OII fall newsletter 2013 Volume 3, Issue 2

INITIATIVESwww.education.umd.edu/international/ Fall 2013/Volume 3, Issue 2

Office Of internatiOnal initiatives (Oii) | College of eduCation | university of maryland

offiCe of internationalinitiatives 1304 Benjamin Building TEL 301.405.7501WEB: www.education.umd.edu/

international/

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Director

Steve Koziol [email protected]

senior fellow

James Greenberg [email protected]

AssistAnt Director AnD newsletter eDitor

Rashi [email protected]

AssistAnt Director

Letitia [email protected]

GrADuAte coorDinAtorAnD eDitoriAl AssistAnt

Yali [email protected]

GrADuAte coorDinAtorAnD eDitoriAl AssistAnt

Gaurav [email protected]

GrADuAte intern AnDeDitoriAl AssistAnt

Sarah B. [email protected]

Director of school site experiences

Jim [email protected]

AssistAnt Director for school site experiences

Ann [email protected]

FRONT COvER: Artifacts from Argentina, Morocco, and India, provide a backdrop to a glass terrapin figurine (Photo credit: Rashi Jain)

OPPOSiTE: Ivin Chan, Fulbright Distinguished Teacher from Singapore, on a cultural trip to Annapolis, MD.

INITIATIVESFall 2013/Volume 3, Issue 2

HigHligHts2 International Student and Scholar Welcome Lunch6 Fulbright Distinguished Teacher Program 8 CoE Faculty Working Towards Global Change9 Study Abroad Program to Europe12 Doctoral Student Receives Fulbright Grant

Des

ign:

Lyn

ne M

enef

ee

It is a pleasure to bring out first newsletter for the 2013-14

academic year from the Office of International Initiatives

(OII). We have much to share about our work to enhance

the College of Education’s international efforts, including

support for college faculty, staff, and students to engage in

international collaborations through research, presentations,

and study.

There have been significant changes in location and

staffing in the office itself. In the summer, the Office of

International Initiatives moved to its new location, 1304

Benjamin Building, which has allowed us to centralize

personnel and resources, including making some limited

space available for International Visiting Faculty Scholars.

Dr. Rashi Jain was appointed to the position of Assistant

Director, Yali Pan and Gaurav Khandelwal joined the office

staff as new graduate assistants, and Ann Schweighofer

joined the Fulbright Distinguished Teacher (FDT) Program

as an Assistant Director for School Site Experiences. Dr.

Letitia Williams continues in her role as Assistant Director,

Sarah Longwell has extended her internship with the office,

Jim DeGeorge has continued with the FDT Program as

Director of School Site Experiences, and Dr. Jim Greenberg

has continued as Senior Faculty Fellow with the FDT Program.

We started the 2013-2014 academic year with a

welcome lunch for all international and internationally-

minded colleagues and guests in the College. The lunch

was well-attended with approximately 50 attendees that

included undergraduate and graduate students, visiting

scholars, and college faculty and staff. Dean Wiseman and

the Department Chairs shared welcome remarks, and the

attendees engaged in several activities to promote new

dialogues and collaborations (p. 2).

Once again, OII is supporting the development of

international perspectives and commitments in the College

by awarding travel funds to faculty and graduate students

for participating in conferences at international venues,

developing study abroad programs and courses with an

international focus, and facilitating research projects

across national boundaries (p. 3-4). The GATE Fellows

Program and the Global Grads Initiative are continuing as

additional opportunities for faculty and graduate students

to explore and develop global education

components in courses and programs. Finally,

we are pleased at being able to continue supporting

the development of outstanding study abroad

opportunities that have been successfully providing

students with international experiences through exciting

and intensive coursework (e.g. p. 9).

For a fourth year in a row, OII has hosted the U.S.

State Department’s prestigious Fulbright Distinguished

Teachers (FDTs) from five countries—Argentina, Finland,

India, Morocco, and Singapore. Over fall, the 15 teachers

engaged in a number of cultural, academic, and professional

activities, including visiting local schools, attending and

presenting in campus courses, and traveling to conferences

and workshops across the U.S. (pp. 6-7). OII further

organized brown bags in which the teachers shared critical

insights on education issues in their respective countries

(p. 13). We are also pleased that past FDTs—such as Dr.

Vasanthi Thiagarajan from India (p. 5)—continue to be

recognized internationally for their achievements.

We are happy to share reports of other programs

inviting international visitors to the College for short-term,

intensive programs (p. 10), as well as profile international

scholars who have chosen to make their home temporarily

in the College in order to carry out research as well as to

undertake relevant professional development (p. 11).

