College of Education

Eastern Michigan University

Issue No: 109
October 25, 1993

MACTE CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY

The Michigan Association of Colleges for Teacher Education will hold a conference on Friday, October 29 at the University Club of MSU in East Lansing. 

The Conference lasts from 9:00 to 3:00 p.m. and is on "Education Workforce 2000."  All EMU-affiliated persons are eligible to attend as a result of our institutional membership.

Registration is $15 and includes lunch.  Phone in reservations today to Cassandra Book at 517-355-1787.

COFFEE WITH THE DEAN SESSIONS TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY

The monthly "Coffee with the Dean" sessions will be held on Thursday, October 28.  The 8:30 session will be in Rackham, the noon session in Warner, and the 3:30 session in Boone--all in lounge areas. 

Faculty, staff, and students are invited.  There is no agenda.

FACULTY NOTES

Jerry Robbins spent Saturday to Wednesday of last week serving as assistant chair of the NCATE Board of Examiners team to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Jan Collins-Eaglin, with Stuart Karabenick, will present on "Research on the Teaching and Learning Program: First Year Experiences and Future Directions" at the Collegium for Advanced Studies session on October 27, to be held in the conference room of the Graduate School at noon.

Dodie French was featured in the fall edition of the Newsounds newsletter of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf (AGBAD).  French served as the president of the Michigan chapter of the AGBAD, 1991-1993.  She was recently elected secretary of the chapter.  French served as the program chair for the fall conference--"Reading, Writing, and Technology"--in Frankenmuth.

Lynn Rocklage presented "Technology and Learning Disabilities: A Positive and Productive Combination" to the Learning Disabilities Association at the October 7 conference in Lansing.  Rocklage also presented "Good Junk + Creativity = Great Low End Technology!" to the "Closing the Gap" conference in Minneapolis on October 22.

Jane Goodman presented a workshop on "Hot Careers for a New Century" to a National Honor Society conference on October 20.  Goodman also spoke on "Careers of the Future" October 27 at Southfield Christian High School.

Jerry Robbins was the speaker for the first annual Academic Letter Awards ceremony at South Lyon High School on October 24.

Martha Tack served as an invited presenter for the October 21-26 ACE conference in Houston on "Educating One-Third of a Nation IV: Making Our Reality Match Our Rhetoric."  Tack also participated in the working reunion of former ACE Fellows.

Wallace LaBenne is creating a perpetual calendar called Wise-Cracks, 365/366 aphorisms scheduled for publication in February.

Gary Banks presented "Living Trusts and Living Wills--Last Wills and Probate" at a Cleary College session in Howell.

Christine Phelps (with Tony Chambers of MSU) published in the Fall issue of The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Journal "Student Activism as a Form of Leadership and Student Development."  Phelps recently attended the Midwest meeting of graduate students in student personnel at Western Illinois University.

Rosella Bannister and NICE are serving this week as hosts (with AT&T) for a reception with the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs in Washington, D.C.

Donna Schmitt has been selected to present "Integrating New Theory and Practice to Prepare Women for Roles in Educational Administration" at the forthcoming AACTE meeting.

Donald Hackmann has been selected to present at the Detroit schools' Middle Level Institute Day.  Hackmann will present on the use of an alternating-day block schedule at this conference.

ALUMNI NOTES

William L. Harris, a mathematics teacher at Huron High School has received the Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished High School Mathematics Teaching, one of 24 winners nationwide.  The award carries a $200 cash prize.  Last year Harris was named one of America's 100 best teachers of mathematics by the Tandy Corporation.

Jerry Fouchey, alum and member of the COE Community Advisory Committee, is currently a Fellow in the Education Policy Fellowship Program, a year-long in-service program sponsored by the Institute for Educational Leadership.

STUDENT NOTES

Cynthia Merritt, Cari Costa, Jeff Waple, Darrell King, John Shaw, Vince Schmidt, and Ed Baldwin attended the Midwest meeting of graduate students in student personnel at Western Illinois University.  EMU will serve as the host for this meeting in 1994.

JAPANESE VISITORS

Three persons from Osaka, Japan visited NICE on October 21 in the process of studying consumer education matters.  The previous week NICE was visited by a professor from a Tokyo University who is affiliated with the Japanese Ministry of Education.

UNITED WAY DRIVE NEAR END 

This is the last week to collect United Way contributions.  Return pledges to any of Professors Bemish (Spec Ed), Adams (HPERD), Tracy (L&C), or Jones (Tch Ed).

UNITED WAY RESULTS TO DATE

As of October 22, $6265 had been pledged by 73 COE persons.  These included 21 pledges from Special Education ($1541), 15 from HPERD ($613), 14 from Teacher Education ($1522), 14 from dean's offices ($1410), 7 from L&C ($835), and 2 from NICE ($344).

