AALI Leadership Summit Success
Dr. Mark Cooper and Ms. Renee Calhoon with the UCA College of Education Mashburn Center for Learning provided an Arkansas Adolescent Literacy Intervention (AALI) Leadership Summit on Nov. 8 at the Conway Hilton Garden Inn. Attendees included Arkansas school district assistant superintendents, building principals, instructional facilitators, classroom teachers, and AALI Professional Developers. Participants were provided opportunities to learn from one another through AALI school presentations and table talk activities.
Additionally, school participants strategically planned with AALI Professional Developers designing the implementation of a successful intervention by utilizing a professional development model. The model guides schools through the process titled Building Capacity + Building Sustainability = A Successful Intervention.
At the close of the one-day summit, participants deemed the day’s work as highly successful. They suggested holding another summit in the near future for advanced professional development. School district personnel left the summit with detailed plans of action for implementing AALI, building capacity within their own schools, and taking necessary action steps for sustaining their newly designed intervention plans. For more information about the AALI Leadership Summit, contact Renee Calhoon at (501)269-9480 or kcalhoon@uca.edu.
Faculty Participates in More Than 70 Recruitment Events During 2010 Fall Semester
In addition to the on-campus UCA recruiting events such as Bear Facts and Presidential Scholars Days, the College of Education faculty has been involved with almost 20 additional regional or state educator recruiting events and more than 40 P-12 individual school or school district recruitment visits.
Educator recruitment events include the Arkansas Education Association and the Arkansas Curriculum Conferences in Little Rock, and the Council for Exceptional Children Conference in Hot Springs. The College of Education faculty also recruited at the “Becoming a Teacher in Arkansas” recruitment event in Little Rock sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Education.
COE Faculty attended community college events or classes to recruit at Pulaski Technical College and the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton.
In addition, faculty presented recruitment materials at the Little Rock College Night, the Faulkner County Teacher Breakfast and Education Fair, and the Smokey Emerson Concert on campus to enhance Latino recruitment and outreach.
College of Education faculty have traveled to schools in Faulkner County, Pulaski County, Conway County, and other school districts around the state to take recruitment brochures and to talk with P-12 faculty about education graduate programs offered at UCA. The college faculty have also been working with Academic Outreach and Extended Programs to send email blasts and fliers to P-12 schools and districts.
We sincerely appreciate the considerable faculty time and effort that this intensive recruitment effort represents. Thanks to the College of Education faculty for going “above and beyond” their usual responsibilities. And many thanks to AOEP staff for their expertise and support in the college faculty’s recruitment and marketing efforts.
Department of Teaching and Learning Participates in the Arkansas Curriculum Conference
Faculty from the UCA College of Education Department of Teaching and Learning contributed to the great success of the annual Arkansas Curriculum Conference held at the Peabody Hotel and Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock on Nov.3-5.
Approximately 1,200 classroom teachers from across the state of Arkansas attended this year’s event. The department was represented by many middle level and secondary teacher candidates from UCA who both attended the conference to enhance their teaching insights and career opportunities and assisted with presentations.
ACC is co-hosted by four state organizations: the Arkansas Council for the Social Studies (ACSS), the Arkansas Council for the Teaching of English and Language Arts (ACTELA), the Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ACTM), and the Arkansas Science Teachers Association (ASTA). The conference is sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Education, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, and the University of Arkansas Center for Mathematics and Science Education.
Several faculty members from the Department of Teaching and Learning serve in leadership roles. Marilyn Friga serves on the ACSS board. Donna Wake and Jeff Whittingham serve on the ACTELA board. Terri Hebert serves on the ASTA board. Board members were responsible for organizing several breakfasts, lunches, and dinner receptions.
Faculty members making 23 presentations included:
- Dr. Tammy Benson with middle level intern Valeria Martin – “Jump Start Early Literacy: Strategies that WORK:” an array of research-based strategies to improve literacy in young learners.
- Dr. Gary Bunn – “Creative Thinking as a Vehicle for Greater Understanding:” a process for connecting concepts to promote creative thinking to increase understanding.
- Ms. Mara Cawein with teacher Tonia Crow of Cabot School District – “Use National Board Standards to Improve Teaching in Mathematics:” an extension of the national board process.
- Ms. Marilyn Friga with teacher Linda Shott of Pottsville School District – “The Box:” a conversation about National Board Certification.