College of Education faculty and graduate students

continue to earn commendations and awards for their

efforts in contributing to educational development and

understanding in international contexts. In this issue,

we showcase Dr. Colleen O’Neal, Assistant Professor in

the Department of Counseling, Higher Education and

Special Education, for her inspirational, award-winning

work in Malaysia, as well as Dave Balwanz (CHSE) who

has received a prestigious Fulbright grant to complete his

dissertation research in South Africa (p. 12).

Please let us know of relevant programs and efforts in

which you are engaged so that we can continue to share

them with the broader community of colleagues through

our office publications and website. To do so, contact

Dr. Rashi Jain at [email protected].

A Note from the Director

1Office of International Initiatives/College of Education

2 INITIATIVES/Fall 2013

MAny internAtionAl stuDents AnD scholArs

come to the College of Education with a variety of rich

academic and professional experiences. OII hopes to

facilitate a culture in which these diverse experiences and

knowledge can be incorporated into the academic work

and education of the members of our college community.

As part of these ongoing efforts, OII held its annual

International Student and Scholar Welcome Luncheon

on September 10, 2013.

At this year’s Luncheon, OII welcomed international

visiting scholars, Fulbright Distinguished Teachers, and

graduate and undergraduate students in the College

of Education. Dean Donna Wiseman, OII Director

Steve Koziol, OII Assistant Director Letitia Williams,

as well as the three department chairs – Dr. Francine

Hultgren (TLPL), Dr. Nathan Fox (HDQM), and Dr.

Bob Lent (CHSE) – provided words of welcome to about

40 international scholars and students. Dr. Hultgren,

especially, spoke of creating a “third space” in which

American and International students and scholars

would cross the boarders of their cultures and previous

experiences in order to collaborate, communicate, and

create new experiences together.

To facilitate collaboration and information-exchange

with international students and scholars, OII included a

new element to the welcome lunch this year – discussion

groups aimed at facilitating peer dialogue in four areas

that impact student and scholar academic life and career

development. These areas were classroom experience

and writing; attending and presenting at conferences;

graduate assistantships and working on campus; and social

outings and events. OII invited members from the college

community—masters’ and doctoral students—to facilitate

the discussions in the groups.

The facilitators were: Alicia Peralta (Ph.D. student,

Higher Education), Yu Bai (Ph.D. student, Teaching and

Learning Policy), Chrystal George Mwangi (Ph.D. student,

Higher Education), Bedrettin Yazan (Ph.D. student, Teaching

and Learning Policy), Ji An (MA student, Measurement Statistics

& Evaluation), Kevin McClure (Ph.D. student, International

Education Policy), Tiago Calico (Ph.D. student, EDMS), and

Yali Pan (Ph.D. student, International Education Policy).

The discussion groups were very well received, with

attendees continuing conversations up to and after the

end of the program. The facilitators as well as many of

the students and scholars in attendance were able to share

experiences and give advice to one another through the

group conversations. OII hopes to facilitate these types of

dialogue in future as well, and thus continue to build the

College of Education international network.

OII International Student and Scholar Welcome Lunchby Sarah Longwell


An essential part of internationalizing the College of

Education is increasing faculty and student engagement

with colleagues across the globe. Many faculty members

have already developed sustained research relationships

with international colleagues and institutions. These

relationships are important as their impact is felt in

communities around the world. International collaborations

also inform the college’s learning culture as faculty

incorporate international perspectives into their teaching

and guide students in making their own connections with

the world. The increasing ‘smallness’ of the world has shown

the shared nature of human concerns. When faculty and

students collaborate, internationally creative communities

are formed that can work together to create solutions that

are international in scope.

To support this work, travel funds are awarded each

semester to faculty and graduate students in the College

of Education to participate at international conferences

outside the U.S., develop study abroad programs and

courses with an international focus, and foster collaborative

research projects. Here are a few reports from the past

Travel Award recipients:

AMAnDA foGle-DonMoyer traveled to Pretoria,

South Africa to carry out pilot research for her

dissertation on democracy and citizenship education.

This trip allowed her to explore ideas for future research

and refine her research questions before moving forward.

By connecting with a local NGO, IkamvaYouth, she was

able to work with secondary students from the Tembisa

Township and volunteers from local universities. This

also allowed her to participate in IkamvaYouth’s Winter

School, an intensive tutorial program during school

vacation. By working with IkamvaYouth she got the

opportunity to learn how it not only helps learners

to achieve in school, but also to participate in their

communities and nation.

