5/20/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Aaron Podolefsky, provost and vice president for academic affairs, (319) 273-2517
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
Note to editors/news directors: A 200 dpi JPEG image of Thomas Switzer is available at http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/switzer.jpg
Dean of UNI's College of Education resigns
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Thomas Switzer, dean of the University of Northern Iowa's College of Education since 1987, is leaving UNI to become dean of the College of Education at the University of Toledo, in Ohio, effective fall 2002.
"During his distinguished tenure, the College of Education experienced unprecedented growth and achievement," said Aaron Podolefsky, UNI provost and vice president for academic affairs. "He established the Minorities in Teaching program, increased technology availability to College of Education faculty and students, and established the Regents Center for Early Developmental Education. He also was responsible for positioning the College of Education as a leader in international activities, and led the integration of information technology into teacher education programs."
Podolefsky noted Switzer has served as national president of the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities. Prior to coming to UNI, Switzer served as associate dean at the University of Michigan School of Education. He holds a B.A. in history from UNI, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Michigan.
Podolefsky will select an interim dean to be named this summer.
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5/20/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
James O’Connor, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
UNI e media students receive scholarships
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Two University of Northern Iowa electronic media students have been awarded scholarships by the Iowa Broadcasters Association.
Seniors Nicholas Wilson of Dallas Center and Eric Braley of Nevada, will each receive a $3,000 one-year scholarship. They will be recognized during the IBA awards luncheon June 25 in Des Moines.
The Iowa Broadcasters Association annually awards broadcast scholarships to Iowa students through the support of the Quarton-McElroy/IBA Educational Endowment Fund.
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(Part of the EducatioNet series from the University of Northern Iowa)
For use during May 2002
Contact: Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
Kindergarten playing is more than meets the eye
At first glance, the average kindergarten classroom may appear to be little more than a large play area --.the ultimate dream for a 5-year-old. Children busy themselves with blocks, books, crayons, miniature kitchen set-ups and the requisite construction paper. There are few structured activities and children are allowed to work with sand, water and even mud. Fun at every turn.
But what, if anything, do children gain from all this playing?
What they gain, says Jill Uhlenberg, is a priceless learning experience. Uhlenberg is an instructor and coordinator of the University of Northern Iowa’s Price Laboratory School Child Development Center. A strong proponent of play-based learning, Uhlenberg says children in kindergarten classes can learn socialization, sequence language development, and even mathematical concepts through play.
For instance, art projects like coloring, painting and drawing teach children to manipulate materials, to recognize shapes and colors, and to write. Putting on puppet shows teaches them character analyzation. Working with blocks can help teach children subtraction, addition, trial and error, and decision making.
Although some may advocate a stricter "reading, writing and arithmetic" sort of curriculum, Uhlenberg disagrees, primarily because 5-year-olds are typically not suited for more structured activities.
"They have a very hard time sitting down for long periods of time, waiting in lines, things like that," says Uhlenberg. "It’s very challenging for them. Their bodies very much need to be moving. At that age, they learn more from the hands-on experience than they do from sitting and listening. A couple years later, they won’t have a problem with that, but at this age, they need something concrete."
She believes kindergartners’ basics should consist of things such as social problem solving, organization, and functioning in a group, all of which can be learned very well through play-based activities. Those skills lead directly to others which will help students as they progress through the grade levels. Uhlenberg says when children complete kindergarten, they should be able to:
"These things are so important," says Uhlenberg. "If a child can do those, so much of the content can be more easily learned, just because the child can pay attention. If you can’t do that, it’s difficult for the content to get there and make sense."
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(Part of the EducatioNet series from the University of Northern Iowa)
For release during May 2002
Develop concentration and listening skills by reading
These days, no one’s sitting outside a bookstore, hoping to snag a copy of the latest Harry Potter book. Just about everyone who wanted one, got one. But Lucille Lettow was excited by all the hoopla generated by the book’s release, and says positive effects are still being seen.
Lettow, professor and youth collections librarian at the University of Northern Iowa's Donald O. Rod Library, says the craze probably helped many children develop an interest in reading.
"Children today watch so much TV, and they are becoming passive viewers. It was exciting for me to see so many children interested in books, and interested in reading because of the Harry Potter series. Reading is essential for preparing them to be a student in a school setting. They develop the concentration it takes to listen to others."
Lettow says that even if your child wasn’t one of those who went berserk for Harry Potter, there are lots of ways to encourage children to read and to enjoy it. Start by reading aloud to them, she suggests. It not only helps children develop listening skills, but also allows them to develop their imaginations.
"You don’t have to read to them for long periods of time at first, especially with younger children who have shorter attention spans. But eventually what you’ll find is the children want you to read to them, and they’ll take an interest in the books you choose."
Parents might try reading a story that is popular and then looking for new and different books based on other interesting subjects within that initial story. Carol Fenner’s "King of Dragons" is a story about a homeless child who learns to fly kites. Parents and their children can read the book, then look for others about dragons, kites or countries where kites are popular. "You read one story, and web it out to others," explains Lettow. "This is an excellent way to help children move from story books to information books."
Visiting the public library is another way to interest children in books. "Let them take home their own pile of books and then read aloud to them," says Lettow. "It’s a good way to show them that there’s this whole other world out there, and they can get to that world through books."
She says it’s also a good idea to read aloud books about characters with problems or concerns similar to your child’s. "It’s always helpful for children to find out they aren’t the only person who’s shy, or short or afraid of the dark," says Lettow.
Above all, she stresses, "Read to your children, and do it early in their lives. Whatever way you choose to do it is fine. Just do it."
