Student Laurels

Outstanding ProTeach undergraduates honored

Congratulations to Cristina Rossi and Kelly Craft, chosen as 2013 Outstanding Undergraduate Students at UF’s College of Education. Rossi is a May bachelor’s graduate from the college’s Unified Early Childhood program, and Craft is with Unified Elementary ProTeach.

Their impressive credentials summarized below explain why they were honored:

Outstanding Undergraduate – Unified Early Childhood
Cristina Ross
Cristina consistently excels in all areas of her academic life. Since 2010, she has earned UF President’s Honor Roll (for perfect 4.0 GPA) or Dean’s List (3.75 GPA or higher) awards each semester. Cristina is also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Golden Key International Honor Society. Her professors have been impressed by her active participation in class and efforts to enact best teaching practices in assignments and in the field. Cristina is also a successful leader within UF and the community. She served this year as vice president of the Education College Council.

Outstanding Undergraduate – Unified Elementary ProTeach
Kelly Craft
Kelly takes every opportunity to work with children. At UF, she has maintained an outstanding GPA while working for two after-school programs and volunteering in programs for mentally- and physically-disabled children. A supervising classroom teacher assessed Kelly’s field teaching by writing in her report: “Wow, you’ve got a good one here!” Kelly’s passion for teaching is mirrored in her involvement in a number of professional organizations including the Kappa Delta Pi education honor society. She also represents her ProTeach cohort on the Student Advisory Council and is treasurer of UF’s women’s surf club and a certified lifeguard.

May 3, 2013/by

COE Outstanding Female Leader is all-star on Gator soccer team, too

Elementary education senior Holly King knows how to be a leader, whether it’s for a classroom of elementary school students or a team of Gator soccer players.

Next month, she will receive UF’s Outstanding Female Leader award during her undergraduate graduation. King is part of the five-year elementary education ProTeach program and played as senior defensive midfielder for the university’s women’s soccer team, earning All-Southeastern Conference first-team and defensive player of the year honors.

“I was very surprised and feel very humbled to have received this prestigious award,” King said. “Our elite student body is filled with leaders and to be selected to represent them is a great honor.”

During her studies, King demonstrated these leadership qualities by creating fun and engaging lesson plans and adapting if they failed, which presented similar challenges to those she faced as captain of the soccer team.

“What I learned on the field translated into the classroom as a teacher when getting to know my students and their different levels of learning,” King said.

Photo by Shane M. Lardinois.

Her professors, too, have seen her growth and commitment in her academic work. For example, King tutored a struggling reader and was responsible for planning daily tutoring sessions with him. After six weeks, King helped the student gain eight reading levels.

“Holly was very dedicated, yet humble,” said elementary education professor Caitlin Gallingane, who had King for two of her reading courses. “She worked hard to fit together both her academic career and her soccer career and still meet the high expectations of her instructors, coaches, and peers. She will be a wonderful professional teacher and role model for her students.”

King was also a strong leader on the soccer field. She was selected to the UF women’s soccer team’s leadership committee in her freshman year, on which she served for three years. By her senior year, King was named team captain. As captain, she led the team to the SEC Championship and the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

“I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches and teachers in the nation, which afforded me the opportunity to develop as a leader,” she said. “As a captain on our women’s soccer team, I adapted and adjusted to my teammates’ personalities in order to communicate appropriately.”

Soccer coach Becky Burleigh told the Independent Florida Alligator that King’s leadership is a big asset to the team.

“Having Holly on the team is like having a coach on the field,” Burleigh said.

Read the rest of the Alligator’s profile about King and her leadership on and off the field here.

Photo by Shane M. Lardinois.

May 1, 2013/by

Doctoral student receives National Data Institute fellowship

Jasmine Ulmer, a doctoral student in educational leadership, was selected as a fellow for this year’s National Data Institute on the datasets of the National Center for Education Statistics and National Science Foundation.

The institute serves as an intensive introduction to using national data to support research on science, engineering and postsecondary education. The meeting will take place from July 14 to 20 in Washington, D.C.

“I hope to gain an in-depth understanding of federal research policies and procedures,” Ulmer said. “I’m interested in learning more about how the National Science Foundation and the National Center for Education Statistics collect data on issues in postsecondary education that address the career pathways of teachers and school leaders.”

April 29, 2013/by

Newsmakers, Research News, Student Laurels

STL doctoral fellow named national scholar for research, social justice promotion

Julie Brown, a UF doctoral fellow in curriculum and instruction, has been named as one of six Jhumki Basu Scholars by the National Association for Research in Science Teaching’s Equity and Ethics Committee.

Brown is a former high school science teacher and P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School’s elementary science coordinator.

At UF’s College of Education, Brown researches and designs professional development for secondary science teachers as a means of enhancing their ability to provide culturally responsive and inquiry-based instruction. Her STARTS – Science Teachers Are Responsive To Students – professional development model, for example, is designed to empower science teachers in high-need, urban school districts.

Brown’s professional development model is incorporated within a major partnership being forged between UF and the School District of Palm Beach County. It’s part of an ambitious effort to position the school system as a national leader in the recruitment and retention of master teachers in the STEM subjects who can lead their students to the highest levels of academic success.

“Science education must be accessible to all students,” Brown said. “Increasing culturally-responsive science education’s presence on a wide scale begins with teacher preparation.”

