Kudos

Pam Schram recently received the “Best Faculty Advisor Award” from the Coordinating Council for Clubs.

Summer View

We anticipate receiving more information about DPI changes in the next month or so; these changes will drive our response in terms of curriculum changes, etc. We also anticipate that more information will be forthcoming about what will be offered by different departments in terms of Gen Ed; those offerings will have a significant impact on our curriculum and requirements. We would hope to convene some work groups over the summer to start work on both initiatives. We hope you will view these changes as being significant enough to participate in discussions about how we might best respond.

Also scheduled for summer is an update on our enrollment goals for teacher education. The Provost will call a team together to set expanded productivity goals for three additional years (2010-11 through 2012-13) for overall traditional teacher education graduates, overall alternative licensure completers, and traditional and alternative goals for high-need licensure areas. As we take action in expanding our goals, major attention must be given to preparing more teachers in mathematics, science, middle grades, and special education. Moving forward with our accountability plan, Education and Arts & Sciences academic units will have a shared responsibility for meeting the goals established for mathematics and science high-need licensure areas, as well as a responsibility to assist in meeting the overall campus teacher productivity goals. Productivity goals are due at GA by July 15. Current state-wide projections call for 12,664 new teachers needed in 2020-2021—a number that has remained fairly constant over the past 4-5 years.

Budget View

The latest revenue forecast for the State of North Carolina is a rather somber report indicating the $140-150 million revenue increase (over last year at this time) we enjoyed for part of this fiscal year has evaporated in light of falling tax revenue. The State is now only about $15-20 million ahead and the chances of that holding are slim. Information we have received this week suggests that the Governor’s budget will include a 1% cut for the UNC system. The legislature may well add on 1-2% additional cuts so while August and the end of the session are a ways off, be prepared for a possible reduced budget this fiscal year.

Accreditation Unification

The Task Force on Accreditation convened in early 2008 by AACTE to discuss future unification of the accreditation system for educator preparation will issue its recommendations for a unified system. Task Force members represented TEAC, NCATE, and AACTE. A report completed by the Task Force in late April, Building Agreement On An Accreditation System for Educator Preparation, presents a vision for unified national accreditation, with a detailed transition plan for NCATE and TEAC to complete the design of a system within two years. The report recommendations have been forwarded from the Task Force to leaders of the three organizations. Note: I am sure the three organizations will proceed very cautiously concerning unification and such an action would have to be ratified by all three groups; still, it is an interesting concept and one to keep an eye on as discussions continue.

Boosting Memory

Cognitive training may boost "fluid intelligence" in healthy young adults, and may be applicable to students with learning disabilities or ADHD, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. Nearly three dozen students who were trained in a complicated memory task with simultaneous auditory and visual cues increased their IQ scores, challenging the long-held theory that intelligence is an inherent characteristic that can’t be modified. Scientific American (4/29)

Food for Thought in the Short Session

Public school teachers earn considerably less than comparably educated and experienced people, and less than people in occupations with similar educational and skill requirements, such as accountants, reporters, registered nurses, computer programmers, members of the clergy, and personnel officers. Compared with these professionals, teachers earn, on average, about $154 less a week—or 14.3 percent less—than people in these other learned, but not unusually lucrative, professions. This teacher pay penalty, in effect in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, ranges from more than 25 percent in 15 states (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) to less than 10 percent in only five (Montana, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wyoming). Nowhere in this country, however, do teachers earn more than those comparably educated. ASCD Brief 4-30-08.

Last Update

This update will be the last one for the academic year. We usually take a hiatus during the summer months although if news and events warrant it, an occasional Update may appear. We thank you for a busy and productive year and hope that the upcoming summer provides you with some change of pace and even venue. See you around the coffee pot!

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan

Kudos

Last Friday was full of honors ceremonies; congratulations should go to all of the students earning honors and receiving scholarship awards; the RCOE has awarded over $200,000 in scholarships this year.

Precious Mudiwa (LES) has been notified that she has had a book accepted for publication.

Julia Adams, adjunct for a number of years in C&I, was honored last Friday night with the Alumni Association’s Outstanding Service Award.

Update on Searches

We are about at the end of the “search season” for most positions; on the whole, we have done quite well, filling over 50% of the positions we had open. Nevertheless, we are concerned about the increasing competitiveness among institutions to attract faculty from what appears to be a shrinking pool of qualified candidates in a number of fields. For those positions not filled, we will need to launch our recruitment efforts early in the fall to see if we can fill positions earlier in the year. We can help ourselves by making sure that colleagues we may know around the country are aware we have some vacancies in selected areas.

