News & Events
Calendar of Events - In the News - Annual Events - Searches - Anouncements
Interview with author and doctoral student Liz Kolb featured on Inside Michigan Education
Graduate student Liz Kolb, author of Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education in and out of the Classroom is featured on a podcast on Inside Michigan Education.
To hear the podcast, go to:
http://www.insidemieducation.com/2008/06/interview-with-liz-kolb.php
“ A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education” consensus manifesto made public, signed by Professor Neuman
A task force, convened by the Economic Policy Institute, and chaired by Helen Ladd, an well-known economist, and Pedro Noguera, an education policy expert, has made the argument that American education policy has erred by relying on school improvement alone, rather than defining schooling more broadly and taking on the social and economic circumstances of disadvantaged youth.
To read "A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education," click here:
http://www.boldapproach.org/statement.html
To co-sign the document, click here:
http://www.boldapproach.org/join.html
To read a blog about this task force, click here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pedro-noguera/a-broader-bolder-approach_b_106244.html
To read an Education Week article on this task force, click here:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/06/18/42nclb.h27.html
TEACH grant program provides support for prospective teachers in high-need schools and subjects
The University of Michigan Board of Regents recently approved U-M’s participation in the TEACH program, which is aimed at supporting prospective teachers aiming to teach high-need subjects to low-income students. Recent federal legislation created a new source of support--the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant.
Individuals may be eligible for a TEACH grant of up to $4,000 per academic year (defined as two terms of full-time enrollment), or a maximum of $8,000, if they meet certain criteria. However, if one does not complete the service requirements outlined in the Agreement to Serve, all of the TEACH grant funds received will be converted to an unsubsidized federal loan that includes interest from the date the loan was issued. An individual receiving a TEACH grant must teach four of the eight years after completing a program in a designated high needs area.
For further information, please see the University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid's information on the TEACH grant at http://www.finaid.umich.edu/types_of_financial_aid/teach.asp
Professor Bain receives monetary award for Michigan Council of Social Studies “Educator of the Year” honor
At a brief ceremony at the School of Education, local MEEMIC Insurance Company representative, Bill Christen of the Gordon Group Insurance Agencies located in Ann Arbor, presented Dr. Robert Bain, an associate professor of history and social studies education, with a check for $250.00, made payable to the University of Michigan.
Dr. Bain was recently selected to receive an Educator of the Year award from the Michigan Council for Social Studies, and this presentation acknowledged that honor. Dr. Bain was honored for his role in guiding the development of the Michigan content expectations for secondary social studies and for his ongoing work with Michigan teachers and school districts.
Dr Bain said, “We appreciate MEEMIC’s support of the social studies and the work that the University of Michigan is doing to help K-12 students meet the challenges they will face as citizens. Your generous contribution will further our work with Michigan teachers and in area classrooms.”
To read the entire press release, click here (PDF).
To read Professor Bain’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/bain
Professor Zint designs online resource for environmental educators
In recent years, Michaela Zint, an associate professor of environmental education and communication at the University of Michigan, found herself fielding an increasing number of calls from fellow environmental educators. All expressed a similar concern: how to evaluate their programs.
Environmental educators – whether K-12 teachers or instructors working for government agencies or non-profit organizations including universities – expressed a strong need for information to assess the quality of their programs.
These evaluations have become more important for environmental education programs as budgets shrink at funding agencies and foundations. As the cuts occur, there is more pressure on environmental educators to prove their programs are worth the investment and making a difference. In fact, many agencies and foundations now do not fund programs unless they incorporate evaluation.
Reflecting on her colleagues’ needs, Dr. Zint initiated a project to develop a web-based tool to assist and empower environmental educators in conducting their own evaluations. The result was “My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistant” or MEERA, the latest version of which was launched this month. The site’s URL is www.meera.snre.umich.edu.
To read the entire press release, click here (PDF).
To read Professor Zint’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/zint
Mathematics teacher educators’ workshop deadline May 17
ThEMaT's Summer Workshop for Teacher Educators will take place between June 10-13, 2008, on the University of Michigan--Ann Arbor campus, for the second year in a row. If you are interested in applying for this workshop, please visit http://grip.umich.edu/ and fill out an application form no later than May 17, 2008. Please also feel free to send this information to anyone you think might be interested in coming.
