21 Oct2024
By Anna Flanders
This article was originally published on the University of Northern Iowa’s website and is reprinted with permission.
Photo credit: Sheri Miller
The seven teachers that comprise the third-grade team in the Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District in Vinton, Iowa, all share a special bond. Not only do they connect as educators in the same community, but they all can trace their roots back to the top producer of teachers in the state: the University of Northern Iowa. They share the same foundation through UNI Teacher Education — and a special affinity for donning UNI gear on Panther Fridays.
“I think there is a sense of pride and respect for one another,” said Shelley Haisman, a 1995 graduate. “When you meet a teacher who has graduated from UNI, there is a sense that you know they are going to do a great job because they have been well trained.”
17 Sep2024
By Brian Cox
Credit: Steve Tressler/Penn State College of Education. All Rights Reserved.
A Penn State College of Education faculty member is part of a multidisciplinary team across several universities that has been awarded a $3.5 million Transformative Research Grant from the Spencer Foundation to conduct a large-scale, five-year study on community-driven initiatives to teach Asian American studies in K-12 classrooms.
Soo-yong Byun, professor of education, demography, and Asian studies, said the study — which is being conducted across California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas — aims to document challenges and barriers faced by the social justice movement regarding implementation of Asian American studies in the classroom, especially in the wake of increased violence against Asians and Asian Americans spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers said they are also planning to use the information to provide resources for more states to eventually implement Asian American studies as a mandated part of their curricula.
17 Sep2024
By Esmeralda Cartagena Collazo
From an early age growing up in Puerto Rico, I developed a deep passion for languages. I was exposed to both Spanish and English, and I dreamed of becoming fluent in English, believing it would open doors for me. I thought that moving to the United States would make that dream come true, but my experience as a new student was far from what I had imagined. I didn’t have the support I needed, and instead of learning the language, I found myself isolated and struggling. However, those early challenges didn’t deter me from my goal. They fueled my determination to master the language that had once felt out of reach.
Like many newcomers, my journey was marked by perseverance. I continued to learn English despite the obstacles, and eventually, I pursued higher education, earning both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English as a Second Language (ESL). Today, I’m close to completing my Ph.D. Becoming an educator, especially in a language that wasn’t my first, was a way for me to turn my struggles into opportunities — not just for myself but for the many students and teachers I now support.
13 Aug2024
By College of Education, UT Austin
Kara Huss, College of Education, University of Texas at Austin alumnae, has dedicated her career to supporting neurodivergent children, combining her passion for child development with her extensive training in special education and behavior analysis. Having earned her master’s degree and a BCBA certification, Kara believes that all behavior is a form of communication and is able to work with neurodivergent children both in the classroom and in learning environments outside of a strictly academic setting.
Now, as the executive director of the William’s School, Kara continues to drive the organization’s mission to provide individualized education and therapeutic support for children with autism and other neurodiversities. Her specific vision for a hybrid way of teaching remains a key factor in student success both inside and outside of the classroom.
Continue reading on UT Austin’s College of Education website.
12 Aug2024
By Nikki Livingston
Science continues to advance as the global economy rapidly changes, and P-12 students must acquire the knowledge and skills needed for the careers of tomorrow. It’s up to educators to make sure they are sharing the most up-to-date information with these students in an engaging way. As a premier research institution, Indiana University offers high-quality professional development opportunities to teachers across the state to help them prepare students for the future.
The P-12 School Engagement team consists of faculty from the Office of Community Engagement in the School of Education at IU Bloomington. The team works with partners across IU to offer professional development training in global competency, medicine, and environmental science, giving teachers the resources they need to prepare students for success.
15 Jul2024
By UNI College of Education
More than 60 new educators are ready to launch their own elementary school classrooms for the first time, thanks to an innovative new program at the University of Northern Iowa. This group of teachers are the first graduates of the Purple Pathway for Paraeducators program, which launched in 2022 to provide practicing paraeducators a pathway for earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
“This program involved a large amount of work, across multiple departments at the University of Northern Iowa. Thanks to this program, we now have 62 new elementary educators ready to lead their own classrooms,” said Colleen Mulholland, dean of UNI’s College of Education.
15 Jul2024
By Dickinson State University
Dickinson State University (DSU) and Mayville State University (MSU) are proud to announce the establishment of the Border to Border Education Consortium. This innovative partnership aims to enhance educational opportunities and resources across North Dakota by combining the strengths of both institutions. The first programs to be launched under this consortium will focus on mathematics and chemistry education, with further exploration into music education programs.
Holly Gruhlke, DSU vice president, expressed her enthusiasm for the new collaboration, stating, “This consortium represents a significant step forward in our mission to provide accessible, high-quality education to students across the state. By pooling our resources and expertise, we can offer programs that are both comprehensive and innovative. The collaborative efforts between our institutions will lead to a richer educational experience for our students. We are excited to begin exploring additional program opportunities.”
15 Apr2024
By Amy Kline
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) strives to recognize educators who have gone above and beyond in their service to New Jersey’s students. All local educational agencies (LEAs) are encouraged to participate in its Governor’s Educator of the Year program to honor the hardworking teachers and educational services professionals for their dedication to students, and to the profession.
As part of this distinguished state program, the New Jersey Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NJACTE) welcomes the teachers chosen to speak at a monthly membership meeting and invites them to share their thoughts about education. What follows is a post authored by 2024 NJ Teacher of the Year, Joe Nappi on the topic of difficult conversations.
