Professional and Scholarly Communication News

Engaged Communication for PhD Students

Engaged Communication for PhD Students

April 1, 2022

Teaching is an act of scholarly communication, and developing communication skills is an important component of professional development. We offer programs in teaching and scholarly communication for PhD students at every stage, from newly matriculated students who want to develop strategies to more easily explain their work, to dissertation-stage students preparing to share short versions of their research on the Sanders Theatre stage. This year we focused on communicating in person (both with masks and without) after more than a year of being confined to a small square on...

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Compelling Communication, Remotely

Compelling Communication, Remotely

June 7, 2021

Teaching is an act of scholarly communication, whether you are explaining a concept, giving a lecture, or presenting your research on the Sanders Theatre stage. Whether you are working with a small, familiar group of students or a large public audience, what goals do you have? How can you structure your content, use your visuals and voice to support those goals, and keep the audience engaged in your ideas? Engaged communication is a core component of the Bok Center’s work; over the past year, we translated lessons of engaged communication to the Zoom setting, and adjusted how we coach...

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hands over table stretching out rubber bands with words "Lengthen," "Emphasize," and "Slower" written on them

How Do You Hone Your Oral English Language Skills?

August 12, 2020

The Bok Center’s Professional Communication Program for International Teachers and Scholars supports international PhD students in developing oral English proficiency, cross-cultural understanding, and teaching skills. We recently sat down to talk with two students who have participated in the program over the past two years. We asked them to share how they developed their oral English communication skills to prepare to be teaching fellows as well as advice they would give incoming international PhD students, based on their...

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Lexi, Emily, and Kate sitting around a table making silly faces at the camera.

Moving Online, Not Apart: Culture and Communication Consultants Engage with International TFs

May 27, 2020

As we’ve transitioned to remote teaching, our undergraduate fellows have been important partners in supporting our programming. The Professional Communication Program for International Teachers and Scholars has a team of ten undergraduate Culture and Communication Consultants (CCCs), whose work this semester helped us maintain our connection to campus and to each other. The CCCs...

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The Showcase Must Go On: Pedagogy Fellows’ Capstone Projects Go Virtual

May 21, 2020

As classes at Harvard moved online, so too did the Bok Center’s Pedagogy Fellows Program, comprising 33 experienced and creative graduate students who support their peers in their roles as undergraduate teachers. Pedagogy Fellows (PFs) collaborate with faculty, department administrators, and the Bok Center’s senior staff to enhance training and support for teaching fellows within their departments and across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences by leading pedagogy seminars and workshops, consulting with TFs, and developing...

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Celebrating Bok Teaching Certificate Recipients

May 7, 2020

The Bok Center is excited to recognize and celebrate this year’s Bok Teaching Certificate Recipients!

The Bok Teaching Certificate gives GSAS PhD students a tangible marker of their ongoing commitment to developing as teachers in higher education. Guided by three principles—Learn, Practice, Reflect—those who pursue the Certificate explore different topics in teaching and learning through departmental pedagogy courses and...

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Community for International Graduate Students

April 15, 2020

The Bok Center strives to be a place where teachers and scholars at all stages of their careers can find community, and it has been important to us to maintain that during these challenging times.

We have helped international graduate students stay connected through Community Check-ins: Connect and Chat, a drop-in conversation hour for international scholars and undergraduates to share ideas for teaching, learning, and living.... Read more about Community for International Graduate Students

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Winners of the 2018-2019 ABLConnect Teaching Innovator Prize Announced

November 6, 2019

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2018-19 ABLConnect Teaching Innovator Prize!

ABLConnect is an online database of active learning exercises developed by Harvard instructors and used in Harvard classrooms. The competitive Teaching Innovator Prize recognizes instructors from across Harvard institutions for their use of active learning. This year’s winners are:... Read more about Winners of the 2018-2019 ABLConnect Teaching Innovator Prize Announced