In the meantime, the search for the director of Teaching Fellows is proceeding and three candidates will be interviewing over the next two weeks for that position. The Research Associate for Teacher Education Assessment was not filled and will be re-advertised immediately.

Faculty and Staff Awards Luncheon

As is our custom, we will be holding our end of the year luncheon on Thursday May 1. Faculty and Staff will be recognized. Faculty awards this year are as follows: Outstanding Scholarship—Alecia Jackson (LES); Outstanding Teaching—Heather Clark (LRE) and Outstanding Adjunct Teacher—Betty Dishman (C&I); I hope all will make an effort to attend—student workers, GA’s, all staff, adjuncts, and faculty are welcome; come and enjoy good food, celebrate your colleagues’ achievements, and enjoy being a part of the RCOE community.

Career Banding

Although the process may still seem a bit of a mystery, putting your job descriptions into the career banding format is essential; this is a good time to be as accurate and precise as possible about your work responsibilities. Although we cannot say with any certainty that more funding will be available for putting people where they should be on the career banding scale, we need to be positioned to take advantage of any such funding should it become available.

Special Recognition

Toni Hamby, second from left, and Katie High, far right, each received a $250 gift certificate from Kasper clothing company in Blowing Rock after writing winning essay in the Dr. David Ball Career Development Essay Contest. Hamby, a special education student, wrote about Reich College of Education professor Dr. Walter Oldendorf, left. (Photo by Marie Freeman, university photographer)

Appalachian State University seniors Toni Hamby of Boone and Katie High of Hickory are the winning writers in the Dr. David Ball Career Development Essay Award. The award was co-sponsored by Appalachian’s Career Development Center and Dr. Kathryn W. Copley. It honors the late David Ball, who was director of the center for 24 years until his retirement in 2006. The students received a $250 gift certificate and an appointment with a personal shopper at Kasper in Shoppes on the Parkway. The clothing store helped outfit them with career wear for their job and graduate school interviews or for their first day on the job.

The essays described the person at Appalachian who was most influential in the students’ career development. Hamby described the influence of Reich College of Education curriculum and instruction professor Dr. Walter Oldendorf. She wrote, “Dr. O once asked me where I saw myself 10 years from now. I said, ‘I’ll have your job.’ If that happens, it will be because he inspired me to do it.” Hamby will graduate in May summa cum laude with a degree in special education.

New Superintendent

You may have heard or seen an announcement concerning the new superintendent for Watauga County; Marty Hemric, an administrator from Wilkes County Schools, has been chosen to replace Dr. Bobby Short who is retiring. Mr. Hemric will assume his duties July 1, 2008.

Netbooks the answer?

Computer companies are rolling out lower-priced laptops designed for education, claiming that the new “netbooks” are better tuned than past models to the needs of young learners—and to the constraints of school budgets. The new models may help revive confidence in 1-to-1 laptop programs, which some school districts have backed away from in recent years because of the high cost of standard laptops, their unproven benefits to student achievement, and other problems.

The financial risks districts take in assigning laptops to all students and teachers can drop when the price is $500 or less, rather than the $1,000 apiece that school districts have typically paid for notebook computers.

On April 8, Hewlett-Packard Inc. unveiled the Mini-Note, a “mini-notebook” that starts at $499. An H-P official said the device is the company’s first computer designed from the outset in consultation with educators.

One week earlier, Intel Corp. unwrapped the second version of its Classmate PC, originally intended for primary school students in “emerging markets” overseas. The new version, which is expected to cost from roughly $300 to $500, depending on features, will be available in developed countries as well as emerging markets.

The chip-maker dubbed the device a “netbook,” a newly defined class of computers. The Taiwan-based AsusTek Computer Inc. also offers a $400 netbook, the Eee PC, for education.

Netbooks share features such as being small, ultralight, and energy efficient, with rugged plastic bodies, compact keyboards, and built-in antennae that can tap into wireless links to the Web. They typically rely on Web-based access to other computers for major data storage and computer applications. Many don’t have hard drives, but instead use less roomy but cheaper “flash” memory cards to save user data. Education Week, April 23, 2008.

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan

Kudos

Special appreciation to the Secondary Education Advisory Committee for their open house for secondary ed majors this past week; about 20 secondary education majors attended and discussed with faculty some of the needs that the majors felt were not being met as well as might be expected.

Rob Sanders (LES) has been selected as an ACT Faculty Fellow for 2008-09; Fellows agree to attend training sessions related to service learning and to introduce service learning into their classes.

Donna Breitenstein will receive the June Stallings Award at the state conference of the NC Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition on May 16. “This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated long-term, creative efforts on behalf of teen pregnancy prevention in NC.”

