Jen MacArthur

Biogram

Jen MacArthur is the Regional English Language Officer (RELO) for Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova, based in Warsaw. This is Jen’s fifth overseas tour as a RELO, having previously served in Rabat, Belgrade, Islamabad, and Mexico City. Before joining the Department of State, Jen taught English and Education at the University of Bucharest and the University of Vaasa (Finland); Jen has also taught English as a Second Language and Social Studies at the elementary and high school levels in the Washington, DC Public Schools and in her home state of Maine. Jen studied European History and German as an undergraduate and holds master’s degrees in Teaching English as a Second Language and in Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries. Jen speaks German and Swedish well, speaks intermediate Spanish and French, and started learning Ukrainian this summer.

Reading Pictures: Treating Images as Text to Promote Critical Thinking

"It's as important to be visually literate, to understand pictures and how they affect us, as it is to be word-literate." - Brian Kennedy, Museum Director. In an age where we (and our learners) are bombarded by more and more information each day, it’s more important than ever that we help our students to develop skills to see, describe, analyze, and interpret information – both with words and through images. Let’s move from using visual aids to putting visual literacy at the core of our curriculum!