The Basu Scholars Program supports and nurtures promising young scholars who promote social justice. The program also provides scholars with a $700 research scholarship.

April 18, 2013/2 Comments/by

UF doctoral candidate receives $20K grant for dissertation

Lian Niu, a doctoral candidate in higher education administration at the University of Florida, was awarded with a $20,000 grant from the Association for Institutional Research that will fund her dissertation research.

Niu is one of 10 doctoral students from across the country that received the dissertation grant, which is funded by the National Center for Education Statistics, the National Science Foundation and the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative.

In her research, Niu is exploring the predictors of college students’ enrollment patterns in science, technology, engineering and math majors by looking at students’ family socioeconomic status and financial resources.

March 28, 2013/by

Faculty Laurels, Student Laurels

Academic women’s group taps doctoral candidate as ‘emerging scholar’

Lauren Tripp, a doctoral candidate in curriculum, teaching and teacher education, was recently honored by the Association for Academic Women as an emerging scholar for her dissertation research.

The association named Tripp as a finalist in its Emerging Scholar competition and will reward her with a $1,000 cash award. The award was created to honor outstanding female graduate students. Tripp will receive the award on March 27 at the Women’s History Month reception.

Tripp’s research investigates the academic success of first-generation black male college students from a high-poverty background. With her findings, she is developing a theory describing the resilience of these college students who are currently attending a large, public, predominantly white university. Tripp said their academic success could be attributed to past challenging teachers, strict discipline from family members, involvement in a gifted or honors program in elementary school, and having male mentors outside of their families.

March 22, 2013/by

Spotlights, Student Laurels

‘Rising star’ crafts plot to narrow learning gap

Sometimes, all it takes is a notable quote to inspire a person to seek change, lead reform and serve the community.

For University of Florida education doctoral student Jasmine Ulmer, the life-changing words were voiced by former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige: “In the greatest, wealthiest nation the world has ever known, nearly seven out of 10 fourth-graders in big cities and rural areas cannot read. It is our greatest failure as a nation. It is our failure as a people, and we must do something about it.”

At the time, Ulmer was an undergraduate at UF studying English and classical studies. But after stumbling upon Paige’s comments, Ulmer was driven to become a reading teacher and coach.

“After reading that quote, I was inspired to enter the College of Education upon graduation to earn a master’s in reading education,” said Ulmer, who graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2004 and her master’s degree the following year. “But once I entered the classroom to address challenges in literacy, I became aware of a broader spectrum of challenges that face the students, teachers and leaders in our schools.”

Today, Ulmer is pursuing her Ph.D. in educational leadership at UF, and her professors peg her as a rising star in Florida education policy with a desire to improve the learning gap in schools with the help of teachers and school leaders.

Along with several years of teaching experience, she has participated in a number of education policy projects, including the Florida Department of Education’s FCAT bias review committee from 2008 to 2011. In 2009, she was selected to serve as a U.S. Department of Education teaching ambassador fellow and got the opportunity to travel, speak with education policy makers and attend conferences.

Now she co-chairs the state education department’s teacher and leader preparation implementation committee, which makes recommendations to Florida’s Race to the Top committee about standards and learning targets for state-approved teacher preparation programs.

Ulmer began her upward journey in 2005 as a teacher who took on a variety of roles, from teaching second- and seventh-grade classes to serving as an elementary science coach.

She also found time to collaborate with district, state and federal officials on issues related to advancing the teaching profession.

“As an elementary classroom teacher I could affect 18 students at a time, and as an instructional coach I could influence a thousand students at a time,” she said. “Though I love my students and miss them very much, I felt the way I could best contribute to the profession was to support my students’ teachers on a larger scale.”

Ulmer believes one way the teaching profession can be transformed is through the development of career ladders that build upon teachers’ individual talents and interests. Then, she said, schools might be able to retain more teachers and create stronger internal systems of support.

“For example, some teachers might be able to spend more time mentoring other teachers, leading professional development, designing instruction, utilizing technology, working with the community, or collaborating with researchers on projects,” Ulmer said.

Ulmer’s colleagues and professors tout her as a major player in the future of Florida education. She hopes to focus her dissertation research on how the perspectives and experiences of educators can be better incorporated into educational policy and practice decisions.

“Jasmine has just been an exceptional addition to our class of college research fellows,” said Bernard Oliver, UF program coordinator in educational administration and policy. “Her experience and involvement with Florida’s Race to the Top initiatives provide our students and faculty in educational leadership with the most current thinking about preparing leaders for Florida’s future.”

Ulmer plans to graduate with her Ph.D. in 2015 and then work in academia or for a governmental agency.

“I see myself as one of many voices contributing to a larger conversation,” Ulmer said. “I’m relatively new to the field and feel fortunate for the opportunities that I’ve had, and I hope I’m able to continue making positive contributions.”

WRITER: Alexa Lopez, news and communications, UF College of Education, 352-273-4449
MEDIA CONTACT: Larry Lansford, director, news and communications, UF College of Education, 352-273-4137

February 18, 2013/by

Eight education majors named ‘Anderson scholars’

Faculty mentor honoree Dustin Jones, center, poses with four of the eight Anderson Scholars (pictured from left): Brenna Burke, Janelle Lopez, Date Logan and Katie Stults.