You will note in scanning the Meetings/Events section of this Update a number of references to retirement receptions; such events are always a mixture of pride and sadness—pride in the accomplishments and companionship of colleagues and sadness that they are leaving us to move on to another phase in their productive lives. We wish every one of them the best in health and happiness as they take this next step. At the risk of leaving someone out—which will be called to my attention no doubt - here is a list of those taking the big step: Bill Barber (LRE), Cheryl Knight (C&I), Henry McCarthy (C&I), Beth Morris (C&I), Alice Naylor (LRE). Many thanks to all for their contributions to the profession.

Two students in the Master of Arts in College Student Development were awarded the the Gregory S. Blimling Award for Outstanding Graduate Students in Student Development. The students are Patricia Elizabeth Mathison and Holly Nicole Rodden.

“Domestic Violence in a Rural Setting,” written by Geri Miller (HPC), Cathy Clark (HPC) and Jennifer Herman (Oasis Inc.) appears in the Journal of Rural Mental Health. (The article is an excellent example of how faculty can research a local issue and provide findings that could lead to possible solutions for the problem. See “Research Focus” below).

Research Focus

The university is attempting to identify areas of research that would relate directly to economic and social needs of the region. The list tentatively identified for education includes the following areas. I would invite you to identify others and bring them to my attention so I might feed them into the campus dialogue related to what contributions the university can make through its research expertise. Note: other departments across campus are listed here because they might be involved in the areas indicated below. Research areas must be closely tied to identifiable economic and/or social needs of the region.

Teacher Effectiveness (BIO, C&I, FLL, LRE, MAT, MUS, TEC)

• Technology and Pedagogy
• STEM education
• Interventions for at-risk students
• Reading

Call for Presentations

Call for Proposals for the 26th Annual Fall Teacher Education Forum, Thursday-Friday, September 18-19, is now online. Go to the website http://www.nc-acte.org and click on “Teacher Education Forum.” Deadline for submission of proposals is now May 31. For those perhaps not familiar with the Forum, this is the one event where teacher educators from all over North Carolina come together for two days to make presentations about their work and engage in dialogue; the conference is small, very friendly, and an excellent place to develop networks with other teacher educators in the state.

Delaware Study

As you may or may not be aware, ASU participates in what is known as the Delaware Study, a report that captures aspects of faculty workload and productivity. If you have not already received information about the latest Delaware report - Delaware Out-of-Classroom Faculty Activity Report - you will shortly, in most cases from your department chair. Much of the information called for in the survey parallels the information each faculty member provides for his or her annual report. We ask that you take the reporting seriously and provide as an accurate picture as possible of the activities identified in the survey. The hope is that this survey can be done completely online in the near future.

Getting Admitted

The admissions scene is changing; competition for seats at institutions is becoming much more pronounced and students who a few years ago would have been admitted without question now find themselves rejected, deferred or wait listed. ASU is no exception. With continuing emphasis upon SAT’s and gpa, the profile of ASU’s applicant pool is changing as is the profile of those who are being admitted, wait listed or rejected. The pool for next fall’s class of teacher education majors shows an average SAT of 1166 and a gpa of 3.95. Total applications for teacher ed at ASU was 2,727 (this number is coincidentally close to the projected size of the incoming class). Of the 2727, 1184 were accepted (a yield rate of approximately 43%); 479 were deferred, 311 were denied; 276 sit on a wait list with admission guaranteed in spring 09 and another 116 were wait listed with no guarantee of admission in spring 09. As state universities to prestigious colleges become more competitive, top high school students are having to deal with rejection, often for the first time, educators say. Many are finding their second-choice schools are far better than they expected, while others feel devastated by the news. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (4/14) , The Washington Post

Dispelling myths - TEACH FOR AMERICA

A paper from the Urban Institute examines the effectiveness of Teach For America (TFA) teachers in North Carolina high schools, especially in math and science. The report finds that TFA teachers tend to have a positive effect on student test scores relative to non-TFA teachers, including those who are certified in their field. http://www.ecs.org/00CN3852

Off-campus Recruiter

As a result of receiving special funding from the UNC GA, we have been fortunate to develop an off-campus recruiter position that will focus specifically on working with lateral entry and licensure only candidates as part of a UNC system initiative to expedite the process for these candidates in obtaining their licenses to teach. This position will be housed at Caldwell Community College and will work primarily with districts within that region. This effort continues the work we began several years ago with a federal grant for the Appalachian Transition to Teaching program. We will continue the mission of the ATTP with this new position and attempt to be a valuable resource for this population. I am pleased to report that Ms. Bobbi Taylor, a teacher from the Winston-Salem Forsythe School District, will fill this position. Ms. Taylor brings with her a number of years of teaching, a degree in counseling, and experience in working with a variety of constituencies. We welcome her to the RCOE and look forward to working with her in meeting the needs of alternative licensure candidates.

