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Spotlight on Innovations in Teaching and Learning

ITL-immersion-Spanish-spotlightThe Spanish program has several short-term study abroad immersion programs in Argentina, Costa Rica and Cuba. The Mar del Plata winter program in Argentina has a unique design. The program is based on projects completed with the aid of students of English and language arts from the University of Mar del Plata. Student projects must include interaction with people in Mar del Plata. The end product may be a photo collage or a leaflet to introduce other students to the best pubs and entertainment spots, a newspaper article of their interviews, or a stage presentation of the interview. This type of cultural learning experience is not usually available within the four walls of a Spanish language classroom using textbooks. Students work on a topic of personal interest and use language for a specific purpose. Additional attractions of the program are a short stay in Buenos Aires and a field trip to Uruguay. This program runs whenever there are two full weeks of winter break in January before the start of the spring semester.

ITL-immersion in CubaIn Cuba, students are housed with families for increased cultural awareness and take classes in Spanish language by level. Canisius students take a course on history, politics and social structure in Cuba conducted primarily by a series of guest lecturers from the University of Havana, government officials and others; as well as a film course on Cuban Cinema of the Revolution. In addition, students have the unique opportunity to travel to the provinces. This program currently runs on alternate summers in even numbered years.

In Costa Rica, students live with a family, attend language courses in the morning and participate in career-specific internships in the afternoon. These internships include work in schools, dental offices, pharmacies, non-governmental organizations, government offices and medical practices. Several excursions to the natural wonders of Costa Rica are also included. This program runs alternate summers of odd numbered years, so it alternates with the Cuban immersion experience. Because of the internship portion, students are required to have an intermediate level knowledge of Spanish to participate.

All of these programs provide Spanish students the opportunity to be immersed in Latin American culture and to gain extensive language practice.

Submitted by: Sara Morris, PhD, associate vice president, academic affairs

College of Arts and Sciences Colloquium Today

Paul Waldau flyer, poster-page-001“The Interdisciplinary Question—A Communion of Subjects or Tower of Babel?” will be presented by Paul Waldau, PhD, professor of animal behavior, ecology and conservation and director of anthrozoology. The College of Arts and Sciences Colloquium will take place today, March 9 at 3:30 p.m. in the Regis Room.

To raise questions about the potential and risks of interdisciplinary approaches to education and scholarship, as well as a number of vices and virtues encountered along interdisciplinary paths, Waldau will address challenges that are hard to avoid when teaching university-level courses to undergraduate, graduate or profession-level students. To illustrate features of various complex challenges, Waldau will draw upon a range of subjects in the humanities (ethics, comparative religion and history), social sciences (education, law and economics), and natural sciences (both biological and environmental).

All faculty and staff are welcome!

Submitted by: Veronica Serwacki, executive associate to interim dean, college of arts and sciences

Join Today’s Wellness Forum

Thank you to all who participated in the Wellness Survey. As part of our ongoing commitment to faculty and staff wellness across our campus community, the Human Resources Department will host a Wellness Forum today, March 9, in Regis South from 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and again from 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

We will discuss the results of the Wellness Survey and future wellness initiatives scheduled in 2016 through the GrifFit program here at Canisius College.

All faculty and staff are invited to attend.

Submitted by: Dawn Rotterman, benefits specialist, human resources

RAISE Benefit

El-Salvador-2006-emailAll are invited to join Campus Ministry on the second floor of Old Main until Thursday, March 10 for its annual RAISE Benefit. More than 50 raffle and auction items will be available to win!

The RAISE Benefit will conclude in Montante Cultural Center with a dinner on Thursday, March 10 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.  A festive night of live music and themed food and cocktails from the countries our teams visit, such as Jamaican jerk chicken skewers, Indian lamb burgers, Polish sour cream cheesecake, Pina Colada rum punch and much more!  The dinner ticket includes live music from the Buffalo-based band Son Boricua, food tastings from around the world and $3 cocktails. Winners of the raffle and auction will be chosen that night. Check out our full menu here.

Tickets are $20 for faculty, staff and alumni and $10 for students.  Buy your dinner ticket in the Campus Ministry main office in Old Main 207 today or online here: http://www.canisius.edu/campusministry-store

Submitted by: Luanne Firestone, associate campus minister, Campus Ministry

Back to Basics with Google

Basics-with-GoogleRon Kotlik, PhD, Jason Steinagle and Rob Zdrojewski, faculty members in Canisius College’s Educational Technology and Emerging Media Masters Program, are experienced and accomplished teachers who make practical use of powerful, but simple and reliable technologies. In their Back to Basics with Google webinar series, learn to use Google Drive, Google Docs and screen-casting in your classes, for more collaborative and interactive learning experiences.  This webinar series is free to attend.

If you want to learn about digital tools that you can use right away in your teaching and other professional work, don’t miss these webinars presented by fellow Canisius faculty!

Click here to read about and register for these webinars.

Submitted by: Mark Gallimore, academic technology specialist