ThEMaT (Thought Experiments in Mathematics Teaching) is an NSF-funded research project dedicated to the study of teaching in secondary algebra and geometry. As part of our work we have developed representations of teaching. These are classroom stories narrated by way of animations and graphic novel materials. The stories showcase how mathematical ideas come to exist in classroom interaction; the stories also make the work of teachers visible and showcase classroom discussions about mathematics. We have used them extensively with groups of teachers and found them effective to promote conversations about practice and about mathematics. We envision making these materials available to a limited number of partners who might be willing to collaborate with us using them in courses for teachers: either mathematics classes for teachers or education classes for pre-service or in-service mathematics teachers.
The purpose of the workshop is to preview and discuss activities and experiences we have created to use these stories as a context for the professional education and continued development of mathematics teachers. We are particularly interested in bringing to Ann Arbor a small group of experienced teacher educators and mathematicians who might be interested in collaboration being a part of our user community. While in the workshop, participants will get to know the materials and the activities we have around them, and they will work on creating resources to use along with the materials, as they sketch how they might use the materials with their own clients.
If you are interested in applying for this workshop, go to:
http://grip.umich.edu
To ask questions or request the opportunity to preview workshop materials, please contact S08-themat@umich.edu .
Professor O’Connor wins diversity award
Professor Carla O’ Connor has won University of Michigan’s Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award for her dedication to creating a diverse, and equitable society, as demonstrated through her scholarship on resilience and African American learners, through her contributions to undergraduate and graduate curriculum design and teaching practice, and through her many caring actions toward students, staff, and faculty.
To read Professor O’ Connor’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/oconnor
For more information about the Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award, go to: http://www.provost.umich.edu/programs/diversity_service.html
Professor Dynarski testifies before Congress about using tax incentives to increase college-going
Professor Susan Dynarski, who will join the faculty of the School of Education and the Ford School of Public Policy in August, testified before a House Ways and Means Subcommittee on May 1, 2008, proposing that the current education tax incentive system be simplified and modified so that families with the greatest need can benefit and college-going rates increase among low income students. Dr. Dynarski is currently an associate professor of public policy at the Kennedy School, Harvard University.
To read her testimony, click here (Adobe PDF).
To read the discussion paper prepared for the Hamilton Project, Brookings Institution, “College Grants on a Postcard: A Proposal for Simple and Predictable Federal Student Aid,” (February 2007) authored by Susan Dynarski and Judith E. Scott-Clayton, click here (Adobe PDF).
To view the hearing archives for the House Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, go to:
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=628
Associate Dean Krajcik explains significance of nanoscience-related education to Congress
On Tuesday, April 16, Associate Dean for Research Joe Krajcik testified about the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act before the House Committee on Science and Technology in Washington, D.C. To read the testimony, go to:
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2146
Professor Songer receives Faculty Recognition Award
Nancy Butler Songer, professor of science education and learning technologies at the School of Education, has been awarded a 2008 Faculty Recognition Award by the University of Michigan. Professor Songer is principal investigator of the BioKIDS/DeepThink research group, and has been recognized as a National Science Foundation Presidential Faculty Fellow and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Faculty who have demonstrated substantive contributions to the University through significant achievements in scholarly research and/or creative endeavors; excellence as a teacher, advisor and mentor; and distinguished participation in the service activities of University of Michigan are nominated for this award. A university-wide committee of distinguished faculty select up to five awardees, who receive the awards and stipends of $1000 in an October ceremony.
To view Dr. Songer’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/songer
Ken Burnley one of four finalists for the Eastern Michigan University presidency
Dr. Kenneth Burnley, a senior resident fellow at the University of Michigan School of Education, and director of the Education Leadership Center, is one of four finalists for the Eastern Michigan University presidency. Dr. Burnley, who received his degrees from University of Michigan, served as chief operating officer for the Detroit Public Schools from 2000-2005. He also served as district superintendent in Fairbanks, Alaska, and in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
To read an Ann Arbor News article about the finalists, go to:
<http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/04/eastern_michigan_university_re.html>
To read a Detroit Free Press article about the finalists, go to:
<http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080417/NEWS06/80417050>
Hyman Bass is named Distinguished University Professor
Professor Hyman Bass has been awarded a Distinguished University Professorship by University of Michigan. This competitive and prestigious award is the highest honor that the University bestows on senior faculty "to recognize exceptional scholarly and/or creative achievement, national and international reputation, and superior teaching skills.” Dr. Bass’s outstanding contributions to the fields of mathematics and mathematics education are acknowledged with this prestigious appointment.
