“I can see how much effort it took so many people to make all the pieces work seamlessly. I have attended other online trainings that were maddeningly dysfunctional… I will recommend this workshop to my colleagues.”

Carrie Mitchell, Curriculum and Staff Co-ordinator, Framingham Adult ESL Plus, Framingham, MA,
and participant in The ILC online teacher workshop 2012. See below for more reactions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Educators from 14 states participated in the first online teacher workshop hosted by The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.’s (ILC) Public Education Institute.

In yet another stride at strengthening its national presence, “Teaching Immigration Across the Curriculum,” an annual, on-site ILC workshop since 2004, made its online debut with a successful pilot on July 10, 11 and 12, 2012.

The workshop employed an innovative style that enabled heightened engagement despite the impersonal medium. This intensive format utilized interactive webinars, videos, shared documents and live chat all hosted on a brand new website. For three hours each day, K-12 and community educators as well as directors of immigrant organizations interacted in real time with presenters and with each other. They posed questions and shared their own immigration resources and teaching techniques in live documents.

The initiative was led by The ILC Public Education Institute Director Dr. Marcia Hohn with support from Project Co-ordinator Ewa Goodman and Assistant Director Denzil Mohammed, who created the online platforms. Two teachers helped in developing the curriculum and facilitating the live chats, former Boston College social work master’s students Maureen Lothrop and Jenny Maenpaa, who had toured The ILC last summer with Dr. Westy Egmont as part of a cross-continental investigation into immigrant integration.

As in previous workshops presentations we made by Dr. Hohn (“Timeline of U.S. Immigration,” “Immigration Policy and Politics”), Dr. Lorna Rivera of the University of Massachusetts Boston (“The Sociology of Immigration”) and Sophia Kim of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (“The American Dream”).

Participants were unanimous in their praise of the workshop’s relevant content and innovative format. The workshop will now take place multiple times a year beginning in February 2013 for individuals involved in immigrant education and training nationwide. Get more information on our Immigrant Student Success page. Here’s what some of the 2012 participants had to say:

 

“Thank you for an awesome workshop. Please give my regards to everyone for excellent presentations all around. I will be doing some workshops in the coming academic year, and you guys have set the bar high. A tough act to follow!”

Bryan Meadows, PhD, Assistant Professor,
Fairleigh Dickinson University, NJ

 

 

“You all did a wonderful job, and I am truly delighted to have been a participant! It certainly reignited passion for the subject area and provided a viable outlet for information sharing. Way to go!”

Kathy Clark, ESOL Co-ordinator, Daytona State College, FL

 

 

 

“Thank you! You have a great team of dedicated educators who fit so much information into this valuable workshop.”  

Carol Curry, Program Manager, Northern Valley Catholic Social Service
at the Corning and Red Bluff Family Resource Centers, CA

 

 

“Thank you all for including me in such a wonderful experience and for elucidating so many on the virtues of honoring ALL individuals.”  

Lisa Hantman, Grade Three Teacher, Philadelphia public schools, PA