Curriculum and Instruction

U of M recognized for outstanding physics teacher preparation

April 8, 2024

The American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) recently commended the University of Minnesota on its outstanding contributions to the education of future physics teachers. The science education program in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction graduated five highly qualified physics teachers in the 2022-23 academic year.

Graduating more than five physics teachers in a year puts the U of M in the 99th percentile of all U.S. colleges and universities. To mark this achievement, the U of M earned membership in the 5+ Club, the highest award available for teacher preparation from the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), a joint project of APS and AAPT.

In a letter, the APS and AAPT note that the U.S. has a severe shortage of qualified physics teachers. In a letter, the APS and APPT wrote that the U of M’s “…excellent physics teacher preparation program and efforts to address this critical shortage are a service to the state of Minnesota. We congratulate the University of Minnesota for serving as a national model for STEM teacher preparation.”

Kendall King, receives AAAL 2024 Distinguished Scholarship and Service Award

November 3, 2023

Kendall King, PhD, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Professor of Multilingual Education and Director of Graduate Studies was recently honored with the 2024 Distinguished Scholarship and Service Award from American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL).

According to the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) “The purpose of the Distinguished Scholarship and Service Award (DSSA) is to recognize and honor a distinguished scholar for their scholarship and service to the profession in general and to the American Association for Applied Linguistics in particular. In making this award, AAAL recognizes that contributions to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access are integral to distinguished scholarship and service.”

King’s scholarship addresses sociolinguistic, interactional and policy perspectives on second language learning and bilingualism, with particular attention to educational and familial practices impacting language use, language learning and equity.

Click here to read more about Kendall King’s scholarly work at the University of Minnesota.

Barbara Billington, receives Charlotte Striebel Equity Award

November 2, 2023

Barb Billlington, PhD, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) is the 2023-2024 recipient of the Charlotte Striebel Equity Award. This award recognizes a University of Minnesota faculty or staff member of any gender who goes above and beyond daily responsibilities to promote access for the common good, to undo bias and discrimination, or to build capacity for diverse and equitable campus communities. Click here to learn more about the Charlotte Striebel Equity Award and the University of Minnesota’s Women’s Center.

Three C&I faculty honored at annual faculty recognition ceremony

September 15, 2023

Three C&I faculty were recognized at the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Faculty recognition ceremony on September 14th.

The awards ceremony is to “celebrate the successes of faculty who hold named positions, and to show our appreciation to the generous partners who endowed these awards, creating a legacy of impact.”

Congratulations to Cassie Scharber – a Bonnie Westby Huebner Endowed Chair in Education and Technology. Crystal Wise – the Lindahl Leadership Faculty Fellow and Marek Oziewicz – the Sidney and Marguerite Henry Endowed Professor in Children’s Literature.

Kendall King, receives distinguished alumni award

September 7, 2023

Kendall King, Ph.D, Professor of Multilingual Education and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I), was recently honored with the Linda Duttenhaver Distinguished Alumni Award from University of California, Education Abroad Program, This award according to UCEAP “honors an alumna or alumnus who have a record of extraordinary service or achievement in their field and has made a significant impact on the global community.”

C&I welcomes new faculty members

September 6, 2023

We are excited to introduce our newest faculty to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Annette Beauchamp – Assistant professor in Literacy Education, Betsey Maloney Leaf- Assistant professor in Arts Education and Ranza Veltri Torres – Assistant professor in Mathematics Education.

A big, warm welcome to our new Department of Curriculum and Instruction faculty.

C&I Faculty at the 2023 Leading in Equity, Action, and Diversity (LEAD) conference

July 31, 2023

C&I department faculty members, Dr. Clarkson and Dr. Abby Rombalski, will be presenting/supporting at this year’s LEAD Conference.

Sessions: ‘An Equity and Excellence Framework for Mathematics’ and ‘Eighth Grade Algebra? YES!’ will be led by Dr. Lesa Clarkson.

