Angela Mansfield, a literacy education Ph.D. student, was one out of the three students selected by Charter School Partners, a Minnesota-based non-profit charter support group, to go through a rigorous two-year school leader fellowship. The fellowship will culminate in the opening of high-performing, achievement-gap closing urban charter schools in the Twin Cities.
Mansfield, a Milken Educator Award Recipient, has been working with the Minneapolis Public Schools since 1997 as an exemplary teacher, a Reading First Literacy Coordinator, and, most recently, as a TAP mentor, providing instructional coaching to teachers to improve their performance as part of the well-regarded national System for Teacher and Student Advancement. Angela received a B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA. and an M.Ed in literacy (’07) from CEHD.
Thai education expert Fry delivers strong message on reforms
Gerald Fry, professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development (OLPD), spoke about educational reforms at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University recently. His speech, covered in an article in The Nation, focused on the need to improve quality in Thailand’s educational system, which he said has overemphasized infrastructure and underemphasized activities in the classroom.
Fry has traveled to Thailand more than 50 times, sometimes living there for years at a time, and has written several books and articles about Thailand. His 2005 book, Thailand and its neighbors: Interdisciplinary perspectives, is one of several he has written about Southeast Asia. He also has written articles about Thailand for the Harvard International Review and other publications. Fry was selected with OLPD professor David Chapman as a recipient of the University of Minnesota Award for Global Engagement in 2009.
Kinesiology M.A. graduate receives national Student Diversity Award
Alyssa Norris, kinesiology M.A. graduate in sport and exercise psychology, has been awarded the prestigious Student Diversity Award from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). The award recognizes and honors the achievements of students involved in research, service, or applied experiences that focus on diversity issues such as race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, or disability.
The award will be presented to Norris at the AASP annual conference in September in Honolulu, HI. Norris is graduating this spring and is advised by Nicole LaVoi, lecturer and associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport.
Tucker Center announces winner of Edith Mueller Grad Fellowship Award
Emily Houghton, School of Kinesiology doctoral student, has been awarded a fellowship for 2011-12 from the Edith Mueller Endowed Fund for Graduate Education in the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport. The award was established in the Tucker Center to honor Edie Mueller, daughter of Drs. Van and Mildred “Mike” Mueller. Dr. Van Mueller is professor emeritus in the former Department of Educational Policy and Administration; Dr. Mike Mueller is a CEHD alumna and a retired faculty member from Augsburg College. The Muellers have been major supporters of the Tucker Center since the early 1990s in large measure because they are deeply committed to research, education, and outreach that make a difference in people’s lives.
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S. Varma paper explains why some struggle to learn math
A paper co-authored by educational psychology assistant professor Sashank Varma and British colleagues in the journal Science documents a neurocognitive disorder that inhibits the acquisition of basic numerical and arithmetic concepts. Called developmental dyscalculia, the disorder affects roughly the same number of people as dyslexia but has received much less attention (and research funding).
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Tucker Table Student Showcase videos online
If you missed the last Tucker Table on May 6, 2011, check out videos from Vicki Schull, Katie Wurst, Alyssa Norris, and John Lisec on our YouTube channel. Click here to view the videos.
Jehangir shares expertise at national institute on learning communities
Rashné Jehangir, assistant professor in the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning, has been invited to serve as an expert resource faculty member at the 2011 National Summer Institute on Learning Communities at the Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education at Evergreen State College. Teams from around the country apply to earn a spot at this institute, which provides focused time for campus teams of faculty, student affairs professionals, and administrators to develop action plans for launching or strengthening learning community programs, for developing a proven strategy for increasing student engagement, for helping academically under-prepared students succeed, and for invigorating undergraduate education.
