SOE Student Receives Tau Sigma Scholarship

Timothy (TJ) Fitch, a student in our Special Education program, has been selected to receive a $2500 scholarship from the Tau Sigma National Honor Society. Tau Sigma is a national honor society designed exclusively for transfer students, and the award made to Fitch is the maximum amount given by the organization. In addition to being a terrific student, T.J. works in the SOE dean's office as a student assistant. Please join me in congratulating T.J.Fitch on being selected for this prestigious award from among a large number of worthy applicants.

SOE Faculty Member Receives Grant to Increase Use of Educational Technology in Science Courses

Stein Brunvand, Assistant Professor of Education, has received a Faculty Research Initiation and Seed Grant from the University of Michigan-Dearborn to support a project entitled “Promoting Cross-Discipline Collaborations to Integrate Technology in Science Instruction.” In this project Brunvand will collaborate with several CASL faculty involved in the Inquiry Institute (I2) from the fields of chemistry, physics, and biology, and with science educators from SOE, to integrate educational technology into science and science education courses for pre-service elementary teachers. This project is an important first step toward ensuring that UM-Dearborn teacher candidates have experience with state-of-the-art technological innovations that can enrich and enhance science teaching and learning, and it is expected to have ripple effects on the uses of educational technology in other undergraduate courses in the sciences on this campus.

SOE Grads at Commencement

On Saturday, December 18, more than 100 students had degrees conferred upon them at the Commencement ceremony on the campus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. SOE Dean Silver presented 65 students who received graduate degrees, either the Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Education, or Master of Science, and 37 students who received undergraduate degrees, either the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of General Studies, or Bachelor of Science.

SOE Chancellor's Medallion winner, Ashley Michelle VanSteelandt, was recognized at the ceremony, and she received the medallion at a luncheon even preceding commencement. SOE alum, Toni Simovski, addressed the graduates and their families on behalf of UM-Dearborn alumni.

Please join me in congratulating all our graduates and in wishing them great success now and in the future.

SOE Welcomes New SOCC Director

The School of Education is pleased to welcome Katherine Page Sander, LMSW, who has been named Director of the Save Our Children Coalition. Katie assumed her position on December 13; her office is in Quad C. Katie has a B.A. in Sociology and an MSW degree with an emphasis in Community Organization, both from the University of Michigan.

Prior to assuming this new position, Katie has worked for 13 years in a variety of clinical and supervisory child welfare positions in Michigan, including serving as domestic programs coordinator for Hands Across the Water and as Maternal Infant Health Program Social Worker in the Washtenaw County Department of Public Health. In addition, she brings a global perspective to her work, having worked as a volunteer in as child welfare position in Bolivia. Please join me in welcoming Katie Page-Sander to the SOE family!

SOE Honors Graduates at Reception

On December 15, 2010 the School of Education hosted a reception to honor those students who have completed their degree programs and will be graduating at the end of the fall 2010 academic term. Dean Edward Silver welcomed more than 80 students, family members, faculty, and other members of the SOE community who gathered to salute the graduates. Those in attendance constituted a cross-section of this term’s graduating class, and represented well the diversity of students and programmatic offerings in the SOE. Julie Bednark, leader of the SOE Alumni Affiliate Group, addressed the group to explain the value of staying involved as alums. Attendees also had an opportunity to hear from SOE Professor Laura Reynolds-Keefer and to view a display of samples of work completed by SOE students participating this year in the M-Portfolio initiative. Please join me in congratulating all our graduates and wishing them much success in their future as difference-makers.

SOE Student Receives Fall 2010 Chancellor’s Medallion

In recognition of her outstanding academic accomplishment, Ashley Michelle VanSteelandt (Elementary Education) has been chosen as the School of Education’s Fall 2010 recipient of the Chancellor’s Medallion. This award is an honor presented each term to one graduating senior from each academic unit at University Commencement.

Ashley came to the University of Michigan-Dearborn as a recipient of the Dean’s scholarship; she consistently achieved Dean’s List status across her undergraduate career; and she graduates this term as a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, the Pi Lambda Theta International Honor Society in Education, and the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society.

In addition to her formal academic pursuits, Ashley has several other interests that garner her attention, including drawing and painting, East Indian classical dance, and creative writing. In fact, her artwork has been displayed at some local shows, and one of her short stories will soon be published.

