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Dinah Armistead
Critical Thinking in the Technological World
July 17 -18 I 9:30 AM -12 PM CDT I For Zoom registration, click https://shorturl.at/B6Tr6
The Illinois Global Institute is pleased to announce the IGI Summer 2024 Global Educators Workshop. This workshop features two days of round-table discussions and keynote addresses focused on the theme of “Critical Thinking in the Technological World.” Educators from across the globe are invited to engage in dynamic discussions, exploring the intersection of critical thinking and technology in today’s educational landscape.
Join us for a series of illuminating sessions designed to deepen your understanding of how critical thinking skills can be cultivated in and beyond the classroom amidst the rapid advancement of the technological era. From insightful keynote presentations to interactive roundtables, participants will gain invaluable insights and practical strategies to empower their students to navigate the complexities of the modern world.
This virtual experience is open to K-12 educators worldwide. Moreover, Illinois K-12 educators are eligible to earn up to 5 ISBE Professional Development Hours (PDH). Additionally, all participants who attend at least four hours, as recorded by Zoom data, will receive an electronic certificate of attendance.
The IGI Summer 2024 Virtual Global Educators Workshop is made possible through the generous support of the Illinois Global Institute and its affiliated centers, including the Center for African Studies, Center for East Asian & Pacific Studies, Center for Global Studies, Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Center for South Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, European Union Center, Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies, Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center, and Women & Gender in Global Perspectives.
AGENDA
Day 1 (Wednesday, 7/17/2024): AI and Plagiarism & Media Literacy and Disinformation
Keynote Speaker 1
• Dr Norma Scagnoli: "Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: A Multifaceted Transformation”
Keynote Q&A
Keynote Speaker 2
• Marina Falasca: “Empowering Critical Minds: Integrating Media Literacy in K-12 World Language Education”
Keynote Q&A
•Roundtable: AI and Plagiarism & Media Literacy and Disinformation
• Speaker 1: Magdalena Brzezinska
• Speaker 2: Chryssa Lazou
•Moderator: Dr. Norma Scagnoli
Roundtable Q&A:
Closing
Day 2 (Thursday, 7/18/2024): Teaching Controversial Issues in an Era of Global Crises
Keynote Speaker 1
• Dr. Melinda McClimans: "The Middle East in Mainstream Curriculum: Pushing the Boundaries of Canon"
Keynote Q&A
Keynote Speaker 2
• Dr. Eric McDuffie: “Teaching Critical Thinking and Controversial Issues in an Era of Global Crises”
Roundtable: Teaching Controversial Issues in an Era of Global Crises
• Speaker 1: Dinah Armstead
• Speaker 2: Rashod Seaton
• Speaker 3: Noah Tang
•Roundtable Q&A:
• Closing
Speakers
Dr. Dinah Armstead is an international traveler and a Language and Diversity Scholar. Her research focuses on Intercultural Competence. Her dissertation centered around determining the disparity and bias in preparation and treatment of students of color regarding international study abroad experiences. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in both French and Psychology, a Master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy with a concentration in Global Studies in Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Armstead has received numerous awards, the Tinkler Fellowship, the Critical Language Scholarship for Arabic from the U.S. Department of Education, and a Certificate from the Sorbonne, in Paris, France. At UIUC, she served as an Academic Advisor, Administrator, and Language Lab Research Coordinator. She has also worked as a Lecturer at both the University of Illinois and Parkland College.
Dr. Armstead has volunteered with CU 1-to-1 Mentoring, a public-school based program in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois for seven years. She loves teaching languages, almost as much as she loves teaching children. She has taught every grade level from Preschool through High School. She is a certified Transitional Bilingual Educator for both French and Spanish.
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Magdalena Brzesinska
Magdalena Brzezinska, a graduate of and PhD candidate at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, is a lecturer and instructor at
the WSB Merito University in Poznan, Poland. She collaborates with the British Council and holds a Certificate in Media and Technology for
Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is also a teacher trainer, author, international conference speaker, and TED
Fellow. Her current research interests include AI, technology-enhanced learning, global skills, and methodologies of teaching foreign languages
to immigrant and refugee students.
