On June 29, 2021, the 16 participants of the project Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels were awarded certificates for successfully completing the professional development program. Prof. Dr Violeta Jovanović, Dean, and Prof. Dr Ilijana Čutura, congratulated the participants on their enthusiasm and achievement, while the representatives of the American Embassy, Mr Tim Standaert, Public Affairs Officer, and Mr Kevin McCaughey, Regional English Language Officer, expressed satisfaction with the Serbian EFL teachers’ and learners’ involvement in the project. Prof. Dr Joan Kang Shin, English Language Learning Expert looked back on the project activities, and Dr. Vera Savić announced the project extension in August 2021, when a three-day Summer School will be organized.
Finishing a five-month inservice training with big smiles! On June 18, 2021, the tenth session of Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels project was held. The participants reflected on different aspects of their teaching with graphic novels and shared some of their learners’ products. Both the programme and the students’ works were assessed to be highly successful. Congratulations to the teachers and their students!
On June 11, 2021, the ninth session of Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels project was held. The webinar started with the discussion of the results of The Global Competence survey, presented by Dr Savić and Dr Shin, and continued with the participants’ presentations of the outcomes of teaching tolerance through graphic novels. The presentations received a highly positive peer evaluation, while the learners’ graphic novels were praised both by the teachers and the trainers.
On April 16, 2021, the eighth session of Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels project was held. The webinar titled Developing Classroom Activities for Teaching with Graphic Novels was jointly held by Dr Shin, Ms Randjelović and Dr Savić, focusing on practical means for engaging primary students with graphic novels. The highlight of the session were graphic novels created by the participants.
On April 9, 2021, the seventh session of Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels project was held. The webinar titled Developing Classroom Materials for Teaching with Graphic Novels was jointly held by Dr Shin and Dr Savić, aiming to equip the participants with tools not only for teaching with graphic novels, but for creating their own graphic novels as well.
On April 2, 2021, the sixth session of Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels project was held. Dr Savić conducted the webinar titled Reading Strategies and Multimodal Texts, inviting the participants to explore the potential of reading strategies, such as Readers Theatre and Story Mapping, for enhancing primary learners’ reading comprehension of multimodal texts.
On March 26, 2021, the fifth session of Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels Project was held. Dr Shin conducted the webinar titled Visual Literacy for Young learners Living in the Multimodal World, inviting the participants to explore visual thinking strategies for interpreting multimodal ensembles of graphic novels.
On March 19, 2021, the fourth session of Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels Project was held. Ms Randjelović conducted the webinar titled Drama in the EFL Classroom, leading the participants through the process of developing fictional characters and conflict situations.
On March 12, 2021, the third session of Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels Project was held. All three teacher trainers (Dr Shin, Ms Randjelović, and Dr Savić) collaborated to conduct the webinar titled Graphic Novels in the EFL Classroom, inspiring the participants to explore the characteristics of graphic novels, experience Process Drama, and reflect on the possibilities of helping their learners progress from one stage of intercultural sensitivity to another.
On March 5, 2021, the second session of Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels Project was held. Dr Joan Kang Shin, the US English Language Specialist and Associate Professor from George Mason University, conducted the webinar titled Cultural Awareness in the EFL Classroom, inspiring the participants to apply the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) for achieving a deeper understanding and appreciation of cross-cultural differences in their teaching practice.
On February 26, 2021, we held the kickoff meeting and the first session of Teaching Global Citizenship: Developing Tolerance through Graphic Novels Project. The kickoff meeting was attended by:
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Dr Joan Kang Shin, Associate Professor, George Mason University, the US English Language Specialist, United States
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Tim Standaert, Public Affairs Officer, the Embassy of the United States, Serbia
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Kevin McCaughey, Regional English Language Officer, the Embassy of the United States, Serbia
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Ivana Bankovic, RELO Assistant, the Embassy of the United States, Serbia
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Dragana Obradovic, Cultural Affairs Assistant, EL Program Coordinator, the Embassy of the United States, Serbia
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Ivona Randjelović, a teacher trainer from Serbia
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17 Project participants, EFL teachers from Serbian state schools
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Dr Vera Savić, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education in Jagodina, University of Kragujevac, Serbia
The first session was titled Global Citizenship in the EFL Classroom. The Project will proceed with weekly sessions until the middle of June 2021.
On Febuary 15 and 16, 2021, Dr Shin and Dr Savić conducted interviews with candidates for the Project. The following 17 teachers of English have been selected to participate in the Project (listed in alphabetical order):
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Anica Djokić, EFL teacher, Sonja Marinković Primary School, Novi Sad
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Danijela Andrejić, EFL teacher, Vlada Aksentijević Primary School, Palilula, Belgrade
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Dušica Kadnić Najić, EFL teacher, Milica Miločević Primary School, Jagnjilo, Mladenovac
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Jelena Novitović, EFL teacher, Gymnasium, Kraljevo
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Katarina Ristanović Acović, EFL teacher, The Takovo Uprising (Takovski ustanak) Gymnasium, Gornji Milanovac
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Lora Petronić Petrović, EFL teacher, Lingva Foreign Language Centre, Valjevo
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Marija Ivanović Božić, EFL teacher, Vuk Karadžić Primary School, Knjaževac
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Marija Trošić, EFL teacher, Branko Radičević Primary School, Kruševac
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Mirjana Matović, EFL teacher, Ivo Andrić Primary School, Pranjani; The Takovo Uprising (Takovski ustanak) Gymnasium, Gornji Milanovac
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Nataša Jonović, EFL teacher, Rudjer Bošković Primary School & Gymnasium, Belgrade
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Nenad Miladinović, EFL teacher, The Third Kragujevac Battalion (Treći kragujevački bataljon) Primary School, Kragujevac
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Olivera Ilić, EFL teacher, Sveti Sava Primary School, Požarevac
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Slavica Jocković, EFL teacher, Radmila Šišković Primary School, Smederevska Palanka
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Tamara Rosić Bradonjić, EFL teacher, Milan Blagojevic Primary School, Natalinci, Topola
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Tatjana Jancić, EFL teacher, Vocational School of Economics and Trade, Vranje
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Valentina Gavranović, EFL teacher, Nadežda Petrović Secondary Medical School, Zemun
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Vesna Popović, EFL teacher, Petar Kočić Primary School, Temerin
Photos from the interviews held on February 15 and 16, 2021
