EDUCATION DEPARTMENT NEWS
Volume XII, Summer 2002

Second Week of Classes Fall 2002 Edition -
September 9, 2002

best viewed at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/020909.html
on the WWW; for past issues - Education Department News Index

http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/newsindex.html

Education Dept. Homepage

Alumni News

Departmental Documents

Department Media

Departmental Searches

Welcome to the Fall 2002 Semester's first classes. Special welcome to new faculty members - Ingrid Enniss, who will strengthen our Reading/Language Arts programs, and Catherine Tannahill, who will strengthen our programs with educational technology and experiences as a school administrator.

The semester starts off with much discussion about the pending approval of the Master of Science in Secondary Education and MS in Sec Ed with certification programs and their implications on undergraduate secondary certification. This will be a topic of discussion throughout the academic year.

We also are preparing for the NCATE visiting team in Spring 2003. Dean Kleine will be meeting with the Education Department faculty on Thursday to discuss our next steps in the process.

Welcome all to an instructional and fulfilling Fall semester.

*****

Words of Inspiration
the collection appears at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/words.html

shared by Patti Fusco of the Connecticut Educational Technology Commission - mailto:pwfusco@earthlink.net

Patriots' Day Resources on the Web

As we commemorate the events of September 11, 2001, we as educators may look for ways to reflect upon this sensitive and often graphic topic. According to experts, schools should carefully plan any event that commemorates the first anniversary of September 11. What's most important is that the activity reflect what your students need. Some children might find the whole reliving of the horrific events very disturbing, as may some teachers. It may be better to focus on heroes, and make it more local (firemen, policemen, people who assisted with the explosion at the condos on Terrace Avenue, etc.) and more positive, perhaps focusing on community service and patriotism. Again, each person should find his or her comfort level.

I've put together this list of resources, but urge you to review each one carefully to make sure it's appropriate to present to your intended audience -- especially younger students.

·NAESP - Remembering September 11

This sitewhich was created for the National Association of Elementary School Principals may be a good place to begin your study. The link to Teacher Tips and Memorial Do's and Don'ts are both very well done, and should be looked at before you plan any activity. They were created by the Association of School Psychologists.
http://www.naesp.org/sept11anniv02.htm

·Teaching 9-11-01
September 11, 2001 was a defining moment in American history. As we begin a new school year, teachers at every level are grappling with the challenge of helping their students to confront, and make sense of, the horrific events of that day. In accordance with its mission to contribute to the interdisciplinary study of contemporary issues, The Clarke Center is pleased to sponsor the "Teaching 9-11" web site. Visit:
http://www.teaching9-11.org/If you follow the link for lesson plans and syllabi, you will find many grade appropriate lessons and resources.

·Preparing for Sept. 11

This website has links to news articles on 9/11, and is probably more appropriate for older students.
http://www.poynter.org/web/080902jon.htm

·Project Liberty: Educational Materials

This website gives advice on how to cope for those who are still grieving. Pamphlets are also available in Spanish.
http://www.projectliberty.state.ny.us/educational.htm

·US DOE: Helping Children Understand...This website provides links to articles to help children (and adults) understand and deal with the terrorist attacks. There are also articles in Spanish.
http://www.ed.gov/inits/september11/

·Remember September 11th
The Remember September 11th site was designed by the NEA to the most complete
resource site for teachers and education support personnel in the respectful commemoration of the first anniversary of that tragic day. The site contains over 80 Lesson Plans - divided by grade level. In the weeks that follow Sept. 11th, the site will evolve into an ongoing resource for teachers in helping students and themselves to handle times of crisis, tragedy and remembrance. It brings together in one place an abundance of ideas, lesson plans, discussion points, and much more to help young people learn from the September 11 tragedy.http://neahin.org/programs/schoolsafety/september11/materials/lessonhome.htm

