Mount Allison professor working to establish international organization for teaching fellows
Post-secondary teaching fellows from around the world will soon have a new international resource network, thanks in part to the work of a 痳豆TV视频 Music professor.
3M National Teaching Fellow Dr. Elizabeth Wells, with UK colleague Dr. Kirsten Hardie, is working to establish the International Federation of National Teaching Fellows (IFNTF), bringing together teaching fellows from across the globe to share ideas and resources related to teaching and learning in post-secondary education.
鈥淭he IFNTF will include teaching fellows from Canada, the UK, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and India to date,鈥 says Wells. 鈥淭he goal of the federation is to mobilize and connect the best minds in teaching around the world, which is a very powerful prospect.鈥 Hardie agrees.
鈥淭here exist a number of national teaching fellow communities across a range of countries. Over the years many fellows have met at key learning and teaching conferences and have worked collaboratively on research activities, projects and publications,鈥 says Hardie, who is an associate professor at the Arts University (Bournemouth, UK) and a UK National Teaching Fellow. 鈥淪uch collaboration has been enjoyable, fruitful, and rewarding in a variety of ways.鈥
Planned initiatives for the federation include a yearly summit on teaching and learning, a journal devoted to the subject, and a new international teaching award 鈥 鈥淭eacher of the World.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檙e also planning to involve students as much as possible in this new global partnership,鈥 says Wells. 鈥淐anada鈥檚 3M program also has a national student fellow program. We hope to build on these types of programs and connect students internationally.鈥
The idea for an international organization was sparked from discussions between Wells and Hardie when Wells served as chair of the 3M National Teaching Fellows between 2012 and 2014. The pair has been working on the project since then and will be presenting on it in the UK in March 2016. A global launch will be held in September 2016.
Photo caption: Mount Allison Music professor, incoming Dean of Arts, and 3M National Teaching Fellow Dr. Elizabeth Wells is working to establish an international network of national teaching fellows with UK colleague Dr. Kirsten Hardie.
