International Education News & Happenings over on IHEC Blog's Facebook Page

Life post dissertation continues to be crazy and, dare I say, even more so.  In the month since I defended (I walk next Thursday, May 9th) I have received a couple of consulting offers, accepted a JSIE submission to review, been asked to facilite some online discussions in advance of a large upcoming international education conference, received an Press invitation to an upcoming international education event that will convene here in Chicago and have fielded vice requests to read my dissertation (Abstract available).

While I have continued to post weekly to IHEC Blog (copy and paste jobs of press releases and embedded videos and conference twitter #hashtag feeds) I spent more time over on Twitter and on IHEC Blog's Facebook page.  I find the opportunities to post and connect in these other spaces to be more economical for my time at the moment and I will continue to be more active in these spaces for the near future.  Following are some of the tings posted to IHEC Blog's Facebook page and if you are interested in coming along for the ride please feel free to do so at https://www.facebook.com/IHECblog:

- Institute of International Education Impact & Results by the Numbers at http://bit.ly/157VGUO

- In collaboration with the University of Chicago, on Monday, May 6, the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board will host a public discussion, Fulbright 2.0 – e-Learning, MOOCs, OERs, and the Future: What Does New Technology Mean for Global Education? A panel of experts will explore the evolving role of e-learning technologies in global education and the potential to apply these within the Fulbright Program, including how such innovations can empower Fulbright participants to share knowledge and resources with audiences around the world. The event will be Live Streamed at http://go.usa.gov/4nvF


- Education Abroad Graduate Students and Young Professionals
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Education-Abroad-Graduate-Students-Young-4948281/about
Twitter https://twitter.com/EAGSYP
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EAGSYP


- Tara Sonenshine, Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, is reported to be leaving State Department in July according to the Washington Post "In the Loop"] at http://wapo.st/17kEAAo

- World Bank Executive Director Ian H. Solomon will join The University of Chicago as the VP for Global Engagement: http://ow.ly/kiEdt

- U.S. Senator Raises Concerns About Student Visas in Wake of Boston Bombing [via The Chronicle of Higher Education] at http://bit.ly/10wMg3r and via Senator Paul Rand's website at http://1.usa.gov/10wMkA9

IHEC Blog's Facebook Page Reaches 1,000 Followers

Earlier this week, IHEC Blog's Facebook page reached 1,000 Followers. Thanks to all who have come along for the ride and for those of you who have yet to join the fun you can certainly do so at https://www.facebook.com/IHECblog.

Top 17 IHEC Blog Posts of 2012

Long time readers of IHEC Blog have noticed a variety of changes here over the years.  One noticeable change has been in the way I post.  Like many, my life is crazy busy.  I have a family of three young children, a full-time job, trying to finish my dissertation, on the editorial board of the Journal of Studies in International Education, I edit and publish IHEC Blog as well as manage several related internet properties, and occasionally I try to find some time to relax.  As a result, my blog posts have changed over the years and often times I only have enough time to embed a video that may be of interest to readers.  I also have significantly decreased the number of times I post to IHEC Blog (from a high of 282 posts in 2009 to 61 posts in 2012).  Despite all of this, IHEC Blog had a good year in terms of readership and when analyzing the various analytic tools and data available to me (and factoring out SPAM, bots and other non-interested visitors) it appears to be a worthy endeavor.

Following are the top 17 most visited IHEC Blog posts in 2012.

Studying Abroad over Thanksgiving Break?

Future Conference Sites of U.S. Based International Education Organizations

Quotes by U.S. Presidents on the Importance of International Exchanges and the Fulbright Program

Tips for Getting into the International Education Field

Portrayal of Exchange Students in Movies and on TVin the U.S.

At What Age Can Someone Study Abroad?

Describing International Education in 134 characters

The Climate for Innovation

A List of all the Free International Education Resources I Utilize

List of Movies/Television Programs where the Characters go Abroad

How Studying Abroad in Florence, Italy and a Vacation in Mexico Lead Kevin Systrom to Start Instagram

We need students. For each student you bring us, we give you a 100 euros commission

The internationalization of Room 404 [a 3rd grade class at The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools]

Bibliography of Select Articles & Resources to Help International Educators Establish a New Media Presence

Question about Advanced Degrees for International Educators

French Fries, French Dressing, French Bread and to drink, Peru

The Middle, episode: “Foreign Exchange” (s02e05)

If you are interested you can link the top posts of 2011, 2010 and 2009 (didn't produce a list for 2008).  You'll notice some overlap between the years with popular posts.  Perhaps a Top 10 (or Top 23) all time most popular post compilation is due...but that won't happen until things slow down!