Announcements Planning Opportunities Words of  Inspiration  Research and Creativity Activities

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT NEWS Volume XI, Spring 2002 Presidents' Week, Spring 2002 Edition - 2/18/02 best viewed at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/020218.html on the WWW; for past issues - Education Department News Index  http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/newsindex.html

Education Dept. Homepage Alumni News Departmental Documents Department Media Departmental Searches

Our best wishes and prayers go to Joe Mares, Paulette's husband, who suffered a stroke early last week. Mr. Mares is home after a two day stay in the hospital and recovering well.  He has some lingering problems with double vision and will be watched by his doctors closely as he continues to recover.  Best wishes for a speedy recovery.  Paulette, you have the department's support in these trying times.

A grant for the United Technologies/Hartford Public Schools Preschool Technology Project (http://www.tech4prek.com/) for $150,000 from United Technologies will be awarded in the first quarter of the year to a team of Education Department faculty lead by Professors Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, Hannah Sellers, Leah Barbuto, Sudha Swaminathan, June Wright, and Dean Patricia Kleine, and other staff from ECSU, and teachers and administrators in Hartford PreSchools.

This project serves preschool students and teachers in the following Hartford Public Schools - Barnard Brown Elementary School, Moylan School, Naylor School, McDonough School, Maria Sanchez School, Sand School, and West Middle School.

Congratulations, Jeff, Hannah, Leah, Sudha, June, Dean Kleine, and all of the Hartford teachers and administrators and project staff, on this accomplishment.

Thursday, February 21 - unit meetings
Developing the agenda for the Elem/Sec/RLA unit - please send items to David - stoloffd@easternct.edu
    Initial items - Strengthening the literacy component of the elementary education program, World Language certification program, comprehensive exam - portfolio assessment, advisement, ...

Thursday, February 28 - Graduate Studies Meeting - please send agenda item to Hari Koirala - koiralah@easternct.edu

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION:

No registration fee required.  To register, please E-MAIL Marilyn Duran at marilyn.duran@po.state.ct.us, by February 22, 2002, with your name, phone number, institution.  To contact Marilyn by phone, call 860-713-6717.

Please plan to participate in the March 16 Career Fair for Minority Teacher and Administrative Candidates, Learning Corridor, Hartford, 8:30 am - 12:30 pm.  Please see David for details.

Message from  Steve Kenton, Chief Marshal, email:  kenton@easternct.edu

"Each year, we ask the Honor Societies at ECSU to supply the name of an outstanding graduate to represent their respective society as a Student Marshal at Commencement. Please forward to me the name and contact information (phone, email, parole officer) of the person you are nominating from your department's honor society for this year's commencement.  The person you will nominate should be someone graduating at this year's commencement who is willing to represent your society."

Career Services will be having an Education Career Fair on March 19, 2002 from 4-6 pm in the Student Center BTR. Please share this information with students. Students can monitor the employers attending by checking out our web page at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/career/. Employers participating will be posted in about two weeks and will change weekly.

from Walter Diaz, Career Services

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WE CARE – We at Eastern Create Articulate Reflective Educators.

Do you dream about becoming a teacher?  Teacher shortages in mathematics, science, world languages, and special education and incentive programs to attract new teachers and to increase diversity among school personnel makes this a great time to fulfill your dream.

The Education Department offers programs which lead towards certification in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Secondary certification in Mathematics, Sciences, History/Social Studies, and English.  Teacher candidates complete majors in an academic subject other than Education, have above average grades, and have extensive experience teaching children.

For already certified teachers, we also have Master of Science degree programs in Reading/Language Arts (and RLA specialist certification), Science Education, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and the new MS in Educational Technology.  This program is offered online through OnlineCSU – http://www.onlinecsu.ctstateu.edu;  other graduate courses may be taken online.

Come join us in community-dedicated projects - a summer reading clinic in Windham, a UTC-sponsored technology in preschool classrooms project in Hartford, a national consortium to enhance learning using the internet, and summer and year-round workshops for high school students considering becoming teachers.

For more information, please call 860-465-4530 or visit us at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/edu.html.  WE CARE.

   Faculty members and students from Eastern Connecticut State University are participating in a US Department of Education grant to Prepare Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology with ThinkQuest
[ http://www.thinkquest.org] and 13 other universities throughout the US.  This project's homepage may be at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/pt3.html .

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Message from Barbara A. Butler, Interim Head of Technical Services and Collection Development Officer, J. Eugene Smith Library:

"The Library has obtained an online version of the Kraus Curriculum Development Library. The database is available from the Library's database site located at:

http://www.easternct.edu/library/library1/atoz.htm

Please use this resource and give us your reactions."

