by Diane Echevarria, Adjunct, Assistant Professor, World Language Department

I was privileged to be able to participate in the Global Education Faculty Learning Community for the academic year 2022-2023. I was hired in 2021 and have not had many interactions with my colleagues due to the pandemic. Meeting other faculty members and hearing what they are doing to globalize their courses was invaluable and helped build connections between us.

I teach Russian language, so at first, I wasn’t sure how to globalize my course when it is already global in my view because it forces students to think about another culture. In the fall, I happened to reread A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and wondered if I could incorporate that story into a lesson on human rights. Maybe we could read a passage that focused on the rations given to the inmates of the Gulag and review numbers. I tabled that idea and focused on acronyms. The Soviets were famous for using acronyms exclusively, even the word Gulag is an acronym. There is a section in the textbook about acronyms, so I started there. I found some articles and YouTube videos for my own research and incorporated two simple ones into a homework assignment, in which the student would read the article, watch the YouTube video, choose one acronym, and record themselves saying it and the words for which it stands in Russian, then explain in English what the acronym stands for. The class time preceding the assignment would give more explanation about acronyms and examples from Russia and the U.S.

As part of the FLC, we listened to different speakers from other institutions give talks on global issues. I was enraptured by talks given by two colleagues from The University of Texas (Austin). One is a visiting professor from Ukraine who gave a poignant, first-hand account of what is happening in Ukraine now. The other professor spoke of using social media to speak out against the war, and how that has affected him for the last year. These talks helped solidify my plans to teach about acronyms in Russian and link them to current events.

After participating in this FLC, I am also more aware of the efforts around the globe to help people in need. I’ve also learned more about how the greed of large corporations can cause the destruction of lives and property, even under the guise of being environmentally conscious. I also learned how sometimes well-intentioned foreign aid can lead to troubles locally.

In short, I highly value my time spent in this FLC and encourage others to participate as well.