Ms. VanSteelandt has also given generously of her time as a volunteer both on and off campus. She received the Distinguished Student Leader Scholarship from the University of Michigan-Dearborn for her volunteer work with First Step, a program that helps children who are victims of physical or emotional abuse. She has also provided volunteer contributions to several children’s programs in Southeast Michigan, such as the children’s craft and literacy program at the Plymouth Public Library in as well as the Junior Achievement Program in Detroit in which she taught lessons to third grade students at Old Redford Academy. In addition, she has worked in the Office of Admissions and Orientation and at the Early Childhood Education Center.

Please join me in congratulating Ashley Michelle VanSteelandt on being selected for this prestigious honor and in wishing her much success in her future endeavors!

SOE Alum and Graduate Student Recognized for Outstanding Service

Devon Banks, a UM-Dearborn alumnus with a degree in elementary education, and a graduate student in the School of Education in the Master of Arts of Educational Leadership (MAEL) graduate degree program working toward his K-12 School Principal Certificate, was recently recognized for his exceptional voluntary service to the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield, MI. Devon, who played on the University of Michigan-Dearborn basketball team during his undergraduate years, has coached several athletic teams for the Center working with students in the evenings and on weekends. He was honored for his service to the community and its children.

Devon has taught at Doherty Elementary School in West Bloomfield, and he is currently working on his administrative internship at Sandburg Elementary School in Waterford.  Devon combines his love of athletics with his passion for education: “I enjoy coaching not only because of my love for the game of basketball, but also because it allows me to teach the young men and women to be persons with pride, dignity, respect, and accountability. I emphasize the importance of education while I coach, and it gives me great satisfaction to see many of my players change for the better, with respect to skills, habits of mind, and character.” Please join me in congratulating this exceptional young man for his dedication to the education of youngsters in Southeastern Michigan and on his being recognized for his service to the community.

Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree approved!

The School of Education (SOE) at the University of Michigan – Dearborn is pleased to announce that it has received approval from the Presidents Council, the University of Michigan Board of Regents, and the Higher Learning Commission to offer a new degree program to meet a critical need in southeastern Michigan for educational leaders who can transform education at the PK-12 and community college levels. The Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree is an advanced professional program that assists veteran educators to enhance their knowledge of theory and best practice, to acquire skills in interpreting and using educational scholarship and reserach, and to understand processes of change and leadership in education settings. The Ed.S. degree is ideal for educators who seek new skills and new opportunities for leadership.

The Education Specialist degree program addresses three distinct yet overlapping areas of study that are essential characteristics for the next generation of leaders in education: engagement with the community; transformational leadership; and scholarly practice. The Ed.S. degree offers four areas of concentration: (1) educational leadership, (2) metropolitan education, (3) curriculum and practice, and (4) educational psychology/special education. Students in the educational leadership concentration can complete the program and be recommended to the Michigan Department of Education for the MDE required Central Office Administrator Certificate for educators in or aspiring to a K-12 district central office leadership position. The other concentrations are ideal for someone seeking advanced knowledge and proficiency in areas of curriculum supervision, professional development, educational evaluation, and related areas.

New students will be admitted to begin studies in Fall 2011. Further details about this exciting new degree program and how to apply will be available shortly on the SOE website http://www.soe.umd.umich.edu.

Mardigian Library Honors Professor Ray Kettel

At a luncheon in his honor on November 5, 2010, Dr. Raymond P. Kettel was named a Distinguished Faculty Friend of the Mardigian Library. Professor Kettel was recognized for his important contributions in helping to build the Juvenile Historic Literature Collection at the Mardigian Library. This collection started with a donation of more than 4,000 children’s books from the Grand Rapids Public Library, and it contains books published from the early 1800’s to the 1970’s. It is one of the finest collections of its type in the country. Professor Kettel not only helped to identify the important resources within the collection but also to pioneer innovative uses of the collection with students at UM-Dearborn preparing to be teachers. Please join me in congratulating Professor Raymond P. Kettel on being honored for his contributions to the Mardigian Library.

For more on Professor Kettel’s accomplishments and distinguished career as an educator, see an earlier blog posting (October 1, 2010).