Kin lecturer Dr. Jen Bhalla accepted into MPH program
Dr. Jennifer Bhalla, lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology in the School of Kinesiology, has been accepted into the Masters of Public Health program for Fall 2011. Dr. Bhalla feels that the MPH will complement her research and professional goals in the areas of prevention and intervention strategies related to obesity on community, societal, and potentially global levels. She says, “Additionally, I am eager to learn from and work collaboratively with individuals in the School of Public Health to help provide youth with physical activity settings that are physically and psychologically safe for sustained participation.” Congratulations, Dr. Bhalla!
M.A. student earns State Department scholarship to study in Turkey
Alison Link, a student in the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning‘s Multicultural College Teaching and Learning M.A. program, has been awarded a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Turkish in Turkey. She will spend seven to ten weeks in an intensive language institute this summer. The CLS program provides fully-funded, group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences.
Learn more about the forum on Depressed Mothers and their Very Young Children
A forum, “Double Jeopardy-Depressed Mothers and their Very Young Children: A Remarkable Prospect for Change” was held on June 17, 2011. Information about the forum and links to the materials used at the forum are available at the CASCW web site at: http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ssw/cascw/events/past_events/MaternalDepressionForum.as
Media attention for ADAPT, supporting Guard, Reserve families
After Deployment Adaptive Parenting Tools (ADAPT), led by family social science/child development associate professor Abi Gewirtz and project manager Laurel Bidwell, is gaining attention in the news as the Minnesota National Guard prepares for its second-largest deployment since World War II. The project, which examines the effectiveness of an evidence-based parenting intervention modified for families in the National Guard and Reserves, is featured in the May 19 Star Tribune and on WCCO-TV, KSTP-TV, and KSAX-TV. The University of Minnesota home page also features ADAPT.
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Casey awarded Hauge Fellowship
Zac Casey, Ph.D. student in culture and teaching (Curriculum and Instruction), was awarded this year’s Hauge Fellowship in the amount of $4,000. He is advised by Tim Lensmire.
Congratulations, Zac!
Profs Burns, Christ most productive school psychology faculty in U.S.
In a recent study by B.L.Taylor and Cynthia Riccio at Texas A&M University, professors Matthew Burns and Ted Christ, faculty in the Educational Psychology‘s School Psychology Program, were found to be among the top five of the most frequently published researchers in school psychology journals over the past five years. Burns ranked number one, publishing more articles in school psychology journals than anyone else in the country; Christ was the fifth most published researcher. They were the only duo from one university in the top five.
Konczak receives 2011 Faculty and Staff Summer Research Award
Dr. Jürgen Konczak, professor of biomechanics in Kinesiology, has been selected to receive a 2011 Faculty and Staff Summer Research Award from CEHD for his project, “Improving motor function in cerebellar patients by exploiting explicit memory mechanisms.” The $5000 award was made by the Office of Research and Policy.
Sarah Norgren, Kinesiology B.S. major, awarded UROP grant
A Kinesiology B.S. student will be working with Dr. Jürgen Konczak, biomechanics professor, on a UROP program award next year. Beginning in the Fall, Sarah Norgren will be working in Dr. Konczak’s lab on her project, “Effect of Muscle Vibration on Proprioception.” Congratulations and welcome, Sarah!
Ingraham offers tips for getting fit efficiently on WCCO-TV
Dr. Stacy Ingraham, lecturer in Kinesiology, discussed the positive outcomes related to exercise and the effectiveness of high intensity training in two interviews that appeared on WCCO-TV evening news segments on May 17. To watch the interviews, go to the links below:
Eastview High School (Apple Valley) students tested at the Human & Sports Performance Laboratory:
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/05/17/eastview-high-students-work-to-fight-childhood-obesity/
Dr. Ingraham interviewed on high intensity training:
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/05/17/high-intensity-training-a-full-workout-in-20-minutes/
O’Brien delivers keynote address
David O’Brien, professor of literacy education (in the department of Curriculum and Instruction), presented the Keynote address at the International Reading Association’s Technology in Literacy Special Interest Group meeting, May 9, 2011, in Orlando, FL. The talk, “Bridging Traditional and Digital Literacies: From Apprehension to Affordances,” was based on a synthesis of O’Brien’s research over the last 15 years focusing on the literacy engagement of adolescents, bridging traditional print literacy practices with digital literacies using media and multimodal texts.
