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SIT Graduate Institute Hosts Annual Student-led TESOL Conference

By on May 16, 2013 in SIT Leaders: Faculty, Alumni, Students, Student Voices

Each year, students in SIT’s MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program organize a professional conference known as “Sandanona.” The Sandanona Conference is the culmination of the on-campus phase of the TESOL program. During the conference, students prepare and conduct a professional presentation that explores in depth a chosen area in the field of second-language teaching and learning. Sandanona-Pic

All events associated with the conference are free and open to the public, and will take place on SIT’s Vermont campus May 20-22, 2013.

The conference will feature two plenary speakers:

  • Scott Thornbury, an internationally recognized academic and teacher trainer in the field of English language teaching
  • Sedia Dennis, professor of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at Marlboro College in Vermont and Tacoma Community College in Washington State

During the conference, SIT will be renaming one of its existing buildings. Known for the past thirty-plus years as the Undergraduate Building, the building will be given the new name of Sandanona Graduate Center. The dedication ceremony will be hosted by Alvino Fantini, Professor Emeritus at SIT Graduate Institute.

In the Abenaki language, Sandanona is interpreted to mean “great white light,” and the term was the original name for SIT’s Vermont campus.

For more information and to attend any of the conference’s events, please contact Joslin Roderick at joslin.roderick@sit.edu.

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Dr. Susan Barduhn, SIT Professor, To Speak at IATEFL Conference in Liverpool, UK

By on January 10, 2013 in Faculty Notes, SIT Leaders: Faculty, Alumni, Students

Dr. Susan Barduhn will be one of five plenary speakers at the 47th Annual International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) Conference and Exhibition from April 8 to 13, 2013 at the Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) in Liverpool, UK. SIT Graduate Institute will also exhibit at the event.

With over 4,000 members IATEFL is one of the most thriving communities of ELT teachers in the world, whose mission is to “link, develop and support English Language Teaching professionals” worldwide.

Dr. Susan Barduhn

Dr. Susan Barduhn

Dr. Barduhn is Chair of SIT’s Low Residency MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program, and she joined SIT Graduate Institute in 2003. Her experience includes English and Spanish language teaching, teacher training, supervision, management, program assessment, and consulting. She has worked for extended periods in Kenya, Britain, Switzerland, Colombia, Spain, and Portugal and speaks Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, and Swahili.

Dr. Barduhn is a past president of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL); former director of The Language Center in Nairobi, Kenya; and was deputy director of International House in London. Her professional areas of interest and research are intercultural communication, teacher thinking, and teacher trainer development. She co-authored the book Integrating Language and Content (TESOL, 2010), which provides practical examples of integrating language and content into areas such as conflict resolution, social justice, philosophy, and cultural identity. The book was shortlisted for the prestigious Elton award.

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SIT TESOL Alumnus Publishes Teaching Books

By on November 6, 2012 in Alumni Perspectives, SIT Leaders: Faculty, Alumni, Students

SIT alumnus Dean Fusto recently published a new book, Which Way Home: A Teachers’ Guide, designed to accompany the Emmy and UNICEF award-winning documentary Which Way Home. Fusto graduated from SIT in 1991 (MAT 22).

Which Way Home is a film that traces the journeys of several unaccompanied child migrants trying to reach the US after leaving their home countries in Central America. In 2010, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary feature.

Which Way Home: A Teachers’ Guide includes a twenty-first century skill framework in designing activities for teachers to use in grades 6 through adult classrooms. The first chapter provides a frame-by-frame analysis of the film, generating more than 150 questions for students. There are also lesson plans focusing on each of the children featured in the film and lesson plans on immigrants, immigration, and social service agencies.

Earlier this year, Fusto’s book The Next Best Thing to Being There was released in a second edition. The Next Best Thing is based on Fusto’s experiences founding two orphanages in the Dominican Republic. Fusto notes that the book was heavily influenced by his years as a student at SIT. As he describes it, “it is designed for teachers that seek experiential approaches to teaching culture in the classroom. It also devotes a chapter to the design of a successful international service-learning/educational program.”

Fusto is currently working on a third book, an article for a national publication, and a webinar entitled “Designing and Implementing an Effective Information Literacy Program.”

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SIT Hosts 30th Sandanona Conference on the Teaching and Learning of Languages

By on August 14, 2012 in SIT Leaders: Faculty, Alumni, Students, Student Voices, What's New?

SIT Graduate Institute’s 30th Sandanona Conference was held on SIT’s Brattleboro, Vermont, campus on August 5–7, 2012. The conference was the culmination of SIT’s current summer MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program designed for working teachers. Each student in the program gave a professional presentation on a topic in the field of second-language teaching and learning; several students gave presentations on using technology in the classroom.