Dr. Abby Rombalski, faculty advisor with YoUthROC, who has been supporting the St. Louis Park Youth Data Analyst program with CaT graduate Dr. Silvy Lafayette (St. Louis Park’s Director of Assessment, Research, and Evaluation). Their session is ‘Centering Our Community’s Hopes and Dreams through YDA’.

The 2023 Leading in Equity, Action, and Diversity (LEAD) conference supports education leaders in improving PreK-12 school systems to disrupt pervasive racial inequities. Read more about the LEAD Conference.

https://www.cehd.umn.edu/lead/program/

Alisha M. Hardman (Ph.D.’14) Elected to NCFR Board of Directors

July 25, 2023

Curriculum and Instruction alumna Alisha M. Hardman Ph.D, CFLE, was elected to the National Council on Family Relations’ (NCFR) Board of Directors.

Dr. Hardman is currently an associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences at Kansas State University and a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE). Her research has focused on promoting relational health to prevent and protect against the harmful effects of adverse childhood experiences and other types of trauma.

C&I welcomes new Student Services Coordinator, Stephanie Fore

July 18, 2023

We are excited to introduce Stephanie Fore to C&I as the new Student Services Coordinator!

What are you looking forward to in your new role as Student Services Specialist? I’m looking forward to supporting aspiring teachers and to building relationships with students, staff, and faculty. There is so much to learn, and I’m so excited to get started!

Where did you come from before this? I was an elementary school teacher in St. Paul Public Schools. Before that, I lived and worked in Honduras for more than four years, and had also been an undergraduate admission counselor at my alma mater in Illinois.

What do you like to do outside work? I enjoy gardening, reality TV, fitness, travel (I’m taking a trip to Spain and Portugal with my partner soon!), and hanging out with my cat and dog. I’m also a part of a weekly trivia team and am learning to sew!

What’s your go-to morning beverage? I enjoy lattes and matcha lattes (iced or hot!).

What do you want students to know about you? I’m here to support you in your educational journey. I definitely don’t have all the answers, but I’ll work with you to find them.

Joe Cossette (MEd ’16) named PhysTEC National Teacher of the Year

July 18, 2023

The Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) has named Joe Cossette (MEd ’16) its 2023 Teacher of the Year. This award recognizes outstanding high school physics educators who demonstrate the impact and value of physics teacher preparation programs.

According to PhysTEC, “Cossette is an exceptional leader in his department, school, district, and the field of physics teaching at large. In his nine-year career, Cossette has created a hands-on learning environment for physics students. By meeting students where they are, engaging them in deep discussion, and using humor and song in addition to direct instruction, he has been able to make physics an accessible and enjoyable experience.

Meet Arts in Education–Culture and Teaching Ph.D. candidate, Đenise Hạnh Huỳnh

July 10, 2023

Current Arts in Education–Culture and Teaching Ph.D. candidate, Đenise Hạnh Huỳnh shares what drives her research and creative expression.

What is your Ph.D research focus?

Through the embodiment of critical arts based ethnography, my work investigates the creative efforts we make as we unlearn harmful teachings from our upbringings. In particular, I am interested in the experiences of Vietnamese American artists in Minnesota and the implications of our work as it relates to culturally and linguistically sustaining arts curriculum, policy, and pedagogy. I want to understand how our lived experiences contribute to diasporic growth and creative expression–how we engage with, against, and past the real world context of colonialism and imperialism.

What drove you to enroll in the program?

I never met someone who held a Ph.D. until I arrived at Macalester College as a first-generation college student. Previously, I had only seen professors played by actors on television. Growing up, many people also told me that the arts were not possible for people like me–a descendant of working-class refugees. Instead, people with my set of experiences and people “like me” were expected to choose more “practical” fields. I want to be a part of changing these narratives.

What do you hope to get out of your educational experience?

I have been grateful for the space to teach, research, and make art. I plan to continue deepening my publication and performance record alongside meaningful engagement with the community as I continue my dissertation work. I hope the time I have taken to reinvest in my own education will meaningfully contribute back into my collaborations with communities.

What do you plan to do after graduation?

