CENTRAL CONNECTICU STATE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS 2009-2010
PROPOSED ACTIVITY: Attendance/Presentation at the International Reading Association’s 23rd (IRA) World Congress “Leading & Learning in Literacy” (July 12-15, 2010) Auckland, New Zealand. In addition to attendance and presentation, the applicants have been in contact and have arranged meetings with a faculty of Education from the University of Auckland to discuss teaching exchanges and cross cultural pollination among faculty at both universities.
NARRATIVE
Significance of Proposal:
Two faculty from the Department of Reading and Language Arts (Department Dr. Catherine Kurkjian, and Dr. Lynda Valerie) request funding to 1) attend and to present literacy sessions in Auckland, and 2) engage in networking with faculty from the University of Auckland to lay the groundwork for future departmental collaborations.
IRA’s World Conference is an excellent forum for international scholarly engagement and exchange in that it deals with current research in cultural studies, linguistics, language learning and teaching methodologies at an international level that are appropriate to the interests and research agendas of participating faculty.
If approved, the Faculty Development Grant will allow the applicants to attend sessions relevant to their areas of professional interest as well as to deliver presentations that have already been accepted.
Dr. Kurkjian will present with Graduate Student, Maureen Billings, who is currently enrolled in the Department of Reading and Language Arts Sixth-Year Program. This collaborative work, awarded a Student/Faculty Grant, explores the use of an Internet methods framework, the Literature Cyberlesson , to study Shaun Tan’s graphic novel The Arrival. Through the vehicle of the Literature Cyberlessson, presenters will share how students read, comprehend this powerful graphic novel as well as how the cyberlesson supports their understanding of immigration and what it means to be a stranger in a strange land.
Dr. Valerie will present her research on Professional Learning Communities and the dispositional impact of Central Connecticut’s Writing Project Invitational Summer Institute on Teachers as writers and teachers of writing. This teacher inquiry project also identifies the effect that Professional Learning Communities have on the teacher as a learner and a literacy leader.
Also, if approved, The Faculty Development Grant will allow Dr. Kurkjian and Dr. Valerie the opportunity to network and to build a foundation with faculty at the University of Auckland. New Zealand, in particular, is an ideal locale for anyone interested in literacy learning and teaching especially in regards to at-risk readers. For example, Reading Recovery, a groundbreaking intervention was developed there, and is currently in use in Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. To date, Reading Recovery has successfully served over 1.6 million readers in the United States alone.
If approved this faculty development grant will allow the applicants meet face-to-face with faculty at University of Auckland in order to network and exchange ideas for future collaborations. Contact is in progress with Children’s Literature Professor, Dr. Wayne Mills who developed the successful international Kids' Lit Quiz™ in New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom and China. Dr. Mills has expressed interest in discussing a possible international exchange
The members of the Department of Reading and Language Arts will benefit from this project; the presenters will bring new perspectives and insights aimed at improving student capabilities and teaching methodologies, as well as the possibility for international enrichment and exchange.
Attendance at this conference will enhance faculty members’ ability to be productive and innovative professionals as aligned in our Collective Bargaining Agreement (2007-2011). Moreover, this collaboration supports the mission of the Center for International Education (CIE) “to engage faculty and students in the pursuit of global understanding.” and CCSU’s Institutional Goals by contributing to the University's strategic plan for internationalizing the curriculum.
This project is being proposed for the first time and is not a continuation of a previous grant.
Methodology:
The applicant’s conference proposals have been submitted and accepted and the presenters are currently working on their individual presentations. They will also continue to engage in online conversations with Dr. Mills to brainstorm ideas for an international exchange..
Participants will complete presentations by May 1, 2010; they will share and discuss them for further refinement. Once entirely developed, they will be presented at the above-mentioned conference on July 12-15th. The applicants will also keep department members apprised of conversations regarding cultural exchange opportunities prior, during and after the conference. Applicants are requesting travel funds to participate in the conference.
Outcomes:
As a result of having participated in the International Reading Association’s 23rd (IRA) World Congress, as well as networked in face-to-face conversations with Dr. Mills, the participants will have developed and increased their knowledge of cultural competence in language learning and teaching. They will have acquired important insights that will enhance their efforts to internationalize the curriculum within the contexts of their classrooms and departments. Participation, including our sixth-year student will provide us with a chance to develop an international network to enhance teaching and scholarly work.
The presentations will contribute to current research in methodology of language teaching and teacher leadership. The project’s outcomes will support instructional practices that stress the role of cultural understanding and encourage critical thinking, so improving student learning.
Budget:
Per person cost:
Registration $ 325.00
Airfare/cab $1700/$200=$1900
M & IE rate @ $ 123/day x 4 days $ 492.00
Hotel: ($158.00 US per night= $632.00
TOTAL = $3349.00 per person
TOTAL for 2 faculty = $6698.00
REQUEST: Catherine Kurkjian = $2999.00
Lynda Valerie= $2999.00
TOTAL REQUEST = $5998.00
This budget reflects funds available AAUP funds ($350.00) to Catherine Kurkjian and ($350.00) to Lynda Valerie.. Thus, we are requesting $2999,00 for Catherine Kurkjian and , $2999.00 for Lynda Valerie from the School of Education and Professional Studies.
We realize that we may not get funded for the total cost requested, and plan to approach our Chair and Dean for limited monies that may be available to fund this project.