CCR Instructor Blog

As classes end, as we wrap up our grading, and as we turn our thoughts to the holidays, I would just like to thank all our CCR partners, instructors, students, supporters, researchers, and tech workers for making the Cross-Cultural Rhetoric work possible so that many students can benefit from opportunities for hands-on global learning: writing, speaking, collaborating, and learning across the globe.

Looking back now from the vantage point of December, it is clear that we had a very busy fall, with blogging, Marratech video-conferences, and exciting guest lecturers either in person or via video-conference (courtesy of a SiCa grant).

The following visual montage shows some of the highlights from this past quarter -
• New intra-cultural connections within the USA with Aurora Community College in Colorado and City College of New York
• Sustained video-conference and blogging connections with our strong partners in Sweden: Anders Eriksson of Örebro University and Patrik Mehrens of Uppsala University
• A first-time Marratech video-conference with the American University of Cairo (AUC) thanks to Ghada El Shimi, following culture blog posts,
• Continued blogging with Mark Michael of the American University in Cairo
• An exciting five-part Marratech session with Bill Foley’s course at the University of Sydney
• Guest speakers John Paval, W Kamu Bell, Bill Foley himself, and Christina Tangora Schlachter

Looking ahead, we are thrilled about the video-conferences and blogging to kick off again in January: Uppsala, Orebro, CCNY, Khabarovsk Russia, AUC Egypt, and more? We plan to have more guest speakers made possible through our two SiCa grants.

We also have exciting new research initiatives, such as our collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin, and a grand plan to help Uppsala University launch its new Wallenberg-style Learning Lab on March 11 with a video-conference kick off!

Moreover, we are going to pilot using CCR technology to connect with international pro-fros (that’s Stanford speak for “prospective freshmen”) in April, and we’re now supporting a CCR-style student group called SURF (Stanford University Russia Forum).

Finally, we hope to hold another International Symposium in the Spring – a chance to come together and reflect on the good work done and the new directions possible with technological innovation in higher education – or how to open the world for students, one screen at a time.

Happy Holidays!
Alyssa