MAriAM JeAn Dreher attended and presented a

research paper at the 18th european conference on

reading, August 6-9, 2013 in Jönköping, Sweden. The

conference theme was New Challenges - New Literacies. She,

along with her co-author Riitta-Liisa Korkeamäki, Dean of

Education at the University of Oulu in Finland, presented

a paper on What Added Value Do New Technologies Bring

to the Literacy Instruction of Young Children? Evidence from

Finnish Case Studies. Their aim was to explore the added

value to learning that newer technologies might provide

in instructing young children, and to demonstrate how

teachers might use newer technologies in early childhood

classrooms. Several researchers from other countries

including Australia, Ireland, Jamaica, Romania, Russia,

and the U.K., approached them about doing similar

collaborative research. In addition, the researchers were

able to engage in many thoughtful conversations about

literacy instruction with the presenters.

MAtthew Aruch spent about two months in Cuenca,

Ecuador, working with colleagues from the communities

of Ayaloma and Rañas in Shiña, as well as with faculty

internAtionAl trAvel funD: Brief reports


from the Universidad de Cuenca on three projects. These

projects included a community impact evaluation of

a uMD-sponsored Alternative Breaks (AB) trip, the

development of a short-term study abroad program

and the teaching of course on multi-media technology.

Matthew spent ten days in the community distributing

and collecting surveys from families and interviewing

school teachers to get community feedback about the AB

program. He and his colleagues explored the potential of

a short-term study abroad program exploring technology

and society in Ecuador with a focus on education. Matthew

feels that it was an incredible experience to work closely

with and learn from teachers looking for new ways to reach

their students.

nelly p. stroMquist attended the xv congress

of world council of comparative education societies

at Buenos Aires. This event was attended by over 1,000

participants from 36 national societies. With the theme

“New Times/New Voices,” participants reviewed

numerous aspects and problems facing education policy

and practice—as well as proposed solutions. Nelly made

a presentation on globalization and education, and also

took part in one of the key plenary sessions that examined

the contributions of Brazilian educator and philosopher

Paulo Freire to adult education. Prof. Nelly Stromquist, a

member of Gender and Education Standing Committee

of the Comparative and International Education Society

(CIES), coordinated its drafting. The informal and formal

exchanges with colleagues from all over the world produced

moments of precious intellectual exchange mutually

beneficial to all parties.

wAyne h. slAter presented the paper, scaffolding

Argument Development: Using the stases as a reading

and Writing problem-solving strategy with Minority

secondary students, at the Oxford Education Research

Conference at St. Edmund Hall, University of Oxford,

U.K. He presented his paper to a full audience and it was

well received with a significant number of constructive

questions asked by audience members from various

academic units at the University of Oxford. The scholarly

presentations and academic interactions throughout the

duration of the Conference were productive and facilitated

future interactions and collaborations among researchers.

Alice ZhAnG and graduate assistant qin yAo presented

a study, “from l2 teaching principles to Best teaching

practices in K-12 classrooms: A case study of a chinese

language teacher education program in the us.” at

the Third International Conference on Foreign Language

Learning and Teaching in Bangkok, Thailand. The

presentation introduced the CCLTCD program and

examined its effectiveness under the framework of critical

components of teacher education program and principles

for effective teaching and learning. It was concluded

that the program resonates with Darling-Hammond’s

(2006) vision of what a teacher education program should

provide about the knowledge of teaching. The audience

showed great interest in the program and asked for

details about the diversity of the student teachers in the

program, admission requirements, and job market in the

U.S. Overall, the conference provided an opportunity

to promote the program while the awardees connected,

shared ideas, and built professional relationships with the

international group.

cAnDise lin attended the international symposium

of psycholinguistics in tenefire, canary islands, in

spain. During the conference, she presented a poster

titled “The Role of Stress Cues and Lexical Cues in Second

Language (L2) English Segmentation.” Candise received

constructive and helpful comments from the participants

at the conference. She learned that although the research

in L2 speech segmentation is relatively new, people were

well informed and interested in it. Attendees who had

learned English as a second or third language could easily

relate this study to their language learning experience. This

conference also gave Candise the opportunity to network

with researchers from other countries and universities.

Alice Zhang presenting in Bangkok


International Fulbright Distinguished Teacher Alum Receives Highest Teacher Honor in India

On September 5, 2013,

Dr. Vasanthi Thiagarajan

was awarded one of the highest

honors a teacher can receive in

India—the President’s National

Award for Teachers. Vasanthi,

Principal and founder of the

Sishya School in India, belongs

to the 2011 cohort of International Fulbright Distinguished

Teachers hosted by the Office of International Initiatives in

the College of Education every year.

Vasanthi has been recognized in India and other

parts of the world for her outstanding contributions to

the field of education. Besides the U.S.-based Fulbright

Distinguished Award, Vasanthi has also been nominated

for the Outstanding Educator in Residence Award by the

Ministry of Education, Singapore.