Eight College of Education undergraduates have received a prestigious campus-wide award for academic achievement, and an education faculty member was recognized for his mentorship of several of the honored students.

The College of Education student recipients are ProTeach elementary education majors Brenna Burke, Kate Logan, Janelle Lopez, Alexandra Ramlow, Katherine Romero, Carolyn Smith, and Katie Stults; and ProTeach early childhood education major Jennifer Standsfield.

Mathematics education instructor Dustin Jones, who was nominated by Logan and Lopez, was chosen as an Anderson Scholar Faculty Honoree. Jones is a visiting clinical assistant professor and just finished his first semester at the university.

The students were awarded the Anderson School Certificate of Distinction, High Distinction or Highest Distinction, which is given by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to UF students who have maintained a full, uninterrupted course load and at least a 3.90, 3.95 or 4.00 GPA, respectively, during their first two years at the university.

“It is nice to be recognized for my efforts during my first two years and to know that my accomplishments have not been overlooked,” Lopez said. “I’m glad that my fellow education majors and I have been distinguished as high-achieving students, and I hope we can represent all education majors as hardworking and talented students.”

The Anderson Scholar Faculty Honoree recognizes professors who have mentored Anderson scholars.

“It warms my heart to be identified by my students as inspiring and influential,” Jones said. “These eight Anderson scholars are well on their way to becoming successful teachers who will inspire and influence the next generation of students.”

The Anderson scholar and faculty honoree awards are named after James Nesbitt Anderson, who served as the first dean of what used to be the College of Arts and Sciences between 1910 and 1930. The award was initiated a few years ago by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, in part because of the historical role the college has played in the education of undergraduate students during their first two years at UF.

January 15, 2013/by

Awards, Faculty Laurels, Student Laurels

UF education researchers recognized at state research conference

Several University of Florida education researchers were honored at this year’s Florida Educational Research Association annual meeting, hosted last month by the College of Education at UF’s Hilton Conference Center Hotel.

Walter Leite, an associate professor of research and evaluation methodology (REM), and his research assistant Francisco Jimenez, a Ph.D. student, received the conference’s Distinguished Paper Award. They were recognized for their paper evaluating the effects of the Teacher Leadership for School Improvement (TLSI) degree program offered for prekindergarten through 12th-grade teachers. The graduate program is a joint project of the college’s School of Teaching and Learning and the UF Lastinger Center for Learning.

Leite and Jimenez developed statistical models following 10 years of performance by 78 third- through fifth-grade teachers’ who are currently enrolled or graduated from the program. They compared the teachers’ effects on students they had taught prior to their TLSI coursework to their effects after joining the program.

The study revealed that the students exposed to these teachers had improved their FCAT math and reading scores, and reduced their school absences.

“The most important finding of our study is that the TLSI program, which is unique to the College of Education and the Lastinger Center, is positively affecting schools,” Leite said. “It also shows that the work done by the college and Lastinger Center matters.”

Koro-Ljungberg

Also recognized at the conference was professor Mirka Koro-Ljungberg, who received the Educational Researcher of the Year award for her contributions to educational research. Koro-Ljungberg is a professor in REM. In the past two years, she has authored or co-authored 11 peer-reviewed papers.

For Koro-Ljungberg, a qualitative researcher, the award came as a surprise because quantitative research is often seen as dominant, she said. Qualitative research is the practice of analyzing personal and narrative accounts, such as interviews, focus groups, observations, artifacts and oral histories. On the other hand, quantitative research often involves larger samples and relies on numbers and statistics.

“I hope this will motivate people to do more and present more qualitative research in the future,” she said.

Others honored at the meeting were UF doctoral students Kristi Cheyney (in special education), Nicole Jean-Paul (school psychology) and Jean Theurer (REM), who received awards for the best overall project posters.

For more information about the Florida Educational Research Association, visit feraonline.org.

CONTACTS:
SOURCE: Walter Leite, 352-273-4302, walter.leite@coe.ufl.edu
SOURCE: Mirka Koro-Ljungberg, 352-273-4304, koro-ljungberg@coe.ufl.edu
WRITER: Alexa Lopez, 352-273-4449, aklopez@coe.ufl.edu
MEDIA RELATIONS: Larry Lansford, 352-273-4137, llansford@coe.ufl.edu

January 14, 2013/by

One of COE’s ‘6 to Watch’ students receives leadership scholarship

UF education doctoral student Angel Rodriguez was selected by Kappa Delta Pi to receive the C. Glen Hass Laureate Scholarship in Instructional Leadership. The $1,500 award is only awarded to applicants from the University of Florida doctoral program.

Kappa Delta Pi is an international education honor society comprised of more than 40,000 students, teachers, professionals and school staff members and administrators from around the world.

Rodriguez, a science professor at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, is currently pursuing a doctorate in higher education leadership at UF. He was profiled on the College of Education’s home web page earlier this year as one of the “Six to Watch” students as recommended by UF education professors.

According to Dale Campbell, a higher education administration professor who recommended Rodriguez for the scholarship, Rodriguez is dedicated to helping community college students. After 20 years of serving on community college faculties, Rodriguez hopes to become president at a Florida community or state college.

“I have no doubt that with his values, vision and vitality, Angel will achieve his goal of becoming a community college president and a leader we can all be proud of,” Campbell wrote in his recommendation letter.

