coE-News: September 17, 2007, VOL. 3 ISSUE 1
VOL. 3, ISSUE 1
SEPT. 17 , 2007
You’re reading coE-News, an electronic newsletter produced monthly during the academic year by the College of Education News & Publications Office to keep faculty and staff up-to-date on college news and activities. Click here to download a PDF version of this edition. You will need a PDF reader to view this document.
GOT NEWS? We want to hear it. Submit individual or unit news and calendar events of collegewide interest to news@coe.ufl.edu for publication consideration. All submissions must be in writing or via e-mail and must include contact information for follow-up questions.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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DEAN’S MESSAGE
From budget cuts to Florida Tomorrow. . .
It may seem like the budget ax fell particularly hard this summer, but, as Dean Catherine Emihovich notes, “every crisis brings opportunity.” (more)
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TOP STORIES
UF takes lead in $2 million study of special education teacher development
Nowhere is the teacher shortage more painfully obvious than in the special needs classroom – but in special education, being shorthanded is only part of the problem. The teachers who do work in the field need a wider range of skills than other teachers, but they often do not have sufficient on-the-job learning opportunities. Equipped with a $2 million federal grant, COE Professor Mary Brownell and her colleagues are investigating a professional development model that could help teachers learn the skills they need. (more)
Smallwood Scholarship gives low-income kids access to UF labs
UF’s Summer Science Training Program has been turning teenagers into practicing scientists – and sparking brilliant careers in research – for almost a half-century. Now the College of Education and the Smallwood Foundation have teamed up to help put the program within closer reach of low-income high school students. (more)
College welcomes 15 new faculty
There were lots of fresh new faces at this year’s Faculty Welcome Reception, where COE faculty got to meet a bumper crop of new colleagues. Fifteen of them, to be exact. If you missed the reception, you can read about our new faculty and what they’re researching by clicking here.
UF Alliance welcomes alumni as new staff
The UF Alliance is welcoming two recent COE graduates, Diane Archer-Banks and Diana Melendez, on board as full-time staff. (more)
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NEWS AND NOTICES
West-Olatunji, Counselor Education students learn from South African system
When American academics travel to sub-Saharan Africa, the public often sees them as missionaries – sharing the advanced learning of the West with struggling people on a strife-torn continent. But when Professor Cirecie West-Olatunji and her students traveled to South Africa and Botswana this summer, it was clear the Americans were the ones who had the most to learn. (more)
Science education students go global in Costa Rica
Students from the School of Teaching and Learning got a chance to go global this year, spending the final part of the spring 2007 semester in Costa Rica with Science Education Professor Linda Cronin Jones. The 12-day trip took six students from Jones’ Global Studies Methods in Science graduate class to several informal learning sites around the Central American nation, including Poaz Volcano National Park, La Paz Waterfall and Butterfly Gardens, and the Organization for Tropical Studies’ La Selva Biological Station. Students had plenty of chances to expand their own environmental and scientific knowledge regarding the flora and fauna of the tropics. They also put their skills to work in visits with faculty, staff and students in their host school, the County Day School of San Jose, and three other schools in rural and inner-city areas.
COE professor and recent doctoral graduate to co-edit prominent journal
Professor Dale Campbell and recent UF doctoral graduate Matt Basham have been invited to jointly edit the SACS-SACJTC Journal, the scholarly publication of the Southern Association of Community, Junior and Technical Colleges. (more)
Busy summer for UF Alliance
Who said summer was a slow time on a university campus? Clearly not anyone who is familiar with the UF Alliance. This summer, for the seventh year in a row, the Alliance hosted its Summer Leadership Institute, an annual professional development forum for leaders in Alliance partner schools. Speakers included notable authors and scholars such as Susan Eaton, Jennifer Lerner, Robert Barr, Nan Henderson, Victoria L. Bernhardt and Michael Nakula. The Alliance also hosted its annual Explorations in Teaching Leadership Retreat, a four-day event that engages about 70 students from partner schools to opportunities in the teaching profession, while developing their leadership skills and awareness of college.
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RESEARCH
Course shopping hurts colleges, students, COE study finds
For some students, last-minute dropping and swapping of courses seems like a good way to avoid getting stuck in a too-tough class. But a recent study by COE professor Linda Serra Hagedorn shows that “course shoppers” are not only failing to increase their own GPA – they’re draining resources from colleges and their fellow students. (more)
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FACULTY/STAFF HONORS/APPOINTMENTS
West-Olatunji gets national award for community service
During its annual meeting Aug. 3, the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) presented COE Professor Cirecie West-Olatunji with one of its highest honors – the Community Service Award. Just back from a research and outreach trip to southern Africa (see story in “News and Notices”), West-Olatunji traveled to Houston to receive the award, which honors her work abroad as well as her post-Katrina recovery efforts in New Orleans and her extensive work with Florida Alternative Break – a program which allows UF students to spend their spring break on public-service projects. “This couldn’t have come at a better time,” West-Olatunji said. “Coming back from South Africa I was exhausted; when I heard I had been selected, I was honored and encouraged.”
COE lecturer’s research on gender, achievement wins inaugural Psychological Corporation/NASP Junior Faculty Award
Do boys really lag behind girls in reading achievement, and do girls really lag behind boys in math? Diana Joyce, a lecturer in UF’s Department of Educational Psychology, took another look at this bit of conventional wisdom. The results earned her the Psychological Corporation/National Association of School Psychologists’ inaugural Junior Faculty of the Year Award. (more)
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PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS
Oliver, Maxis present at international conferences
UF Alliance Director Bernard Oliver and Holmes Scholar Sophie Maxis presented a paper titled “The Elephant in the Room: Student Identity and School Achievement,” at the 14th International Conference on Learning in Johannesburg, South Africa in June. Oliver also presented “Built to Last: Building Sustainable School Leadership,” at the 12th Annual China-USA Conference on Education in Beijing.