During her four-month-long Fulbright program at

the University of Maryland in 2011, Vasanthi carried out a

capstone project titled A Study of Differentiated Instruction

in Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation. As part of her

professional learning and sharing, Vasanthi focused on

differentiated instruction in the U.S. context, visiting local

schools, attending university courses, meeting with experts

and educators, and consolidating the learning to create a

practical model for her school in India.

Responding to a query about her experiences in

the Fulbright program at the College of Education and

how that may have contributed to her professional and

personal work, Vasanthi shared, “This has been one of

the most unforgettable and significant journeys of my

life in education. The United States is well known for the

outstanding resources available in the field of education.

But, to personally experience this excellence is a dream

come true!” Vasanthi thanks the program staff at the Office

of International Initiatives, as well as her faculty mentor,

Dr. Joseph McCaleb, for her rich experiences.

Drawing upon her experiences as an educator for the

last thirty-three years, Vasanthi gives the following parting

advice to teachers and teacher educators engaged in

globally significant endeavors: It is important to identify

opportunities for continued professional development

as a teacher’s learning never ends at any point of time.

The challenges of the 21st Century have further made it

imperative to update ourselves with the latest global trends

so that our students are capacitated to become competent

members of the society they will be entering into as

professionals who can significantly bring the much needed

changes for the benefit of humankind.


During fall 2013, the College of Education hosted an

outstanding group of fifteen teachers from Argentina,

Finland, Morocco, India, and Singapore. The teachers were

here as part of the Fulbright Distinguished Program (FDT),

awarded by the U.S. Department of State every year to a

select group of teachers from around the world. This year

was the fourth in a row for the College to host the FDT

awardees. As in the past years, this year’s cohort of teachers

was rich in its diversity both in terms of the nationalities

and cultures, as well as the disciplines that included music,

art, math, history, English, biology, and physical education.

During their four-month program at the University,

the diverse group of teachers participated in a host of

professional and academic activities. The teachers visited

schools in Prince George’s County and Montgomery

County every week. In addition, special visits were

arranged to Howard County and Baltimore City schools

to give teachers a more holistic exposure to the diversity

within the K-12 settings in the U.S. The teachers also

traveled around the country, visiting schools on their own,

attending conferences, and participating in workshops

related to their professional work as well as specific

capstone projects.

At the University, the teachers attended college courses

that were relevant to their professional interests and

capstone inquiries. The classroom participation provided

the teachers with opportunities to interact more closely

with the college community, as well as allowed the teachers

to inform the classroom discussions with their unique

expertise, experiences, and insights. The teachers were

also invited to present individually as well as on panels in

graduate and undergraduate courses. Each teacher had

a faculty mentor to guide them through their capstone

project process, and to provide them appropriate resources

for their professional development.

Every Friday, over a period of thirteen weeks, the

teachers also met as a group for a three-hour seminar

with Dr. Jim Greenberg and Dr. Rashi Jain. At the

College of education Hosts fulbright distinguished teachers for a fourth Consecutive year

Distinguished fulbright teachers visiting the Maryland state House in Annapolis, MD.

seminar, the teachers reviewed and reflected upon their

experiences over the week, engaged in group-work about

their capstone projects, and participated in presentations

by invited speakers on a wide range of topics. Dr. Allison

Druin talked about using technology to enhance teaching

and learning; Dr. Steve Koziol shared hands-on activities

and strategies for using drama in the classroom; Dr. Frank

Lyman spoke about critical and creative-thinking in the

classroom; and Dr. Linda Valli presented on testing and

accountability in K-12 U.S. schools.

On their own initiative, the teachers added another

hour to the seminars to share their work with each other

through individual presentations. The teachers were also

invited to present about their home countries and cultures

and share traditional foods at the seminars. In addition, the

teachers also presented critical insights and perspectives

about K-12 education in their home countries in the fall

International Brown Bag series (see p. 13).

A special joint Friday Seminar was organized with the

Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows, also on campus and being

hosted by the School of Journalism. Dr. Tara Brown

presented on race and racism in the U.S. at this special

seminar to the combined group and engaged the audience

is a dynamic, thought-provoking, and critical discussion

about not only racism in the U.S. but other forms of

discrimination experienced around the world. The discussion

was especially rich and insightful as, between the FDTs

and the Humphrey Fellows as well as the diverse OII staff

in attendance, a total of 16 countries were represented in

the room!