November 16, 2012/by

Doctoral student to represent UF on council for pre-service leadership preparation, practice

Second-year educational leadership doctoral student Jasmine Ulmer was recently appointed to the Graduate Student Council (GSC) of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). As one of eight graduate students in the GSC, Ulmer will help to increase the voice and presence of graduate students in the UCEA, among other responsibilities.

The UCEA, composed of higher education institutions, aims to further the preparation and practice of educational leaders through research, preparatory resources and influencing educational policy at all levels. UF is a member of the UCEA.

Ulmer has previously served as a teacher and instructional coach for six years during which she worked to increase teacher involvement in educational policy at the state and federal levels. At the University of Florida, her research focuses on issues of teacher quality, evaluation and career pathways.

November 1, 2012/by

Scholarship will help doctoral student forge COE-Thailand virtual connection

UF social studies education doctoral student Jason Schipper was recently awarded a $2,750 scholarship from the Kappa Delta Pi Educational Foundation. The scholarship is based on transcripts, involvement in Kappa Delta Pi and a written essay. A review committee selected Schipper from applicants around the country.

Kappa Delta Pi is an international education honor society comprised of more than 40,000 students, teachers, professionals and school staff members and administrators from around the world.

Schipper, a social studies methods instructor at UF’s College of Education, received the honor society’s Gerald H. Read Laureate Scholarship in International and Comparative Education. He will use the scholarship to fund research and technology in a program that will connect his pre-service students with elementary school classrooms in Thailand. Through this exchange, the pre-service teacher candidates will interact virtually with the students as they develop lesson plans and assignments for the Thai classrooms.

October 31, 2012/by

UF-honored student-teacher excels in both roles in the classroom

When 21-year-old Carla-Ann Brown isn’t exploring Gainesville’s culinary diversity or teaching herself how to knit, she is excelling in the classroom, both at the college’s Norman Hall and in fourth grade at Terwilliger Elementary School where she is an intern.

Brown was named an “Outstanding Four-Year Scholar” during summer commencement when she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education, a 3.97 GPA and various awards and honors. Now, she is a graduate student at UF studying elementary education.

Brown credits the University of Florida’s teachers, opportunities and connections for her successes.

“UF offers so many experiences and so many placements so that you can become a well-rounded teacher,” she said.

Above all, Brown’s most rewarding academic experiences happened in the classroom, and not when she was the one behind the desk.

One of her favorite memories as an undergraduate was her first time interning in a classroom. That was the moment she was finally able to apply her academic work to pursuing her dream career.

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but now I think I have more knowledge and more experience that I can share with my students,” said Brown, who wants to teach fourth grade, particularly gifted students who are sometimes overlooked because “teachers feel they don’t need the help or extra attention.”

Brown said what makes her unique as a teacher is how she connects with her students.

“I try to be relatable to my students because I know from experience that if what they’re learning is not relatable to their real-life situation, then it’s not going to have an impact on them whatsoever,” Brown said.

Her inspiration for this attitude is her sixth- and seventh-grade language arts teacher in her hometown of West Palm Beach.

“He was so excited about what he taught and I think that’s what drew me in,” Brown said. “I want to have as big as an influence on my students as he did.”

Meanwhile, underneath Brown’s passion and hard work lies “a young person with an older person mentality” who spends hours watching the Food Network and loves to sew,” she said.

Brown even hopes to incorporate cooking and sewing into teaching math and reading to her future fourth graders.

“It would make things more fun and interesting,” she said.

CONTACTS
WRITER: Alexa Lopez, 352-273-4449, aklopez@coe.ufl.edu
MEDIA LIAISON: Larry Lansford, 352-273-4137, llansford@coe.ufl.edu

October 30, 2012/by

Research News, Student Laurels

UF cites higher ed student for superior accomplishment in health promotion

Maureen Miller, a doctoral student at UF’s College of Education, has earned two campuswide awards for the impact she’s made as interim director of UF’s GatorWell Health Promotion Services.

Miller, who’s pursuing her Ed.D in higher education administration while working at her full-time UF job, recently received the Jeffrey A. Gabor Employee Recognition Award and a UF Superior Accomplishment Award for her diligent efforts and research that has helped shape many of the alcohol and drug prevention programs on campus.

UF’s groundbreaking Medical Amnesty Policy, which waives student disciplinary action if they seek medical help in cases of serious and life-threatening alcohol and drug-related emergencies, went into effect last year under Miller’s leadership at GatorWell.

The annual Super Accomplishment awards program highlights UF staff members for outstanding service, money-saving ideas or contributions that improve the quality of life for students and employees. Miller won a divisional award for all departments and units under the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.

The Gabor award, also part of the Super Accomplishment program, highlights outstanding contributions employees have made to the university. Miller was one of four employees who received the award along with a commemorative plaque and $1,000 check.

Miller has worked at UF since graduating with her B.S. degree in 2000 and a Master of Public Health degree in 2002, working at GatorWell as the coordinator for alcohol and other drug prevention since 2002. She’s scheduled to graduate with her doctorate in 2015.

She previously was recognized in the Who’s Who of Prevention Leadership in Florida in 2004 and received the Community Recognition Award for Outstanding Prevention Service from the Corner Drug Store Family & Behavior Health Services, Inc., in 2007.