Throughout my career, I have sought to understand educational policies, systems, and theories that impacted the trajectory of my life and the lives of other human beings who are marginalized by these systems. In terms of tangibles, I want to publish my first debut collection of poems, a picture book series in the works, and continue collaborating with other Vietnamese American artists. As such, I want to continue making art, teaching students, doing research, and serving my community; to continue investigating the questions that have always mattered to me.

Learn more about a PhD in Arts in Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Lesa Clarkson, 2023 Outstanding Community Service Award Recipient

May 22, 2023

Lesa Clarkson, PhD

Lesa Clarkson, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I), was recently honored with the University’s Outstanding Community Service Award.

The University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Service Awards recognize faculty, staff, students, and University-affiliated community partners who, by devoting their time, talents, and expertise to serve the public good, have made significant, demonstrable, and direct contributions to society’s well-being. This is the university’s highest award for these efforts.

In her award statement Lesa shared, “Nominees for the Outstanding Community Service Award should demonstrate work that advances more than their own scholarship. They should build a case to reflect selflessness and genuine commitment to community-based issues. These characteristics are a foundation for my service. I envision what is possible in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for urban learners. My work with mathematics (primarily in urban settings) is comprehensive – working not only with underserved students in urban schools but also with their urban teachers and their community at large. I view the lack of diversity in STEM fields as a matter of social justice and the motivator for my community service projects.”

C&I faculty members receive prestigious fellowship award on Antisemitism and Jewish Inclusion

May 9, 2023

Jana Lo Bello Miller, co-director of Elementary Education, and Keitha-Gail Martin-Kerr, Associate Teaching Professor in Curriculum and Instruction, are recipients of the prestigious fellowship award on Antisemitism and Jewish Inclusion in Educational Settings from George Washington University.

They will travel to Washington D.C. this summer to learn how to recognize, study, and teach antisemitism and foster Jewish inclusion within colleges and departments of education and other educational settings.

With this knowledge, the goal is to strengthen C&I’s programmatic leadership and administration, curriculum and pedagogy, and school and community partnerships.

Lori Ann Laster receives PEO Scholar Award

May 5, 2023

Lori Ann Laster, a PhD candidate in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction with a graduate minor in human rights, is the winner of the prestigious PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Scholar Award. Laster is one of 110 scholars within the U.S. and Canada to receive this award. She is also the recipient of a new award from the Center of Jewish Studies, the Jerome L. Joss Graduate Student Research Grant. Laster also recently won the CEHD Seashore Graduate Fellowship Award.

Last year, Laster received the Ruth Eckert Scholarship and Theresa and Nathan Berman Graduate Fellowship in Jewish Studies from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Jewish Studies (CJS).

Laster’s current research focuses on the intersection of religious literacy, cultural identity, and education. She feels incredibly lucky to benefit from the continued support and mentorship of her co-advisors in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Lori Helman and Susan Staats, and her human rights and Jewish studies advisor, Bruno Chaouat.

CEHD aspiring teachers talk with MDE Commissioner Willie Jett

April 12, 2023

Watch the round table discussion above (70 min).

On April 5, 2023, aspiring teachers from the DirecTrack to Teaching and Elementary Education Foundations programs in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction sat down with Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Commissioner Willie Jett to talk about what supports they need as they head into the teaching profession. Jehanne Beaton, PhD, DirecTrack to Teaching coordinator, supported students in this effort.

This event was sponsored by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction’s DirecTrack to Teaching program as well as the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).

Commissioner Jett is a two-time CEHD alum, having completed both the K-12 Principal Administrative Licensure Program (2001) and Superintendent Licensure (2011) programs in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development.

C&I PhD candidate receives excellence in research award

March 13, 2023

Darren LaScotte, a PhD candidate in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I), was recently honored with the 2023 TESOL Award for Excellence in Research for a paper on second language teaching and learning. The paper was written with Professor Emerita Elaine Tarone, a former faculty member in the MA TESOL program in C&I.

The award recognizes excellence in research on language teaching and learning and is given for empirical research that advances English language teaching policies, programs, or practices, or generates new knowledge about additional language acquisition.