UM-Dearborn Faculty Member Discusses “Emergent Inquiry” at National Conferences

Seong Hong, Associate Professor of Education, recently led two workshops on the topic of emergent inquiry at the Annual Conference of the Association for Constructivist Teaching in Chicago in October and at the Annual Conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children in Anaheim in early November. Professor Hong used examples drawn from the work of teachers and students in the UM-Dearborn Early Childhood Education Center to illustrate the nature of children’s learning in and through play and the complex decisions that teachers must make in guiding children’s emergent inquiry toward fruitful outcomes. In one workshop, she also illustrated how an emergent inquiry cycle could be used to model the learning processes not only of the children but also the teachers, student teachers, and researchers. The notion of emergent inquiry is closely connected with the philosophy of the Reggio Emilia schools in Italy, and which is an undergirding educational foundation for the UM-Dearborn Early Childhood Education Center.

SOE Student Named Michigan Service Scholar for 2011

Renee Wendt, a student in our Elementary Education program, has been selected as a Michigan Service Scholar through the Americorps Program. Recipients of these awards must complete 300 hours of community service during a calendar year. Renee’s scholarship award will support her in completing a service-learning project in connection with her student teaching placement during the Winter 2011 term in a second-grade classroom at Daly Elementary School in the Westwood School District. SOE Professor Mary Trepanier-Street and Ms. Maureen Molloy, an SOE alumna who is a principal in the Westwood School District, facilitated the integration of Renee’s service-learning project with her student teaching placement. Please join me in congratulating Renee on being selected from among a large number of worthy applicants.

U-Tools Program Supports Youth in Metro Detroit

Under the leadership and coordination of the Save Our Children Coalition (SOCC), a unit housed within and supported by the UM-Dearborn School of Education, the U-Tools program is working with a cohort of about 50 ninth-grade youth to provide enrichment experiences that build academic and life skills and productive habits of mind. The intent of the program is set these youth on a trajectory toward high school completion with a solid preparation for post-secondary education and training.

The concept and original design of the U-Tools program was developed with the help of representatives from Vista Maria and the Wayne County 3rd Judicial Circuit Court and Department of Human Services. As the name suggests, the U-Tools project uses the metaphor of loading “tools” into a toolbox. The conceptual framework for the U-Tools program is based on Sean Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. The program also recognizes the building of trust and relationships among participating students and caring adults as a critical factor for success. Toward this end, consistency of participating faculty and mentorship are stressed throughout.

The current version of the U-Tools program is scheduled to run from October 2010 through May 2011, via a series of monthly, all-day Saturday sessions. Given SOCC’s focus on supporting foster children in Southeast Michigan, participants in the UTools program are drawn from Vista Maria Academy in Dearborn Heights, Black Family Development in Detroit, and some other DHS foster care settings in the region. Program activities will take place on the UM-Dearborn campus, thereby allowing participating students to gain first-hand experience regarding college life and facilitating the participation of university personnel.

At UM-Dearborn, faculty and staff from School of Education, Career Services, Athletics, Student Activities, Admissions, and the Environmental Interpretive Center will be involved in the program sessions planned for AY 2010-11. The U-Tools program is supported in part by a grant from the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS); SOCC also receives help and support from UM-Dearborn for full operation of the project’s planned activities.

School of Education Honors Professor Ray Kettel

On October 1 friends, colleagues, and students came together to honor Dr. Raymond P. Kettel on the occasion of his retirement from the School of Education. Ray began his career as an educator while serving in the Philippines as a Peace Corps volunteer. In 1969 Ray accepted a teaching position in the Detroit Public Schools, where he served for two decades, serving stints as a teacher, reading coordinator, demonstration teacher, and language education supervisor. Ray joined the faculty at University of Michigan–Dearborn in 1988, where he has taught prospective and practicing teachers for the past 23 years.

Ray Kettel is known regionally, nationally and internationally for his expertise in the area of children’s literature and for his innovative contributions to the teaching of reading and language arts. Kettel’s publications in children’s literature, storytelling and reading have appeared in such journals as The Reading Teacher, English Journal, Storytelling World, Voices from the Middle, and the American Library Association’s Book Links. He was the creator and senior author of the CLUE ME IN literature program which encourages students to read some of the best in children’s books. In addition, he directed the ASK (Authors Specialists and Knowledge) program, through which students at the college and precollege levels dig deeply into literature by interviewing authors or specialists whose work domains are closely tied to particular selections.