July 5, 2012/by

Early teaching experiences inspire study on black males’ perception of high school success

Like most new teachers, Melissa Singleton entered her first classroom 17 years ago with high expectations for her students’ success. What she didn’t expect were cultural barriers that would shape the topic of her doctoral dissertation study at UF’s College of Education.

Singleton, who graduated recently with her Ph.D. in educational leadership, said she had trouble communicating with most of her students as a novice teacher because she wasn’t in tune with their ethnic backgrounds.

Melissa Singleton

Her students, mostly African American, used words like “flawjin’” and other slang that Singleton had never heard before. She reached out to one of her students to teach her current slang and help her understand their music, hairstyles and fashion. Turns out “flawjin’” means to put on a front. Singleton learned more teen pop-culture lingo, listened to her students’ music and allowed them to pick her nail polish if they did well on their tests. She even learned the crochet method of hair braiding that was popular among black girls.

“You talk about teaching moments, but you have learning moments as teachers, too,” Singleton said.

She always took the time to connect with her students—whom she affectionately refers to as “my kids”– because she knew that was the only way she could gain the credibility and trust needed to motivate them. The relationship-forming didn’t take too much time, either. She’d eat lunch with her students or talk with them in the classroom, hallway or during planning periods.

Singleton taught subjects from math to reading in regular and special education classrooms at several schools before her promotion in 2010 to assistant principal at Kanapaha Middle School in Gainesville, where she continued to work while pursuing her doctorate at UF.

It was her early, challenging teaching experiences that inspired her dissertation research on black males’ perception of their high school success. She wanted to know why some African-American male students were responsive and successful in her class and not in other subjects.

She interviewed and held focus groups with seven randomly selected, black male students from a North Central Florida high school, all with different backgrounds: some came from stable families and others came from living situations that would make graduating high school seem like an insurmountable feat.

The seven black males in her study agreed that academic success, to them, meant having a 2.5 grade point average, which amounts to As and Bs with a few Cs, and being able to play sports, which requires at least a 2.0 GPA. Even though none of the students averaged at least 2.5, they all said it is something they’d like to achieve.

From her research, Singleton concluded that family, educational and peer relationships all play a part in a student’s success. All seven students agreed that the relationship with their teachers profoundly influences their academic success.

“Students work for teachers who make them feel good about themselves,” said Linda Behar-Horenstein, a UF distinguished teaching scholar and professor in higher education administration and Singleton’s doctoral chair. She said Singleton’s research reinforces the importance of relationships between teachers and students and cultural awareness.

One student in Singleton’s study, referring to a teacher he didn’t get along with, said, “I was failing her class because I couldn’t stand her. I don’t like English, and she wasn’t patient and always had an attitude; it was like somebody stomped on her foot or something every time I saw her.”

That same student–the son of a single mother in jail, being raised by his 21-year-old sister with two young children of her own, said school was the only place he could get away from the drama and chaos in his home life. Yet he was failing some of his favorite courses because he was taken out of school so often to take care of his sister’s kids.

Behar-Horenstein said teachers should realize that when students are rude, it’s cause for a conversation to understand why the student is behaving that way. She said it doesn’t take time or money to do that, it just takes an “I want to” from the teacher.

After her study, Singleton concludes that teaching is about relationships and trust; she incorporates her findings into her job as assistant principal. She suggests school administrators should provide group training to prepare teachers to be better relationship builders with all students.

“There has to be a way to teach relationship building and cultural awareness,” Singleton said. “Everyone can grow – from the top down.”

She said that while her study focused on black males, the findings transcend race, culture and ethnic background.

“Educators must be able to understand students as individuals,” she said. “We have to be able to meet them where they are– academically, personally and emotionally. Only then can we help them reach their greatest potential.”

CONTACTS
WRITER: Jessica Bradley, student intern, news & communications, UF College of Education, 273-4449
MEDIA RELATIONS: Larry Lansford, director, news & communications, UF College of Education, 352-273-4137; llansford@coe.ufl.edu

May 23, 2012/by

Counseling honor society taps COE doctoral student

Chi Sigma Iota, the counseling profession’s international honor society, has selected Kacy Mixon, a UF College of Education doctoral student, as a 2012-13 international leadership fellow from a pool of more than 14,000 student members.

Fellowships are awarded to outstanding graduate counseling students based on exceptional academic achievement and leadership qualities displayed in their respective CSI chapters. The fellowship program is designed to assist future leaders who can advance the counseling profession and the CSI organization, which numbers more than 82,000 members.

In Mixon’s three years at UF, she has served the local CSI chapter as president and on numerous committees including awards selection and community engagement.

Ana Puig, assistant research director and affiliate professor in counselor education, said Mixon “is well known to fellow students and faculty as a reliable and selfless contributor to our unit and to CSI’s mission.”

Mixon is in her third year of doctoral studies in the counselor education and supervision program where she has worked with professor Ellen Amatea to create and teach a course about family and community involvement for teachers in training.

“Kacy has not only functioned as an effective team member in developing the course format,” Amatea said. “She has also developed engaging classroom presentations on the topics of family violence, grief and loss.”

Mixon has also taught stress and anxiety management, assisted counselor education faculty in teaching masters level courses in career development as well as assessment and treatment of violence in families and provided individual and group clinical supervision to master’s level students in the counselor education program.

