Connecting Students to Authentic Voices in the Arab World

Hala Jadid al Kash is a faculty member with IES Abroad in Granada, Spain, who teaches courses on Arabic language, social media, and Islamic culture to American study abroad students.   In this podcast, she explains how she uses social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, as a tool to develop intercultural awareness by connecting students…Continue Reading Connecting Students to Authentic Voices in the Arab World

Beating the Snow With Technology

Let’s face it: In Portland, we’re very used to mild winters. When freezing temperatures bring snow and icy roads, those who commute tend to go into what could politely be called “panic mode”. When Old Man Winter strikes during the last two weeks of a term, “panic mode” is not an option. Knowing what technology…Continue Reading Beating the Snow With Technology

Helping Students Use AES Services

Do you wonder why some students eligible for accommodations through accessible education services (AES) do not actually use their accommodations?  In a recent qualitative study, students identified six key reasons: Desire for self-sufficiency Desire to avoid negative social reactions Insufficient knowledge about their accommodations Quality and usefulness of DSS and accommodations  Negative experiences with professors Fear…Continue Reading Helping Students Use AES Services

Students (and Instructors) as Political Animals

Likely across the past few months, America’s election has worked its way into your classroom, if not your curriculum. After a divisive election, can the classroom be one of America’s few productive contact zones for the meeting of politically diverse citizens? If news, social media, and our own neighborhoods have increasingly become politically segregated, might…Continue Reading Students (and Instructors) as Political Animals

UP Tech Tip: Mac Preview is a Mini-Photoshop

Greetings! Today’s #uptechtip comes from my friend Melinda Lease , a graphic designer and creative manager who lives here in Portland. She wrote a great, quick guide for you Mac users out there on using the built-in Preview tool in MacOS to resize, crop, adjust colors, or even cut-out elements in your images. You can even…Continue Reading UP Tech Tip: Mac Preview is a Mini-Photoshop