Besides the academic and professional learning

opportunities, a number of cultural activities were also

planned for the teachers. The program staff capitalized

on the unique location of the University and arranged

day trips to Washington DC, Baltimore, Annapolis, and

Alexandria. Additional special events were also organized,

including a Labor Day barbeque at Dr. Roberta Lavine’s

home, music-filled evenings and dinners by Dr. Jim

Greenberg and Mr. Jim DeGeorge, a Diwali celebration

at Dr. Rashi Jain’s home, visits to the church with Dr.

Letitia Williams, and a Thanksgiving dinner for the

teachers by Dr. Steve Koziol and Ms. Ann Schweighofer.

To help wind down from an intensive program and to

celebrate the holiday season, the teachers went to the

Kennedy Center on December 1 for a viewing of the

famous ballet—The Nutcracker.

All in all, we hope that the teachers found a home away

from home at the University. As the teachers return to

their home countries, we wish them the best of luck and

thank them deeply for enriching the College community

with their participation during their time here!

…this year’s cohort of teachers was rich in its diversity both in terms of the nationalities and cultures, as well as the disciplines that included music, art, math, history, english, biology, and physical education.


Aida applying henna.

fulbright teachers, Humphrey fulbright fellows, and faculty


in 2011, Dr. colleen o’neAl lAuncheD A pilot

teacher-training and consultation intervention study

with the goal of improving refugee teacher classroom

management of refugee student behavior, attention,

and emotions. The project, now in its third year, was

initially implemented as a research-based intervention

for Burmese refugee teachers in Malaysia. Malaysian law

makes no distinction between refugees and undocumented

migrants. As a result, all refugees are considered ‘illegal’

and refugee children in the country are not allowed to

study in public schools and are deprived of their basic right

to education. To ensure that the refugee children receive

education, many Burmese refugee teachers teach secretly

in kitchens and overcrowded urban apartments. Many

refugee as well as non-refugee teachers also volunteer in

refugee community schools, and strive to give their best to

the students despite the structural and access issues. The

research group that was set up to study this situation has

been able to identify over 118 such schools carrying out

remarkable work in the face of all odds.

The pilot program was largely successful in its

objective of investigating how to best train refugee teachers

in a culturally-sensitive way. The researchers, with the

help of the results from the focus group, realized that

a teacher-train-teacher model would work well since

teaching teachers is more sustainable than teaching a

handful of students directly. The findings from the pilot

study also indicated that both teachers and students felt

more comfortable learning from someone in their own

community. The program was thus mainly designed to

train teachers, and involved a couple of days of training

and consultation on how to implement the training.

The trainees were shown how to use a student-centered

over a teacher-centered approach in instruction, build

positive and strong teacher-student relationships, as well

as common techniques to relax and avoid stress which they

might face as refugee teachers.

With the help of the pilot model, 40 refugee teachers

were trained, and they in turn trained about 80 peers

bringing the total to about 120 trained teachers at the

end of the program. The studies at the end of the training

program showed a significant increase in the confidence

and knowledge-level of the teachers who participated

in it. The teachers also indicated that it changed their

perspective toward teaching and has enabled them to better

understand the challenges faced by refugee children.

Dr. O’Neal’s innovative and challenging global initiative

has won her numerous accolades. In Malaysia, she received

the Alumni Engagement Innovation fund Award (AEIF)

which enabled her to continue this initiative. The New

Leaders Group of the Institute of International Education,

which recognizes the outstanding work of Fulbright fellows

who promote mutual understanding between the United

States and another country through innovative ideas, also

commended Dr. O’Neal for her work and awarded her the

New Leaders Group Award in January 2013.

Asked about her experiences, Dr. O’Neal stated, “This

international research experience was a real awakening

and has made me passionate about working for refugee

education. In spite of the difficulties, I was inspired by the

refugee teachers’ will to educate in the face of government

prosecution and alienation and would like to continue this

work and spread it to other refugee groups and schools.”

We wish are inspired by Dr. O’Neal’s passion to serve

underserved communities abroad and at the same time

enrich the College with her international initiatives, and

wish her the very best for her future endeavors.

Faculty Working towards Global Change: Refugee Teacher- Training Program in Malaysia by Gaurav Khandelwal

Dr. Colleen O’Neal with refugee students in Malaysia


Faculty Working towards Global Change: Refugee Teacher- Training Program in Malaysia by Gaurav Khandelwal

one of tHe oldest study abroad Programs in tHe College Continues to sHine

About ten years ago, Dr. Jim Greenberg designed and

initiated a study abroad program titled International

and Multicultural Education in the Netherlands, Germany,

and Belgium. Today, the program continues to develop

and grow under the leadership of Stacey Pritchett, the

current program director. In the program, offered during

the winter semester, students spend two weeks visiting

K-12 schools as well as higher institutions in Europe, to

obtain first-hand experience to develop an understanding

of multiple issues that influence education and educational

practices in a global context. Students also gain a better

understanding of multicultural issues in different educational

contexts, and reflect upon the similarities and differences

through comparison and contrast with the U.S.