Mixon is a licensed marriage and family therapist experienced in working with families struggling with domestic violence, foster-care transitions and child trauma. She currently provides live supervision to marriage and family therapists in training and to complete requirements for approved clinical supervisor status. Mixon plans to continue teaching and supervising in the counselor education field upon graduation in 2013.

CONTACTS

WRITER: Jessica Bradley, student intern, news & communications, UF College of Education, 352-273-4449

May 22, 2012/by

ATE taps doctoral student for teacher-leadership scholarship

The Association of Teacher Educators has awarded UF education doctoral student Rachel Wolkenhauer its 2012 Robert Stevenson Scholarship. The yearly honor goes to a student working on an advanced degree who will use her education to enhance teacher leadership among her peers.

Wolkenhauer, in her second year of doctoral studies in curriculum and instruction, is a former Pinellas County elementary teacher and works as a trained Master Teacher with the college’s Lastinger Center for Learning while pursuing her doctorate. She provides professional development to teachers at the center’s partnering schools.

She said she hopes to fulfill the leadership requirements of the scholarship by creating and maintaining relationships between schools and universities. She said the relationship would be mutually beneficial; universities would produce more useful research, and schools would have more access to research and a liaison to education policymakers.

The ATE organization, founded in 1920, focuses on improving teacher education for school-based and post-secondary educators.

May 21, 2012/by

SIX to WATCH

These education students have the moxie, that rare “it” factor,
to make a meaningful difference in our lives and in the education world,
from applying social networking in teacher education to gauging
the influence of race on students’ learning opportunities.The
future of GATOR EDUCATION has never looked so cool.

BY JESSICA BRADLEY – EDITED BY LARRY LANSFORD – PHOTOS BY ERIC ZAMORA, UF PHOTOGRAPHY

Jennifer Neukamm
MAE, Elementary Education
CLASS OF 2013
WHY WE’RE WATCHING: Jennifer strives for perfection in everything she does. For the past six years, dating back to high school, she has excelled in the sport of rowing as both captain and coxswain, steering the race boat while shouting out the crew’s rowing pace. She recently was named the 2012 Outstanding Undergraduate in her elementary education program and was one of the few undergraduates to make a scholarly presentation at a statewide reading conference. She’s a natural leader who takes advantage of every opportunity to excel, a characteristic that is sure to mold exceptional students.
WHAT’S NEXT: Jennifer will begin her master’s coursework in elementary education this summer. Her yearlong internship will involve the supervised teaching of second and third graders in the P.K. Yonge lab school’s new K-5 elementary wing, where teachers collaborate and work with students in community learning studios with transparent walls, common areas and media centers. “Times are changing,” Jennifer said. “We have really innovative ideas about how education should be; the ideas they are crafting and instilling in us are not the way we grew up when we were in school.”
THE PROFESSOR’S WORDS: Associate director of the School of Teaching and Learning, Suzanne Colvin, said she doesn’t know where Jennifer’s devotion to helping every child succeed came from, but she is sure Jennifer is a teacher that every parent would love their child to have. “Everyone who knows Jennifer is sure she will be an outstanding educator and leader.”

Sarah Piper
MAE, Elementary Education
CLASS OF 2013
WHY WE’RE WATCHING: Music has guided Sarah like a Pied Piper through most of her academic life and continues to shape her as a leader. She said learning to play trombone in sixth-grade band transformed her from a shy preteen into the outgoing senior drum major of the Gator marching band that she is today. “Music is the turning point for me,” she said. Conducting a band of 350-plus musicians has honed her management skills which she thinks will translate well in an elementary classroom. Piper is in her last year of undergraduate studies in the ProTeach program, is a Golden Key Honor Society member and carries a 4.0 GPA.
WHAT’S NEXT: Sarah will start her ProTeach graduate courses this summer, but she’s equally excited about leading the Pride of the Sunshine band in multiple ceremonies at the 2012 Olympics in London this June. After completing her master’s degree in 2013, she hopes to teach in an elementary classroom by day and direct a high school band by night.
THE PROFESSOR’S WORDS: Caitlin Gallingane, a clinical assistant professor in the School of Teaching and Learning, said Sarah has an insight and a depth of understanding about teaching that is beyond many of her peers. “Sarah’s character is so strong and she’s so passionate about being the best teacher she can be. She is naturally encouraging and motivating for her students, always wanting them to do their best and modeling that attitude for them,” Gallingane said. “She’s a quiet leader, constantly reflecting on her performance and asking how she can make it stronger. She is constantly wanting more.”

Donald Sanchez
MAE, Special Education
CLASS OF 2013
WHY WE’RE WATCHING: Ten years in the National Guard have helped Donald develop superb leadership skills and the discipline required to be an exemplary educator. In 2008, he voluntarily deployed to Iraq for a year to do communications work. “I saw an opening for a volunteer position and I took it because I always wanted to serve my country,” the sergeant said. He applied to UF’s ProTeach program while abroad and started classes in spring 2010. Donald said his time in the military has taught him to lead an orderly classroom and still engage his students as a caring teacher and mentor.
WHAT’S NEXT: After graduation in 2013, he hopes to teach an inclusive kindergarten classroom and apply special education techniques to all students. He said the discipline and structure that special education teachers employ can benefit all children. Donald lives in Newberry, Fla., where he attended high school, and hopes to work in the area. He eventually wants to return to school and study to become an elementary school principal.
THE PROFESSOR’S WORDS: Martha League said Donald’s military service makes him remarkably mature for a young teacher. She said his level of patience with children makes him a wonderful teacher. “His dedication to teaching is exemplified daily through his earnest efforts to help each child grow in self-confidence, self-regulation and academic achievement,” League said. “I am confident Donald will be an accomplished professional educator and will consistently represent the University of Florida at the highest level of excellence.”