Professor O’Brien was also the 2010 recipient of the Computers in Reading Research Award from IRA’s Technology in Literacy Special Interest Group.
The International Reading Association is a nonprofit, global network of individuals and institutions committed to worldwide literacy since 1956. More than 70,000 members strong, the Association supports literacy professionals through a wide range of resources, advocacy efforts, volunteerism, and professional development activities. Members promote high levels of literacy for all by:
- Improving the quality of reading instruction
- Disseminating research and information about reading
- Encouraging the lifetime reading habit
Galda receives Arbuthnot Award
Lee Galda, professor of literacy education, received the Arbuthnot Award for outstanding university teaching of children’s and young adults’ literature from the International Reading Association (IRA).
The IRA is a nonprofit, global network of individuals and institutions committed to worldwide literacy since 1956. More than 70,000 members strong, the association supports literacy professionals through a wide range of resources, advocacy efforts, volunteerism, and professional development activities. Members promote high levels of literacy for all by:
- Improving the quality of reading instruction
- Disseminating research and information about reading
- Encouraging the lifetime reading habit
Galda has written 11 books and many book chapters, including the first chapter on children’s literature in the Handbook of Reading Research (3rd edition), as well as articles in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly, Research in the Teaching of English, The Reading Teacher, Language Arts, and The New Advocate. She was children’s books department editor for The Reading Teacher, coauthored the Professional Resources column for The New Advocate, was a contributing editor for The Riverbank Review, and a member of the 2003 Newbery Award Selection Committee. She also has served on selection committees for the Minnesota Book Awards. Her textbook, Literature and the Child, is now in its 7th edition.
Mentoring Teacher Candidates through Co-teaching, a Train-the-Trainer Workshop
In the TERI Partner Network, we’re working with P-12 school partners to mentor teacher candidates by adapting a pre-service co-teaching model into some of the redesigned clinical experiences in our initial licensure programs.
This first Train-the-Trainer Workshop for TERI partners was held May 2-3, 2011. Drs. Nancy Bacharach and Teresa Heck of St. Cloud State University facilitated the training. Fourteen participants in TERI attended, including representatives from each of our six partner districts, TERI faculty, UMN-TC doctoral students, and EDRC staff. Those who attended are now prepared to train their colleagues in this critical element of the TERI project.
The co-teaching model for pre-service teachers developed over the last seven years by St. Cloud State University has received national attention and awards, including identification as a promising practice by the Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation and Partnerships for Improved Student Learning. (The Blue Ribbon Panel’s report is available at:
http://www.ncate.org/Public/ResearchReports/NCATEInitiatives/BlueRibbonPanel/tabid/715/Default.aspx
Another Train-the-Trainer workshop will be held in June 2011, expanding the number of co-teaching specialists in the TERI Partner Network to approximately 30 people.
![IMG_1292[1]](http://news.cehd.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IMG_12921.jpg)
KARE 11 News Spot: $40 million changes underway for future teachers
The news report aired on May 5, 2011, and featured Misty Sato, Faculty Director for TERI, and Barbara Wieland of Brooklyn Center School District:
http://www.kare11.com/news/article/922093/391/40-million-changes-underway-for-future-teachers
The New Normal of Teacher Education
In this May 8, 2011 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Arthur Levine argues for the type of partnerships we are working to build through the TERI Partner Network–
To marry the university and normal school–to create teacher-education programs that blend theory and practice, integrate academic and clinical instruction from the earliest days of the program, combine pedagogical and content education, and employ a faculty consisting of both practitioners and professors, each accorded equal status. (Levine, 2011)
http://chronicle.com/article/The-New-Normal-of-Teacher/127430/