Chilean educators exploring new trends in teaching
Ten elementary and high school teachers from Chile are visiting Salve Regina this month as part of a professional development opportunity coordinated by the Office of International Programs and supported by the departments of Education and History.
During their two weeks on campus, the teachers are exploring new trends in teaching methodologies and learning about American history and literature through class sessions with history professor Dr. John Quinn, education professor Dr. Martha Rose and other Salve Regina faculty.
They are also visiting local public and private schools, attending cultural events and visiting off-island locations such as Battleship Cove in Fall River and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
The visiting teachers are affiliated with SEDUC, a Catholic educational organization that oversees nine K-12 private schools in Chile. “Interacting with other teachers in an international setting is an invaluable opportunity for our teachers to learn – from our friends here at Salve, but also from each other,” said Isabel Quiroz, SEDUC’s director of English language programs. “We hope to return to Chile with fresh ideas to use in our schools so that we can create powerful learning opportunities for our students.”
Salve Regina’s burgeoning partnerships with Chilean students and educators began in November 2015, when President Jane Gerety, RSM, and Erin FitzGerald, director of international programs, visited universities and high schools throughout Chile.
Their visit was coordinated by James Tencher, a Chilean native and Newport resident who lives near the University, and co-hosted by Fernando Valdivia, whose daughter Maria Paz hopes to become Salve Regina’s first exchange student from Chile this year.
In addition to this summer’s program, Salve Regina is currently pursuing student exchange agreements with several Chilean universities. “Forging strong ties with educational institutions in Chile, at the K-12 and university level, will lead to more movement of students and teachers in both directions in the coming years, which will be mutually beneficial to the educational communities involved,” FitzGerald said.
