Engaging Students in Global Issues through the Use of Media Tools

Kathe Lehman-Meyer, Cathy Whitlow, Mary Lynne Hill, Teresa Van Hoy, and Kathleen Gallagher (St. Mary’s University)

This presentation will share how faculty have engaged students in social justice issues such as the global food shortage, immigration rights, natural disasters, and asylum while teaching them core competency skills like language (speaking/writing) as well as digital literacy and research. Each presenter will be able to provide show and tell of student media projects that have resulted in students learning media production skills as a tool for cementing the knowledge required to achieve the course learning outcomes. In addition, step by step instructions for integration and creation of similar assignments will be provided.

St. Mary’s University has a long history of integrating service learning within the curriculum and has won national awards for doing so. Located in San Antonio, Texas, St. Mary’s University is a Hispanic Serving Institution with more than 70% of students being minorities and the majority are first generation college students, and are pell grant eligible.

Cathy Whitlow teaches ESL Courses integrating media assignments as a way to cement the language knowledge that International Students must have to succeed within an American university. Prior to joining St. Mary’s University Cathy taught middle school special education for more than 20 years.

Mary Lynne Hill is a linguist and teaches within the English Communication Arts program. She integrates media related real world assignments within courses to engage students in social justice while learning the basics of rhetoric and composition as well as grammar.

All of Teresa Van Hoy’s history students are required to create a 6 minute documentary about some aspect of their own personal history as one of the first assignments in her courses. Along with her students, she has won several awards for her work which has also resulted in a local film festival.

Kathleen Gallagher is a cultural anthropologist teaching Graduate International Relations courses focusing on human rights, asylum and international development. She specializes in the Himalayan region and military anthropology. Her students get hands on experience creating NGO’s, and media in support of furthering global understanding.

Kathe Lehman-Meyer is currently Director of the Academic Media center, promoting the development of student media skills for academic and professional benefit.

[gview file=”http://budsc16.scholar.bucknell.edu/files/2016/11/Engaging-Students-in-Global-Issues-through-the-Use-of-Media-Tools.pdf”]