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.
 

Alumni news may be found at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/alumninews.html.

News from Leah Barbuto -
"Jen Lillis has been offered a long term teaching position in a Kindergarten in Enfield.  She has 23 children and of these, 5 have special needs, and she has one aide.  She shared with me that as soon as her certification goes through, she will receive regular teacher's pay.  She said that she is glad that she took [the] advice and did the four-week practium in an inclusive kindergarten even though she could have been waived.  It helped her during her interview to have had recent experience in the area for which this school district was looking."

A goal of the Alumni News section of our Education Department website is to encourage our alumni to share their successes with our growing community.  We are striving to develop an alumni association for Education which would serve as a support group for our alumni as they continue their successful professional careers.  Please join us in this endeavor by responding to the Education Department newsletters and encouraging others to participate in the development of a community of educators who share a love of learning, teaching, and our evolving campus in Willimantic, CT - Eastern Connecticut State University.

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Dr. Barbara Wright, ECSU’s Assessement Coordinator, presented talking points (attached) on the Eastern’s assessment to-do list, the assessment loop, …and described the definition of assessment we are using – ongoing process, not gate-keeping.  Assessment is “a systematic process of setting goals or asking questions, gathering information, interpreting it, and using it to improve the effects of college on student learning and development.”  The focus will be initially only undergraduate program assessment; the plan for assessment at ECSU, designed to make Eastern distinctive, may include graduate courses and programs.  Topics discussed the importance of formation of assessment questions, the use of rubrics to gather information, the use of this information for teacher professional development and curriculum development and revision, and the connection between the NCATE and assessment process.    Potential resources to enhance the assessment process should be available upon request through an initial discussion with Dr. Wright; the funding will probably not be in support of faculty assigned time, perhaps for student assistants.

Past surveys of our graduates were presented, available on the WWW  –

an analysis of the survey of teacher education program graduates 1996-98 http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/survey9698.htm

results of the survey of teacher education program graduates – 1996-1998 -
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/surveyresults9698.htm,  and

results of the survey of teacher education program graduates – 1998-2000 -
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/gradsurvey2001.htm

survey of interests in graduate programs –1999, http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/gradinterestsurvey1999.htm

survey of interests in graduate programs – 2001
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/gradinterestsurvey2001.htm

Mitch Sakofs introduced statistics on the responses of teacher candidates, cooperating teachers, and university coordinators within the student teacher assessment process were introduced by Mitch.

Potential connections of responding to the Eastern’s assessment to-do list within the state accreditation and NCATE process were discussed.  Dr. Wright asked for a copy of the state self-study and a page or two on assessment of one of the Connecticut Common Core of Teaching learning outcomes and what we learned from the results – might affect curriculum, pedagogy, or nature of feedback, exposure to different kinds of experience.  The Assessment Committee will be responsible for this response.

The Children’s Literature Festival – April 6, 2002.  Also, on campus that day, Academic Computing Conference, Day of Women.  At SCSU, CSU Research Conference.

Jeanelle Bland announced that she and Ken Dobush are working with Jaime Gomez, Communication Dept., to develop a seven-minute Teacher Education Unit video.

Meeting continued at 1:40 with Dr. Deena Sue Fuller, NCATE Consultant, providing an opportunity for general questions on the process.  Discussion points included the portfolio review process and schedule, ongoing program assessment in process, mentioning programs which have yet to be approved, collections of candidates’ work and student work in field – evidence of student achievement within learning cycle, and need for student consent for work samples.  Dr. Fuller asked if there were any questions on documenting assessment for the individual standards.  She would like to review the conceptual framework and the assessment plan.  Attention should be paid in addressing diversity issues, integrating educational technology; assessing knowledge, skills, and dispositions of candidates at three points – 1) at admission, 2) student teaching, and 3) completing the program.  Assessment should be aligned with state guidelines and other national and NCATE standards.  Mitch Sakofs mentioned that he heard at a NCATE training session in Hartford last week that a transition plan needs to be in place by the time of the visit; there was a question on how many years of data would be required.

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The current (Spring 2002) group of student teachers were asked to complete a survey on the length of their programs.  It was found that 40% of this group were able to complete their certification program and their studies within 4 years and another 29% were able to complete before the end of a fifth year.  Over half of the graduate certification students were able to complete their certification within 3 years.  The following  table illustrating this generalizations:
 

Implications of this study -

1) a similar survey should be completed each semester with student teachers to determine if there are any changes over time, and

2) advisors may tell students that those organized may complete their program in 4 years, but that the majority of students do complete their certification and studies within 5 years.