Each Distinguished University Professorship bears a special name, determined by the professor in consultation with her or his dean. Each professorship also carries with it an annual salary supplement of $5,000 and an annual research supplement of $5,000. In addition, newly appointed Distinguished University Professors are expected to deliver an inaugural lecture during the first year of appointment. The award will be presented at a special ceremony on October 8, 2008.
To view Dr. Bass’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/bass
Professor Valerie Lee wins prestigious Rackham Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award
Professor Valerie Lee has won a 2008 Rackham Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award. This competitive and prestigious award is one of the highest honors that the University bestows on senior faculty "to recognize those who have consistently demonstrated outstanding achievements in the areas of scholarly research and/or creative endeavors, teaching and mentoring of students and junior faculty, service and a variety of activities which have brought distinction to themselves and the University.” The award will be presented at a special ceremony on October 8, 2008.
To view Dr. Lee’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/lee/index.html
For more information about the Rackham Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, see:
https://umich-rackham.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/umich_rackham.cfg/
php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1727
Dean Ball quoted in Education Week article; National Mathematics Panel press conference transcript available
An article on the relative dearth of research-based knowledge about the teaching of mathematics appeared in Education Week (online 3-28-08; print 4-2-08). In this article, Dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball, who chaired the National Mathematics Advisory Panel task group on mathematics teaching, explained the Panel’s findings, and outlined future directions for the next decade.
To read the Education Week article, “Essential Qualities of Math Teaching Remain Unknown,” by Sean Cavanaugh:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/04/02/31math_ep.h27.html
To read a transcript of Dean Ball’s statement at the release of the National Mathematics Panel Advisory Report, see:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/ball_nmp_trans.pdf (Adobe PDF)
District of Columbia Chancellor Michelle Rhee speaks at April 26 commencement ceremony
Michelle Rhee, the 37-year-old founder of the New Teacher Project, named chancellor of the Washington, D.C., schools in June 2007, was the School of Education Commencement speaker on April 26, 2008 in Hill Auditorium. The New Teacher Project aims to “bring new streams of accomplished individuals into hard-to-staff urban schools.” In a recent New York Times Sunday Magazine roundtable about education and philanthropy, Ms. Rhee was referred to as a ”disruptive force” worth investing in by Joel Klein, chancellor of the New York City school system since 2002.
To read the Chancellor’s Corner on the District of Columbia Public Schools website:
http://www.k12.dc.us/chancellor.htm
To read Michelle Rhee’s First Year Plan for the District of Columbia Schools:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/rheeplan.pdf
For information on the New Teacher Project:
http://www.tntp.org
To read recent New York Times Sunday Magazine article, “How Many Billionaires Does It Take to Fix a School System,” which mentions Ms. Rhee:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/magazine/09roundtable-
t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
For more on the School of Education Commencement, see:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/commencement
Two School of Education faculty members win mentoring awards
Clinical Associate Professor Cathy Reischl and Associate Professor Lesley Rex have won prestigious university-wide awards for their work with graduate students. Cathy Reischl has won the Master’s Mentoring Award from Rackham Graduate School, and Lesley Rex has won the 2008 John H. D'Arms Faculty Award for Distinguished Graduate Mentoring in the Humanities. Cathy is the Faculty Leader for Elementary Teacher Education, and she coordinates an Elementary Master of Arts with Certification cohort; Lesley is Co-Chair of the Joint Program in English and Education, and she is Faculty Leader for English Education Programs. The awards will be formally presented at a ceremony on April 10, 2008.
For more information about the Rackham Master’s Mentoring Award, see:
https://umich-rackham.custhelp.com/cgi-
bin/umich_rackham.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1733
For more information about Cathy Reischl, see:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/reischl
For more information about the 2008 John D’Arms Faculty Awards for Distinguished Graduate Mentoring in the Humanities, see:
https://umich-rackham.custhelp.com/cgi-
bin/umich_rackham.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1726
For more information about Lesley Rex, see:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~rex/
Fireworks Photo by: Maurice de Beijer
Dean Ball contributes to released National Mathematics Panel report
The National Mathematics Advisory Panel, convened in 2006 by President George W. Bush, released its final report on March 13, 2008. "Without substantial and sustained changes to the educational system, the United States will relinquish its leadership in the 21st century," the panel warns, calling for an immediate focus on teaching core topics and skills that provide the foundation for success in algebra and in equipping teachers with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary for effective teaching.
