New Mexico State University College of Education faculty member Judith Franzak has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to serve as an American studies roving scholar in Norway for the 2012-2013 academic year.
Franzak, an associate professor in curriculum and instruction, will be working with secondary teachers throughout the country. This is the only Fulbright award that focuses on working with secondary teachers, she said.
Using many mediums, including texts, photographs, paintings, newspapers and other popular media and historic documents, Franzak will conduct workshops designed around essential questions that center students' learning.
She said despite the difference in climate and culture there are many similarities between Norway and New Mexico and she is particularly interested in comparing the learning experiences for those students who live in smaller, more rural communities. She indicated that connection to the broader world has changed for these students due to their ability to connect through technology and she is interested in comparing the impacts on youth in Norway and New Mexico.
"Norway is committed to fostering a pluralist and diverse society and I am looking forward to learning about international educational practices," Franzak said. "I would like to facilitate connection between Norwegian teachers and students and their New Mexican counterparts."
Franzak said it is always important to expand your experiences and she is looking forward to bringing her experiences back to the classroom for NMSU students to gain a more internationalist perspective.
Franzak has a bachelor's and master's from the University of New Mexico in American studies and a doctorate, also from UNM, in language, literacy and socio-cultural studies. Prior to joining the NMSU faculty, she held positions at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Montana State University. At NMSU, she teaches literacy courses for pre-service and in-service teachers and research courses in literacy for doctoral students.
The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation by J. William Fulbright and is designed to increase understanding of the United States and other nations. The program has had more than 300,000 participants and operates in more than 155 countries.