College of Education Newsletter

The ALTA (Academic Language Therapy Association) Arkansas Chapter recognized the University of Central Arkansas' MSE Litearcy/Dyslexia Endorsement Program in their ALTA Weekly Alerts on March 7, 2024.

In their Weekly Alert, ALTA noted "We have also had the opportunity to partner with the University of Central Arkansas for CE opportunities for our membership on a series of Zoom lectures. In other exciting news, UCA is now offering graduate credit hours for CALT (Certified Academic Language Therapists) training."

For more information about the MSE Literacy/Dyslexia Endorsement Program you can visit https://uca.edu/else/readingprogram/ and/or contact Dr. Amy Thompson (athompson@uca.edu) the Program Coordinator.

Mrs. Amber Brantley's (Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education) Foundations of Reading class conducted a Mock Trial on "The Great Debate- Phonological vs. Phonemic Awareness" with the amazing Dr. Evan Faidley from COE Leadership Studies as our guest "Judge." Students researched evidence based on the science of reading to debate and ultimately not only learn the difference between the two foundational components, but also KNOW which one impacts student success the most as the strongest predictor of a skilled reader. The defense and prosecution teams had to understand both sides in order to effectively cross-examine their opponent. After deliberation, students submitted their verdict and finally settled "The Great Debate!"

On Wed., Feb. 28, Dr. Shoudong Feng (Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education) took a group of UCA students to St. Joseph Elementary School in Conway to support the school's annual Family Literacy Night. They designed multiple engaging and interactive literacy games around current English Lanuage Arts (ELA) standards for the students. It was a wonderful literacy outreach activity for the students in the K-6 program. The UCA students that volunteered included: Raeven Bogard, Layne Edwards, Macey Fricks, Lainey Leible, Abi Muse, Kyndsey Russell, and Summer Yates.

Mr. Steve Ward and Ms. Laura Marshall (Department of Teaching and Learning) welcomed Karen Norton (Arch Ford Instructional Facilitator) to their Classroom Management course. She brought a wealth of knowledge to the students regarding all things Classroom Management. This experience is similar to the professional development that hundreds of Arkansas Novice teachers receive in their formative years. College of Education students participated in multiple tasks to understand the importance of perception, rapport with students, social-emotional learning, trauma-informed care, and building a community of learners.

Oh My! What BIG ears you have! Mrs. Amber Brantley (Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education) "hooked" Junior Block students in their first stop on the journey through the "Reading Brain!" Students were "caught" 'Fishing for Phonemes' with active learning of auditory/oral language activities in Phonemic Awareness. During station rotations, students demonstrated their understanding of the phonological processor for each skill on the continuum through creative application of engaging, in-class instruction with their peers. They don't just know it, they can show it! Stop #2 on the Science of Reading adventure, they are ready for you!

On Tuesday, March 5, students from the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education (ELSE) participated in Math Night at Jim Stone Elementary in Conway. Organized by Dr. Todd Abel (Department of Mathematics) and Mrs. Shari McGehee (ELSE), volunteers from Dr. Abel's class, BearsTeach, and ELSE set up and facilitated a variety of math stations and activities for students and parents at Jim Stone Elementary. A fun and educational night was had by all.

Abby Huck is a Kindergarten teacher at Sunrise R-9 in DeSoto, MO and a trainer and reading coach for Pathways to Reading, Inc., a foundational reading curriculum. She also teaches the second grade Sunday School class at her church. Abby is working on her Master of Science degree in Literacy with a Dyslexia endorsement.

Abby is married to Cyle and they have four children: Clayton, Levi, Clarey, and Liam. Any spare time she has is spent running her children to practices or watching them compete at one of their sporting events.

Krista Pruss was born and spent her childhood in Louisiana, but has called Central Arkansas home for the past fifteen years. She currently lives with her husband and children in Marche, AR (Pulaski County). After several years in the nursing field, she decided to return to college and pursue her degree in education. Krista said, "Teaching has been my dream since childhood and I am excited to see it come to fruition! I graduate this May with my BSE in Elementary Education K-6. I am looking forward to serving and teaching in my community this Fall."

