It may seem so soon but it is time now of our XI Academic Facebook event based on the theme for this year: 21st Century skills in Education. This time it is the turn of Soft skills and another guest speaker Maggie Steingraeber from the American Embassy.
Please read below the summary of the presentations:

 Topic: Soft Skills in Education

Soft skills such as social ability, resilience, self-control and time management can be integrated within a course by means of project-based learning, group work and non-cognitive skills. This workshop will develop the why and the how of Soft skills and how to conciliate them with the cognitive skills we teach in the classroom.

Presenter:

Maria Luisa Mu is the Academic Director of CTS. She was the General Coordinator of the Language Department at USIL and is a certified teacher trainer with ample experience teaching Business in England, Spain, Chile and Peru where she participated in the organization of the English for Business Programme at ESAN and Universidad del Pacífico. She has also taught ESP at UNDP, FAO, OIT and UNESCO.

Maria Luisa is an educator who holds a Master in English Language Teaching from the University of Sheffield, England and has Post-Graduate Degrees (Diplomado de Segunda Especialidad) in Educational Management (PUCP), Information Technology (USIL), Curriculum Design for Distance Learning Courses (PUCP), Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (PUCP) and Teacher Training (UPCH).

She was the tutor of the blended-learning Master Degree course in TEFL from Universidad de Piura / FUNIBER and is currently one of their thesis advisors besides being a Speaking Examiner from Cambridge University from YLEs to CPE.

 

Topic: Cross-cultural communication

When people talk about 21^st century skills, the first thing that comes to most minds is technology. While digital literacy is important for success in the modern age, there is another essential skill that has emerged as a result of the globalized world: Cross-cultural communication. Through the advancements of communication technology, social media in particular, the world is a smaller place. You are just one click away from communicating with someone on the other side of the world! For this reason, language users must be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective communication with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This presentation will address some key considerations for effective cross-cultural communication.

Presenter:

Maggie Steingraeber currently lives in Lima, Peru as an English Language Fellow, a US Department of State funded program. She works closely with the Peruvian Ministry of Education in the Department of Initial Teacher Training to reform the national curriculum and strengthen classroom methodology. Her passion for language and culture began with a high school exchange program that took her from the Midwestern state of Wisconsin to the foothills of the Andes in Mendoza, Argentina. She holds a BA in Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin and a MA in TESOL from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She specializes in curriculum design and materials development as well as teacher training and educational technology. She has previously worked as a teacher and teacher trainer in the United States, China, India, Argentina, and Chile.