02 Apr2024
A 2024 AACTE Session Recap and Reflection
By Mayra Marquez-Mendez
The session “Diversifying the Teaching Profession: Strategies for Success” provided invaluable insights into evaluating, reimagining, and implementing supportive models for diversifying the teaching profession. The presenters reflected and provided various perspectives to emphasize the importance of having a diverse teaching workforce to support culturally and linguistically diverse students across the United States. Key highlights from the presentation include the importance of providing high-quality instruction for our students, which begins with teachers, leaders, and districts nationwide through excellent lines of work in teacher preparation, professional learning, education policy, and diversity, equity, and inclusion by explaining local and national strategies to diversify the teaching profession.
In this session, the discussion centered on the need to diversify the teaching profession locally and nationally. More specifically, the focus was on the innovative work being done by The Public Education Business Coalition (PEBC) in Colorado, which has a proven track record of successfully reaching and attracting a diverse pool of potential educators across the United States. With a national reach, the PEBC is leading the charge in promoting high-quality instruction by collaborating with teachers, leaders, and districts nationwide. Their work spans various areas, including teacher preparation, professional learning, education policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion. By leveraging their expertise in these areas, the PEBC is helping to create a more inclusive and equitable teaching profession that better reflects the diverse student population in our schools.
01 Apr2024
By Karenna Glover
ReAction Virtual, the no-cost skills-based learning conference, hosted by GoReact, is set for April 10-11. Don’t miss this event featuring two half-days of workshops, panels, and thought leadership sessions featuring a wide range of topics including AI, assessment strategies, career readiness, and much more.
01 Apr2024
By The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (Washington DC)
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) announced the expansion of a popular and successful educator coaching program, which will provide free instructional coaching to 75 DC public and public charter teachers who have completed DC Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) programs and have fewer than five years of teaching experience. This work builds on OSSE’s 2023-24 school year school leader coaching, which served nearly 200 school leaders who support over 2,000 DC school-based educators.
“OSSE is proud to provide this coaching opportunity for new teachers who have completed their teacher training right here in the District,” said State Superintendent Christina Grant, Ed.D. “To improve student outcomes, teachers must be well prepared and well supported from the minute they set foot in the classroom, and investing in this one-on-one coaching resource will provide new teachers with the support they need to improve their instructional practice and ultimately make a meaningful impact on the social and academic success of DC students.”
11 Mar2024
By Hadlee Rinn
A group of teacher educators from the College of Education and Human Services and College of Science and Engineering at Central Michigan University (CMU) received a grant from the National Science Foundation to help college students become familiar with the core teaching practices, which are ideas or actions teachers follow to support learning. Additionally, the core teaching practices are demonstrated to have the greatest impact on student learning and were adopted by the Michigan Department of Education several years ago.
“We chose to focus on [the core practices of] building respectful relationships with students and modeling and explaining content. […] I would argue these are two of the more important teaching practices [because] if you’re going to teach students and have them learn effectively, you need to have a good relationship with them,” Kevin Cunningham, Ph.D, the lead principal investigator on the project said. “The ability to take what is challenging content and make that clear and intelligible to students [is important].”
26 Feb2024
By Megan Simpson
The power of partnerships is more than a talking point for Prentice Chandler, Ph.D., dean of the Eriksson College of Education at Austin Peay State University. These partnerships are elevated, celebrated, and taken seriously, and this attitude was fully apparent as the College of Education hosted its semiannual Partnership Advisory Council Meeting on February 15.
“These two meetings that we have each year are some of the most important work in the college,” Chandler said. “We can do just about anything if we work together.”
University-district partnerships are essential and have resulted in some of the college’s nationally recognized programs, including the Grow Your Own Teacher Residency. The Partnership Advisory Council is a collaborative effort that brings together Austin Peay faculty and staff with school district leaders and stakeholders from across Tennessee. These meetings allow the college to share updates on its programs and initiatives and gather feedback from partners to help guide improvements.
26 Feb2024
An #AACTE24 Session Recap and Reflection
By Charles A. Barnes II, JD
Attending the AACTE 2024 Annual Meeting Featured Session, “Competency-Based Education & Teacher Education: Next Steps” provided invaluable insights into reimagining traditional higher education models. The presenters compellingly reasoned how competency-based programs can bolster equity and accessibility by offering flexible, personalized pathways for a diverse range of learners (Patrick, 2021). Key highlights included the backward design process for developing competency-based curricula and the significance of authentic, performance-based assessments.
The session underscored how competency-based education fundamentally shifts the focus to actual student learning and the application of knowledge. As discussed, students progress by demonstrating mastery of real-world teaching competencies, rather than by accumulating seat time or credits (Klein, 2013). This mastery-based approach accommodates individual pacing and learning needs, thereby making teacher licensure more attainable for non-traditional students.
22 Feb2024
By UNLV News Center
As more Nevada teachers join the workforce to shape and educate the youth in the state, and as technology continues to advance, it is important to build confidence in educators who teach STEM. Enter the Nevada STEM Co-Lab Project.
A collaborative partnership between the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) College of Education and Center for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering; the Desert Research Institute (DRI); and the National Institute for the Advancement of Education — the Nevada STEM Co-Lab project aims to bridge formal and informal education in Nevada communities by providing access to curriculum-centered STEM activities and training for educators.
“This project has been a nice collaboration between UNLV and DRI. It was a successful partnership and is paving the way for additional proposals and ongoing collaboration,” said Hasan Deniz, a science education professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning.
The project comes from a congressionally directed STEM grant with three important parts. “The overall grant was to support the development of the STEM Co-Lab, or the technology learning space in our Las Vegas DRI campus, as well as the development of 16 new Green Boxes covering kindergarten through fifth grade,” said Emily McDonald-Williams, STEM Education program manager for DRI.
