The Department of Linguistics is holding its fourth Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars. Two one-week sessions are held on OSU’s main campus during July 2012. SLIYS promotes language study in all aspects by cultivating a deeper appreciation of language similarities and differences. Our aim is to provide high school students with greater linguistic awareness and understanding, with the ability to think critically about language, and with a deeper appreciation for all aspects of language and language study. SLIYS ’12 is open to high school students who are interested in foreign languages.
training
BLN panel on getting a job outside of the RI university
The Buckeye Language Network is hosting a panel discussion on “Everything you wanted to know about getting a job OUTSIDE of an R1 university but were afraid to ask” on Friday, October 21st, 11 am to 2 pm, in Psychology 35. Our panelists are
- Kathleen Currie Hall, Assistant Professor at CUNY Staten Island
- Sarah Wayland, Senior Research Scientist at CASL U of Maryland
- Michael Young, President of Social Science Automation, Inc.
Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to bln@osu.edu so we know how much food to have.
Teachers Workshop Project presentation at ASA meeting
On Friday, November 19th, I will present with Laura Joseph (Center for African Studies) on our Teachers Workshop Project at the 2010 African Studies Association meeting; This year’s theme is African Diaspora and Diasporas in Africa. Our paper ‘Collaborative Development of a K12 Teacher Workshop on Somali History, Language, and Culture’ is part of a panel I organized on Research, Outreach & Engagement with Somali Refugee Communities in the U.S.. Over the course of a year we developed the workshop in collaboration with sponsoring agencies; Somali Studies scholars; local school district teachers and administrators; and local Somali artists, educators, students, and community organizers. Our paper critically traces the developmental trajectory of the workshop as well as its digital documentation and dissemination in DVD and wiki formats. We conclude with a brief discussion of how we envision future iterations of the workshop, including integration of the DVDs and expansion of the website.
Ohio Somali Graduation Ceremony & Teachers Workshop
This past Saturday was the 1st Annual Ohio Somali High School, College, University Graduation Ceremony and Teachers Workshop. The events were held at the Hilton Easton, and 119 Somali-American graduates were honored. 400-500 people attended the celebration, including Columbus Mayor Coleman and U.S. Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy. The Teachers Workshop was organized by Dr. Abdinur Muhamed (Ohio Department of Education). I gave a presentation on “The role of higher education institutions in immigrant and refugee education: challenges and opportunities”. Also presenting were Abwan Said Salah Ahmed (Minneapolis Public Schools) and Abdikarim Gole (OSU, in photo).
Teaching Culture, Teaching Childhood
Next week I will be in Albuquerque for the American Anthropological Association Childhood Interest Group (AAACIG) joint meeting with The Society for Anthropological Sciences (SASci) and The Society for Cross-Cultural Research (SCCR). I am chair and discussant for the symposium ‘Teaching Culture, Teaching Childhood: Contours of the Anthropology of Childhood in Coursework Contexts’. The symposium was organized by Sally Campbell Galman, author of Shane the Lone Ethnographer, a beginner’s guide to ethnography.
Expanding Repertoires
I am the keynote speaker for Columbus City Schools’ District-wide Professional Development Day, 9 December 2009, at the Columbus Global Academy. The PD strand title is ‘Strategies to Improve Literacy for ESL Students’. My talk ‘Expanding Repertoires’ draws upon my own research in multilingual communities, research on language learner beliefs and (language) learning strategies, and recent meta-studies of research on literacy development among language-minority children and youth.
Young ELLs Wiki & Invited Panel at Ohio TESOL 2009
I will present in an invited panel ‘Understanding and Supporting Your Young English Language Learners’ at the Ohio TESOL Conference . My co-presenter is Elizabeth McNally, a K-5 ESL Teacher in Columbus City Schools, a doctoral candidate in FSLED, and my teaching assistant in EDU T&L Linguistic Diversity in Early Childhood Education. Our fellow panelist is Helen O’Leary of the Ohio Department of Education. We will focus on four main topics related to preschool and early elementary English Language Learners: 1) connecting with English Language Learners and their families in early childhood education, 2) content area instruction, 3) reading instruction, and 4) preventing over referral of ELL children to special education. The session runs 1:45-2:15, Friday, October 30 in the Hilton Easton, Easton A. I have created the Young ELLs Wiki for participants, a site that brings together relevant readings, webcasts, and websites.
OSU Somali Course Wiki
The OSU Somali Course wiki is now public. The ever evolving wiki provides information on the K12 teachers workshop offered in June 2009, EDU T&L 727O28 Somali History, Language, and Culture. You will find many resources, including readings and viewings, web resources, powerpoint presentations, and participants’ final projects.
Cross-Disciplinary Graduate Student Workshop on Fieldwork
On May 9th OSU will host a workshop designed for (under)graduate students and faculty across disciplines who plan to engage in or have recently started to engage in fieldwork-based research. The goals of the workshop are to explore and exchange ideas about practical issues of doing fieldwork and to continue building a community of fieldworkers on the OSU campus. The topics are (1) making and sustaining contacts in the field, (2) fieldwork in different kinds of communities, and (3) the Institutional Review Board. I will lead the break-out session “Fieldwork, Outreach & Engagement: Examining the Joys & Challenges of Doing Good While Doing Science”. For more information, visit the website.
Teacher Institute on Somali History, Language, & Culture
This summer I am leading a week-long course for K12 educators. The course provides an overview of Somali history, language, and culture that will increase your understanding of the children, youth, and families of the Somali Diaspora. Developed in collaboration with members of the Somali community and Columbus City Schools, the course is designed to answer questions and address needs identified by educators, parents, students, and community organizers. Several Somali Studies scholars and community activists and practitioners will share their expertise and experiences. The course will be held June 15-19, 9-4:30. It is hosted by the Somali Women & Children’s Alliance, facilitated by EHE’s Office of Outreach and Engagement, and sponsored by the Ohio Humanities Council and the U.S. Department of Education. For more information, visit the website of OSU’s Center for African Studies.