There is much to celebrate in the Education Department today:

Professors Ricklin, Rothermel, and Sakofs have established ECSU's first true PDS with Killingly.  Congratulations to all three for the considerable effort it has taken to establish this partnership.  Please read D. Rothermel's email below for more details.

Kudos also for Professors Stoloff and Sellars for the inauguration of ECSU's first Teacher Cadet Program.  The official agreement with Hartford Public High School was signed 1/24/01; the positive publicity this engendered for the Education Department has been remarkable.  The Teacher Cadet Program is specifically designed to recruit minority students into teaching.

The Omsbudmanship Award clearly goes to Professors Trawick-Smith, Swaminathan, Gruenberg, Cerreto, Barbuto, Alexandrin and Corrice for their collective "grace under fire" work with the design of the Child and Family Development Center. This Center is going to be something of which we will all be proud largely through the unfaltering dedication of the early childhood faculty and the extraordinary patience of Dr. Trawick-Smith.

Congratulations to all of you.

Pat Kleine

Committee on Admissions and Retention in Education  Meeting - Thursday, February 8, 12:30 - 1:45 pm, WH 115

Online Educational Department meeting minutes and Departmental Goals for 2000-2001 are available at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/deptminutes0001.html

The notes from the NCATE Writers' meetings have been posted at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/ncate/ncatenotes.html.
The Teacher Education Organizational Chart is available as a WORD document in the NCATE folder in the faculty COMMON folder on the Z: drive.

Please visit http://www.virtualcommunity.intranets.com/ to see the potential of threaded discussions.

Please review this revised Teacher Education Mission Statement -

The mission of the Teacher Preparation Programs of Eastern Connecticut State University is to recruit and prepare, in accordance with state and national standards, undergraduate and graduate students of diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds to be reflective teachers and leaders in our nation's schools.   Teacher Education faculty initiate basic, applied, and collaborative research which relate to problems and issues in education and provide professional services and consultation to public school centers, community and state agencies, and professional organizations.

Please review this revised list of Education Department Committees:

The standing committees of the department shall be:

- Departmental Evaluation Committee (DEC)
- Committee for Admission and Retention in Education (CARE)
- Committee on Excellence and Diversity in Education
- Budget Committee
- Educational Experience/Professional Development Schools Committee
- Educational Technology Committee
- Graduate Studies Committee
- Library and Curriculum Center Committee

and let David know if you have any suggestions or comments.

February 17-21 - Association of Teacher Educators conference, New Orleans - see David for details.

February 28 - March 4 - Association of Colleges and Universities for Teacher Education, Dallas - see David for details.

March 9 - Middle School Mania, Killingly - see Dan for details.

March 9 - New England Regional Social Studies Conference, Boston - see Leslie for details.

March 10 - School Safety Seminar - see David for details.

March 10 - CT Science Education Association conference - see Jackie for details.

March 27 - New England League of Middle Schools - see Leslie for details.

March 30 - Conversation in Educational Technology - CSU System Office, 11 - 1 [change in date]

April 7 - Children's Literature Festival, ECSU - see Shirley for details.

April 14  - New England Early Childhood Education Conference - see Ann for details.

April 21 - Academic Computing Conference - WCSU  - see David for details.

April 28 - Kappa Delta Pi initiation, Alumni Weekend - see Leah Barbuto for details.

May 10th – Education Department Mini- Conference, 4:00– 7:00.

Commencement is scheduled for Sunday, May 20 - MS Ceremony is scheduled for Shafer Auditorium.

Valentine Pal Fundraiser. For $1.00 you can send a friend a message and some candy on Valentine's day.  We are taking orders on Thursday February 8th at the Student Center from 10am- 3:15pm and at Webb Hall from 12:30-2:30.

1) Interested in forming a College Bowl team.  Please see David for details.

2) Nominations for Omicron Delta Kappa honor society First-Year Student Award being sought.  If you know of any "outstanding" freshmen who excel in leadership and have a 3.25 or
better GPA, please submit name(s) to Patricia Martin, Career Services, X55247.
 

This workshop will heighten participant awareness of guidelines for safe
schools and emergency preparedness in Connecticut schools.

Topics will include -

? the common types of school injuries and the relative frequency of unintentional injuries (“accidents”) and intentional injuries
? strategies for managing safety in a classroom and school
? keeping a school safety committee focused and effective
? playground safety practices
? safety during construction, renovation, and maintenance
? identifying actual and potential hazards in the classroom
? the various stages of evacuation and when each is needed
? why your school should have a flammable gas alarm
? teaching students about safety
? general considerations for prevention of school violence
? maintaining an up-to-date and effective emergency plan
? and more.

Presenters will be: Victor H. Ferry, Ph.D.; Bernard J. Silkowski, C.S.P.; Lt. Daniel Nutt; and Enrico DeMatto.

Each participant will receive a teacher's edition of an award winning school safety and emergency response procedures manual and the Guide to Developing a Severe Weather Emergency Plan for Schools.  In addition, the university will award a certificate attesting to participation in this workshop by individual students.   CEUs may also be available upon request.

Space is limited to 25 participants so please reserve your place by February 19, 2001 by contacting Dr. David Stoloff, Chair, Education Department, at 860-465-5501, email: stoloffd@easternct.edu.
 

Paid $10 hr./wk. position to work with a young man with a disability.  Call 860-774-4675 if interested.

For information about the the Gates Millenium Scholars Program, which grants scholarships to minority students usually enrolled in mathematics, science (including life sciences, physical sciences and computer science), engineering, education or library science programs, please visit http://www.gmsp.org/index.html .
 

Milken, L. (2000) Teaching as the Opoortunity:  The Teacher Advancement Program.  Santa Monica, CA:  Milken Family Foundation.

Print-out of Connecticut Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention Program website at
http://www.state.ct.us/sde/der/info/minorityteacher/index.htm

Braus, N. and Geidel, M. (2000) Everyone's kids' books:  A guide to multicultural socially conscious books for children.  Brattleboro, VT:  Everyone's Books. [A gift from the Education Department Sunshine Fund to the Chair's Library - THANK YOU!!]

Connecticut Guidelines for the Issuance of Continuing Education Units Required for Certification.

Student Teachers' Poetry - ECE 465:  The Role of the Teacher.

In-Service Training Course Catalog, Spring 2001.

CT's Blueprint for Reading Achievement, CSDE, 2000.

CT Mastery Test Forum, Connecticut Public Television video.

Milne, A.A. (1926) Winnie-the-Pooh.  New York:  Puffin Books. (used to illustrate models of learning and teaching - particularly the Guiding Partner Model)

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (2000).  Engage discoverers:  Kids constructing knowledge with technology.  Austin, TX.  A VIDEO.

Gibson, G. W. (1992) Good start:  A guidebook for new faculty in liberal arts colleges.  Bolton, MA:  Anker Publishing Co. (gift from the Center for Educational Excellence - thank you, Dr. Rhona Free)
 

Other available documents are listed on the Education Department Documents page at
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/documents.html

*********
Please contact David Stoloff at (860) 465-5501, email: stoloffd@easternct.edu if you have any questions or comments on this newsletter.