1992-93 GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT AWARDS SUPPORTED FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP

During 1992-93, the equivalent of five Research Assistantships were awarded to 10 COE faculty members.  The RA's assisted faculty members in accomplishing the following studies:

Lech Wisniewski worked to define assistive-device technologies and to create a database prototype on these.  The project continues in 1993-94 with the dissemination of the position paper; through preparation of journal articles; and with further development of new definitions, new designs, and new assistive products.   

Helen Ditzhazy worked on three projects.  Research continued with high school students regarding their choices in moral dilemma situations.  Data were used for presentations at MERA and the International Critical Thinking Conference.  A second research thrust involved the role and functions of the high school counselor, from the perception of school board members, counselors, and principals.  A third research thrust involved the South Lyon Community Schools and the improvement of communication between school board members and the superintendent.  This research will be presented at AASA in February, 1994.

Louise Jernigan focused on the development of a manual for use with several statistical computer packages, explaining the procedures necessary to conduct analyses of research data using various software program.  The manual includes information on StatView, GB Stat, SPSS, Correlation Statistics, and Statistics with Finesse.

Margaret Moore's research involved integration of computer technology and the computer software Multicultural Links with the Multicultural Literacy Program in a fourth and fifth grade classroom at George Elementary School in Ypsilanti.  Results showed that those students who participated in the program had high levels of skill and greater conceptual development in the area of appreciation of other cultures. 

OPPORTUNITIES

There will be an October 27 workshop on "Designing, Writing, and Packaging Your Proposal."  The time is 2-4 p.m.  Call ORD (7-3090) to reserve space.  There is no charge.

For information on the Eastern Educational Research Association annual conference (Sarasota, FL, February 9-12), contact Jeffrey Kaiser at 708-534-4366.

A special notice concerning sabbatical leave and faculty research fellowship applicants was recently sent to department heads.  Those interested in applying should be familiar with this item from the Graduate School.

The East Carolina University 9th Annual Middle School Summer Conference has issued a call for program proposals (due February 1).  Interested parties should fax an inquiry to 919-757-4813.

USA Today is seeking nominations for the "best and brightest" college students.  Information and nomination forms may be obtained from Carol Skalski at 703-276-5890.  Nominations must be postmarked by November 30, 1993.

Manuscripts are sought for the premier issue of Literacy Networks, due February 1.  The first issue will feature new ways of constructing or defining literacy and the adult learner.  Subsequent issues will include topics such as: literacy myths of the adult learner; Michigan issues and politics; funding programs; success stories; innovative new practices; collaborative networks; and theory into practice.  Contact Susan Schiller at 517-774-7691 for additional information.

CHELSEA COOPERATIVE PROJECT IN READING

The three-year joint project between the Chelsea School District and EMU (through C-SIP) has focused on the goal of "students will develop independence in using comprehension strategies in content reading."

In the initial year, a committee of teachers worked to develop a list of comprehension strategies and to provide opportunities for teachers to review those strategies in grades 5-8.

During the second year, the committee emphasized teacher involvement in grades 5-6.  "Fifth-grade students in this district see one or two teachers while sixth grade students see multiple teachers," said teacher John Goesser.  "Teachers have observed that the transition is smoother when students are good content readers and can quickly adjust their reading strategies to the demands of more teachers," he added.

Workshops were developed for teachers from both grades.  First, there was a discussion of what was needed to succeed at each grade level.  Teachers also exchanged ideas on ways for students to develop independence in the use of those strategies as they worked with sixth grade materials.

A follow-up workshop focused on ideas for the transfer of comprehension strategies specifically related to organizational tasks.  Teachers also reviewed the prac-tices that have helped students in their classrooms see organizational patterns in content reading materials.

Chica McCabe, the university facilitator, believes the workshops were valuable for all involved.

CLINICAL SCHOOLS PAPERS SOUGHT

The Clinical Schools Clearinghouse (CSC) is seeking published and unpublished literature on topics related to clinical schools, professional development schools, or professional practice schools. 

CSC facilitates dissemination of this material via the ERIC database and CSC publications.  CSC has a variety of publications on these subjects, many of which are free.  The address is:  CSC, ERIC Clearinghouse, AACTE, One Dupont Circle, Suite 610, Washington DC 20036-1186.

PLANNING AHEAD

October 25--FCIE "Continuous Quality Improvement for Educators."

October 27--COE Council meeting, 2:00 p.m., 31 Boone.   ORD workshop, place TBA, 2-4.

October 28--Coffee with the Dean.