Department of Education Monday Minutes

Here are your Monday Minutes for December 14-18 2020. 

From the Department Head

Dear Faculty, Students and Staff,

I hope you are taking advantage of this less busy time to rest and rejuvenate! Personally, I am recommitting to self-care and building healthy habits which will sustain me through the remainder of the academic year. This edition of the Monday Minutes includes information about spring department meetings and graduate-level courses which you may be interested in sharing with advisees. Additionally, there are several faculty/staff accolades and a professional development opportunity for diversifying the P-12 educator workforce. Read all the way to the bottom- lots of good stuff!

Self-Care for Educators. Treat yourself when you need it. Remember to start fresh every day. Connect with uplifting colleagues. Do physical activities you enjoy. Take a break when you need one. Use positive self-talk. Go for a walk or spend time outside. Read a good book (just for you). Plan an activity to look forward to. Spend time with friends and family. Leave work at school for the night or weekend. Spend less time on social media. Bring healthy snacks and meals. Be comfortable saying "no" to more obligations. www.thepathway2success.com. 

 

Take good care,

 Ann Dutton Ewbank's signature 

Dr. Ann Ewbank

News and Announcements

  • The department Spring Kickoff meeting will be held on Thursday, January 7, from 10am-11:30am in Ann’s WebEx Room. 
  • Department Meetings will be held on Tuesdays from 12:10-1:30 on 1/19, 2/2, 2/16, 3/2, 3/23, 4/6, and 4/20 in Ann’s WebEx Room. Please watch for a calendar invite. Program meetings will be scheduled by program leaders as needed. 
  • Please take a moment to encourage graduate students to register for the following courses: 
    • EDU 608: Advanced Quantitative Research with Dr. Alexandra Aylward (CRN 35387, Thursdays, 1710-2000, F2F and virtual option available) focuses on applied quasi-experimental methods in education and other social sciences using R. This course is designed for advanced graduate students, who must be comfortable with a series of basic toolkit of quantitative methods (e.g., t-test, regression), on which the statistical theory of causal inference is based.  
    • EDLD 504. Adult Teaching and Learning with Dr. Marilyn Lockhart (CRN 35380, asynchronous online). Teaching and Learning in Adult Education is a study of the adult learner, learning theories, and teaching strategies appropriate for adult education settings. 
    • EDLD 643. Leading Social Justice with Dr. Christine Rogers Stanton (CRN 34888, asynchronous online). This course provides a framework for inclusive leadership. Students evaluate the relationship among privilege, power, and educational equity from a variety of perspectives. Critical theory will be stressed in examining the complexities of diversity and its impact on organizational leadership. 
    • EDLD 591: STEM Education with Dr. Bryce Hughes (CRN 36381, M 1710-1830 online). An exploration of STEM teaching and learning in postsecondary education. Contact Dr. Hughes for more information. 
    • EDCI 541: History & Philosophy of Education with Dr. Robert Carson (CRN 34145, asynchronous online, first 8 weeks) This course traces the growth of cultural and intellectual awareness in human civilizations and examines how we humans learned to create tools for the mind. 
    • EDCI 556: The Legal, Social, and Practical Basis of Schooling with Dr. Robert Carson (CRN 32517, asynchronous online, second 8 weeks). This is a course on the history of American educational traditions, institutions, practices, policies, and legal rulings as configured within the framework of democratic institutions. 
    • NEW COURSE ADDED! EDCI 569: Reflective Inquiry in Rural Education with Dr. Jayne Downey(CRN 35715 asynchronous online, doctoral students only, consent of instructor required). The course is designed for students to engage in professional inquiry and analysis of theory, research, and practices that support and sustain effective rural teachers from recruitment to retirement.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

  • Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Pennington, along with Dr. Jeffrey Conger, who received a VPREDGE HASS grant for their proposal, Dyslexia and Innovation! 
  • Congratulations once again to Dr. Sarah Pennington, The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) selected Sarah E. as one of the inaugural faculty advisors for the Collegiate Middle Level Association (CMLA) Chapter-at-Large. The CMLA Chapter-At-Large serves student members of AMLE who are enrolled full-time in middle level preparation programs that do not have a CMLA chapter at their university. Faculty advisors serve as a liaison to CMLA, and during their three-year term provide guidance, advice, and access to resources to student leaders. 
  • Our department’s success is determined by our collective accomplishments. Share your own accomplishments with pride! Or if you hear of a colleague or student’s accomplishment, please share. Please send accomplishments and kudos to [email protected]. 

Professional Development & Engagement Opportunities

  • The Southern Educational Research Board offers a variety of webinars in December and January, including Expanding and Diversifying Pathways into Teaching and Redesigning Teacher Licensure.

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