Sessions included:

• Tamara Grobschmidt, “Using Web 2.0 Tools to Increase Learner Autonomy”
• Teresa Hernandez, “Empowering the First Person Narrative Through Cultural Awareness”
• Shawn McRae, “Interactive Reading Model: Utilizing the Learner as Materials Generator”
• Hasnaa Hafez, “L1 in the EFL Classroom: A Taboo or Privilege?”

The conference featured plenary speakers Diane Larsen-Freeman and Kathleen Graves, professors at the University of Michigan’s School of Education.

The Sandanona Conference is a mandatory part of SIT’s TESOL graduate degree program. It is currently held at the end of students’ second summer in the current summer MA program, and at the end of students’ second semester in the full-time TESOL MA program. The conference is patterned after major language conferences and gives students the opportunity to present original research and discuss it with their peers. For more information about the Sandanona Conference or SIT’s TESOL graduate degree program, contact admissions@sit.edu.

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SIT’s 43rd Sandanona Conference on the Teaching and Learning of Languages

By on May 17, 2012 in Faculty Notes, Program Details, SIT Leaders: Faculty, Alumni, Students, Student Voices, What's New?

The 43rd Sandanona Conference of SIT’s MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program will take place on campus May 21-23, 2012.

The Sandanona Conference is the culmination of the on-campus phase of SIT’s MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program. Patterned after major language conferences, it occurs in the final week of the program. Students plan and present a professional presentation that explores in depth a chosen area in the field of second-language teaching/learning. Here are a few highlighted sessions:

Alvino Fantini, “Teaching language as intercultural competence”
Hafsa Nassar, “English language ownership in a multilingual setting”
Elsa Auerbach: “Going global: Where in the world is participatory ESOL?”

You can access each day’s program at Sandanona program. For more information and to attend contact admissions@sit.edu.

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SIT Alumni and Faculty Presenting at Annual TESOL National Convention March 28-31, 2012 in Philadelphia

By on March 6, 2012 in Alumni Perspectives, Faculty Notes, SIT Leaders: Faculty, Alumni, Students, Uncategorized

SIT alumni and faculty are featured again at this year’s annual national TESOL Convention in Philadelphia from March 28–31, 2012. Here’s a small sample of the dozens of presentations to be given by SIT alumni and faculty:

• Radmila Popovic (SMAT 20), “Using Comic Literacy and Multimedia to Advance Language Learning”
• Thomas Farrell (MAT 23), “Professional Role Identity of Novice ESL Teachers Through Reflective Practice”
• Jane Hoelker (MAT 17), “Professional Development Through Life Coaching Competencies” and “What Your Students Learn from Project Work”
• Irena Vodopija-Krstanovic (SMAT 19), “Exploring Teacher Excellence Through the Eyes of NNESTs in Croatia”
• David Kertzner (MAT 26), “Creatively Designing Intensive Business English Programs to Meet Learner Needs” and “Online Stories to Address Pronunciation, Intonation, Vocabulary, and Grammar”
• Cynthia Wiseman (MAT 13), “Using Web 2.0 Research Tools in ESL Classes”
• Radmila Popovic (SMAT 20), “Using Comic Literacy and Multimedia to Advance Language Learning”
• Elka Todeva and Leslie Turpin, SIT faculty

We hope to see you at the Convention. Be sure to visit SIT at booth 801!

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SIT Attending 46th Annual IATEFL Conference in Glasgow, UK

By on February 23, 2012 in Faculty Notes, SIT Leaders: Faculty, Alumni, Students

SIT Graduate Institute will be attending the 46th Annual International IATEFL Conference in Glasgow, UK from March 19 to 23, 2012. SIT professor Dr. Susan Barduhn will be in attendance. Barduhn teaches in SIT’s MA in TESOL program.

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SIT alumna and faculty member Sheepa Hafiza appointed to UN Peacebuilding Fund Advisory Board

By on February 14, 2012 in Faculty Notes, Program Details, SIT Leaders: Faculty, Alumni, Students

SIT alumna and faculty member Sheepa Hafiza was recently appointed to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund’s 10-member Advisory Group by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Sheepa Hafiza

Hafiza is also the director of the Gender, Justice, Diversity, and Advocacy for Social Change unit of BRAC, a development organization dedicated to empowering the poor. The majority of BRAC’s work is in Bangladesh, but the organization also works worldwide.

Formed in 2006, the United Nations’ PBF Advisory Group advises the Secretary-General on how to allocate funding for peacebuilding through193 projects in 22 countries.

Hafiza obtained her MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management from SIT as well as a post-graduate diploma in NGO management from SIT, in collaboration with the Global Partnership in NGO Studies. She also holds an MA in public administration from the University of Dhaka. Hafiza recently co-taught a policy advocacy course in Bangladesh with SIT professor Jeff Unsicker. There were 16 SIT students and 11 Bangladeshi participants from an NGO there.