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Marian Falasca
Marina Falasca, M.Ed., M.A., is a teacher trainer at I.ES. en Lenguas Vivas Juan Ramón Fernández in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and she also lectures at INSPT UTN on TEFL Methods, Multimedia Learning, and Discourse Analysis. Since April 2023, she has served as the STAR Country Director for Argentina, developing and delivering international programs and workshops for teachers and scholars around the world. Her research interests include educational technology, intercultural learning, differentiated instruction, global education, and collaborative ethnography. She recently co-edited her first book in Spanish, "Alfabetización y Competencias Transmedia: Propuestas Didacticas para el Nivel Secundario y Superior" (2022), and has presented at reputable conferences nationally and internationally. Email: marina.falasca@bue.edu.ar
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Chryssa Lazou
Chryssa Lazou holds a Master of Education in Open, Digital, and Distance Education from Athabasca University (Canada). Lazou is an educator and advocate recognized for her dedication to enhancing education, supporting immigrants and refugees, and promoting media literacy globally. Her career spans leadership roles in educational initiatives, including her pivotal role in launching the CommuniTIES program aimed at empowering students in media literacy across Greece and the Balkans. Her commitment to fostering critical thinking and combating misinformation has earned her accolades, including the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from Athabasca University. Currently pursuing a PhD in immersive technologies at the International Hellenic University, Chryssa continues to innovate and advocate for inclusive educational practices.
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Melinda McCliman
Dr. Melinda McCliman has been the Assistant Director of Ohio State University’s (OSU) Middle East Studies since 2003. She builds upon partnerships across campus, in the local community, and with Middle Eastern contacts to offer high-caliber cultural and academic events and learning opportunities. She holds a doctorate in Global Education. Her dissertation is on the ways in which teachers push student conceptual boundaries of self/Other to enhance cultural learning. Dr. McClimans has lived abroad for six years and hosts scholars from multiple countries around the world (most recently, Turkey, Germany, Canada) online as part of academic conferences and online learning activities she facilitates. In her role at MESC, she has trained individuals and organizations, in multiple sectors (K-12, military, business, others) on how to successfully navigate cultural norms in diverse contexts. She leads the Center’s K-16 teacher training program and global education outreach to schools and organizations. She also conducts research on cross-cultural learning as a Principal Investigator at Ohio State University.
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Erik McDuffie
Erik S. McDuffie is associate professor of African American Studies and History, and the Acting Director of the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is an interdisciplinary historian who loves teaching and who believes in the transformative power of learning about African American studies; Black history; Africa and the Black Diaspora; Black feminist, queer, and trans* theory; the U.S. Midwest; urban history; and current events. He often shares with his students, that he comes from an ”African American midwestern family of teachers, preachers, activists, abolitionists, and autoworkers.” For centuries, his family has believed that the purpose of education is not just about acquiring a good livelihood, but also for gaining knowledge for transforming the world. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, he is a sixth generation Midwesterner, whose family hails from the United States, Canada, and St. Kitts.
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Norma Scagnoli
Dr. Norma Scagnoli, Ph.D., is a leader in online education with over 20 years of experience. She is the Inaugural Vice Provost of Learning Innovation at Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) where she oversees the Center for Learning Innovation and spearheads online program development. Dr. Scagnoli's achievements include launching three new online master's degrees and a bachelor's completion program reaching a global audience. Her expertise spans instructional design, data analysis for educational improvement, and innovative program design, including creating alternative credentials for non-traditional learners.Prior to Illinois Tech, Dr. Scagnoli held leadership positions at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Northeastern University. She holds a PhD in Human Resource Development and a Master's degree in Education, and actively contributes to the field through publications and presentations.
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Rashod Seaton
Rashod Seaton is a veteran teacher going into his 13th year of teaching at the secondary level. He has taught 4 years at the high school level, and soon to be 9th year at the middle school level this coming school year. In addition to being a teacher, he is a boys’ basketball coach, entrepreneur, and author. His experience with young people over the last 13 years - as well as his upbringing - inspired him to write Key Traits To Becoming a Success: A Young People’s Guide. Rashod has nicknamed this book “The Character Building GPS”. His mission, and reason for becoming a teacher, is to impact as many young people as possible throughout his tenure.
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Noah Tang
Noah Tang is a world and American history teacher at Bloomington High School in Bloomington, Illinois. He also specializes in teaching English language developers through grade-level curriculum and English immersion. Noah makes it a priority to include local history and present-day scenarios in his lessons to ensure his students become active citizens. Outside of school, Noah enjoys woodworking, gardening, and advocating for better municipal policies.
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Sharon Tonner-Saunders
Sharon Tonner-Saunders is lecturer in digital technologies and music in the School of Education at the University of Dundee. Her innovative intercultural projects, that connect schools together using digital technologies, music and makaton, have led to her being a keynote speaker at conferences and recognised by the British Council where she is an ambassador for intercultural learning alongside winning the eTwinning UK award in 2019 and 2020. She has published research and book chapters on the use of digital technologies for teaching and learning alongside provide teachers with advice how to use new technologies appropriately and effectively.
DAY 1
DAY 2