UNI Teacher Education News
Issue 3: September 2009
Welcome to the third edition of UNI Teacher Education News - the e-newsletter for faculty, staff and students. The Office of Teacher Education in collaboration with the College of Education will produce a bi-monthly newsletter to share with campus. The purpose of the newsletter is to share information about what UNI is doing in Pre-K through 12 education and UNI's teacher education program. For more information, contact Maxine Davis, Instructional Resources and Technology Services at maxine.davis@uni.edu or 3-3339.
FROM THE DESK OF MELISSA HESTON
Interim director of teacher education
The Teacher Education program and other UNI programs leading to professional licensure are undergoing review by the State Department of Education this year. Other licensure programs being reviewed include the school psychology program in the Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations, the school counseling and school administrator programs in the Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling and Post-secondary Education, and the speech-language pathology program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. The institutional report on these programs is due in early Jan., 2010, and the state review panel will be on campus for the site visit March 8-11, 2010. The State Department of Education has recently revised the institutional report process and UNI will be the first of the three Regents institutions to undergo the new review process. Faculty, staff and administrators throughout campus will be contributing to this work. This review offers all departments and faculty which contribute to these programs an opportunity to develop specific plans for program improvement, and assistance in maintaining UNI's status as the leading preparer of educational professionals for the state of Iowa.
NEWS
Iowa Teacher Intern License Program
The Iowa Board of Regents approved the three state universities plan to develop a collaborative teacher intern license program. Upon approval by the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, the Iowa Teacher Intern License Pathway will provide a nontraditional teacher preparation program for professionals wishing to enter the field from other careers. The anticipated program start date is fall 2010. Merrie Schroeder, assistant professor, UNI Office of Student Field Experiences, will coordinate the program with Susan Lagos-Lavenz, associate dean of teacher education at the University of Iowa and David Whaley, associate dean of teacher education at Iowa State University. For more information, email ITILP@uni.edu.
White Papers in Education
UNI education faculty have written white papers about state and national education issues and trends. Two new white papers have been posted this month. Visit http://www.uni.edu/coe/_resources/hot_topics.shtml
Multicultural Teaching Alliance (MTA) receives Student Leadership Award
The Multicultural Teaching Alliance 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 Feb. 16. MTA is open to individuals concerned with multicultural education and the cross-cultural understandings needed to work effectively in educational settings. For more information, contact Janet McClain, instructor, curriculum and instruction at janet.mcclain@uni.edu.
UNI MILE Program Receives Federal Support
The Minorities in the Leadership of Education (MILE) program, currently in its first year, received $48,000 in federal support. MILE is a program for minority students studying to be principals through the jointly run UNI-Urban Education Network (UEN) Leadership Academy. The program has a broad vision for supporting dedicated school leaders of color in the principal’s office, the superintendency, and the doctorate who can make a leadership difference for all kids. For more information on MILE, see http://www.uni.edu/coe/elcpe/edlead/MILE.shtml
Iowa Literacy Project
This initiative is a collaborative effort by the Iowa Department of Education and UNI to better serve the instructional needs of students with disabilities. The project will implement statewide professional development for teachers of students with significant cognitive disabilities in the areas of literacy, communication, assistive technology and communication. The project will also add research in the area of literacy development of students with significant cognitive disabilities. For more information, contact Chris Kliewer, professor, special education, at christopher.kliewer@uni.edu.
National Institute for Early Math and Science Education
UNI will receive nearly $1 million in a federal appropriation for a National Institute for Early Math and Science Education to be located at UNI. The institute will focus on curriculum development and teaching methods for early childhood education in math and science. For more information contact Betty Zan, interim director and associate professor, Center for Early Developmental Education. For more information, contact Betty Zan at betty.zan@uni.edu
Iowa Math & Science Education Partnership (IMSEP) Impact in Iowa's Counties
IMSEP has served teachers and students in 209 communities spread across 86 counties. An interactive map showing the impact of IMSEP's work can be found at http://www.iowamathscience.org/map/index.shtml.
Iowa Physics Teacher Instruction and Resources (IPTIR) Program
Lawrence Escalada, associate professor in physics and Jeff Morgan, assistant professor in physics, in collaboration with science education faculty from Price Laboratory School, received funding from the Board of Regents, State of Iowa and Title IIA (of the No Child Left Behind Act) for the Iowa Physics Teacher Instruction and Resources (IPTIR). IPTIR is a three-year professional development program to prepare more high-quality high school physics teachers for Iowa schools and to improve the performance of their students. For more information, contact Larry Escalada at lawrence.escalada@uni.edu.
Wet Prairies Workshops for In-Service Teachers
The Environmental Issues Instruction (eii) initiative of the Center for Energy and Environmental Education (CEEE) will offer two workshops on Iowa's Roadside Native Communities: Wet Prairies. This instructional unit has been coordinated with the new Iowa Core Curriculum, K – 12. For more information visit http://www.uni.edu/ceee/eii or contact Carl Bollwinkel, professor, CEEE, at carl.bollwinkel@uni.edu.
