coE-News: February 17, 2009, VOL 4 ISSUE 5

Top Stories

War Against Boys: COE professors to discuss gender equity with controversial author Feb. 18

Two COE professors—Mary Ann Clark and Luis Ponjuan—will join controversial author Christina Hoff Sommers in a lecture and panel discussion at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Sommers’ presentation topic—The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism is Harming Our Young Men—derives from the title of her 2000 book in which she debunks “misguided feminism” and a prevailing view that American schools “favor boys and grind down girls.” The panel discussion will follow her opening lecture. The program, sponsored by the law school’s Federalist Society student organization, is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided. (more)

Best-selling author resumes lecture series March 6 with ‘Leadership and the Six Secrets of Change’

Best-selling author Michael Fullan, an international scholar on school and education reform, will speak on “Leadership and the Six Secrets of Change” March 4 at 3:30 p.m., when he visits the UF College of Education campus to present the third distinguished lecture in the college-sponsored series, “21st Century Pathways to Education.” (more)

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News & Notices

CROP students visit Atlanta colleges, MLK celebration

College Reach-Out Programs (CROP) from UF’s College of Education and other Florida sites took 20 Florida high school students on a trip to Atlanta Jan. 15-19 to participate in Martin Luther King Celebration festivities. The touring group included students from Alachua County (from UF CROP schools), Marion County (Central Florida Community College CROP) and Crystal River High School in Citrus County. Despite chilling weather, the group visited several Atlanta-area college campuses including Morehouse, Spellman, Clark and Georgia State. They also toured the MLK museums (pictured right), King’s birth home and a grave monument of Dr. King and his wife. The students also explored the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coke attractions, and some were even bold enough to sample the fried calamari (squid) at the aquarium food court. “These trips are more than just a walk around a college campus–they are cultural experiences the students will never forget,” UF CROP Director Bobby Welch said. CROP is a statewide project designed to increase the number of educationally and economically disadvantaged students who successfully complete a postsecondary education. Participating students are introduced to the academic world beyond high school by Florida higher education institutions.

UF institute honors 3 U.S. community colleges

The college’s Institute of Higher Education recognized three U.S. community colleges for their noteworthy academic or operational programs at the recent 15th annual Community College Futures Assembly in Orlando. The colleges received the institute’s prestigious Bellwether Award. In photo above, from left, UF Professor Dale Campbell presents the Bellwether Award to Cleveland State Community College President Carl Hite. Also participating were CSCC math department chair John Squires, and Marilyn Rhinehart, president of the co-sponsoring National Council for Instructional Administrators.  (more)

Shermis named dean at Akron college

Professor Mark Shermis, former chair of education psychology at the COE, has been named dean of the University of Akron’s College of Education. He will be leaving UF and assuming his new position at the end of spring semester. (more)

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Awards & Appointments

Erica McCray

Sadler receives Early Career award for science education research

Troy Sadler, assistant professor in the School of Teaching and Learning, will receive one of science education’s premier honors in April when the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) presents him with its Early Career Research Award at the group’s annual conference in Garden Grove, Calif. (more)

McCray named Undergraduate Teacher of the Year

Erica McCray

Erica McCray, the College’s 2009 Undergraduate Teacher of the Year, believes she’s doing more than teaching facts, figures and processes. She is instilling attitudes—and that is best done by example.

” I must be willing to go with my students to unfamiliar places and to denounce some of the familiar that I hold dear,” McCray says. “I teach by example; I teach for social justice.” (more)

Robin Rossie

Rossie named Student Advisor of Year

As anyone who has ever sat across the desk from Robin Rossie, the College’s 2009 Advisor of the Year, knows, shrewd advice is best accompanied by a sincere smile. Navigating credit requirements, majors and grades can be overwhelming for any student. This year, in addition to its teacher of the year awards, the College has chosen to acknowledge a student advisor for exceptional professionalism and achievement. In Rossie the College is also recognizing a person who stands on the student’s side. (more)

Warm named statewide FACE representative

At the annual Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC) held in Orlando in January, Rochelle “Shelley” Warm, a lecturer and SITE program coordinator in the School of Teaching and Learning, was installed as the Florida Association for Computers in Education (FACE) representative for all Florida community colleges and universities. FACE represents education stakeholders with an interest in instructional technology, including educators, students, parents, educational institutions and corporations.