In winter 2012-13, fifteen undergraduate students

from different majors across campus participated in the

program. In addition to the Netherlands, Germany, and

Belgium, students were also taken to France on a cultural

excursion. Prior to departure, the students spent about a

week preparing for the trip. During this time, the students

were introduced briefly to the educational contexts in

the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. They reviewed

pertinent literature, attended lectures by guest speakers,

and visited local schools.

During the two weeks of stay in Europe, students

primarily spent their time visiting various schools to

further grasp the multiple multicultural issues that

different countries encounter. The schools they visited

included a religious school in Germany with the 193-strong

student body representing 43 different countries and seven

different religions, a Belgian public school where the main

student population comprised immigrant children from

Morocco and Turkey, a magnet school in the Netherlands,

and a refugee school. Additionally, students visited a

teaching college to exchange experiences and pedagogical

insights with their European peers. During the trip,

students wrote in journals, maintained blogs, and made

group presentations on issues that struck them the most as

well as on their personal reflections. For some, the program

was their first-time abroad, and a valuable experience that

helped them “get out of their shell” and comfort zones to

learn about the world and people from different cultural

contexts, including their classmates. Others indicated a

keen interest in participating in more study abroad courses

because it was a “life-changing” experience for them.

Ms. Prichett has been serving as the program director

of this winter study abroad course since 2012, and is

excited about meeting the winter 2014 cohort. Due to the

record-breaking number of applicants for the winter of

2014, Ms. Prichett is considering offering the course over

the summer term to make it more accessible to the wider

campus community, and to ensure that a larger number

of students continue to get the opportunity to experience

multicultural education in a global context.

Summer Institute Programs for English Teachers from Suzhou by Yali Pan


this past summer and for a second year in a row, the department of teaching, learning, Policy and leadership (tlPl) hosted twenty-four secondary english teachers from suzhou, China, for professional development program. the program was spread over a four-week period, from July 7 to august 3, 2013.

The program comprised three components: advanced

English classes, workshops on English language teaching

issues, and social-cultural activities. In the first three weeks

of the program, Suzhou teachers took English courses

specifically designed and taught by experienced instructors

from Maryland English Institute (MEI) for about 15 hours

per week, and attended workshops from experts covering

English teaching and cross-cultural issues. During their

four-week stay here in the College of Education, Suzhou

teachers not only significantly improved their English

proficiency, but also had the opportunity to observe real

classroom settings. In the last week of the program, the

teachers observed English classes in various academic

settings, such as Prince George’s Community College and

Northwestern High School in Prince George’s County,

Maryland. Some teachers commented that the visit to those

schools not only granted them a chance to see how teaching

and learning take place in U.S. classrooms, but also to

interact with and exchange pedagogical insights with U.S.

teachers. The Suzhou teachers also visited the ESOL central

office of the Prince George’s County Public Schools.

The teachers expressed their overall satisfaction with

the program, stating that the program was well-planned,

the instructors were experienced and culturally sensitive,

the activities were diverse, and the university and larger

community were welcoming and supportive. Dr. Drew

Fagan, program director of the 2013 Suzhou summer

institute, said that he was happy to see that Suzhou teachers

found their experiences at UMD enriching and meaningful,

and conducive to their teaching English as a foreign

language back in China. He also stated that the presence of

Suzhou teachers provided an opportunity for the College of

Education to learn from them about their culture, as well as

their classroom practices and pedagogical insights. It was a

mutual learning and win-win situation. Dr. Fagan, with his

background in TESOL as well as in international education,

expressed his excitement about seeing the College offering

other programs similar to the Suzhou training program,

and indicated the interest of the department of TLPL, along

with the Office of International Initiatives (OII), in building

more collaborations and partnerships on a global scale.


yu sun, ChinaYu is an associate professor

in the Department of Foreign

Language and Literature at

Northwestern Polytechnical

University of China, since

2004. She has also been

working in the Office of

International Cooperation at

Northwestern Polytechnical

University of China as the deputy director since 2006.

Yu teaches Western Culture, English for international

Conference Communication and English speaking and

writing at postgraduate level. Her current research interests

include teaching methodology, American literature, and

international education.

Yu is being mentored by OII Director, Dr. Steve

Koziol, during her year-long stay at the University of

Maryland. Yu is currently attending attend College of

Education courses and plans to engage in professional

activities focusing on comparative education and

international education programs, as well as assessment

and evaluation, during her stay. Yu is accompanied by her

11-year old son who is attending middle school in Howard

County during the year-long stay in Maryland, U.S.

iman osta, lebanon Iman is an associate professor of

Mathematics Education at the

Lebanese American University.