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan

Kudos

Many thanks to those who participated in the International Forum sponsored by the RCOE International Activities Committee. Much useful information was exchanged.

George Olson (LES) has recently been appointed Treasurer of the National Association of Test Directors, where he also serves as Chair of their Awards Committee.

"Green Building"

The University with the support of the Chancellor and Board of Trustees has made the commitment to pursue "green building design" for the College of Education.

International Information

One of the outcomes of the RCOE International Forum was the sharing of information about funding sources to underwrite international experiences; see the attached (Faculty_Funding_Opportunities.pdf ~36KB) for a good summary of these opportunities.

Laptop Reminder

If you intend to take your laptop with you while traveling outside the United States be aware that every Windows-equipped laptop does "contain source code for 64-bit encryption software or mass market encryption products." Among other things, this means that the traveling faculty member must never let the laptop out of his or her control, unless it is placed in a secure (e.g., military or embassy) storage facility.

The Drop-out Issue

For some time, controversy has surrounded the way school districts across the nation account for their drop-out rates. The wide variation in both definition and practice has finally attracted the attention of the federal government. On April 1, at a press conference hosted by America’s Promise Alliance, Secretary Spellings announced she will take "administrative steps" to ensure all states use the same formula to calculate how many students graduate from high school on time. Also, she said the uniform data would be made public, so that anyone can compare how students of every race/ethnicity, income level, and special need are performing. "One reason that the high school dropout crisis is known as the ’silent epidemic’ is that the problem is frequently masked or minimized by inconsistent and opaque data reporting systems," she stated. "For example, in some districts, a student who leaves school is counted as a dropout only if he or she registers as one. In others, a dropout’s promise to get a G.E.D. at an unspecified future date is good enough to merit graduate status. With such loose definitions…it’s no wonder this epidemic has been silent!" Proposed regulations will be published shortly. For more information, please go to:

http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/04/04012008.html.

Where You’re Born Makes a Difference

Children born in the 10 lowest-ranking U.S. states are twice as likely to live in poverty, become teenage parents, be incarcerated, or die as children or teens, according to a new Every Child Matters report. "The state American children live in should not adversely affect life chances, but they do," said report author Michael R. Petit, founder of Every Child Matters. "How is it that a poor child in Vermont lives in a completely different world from a similarly impoverished child in Louisiana?" Forbes/HealthDay News (4/2)

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan

Kudos

Susan Musilli (LRE) was awarded the Albert and Maxine Hughes Scholarship from the Department of Sociology in recognition of her outstanding performance in that Department.

David Considine is one of 44 finalists nation-wide for the National Cable Industry’s "Cable Leaders in Learning" award; winners will be selected in June.

Cherokee Visit

Over the spring break, a number of students traveled with Dr. Allen Bryant (C&I) to visit the Cherokees of western North Carolina; students had opportunities to attend classes, talk with teachers, and become familiar with some of the culture and traditions of the Cherokee people. From all reports, the students found the trip educational and fun.

International Round Tables

The RCOE International Activities Committee is hosting on Thursday, April 3 from 11:30-1pm, International Round Tables, an informal discussion forum with RCOE faculty who have recently been involved in international travel. The purpose of this discussion is to share information about such travel, ideas about involving students in international travel, ways of developing Off-campus Scholarly Assignment proposals involving international travel, faculty exchanges, etc. Thus far, we have the following countries identified: China, Spain, Ireland, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, England, Scotland, and Japan. Pizza and drinks will be available.

Changes in LES

Dr. Bryan Brooks has resigned his position as department chair, effective April 1, 2008. Dr. Richard Reidl will be serving as interim chair for the remainder of the semester. Lisa Freeman has accepted a position in Belk Library. Her position has been posted.

Architect Meetings

The group meetings this past week with the architect went extremely well and on his behalf, I want to thank the individuals involved for their suggestions. We anticipate having a full set of plans available for college-wide review on April 18 when the architect will make a presentation to the entire college and be available to answer questions.

Fall 2008 NC Teacher Education Forum

Submit your proposal for the 26th Annual Fall NC Teacher Education Forum to be held at the North Raleigh Hilton on Thursday-Friday, September 18-19, 2008. The Call for Proposals and the template to facilitate your submission is located on the NC-ACTE website http://www.nc-acte.org. The Call for Proposals also is available for download (TchEdForumCall4Prop08.pdf ~132KB).

