As of fall 2018, more than a thousand UAB students hail from countries outside the United States, bringing diverse perspectives and enriching the learning experience for students and the campus community.
Employees curious about how to incorporate those perspectives into their classrooms and job roles can attend the Center for Teaching and Learning’s (CTL) Global Awareness series this month. In collaboration with INTO UAB, the series will include teaching strategies and tips and tools for working with international students and will provide a solid foundation for intercultural awareness, understanding and effectiveness.
Register online; both workshops will take place in Education Building Room 243. Lunch will be provided for pre-registered participants.
- Cultural Awareness Building Blocks with Amanda Shaffer, CTL Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Education director
June 12, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Tweaking Lectures for Optimal Comprehensibility
June 19, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
The series is directed by Melissa Hawkins, who has more than 22 years’ experience in English language and international education, most recently as a member of the INTO UAB team. She also is an instructor in the School of Education’s graduate program for teaching English as a second language and has taught at universities and adult community-based learning centers in Belgium, Japan and the United States, where she has directed a language-program startup and managed an intensive-English program.
In her new role as the international teaching and learning specialist at the CTL, she will present workshops and work with employees and units to incorporate global awareness into their teaching.
“The increasing numbers of international students in our classrooms pose an exciting opportunity for our campus to grow in global awareness,” Hawkins said. “Deepening our personal levels of cross-cultural understanding and incorporating specific strategies into our teaching help us welcome international students well as they seek to learn and grow alongside our U.S. student population.”