- Ms. Marilyn Friga, Dr. Jeff Whittingham, and Dr. Patsy Ramsey from the UCA Department of History – “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution:” a nationally acclaimed program on the principles of the U.S. Constitution.
- Dr. Nancy P. Gallavan with Ms. Marilyn Friga and MAT art teacher candidate Meagan Williams of Cabot School District – “Teaching the Thematic Strands of Social Studies with Dr. Seuss:” a comprehensive alignment of Dr. Seuss books with activities.
- Ms. Emily Goldstein, business education intern, with Dr. Robert Lamm, from Arkansas State University – “Evaluating Writing:” an analytical evaluation of rubrics with electronic techniques.
- Ms. Nancy Gregorich, middle level intern, with Ms. Catherine Hayes, ACTELA – “The Journal Gets a Facelift:” an overview of journaling to fulfill many different expectations.
- Dr. Terri Hebert – “Shake, Rattle, and Roll:” a selection of activities that help students visualize potential damage from earthquakes.
- Ms. Jessica Herring and Ms. Terri Smedegard, middle level interns – “Teaching Tweets: Using Social Networking to Teach Language Arts;” an exploration of social networking as forms of personal narratives for use with middle level learners.
- Ms. Jamie Metcalf, middle level intern, with Jan Loyd, teacher from Cabot School District – “Classroom Management, Organization, and Strucure:” an opportunity to increase learning through classroom management and readiness.
- Ms. Minnietta Ready, middle level intern, with Dr. John Hehr, professor at the University of Arkansas – “STARLAB: Weather:” a view of global weather events.
- Ms. Minnietta Ready, middle level intern, with Ms. Deborah Teems, teacher from Mountain Home School District – “Elementary My Dear Watson!” a series of forensic and inquiry based science labs.
- Ms. Minnietta Ready, middle level intern, with Ms. Judi Colloredo, Invent Now Kids – “Creative Coasters:” an adventure in building roller coasters.
- Dr. Wendy Rickman and Dr. Stephanie Huffman from the UCA Department of Leadership Studies – “Lifetime, School, & Reluctant Reader Populations:” a summary of traits of readers and nonreaders within student populations.
- Ms.Haley Tharp, middle level intern, with Ms. Novella Humphreys, Northcentral ESC – “Igniting the Fires for Reading History:” a collection of strategies to motivate students to ask burning questions related to history.
- Dr. Donna Wake with professor Dr. Sean Connors from the University of Arkansas – “Rethinking Reading: Graphic Narrative in the Classroom;” a presentation supporting graphic novels as an expansive definition of reading.
- Dr. Donna Wake with professor Dr. Peter Smagorinsky from the University of Georgia – “A Structured Process-Approach to Teaching Writing:” a hands-on experience with extension activities.
- Dr. Donna Wake with middle level intern Mindi French – “Digital Storytelling: Writing for the Net Generation:” a review of digital storytelling products created by students ranging from kindergarteners through graduate programs.
- Dr. Jeff Whittingham with Dr. Rob Christensen along with Dr. Stephanie Huffman and Dr. Wendy Rickman from the UCA Department of Leadership Studies – “Using Audio Books in the Middle School Library:” a report of findings relating the impact of using audio books on attitudes toward reading and fluency.
- Dr. Jeff Whittingham with author Dr. Patricia McCormick – “The Writer’s Life: Helping Students Find the Writer Within:” a featured luncheon presentation with a National Book Award winning finalist guiding teachers to inspire their students’ writing.
- Dr. Jeff Whittingham with middle level interns Valerie Martin, Jamie Metcalf, Terri Smedegard, Michelle Stell, Haley Tharp, and Angela Wittke – “Twenty Ten: The Best Twenty Books of 2010:” an examination of juvenile fiction and young adult books published in 2010.
- Angela Wittke, middle level intern, with Ms. Erica Sockwell, teacher from Jonesboro School District – “What Classroom Am I In? Writing Across the Curriculum:” a view of writing in all subject areas
In addition to their presentations, faculty from the Department of Teaching and Learning recruited for the College of Education in the Exhibit Hall promoting their graduate programs. An assortment of fliers were distributed, especially information about the Advanced Studies in Teacher Leadership Program, the Special Education master’s degree program, and the School Counseling Program. Other faculty who contributed their time to the COE Recruiting Exhibit included Dr. Kathleen Atkins, Chair of the Department of Early Childhood/Special Education, and Mr. Ken Vaughn, Director of the Office of Candidate Services.