Luke Rodesiler
Doctoral Candidate, English Education
CLASS OF 2013
WHY WE’RE WATCHING: Luke, a designated teacher-consultant with the National Writing Project, left his job teaching high school English in Michigan in 2008 when he recognized a desire and opportunity to prepare teachers-in-training for the rigors of the classroom. His graduate studies at UF have inspired him to advance English teacher education by examining how teachers use online platforms, such as blogs and other social media, outside of the classroom to enhance their instructional practices. He is conducting trendsetting research for his dissertation on how teachers engage their peers online to explore issues related to teaching, learning and literacy.
WHAT’S NEXT: Luke will continue his dissertation study, partially funded by a grant from the Conference on English Education, and plans to complete his fellowship in 2013. After graduation, he hopes to land a tenure-track faculty position that allows him to pursue the research agenda he set during his UF studies. He wants to continue working closely with secondary English teachers and teachers-in-training to inspire a vigorous learning climate in the classroom.
THE PROFESSOR’S WORDS: Barbara Pace, associate professor in the School of Teaching and Learning, is impressed with Luke’s dissertation research. Noting his interest in teaching, learning and technology, she said Luke is poised to break new ground: “His work acknowledges changing views of literacy and the impact of shifting forms of texts and contexts on teaching. (His research) will provide a portrait of how participatory online cultures are used and experienced by practicing teachers.”

Angel Rodriguez
Doctoral Candidate, Leadership in Educational Administration
CLASS OF 2013
WHY WE’RE WATCHING: Angel grew up in a family where graduating from high school was the biggest accomplishment one could hope for. However, several teachers throughout his schooling pushed him to achieve more. “I’m where I am today because people took time for me, and I should do the same,” said Angel, a science professor at Broward College in Ft. Lauderdale. Angel, a marine biologist and oceanographer, is constantly teaching others in and out of the classroom – a characteristic which twice earned him Professor of the Year honors and a Motorola Endowed Teaching Chair. He’s currently compiling his dissertation study findings after examining dual-enrollment students’ success at four-year institutions.
WHAT’S NEXT: As a recipient of the College of Education’s James L. Wattenbarger Scholarship, named for the former professor who helped create Florida’s community college system, it is only natural that Angel strives to improve teaching and learning at that level. He hopes his research findings will lead to improvements in the college experience of dually-enrolled students who are indecisive about their majors despite transferring to a university with so many credits accrued. After graduation, Rodriguez hopes to become the president of a Florida community college.
THE PROFESSOR’S WORDS: Professor Dale Campbell, interim director of the School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education, recognizes Angel’s dedication to helping community college students. He also thinks Angel’s recent selection to receive the UF Presidential Service Award is a sign of great things to come. “I have no doubt that with his values, vision and vitality, Angel will achieve his goal of becoming a community college president and a leader we can all be proud of,” Campbell said.

Diedre Houchen
Doctoral Fellow, Curriculum, Teaching and Teacher Education
CLASS OF 2014
WHY WE’RE WATCHING: Diedre’s doctoral research focus on race and education is not uncommon, but the hands-on approach she uses to assuage tense situations—racial or otherwise—is rare. Last fall, she received a grant from the UF Center for the Study of Race and Relations and developed a new course, Race and Education, which explores the history of race, culture and public schooling in America. Diedre’s experience as a mother, middle and high school teacher, program developer and youth advocate shape her understanding of the challenges facing students of color in public schools. Making a positive change in education and in her community is particularly important to her.
WHAT’S NEXT: Diedre is planning a career that allows her to engage with the community members and groups. “I want to learn all that I can to open all the doors and help spread a message about equity and the lives and needs of communities and their children,” she said. Diedre would like to see teachers become master instructors, gain more flexibility to plan culturally grounded lessons and spend more time building partnerships with parents and communities so all students thrive to their fullest potential.
THE PROFESSOR’S WORDS: Dorene Ross, professor in the School of Teaching and Learning, said Diedre sees an urgency to solve racial inequities that drives her to do more and learn more. “She pushes me to new levels as we work to meet her needs as a learner,” Ross said. “She will blaze her own path because traditional paths are not leading to equity fast enough.

CONTACTS
WRITER: Jessica Bradley, Communications Intern, UF College of Education; 352-273-4140.
EDITOR/MEDIA RELATIONS: Larry Lansford, Director, News & Communications, UF College of Education; llansford@coe.ufl.edu; 352-273-4137

April 23, 2012/1 Comment/by

Awards, Press Releases, Student Laurels

Participant in UF master-teacher program receives top honor in Pinellas

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For the second year in a row, a teacher who receives training from the University of Florida Master Teacher Initiative has been named teacher of the year in Pinellas County.

Pinellas County Schools recently chose UF Lastinger Center Teacher Fellows Facilitator Stephanie Whitaker, a fifth-grade teacher at Dunedin Elementary, as Pinellas County’s 2012 Teacher of the Year.

