Greetings!

What a pivotal time to be in the College of Education! The economic turbulence and other uncertainties of today have forced us to rethink our priorities and work in partnership to find answers to new questions. This collaborative energy can be felt in our hallways, classrooms, offices, and online virtual learning spaces. The articles and related links in this newsletter are perfect examples of how we are paving the way for new thinking in education. I encourage you to read on and be proud of our College of Education. It is my pleasure working with people who care deeply and work tirelessly to help shape tomorrow’s citizens and workers.

 

Our Scholars In The News

One of the hallmarks of the College of Education is the overall quality of our faculty, staff, and students. Our scholars are recognized throughout the world for their contributions to educational excellence. As we enter a time when the processes and priorities of our educational systems are analyzed and debated, we are confident that our scholars are leading the way toward the breakthroughs in education that will ensure bright futures for all learners.

Continuing to use her expertise as a way to make schools a safer environment, Dorothy Espelage, Professor of Educational Psychology, appeared in an Investigation Discovery special titled Blackboards and Bullies: Are Your Kids Safe? on the Discovery Channel. Producers of the special sought Dr. Espelage's expertise and "all around knowledge about the different aspects of school violence," stating, "Dorothy provides a dynamic representation of the latest thinking behind bullying and what needs to be done to control it, and she is an elegant, persuasive speaker with expertise."

Debra Bragg, a Professor of Educational Organization and Leadership and a recognized expert on community colleges as a bridge to higher education, is putting her research into action to benefit adults and first-generation college students. In a recent interview, Dr. Bragg shared many of the benefits community colleges can provide to the community, as well as the need to adequately fund such valuable institutions. Her leading role in Illinois’ “Shifting Gears” initiative, which aims to support programs that prepare low-skilled or low-income adults as they enter occupations in three industry sectors (healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation distribution logistics) puts her scholarship into action.

Christopher Span, Associate Professor of Educational Policy Studies, is taking a historical look at the hardship and persistence newly emancipated slaves faced as they worked to obtain an education in his new book, "From Cotton Field to Schoolhouse: African American Education in Mississippi, 1862-1875.” His book chronicles the politics and policies of public education for newly freed slaves in post-bellum Mississippi. Span says, “I always knew that African-Americans valued education, even though that runs counter to popular consensus. There’s an idea today that African-Americans devalue school,” he said. “But if you look at the historical record, you would see it’s anything but that.”

In a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Education, Christopher Lubienski , Associate Professor of Educational and Organization Leadership, found that a market-based approach to increasing school choice actually leads to fewer educational opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged students in urban areas. According to Lubienski, there's evidence to question "this notion of an open market leveling the playing field." Market-based educational policies, he said, despite being implemented to alleviate social injustice in education, are actually helping to exacerbate inequality and erect further barriers for poorer students.

Visit our Web site to read more about College of Education scholars in the news.
 

Awards and Achievements

On November 7, we celebrated the achievements of our students at the annual Student Recognition Brunch. More than 300 students, family members, faculty and staff advisors, and donors gathered together to honor recipients of a vast array of fellowships, scholarships, and awards. Students from every department of the College and from secondary education programs in Liberal Arts and Sciences acknowledged the importance of private support for the College. We congratulate these students on their achievements, and give thanks for our donors and sponsors for their support.

Associate Professor Amy Santos from the Department of Special Education has been named a Teaching Academy Fellow by the Office of the Provost. She is known as an innovative and connected instructor, and is a skilled collaborator who works with other faculty to obtain external grants and supervise and mentor doctoral students. We are grateful for Dr. Santos' efforts to enhance the College’s teaching profile.

Professor Michael Peters was recently elected Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. This is "an honour given for distinction in research for the advancement of science and technology." Congratulations to Dr. Peters for this high honor and achievement from his homeland.

Associate Professor Stacy Dymond was recently named "Reviewer of the Year" for her work on the journal, Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. We are grateful for Dr. Dymond and all of our other scholars who serve our profession through their editorial roles with key scholarly publications.

 

Research Highlights

The College of Education continues to be a leader in researching education issues. Both our grant proposal submissions and grant awards have increased from previous years. From Professor William Trent’s in-depth look at underrepresented students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math to Research Professor William Cope’s vision for a computer-based system to track student progress and learning outcomes, College of Education faculty are continuing to push the boundaries of educational research.

Click here to View some of our most recent research awards

Events

Our college was active this summer and fall, hosting a number of events for our community. Below are a few highlights.

This year's Youth Literature Festival event continued the success of last year's inaugural festival and celebrated Abraham Lincoln's Bicentennial with the rest of the Illinois campus. Kadir Nelson and Deborah Hopkinson, noted authors of children's books about Lincoln, entertained children and parents with presentations about their literary works. The community event was sponsored by the College of Education and the Chancellor's Lincoln Bicentennial Committee.

Planning is already underway for next year's Youth Literature Festival on October 9, 2010. The tremendously positive response from our first festival has helped build our own excitement about next year's event, and we hope you will join us next year.

Our teachers continue to lead the way in math, science, and technology. Math and science teachers spent two rigorous weeks at the College of Education last summer to prepare to teach engineering concepts to their middle school students through Project Lead the Way. By offering students the chance to explore math, science, and engineering concepts at an earlier age, this project aims to increase the quantity, quality, and diversity of engineers graduating from United States colleges.

Other students reached out into the community to infuse high school students with an enthusiasm for mathematics at this year's fourth annual GeoJam. College of Education seniors put on the event at Central High School in May, featuring fun and innovative ways of exploring concepts of geometry. "In a day and age where most math activities are focused on preparing for testing, this is a chance for us to show that learning can be made fun," said senior David Reif.

These are only a few examples of the events sponsored by our college, faculty, and students. For the most up-to-date schedule of college events, visit our Web site.

Advancement Updates

This is a time of year when we give thanks - especially to those in our college community who empower and enrich lives through learning, and afford others the chance to expand their own knowledge.

The college recently received a generous contribution from alumnus Andrew Hibel and his wife Elizabeth, who created the Hibel Family Higher Education Internship Fund. This endowed scholarship will be awarded to supplement the academic experience of Higher Education students and provide a variety of internship possibilities. Andrew Hibel regards his own internship in Higher Education as an experience that was instrumental in shaping his own career. We thank the Hibel family for their generosity and look forward to the many opportunities it will provide to deserving students.

Another alumna is making a difference in the lives of youth in Chicago. A recent PBS documentary, The Principal Story, aired on local PBS stations this fall. The documentary highlights the work of Tresa Dunbar, a second-year principal at Nash Elementary School in Chicago, among other principals. Tresa portrays what effective educational leadership looks like in the 21st century in this Point of View documentary.

Finally, we would like to thank State Farm for providing a gift of $50,000 in support of the Center for Education in Small Urban Communities. This generous gift will enable the Center to create an evaluation program to identify, collect, and analyze critical data related to teacher and student performance, and apply the results to a portable instructional coaching model that can be applied to small urban communities. State Farm has been a long-time partner of the college through their support of the Illinois New Teacher Collaborative. We are grateful for their continued support of education.

Stay in Touch with Us

I want to encourage you to stay in touch with the College of Education by visiting our Web site to learn about our latest achievements. We are also on Facebook and Twitter, so we invite you join us and share our accomplishments and breakthroughs as they happen. And, if you are an alumni, we would like you to send us an email about your accomplishments.

May you enjoy the holidays, and have a wonderful New Year!

All the best,
Mary Kalantzis