By Sarita Badhwar, Volunteer from Indore Chapter
Training Design for Intercultural Learning Workshop
“I was fortunate to attend five day concurrent workshop at the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication (SIIC) in Portland, Oregon, USA this year from July 14 – July 21, 2017.
The workshop was on Training Design for Intercultural Learning facilitated by Dr. Janet Bennett and Dr. Michael Paige.
SIIC is an opportunity characterize by the intensity of learning experience, relevance to one’s professional development with an emphasis on knowledge & skill. The atmosphere is supportive and respectful in which collaborative learning takes place. It is a global inclusive village where cultural differences are appreciated.
It was a proud privilege to be trained by two renowned personalities Dr. Janet Bennett and Dr. Michael Paige in the field of intercultural learning. The workshop focused on designing teaching across cultures as well as teaching about cultures. It was comprehensive overview of intercultural training design with an emphasis on using developmental approaches to reduce learner’s resistance and enhance learning.
The agenda of the workshop was –
- To know yourself as trainer
- Analyze your audience
- Selection of training content
- Designing the training process
- Assessing the learner’s resistance
New strategies of training were the highlight of the course. A very interesting case study to emphasize the need to understand the interesting factors of intercultural communication was given.
Another one was RSVP a way to elicit problems or solutions in a group with common concerns.
It gave me an opportunity to work with a community of intercultural scholars and practitioners. It was wonderful learning experience and net working in a stimulating environment. With the greater insight in the ICL, I will be able to conduct ICL trainings more effectively and would like to contribute in designing intercultural learning activities for school students in future. At personal level I gained greater understanding of ICL to strengthen my social network with friends abroad.
(Photo Above: Sarita Badhwar with AFSers from around the world)
I also had opportunity to meet AFSers from different parts of the world and spent time with my trainer Michael Leidecker who organized for us a lovely barbeque dinner in amazingly beautiful surrounding.”