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Publications

Oliver, E. I. (2009). “Evolution of Online Composition Pedagogy.” In Boettcher, J., Rogers, C., Berg, G., Howard, C., Justice, L., and Schenk, K. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of distance and online learning, 2nd Edition. Hershey, New York: Information Science Reference.

Frazier, K. N., West-Olatunji, C., St Juste, S., & Goodman, R. (2009). Transgenerational trauma & CSA: Reconceptualizing cases involving young survivors of child sexual abuse.” Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 31(1), 22-33.

Torres Rivera, E., West-Olatunji, C., Conwill, W., Garrett, M. T., & Phan, L. T. (2008) “Language as a form of subtle oppression among linguistically different people in the United States of America.” Perspectivas Socials/Social Perspectives, 10, (1), 11-28.

Wynn, R., & West-Olatunji, C. (2008). “Culture centered case conceptualization using NTU psychotherapy with an African American male gay client.” The Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 2(4), 308-325.

Gagnon, J. C., Rockwell, S., & Scott, T. M. (2008). “Positive behavior supports in exclusionary schools: A practical approach based on what we know.” Focus on Exceptional Children, 41(1), 1-20.

Maccini, P., Strickland, T., Gagnon, J. C., & Malmgren, K. W. (2008). “Accessing the general education math curriculum for secondary students with high incidence disabilities.” Focus on Exceptional Children, 40(8), 1-32.

Gagnon, J. C. (2008). “State level curricular, assessment, and accountability policies, practices, and philosophies for exclusionary school settings.” Journal of Special Education, OnlineFirst PDF http://sed.sagepub.com/cgi/rapidpdf/0022466908321442v1.

Scott, T., Gagnon, J. C., & Nelson, C. M. (2008). “School-wide systems of positive behavior support: A framework for reducing school crime and violence. Journal of Behavior Analysis of Offender and Victim-Treatment and Prevention,” 1, 259-272.

Gagnon, J. C., & Richards, C. (2008). “Making the right turn: A guide about youth involved in the juvenile corrections system”.) Washington, DC: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, Institute for Educational Leadership.

Mendoza, P. (2008). “Socialization to the academic culture: A framework of inquiry.” Revista de Estudios Sociales, 31, 104-117.

Mendoza, P. & Berger, J.B. (2008). “Academic capitalism and academic culture: A case study.” Education Policy Analysis Archives, 16(23).

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P. K. Yonge News

Vision of campus ‘renewal’ starts to unfold

Internationally renowned architect Prakash Nair and his Fielding Nair International team led a presentation and workshop to plan what P.K. Yonge could look like after a complete renovation. The Jan. 26 brainstorming session took place in the school auditorium as parents, faculty, staff and students tried to envision what a 21st century campus should look and feel like.

According to PKY Director Fran Vandiver, the idea of scrapping some 50-year-old campus buildings and committing to a complete redesign was born a few years ago when the Florida Department of Education determined that it would cost more to renovate than to start from scratch.  Vandiver sees this as an opportunity not only to enhance the learning experience for PKY students, but to provide a 21st century campus model for schools everywhere.

“We have an opportunity to continue to reflect on our teaching and learning, to give input and life to a new school design, to improve the educational experiences of our students, and to help other schools and districts do the same,” says Vandiver.

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In the News

The Gainesville Sun (1/27/2009)—PK Yonge Developmental Research School

The Gainesville Sun ran a story about the Fielding Nair International presentation and workshop held to plan the transformation of the PKY campus into a prototype 21st Century school.  (The story, which resulted from a COE news release, also was covered by WCJB TV-20, the local ABC affiliate.)

Science (1/2/2009)—Mark Shermis, Education Psychology

In an article titled “Computers as Writing Instructors: Software that helps students hone their writing skills is finding a niche in the classroom,” Science magazine quotes Mark Shermis’ take on essay-grading software. “They handle 95 percent of the writing that’s out there,” said Shermis, “but I don’t think they will ever do poetry…or identify the next great novelist.”

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