Any comments or questions on this report, please contact David Stoloff - stoloffd@easternct.edu .

Educational Department Searches for Tenure Track Faculty to Start in August 2002

The searches notices are also posted at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/search02.html, and available from The Chronicle.

Position: Educational Technology
Qualifications: Ph.D. or Ed.D. in educational technology or related field required. ABD near completion considered.
Position Description: The successful candidate will have at least three years of experience in teaching or coordinating educational technology instruction in PK-12 schools an/or in teacher education programs. Responsibilities include teaching preservice and inservice courses in computer applications in the classroom, curriculum development of online and on campus courses in educational technology, and leadership of outreach programs to regional schools. Duties will also include teaching other education courses, grant writing, and administration of leading edge project to prepare tomorrow’s teachers to use technology. Faculty members are expected to advise students and to engage in scholarly work and university service.
Respond to: Ken Dobush, Ph.D., Search Chair

Position: Reading/Literacy
Qualifications: Ph.D. or Ed.D. in reading/language arts or related field required. Emphasis on bilingual or ESL teaching preferred. ABD near completion considered.
Position Description: The successful candidate will be expected to teach graduate and undergraduate courses in reading/language arts; teach graduate coursed in the reading certification program; advise students at the graduate and undergraduate levels as well as supervise student teachers; develop professional relationships with area schools; and organize the summer reading clinic for reading certification students. Other qualifications include experience with miscue analysis and retrospective miscue analysis as evaluation and intervention tools; school teaching at the PK-12 and college levels; experience with diverse students populations; demonstrated interest in research, curriculum development, and school/university partnerships; and a commitment to a constructivist, meaning-based philosophical orientation and field-based collaborative approaches to teaching.
Respond to: Shirley Ernst, Ph.D., Search Chair

Please announce to potentially interested students and cooperating teachers in regional schools.

Faculty members in the Education Department at Eastern Connecticut State University are seeking certification candidates and middle school and high school teachers who would appreciate support for the development of Future Teachers Clubs or Young Educators Society (YES) Clubs in Eastern Connecticut and Hartford area schools.

We envision that certification candidates would visit schools about 10 hours a week during the Spring 2002 semester and collaborate with middle school or high school teachers and their students in the development or enhancement of these clubs.  Part of this involvement might be virtually, through a discussion board on a readily accessible website.  Participants will be selected for an early June weekend workshop on developing websites for curriculum support in the schools and for a late June weeklong residential Institute for Future Teachers using Technology at ECSU.

Certification candidates will earn a stipend for up to $1,500 for their efforts and their cooperating teachers will receive a stipend of $500 for their support of these projects.  Additional stipends will be available for participation in the summer workshop and institute.

If you might be interested in participating in this project, please contact Ms. Hannah Sellers (email: sellersh@easternct.edu) or Dr. David Stoloff (stoloffd@easternct.edu ).  Thank you for your consideration of this project.

Education, Computer Science, Mathematics, Management Information System/Science, and/or other majors interested in serving in the schools as technical assistants for 10 hours a week are invited to apply.  These students will consult in individual classrooms - setting up equipment, debugging procedures, demonstrating exemplary software, assisting in webpage development, and facilitating after school workshops.

Several school districts are interested in the services of Technical Assistants, including Lebanon, Salem, the Integrated Day Charter School in Norwich, and others. School site personnel and the student assistants will arrange the scheduling of the assignments of 10 hours per week.

Technical Assistants will be paid at the rate of $11.00 - $12.50 per hour, depending on experience.   Students will need to have their own transportation to participate.

Please complete the following application and return it to Professor David Stoloff, Education Department,
tel. no. (860) 465-5501, email:  stoloffd@easternct.edu.

This application is also on the WWW at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/projects/techies.html .

Handbook of Teacher Education, developed by Dan Rothermel and a team of faculty consultants.

NCATE (2002).  Professional Standards for the Accreditation of Schools, Colleges, and Departments of Education.

NCATE (2002).  Continuing accreditation & beyond.

Faculty Handbook.

Our Reading/Language Arts, Webb Hall 113, has been enriched with past issues of Phi Delta Kappan, Academe, Syllabus, Converge, Journal of Teacher Education, and other resources.  Please feel free to use and encourage your students to use these materials.

The Condition of Education 2001 in Brief.  National Center for Education Statistics, US Department of Education.

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

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
- Nelson Mandela
posted on 2/18/02

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Please contact David Stoloff at (860) 465-5501, email: stoloffd@easternct.edu if you have any questions or comments on this newsletter.   Please invite others to receive this newsletter and be added to the Education Department e-mailing list by contacting David Stoloff.