Words of Inspiration

Announcements

Research and Creative Activities

Opportunities

Department Media

Questions about newsletter? Please contact David Stoloff, email: stoloffd@easternct.edu

Eastern Connecticut State University logo

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT NEWS
Volume XVI, Fall 2003

Twelfth Week – November 17, 2003
best viewed at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/031117.html

on the WWW; for past issues Ed. Dept. News Index - http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/newsindex.html



Education Dept. Homepage

Alumni News

Departmental Documents

Please see the University Disclaimer.

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Words of Inspiration

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


"Audrey Shabbas ... offered advice to those wanting to promote understanding through the U.S. public schools. Shabbas, the executive director of Arab World and Islamic Resources (AWAIR), suggested that, rather than focusing awareness efforts on state offices of education, local school boards, and principals, activists go directly to schoolteachers themselves, who are hungry for new teaching materials and curricula. Shabbas said it was most efficient to approach professional associations such as the Middle School Teachers Association, the Association of Catholic Educators, and the Association of Independent Schools. She reported that, happily, educators are more interested than ever in promoting understanding of the Arab world, often to do right by the Arab students in their classrooms.

"Our approach has always been proactive, not reactive," she said. "Since 1989, we haven't had to knock on any doors. Teachers are coming to us."  "

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/04.17/05-arabworld.html

Ms. Shabbas will be speaking at Eastern CSU on Tuesday, November 18th.  

posted on November 17, 2003

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Announcements

1) Education Department meeting - unit meetings to revise the catalog.  

2)  An emergency search for University Assistant for the Committee for Admissions and Retention in Education and Admission Advisor has been approved.  Please ask interested candidates to send their resumes and letters of interest to David Stoloff, search chair, Education Department, Eastern Connecticut State University, 83 Windham Street, Webb Hall Room 129, Willimantic, CT 06226, email:  stoloffd@easternct.edu .

Position Announcement

University Assistant for the Committee for Admissions and
Retention in Education and Admission Advisor


The ideal candidate would facilitate the collection and assessment of the CARE application files.  As CARE Secretary, the candidate would provide information at each monthly meeting and maintain the official minutes of the meetings.  As Admission Advisor, the candidate would provide office hours for potential teacher candidates and their parents and present group advisement sessions for transfer and new students at Advisement Center orientations, in pre-requisite courses, at two Admission Office Sunday events a year, and in other meetings.  

Preferred qualifications:  Flexibility of hours – may include some hours during the evening, strong knowledge about certification requirements and teacher education programs at Eastern, and excellent human relations skills.  The position is expected to be for 19 hours per week during the academic year.

3) Message from Dr. Shirley Ernst, lead faculty member, Reading/Language Arts:

RLA students who plan to write comprehensive exams in the spring should plan to attend an informational meeting for them on Tuesday, December 9th at 6:45 pm in Webb 115.

4)   Don’t Miss this Special Event

At no other time in history has it been as important for teachers to be familiar with the culture and history of the Middle East.  Preparing students to develop an understanding of diverse societies is a critical component of their educational preparation and one that demands greater and greater knowledge on the part of their teachers. 

 You will be able to develop such knowledge in a workshop designed to familiarize attendees with the history, cultural geography, and much more, of the Arab World.  The workshop will take place on the Eastern Connecticut State University campus on Tuesday, November 18th, from 9:00 am until 3:30 pm.  There is no charge for the workshop itself, however there will be a $15.00 fee for teachers wishing to earn CEU’s from their participation.  A box lunch can also be requested at a cost of $8.00.  Because the time for lunch is very short, participants are encouraged to take advantage of the box lunch availability.  Because of space limitations the registration deadline is November 3rd.  Contact Shirley Ernst (465-4530) for more information or download the flyer at
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/awair.doc .

Shirley B. Ernst

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5) Message from Hope Marie Cook, Curriculum Center Librarian, J. Eugene Smith Library

Attention: New Service for Education Students
Reserve a Librarian

Are you having trouble finding information or materials for your education related project and you are in need of some one-on-one coaching to help you get through the semester? 

Are you having trouble using the library catalog or databases to find information related to your topic? 

Reserve a Librarian and discuss possible ways to attack education related assignments.  By reserving a librarian through signing up for an appointment you can be assured that you will get individual help and uninterrupted service.  Appointments can last 20-45 minutes.

This service is easy to use, but does require you to sign up for an appointment.  Don’t wait until your assignment is due to prepare your research!  Sign up today!  See staff at the Curriculum Center Service Desk for sign-up dates and times or e-mail Cookh@easternct.edu


6) Items to discuss  for our Fall 2003 Education Department meetings -

Ongoing discussions -

Departmental goal revisions

Departmental leadership for 2004-2005

Standards - revision or maintenance?
    Admission to graduate program - 2.70 - waiver options?
    General education, program requirements, state requirements
   
GPA waiver policy for certification programs

Pre-requisite courses - sophomore standing, GPA requirement??

Transfer credit for graduate programs

Curriculum initiatives for 2003-2004

Education Department's comments on GER

Grade appeal process

Unit-counseling services support

Syllabi revisions

7) PRAXIS II PREPARATION
   WORKSHOPS

CREC is pleased to announce a series of workshops being offered for Praxis II Preparation.  Sessions are being held concurrently by master teachers in the following content areas:

* Math     * General Science     * Biology     * Chemistry     *Physics

Workshops will be offered at the following times for each content area, each 10 hours long:

December 10, 2003        5:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.    dinner included
December 13, 2003        8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.    breakfast & lunch incl.

The workshops will be held at CREC Central, 111 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106.  The cost for attending a session is $200.00 per person, and includes all materials and refreshments.

For more information, please contact Cara Hart, Capitol Region Education Council, 111 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford CT 06106  at 860-524-4021 or chart@crec.org.


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Faculty photo at
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/faculty.html
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The 2002-2006 CSU AAUP-BOT Collective Bargaining
Agreement is on-line at the usual URL:

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

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Alumni News
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/alumninews.html

News from Rachel Timoteo:

I graduated from Eastern with an English degree and a Secondary Education  Certification in December of 2002. I worked as a long term substitute at  E.O. Smith High School in Mansfield from January to June of 2003, and was  offered a permanent position for this year. The faculty and staff here are wonderful to work with!

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Call for Graduate News -

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. 

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Other Events

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ECSU - ThinkQuest for Tomorrow's Teachers Projects

Faculty members and students from Eastern Connecticut State University participated in a US Department of Education grant to Prepare Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology with ThinkQuest
[ http://www.preservice.org/] and 13 other universities throughout the US. This project's homepage may be found at http://www.preservice.org/ecsu/ .

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Long Term Announcements

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

 
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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


Searches

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searches pending approval -
full-time tenure track faculty members to start in Fall 2004 
in Learning and Teaching,
Reading/Language Arts
, and for a Director of Educational Experience

search for University Assistant for
the Committee for Admissions and Retention in Education (CARE) and Admission Advisor

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

National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, Eastern Connecticut State University, Institutional Report, April 2003 Compact Disk (CD).

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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.