College of Education Newsletter

A new year is upon us and it looks promising. A big part of the COE's success is directly related to the character, curiosity, and compassion of our staff, faculty, and students. I love seeing the Facebook posts of instructors welcoming their classes, sharing the excitement of a new semester, or (as in Patty Phelps' case) posting a selfie of the new "first day of the semester outfit". It all communicates that our identity is tied to students and student success. Our jobs at UCA are not just "what we do", they are "who we are."

Vicki Groves-Scott

The College of Education presented its Professional Development Day on Tuesday, January 8th. This event brings together COE faculty and staff to prepare for the upcoming semester and present them with professional development that will support/enhance their classroom teaching.

Dr. Taine Duncan, Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion and Director of the Gender Studies Program, started off the day by presenting, "Culturally Responsive Teaching in Higher Education: How to Foster an Inclusive College Classroom." After lunch, faculty and staff were able to select from several mini-sessions which included:

• Online Teaching and Learning - Dr. Jeff Whittingham, Dr. Nancy Gallavan, Mr. Mike Casey
• Service Learning - Ms. Lesley Graybeal
• Productivity in Research - Dr. Angela Barlow
• PLSB/Ethics/Legal Issues for Teacher Candidates - Dr. Victoria Groves-Scott and Dr. Shelly Albritton
• App Attack - Dr. Amy Thompson, Ms. Lisa Herrington, Ms. Jessica Herring-Watson, Dr. Victoria Groves-Scott
• Mindfulness and Wellness - Dr. Julia Winden-Fey
• Love to Code - Dr. Louis Nadelson, Dr. Jason Trumble, and Dr. Erin Shaw

Dr. Patricia Poulter, Provost and Executive Vice President, closed out the day with her presentation of "Leadership for All." Thanks to all that presented and made this day a success.

PhD in Leadership Studies (LEAD) prepares professionals from education, healthcare, government, and nonprofit organizations to contribute to the body of knowledge in leadership studies and to enhance quality of life and well-being through their research and service. LEAD faculty and students research leadership for social change.

Since 2011, our program has grown to seven cohorts with 53 active students and 24 graduates. Our students serve in elected-government positions, influence federal and state policy, lead K12 and higher education executive administration, and advocate through state-level nonprofit and community development agencies. Their leadership research has investigated environmental justice, social networks, government transparency, collaboration across sectors, recidivism, human trafficking, poverty, and aspects of human and community capabilities.

A word about the LEAD program from our students and graduates:

“...connects my practical experience as an executive director of a nonprofit with leadership theory and research.”

“...helps me grow professionally as an emerging leader.”

“...empowers me to engage with my community and produce research that makes a difference.”

For more information about the LEAD program please contact Dr. Rhonda McClellan, Director and Professor, at phdleadership@uca.edu. You can also visit the LEAD website at https://uca.edu/phdleadership/

The Technology Learning Center (TLC), located in Mashburn, is a place where students can study, learn, and create. The pride of the TLC is the Makerspace, which is located in the classroom lab. Features of the Makerspace are a green screen wall, 3D printers, Oculus Rift, and the newest addition, the Glowforge.

Students can place themselves just about anywhere with the help of an iPad, green screen app, and the green screen wall. This is always a big hit during classes and summer camps. The 3D printers are used during the STEMulate Engineering Camp and assist in showing students what they can create using Tinkercad and their imagination. The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset that can place students virtually anywhere. They can take a virtual tour of the human body, learn to build, and learn to create. The Oculus Rift also includes controllers for each hand. Finally, the newest addition to the Makerspace is the Glowforge. The Glowfroge is a laser engraver/cutter which can be used on a variety of materials (wood, leather, acrylic, etc.). This will be a great tool to use in classes and summer camps.

Carolyn (Floyd) Ishee, BSE ’75, has rejoined the University of Central Arkansas as Director of Planned Giving and Sr. Director of Development for the College of Education.

As Sr. Director of Development for the College of Education, she will assist Dean Victoria Groves-Scott with accomplishing the fundraising goals for the College.

Ishee has over 20 years experience in higher education advancement work, most recently as Major Gifts Officer at Arkansas Tech University. She and her husband, Dr. Jimmy H. Ishee, Dean of the College of Health & Behavioral Sciences, returned to Arkansas in 2014 after serving in higher education in Georgia and Texas.

Carolyn received her BSE degree with a major in English and minor in Journalism. At UCA, she has served as Special Events Coordinator, Alumni Director, Director of Development, and Director of Planned Giving.

“I am so happy to be back ‘home’ and helping build and maintain support for the College of Education,” she said.

Mrs. Dee Dee Cain, Clinical Instructor II in the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education, was recently appointed to a 3 year term as an International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Program Reviewer.

According to the IDA, professionals selected to serve as a Program Review and Accreditation team member are charged with conducting a comprehensive review of programs' curriculum, practicum, and faculty qualifications in order to determine programs' readiness to prepare educators according to the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading, including the principles and practices of Structured Literacy.

Dr. Dailey is the author of a new curriculum book titled, "Thinking Like an Engineer." "Thinking Like an Engineer" is part of a new series developed by the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary focused on career-related topics in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science. Dr. Dailey is a frequent presenter at the Center's Summer Institute for teachers and she was approached to contribute this book to their new series.

Dr. Dailey is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Gifted and Talented Program in the Department of Teaching and Learning.

https://www.prufrock.com/Thinking-Like-an-Engineer-Lessons-That-Develop-Habits-of-Mind-and-Thinking-Skills-for-Young-Engineers-in-Grade-4-P3202.aspx

Dr. Thompson, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator in the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education, was recently appointed to a 3 year term as an International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Program Reviewer.

According to the IDA, professionals selected to serve as a Program Review and Accreditation team member are charged with conducting a comprehensive review of programs' curriculum, practicum, and faculty qualifications in order to determine programs' readiness to prepare educators according to the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading, including the principles and practices of Structured Literacy.

Dr. Trumble was recently named an ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Certified Instructor. He is one of the first few in the nation to have completed the arduous 8-week training and projects completion.

Dr. Trumble is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning.

ISTE is a passionate community of global educators who believe in the power of technology to transform teaching and learning, accelerate innovation and solve tough problems in education.