Rebekah Rupard is a dedicated senior undergraduate student majoring in Elementary Education K-6. With a passion for learning and a commitment to academic excellence, she excels in her studies and actively engages in extracurricular activities (Conway BCM). From Brookland, AR (Craighead County), Rebekah loves to create DIY projects and spend time planning her upcoming wedding. She is expected to graduate in May and as a future teacher she strives to create a classroom environment that is encouraging and safe for all students.

Kiara Penn, a 2022 College of Education STEAM Teach graduate, was named Rookie Teacher of the Year for her school. Kiara currently teaches math at George Bush High School in Richmond, TX.

Dr. Evan Faidley (Department of Leadership Studies) was recently elected into his national role for NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) as Co-Chair of the Orientation, Transition, and Retention Knowledge Community. Effective March 2024, Dr. Faidley and his Co-Chair, Dr. Nicole Kotlan (Kent State University), will focus on engaging higher education administrators around resources, scholarship, and useful practices connected to the title of the Knowledge Community.

Sheri Hight, ELSE (Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education) Adjunct Instructor, recently attended the Council for Exceptional Children Convention and Expo 2024 in San Antonio, TX, from Wednesday-Saturday, March 13-16. She was there as a Targeted Technical Assistant for The National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL). As a Targeted Technical Assistant, Ms. Hight was tasked with fulfilling the needs of multiple recipients. Her role at the conference was to inform attendees of NCIL's mission, objectives, and goals and the new initiative the Targeted Technical Assistant.

NCIL's mission is to improve access to and use of evidence-based approaches to screen, identify, and teach Pre K-12 students with dyslexia and other literacy-related disabilities. NCIL is a virtual center that can be accessed through improvingliteracy.org. The objectives and goals are to identify or develop free or low-cost evidence-based assessment tools for identifying students at risk of not attaining full literacy skills due to a disability, identify evidence-based literacy instruction, strategies, and accommodations designed to meet the specific needs of such students, provide families of these students with information to assist their child's objectives, free research, and evidence-based resources, identify or develop evidence-based professional development for practitioners, provide technical assistance to stakeholders, and disseminate products to regionally diverse entities.

The Center's latest service offering is Targeted Technical Assistance (TA), designed specifically to cater to the unique needs of various recipients. Its primary objective is to enhance the capacity of individuals or organizations in the identified area, enabling them to engage in continuous improvement and achieve desired outcomes. Targeted TA is carefully crafted to build the capacity of State Education Agencies (SEAs), Regional Education Agencies (REAs), Local Education Agencies (LEAs), schools, TA centers, Head Start, and other Early Childhood Education providers. It seeks to promote awareness and accessibility to evidence-based approaches for screening, identifying, and providing instructional support for students with disabilities. Through this service, recipients are empowered to understand early indicators of at-risk students, use evidence-based screening assessments, and implement findings to meet needs.

Ms. Catherine F. Miller (Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education) was honored at the Annual Heart and Hustle Formal as a 2023 nominee for Educator of the Year.

According to their website, the Heart & Hustle Formal highlights, educates, and creates networking opportunities for women inspiring them to excel. For more information you can go to https://theheartandhustleformal.com/?fbclid=IwAR0MZB-WpCI1cX9XHbSKktCkbbZKfWqpUppCe5kMrTOe6PvNDNlO0bHMudU.

Annie Sting-Myers joins the College of Education as the Administrative Assistant for GEAR-UP Arkansas. She is a lifelong Conway resident. After graduating from Conway High School, Annie joined the Bear family to earn her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. While at UCA, she spent her free time as a member of the Bear Marching Band and working in the Student Center. Annie said, "I have a true passion for all things creative. Whether it is drawing, painting, sculpting, or crocheting, I always have a side project to work on. I look forward to sharing my creativity and love of education with the UCA community once again."

For more information about GEAR-UP you can visit https://uca.edu/news/uca-selected-for-30-million-usde-funding/.

On Friday, March 1, Mrs. Sunny Styles-Foster (Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education), Dr. Tammy Benson (Department of Teaching and Learning), and Dr. Amy Thompson (Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education) attended the Arkansas Higher Education Literacy Council in Fort Smith, AR.

Held at the UAFS Bakery District, the meeting included literacy educators from higher education institutions across the state. They discussed science of reading implementation in our programs and the upcoming science of reading audits and state reviews. This group meets 1-2 times a year.

Missed an issue? You can view past issues of the COE Newsletter by going to https://uca.edu/education/coenewsletter/.