College of Education
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John W. Porter Distinguished Chair in Urban Education 2005-2006 Speaker Series
The College of Education and the local communities are still reeling from this year’s exceptional Dr. John W. Porter Distinguished Chair in Urban Education Speaker Series presentations. The Chair was newly configured for the 2005-2006 academic year. In order to allow students, faculty, staff, and community members to interact with a variety of scholars, a speaker series format was designed. Each department within the College of Education (along with Health and Physical Education programs within the School of Health Promotion and Human Performance, which is closely involved with the preparation of teacher educators) selected a national renowned scholar to participate in the series. They were as follows:
Dr. Donna Ford, Professor of Special Education and Betts Chair of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University was nominated by the Department of Teacher Education. Dr. Ford visited EMU October 27-28. On October 27th, Dr. Ford met with classes during the day and had dinner with the MARS students. That evening, she delivered a public lecture entitled, “The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Erase: Closing the Achievement Gap” which was followed by a reception celebrating the opening of the Office of Urban Education and Educational Equity and a book signing by Dr. Ford. A workshop entitled “Creating Culturally Responsive Curriculum” was held the following day.
Dr. Joycelyn Elders, Former U.S. Surgeon General and Distinguished Professor of Public Health at The University of Arkansas was nominated by the College of Health and Human Services and was jointly sponsored by McKenny Union/Campus Life/Diversity Programs. Dr. Elders visited EMU on November 3rd. She delivered a well-attended public lecture at McKenny Union entitled, “Creating Successful School and Community Partnerships in Urban Settings” and met with health educators and students for dinner that evening.
Dr. Gary Orfield, Director of the Civil Rights Project and Professor of Education and Social Policy at Harvard University was nominated by the Department of Special Education and visited EMU from November 21-22. On November 21, Dr. Orfield held two open-sessions for students where he discussed various issues in special education. That evening, he delivered a public lecture at Eagle Crest Conference Center on the topics of overrepresentation of minority students in special education, recruitment of minority teachers in special education, and the impact of accountability requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act. A reception and book signing preceded the lecture.
Dr. James Earl Davis, Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Temple University was nominated by the Department of Leadership and Counseling and visited EMU from January 26-27. On January 26, Dr. Davis held an open-session for students and had dinner with the MARS students. That evening, he delivered a public lecture entitled, “Uneasy Ties: Race and Gender in Urban Education Reform,” which was preceded by a reception and book signing. Dr. Davis held a well attended workshop entitled “Doing School at the Margins: How to (Re) Engage High School Dropouts” on January 27th for faculty, staff, and neighboring school district personnel.
The speaker series was a tremendous success involving hundreds of faculty, students, staff, educators, and friends throughout the region. The selection/coordinating committee for the John W. Porter Distinguished Chair for Urban Education will take the next academic year to evaluate the past seven years of chair activities and present recommendations to the college for the next decade of activity. Many thanks to the committee members Karen Schulte, Steve Camron, Nora Martin, Lynne Rocklage, Deborah Harmon, Don Bennion, Jack Minzey, Dibya Choudhuri, Eboni Zamani-Gallaher, Jackie Tracy, Christine Karshin, Kay Woodiel, Joe Pollock, Karen Hansen, and graduate assistant Dawn Davis for their dedication and continued hard work on this committee.
Dr. Jaclynn Tracy, Coordinator
John W. Porter Distinguished Chair in Urban Education 2005-2006 Speaker Series
FACULTY NOTES
Dr. Ethan Lowenstein presented “Moving Toward the Open School: Approaches to School Based Change” at the Open Classroom Conference: The Joy of Learning.”
Dr. Eboni Zamani-Gallaher and EDLD doctoral student, Tamara Stevenson, Department of Leadership and Counseling, presented for the EMU Student Affairs Division, Student of Color Leadership Summit on February 18, 2006. Their presentation was titled “Food for the Soul: The Role of Spirituality & Leadership Development for Students of Color.”
Dr. Ella Burton, Department of Leadership & Counseling, facilitated an educational audit for program and climate at Casa Richard Academy January 16th & 17th. The audit findings were presented to the Board of Education, administrators and staff personnel.
Professor James Berry, Gary Marx, Ella Burton and Jaclynn Tracy represented Eastern Michigan University in the Michigan Coalition of Educational Leadership Wallace Foundation Grant seminar on Thursday, February 16th. The EMU Educational Leadership program is one of the grant recipients.
Professor Jaclynn Tracy, Department of Leadership & Counseling, presented an information session on the EMU Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at Traverse City Area Superintendents meeting on Friday, February 10th.
Dr. Toni Stokes Jones was interviewed and quoted in Metro Parent regarding technology and young children. Here is a link to the article that appears in Metro Parent Magazine's February “Education Roundup” edition (now available at): <http://www.metroparent.com/articles/features/digitalclassroom.html>.