Iman’s research interests revolve

around the teaching of geometry,

pre-algebra processes, language

issues in the teaching and

learning of mathematics, and

math curriculum evaluation.

Iman is being mentored by Dr. Dan Chazan,

Associate Professor in TLPL, during her visit. During

her four-month stay at the University of Maryland,

Iman is engaging in a qualitative comparative study of

the construction and proving strategies that two groups

of student-teachers in U.S. and Lebanon use in a DGE.

Iman is primarily interested in understanding whether

the technological-cultural gap between Lebanese and

American math student-teachers leads to the development

of qualitatively different thinking and technical strategies

while constructing geometric figures and producing proof.

Cezar alvarez, brazilCezar has more than 40 years of

experience as a public policy-

maker in different positions

in the Brazilian Government.

Through the eight years of

President Luiz Inácio Lula da

Silva’s administration (2003-

2010), Cezar was an active

presidential staff member as the Deputy Minister of the

General Secretary of Government from 2003 to 2004.

In 2005, Cezar developed and coordinated the Program

Connected Citizen - Computer for All. In 2007, he was

assigned to coordinate all digital inclusion programs

developed by the federal government, including One

Laptop per Child, Laptop for Teachers, and a project to

promote the expansion and qualification of community

tele-centers.

Cezar is visiting the University of Maryland as part of

his doctoral dissertation to carry out his research about

the One Laptop per Student (OLPC) program as it was

implemented in Brazil as a part of a larger global project

by the same name, led by Professor Nicholas Negroponte

and his team from MidiLab/MIT. Specifically, Cezar is

investigating the theoretical and pedagogical structures

as well as technological assumptions that underlay the

implementation of the concept of one-to-one in the OLPC

program. Dr. Dan Chazan is mentoring Cezar during his

stay at the University.

Coe Hosts international visiting scholarsevery year, the College of education hosts a number of distinguished visiting scholars from around the world. these scholars choose to spend anywhere from a few weeks to a year or more at the College under the guidance of a faculty member. during their stay, the scholars may attend courses, engage in research, and participate in other forms of professional development. We showcase three such scholars here.


Dave Balwanz has received the prestigious Fulbright grant

to carry out his doctoral dissertation in South Africa. Dave

is a doctoral student in the department of counseling, higher

education, and special education (CHSE) and we had the

opportunity to ask him about his research and the grant.

Please give a brief description of your proposed study. The study is titled Development of Youth Capabilities,

Values and Agency: Local Perspectives from South African

Academic Secondary Schools and FET Colleges. This

research will elicit local perspectives on the “construction”

of academic and vocational secondary education and

on how secondary education does and should relate

to work and society. The research seeks to challenge

discourses which privilege work preparation as the

purpose of secondary education and identify possibilities

for a broader construction of secondary education which

allows for other types of learning and development,

including learning to know, learning to be and learning

to live together. The grant will support completion of my

dissertation research.

What is your motivation for engaging in the research study? Access to secondary education is expanding rapidly in

sub-Saharan Africa. Global and national discourses on

education and development offer a cacophony reasons

to expand access to and reform secondary education.

Secondary education is seen as a means toward supporting

progress toward broad social and economic goals (e.g.

economic and job growth, national competitiveness,

social cohesion, democratic development) and an end

in and of itself, related to human dignity, the realization

of human potential and the expansion of knowledge

and understanding. In many countries, expectations of

secondary education recognize increased access to quality

secondary education as central to future individual and

national prosperity. However, these high expectations are

already leading to great frustration given the low level of

foundational skills of many primary leavers, the high levels

of inequity in access to quality secondary education and

increasing competition for limited spots in tertiary institutions

and to formal sector jobs. Will ongoing expansion of

access simply increase the number of academic failures and

create a larger pool “credentialed” youth who are neither

employed nor engaged in further education and training?

Are there other possibilities for secondary education? This

study seek to provide some insights from South Africa and

from historically marginalized populations.

How did you learn about the fulbright grant opportunity? Through emails from the National Scholarships Office

(NSO) at University of Maryland-CP.

do you have any insights to share about the process of successfully applying for the grant? Yes! Give yourself ample time to complete the application

and work closely with the National Scholarships Office

at UMD. Without the excellent guidance, support and

feedback from NSO, it’s likely I would not have been

awarded the grant.

What (additional) words of advice would you give to other students who would like to engage in meaningful research in non-u.s./international contexts?

