index.html.
- Chad Futrell (Beijing)
- Jose Ramon Matito Fernandez (Salamanca)
On meeting other IES Abroad faculty - “Having the opportunity to share different ways to work and to proceed in the field of US higher education is always fruitful, because you can acquire other ways to solve common problems or difficulties in teaching.” - Lucas Araya (Santiago)
On meeting other IES Abroad faculty - “It was totally beneficial. I had the chance of speaking with IES faculties from the Spain and China sites and we shared experiences regarding teachers and students’ performances, cultural differences, the benefits of working with international students and the problems professor may face when dealing with IES students.”
On how Best Teachers will change the way you teach - “Also, I want to share my experience in the best teachers institute with the Santiago staff regarding manners to address students so as to have them participate more actively in the learning process so they can improve their methods and have a better experience when dealing with international students.”
CARLA
Each year the Faculty Development Committee sponsors the participation of 5-6 IES Abroad language faculty to attend either one-week or two-week institute sessions at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA). CARLA is a language research center with the purpose of improving the quality of second language teaching and acquisition. Every summer CARLA hosts the Summer Institutes for second language teachers of all levels. The institutes offer the opportunity for discussion, theory-building, hands-on activities, and networking with colleagues. To learn more about CARLA and the Summer Institutes please visit http://www.carla.umn.edu/index.html.
This summer, we were happy to host 5 faculty members who teach 4 languages (Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese) to our students around the world.
- Carmen Duran Leon (Granada)
On gaining a better understanding of the US higher education system - “It was a great experience to be part of a US university for two weeks and see closely how everything works and is organized. Having US professors is very enlightening too, as they have a way of teaching that differs from that in my home country and therefore I could gain a better understanding of what my (IES Abroad) students are used to or expect from higher education.”
On meeting other IES Abroad language faculty - “It also provides a sense of “global IES Abroad community,” the feeling that we all work for a global institution and how rewarding it is to know that there are students living amazing experiences all over the world and we are all part of such experiences and work to make them better.” - Elena Marangione (Milan)
On the benefits of the CARLA summer institutes - “I think it is really interesting to have these seminars as they give you the chance to learn new things, exchange ideas, and fill yourself with new enthusiasm and abilities to improve the way you reach students.”
On gaining a better understanding of the US higher education system - “I was the only Italian native speaker and all the other people in my class work at American schools and Universities, plus being on a campus gives plenty of chances to meet people and understand IES students’ background.”
On meeting other IES Abroad language faculty - “Yes, it was extremely beneficial both in class and outside and there’s a feeling of belonging and being connected that is really nice. We talked so much about our experiences with IES students!” - Marie-Jo Grenon (Nantes)
- Vicente Costantini (Buenos Aires)
- Zhao Qingguo (Beijing)
Newberry Library Fellowship
Each year the Faculty Development Committee also invites two faculty members to complete a month long fellowship at the Newberry Library in Chicago. The Newberry Library is an independent research institution with extensive collections in the humanities and is especially recognized for collections in: European discovery, exploration, and settlement of the Americas; American literature and history; the Renaissance; the French Revolution; Portuguese and Brazilian history; American Indian history and literature; the history of cartography; the history and theory of music; the history of printing; and early philology and linguistics. To learn more about the Newberry Library please visit http://www.newberry.org.
- Paula Hrycyk (Buenos Aires)
“Forging American Art and Identity: Public Interventions During the Great Depression” - Laura Cervi (Barcelona)
“Active Citizenship and Minorities: The Intercultural Dialogue Challenge”
