Anika Mazurkiewicz recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in Primary School Education from the University of Münster in Germany. Her program, which focused on the subjects math, German, English and educational sciences, included a module where a stay abroad is mandatory. Anika applied and was accepted for a placement at UNCW’s Watson College of Education in the fall of 2022.
While at UNCW, Anika completed Kathy Fox’s EDN 344 course in Children's Literature and Media. The course sparked her interest, and after returning to Germany she chose to focus her thesis on the topic of children’s literature with Dr. Fox serving as her advisor and thesis chair. Anika’s thesis, titled "Children's picture books as a cultural mediator: a tool for teaching cultural diversity in heterogeneous EFL classrooms in the primary school,” involves an analysis of selected children's picture books.
“I was thrilled when Anika told me she was interested in pursuing her interest in children’s literature,” Dr. Fox said. “She is a wonderful student and it was an honor to serve as her advisor. I am incredibly proud of her successful completion of her thesis. It is a great accomplishment!”
“I am very interested in different cultures and find it interesting to see how cultural differences are portrayed in literature and how teachers can use this as a benefit for teaching about diversity, as diversity is a big topic currently in German classrooms,” Anika said. “My research focused mainly on picture books that portray more than one culture. Key findings are that two of the three picture books were suitable for teaching diversity and that it is vital to reflect on the class's heterogeneity when choosing appropriate books. More findings are that there is a need for more diverse books and books that can function as mirrors, doors, and windows for children to include all learners.”
Anika said she enjoyed her time in Wilmington and learned a lot during her semester at the Watson College.
“I was delighted with the many opportunities that Watson College of Education offered me,” she said. “Watson's teacher education program differs in many aspects from my program in Germany. The classes are a lot smaller at UNCW. Sometimes, I have lectures in Germany with 200 students in the room. In Germany, it is also more anonymous; the professors do not usually know the students by name but by their registration number. The classes are held with PowerPoint; students listen and take notes rather than engage. In Germany, we were provided with a theoretical framework, whereas in the US, I gained more practical experience. My most significant opportunity was to get hands-on experience at College Park Elementary School.”
Anika said she also has many heartwarming memories of her experiences here outside of the classroom. They include pumpkin carving with Dr. Fox, a canoe trip at Three Sisters Swamp with Campus Recreation, many day trips with the Wilmington “friendship family” she was matched with through UNCW’s Office of International Students & Scholars and celebrating Thanksgiving with a classmate's family.
Anika has started her master's degree in Primary School Education at the University of Münster. She has remained in close touch with Dr. Fox and her Wilmington friendship family, and said the time she spent at UNCW made a lasting impact.
“Studying abroad on a different continent while being the only international student in the study program sometimes pushed me out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Reflecting on it, I see it as a tremendous learning opportunity, and I firmly believe I developed and grew a lot from this experience. I am incredibly grateful that this opportunity was given to me, and I am sure I can give it back to my students to help them grow!”
UNCW students learned from the experience as well, Dr. Fox said.
"One unique contribution of having Anika join our literature class was in the sharing of perspectives of World War 2,” she said. “After our class read and discussed the Hickory, NC based novel Blue by J. M. Hostetter, Anika's culminating project included a pair of overalls, central to the book, with questions and prompts in the pockets to probe the story. I'll never forget it! We ended the semester with a good-bye celebration for Anika, where classmates gave her Dolly Parton memorabilia as a remembrance of our time together through literature and song.”
Students enrolled in Watson’s Elementary Education program can choose a Language Arts concentration. At the graduate level, master’s and add-on licensure programs are offered for K-12 teachers who would like to deepen their knowledge about literacy teaching, learning and problem-solving. The programs open doors for professionals interested in becoming literacy leaders in schools, districts, state and national agencies. For more information, please visit the program websites:
This article has the following tags: Watson College of Education Students & Alumni