“I don’t think I would have won Outstanding Educator if I hadn’t had the opportunity to participate in the Teacher Fellows program and conduct inquiry,” said Whitaker, 29, who teaches English for Speakers of Other Languages, known as ESOL.

Inquiry — action research conducted on the job by educators — is a cornerstone of the Master Teacher Initiative, an award-winning, job-embedded professional development program run by the UF Lastinger Center for Learning.

Inquiry has proven to be a natural fit for Whitaker, said Lastinger Innovation Champion Sylvia Boynton, who has worked closely with Dunedin teachers over the years.

“One of the things I’ve started doing is inquiry opportunities with my students — having them conduct research,” Whitaker said.

It’s been a big hit, year after year.

“There was never a discipline problem and the kids loved every minute — they would ask to do this work,” Boynton said.

Whitaker, who’s been teaching for six years, has participated in the Teacher Fellows program since Dunedin partnered with Lastinger five years ago.

Last year, PCS named Tracy Staley, a participant in the Master Teacher Initiative’s on-the-job graduate program, the district’s Outstanding Educator. She went on to become a finalist for the state Teacher of the Year.

Being named Pinellas’ 2012 Teacher of the Year caught Whitaker by surprise.

“It’s really been an out-of-body experience,” she said.

Her teaching has been more structured since she began as a Teacher Fellow, Whitaker said. She differentiates her instruction through individualized data and views her students in new ways.

“I look at my classroom through a different lens,” she said.

Besides teaching, Whitaker serves on Dunedin’s school leadership team.

“She is a wonderful resource to the other teachers,” Boynton said.

CONTACT

SOURCE: Sylvia Boynton, innovation champion, UF Lastinger Center for Learning, 727-742-3759, sboynton@coe.ufl.edu

April 4, 2012/by

Honor society taps counselor ed student as international leadership fellow

Kacy Mixon, a third-year doctoral fellow in UF’s counselor education and supervision program, has been selected as a Chi Sigma Iota international leadership fellow.

CSI is the worldwide academic and professional honor society for the counseling field. Mixon was selected from a pool of more than 14,000 counselors in 267 university-based counselor training programs.

While pursuing her studies, Mixon teaches and provides individual and group supervision to UF counselors-in-training. She is also involved in research initiatives focused on such topics as school-family-community collaboration, and counselor burnout and wellness. Her clinical experience has focused on providing intensive in-home counseling to families struggling with domestic violence, foster care transitions and child trauma.

She plans to work as a counselor educator after graduation.

March 14, 2012/by

TASH honors PhD candidate as Emerging Researcher in special education

Ann-Marie Orlando, a University of Florida doctoral candidate in special education, recently received the 2011 Alice H. Hayden Emerging Researcher Award from TASH, a leading international advocacy group for people with disabilities.

The annual award honors doctoral students in education and related fields who demonstrate potential leadership and ongoing commitment in teaching, scholarship and service on behalf of people with significant disabilities. TASH is based in Washington, D.C.

Since starting her doctoral studies in special education leadership in 2006, Orlando has filled many roles in UF’s special education research and teaching programs. Under the supervision of her faculty adviser Diane Ryndak, she has managed two federal grants, worth a combined $1.6 million, addressing the critical shortage of special-education teachers and leaders in the field of significant disabilities.

One grant focuses on preparing special education leaders with expertise in inclusive education and assistive technology, and another on expanding the pool of qualified university faculty to train the next generation of special-education teachers in the field of significant disabilities.

Orlando began her career as a speech language therapist, audiologist and nationally certified assistive technology specialist—a background reflected in her research interest in communication systems for students with significant disabilities. At UF, she has taught several courses on significant disabilities and communication and participated on a team of researchers analyzing literacy instruction for students with significant disabilities.

“Ann Marie could be a future national leader in the field of significant disabilities in relation to communication, emergent literacy instruction and inclusive education practices,” Ryndak says.

Orlando successfully defended her dissertation in November. Her research involved examining the effects of intervention during shared book-reading sessions on the communication of young children with significant developmental delays. She presented her research findings in early December at the 2011 TASH Conference in Atlanta. She co-chairs the early childhood committee for TASH and previously headed the group’s communication committee.

She and Ryndak are developing three doctoral-level courses in assistive technology and augmentative/alternative communication for individuals with significant disabilities, which Orlando will teach upon completion of her doctoral studies.

Orlando has worked part-time for the past eight years at UF’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, providing training and public awareness activities. She leads an inclusive social group for students with autism spectrum disorders and will continue working at CARD while teaching the new doctoral courses at UF.

Alice H. Hayden, the namesake of Orlando’s award, is one of the founding members of TASH and an international scholar in the field of significant disabilities.

January 9, 2012/by

Ed tech graduate presents award-winning research

Sebnem Cilesiz, a 2006 UF doctoral graduate in education technology, presented her award-winning research recently at the annual meeting of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) in Jacksonville.

She previously received the 2010 Young Scholar Award from AECT for her article, “A Phenomenological Approach to Experiences with Technology: Current State, Promise, and Future Directions for Research.” The award recognizes the best original article by recent Ph.D. graduates that can guide future research in educational technology.

Cilesiz now works as an assistant professor in educational policy and leadership at Ohio State University.

January 5, 2012/by