College of Education Newsletter

Welcome to Fall Y'all!

It seems like the weather is finally turning cooler. It's nice to think about cozy sweaters, football, chili, and the fall foliage. A walk in the autumn woods serves as a powerful reminder of Mother Nature's incredible force and influence. Fall often reminds us that our bodies, minds, and surroundings are constantly developing. Even though we are are incredibly busy, take some time to feed your inner need for development. Try something new, read something that's not associated with your job (yes...I encourage this). I enjoy reading poetry, so I thought I'd share a poem loved by both my mother and myself. At the end of a rainy fall day, I often say this one aloud:

The Day is Done

The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.
I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
That my soul cannot resist:
A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.
Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Department of Leadership Studies held their New Student Orientation on Saturday, August 25th. The orientation was held for new students in the following Leadership Studies programs: Library Media and Information Technologies, Instructional Technology, School Counseling, School Leadership, Management, and Administration, College Student Personnel Services and Administration, and Educational Leadership.

The Arkansas Association of Teacher Educators (ArATE) Fall Conference was held September 13-14 at Harding University in Searcy, AR. The following COE faculty members and students presented at the conference:

Dr. Amy Thompson - MAT Teacher Candidates' Perceptions of Balanced Literacy and Student Learning: Influences of Transformative Learning Experiences

Dr. Jud Copeland - The Concept of Digital Citizenship as a Framework for Addressing Cyberbullying, Sexting, and Inappropriate Online Behavior

Dr's. Nancy Gallavan, Shelly Albritton, Patty Kohler, and Angela Webster - Ensuring a Sense of Belonging: Feeling Safe, Welcomed, Wanted and Successful in Higher Education

Dr. Armstrong Hang Yang - Boundry Spanners in University - School District Partnerships

Dr. Patty Kohler and Ms. Chayla Rutledge - The Effects of Cue-Do-Review on Teaching Assistant and Student

Dr. Nancy Gallavan, Dr. Gary Bunn, and Mrs. Sunny Styles-Foster - Developing the UCA COE Model Code of Ethics for Educators Assessment

Mrs. Dee Dee Cain - The 3 R's: RTI, Reading and Research

According to their brochure, ArATE serves as the state unit of the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) and as such shall work closely with ATE to provide opportunity for individual professional growth for all persons concerned with teacher education in Arkansas. For more information, please visit their website at http://www.arkansasate.org/

Many of our COE faculty recently participated in a Center of Teaching Excellence (CTE) Lunch & Learn session. The session entitled, Experiential Learning Across the Disciplines, featured the following COE faculty members on its panel: Dr. Na Mi Bang, Dr. Erin Shaw, Dr. Jud Copeland, Dr. Jeff Whittingham, Dr. Patty Kohler, Dr. Shelly Albritton, Mrs. Brandy Walthall, Dr. Amy Thompson, Mrs. Sunny Styles-Foster, Dr. Tammy Benson, Mrs. Crystal Voegele, and Mrs. T.J. Hendrix.

Experiential learning includes a wide variety of pedagogical methods that involve students learning by doing and reflecting on their experiences (e.g., service-learning, internships, undergraduate research, etc.). Each faculty member discussed how they engaged in experiential learning through their teaching. There were many UCA faculty and students in attendance.

Dr's. Gary Bunn, Nykela Jackson, Louis Nadelson, and Donna Wake recently participated in several recruiting events for the UCA College of Education. These events are important in growing both undergraduate and graduate COE programs.

Recruiting took place at Ouachita Baptist University, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, National Park Community College, North Little Rock High School, and Conway High School. Other recruiting events are planned throughout the semester.

The UCA Child Study Center serves as a valuable preschool experience for children in the community. Curriculum is developed to meet the individual needs of the children that are enrolled. The Child Study Center also serves as a place where UCA students from various majors complete field experience that provides them with concrete examples of what is being taught in the classroom.

This year, the Child Study Center has a new director, Whitney Burns, and two new preschool teachers, Gretchen Price and Regnia Hite.

Whitney is new this year to the Child Study Center. "I have watched the job postings here off and on for years and was thrilled when I saw the opening for CSC Director. I am excited to bring my experiences to the CSC and take on the challenges this position brings."

Whitney received her B.A. in Speech Communication from UALR and M.Ed. from Southwestern Assemblies of God University. She completed her Special Education coursework at UCA. Whitney has spent the last 8 years teaching Elementary Special Education in the Cabot School District.

Whitney is married with three children. Her oldest child, Grace, started at UCA this fall majoring in Music Ed. Her son, JT, is at Vilonia High School and her youngest, Bethany, has an ASD and is in the special education program in Vilonia. Whiney's "spare" time is consumed with church and marching band related activities.

A native of Arkansas, Regnia was raised in Heber Springs, then moved to Conway as an adult. She holds associates degrees in Liberal Arts and Business Management from Arkansas State University. Regnia finished her undergraduate degree in Organizational Management at Central Baptist College. Later, Regnia earned her Master of Arts in Teaching at UCA focusing on preschool and elementary education. Regnia and her husband (Jon) have been married for 21 years and have 3 boys, Harrisson (18), Grant, and Allen (15). All three of her children attended UCA Child Study Center for pre-school.

Gretchen is in her second year teaching at the Child Study Center, but third year teaching Pre-K.

Gretchen grew up in Pine Bluff then moved to Conway to attend UCA, where she graduated with her B.S. in Early Childhood Education.

She has a twin sister and an older sister...many think they are triplets. Gretchen loves Conway, the UCA Bears, and being a teacher. "I know year two at the Child Study Center will be just as great as year one."

Congratulations to Dr. Na Mi Bang for receiving the 2018 AARC Emerging Leader Award. Dr. Bang is an Assistant Professor in the School Counseling program.

The Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC) is an organization of counselors, educators, and other professionals that advances the counseling profession by promoting best practices in assessment, research, and evaluation.