Name: Communicating Across Cultures with Father Oleksa F21
Start: Tue Oct 19 2021 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
End: Wed Dec 01 2021 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

September dates cancelled! This class may be cancelled if COVID restrictions preclude use of the BP Energy Center. The BP Energy Center is currently closed through October 4. Register now and you will be added to the registration waitlist. Once confirmed that BP is open, ASDN will send you an official registration invitation email.

Join the Rev. Dr. Michael Oleksa, a leader in the development of cross-cultural communication in Alaska and a student of Native cultures, for Communicating Across Cultures. This course meets the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development Multicultural Education requirement for teacher certification. Over a thousand Alaskan educators have participated in Father Oleksa's ASDN classes over the last fifteen years.

This course is the product of nearly twenty years experience in rural Alaskan communities as well as many years of research. It is especially designed to give the participant grounding in the cultural differences that often create miscommunication among Alaskans. Defining culture as "the way you see the world," "the game of life as you understand and play it," and finally as "the story into which you were born," Fr. Oleksa helps his audience perceive and honor their own cultural heritage while respecting and exploring the cultural background of others.

This is a blended class, beginning with three face-to-face meetings and completed online. All meetings take place at the BP Energy Center, located at 900 E. Benson Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99508. Meeting dates and times:

October 18, 4:00-9PM

October 19, 4:00-9PM

October 27 4:00-9PM

October 28 4:00-9PM

All online coursework must be completed by October 31, 2021.

Educators who complete this course will be able to:

Define Culture as a world view, explore their “Beam of Light” and view the way in which they see the world.
Reflect on one’s own culture and values and share their “story” with others in class.
Explore communication as well as miscommunication as it relates to culture and classroom settings.
Experience personal stories from Father Oleksa as he shares his culture and life experiences.
Reflect on participant teaching experiences with communication issues and share in group settings.
Research a traditional or non-traditional culture and share their findings with other class participants.
Students will read and discuss texts dealing with issues of race, equity, gender, and the physically disabled.

Course Books, Another Culture, Another World, Father Michael Oleksa; You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, Deborah Tannen; Conflicting Visions in Alaskan Education, Richard L. Dauenhauer are required and not sold separately. If you purchase the books, they will be given to you on the first day of class. If you know someone who has previously taken this course, you may borrow the books from them.

Read the Course Outline

Methods of Instruction - Face-to-face lectures, readings and written responses. No quizzes, midterms or final examinations.

The BP Energy Center requires that face masks must be worn at all times. All participants in ACSA events must provide, on the first day of the event during the check-in process, one of the following:

Proof of vaccination, or
Proof of a negative COVID test that was taken within 72 hours of the event start date

Either document must be presented at check-in with a photo ID that matches the name on the document. Before registering for this event, please make plans to be vaccinated (if you are not already fully vaccinated) or have a COVID test within 72 hours of the event start date. The vaccine requirement can be met by COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for use by the FDA or WHO, and negative test results should be from PCR or LAMP tests.

Registration for this course closes the day before the first meeting day.
You must attend all face-to-face meetings and complete all follow-up work in order to earn credit.
All grades must be submitted at the same time to the university. Grades can not be submitted individually, earlier or later than the rest.
If you should need to cancel your registration, you must notify ASDN at least three business days prior to the start of the course in order to receive a refund. A $20 cancellation fee will be applied.
Extensions, incompletes, and re-enrollments are not permitted.

Contact Sharon Bandle directly if you have questions or concerns about the coursework:
sbandle@alaskaacsa.org. Contact ASDN for registration or transcript questions.

Sharon has more than 40 years of experience working with students, teachers and administrators from around the state. Sharon was a teacher and the district technology coordinator in Anchorage. She served two terms on the Board of Directors of Alaska Geographic, the nonprofit education partner of Alaska’s public parks, forests, and refuges. She is a 50-year veteran of the state and currently resides in Anchorage.