·REMEMBER 9/11 BOOKMARKS:
Download and print these bookmarks for students to share with penpals, to keep for their own reading purposes, or to exchange with another classroom in your school.http://www.abcteach.com/USA/911bookmarks.htm

·USA ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS:
Be sure to put a positive note on your remembrance activities. This site offers printable flags, journal ideas and templates to express emotions, poem forms to celebrate heroes, and coloring pages on patriotic symbols.http://www.abcteach.com/USA/usatoc.htm

·UNITED WE STAND POSTERS:
Download these mini-posters to mount on your class bulletin board to remember the events of 9-11. These do take a few minutes to download and require Acrobat Reader, which most of you should have.

http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-15518.html

·HEROES WEBQUEST:
Students are challenged to define, "What makes a hero?" and using online resources, to select whom they would choose as Hero of the Past Century. Their completed pro-
jects will include a Hero Want Ad, an essay, and a PowerPoint presentation. Use the 2nd URL above for a link to Amelia Earhart, the 3rd for John Glenn, and the final link to learn about Michael Jordan and his astonishing career. Those could serve as a stepping stone to discussion and learning about more local heroes.
http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/lcooper/wpheroesmenu.htm
http://search.biography.com/print_record.pl?id=14477
http://search.biography.com/print_record.pl?id=15173
http://www.unc.edu/~lbrooks2/jordan.html

·CHARACTER COUNTS WEEK

To honor the memory of those lost in the attacks, and to celebrate America at its best, the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition is coordinating service-oriented and character-building activities for American Character Week, September 6-17, 2002. The focus is on community service and what characteristics determine what a hero is.

http://www.charactercounts.org/acw.htm

·HANDPRINT UNITY WREATH:
Children will cut out and paint their hand prints, and then create a collage-style wreath with a dove for peace in the middle, to remind your students that they are not alone.http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/munitywreath.htm

·PENCIL FLAGS:
Memorials can be created with these printable pencil toppers. The American flag in this case includes an insert of the twin towers, with the word "Remember".
http://www.pencilflag.com/remember.htm

posted on Labor Day, September 2, 2002

*****
Best Wishes for a Speedy and Full Recovery

From Virginia (Ginny) Hale, NCATE special project assistant -

Thank you so much for your thoughts. I am getting around a lot better now, although I am still on one crutch. My best to all. Ginny

Good News

A messages from Leah Barbuto:

"Laura Lambert (who taught at Windham Center School last year) wrote to me that she has a job interview today for Director of the Putnam Family Resource Center."

and

"Hi Leah

I just thought I would drop you a quick note to fill you in on my new experiences. I am attending Sacred Heart in Lisbon to obtain my Masters degree. I am also interning in an inclusive pre-school classroom in Lebanon Elementary School. I am enjoying the work, staff, and best of all the kids. I should have my masters completed this year and get a full time teaching position for next school year! I will keep you posted. Thanks so much for all of the help that you have given throughout the years. Hope all is well with you. Jen Toft"

A message from Meghan Wols, ECE SP 02 graduate -

I wanted to bring to your attention that my grade partner is a graduate from Eastern (at least 25 years ago) and theSuperintendent of Naugatuck also is an eastern gradutate.Lindzi Golding is also working in the same town as myself, in a kindergarten position.Everyone I have spoken to has had wonderful things to say about the programand the individuals who emerge from it.I received wonderful comments on myportfolio and interviewing and I feel I could not have been more prepared.

Thank you for providing such an all-around experience, most especially in my

last semester.There were trying times, but they only helped solidify

everything that I had heard in lectures and read during my study at eastern.

I hope the semester finds the entire education faculty well, and best of

luck this year.

Thank you,

Meghan Wols

More Good News

Message from Jay England, recent graduate, to Jeanelle Bland and other faculty members:

I just wanted to drop a line and say I got a job. I will be teaching Biology at Fitch Senior high School in Groton. Hope all is well at ESCU.

