Worklife in Padova

Life in Padova is full of work and play. This post is about work. I have been teaching a masters class with my colleague and host here, Monica Fedeli, at one of U of Padova’s extension campuses in Rovigo. It is about a 40-minute drive from Padova. The title of the course is: Organizational Culture.Teaching and Learning Methods. We are teaching it in an accelerated format during the month of March, although got immediately derailed from our schedule when the first two days were cancelled due to snow. We have doubled up days and managed to keep almost to the original schedule. This has meant some long days with all-day teaching sessions. The course is being taught in English as the students desire to develop their proficiency. This has made for some interesting and challenging moments for all of us as we seek to understand content and meaning and clarify things when words don’t translate very well. And, although I am trying to learn Italian, it would be disastrous for me to try to teach in it. This week we were joined by Texas State colleague Dr. Joellen Coryell, who taught a special segment on active learning. Below are some photos of “The Marshmallow—Spaghetti Challenge” she led during her workshop.

Strategizing on how to make the tallest structure possible,
topped with the marshmallow. 

The winning team! 

Joellen telling lauding the wonders of the digestivo before her.
Yes, I tried one! 

Work requires sustenance, and sustenance we received! Dr. Joellen Coryell is to the left and below, next to Mark. We were enjoying a ridiculously huge and delicious family style Italian meal at Ristorante da Giovanni organized by Monica. Some colleagues from the School of Engineering joined us for this sumptuous feast. We were almost too full the next day to even eat! 

Post dinner smile.

Post feast grappa.

Below is an exercise we did this week when students had to create a representation of their learning journey this semester using 15 Legos. We finish next week and the students are busy preparing their final projects and presentations. 

Students intent on building their Lego representations with Monica looking on. 

The class has been occupying most of our work-time, although in addition, I am working on learning Italian by attending two hour-and-a-half sessions per week, working with my web-based Rocket Italian course, and trying to speak it in daily life. The class venue is a good 30-minute walk, so I also get some nice fresh air and exercise to and fro. So far, I am learning words and phrases that help you function in daily life. You feel really good when you can go to a cafe and say something you know, like “I would like a glass of white wine please” (Vorrei un bicchiere di vino bianco per favore) and then the server says something you can’t begin to comprehend. I have learned the regional wine names (Lugana has become a favorite) so can usually decipher those, but sometimes you just have to smile and ask for it in English, politely of course! I have found Italians very friendly and even when we don’t speak each other’s language, we try to communicate. Learning to understand numbers is also challenging (I can do basic counting—uno, due, tre, quattro…, but when hear the total at the grocery store, spoken quickly, you usually have to ask for help). Presumably, learning Italian will be a lifelong learning project. It is not easy!

A beautiful view along via Roma, taken by Mark.

We (host Monica and I) are also working on faculty development workshops around our research project (more on that in another post). We will be going to Milan in April for a 2-day workshop with sciences faculty at the University of Milan and we will also do a similar workshop in Padova in June. I am also organizing an introductory coaching workshop for interested faculty at the U of Padova.

Just in case we don’t keep busy enough teaching, delivering workshops, and doing research, Monica and I also have some book projects in the works. One will be edited that examines adult learning and knowledge management synergies, another will be a faculty resource for active teaching, and yet another will be based on the masters course we are currently teaching. Of course, I have two book contracts in progress, so all in good time…

One of Padova's many magnificent churches.
Photo by Mark

Lest you think I am spending all of my time indulging in the divine sights, delicious food, and delectable wine of Italy, we are also planning and participating in several conferences. The first is coming up in Florence in early May. Next, we are planning a special conference for graduate students here in late May where I will have a chance to practice a keynote I am giving for conference in England in early June. I will be wrapping up my Fulbright with a conference on Transformative Learning in Milan in late June. Monica and I are also planning a women’s retreat that will occur in the spring of 2019 in Cortona. We almost don’t have time to get into any trouble…

Prato della Valle, on one of our daily walks. 

My next post will focus on the play that we have been enjoying as we take needed breaks from working on our exciting projects. Ciao!