NOTE: The deadline for submission is MAY 31, 2008.Late submissions, however, will be rejected. Student poster presentations will be featured again this year. Several of our ASU students participated in the poster presentations last year and found the experience most worthwhile.

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan

Middle Grades Demise

Much dialogue has been occurring state-wide since the suggestion was made by a DPI leader that there no longer was a need for middle grades program standards; such standards could be folded into secondary areas. Fortunately, a number of individuals decided to challenge that action and the apparent assumptions it was based upon. We have been told now that new middle grades standards will be developed in the next round of standard setting.

New Drafts of State Program Standards

State committees are working under the direction of DPI to provide new program standards for a number of programs. The attached document (DPI-Standards-drafts.pdf ~96KB) contains draft standards for English/Language Arts (6-9 and 9-12), Reading (K-12), EC (K-12) [Note: Only GC and AC standards are attached. The panel still has to work on the LD, ID, and BED standards], and graduate teaching area programs. Feedback on these standards is important and must reach DPI by April 2; comments should be submitted through me. Although the timeline is very short for comment, we need to take the time to review the appropriate standards—more will be coming—and be sure we register our views if we have any issues with the proposed standards.

Teaching Fellow Profile

The Teaching Fellows Commission met last week and selected 528 of the 874 regional finalists as recipients of the 2008 Teaching Fellows Scholarship. Original number of applications was 2,156. Of this number 469 were minority and 469 were male, the largest number for each category in the program’s history. Of the 528 recipients, 24% or 127 are minority and 36% or 190 are male. Recipients averaged 1173 on their SAT scores; they had, on average, grade point averages of 4.3 on a weighted scale and were in the top 8.1% of their class.

Appointment of Doctoral Faculty

The Reich College of Education is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. James Killacky as Director of The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership as of July 1, 2008. Dr. Killacky comes to ASU from the University of New Orleans where he coordinated doctoral level distance learning cohorts. He has also taught at NC State University. He has a Ph.D. from Harvard in Adult and Community College Education and Organization, a Master of Social Work from Washington University, and a Master of Arts in Sociology from Kansas State University. Dr. Killacky is the author of an extensive number of refereed books and articles on community colleges, group work, networking and leadership. Dr. Killacky will replace Dr. Alice Phoebe Naylor, who is retiring at the end of June after nine years as Director.

Dr. Killacky will be joined in the Doctoral Program this fall by Dr. Vachel Miller, who will be the coordinator of the RCOE doctoral cohort in Hickory. Dr. Miller most recently has served as a research specialist in Uganda working to move child laborers into educational settings. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has written books and journal articles on child labor, peace education and spirituality in organizations.

Update on Health College

An expert on organization of health related programs from the University of Alabama at Birmingham was on campus recently and met with a number of groups of faculty, including the Communication Disorders program faculty. He was here both to answer questions from those who might find themselves in the new college as well as recommend how the university might proceed in developing such a college. I sat in on the CD session as well as a debriefing session with all the deans and felt the consultant was very knowledgable and responsive. No decisions were reached as to what the next steps might be, but a good deal of information has been gathered and will help form the basis, I am sure, for a process being developed that will lead to the establishment of such a unit.

Faculty-in-Residence Opening

Housing and Residence Life seeks a faculty-in-residence to promote and encourage the intellectual and social development of residential students while collaborating with other faculty and residence life staff in expanding learning opportunities in the residence halls. The current open position is for a 2-bedroom, furnished apartment in the newly renovated and air-conditioned Cannon Hall (across from the Stick Boy Bread Company). Benefits: The Faculty-in-Residence and immediate family will be provided a free furnished apartment, utilities, local telephone service, high speed internet, cable television, washer and dryer, and reserved parking. Provided furniture includes one of each of the following: sofa, love seat, bed, armoire, cabinet, coffee table, dining table, and four chairs. To apply: Submit a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, and list contact information for at least three references (1 from a student, 1 from a colleague, and 1 from a supervisor). Applications and questions should be directed to: Jeff Doyle, Ph.D., Director of Residence Life, doyleja@appstate.edu, P.O. Box 32111, Boone, NC 28608. Review of applications will begin April 7 and continue until the position is filled.

Teacher Supply Sale

Do you have a need to clear some of your bookcase and/or file space? Dig out those excess teaching supplies and materials and make a point of putting them into the upcoming Teacher Supply Sale; new teachers are always grateful for units, lesson plans, good resource books, etc. Who knows you might find something to replace what you put into the sale! Sale occurs on April 5 from 9-2 in 03. See Alice Krueger (kruegerar@appstate.edu) for details.

