Kennesaw State Global Library
About Us
In 2010, Dr. Viakinnou-Brinson received the Global Learning Through Undergraduate Scholarship Funding Award (GLUS) from the Kennesaw Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL). The award was used to fund a project-based research which consisted in having students write, create and illustrate their own story books and picture books for real audiences locally and globally. Picture books were written by beginner level French students, while more complex story books explaining natural phenomenon and/or incorporating elements of African culture were written by advanced level students. Locally these books were used at Towns Elementary School, L'Alliance Française and Garden Hills Elementary (Atlanta, GA) to expose elementary students to the French language and Francophone world. Globally, the books were used to conduct reading hour in underserved areas of Francophone Africa. The success of the project among both KSU and elementary students prompted Dr. Viakinnou-Brinson to create an online library with students generated creative books.
Our Goals
The goal of the library is to:
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Promote Foreign Language (FL) literacy
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Foster target language use through applied reading and writing
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Improve reading and writing at all levels
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Heighten creativity
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Foster reading and writing self-efficacy
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Foster critical thinking
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Foster cultural and global connections
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Make reading accessible to ALL
Meet Dr. Lucie - Viakinnou Brinson
Dr. Lucie Viakinnou-Brinson holds a BA in English Literature (Université Nationale du Bénin, Benin, West Africa) Masters degrees in English Literature (University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida) and French Literature (University of Florida, Gainesville, FL). She received her PhD in French and Educational Studies from Emory University (Atlanta, GA) and is currently an Associate Professor of French and Francophone Literatures at Kennesaw State University. Her areas of research focus on Foreign Language Pedagogy, Classroom-Based Research (with an emphasis on Target Language Use, Project-Based Learning and Self-Efficacy). Her literary areas of interests include French and Francophone Literatures (with an Emphasis on French and Francophone women writers from Africa, the Caribbean and France). Dr. Viakinnou-Brinson is also the founder of Seeds of Knowledge, Inc, a non-profit organization committed to improving literacy in Africa. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, walking, entertaining and spending time with her family and friends.
