SIT Graduate Institute

Learning Plan

Josh Barber

I. Professional Goal Statement

The fundamental goal for my participation in the MA program in International Education at SIT is to prepare to direct a university international education program. I am currently being trained to become the director of what will soon be the International Education Department at Freed-Hardeman University, which will combine the two international services at the universitythe Department of International Study Programs and the Department of International Student Advisinginto a new single department. My education at SIT is part of that training, and I hope to build knowledge and develop skills within the field of I.E. to improve the study abroad programs and the experience of international students at FHU.

II. Competency Areas

(1) International Education Competencies My focus regarding the International Education competencies is on skills that will enable me to direct and manage a university I.E. program. I will be involved in numerous activities, including marketing study abroad to university students and recruiting international students, preparing study abroad participants for their travels overseas and advising international students who come to the United States, planning and budgeting faculty-led study abroad programs, assisting in financial aid matters for students pursuing studies abroad and arriving international students, and evaluating program effectiveness. Many of the I.E. competencies apply to my professional goals, but a few I would like to focus on are: Understand the emergence, divergence, and specializations of professional international education. Identify resources for, and obstacles to internationalizing campus and curriculum. Understand principles of marketing & recruitment, program management, budgeting and program evaluation, informational & instructional technology, and organizational relationship building. Develop understanding of different cultural backgrounds of program participants and how this impacts advising relationships. (2) PIM-Wide Competencies The competencies for all students who pursue degrees in the Program in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management will primarily help me become a better intercultural communicator and a more competent leader and managerboth of which will be essential to my job at FHU. I will interact with international students and associates on a daily basis, so my cross-cultural communication skills will be very important. I will also be directing two related but very distinct university services, and my leadership and management skills have much room for improvement. The competencies I would like to focus on are:

Learning Plan Demonstrate sensitivity to others and create environments that model trust, inclusion, and safety. Apply theories and frameworks for communication across differences. Identify stages of cultural adaptation and integration in various contexts. Speak a second language. Identify basic management functions related to resource development. Demonstrate an understanding of various cultural contexts. Understand the difference between leading and managing. Give and receive feedback.

III. Learning Objectives

(1) Develop an intermediate-high level of Spanish communication skills. Learning Methods: 1. Listen and practice with the Pimsleurs Speak and Read Essentials Spanish lessons. 2. Complete two lesson of Mango Spanish each week. 3. Read and practice from the Nexos Spanish textbook. 4. Watch films in Spanish and listen to Spanish music. 5. Read Spanish news sources like Univision and CNN Espaol. Evaluation Indicators: 1. I will complete one Pimsleur lesson a day and complete the reading assignments at the end of the week along with one chapter from the Nexos textbook, and I will complete two Mango Spanish lessons each week. 2. I will demonstrate the ability to speak, write, listen to, and read conversational Spanish comfortably by communicating with other Spanish-speakers (such as my friend Mauri from Paraguay) and receiving positive feedback. 3. I will pass a language assessment at SIT demonstrating an intermediate-high level of Spanish proficiency before my capstone presentation. (2) Familiarize myself with the field of I.E. so that I can develop my professional involvement and draw on the resources available to international educators. Learning Methods: 1. Research I.E. associations like NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad and potential membership for my institution and myself. 2. Read and take advantage of resources for international educatorsjournals and publications such as Frontiers, International Educator, and the Journal of Studies in International Education. 3. Check the Institute of International Education website regularly for reports and publications that may be beneficial for my work. 4. Become aware of study abroad scholarships and grants, including the Gilman Scholarship and other third-party scholarships.

Learning Plan

Evaluation Indicators: 1. I will understand the benefits of membership in an international education association and convey those benefits to my supervisors who will be responsible for approving membership and paying dues. 2. I will be informed about the latest news and reports in the I.E. field 3. I will make students aware of the scholarships available to study abroad participants and help them through the application process. (3) Articulate a clear and meaningful vision in my future role as director for the International Education Department at FHU. Learning Methods: 1. Determine my fundamental goals and values in my career as an international educator. 2. Work with my supervisors at my university to determine some of the fundamental objectives of the study abroad program. 3. Establish learning objectives for study abroad programs at FHU. 4. Tie study abroad and international student advising together to create a vision involving an internationalizing campus. Evaluation Indicators: 1. I will be able to identify my core goals and values as an international educator, as well as the goals of my supervisors and my university. 2. I will be able to communicate a clearly defined vision for the international education programs at FHU. 3. The international services at FHU will have a sense of direction and purposean over-arching goal. (4) Make the best use of my time to complete my personal, professional, and academic goals and responsibilities. Learning Methods: 1. Restrict the amount of time I spend on time-consuming websites. 2. Have daily and weekly planning sessions, during which I determine my goals for the day and week ahead and fill in my schedule to accomplish all of the tasks. 3. Schedule self-imposed deadlines for non-work- or school-related tasks, so that I force myself to make progress toward those goals. 4. Have daily meditation sessions in which I clear my mind in order to improve my focus. Evaluation Indicators: 1. My personal, professional, and school lives will be more balanced. 2. I will be diligent in accomplishing the things I have scheduled into my calendar. 3. I will complete all of the readings for graduate school.