Jay England

****

Announcements

First day of classes - Tuesday, Sept. 3, 8 am

Second Education Department faculty meeting - Thursday, September 5, 12:30 - 1:45, WH 115 - please send agenda items to David.

Agenda Items for Second Fall 2002 Education Department Meeting

1) General discussion on start of the Fall semester, Diversity Seminar

2) Review of the Minutes of the August 29, 2002 meeting

3) Second Review of departmental goals for 2002-2003

4) Unit Reports

5) Committee appointments

Committee on Admission and Retention in Education

Graduate Studies Committee

Budget Committee

Committee on Excellence and Diversity in Education

Assessment Committee

Professional Development Committee/Educational Experience Committee

Departmental Evaluation Committee

Sunshine/Social Committee

NCATE organizational committees

6) Campus Committees

Curriculum Committee news

University Senate

Other committees -

7) State/national committees and organization

Congratulations to Ann Gruenberg and others for the upcoming - Sept. 28 - CT Association for the Education of Young Children - Fall Conference 2002 - Many Ways - One World. Please contact Terry Surprenant at (860) 779 - 6264 for more information.

AACTE - American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

AERA - American Educational Research Association

CSSA - Connecticut Science Supervisors Association

CAEYC/NAEYC - CT Association for the Education of Young Children/National Association for the Education of Young Children

CECA - Connecticut Educators Computer Association

others -

8) Project involvement

Teacher Cadet Program

Tech4PreK

Summer Institute for Future Teachers/Institute for Future Teachers Using Technology (SIFT/IFTUT)

PDS relationships

ASEER/NASA/CNEC projects

9) Spring 2003 schedule discussion, Intersession schedule, Summer 2003

10) Chair evaluation comment - open invitation for lunch with the chair

11) Time Certain: 1:30 - Dean Kleine on preparing for the NCATE visit

*****

Open add/drop period - Sept. 3-9, 2002

Add period - Instructor approval required - Sept. 10-16.

                                             *****
                           Education Department Faculty Meetings
                     usually on Thursdays, 12:30 - 1:45 in Webb Hall 115.

Second Education Department faculty meeting - Thursday, September 5, 12:30 - 1:45, WH 115 - please send agenda items to David.

****

Announcement from Dr. Mitch Sakofs, Director of Educational Experience

Please announce the following in your GRADUATE and CORE II classes:

Students expecting to student teach in the spring of 2003
must participate in an information session.

Sign-ups for these information sessions are located on the door to my office,
Rm 145, Webb Hall.

They should sign up ASAP.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Mitch

****

Please consider joining Phi Delta Kappa

The UCONN Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa will be hosting a free introductory social on Tuesday, September 24, 2002, 5:30 PM - 7 PM at Willington Pizza in Willington, CT. Please consider this international honors society in professional education and publisher of the Kappan journal. Please contact David Stoloff - email: stoloffd@easternct.edu for further details.

****

A message from Professor Ross E. Koning, PhD
Chapter President ECSU-AAUP
Biology Department - Goddard Hall
email: Koning@EasternCT.edu
http://Koning.EasternCT.edu/

Greetings ECSU-AAUP Faculty,

I am pleased to announce that our on-line (html) version
of the 2002-2006 CSU AAUP-BOT Collective Bargaining
Agreement is on-line at the usual URL:

http://www.easternct.edu/aaup/cba.html

This version is, of course, unofficial...but we have worked
hard to make it identical with the printed version in content,
and have hopefully corrected most of the printed version's
flaws.

We encourage you to try it out. All internal and some external
references are linked so navigation is better than in the print
version. You can also use the find and find-again feature of
your browser to search for words in the contract...so finding
items is perhaps easier. On the down-side, the contract is now
in a single file that is sometimes slow to open if you are on a
modem connection...but we think your patience will be rewarded.