The panel received testimony from more than 200 individuals and 150 organizations, and reviewed more than 16,000 research studies. Dean Ball, an expert on mathematics teaching and teacher education, was named to the panel for her insightful work on mathematical knowledge for teaching.
For the U-M press release about Dean Ball’s contributions to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report, see:
http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6407
For the National Mathematics Panel final report, Foundations for Success:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/MathPanelFinalReport.pdf (Adobe PDF)
For more information on the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, see:
http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/index.html
To see Dean Ball’s web page:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/dean/index.html
To go to Deborah Loewenberg Ball’s academic web site:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Edball/
To read a Washington Post article on the report:
http://www.washingtonpost.com
School of Education sponsors summit for education leaders with Wayne State and Michigan State
On Friday, March 14, “Creating a Brighter Economic Future in Michigan: Education, Talent, and Public Policy”—an economic summit for the state’s education leaders—was held in East Lansing at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center from 8:30 a.m.- 3:15 p.m. The event, designed in response to the expressed concerns of participants at the Education Leadership Center’s financial summit, held last August in Ann Arbor, was collaboratively planned by Dr. Kenneth Burnley, Director, Education Leadership Center, University of Michigan School of Education; Dr. Barbara Markle, Assistant Dean, Michigan State University College of Education; and Dr. David Arsen, professor, Educational Administration, Michigan State University College of Education.
To view the conference agenda, click here (Adobe PDF).
Report from CAE shows growing wealth gap between higher education institutions
A Council for Aid to Education report shows that even as Congress presses wealthy colleges and universities to spend more of their endowments, they continue on a fund-raising streak that will widen the wealth gap in higher education. In all, colleges and universities raised about $30 billion, 6% more than the previous year. But nearly one-third of that increase, $518 million, went to just 20 institutions. (from Education Commission of the States e-clips service, 2/21/08)
To see the report, go to:
http://www.cae.org/content/pdf/VSE%202007%20Survey%20Press%20Release.pdf
To read a New York Times article on the report, click here.
Professor Valerie Lee quoted in Free Press article
School of Education professor Valerie E. Lee was quoted in a recent Detroit Free Press article (2-18-08), “Are Smaller Schools the Answer?” To see the complete article:
http://www.freep.com/
To view information about her recent co-authored book, Schools Within Schools: Possibilities and Pitfalls of High School Reform (2007):
http://store.tcpress.com/0807747521.shtml
To view Dr. Lee’s faculty profile, go to: http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/lee
Professor Betsy Davis elected to board of leading organization in science education
B
etsy Davis, an associate professor in science education at the University of Michigan School of Education, was elected to a three-year term to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST), the leading international organization for research in science education.
To view Dr. Davis’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/davis
Professor Bob Bain named “Educator of the Year” by Michigan Council for the Social Studies
At the 2008 Annual Conference of the Michigan Council for the Social Studies in Dearborn, which is being held February 17-20, Dr. Robert Bain was named “Michigan Educator of the Year” for his contributions to the development of the state’s new social studies grade level expectations.
To view the Michigan Social Studies Standards document, go to:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/SS_HSCE_210739_7.pdf
To view Dr. Bain’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/bain
Dean Ball delivers Charles W. Hunt Invited Address at AACTE Annual Meeting
In an invited address to 1200 teacher educators and deans, Dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball urged her colleagues to work together to make the teaching of skillful practice the core of teacher education. Pointing out that skillful teaching is needed at scale if the nation is to reduce serious achievement disparities in this country, she argued that good teaching is much more intricate work than most people realize, and that it therefore requires professional training for large numbers of people to do it well. “We need a system of initial and continuing teacher education that can reliably help prepare ordinary people for effective professional practice in teaching.” In Ball’s lecture she used examples of the work going on at the School of Education to illustrate to the audience what it would mean to focus teacher education on teaching practice.
Dr. Beth Kubitskey receives AACTE dissertation award
Recent UM School of Education graduate, Dr. Beth Kubitskey, was presented with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Award for
Outstanding Dissertation at the 60th Annual Meeting, in New Orleans, LA, on
February 7, 2008. Dr. Kubitskey is an assistant professor in the Department
of Physics and Astronomy at Eastern Michigan University, in Ypsilanti. For
more information on the American Association of Colleges for Teacher
Education, go to http://www.aacte.org
Read the Press Release from AACTE (Adobe PDF)