LaScotte will receive the award at the upcoming TESOL International Conference in Portland, Oregon. He is the keynote speaker for the TESOL Graduate Student Forum on March 21, and will receive the award later that day at the opening plenary presentation. He will give a second featured presentation on March 22.

The award-winning paper, “Channeling ‘voices’ to improve L2 English intelligibility,” was published in The Modern Language Journal last year. The article documents ways that seven adult second language learners in an intensive English program improved their English intelligibility, while some of them also improved their delivery, as they all mirrored and subsequently channeled the voices of model speakers in rehearsed oral presentations over the course of seven weeks.

Jagar Hansen, Undergraduate in NeuRAL Lab receives UROP

January 31, 2023

Jagar Hansen

Jagar Hansen received research support through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Jagar is an undergraduate majoring in biomedical engineering who has been working in the NeuRAL Lab for a year. Jagar has designed tasks using the KINARM robot to look at motor learning in young adults completing unilateral and bilateral tasks. The award will provide him with a stipend and $300 in research funds.

Hermes and Engman win prestigious publication award for ground-breaking article

November 30, 2022

Professor Mary “Fong” Hermes and alumna Dr. Mel Engman of Queens University, Belfast received the annual Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) Research Article Award for their work, “Land as interlocutor: A study of Ojibwe learner language in interaction on and with naturally occurring ‘materials,’” published in the Modern Language Journal (MLJ).

The committee praised the article for its “innovative thinking,” and for “presenting a new paradigm of inquiry.” They declared the work a “clear and rigorous example of both ecological approaches and more importantly, decolonial language reclamation efforts and research approaches that also skillfully engage with dominant theoretical paradigms.”

They also noted that the findings have broad significance in the field of language education both theoretically and in terms of pedagogical practice.

Learn more about language education research in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Caldas co-edits book on critical ethnography

November 29, 2022

Associate Professor in Curriculum and Instruction Blanca Caldas recently published, “Critical Ethnography, Language, Race/ism and Education,” from Channel View Publications/Multilingual Matters in the UK with co-editor Stephen May.

Critical ethnography, language, and education

This book provides a contemporary overview of work in critical ethnography that focuses on language and race/ism in education. The studies in the book explore the racialized construction, positioning and experiences of bi/multilingual students, and their implications for educational policy, pedagogy, and practice.

Caldas’s research focuses on bilingual education and teacher preparation, and minoritized language practices.

Learn more about language education research in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Miskwaanakwadookwe Amy McCoy begins her journey in the first Ojibwe language doctoral cohort

November 16, 2022

Amy McCoy, doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Minnesota. — **Miskwaanakwadookwe Amy McCoy**, PhD student in Culture and Teaching

Miskwaanakwadookwe Amy McCoy is one of a cohort of five Ojibwe-language doctoral students who have joined the Phd in Culture and Teaching program this Fall. With vast experience teaching in the tribal colleges, these women seek to advance the progress of Ojibwe-language education programs to support their Indigineous communities.

What is your research focus?

Decolonizing Ojibwe language immersion early childhood education programming through land-based relationships.

Did you have a background in education or a related career before starting in the doctoral program?

I have developed and implemented interdisciplinary seasonal-based Ojibwe language and cultural curriculum for 17 years in preK-12 school settings, community education, and tribal colleges.

What do you hope to do after graduation?

I hope to continue the momentum created by my cohort and teach decolonial, land-based Ojibwe language teacher education and/or continue to teach intergenerationally outside of the University. I intend to evolve the practicality of my creative writing into purpose-driven books. I will also stay grounded within my Anishinaabe community and contribute my gifts as they continue to unfold alongside the evolving needs of our relatives.

Did you have scholarship support? If so, what did it mean to you?

Without my scholarship support, I would not be here manifesting academic dreams and visions as a single mother of five.

Any other thoughts you want to share about your experience?

I am in reverent awe of this blessed opportunity to vulnerably show up inside this experience of multi-faceted growth and development. Even more so, I am grateful for the synergy of an incredible cohort of Anishinaabeg guided by solid leadership and grounded in community.

Learn more about Indigenous language revitalization research and doctoral programs in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

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