On February 11, Drs. Sue Grossman (TED) and Judy Williston (TED Emerita) presented “Learning Through Play” at the Ann Arbor Open School Conference at the Emrich Center in Brighton
Dr. Elizabeth Johnson presented at the 10th Annual Institute on Service-Learning “The Places We Live: Student Engagement in Diverse Communities” February 16-17, 2006, University of Michigan-Flint
Dr. John Palladino and Jean Haar (Associate Professor of Educational Administration at the University of MN-Mankato) recently published “Secondary Administrators' and Counselors' Collaborative Leadership and Involvement of Foster Parents in Special Education Decision-making” The Charter School Resource Journal, 2, 42-52.
Dr. Joanne Caniglia, professor of mathematics, recently was featured in the Ann Arbor News and recognized for her service to the Ypsilanti Public Schools. Since 1995, she has secured more than 12 state and federal grants, trained future and current teachers, and worked with Ypsilanti students to improve their math skills. Caniglia has run Estabrook elementary school's after-school math club for seven years. Caniglia's EMU students take part in a math methods course at Estabrook each January. The course works with grades 1-5 in a 90-minute math club. She has been referred to as a “godsend to the district.”
Dr. Elizabeth Johnson co-authored a book with Mary Kathleen Walsh (EMU graduate) that will be released February 24th. We've Gotta Reach Em' to Teach Em': Where Teaching Intersects the Human Condition. Dr. Johnson was elected as “Division Chair” for “Native American Pop Culture Studies” division of the American Culture Association/Pop Culture Association. In addition, Dr. Johnson presented with Mary Kathleen Walsh (EMU graduate) at the “Secondary Student Teaching Professional Development Day” here at EMU.
STUDENT NOTES
Genny Hann and Lindsay Stuart both won Outstanding Physical Education Major of the Year at the annual meeting of the Michigan Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) in Traverse City Nov. 17.
A front page story in the Free Press, under the heading “Too Few Teach Math, Science,” begins with four paragraphs about James Clark, an EMU senior from Adrian who is preparing to be a teacher of mathematics.
ALUMNI NEWS
Several teachers received awards at the annual meeting of the Michigan Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) in Traverse City Nov. 17. Receiving awards were: Kirk Pedersen (Elementary Teacher of the Year); Ranae Woods (Edwards) (Middle School Teacher of the Year); and Elizabeth Adams (Brown) (Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year).
HALL OF FAME
The Selection Committee has identified the following persons as this year’s inductees to the College of Education’s Hall of Fame:
Mr. Michael Flanagan—State Superintendent
Dr. Sam Yarger (deceased)—Outstanding educational leadership known for his work with PTA
Mr. Floyd Clack—EMU Board of Regents
Ms. Mary Lou Durbin—Public School teacher for 50 years
COLLEGE WIDE NEWS
Dr. Barbara Gorenflo’s name was omitted from the previous Monday Report. Dr. Gorenflo participated in the AACTE Conference. Dr. Gorenflo will also present this week at the Association for Teacher Education Conference in Atlanta, “Early Initiatives to Encourage Minority Enrollment.”
Ms. Rachel Cheng [University Librarian, Halle Library], Dean Vernon C. Polite, and Dr. Ron Woods [Interim Department Head, EMU Department of African American Studies] received notification from the Kellogg Foundation that they have approved the $50,000 grant request for the “Become a Person Who Reads: The Establishment of the Thomas A. Fleming African-American History and Literature Collection and the Kellogg-Fleming Lecture Series at EMU.”
The College of Education has recently received a gift from the estate of Children’s book author and educator, Annabelle Sumera. The gift will go towards the Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education programs in the Department of Teacher Education. The $150,000 estate is to be split between Halle Library and the College of Education.
The college received an additional gift of $200,000 from Phil Jenkins, friend and local philanthropist, who has donated more than $500,000 to EMU to date. His generosity supports Jenkins-Tracy Expendable Scholarships in the College of Education's Leadership and Counseling Department. Last year, his gift provided tuition for 16 graduate-level students.
Jenkins owned Sweepster, Inc., which manufactures walk-behind, self-propelled airport runway sweepers, and attachments for all types of equipment used around the globe. His unselfish philanthropy also has funded the creation of the Generations Together Center in Dexter where preschool children and senior citizens learn daily from each other. He is an avid supporter of the expansion of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and the Ann Arbor Neutral Zone.
With his scholarship gift to EMU, Jenkins hopes to help address a critical shortage of trained school administrators and counselors in Michigan and the nation.
THEME STATEMENTS
Caring professional educators for a diverse and democratic society. (CPED2S) (Initial program)
Inquiry, advocacy, and leadership in education for diverse and democratic society. (Advanced programs)
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