KBBG Radio and Chalk Dust Chats
Janet McClain, instructor in curriculum & instruction hosts this 30-minute education talk show on KBBG Radio in Waterloo the fourth Wednesday of every month.
UNI's Teacher Education Program and Professional Development Schools
Efforts are underway to expand collaborative efforts in teacher education between UNI and area schools through the Professional Development Schools program. More than 2,000 education students participate in field experiences at professional development schools each semester. Two examples of professional development schools include Lincoln Elementary School which has a literacy focus and George Washington Carver Academy (formerly Logan Middle School) with a mathematics focus. In both projects, UNI students and faculty meet for class and field experiences on site, providing opportunities for closer and ongoing collaborative work between our teacher education students, UNI faculty, and the teachers and students in these schools.
Early Childhood Professional Levels and Competencies Task Force
Jill Uhlenberg is currently a member of the Early Childhood Professional Levels and Competencies Task Force for the Iowa Department of Education. The Task Force has drafted professional competencies for both early childhood teachers and assistant teachers. This work is part of a larger project to develop a professional development system for the field of child care, preschool and kindergarten teachers. The draft competencies will be evaluated by external reviewers, receive input through public meetings and be submitted for approval this fall from the Iowa Department of Education.
MALCOLM PRICE LABORATORY SCHOOL (PLS)
R&D School Approved
The statewide Research & Development School is a collaborative between the Iowa Department of Education, University of Iowa, Iowa State University and UNI. A three-year transition plan is underway to transform MPLS into the new R&D school, which will focus on raising and sustaining the level of all Iowa Pre-K through 12 students' educational attainments and personal development, enhance the preparation and professional competence of Iowa educators and focus on research to meet Iowa's changing educational needs. To learn more about the R&D school visit http://www.uni.edu/rdschool/.
NU High School Earns Honor
NU High School won the Bank Iowa Challenge Cup for the 2008-2009 school year, sponsored by the Iowa High School Sports Network and Bank Iowa company. Points are awarded by athletic teams advancing in sub state and/or regional play, appearing in state tournament play and academic success during each sport. For more information about this award, visit http://www.quikstatsiowa.com/traveling_challenge_cup/2008-09/standings.cfm?order=tsp
Malcolm Price Laboratory School Partners with Iowa Department of Education to offer professional development
Malcolm Price Lab School partnered with the Iowa Department of Education to host "The Characteristics of Effective Instruction September Institute" Sept. 17-18, for 100 AEA professionals to learn about incorporating the Iowa Core Curriculum in the classroom.
Malcolm Price Lab Adopts New Lunch Program
Healthy, fresh, made-from-scratch meals will be served at Price Lab's Grassroots Café. This new model school lunch program focuses on student health and will provide educational experiences for students and for school administrators across the state. For more information, visit http://www.umpr.uni.edu/NewsReleases.asp?NewsID=4419
DID YOU KNOW?
- UNI places more than 500 student teachers in 40-60 Iowa counties; that translates into 500 new teachers every year.
- More than 2,500 students participate in other field experiences at Iowa schools each year.
- More than 17,500 alumni educators teach in the U.S.
EVENTS
Hot Topics In Education: The Achievement Gap – Going Beyond Socioeconomic and Cultural Factors
Dewitt Jones, associate professor, educational leadership, counseling and post secondary education kicked-off the UNI Hot Topics in education series on Sept. 16 with a discussion about the student achievement gap. He explained how students in the U.S. are falling behind in student achievement compared to other countries and detailed many issues that affect student achievement beyond socioeconomic and cultural competence.
UNI Community Visit Days
President Allen and Provost Gloria Gibson hosted UNI Community Visit Days in Council Bluffs on Sept. 18 and Cedar Valley on Sept. 22. Each community visit included business and education round table meetings with community leaders and representation from UNI's College of Business Administration and College of Education. Two additional Community Visit Days are planned for Ankeny, Oct. 20 and Cedar Rapids, Nov. 2. For more information, contact Stacey Christensen, stacey.christensen@uni.edu.
UPCOMING EVENTS
October 12
NICL Conference-Professional Development Day
Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
Hosted by PLS and UNI. 1,000 school teachers and administrators from 16 school districts will attend this annual event.
October 14
Hot Topics in Education: Reforming Today's High School
Noon-12:50 p.m.
CME 109
Bridgette Wagoner, interim director and instructor at Malcolm Price Laboratory School will discuss high school reform that centers on rigor, relevance and relationships. Every high school student should be held to high expectations for achievement. Hear what high schools need to do to create learning environments to enhance student learning and teaching.
November 3
Teacher Education Induction Convocation
4-5 p.m.
Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
December 4
The Iowa Educational Research and Evaluation Association (IEREA) 2009 Annual Conference
Scheman Center, Ames, Iowa
This year's theme is What is at the Core of the Iowa Core Curriculum? For more information, visit
http://www.ierea.org/2009Conference/09ConfAnnouncement.pdf