Athens State hosts international educators. Four international educators were guests of Athens State University’s Wallace State-Hanceville Center recently.

Dr. Wanda Hutchinson, assistant professor of education, was host to the educators from South Asia. Hutchinson and her colleagues prepared detailed teacher training and highlighted teaching methodologies, including online classroom management. The visit is sponsored by the International Visitor Leadership Program under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with the Alabama segment being hosted by the International Services Council of Alabama.

Last year Hutchinson hosted a similar group from Bulgaria with an emphasis on ethnic diversity and civil rights education. “I was asked to serve as a consultant as well as host the international visitors again this year,” said Hutchinson. I will facilitate experiences with program themes to include the use of technology in teaching distance learning courses, student teaching and rural education.

Foreign educators Sheela Rajendra from India, Abdul Sameu Hassan from Maldives, Hum Nath Acharya from Nepal, and Gulrukh Razi from Pakistan will be traveling throughout the United States to explore pre-service teacher training in a program that will expand their knowledge of educational procedures that will combat some of the obstacles they face in their home countries.