Discipline for online speech can land a school in court

Students disciplined for speaking their minds on blogs and elsewhere online are increasingly fighting back, claiming First Amendment protections. "It’s really important that students’ speech rights are clarified and that schools can’t reach into your home and discipline your actions outside of school," said Avery Doninger, 17, who was banned from the student council and speaking at her graduation service, after referring to school administrators in a disparaging way in her online journal. ABC News (3/13)

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan

Sympathy

The RCOE community extends its sympathy to Donna Brown (LRE) and family at the recent loss of her mother.

The RCOE community extends its sympathy to Dr. Ben Horton, faculty emeritus, whose wife recently passed away.

Congratulations

Academic departments often honor their best students by selecting them to be Marshalls at Commencement . The Sociology department has invited Susan Musilli (LRE) (75 credits completed) to represent them at this year’s Commencement.

Donna Breitenstein (C&I) has been invited to serve on the NC Institute of Medicine’s Task Force on Adolescent Health. The NCIOM was created by the NC General Assembly:The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NC IOM) is an independent, quasi-state agency that was chartered by the NC General Assembly in 1983 to provide balanced, nonpartisan information on issues of relevance to the health of North Carolina’s population.The NC IOM convenes task forces, or working groups, of knowledgeable and interested individuals to study complex health issues facing the state in order to develop workable solutions to address these issues.

Daisy Waryold (HPC) received the Women of Influence Award at the ASU Women’s Leadership Conference.

Kristin Dickie, a community counseling major, received the 2008 Dr.Mary Thomas Burke Award given to a graduate student who has shown an outstanding commitment to the counseling profession by a willingness to be involved in professional organizations and activities. The award was given by the NC division of the Association of Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC).

The NC ASERVIC, under the leadership of President Geri Miller, received the Most Improved Division Award from the national organization.

Kudos

Many thanks to Linda McCalister, Director of the ASU-Public School Partnership, and others who worked to provide a very successful “meet and greet” session between public school English teachers and faculty from the ASU English Department; the purpose of such sessions is to open dialogue between faculty and teachers on matters related to the teaching of English; approximately 50 people attended.

Many thanks also to Roma Angel, Assistant Dean, and Ethan Dodson, graduate assistant, for their fine hosting of our three visitors from the Universidad Costa Rica; during their visit, an agreement was signed between their institution and ASU with prospects for some student exchanges within the year.

ELL Workshop

Be certain to make time in your schedule to learn more about English Language Learners: The Hispanic Culture, Second Language Acquisition, Implications for Public Schools, and Voices from the Local Hispanic Community. Thursday, March 6th, 11:30am to 1:30pm, in 03 with pizza lunch. This workshop is sponsored by the RCOE Faculty Development Committee in response to a survey of RCOE faculty about what areas they felt would be most helpful in professional development. Linda Pacifici (C&I) is hosting the event. Contact her for more details.

Director of Teaching Fellows

The position description for Director of Teaching Fellows is now posted on our web site; if you know of candidates that would be interested, internally or externally, please encourage them to apply; review of applications will begin March 31 and continue until the position is filled.

DPI Correction

In last week’s Update, I indicated that we had representatives on all of the proposed new program standards committees; in actuality we do not. However, we are grateful to Monica Lambert, Sara Zimmerman, Myra Pennell, Max Dass, Holly Thornton and Patricia Hearron who have arranged their schedules so they can participate in all of the sessions focused on building the new standards in their respective program areas. This is a very important process and having our representatives at the table is very significant.

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan

Sympathy

It is with deep sadness that we report that Tammy Harrold, one of our off campus students in the Yadkinville cohort, recently passed away. This marks the end of Tammy’s long and courageous battle with cancer. The RCOE’s deepest sympathies are extended to her family and friends.

Costa Rica Visitors

We will be hosting three representatives from the Universidad of Costa Rica at Nicoya during this coming week; these individuals will be signing an agreement for exploring faculty and student exchanges with ASU, and will be visiting a number of departments and individuals on campus to better inform themselves about the offerings ASU has. Should you like to have one or more of the representatives visit your classes to talk about education and culture in Costa Rica, contact Roma Angel, Dean’s Office (angelrb@appstate.edu). This connection emerged from a student teaching experience we provide our students in Nicoya.

New Program Standards

We are pleased to report that ASU has a representative on each of the DPI program standards committees that have been formed; these committees will be working to develop new program review standards in such areas as Elementary Education, Special Education, secondary content areas, etc. We are pleased that ASU individuals have volunteered to serve on these committees which will be the key developers of the new program review standards that will form a major part of the revisions in the program review process adopted by the State Board of Education recently.

Further DPI News

We have received verification from DPI that none of our current standards (gpa for admission, PRAXIS I, technology portfolio, etc.) have been eliminated. When our “re-visioned” programs are submitted to the State Board of Education in summer/fall 09 and subsequently approved and implemented, then, and only then, will the changes go into effect. Until then, it is business as usual.