She co-authored the BRAC technical manual “An Action Learning Approach to Gender and Organizational Change.” She has also conducted numerous seminars, workshops, and lectures related to organizational development. Prior to joining BRAC in 1990, Hafiza worked as a teacher and language facilitator at Westgate Hill Pilot High School in Newcastle Upon Tyne in the UK.

In recent years, the UN is putting more focus on peacebuilding mostly in post-conflict countries. For more information, visit the UN Peacebuilding Fund’s website.

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Teachers from Around the World

By on December 21, 2011 in Faculty Notes, SIT Leaders: Faculty, Alumni, Students

by Ian Hefele

In this post, I profile Badar Al Shahiri, who teaches Arabic for SIT Graduate Institute’s Language and Culture department. (Earlier this fall, I profiled Beatriz (Bea) Fantini, the director of the department.

Al Shahiri is from Salalah, Oman. Before coming to the US, Al Shahiri received his BA in English Literature and continued studying for a fifth year to earn his teaching diploma. Now, Al Shari is enrolled in SIT’s MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program and teaches Beginners Arabic 1 and Intermediate Arab 2 at SIT.

Al Shahiri has been a teacher since 2007 in and around Salalah, and he learned about SIT through his teaching supervisor in Oman who knew about SIT from the ministry of education at the US Embassy.

While working in Oman, Al Shari applied for a Fulbright Scholarship. He said, “I never believed I would win the scholarship,” but fortunately, he did. Al Shahiri described the application and acceptance process as “long but soon enough, I had a proposal from SIT sent to Oman and I accepted it.” He told me, “For me, SIT is a perfect job. It offers such variety of international experience and is set in such a beautiful part of the country!”

Al Shahiri will be at SIT in Vermont until May 2012 teaching Arabic. When he completes his studies at SIT, said he said, “I look forward to using the valuable techniques I’m learning at SIT. However, I will greatly miss all of the students and staff I have befriended, so far.”

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Return to Fukushima

By on November 15, 2011 in Alumni Perspectives, SIT Leaders: Faculty, Alumni, Students, Student Voices, Uncategorized

by Amy Cameron

In 1997, I studied in Australia with SIT Study Abroad, and I knew it was the beginning of a lifetime of travels. I loved immersing myself in a new culture and learning through experience. After college, I looked for opportunities to live and work overseas, so I applied for The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, which matches native English speakers with public schools in Japan. Soon, I would spend two amazing years of my life on the other side of the world, which led to further involvement with SIT – leading an Experiment in International Living (EIL) trip for high school students to Japan in 2002, and completing my SIT MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) degree from in 2003. My years in Japan were spent in a rural prefecture north of Tokyo, which at the time most people had never heard of, Fukushima.

Amy Cameron with her former JET Program supervisor

Fast forward to March 11, 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts. That morning, I woke to the sound of text message notifications from my cell phone. Kristin, a friend who had also lived in Fukushima, texted “bad earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima!! :’( very bad!!” In the days that followed, I scrambled to contact friends in and around Nihonmatsu City, my Japanese hometown. Manami, a fellow MAT 34 student at SIT now living in Tokyo, helped to contact my former supervisor and “Japanese Papa” Mr. Tanji. He cried on the phone when he heard that I was thinking of him. The earthquake had not destroyed much in Nihonmatsu, he reported, and they were far enough from the epicenter to be safe from the tsunami. However, as events unfolded, it became clear that radiation from the Daiichi nuclear plant on the coast was becoming a danger. For weeks I alternated between being glued to media reports and trying to avoid them altogether because they were so horrifying. I ached to visit. Gradually, the news slowed.

Then in June, the Japanese government announced a special invitational program for former JET participants who had lived in the affected Tohoku region to return for one week. I applied immediately and was accepted.

My return to Fukushima was incredible. On one hand, I had the amazing experience of stepping back into my former life. I visited schools, team-taught once again in the classroom, and participated in karate class. I caught up with old friends, and it was as if time had not passed at all. And yet, there were constant reminders that so much had changed. There were tumbled gravestones and roofs covered in tarps from earthquake damage, rows and rows of temporary housing units set up for evacuees, daily radiation level reports and children wearing dosimeters. On the coast, there were vast stretches with nothing left by the tsunami but foundations, and fields with large boats scattered about. There was a radiation “hot spot” in the mountains, now a deserted ghost town.

The future is still uncertain for the people of Nihonmatsu, and all of Fukushima. Earthquakes still strike a couple times a week, the economic outlook is grim, and the long-term impact of radiation is still unknown. And yet, somehow, life in the region goes on. My 76-year old conversation partner in Nihonmatsu put it this way,: “Japanese people have survived so many things. We will survive this, too. This is what it means to be human.”

Read more about Amy’s return to Fukushima on her blog here.

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