Navigating and understanding a new culture and set of

institutions is difficult without the benefit of having a close

working relationship with a counterpart institution and

researchers. Make such engagement a priority.

College of Education Student receives prestigious 2013-2014 Fulbright Grant for Research


fall 2013 international brown bag series: a report

The educational community at all levels needs to be more

cognizant of the world outside of the U.S., and prepare

for an increasingly interconnected future. To further the

College of Education’s goal of developing cross-national,

cross-cultural, and cross-contextual awareness, the Office

of International Initiatives organized an international brown

bag series in Fall 2013 with the visiting Fulbright Distinguished

Teachers. The series comprised three 90-minute long

brown bags, each focusing on critical perspectives on

education in different international K-12 settings.

The first brown bag, held on October 22, was presented

by Fulbright teachers and teacher educators from Finland

and Singapore. The Finnish and the Singaporean education

systems are ranked among the best in the world, and

the five presenters—William Grosse, Mun Yee Lee, and

Ivin Chan from Singapore, and Maija Kallio and Inkta

Ritvanen from Finland—provided some key insights into

the histories, contexts, and elements that have contributed

to the success stories of the two education systems. Sharing

macro-perspectives as well as personal stories, the panelists

explored the commonalities and differences across the

education systems in the two countries.

The second brown bag, held on November 11, was

paneled by Fulbright teachers from Argentina and Morocco.

All five teachers who presented at the brown bag are

teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in their

home contexts. The panelists—Madiha Ouakkach, ElHassan

Sellami, and Aida Boumaaza from Morocco, and Analia

Gozzarino and Patricia Lopez from Argentina— talked

about EFL curricula, teacher training and accreditation, the

urban-rural divide, as well as other critical issues in K-12.

The teachers also shared with the audience insights about

the current challenges and opportunities pertaining to the

teaching of EFL in both countries.

The final brown bag was held on November 19,

and was presented by four teachers from India—Manju

Balasubramanyam, Revathy Parameswaram, Rima

Sehgal, and Bishakha Sen. Drawing upon their extensive

experiences as educators in India, the presenters provided

an overview of the country’s K-12 system, and shared

their insights on a range of current trends and issues.

The teachers identified special needs and counseling as

emerging critical educational components, and also looked

at the importance of educational reforms currently being

introduced in India, including innovative curriculum

changes to provide the students with 21st century skills.

The teachers concluded the presentation by looking at

some of the dichotomies inherent in the educational

structure, and proposed that resolving these dichotomies is

Indian educators’ biggest challenge yet.

The brown bags were well-attended by the College of

Education community. The presentations provided the

visiting international teachers an opportunity to share

their expertise and insights with the College of Education

community in a friendly, professional setting. In turn, the

attendees—including faculty and students—asked relevant

questions at the end of each presentation, and the resulting

discussions were both informative and dynamic. The

presentations were recorded on video, and are available

on the OII website. To view the videos, please visit:

www.education.umd.edu/international/index.html

the educational community at all levels needs to be more cognizant of the world outside of the u.s., and prepare for an increasingly interconnected future.

Bishakha Sen shares her perspectives with attendees about dichotomies in the Indian education system.

tHe international advisory Committee

the international advisory Committee (iaC) advises the dean on policies and actions that support the development and maintenance of international opportunities, studies, perspectives, and involvement by faculty, professional staff, and students in the College of education. each department has nominated representatives to serve as formal liaison between the iaC and their department. However, meetings are open to all members of the College of education community interested in furthering the international initiatives of the college.

our mission

the office of international initiatives (oii) was established to help support the College of education’s priorities related to international education.

oii seeks to coordinate and support a variety of initiatives in the College, including program development, internationalization of teacher education, faculty and student scholarship in international contexts, study abroad, improved integration and involvement of international scholars and students, and international collaboration on many levels.

Counseling, Higher education, and special education (CHse)

• StevenKlees• JingLin• PaulaBeckman• NellyStromquist

Human development and Quantitative methodology (HdQm)

• KennethRubin• MinWang

teaching and learning, Policy and leadership (tlPl)

• BeatrizQuintos• AliceZhang

office of international initiatives

• SteveKoziol• JimGreenberg• LetitiaWilliams• RashiJain

the international advisory Committee (iaC) advises the dean on policies and actions that support the development and maintenance of international opportunities, studies, perspectives, and involvement by faculty, professional staff, and students in the College of education. each department has nominated representatives to serve as formal liaison between the iaC and their department. However, meetings are open to all members of the College of education community interested in furthering the international initiatives of the college.

international advisory Committee 2013-2014CHair–SteveKoziol,Office of the Dean

Documents

OII fall newsletter 2013 Volume 3, Issue 2