I also encourage you to right-click (PC USERS) or click-hold-drag
(Mac USERS) on the CBA link on the home page to DOWNLOAD
the contract to your hard-drive for improved loading times. Our
home-page is:

http://www.easternct.edu/aaup

Best wishes for the fall semester.

ross

Professor Ross E. Koning, PhD
Chapter President ECSU-AAUP
Biology Department - Goddard Hall

****

message from Bernetta Steadman, Assistant Director, Admissions, ECSU:

I came across this website (http://www.nasbe.org/) and thought you might be interested in the Minority Teacher Recruitment Conference/Exhibition.

It would be a good opportunity to attract qualified minority individuals to our grad and certification programs. Let me know what you think. Perhaps this is something you could coordinate in conjunction with the Admissions Office if you feel it is a worthwhile endeavor

I would suggest reading about the exhibitor info.

****
Call for Graduating Senior Information

A request from Institutional Research -

Please share news about the plans of graduating seniors.

If they are going on to graduate school, please provide the graduate's name, undergraduate major,
graduate university, location (city, state), field of study and degree program sought, and any information
on scholarships and/or fellowships.

If they have been accepted for employment positions, please provide the graduate's name,
undergraduate major, company, location (city, state), position, salary.

Please email the information to David, who will compile it for the department. Thanks.

                                              ****
                   Take a look at the Education Department Photo Gallery at
                http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/photos2002.html

*****
Other Events

***

ECSU - ThinkQuest for Tomorrow's Teachers Projects

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 .

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

Planning
back to top

Past surveys of our graduates are 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

Planning forms for field experiences and student teaching for Spring 2003 are now posted at

http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/stinfo.doc

and

http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/stpreferencefall2003.doc

                                             *****
                               Research and Creativity Activities -
chronicling the ongoing progress of the Education Department at Eastern Connecticut State University
                   also found at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/rca.html

Fifth Report
July 11, 2002

Our Graduates Speak

                  An analysis of survey data provided by ECSU program completers
                     concerning their professional preparation and Connecticut’s
                                    Common Core of Teaching

                                               An
                               Eastern Connecticut State University
                                         Research Brief

Prepared by

Mitchell Sakofs
Director of Educational Experience

Spring 2002

Introduction

As part of an ongoing effort to improve program quality in the Eastern Connecticut State University
Education Unit, a survey was sent to ECSU graduates who were recommended for teaching certification
from 1999 through 2001. This survey was designed to explore two main issues, i.e.,

· their assessment of the BEST program and
· their assessment of the professional preparation they received at Eastern in terms of Connecticut’s
Common Core of Teaching.

Questions concerning BEST were modeled after a state survey designed to probe how certified teachers
assess the professional preparation they received through institutions of higher learning; questions
concerning Connecticut’s Common Core of Teaching were taken from the Common Core documentation
found on the Connecticut State Education Department’s website. Questions probing our graduates’
assessment of BEST as well as the professional preparation provided by the ECSU Education Unit were
structured to allow for responses on a 5-point Likert Scale with 5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3 =
Undecided, 2 = Disagree, and 1 = Strongly Disagree. See Exhibit 1, page 4.

This report presents student assessment data of the professional preparation provided by ECSU’s
Education Unit. An analysis of BEST data will be reported in another document.

Procedure

Three hundred and forty surveys were mailed to students who were recommended for teaching
certification from 1999 through 2001.

Data were analyzed using SPSS. Data transformations from interval to categorical data were
performed so percentages in the following categories for each question could be calculated: Negative,
Undecided and Positive. The procedure to create these categories was as follows: if a respondent
indicated a negative response to a question, e.g., in response to a question they scored a 1 or 2, the
variable was recoded into a Negative category. Likewise if they scored a question 4 or 5, the variable
was recoded into a Positive category. A response of 3 was recoded as Undecided.

