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Research
and Creativity Activities Questions about newsletter? Please contact David Stoloff, 860-
465-5501, email: stoloffd@easternct.edu,
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EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
NEWS Second Week of Classes
Fall 2002 Edition - best viewed at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/020909.html |
|
This will be a week of reflection
with several campus activities on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Please invite your
students and yourselves to participate in as many as you are able.
A message from Theresa Picard –
” Hello Everyone!
I just wanted to invite you to my class this Wednesday, 9-11, to share a
moment of silence and listen to a powerful children's book with our early
childhood core II cohort. My class begins at 9:30 and it is my intention to
begin with a children's book titled Bravemole and a colorful overhead
presentation of the books illustrations. My thought is that your presence would
make this a more cohesive early childhood event although brief (I would like to
start w/ course material by 10).
We are meeting in Webb 210 and although we are a large group we would be
pleased to make room.
Have a great day!
Theresa”
ECSU to Join State in Observance of Tragic Events of September 11
Willimantic, CT - Eastern Connecticut State
University (ECSU) will join Connecticut State municipalities in observing the
tragedies of September 11, 2001. Eastern will mark the anniversary of the
nation’s most devastating terrorist attack, Wednesday, September 11, 2002,
with the ringing of bells. At the precise times each of the four tragedies
occurred on that day, bells or chimes will be heard throughout Connecticut as
well as on ECSU’s campus. The Foster Clock Tower will be chiming at 9:43 a.m.,
the moment the Pentagon in Washington D.C. was struck, 9:50 a.m.,
marking the collapse of the first World Trade Center Twin Tower, 10:10 a.m.,
when the fourth hijacked plane crashed in Pennsylvania, and 10:29 a.m.,
observing the fall of the second Twin Tower.
Eastern
will do its part to aid in the healing process by hosting several events on
campus. Americans will always
remember where they were when the horrendous events of last September 11th
took place. The country will come together this September 11, 2002, proving
solidarity and strength to the world, reliving the memories and providing
support to all its citizens. Healing will continue with each community event,
each remembrance and each human connection that takes place on this day.
Eastern
faculty and students will be sponsoring a hands-on activity, “Healing with
Art,” in the Betty Tipton
Room of the Student Center at 3 p.m. Those wishing to creatively express
their thoughts and feelings about that tragic day will be given the opportunity
to design a quilt square. Muslin
squares, paints and brushes will be provided. Squares will later be put into a
commemorative quilt or wall hanging.
ECSU’s student organization,
CAB (Campus Activity Board), will also be supporting events on that day. At 9
p.m., on the north lawn by the Alvin B. Wood Support Services Building,
U.S.A. will be seen in fiber-optic lights on the hill as supporters gather in
remembrance of 9-11. President Carter will speak and Father Larry LaPointe will
lead a moment of silence. CAB has arranged for one of Eastern’s Choirs and
Alese Cretella to sing patriotic songs as the Willimantic Fire Department
illuminates the U.S. flag that will fly above the terrace. Key-ring flashlights
will be handed out to those at the gathering for a flashlight vigil and may be
kept in remembrance of the event.
In case of rain the gathering will take place in the Niejadlik Hall
Commons.
For more information, contact Ken Bedini at (860) 465-4455 or bedini@easternct.edu
*****
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
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
*****
Good News
Messages from
Leah Barbuto:
Some Mixed News
"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"
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.
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.
luck
this year.
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
Education Department Faculty Meetings
usually on Thursdays, 12:30 - 1:45 in Webb Hall 115.
Committee
on Admission and Retention in Education meeting - Thursday, Sept. 12, 12:30 -
2, WH 115
Departmental
Evaluation Committee meeting - Thursday, Sept. 12, 12:30 - 2, WH 115
*****
Open add/drop period -
Sept. 3-9, 2002
Add period -
Instructor approval required - Sept. 10-16.
*****
A message from Hope Cook,
Curriculum Center Librarian -
“Hi David and Education Faculty,
Just wanted to let you know that the Curriculum Center
Computer Lab, Room 145 of the Eugene Smith Library is now open for your use!
Here are some of the
highlights added to the Computer Lab:
·
6 new PC's with Internet Access and equipped with educational
and presentational software titles
· 1 of
the 6 PC's is setup as an instructor station. This station includes a
projector that will allow the instructor the opportunity to project
information to a screen, or if one prefers to the white board.
· We
have also retained 1 Macintosh machine that is loaded with software and
has Internet access.
· The computer lab
also includes a VCR, Slide Projector, and Overhead Projector
· Additionally,
students can use this room to work on classroom projects as we now have 2
Ellison Machines and several dies to cut letters, borders, etc. The lab is also equipped with a sink.
· The
lab can seat up to 20 people and would be ideal for those teaching courses that
contain some component of children's literature or the use of educational
software.
Thank you!
Hope”
Dr. Jeanelle Bland has
been appointed Curriculum Center Computer Lab liaison from the Education
Department.
****
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
****
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Announcement
from Neil Williams, HPE Dept Chair
Please alert Ed Dept faculty and
students:
HPE 210 (3 credits) does NOT
satisfy the GER V.B. physical education requirement in any manner; nor does HPE
201(1 credit).
Thanks for your assistance in this
matter. Several EDU students have called about this in just the first two
days of the term.
Neil
****
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:
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
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.
***
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****
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
.
Hilary Maybaum and Robert Sibley,
our ThinkQuest partners, will be visiting ECSU on Tuesday, September 24, 2002 for
lunch and to visit classes. Please
let David know if you would like to join the group for lunch.
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****
Long Term Announcements
Alumni news may be found at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/alumninews.html.
Planning
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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
*****
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
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searches pending approval -
we had request an additional faculty member in Elementary Education.
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
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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.