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P.K. YONGE NEWS
PKY has best all-around sports program…
Everybody follows the state high school football and basketball championships. But what about the thousands of other kids who make it to the finals – in less recognized sports? One award – the Dodge Sunshine Cup/Floyd E. Lay Award – honors the Florida school with the most-accomplished overall sports program, recognizing excellence in all sports, including boys’ and girls’ competitions. For the fourth year in a row, P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School has brought the Division 2A cup home. The next time you see a PKY coach or player – no matter what sport – be sure to offer your congratulations.
”¦and they’re not bad in the classroom, either.
PKY also brought home another honor, earning an “A” rating on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test for the sixth year in a row. As most of our readers are aware, a school can maintain an “A” rating only if scores improve every year. The school has also met the requirements of No Child Left Behind every year since those requirements took effect.
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IN THE NEWS
A sampling of recent “media hits” from the College of Education, many of them resulting from press releases or media requests coordinated by COE News & Publications:
The Gainesville Sun – Dean Catherine Emihovich and David Lawrence Jr. Chair occupant Patricia Snyder, Special Education (09/04/07) The Sun’s “Chalkboard” column mentioned both Dean Emihovich and Professor Snyder in a column item on Snyder’s selection as the first occupant of the new David Lawrence Jr. Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Studies.
Chronicle of Higher Education – Professor and Chair Linda Serra Hagedorn, EAP (08/20/07) Chronicle blogger Elyse Ashburn covered Hagedorn’s study on the effects of “course shopping” by community college students. The study was also the subject of a detailed story on the website Inside Higher Education, and was covered by student newspapers at UF, the University of Missouri, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Illinois.
Gainesville Magazine – Professor Silvia Ecchevaria-Doan, Counselor Education (07/01/07) In the magazine’s “Unexpected Turn” section, Ecchevaria-Doan recounted her experiences as the adoptive mother of her daughter Emilie, who was born in China.
Chronicle of Higher Education – College of Education (06/29/07) Legislative efforts to rename the college in honor of former Gov. Jeb Bush were mentioned in a story on UF’s interactions with the Florida Legislature.
Daytona Beach News-Journal – Professor and Chair Mark Shermis, Educational Psychology (05/24/07) Shermis was quoted in an article about errors in the formulation of the 2006 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, which allowed many third-graders to progress to fourth grade when they were not academically ready. Shermis said the problem would have been worse if the error had held back students who were ready to move on to the next grade.
The Gainesville Sun – Professor Linda Lamme, STL (05/13/07) Lamme was quoted in an article on FCAT reading scores. She said that reading scores rise when children read voraciously both inside and outside the classroom. She said students must be given reading material they enjoy.
Jacksonville Times Union – Professor James McLeskey, Special Education (05/07/07) McLeskey was quoted in an article about efforts to include students with disabilities in the general classroom in Duval County schools.
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CALENDAR
SEPT. 20
Faculty Brown Bag Lunch: “Using Geospatial Analyses to Predict Student Achievement on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT): What’s Right and What’s Wrong with the FCAT.”
11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m., Norman Terrace Room
Contact: Rosie Warner, rwarner@coe.ufl.edu by 4:30 p.m. Sept. 17
SEPT. 26
Ice Cream Social – COE Deans Welcome Students Back
2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. Norman Courtyard
Contact: Jodi Mount, jmount@coe.ufl.edu
SEPT. 28
“Florida Tomorrow” Campaign Kickoff event: “Teaching and Technology”
To attend, RSVP to events@coe.ufl.edu or (352) 392-0728, ext. 250
OCT. 6
Retired Faculty Reception
Contact: jmount@coe.ufl.edu
OCT. 8
Fall Faculty Meeting
2 p.m., Norman Terrace Room
Contact: jmount@coe.ufl.edu
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Give a helping hand with Community Campaign
Okay, so the Gators are now the Official Champions at Everything that Ever Was. But what’s the point in being the best if you don’t have heart? This month, UF employees will be able to show just how much they care about their community, through the University of Florida Community Campaign. Starting Sept. 24, UFCC representatives will be passing out easy-to-complete forms that will allow you contribute to any of several agencies helping people right here in Alachua County.
National K-6 literary conference in February
Literacy experts Mary Fried and Regie Routman, Bridge to Terabithia author Katherine Paterson, and hundreds of your fellow teachers will be on hand to share their wisdom at the National K-6 Classroom Literacy and Children’s Literature Conference Feb. 9-12 in Columbus, Ohio. Over 150 sessions will be offered at the conference. For more information, go to National Reading Recovery & K-6 Classroom Literacy Conference or call 614-310-7340.
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QUICK LINKS
UF: www.ufl.edu
College of Education: education.ufl.edu
coE-News: education.ufl.edu/publications
Education Times magazine: education.ufl.edu/publications
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coE-News is produced by:
College of Education, University of Florida
Dean’s Office/News & Publications
Dean: Catherine Emihovich (cemihovich@coe.ufl.edu)
Director: Larry Lansford (llansford@coe.ufl.edu)
Editor: Tim Lockette (Lockette@coe.ufl.edu)
Correspondents:
Wendy Norman, Student Writer
Marta Pollitt, P.K. Yonge (mpollitt@pky.ufl.edu)