Results

· 340 surveys mailed, 20 were returned as undeliverable and 95 were returned with completed surveys.
This is a 30% response rate.
· Percent of respondents within each program were as follows: 45% Early Childhood, 17% Elementary,
8% Middle, 12% Secondary and 18% HPE.
· Percent of respondents within each degree category offered were as follows: 76% Undergraduate, 10%
Post-baccalaureate and 14% Graduate.
· Mean scores on the 18 aspects of Connecticut’s Common Core of Teaching ranged from a low of 3.5 to a
high of 4.2. See Exhibit 2, page 10.
· Percentages for the recoded data concerning Connecticut’s Common Core of Teaching in the POSITIVE
category ranged from a high of 91.5% to a low of 59%. See Exhibit 3, page 17.
o The areas scoring 90% or above positive were:
§ Q21B, how students learn and develop
§ Q34B, share responsibility for student achievement
§ Q38B, demonstrate a commitment to students
o The areas scoring 80% to 89% positive were:
§ Q22B, Understand how students differ
§ Q26B, Recognize need to vary instructional methods
§ Q27B, Select learning tasks to make subject meaningful
§ Q29B, Instructional opportunities support academic, social and personal development
§ Q30B, Use of verbal and non verbal media/foster individual and collaborative inquiry
§ Q33B, Conduct as a professional
§ Q35B, Continually engaged in self-evaluation

o The areas scoring 70% to 79% positive were:
§ Q24B, Understand the central concepts of the discipline I teach
§ Q25B, Know how to design and deliver instruction
§ Q28B, Establish and maintain appropriate standards of behavior
§ Q31B, Employ a variety of instructional strategies
§ Q32B, Use of various assessment techniques
§ Q36B, Seek out opportunities to grow professionally
§ Q37B, Serve as a leader in the school

o The areas scoring below 70% positive were:
§ Q23B, Proficient in reading, writing and mathematics

Conclusions and Recommendations

This research reveals how graduates of the ECSU teacher certification programs view the efficacy of
their professional preparation within the context of Connecticut’s Common Core of Teaching.

For these findings to meaningfully guide programmatic changes, it is recommended that:

1. faculty review their course syllabi to better understand how the dimensions of the Common Core are
expressed in course content, and
2. review the data provided here to determine which elements of the Common Core need to be more
substantively addressed in courses. While it may seem reasonable to look to strengthen aspects of the
program that students found wanting, it may be that faculty chose to strengthen areas of strength, as
they are deemed central and appropriate for pre-service teacher preparation.

This document may also be downloaded from
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/graduatesspeak02.doc
as a WORD document.

Searches
back to top

searches pending approval - we had request an additional faculty member in Elementary Education.

Opportunities back to top

Jamie Hendricks shared this link to the Mansfield Schools employment website -
http://www.mansfieldct.org/MBOE/Employ/docs/Web%20Posting%206.02B.doc

*****

Recently acquired media - in the Chair's Office or on the Web
back to top

Teaching Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers and Child-Care and Family Providers. (2002) Early Childhood-Head Start Task Force, US Dept. of Education and US Dept. of Health and Human Services.

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2002. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.

Notes from the 2002 Creative Advance - "Creativity Through Diversity" - Thursday, August 22, 2002, Eastern Connecticut State University.

Evaluator's Report on the May State On-Site Review of ECSU's Teacher Education Programs. Received May 31, 2002.

Institutional Overview and Response to Standards, Self-examination report on Teacher Preparation
Programs at ECSU, March 2002.

Portfolio Responses for BEST program, 2001-2002.

Precondition Report for the Education Unit - April 2002, NCATE document

Handbooks for the Development of Teaching Portfolios 2001-2002 - Connecticut State Department of
Education - most subjects

General Education Committee's General Education Program Proposal

Wednesdays - A Compilation of Short Stories written by Eastern Connecticut State University
Graduate Students

Educational Technology Resource Documents from the Connecticut State Department of Education.

American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Public Policy Agenda - 2002.

The BEST Program Portfolio Resources 2001-2002: School Year

BEST 2001-2002 Rubrics.

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.

*********
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.