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Date: 05/22/00
Contact:
Yana Cornish, UNI College of Education graduate assistant, (319) 273-3064
Garth Cornish, Informational Technology Services-Educational Technology graduate assistant,
(319) 273-2309
Dr. Bill Callahan, professor and associate dean of the UNI College of Education, (319) 273-2719
NOTE TO EDITOR: The group from the University of Northern Iowa will be conducting the seminars, May 11-June 24. For more information, contact Herzen State Pedagogical University. Yana Cornish, originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, requested that we send this information to your newspaper.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, U.S.A.—As an outgrowth of a four-week session of seminars on educational technology by representatives from the University of Northern Iowa, a second installment is taking place, which began May 11 and continues through June 24, at Herzen State Pedagogical University.
Garth Cornish, seeking his master's degree in information and training technology, formulated the project during a practicum in St. Petersburg last May for public school teachers, many of which were English as a second language educators. He realized that educators wanted to know more about the technology that was available to them. Using the Concerns Based Adoption Model, he planned to measure the changes and shifts of attitude towards technology.
Cornish returned to UNI and developed the idea with his wife, Yana Cornish, a doctoral candidate in curriculum and instruction from St. Petersburg, Russia, who eventually pursued the idea. She continued work on the project by talking to Dr. Bill Callahan, professor and associate dean of the College of Education, who suggested getting help on the project through the experiential learning grants offered on campus. She also continued preparations through discussions with her counterparts at Herzen State Pedagogical University and by putting together a team of students.
These students helped Yana and Garth design curriculum and prepare additional materials necessary for the seminars. The primary emphasis of the seminar topics focused on the teaching of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL); the use of specific computer applications, such as
Microsoft Office Suite, HyperStudio and Claris HomePage; and the development and integration of the courseware into an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum. As they prepared to go, there was a chance that they wouldn't make it to St. Petersburg due to financial concerns.
“We weren't sure if the project would get started, but we gambled on it anyway,” said Yana. “We didn't know until two weeks before the start of the trip that we could go.”
The team was divided into two groups for the project, each spending two weeks in Russia in November 1999. The first group that went to Herzen State Pedagogical University included: Routh, Payne, and Yana Cornish. Their goal was to show the educators how to use certain software. The second group, continuing that goal, included: Emerick, Lustik and Garth Cornish. They assisted Russian educators in development of individual technology-based projects as well as continued teaching sessions started by the first group.
In Russia, all of the workshops were presented in English to an audience of university faculty and area teachers. The objective was to teach practical applications of technology in their environment to educators. However, the main obstacle the students had to overcome was their ages. They had to convince the professors that students were able to teach them something new. According to Yana Cornish, it was something that the group eventually accomplished.
Because the UNI students were gone during classes, they found a way to incorporate their findings into their coursework.
“Overall, teachers were very supportive,” said Payne. “A lot of us did homework over the internet.”
“Our visits to English-language classes and asking about the curriculum in primary schools applied to a few of my classes,” said Emerick, who presented her findings in class.
From the information that was gathered, Lustik and Garth Cornish developed a Web site and a WebCT for two-way communication between the group as well as with UNI English students. The Web site also offers photographs of the seminar participants and of the trip itself. The web address is www.kca.net/garth.
While in St. Petersburg, the students were able to experience Russian culture. A group of Russian students guided the four UNI undergraduates through the city and they were able to attend ballet, visit cathedrals and the circus.
Currently, the group is putting information together regarding the effect of the seminar on the participants. With the aid of Herzen State faculty member Victoria Pogosian, they are analyzing feedback from questionnaires.
“We were nervous at first about taking UNI students to such a large metropolitan area where a language other than English was spoken,” Yana said. “But, these four individuals not only survived, they functioned wonderfully.”
The trip was funded through the UNI College of Education, the UNI Department of Modern Languages and the UNI Department of English Language and Literature. They were also assisted by Dr. Sharon Smaldino, professor of curriculum and instruction; Dr. George Zucker, professor of modern languages; Dr. Timothy O'Connor, assistant vice-president for international programs and the UNI Office of International Programs; and Dr. Joyce Milambiling, assistant professor of English language and literature.
The Cornishs, Payne, and Angela Holt, an elementary education major and educational technology minor from Denver, Iowa, will travel to Russia this summer for a five-week seminar. This program will be a continuation of the workshops they did in November. The seminar will teach Russian teacher educators how to develop their own technology seminars for students and faculty at Herzen State Pedagogical University and at other institutions.
This project has received monetary support from the UNI Office of International Programs and through experiential learning grants awarded to the group by the UNI College of Education.
“Experiential learning provides students the opportunity to travel and do research that they may not be able to afford otherwise,” said Callahan.
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Contact:
Thomas P. Romanin, UNI associate vice president for educational and student services, ODK advisor,
(319) 273-2332
Vicki Grimes, UNI Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The University of Northern Iowa circle of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), the national leadership honor society for college students, recently inducted 13 new student members to its circle. Their selection was based on outstanding scholarship, leadership and involvement, as evidenced by their activities at UNI.
(Student's name) , of (Hometown) , a student at UNI majoring in (major) , was inducted into the UNI chapter of the ODK national leadership honor society. (He/She) is the (son/daughter) of (Parents' names) .
Faculty initiates included: John Baskerville, UNI associate professor of history; Steve Corbin, UNI associate professor of marketing; and Catherine Palczewski, UNI associate professor of communication studies.
Officers presiding at the initiation included: Megan Youngers, president, of Sheldon; Laurie Rueber, vice president of initiation, Arlington; Brian Gongol, vice president of programming, West Des Moines; Amanda George, treasurer, Marion; and Jennifer Rawe, secretary, Sioux City.
Speaker for the event was UNI Athletic Director Rick Hartzell.
ODK is a national honor society with 258 circles and more than 200,000 members. Founded in 1914, ODK recognizes achievement in scholarship, athletics, social and religious activities, campus government, journalism, speech the mass media and the creative/performing arts. Emphasis is placed on the development of the student as a whole person, both as a member of the college community and as a contributor to society.
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Note: to obtain a complete listing of the students, please contact the Office of Public Relations at (319) 273-2761.
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