Incoming TAB Support

Students from Shaanxi Normal University visit UCalgary

Teaching Across Borders (TAB) encourages meaningful cultural and knowledge exchange between Werklund School of Education pre-service teachers and students from our partner locations. Incoming TAB welcomes students from TAB partner institutions to our Calgary campus to learn about education in an Albertan context.
Werklund student volunteers assist the TAB Team with welcoming the incoming students and supporting their experience while on campus. Volunteer activities can include leading campus tours, attending events, and helping to practice English language learning.

Who?

All BEd students

What?

Werklund undergraduate students will support the experience for Incoming TAB students from Australia and/or Japan

When?

January - mid- March

Participation is based on volunteer schedules

Where?

In-person, on campus, possibly around Calgary

What's Involved

Students have an opportunity to have global learning experience at home which can increase intercultural competencies.
Werklund students will attend as many sessions and activities as their schedule allows.
Werklund students will meet with the international students from Australia, Japan and/or China to share about their experience in the BEd program and the Alberta education system.
Werklund students may act as language buddies for Incoming TAB students who are English Language Learners.
This role may change slightly each year, based on the availability and goals of the Werklund volunteers.

Requirements

Positive attitude & cultural openness
Ability to be on campus during the school day
Willingness to share experiences with international students

Apply a variety of facilitation strategies to encourage discussion, generate ideas, and build consensus
Apply a variety of leadership strategies to develop meaningful relationships with the program and its participants
Apply a variety of mentorship strategies to support mentees’ personal, social, and academic goals
Develop cross-cultural competencies related to language, culture, and place
Examine how teaching and learning take place in other contexts
Share and receive knowledge regarding teacher education and teaching practice.

Werklund Dates and Times

WINTER 2024

Applications: November 20 - December 3, 2023

Werklund Orientation:

Monday, December 11, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Zoom)

Winter Placements Start: early January (program dependent)

Werklund Check-In Session #1:

Monday, January 29, 9:30 am - 10:30 am (in-person) or
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm (Zoom)

Werklund Wrap-Up Session:

Tuesday, March 12, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Zoom)

Winter Placements End: mid-March (program dependent)

Incoming TAB Dates

Initial meeting: December 2023 (day/time TBA)
Program-specific training and meeting: early January 2024
Program runs:
- Australian students will be on campus from January 8 to January 26, 2024
- Japanese students will be on campus from February 20 to March 15, 2024
Specific event dates:
- Welcome to QUT visitors: January 8, 2024, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Farewell to QUT visitors: January 26, 2024, 3:00 pm (to be confirmed)
- Welcome to HUE visitors: February 20, 2024 at 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Full day trip1 : Wednesday, February 21, 2024
- Full day trip 2: Wednesday, February 28, 2024
- Farewell to HUE visitors: March 19, time TBA
Werklund volunteers can participate as their schedule allows to accommodate courses and field experiences

Participants should expect to spend about 20 hours of time in this program

Throughout the semester, pre-service teachers will curate their volunteering experiences using a creative medium (e.g., photos, art, storyboarding, videos, etc.) that best reflects their experiences in the program. Your creative reflections will form part of a public showcase of Werklund student experiences later in the year.
Pre-service teachers will participate in 2 group meetings: one at the mid-point and another at the end of their placement (1 hour each). These group meetings provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to reflect on the community placement experience and to guide improvements for the program.