NC-ACTE Meeting

If you are interested in learning more about the DPI/SBE changes in the program approval process for teacher education, the North Carolina chapter of the American Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators is holding a meeting on April 11 at A&T in Greensboro to provide more information on the changes; Dr. Kathy Sullivan of DPI will be the featured speaker. Pre-registration required. See the flyer (doc ~40kb) for details. This is a good opportunity to learn first-hand about the changes.

Expanding RCOE’s Presence in the World

Gary Moorman (LRE) is spending four months in Qatar providing professional development opportunities for educators; see link for information about Gary’s work: http://www.news.appstate.edu/2008/02/18/qatar/

Now Why Didn’t We Think of That!

A British teacher who developed a classroom chair that can’t be rocked onto its rear legs already has received orders from 18 schools in the three weeks since launching the product. "It seems that it’s a problem that touches everyone," inventor Tom Wates said. "For me, this started out as a way of combating the irritation of the children rocking. But at nearly every school I’ve been to teachers relate a story about an injury. It is a danger issue." The Times (London) (2/18)

The Best Teachers

We never forget our best teachers - those who imbued us with a deeper understanding or an enduring passion, the ones we come back to visit years after graduating, the educators who opened doors and altered the course of our lives. It would be wonderful if we knew more about teachers such as these and how to multiply their number. How do they come by their craft? What qualities and capacities do they possess? Can these abilities be measured? Can they be taught? Perhaps above all: How should excellent teaching be rewarded so that the best teachers - the most competent, caring and compelling - remain in a profession known for low pay, low status and soul-crushing bureaucracy? Interesting articles in Feb. 25 issue of Time about “How to Make Better Teachers.”

How Time Flies

Click on this link and you will be fascinated.

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan

Field Experience Note: Due to limited parking space at Watauga High School, the high school administration has requested that ASU students participating in internships and field experiences ride the Appalcart. The high school will be unable to issue parking permits for these experiences. If you have questions about this requirement, please call the RCOE Office of Field Experiences at 262-2252 or Watauga High School at 264-2407.

Congratulations

Kathleen Lynch-Davis (C&I) is the proud mother of Connor Isiah Davis who joined the world this weekend weighing 6 lbs, 4 oz. Mother and child are doing well.

New Building Update

At this time, we appear to have lost only about 1,000 square feet in the new building as a result of the setbacks dictated by zoning; as a result, we have been able to keep almost all of the functions originally designed for the building, but the architect is still working with moving pieces around to gain the most space and efficiency. The best case scenario is that ground might be broken in the fall and that 18-24 months later, the building would be finished. As soon as we have a more precise picture of all of the building, we will set up an information session with the architect for the entire college but at least we are moving ahead!

Cherokee Feedback

You may recall that several weeks ago, we hosted four students and two teachers from Cherokee High School on the Cherokee Reservation. ASU students were asked to reflect on what they learned as they spent time with these individuals. Certain themes emerged from the reflections:

• A better understanding of Cherokee culture, including the seven clans;
• A heightened awareness of stereotypes and misconceptions about Native Americans;
• A better understanding of funding for Cherokee education;
• A realization of the importance of language in cultural identity;
• Learning that students enrolled in tribal schools have the same requirements as other schools in the state;
• A better understanding of who is a tribal member and who is a descendant;
• The need to include more accurate detail about Native Americans in the social studies curriculum.

Many thanks to Sandra Oldendorf (C&I) for arranging what appears to have been a very beneficial visit for our students.

Peace Corps

Kyle Laird is a returned Peace Corps volunteer from the Ukraine; Kyle is available as a resource on campus and is most willing to provide short (or long) talks regarding the Peace Corps and the many opportunities that exist to broaden one’s global perspectives. Kyle can be reached at 262-2180 or at peacecorps@tux.appstate.edu.

Extension Information

Extension is often called upon to put together reports for various offices on campus or for presentations off campus; the following information may be of some interest.

• Number of full-time/daytime students in the Caldwell BS/Elementary Ed programs = 76 (3 programs currently in progress)
• Number of teacher ed undergraduate cohorts: 19 (plus 2 licensure groups in progress)
• (Number of non-teacher-ed undergraduate cohorts: 9 [plus a group of pre-MBA students])
• Number of teacher ed graduate cohorts: 37 (Reading Ed has more of a rolling admission, so Extension & Distance Ed does not try to distinguish certain cohorts within that program. For this response, only 1 Catawba Reading Ed cohort and 1 Forsyth Reading Ed cohort have been counted; but, comparatively, these programs would constitute "multiple cohorts.")
• (Number of non-teacher-ed graduate cohorts: 13 [plus an individual course in FL&L])
• Enrollment Numbers which appear on the preliminary Spring ’08 snapshot – as reported by Institutional Research
  Total # of undergraduate students: 491
  Total # of graduate students: 957

Note: the above numbers represent all programs off-campus but typically 85% or more of the off campus enrollment is from the RCOE.

