(Research) Design Thinking Workshop: Podcasting as a modality to “story” your research story

In this two-part workshop, I take students through a (research) design thinking workshop to understand tools that will allow them to translate their research into a narrative story format for audiences outside of academic. The workshop uses a podcasting a foundation which can be expanded into diverse modalities including videography… 

A Conversation about Global Exchanges: Jumpin In’ Stayin’ In and Double Dutchin’ It: Teacher Attrition from an African American International Educator

In this workshop I engage with students about narrative inquiry autoethnographic methodology while discussing my article published in a coedited Springer Press volume entitled Gender, Race, and Class in the Lives of Today’s Teachers. 

Citation: Jumpin’ in, stayin’ in, and double-dutchin’ it: Teacher attrition from an African American international educator. In: Murti L., Flores G.M. (eds) Gender, Race, and Class in the Lives of Today’s Teachers. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73551-7_14

Career Advice: Internationalizing your Domestic Teaching Experience

In this presentation, I take students through an engaging linear timeline of my career as a domestic and international teacher. I provide tools and resources for those interested in developing an international career in teaching as well as a Q&A session.

Smith, T.L. & Hill (September 2021) Internationalizing Your Domestic Career: A Session on Career Advice. Global Initiatives International Speaker Series [Invited Guest Speaker]. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Smith, T.L., Gbolo, G., & Rogers, T. (November 2020). International Teaching Experience. Curriculum and Instruction 1001, Section, 1 [Invited Panelist]. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Coverage may be retrieved from here.

“When you are a POC who works in international education, sometimes you may feel as if this journey is a lot or you want to seek a connection. This show does exactly that by relating stories and experiences of life abroad within the work and creating relationships. If you ever thought about working abroad or currently out in the universe, this show is for you.” ~ Honestlycme

“Much of the national dialogue is about the racism inherent in America. But how is that racism perpetuated in the educational systems that send and hire Black American teachers abroad? Through eye-opening, insightful, and impactful discussions, Tiffany brings us along to answer this and similar questions.” ~ MariaBertrand

“It’s an amazing podcast- I was looking for something that would give me insight about living abroad- Tiffany’s podcast does that. Fun, informative and just a overall hoot- thanks keep up the good work, I’ll be listening.” ~ Doug3232

“I love Tiffany’s stories of her travel experiences. This podcast is a good resource for students interested in study abroad or for people (like me) who want to move and work abroad. Keep up the good work!” ~ Sue Travels

“Never thought there were African Americans travelling abroad and teaching. This insightful podcast that shares stories from EDpats teaching in places like China, Thailand, Africa, UAE, and other countries.” ~ N. Braithwaite

“Dr. Tiffany Lachelle's workshop gave me the confidence to start my own podcast and find better ways of communicating scientific research. She was encouraging and engaging. The steps she provided made storytelling something easier than I had initially perceived. I now know how to be creative with the way I communicate my research in a way that is engaging for people to listen to and learn from. Her unrelenting encouragement and supportive attitude and not like a false positivity, just straight up honest support. She really helped me make it work even when I thought I couldn't do it. I never thought about how I could use story telling as a mode to share my research before and Tiffany's encouragement to do a podcast helped me try something new. The materials were put in a way that was helpful and broken into steps that were digestible. I received guidance and support the entire way. There aren't any challenges I faced.”

“Engaging, honest, vulnerable, and embodied so many examples that connect to the theoretical and methodological approaches we have been exploring--and modeled how to position one's own approach and identity in our work alongside reserach on history, data, and context (one of the goals of their final assignments).

Listening to (Dis)covering Routes collectively as a group, then listening and seeing the story unfold, and then asking about these connections was really a beautiful praxis (reflection+action) as a class community. Dr. Tiffany gave them so many ideas, tools, tips, and questions for them to think about, and the encouragement to really think about the story that they want to tell--this embodies education for conscientization and liberation beautifully.

Storytelling is my entry into making sense of education, and as a methodology and art helps me understand the lived experiences of students, youth, educators, families, changemakers, and everyone else who touches and is touched by education. Dr Tiffany have not only modeled how to tell her story and to listen to the stores of others, but she offered guidance on how to thread these stories together towards a greater purpose of making education more transformative and meaningful across borders. “