May 7, 2009

Dr. Jean Donham Joins School Library Studies Faculty

The Division of School Library Studies and the Department of Curriculum & Instruction are pleased to welcome Dr. Jean Donham as an Associate Professor in School Library Studies.

Dr. Jean Donham earned a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Iowa and a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science from the University of Maryland. She has served as director of the library at Wartburg College and previously at Cornell College. Dr. Donham was formerly a tenured associate professor at the University of Iowa School of Library & Information Science, having left in 2000. Dr. Donham is co-editor of School Library Research Online, the research journal of the American Association of School Librarians. Dr. Donham will join the faculty in June 2009. She is married to Kelley Donham, Professor of Public Health at the University of Iowa. They have two sons.

April 30, 2009

Excellence in Education

The College of Education has released the 2008-2009 issue of UNI's "Excellence in Education" electronic magazine. The magazine provides news about College of Education programs to current, past and prospective students and is a forum for teacher education professionals to share information with others. Click here to view the magazine.

April 30, 2009

Multicultural Teaching Alliance (MTA) receives Student Leadership Award

The Multicultural Teaching Alliance (MTA) received the 2008-2009 University of Northern Iowa Student Leadership Award for Educational Program of the Year in recognition of the African American Read-In held on February 16. A certificate and plaque were presented to the group at the Student Leadership Awards ceremony on April 28.

MTA President Gloria Adams, Vice-President Derk Babbitt, and members, Brenda Espinosa and Holly Gleich were present to receive the award. MTA co-adviser Dr. Gloria Kirkland-Holmes and MTA members Katherine Brown and Tiffany Mosby were unable to attend the awards ceremony, but share this year's honor.

Nominees for the Educational Program of the Year included:

• Multicultural Teaching Alliance- African American Read-In
• Panhellenic, Interfraternity Council & CAB- C.L. Linsey
• UNI Free Thinkers & Inquirers- Darwin Week
• MSA (Muslim Student Association)
• PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America)- Bateman Case Study
• CAB (Campus Activities Board)- Green Building Upgrades: Lessons from the University of Oregon

April 24, 2009

U.S. Secretary of Education to Speak at UNI

President Allen has invited the UNI campus community to attend a major policy address by the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, who will make his first visit to Iowa as Secretary Friday, April 24, at the GBPAC. Duncan's 11 a.m. presentation will outline challenges and opportunities for education reform and innovation. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about Duncan or the event, contact Pat Geadelmann at 3-6144 or visit http://www.uni.edu/arneduncan. The speech will be streamed live at http://tinyurl.com/df7d3x

February 23, 2009

Literacy Coach Coach Blog

Amy Sandvold, graduate of UNI and current principal at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Waterloo, and Dr. Maelou Baxter, Instructor in C & I, have unleashed a new blog called The Literacy Coach Coach. The blog is meant to provide a place in the blogosphere where literacy coaches can coach one another and share expertise. The blog features a podcast of an interview on blogtalk Radio about their recent text, The Fundamentals of Literacy Coaching (2008) ASCD. Be one of the first to comment! Visit the blog at: http://theliteracycoachcoach.blogspot.com

February 16, 2009

UNI Hosts African American Read-In

On Monday, Feb. 16, 2009, the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the College of Education, and Rod Library hosted 236 first-, second- and third-graders from Cunningham Elementary School in Waterloo and Price Lab School in Cedar Falls for the 2009 National African American Read-In at the University of Northern Iowa. The African American Read-In is a special community outreach project of the Multicultural Teaching Alliance (MTA) student organization.

From 9 a.m. to noon, the elementary school students joined UNI students involved in UNI's Multicultural Teaching Alliance and in children's literature, library science and early literacy classes to read books written by African American authors and lead book discussions and book-related art activities. The event also featured local guest readers, Charletta and Torril Sudduth, and a special presidential rap written by Gloria Kirkland Holmes, UNI associate professor of curriculum & instruction.