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan

Sympathy

The RCOE community expresses its sympathy to Walter Oldendorf (C&I) for the recent loss of his mother; our thoughts are with him and his family at this difficult time.

The RCOE community expresses its sympathy to Jon Winek (HPC) for the recent lost of his father-in-law; our thoughts are with him and his family at this difficult time.

Congratulations

Kudos to Alecia Jackson (LES) for her recent publication: Alecia Youngblood Jackson, "Power and pleasure in ethnographic home-work: producing a recognizable ethics" Qualitative Research 2008 8: 37-51.

SALT Funds

A recent review of SALT grant accounts revealed that the majority of recipients have not begun to spend their funds; although we admire frugality, we encourage recipients to move ahead with their spending, including getting contracts written and approved, etc., in the next month or so, since we will be watching the balance sheet and the Dean’s Office is not above a sweep of accounts in early May if necessary. Don’t be a procrastinator and—of course—if you really do not need all the funds, we would be delighted to be notified of that fact.

Faculty Development

Recently the Faculty Development committee conducted a survey of the RCOE faculty as to what they felt their most immediate professional development interests were; two areas came out on top: experimental and/or mixed method research design, and English Language Learners.

We are working at putting together appropriate workshops on both topics for this spring but we need a little help in clarifying the focus of each. First on research design—are you looking for direct help in applying experimental research designs or mixed method design or are you looking for an overview of the possibilities in these areas; and if we have to choose between mixed method or experimental design as a focus, which would you prefer? Second, for ELL, are you interested in a workshop that focuses upon successful teaching strategies for ELL in the actual classroom or are you looking for examples of how to integrate ELL concepts and strategies into your teacher education courses themselves.

Answers can be brief; just email me in the next week your preferences and this will be very helpful to the committee in shaping workshops that will meet your needs. Many thanks for your input.

Seeking Off-Campus Recruiter

The college is seeking a full-time off-campus teacher education recruiter to work with lateral entry, licensure only, and community college students in assisting them to obtain admission to and completion of licensure programs; this recruiter will be based at Caldwell Community College and will work primarily in the counties of Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, and Wilkes as well as surrounding counties; for full information on the position and application process, see the RCOE jobs page.

The Kids’ Version of "Shift Happens."

You may remember an earlier Update where a link was provided to a YouTube presentation indicating how times have changed and how today’s college student has been affected by those changes; another version has been done which focuses on K-12 students. One will see interesting and perhaps scary parallels between the two populations. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8

Students’ Views of Teachers

The Charlotte Observer has an email forum for young people called Young Voices. Recently the discussion topic posted was "What’s a good teacher." Here are a few samples: (Posted on Tue, Jan. 22, 2008)

What’s a good teacher?
*Julie E. Flanagan, home-schooled, Charlotte: *I believe that effective teachers include qualities of wanting to reach students no matter the hardship that it takes. Teachers that make a lasting impact are the ones that take extra time to help explain in a nice and effective way the class at hand. Bad teachers spur students to not strive and work their hardest to achieve the best they can be. I believe teachers have the ability to help or stunt student growth in education.

*Enrique Garcia, 15, West Charlotte High School, Charlotte: *The quality of a teacher doesn’t matter if the student doesn’t want to learn. Many schools overlook this. A teacher has to be able to make a student want to learn. In order to do this, the teacher must be more than a teacher. She must be a role model and teach not only science, math, or geography, but also life morals, give advice, and actually care and want to teach. A bad teacher is really easy to pin down. They just give work, and they don’t talk to students unless it’s part of the lesson or for disciplinary reasons. Communication is the key. Schools should look for this when hiring teachers.

*Amanda Tant, 16, Butler High School, Matthews: *It is a tired old cliché, but I believe teachers have an immense power to mold young minds. It’s practically a mantra for politicians advocating education reform. If everyone can more or less agree that teachers and what they provide, (education, the will to not be ignorant, etc.), are important, then why do we not support them? Low teacher salaries are the first things to be criticized, but I am also speaking about support from parents. Lack of parent involvement and responsibility is a contributing factor to the difficulties that teachers have to face on a daily basis. What person wants to work in an environment where discipline is issued more often than education?

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“Change is a Journey, not a Destination.”
—M. Fullan