Ray’s expertise is widely recognized and much sought after. He has served on a variety of committees for both the International Reading Association and the Michigan Reading Association, within which he was elected to the Board of Directors in 1982-1985. Ray Kettel is also viewed as the quintessential teacher. In 1993, he received the Distinguished Teaching award from UM-Dearborn, and in 1995 the students of the Association of Educators named him the most inspirational faculty member. In 2005, Ray received the Michigan Reading Association’s Teacher Educator Award, and later that year the UM-Dearborn Alumni Society named him Faculty Member of the Year.

Individuals wishing to recognize Ray Kettel’s legacy of contributions to UM-Dearborn and to assist the School of Education to maintain strong support for its students may do so through a contribution to:

School of Education Student Scholarship and Support Fund

To do so, please make your check payable to the above named fund and mail to:
School of Education Student Scholarship Fund
c/o Becky Dresselhouse-Nauss
University of Michigan-Dearborn
School of Education
19000 Hubbard Drive
Dearborn, MI 48126

Toni Simovski Named 2010 SOE Alumnus of the Year

The University of Michigan-Dearborn has named 8 individuals as
Alumni Difference Makers for 2010. [More information can be found at http://www.umd.umich.edu/alumniawards] Among those so honored is Toni Simovski, who was named School of Education Alumnus of the Year.

Mr. Simovski teaches American Government and Advanced Placement American Government at South Lyon High School. He has received several other recognitions as an outstanding educator in the state of Michigan, including 2007 Civic Educator of the Year and 2009 Michigan Social Studies Teacher of the Year. In addition to his distinguished career as a teacher, he also served in the U.S. Army as an interpreter during the conflict in Macedonia and Kosovo. The Alumni Association Award will be presented to Mr. Simovski, and the corresponding award winners from other units on the UM-Dearborn campus, at a ceremony on October 15. Please join me in congratulating Toni Simovski on his distinctive accomplishment and in thanking him for his dedication to the education profession.

Pictures from the ceremony are available on our UM-Dearborn Facebook page.  Click here to view.

Recipient videos are also available to view.

SOE Curriculum Lab Partners with Mardigian Library

In an effort designed to serve better the needs of faculty, staff, and students in the UM-Dearborn community, the SOE Curriculum Lab is working with the Mardigian Library on an exciting new project to integrate the SOE collection into the library’s automation resources. This automated system will allow the SOE books and materials to remain physically present in the SOE and also virtually integrated into the main library system. The SOE Curriculum Lab materials will be treated as a special collection and will appear in the library’s automated web-access catalog and will support automated circulation. In this way users will be able to access online the books in the SOE Curriculum Lab collection and find out whether materials are currently available in the Curriculum Lab or are checked out on loan.

Work has begun on this project, and the system is expected to be made fully operational at some time during the 2010-2011 academic year. Please join me in thanking Paul Bielich, Director of the SOE Curriculum Lab, and the leadership and staff of the Mardigian Library for their efforts to bring about this exciting new partnership that promises many benefits for our students, faculty and staff

Laura Reynolds-Keefer Tapped to Lead Campus Accreditation Effort

Laura Reynolds-Keefer, Assistant Professor of Education, has been selected by Provost Davy as the faculty leader of a campus-wide accreditation process that will culminate in a visit by a team from the Higher Learning Commission in 2013. At the University of Michigan-Dearborn, the HLC accreditation process will be folded into a campus-wide strategic planning process that the Provost has dubbed Vision 2020. Dr. Reynolds-Keefer will serve as co-coordinator, with Associate Provost Shridhar, providing leadership of a core group of faculty, administrators, and staff throughout the accreditation process.

Provost Davy selected Dr. Keefer-Reynolds for this role in large part because of her accomplishments in the area of educational assessment and evaluation. Please join me in congratulating Laura, thanking her for taking on this key campus leadership role, and pledging your support to her in this effort.

ECEC Receives Great Start Readiness Program Grant

The Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) has won a Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) competition grant of $61,200 to pay tuition costs for 18 children, The GSRP is a state-funded program to prepare four-year-old children who are judged to have factors that place them at risk for achieving school success. The recent award to the ECEC will provide tuition for four half-days of education for 18 children who meet the award criteria. Congratulations to the faculty and staff of the ECEC who will now be able to help these children get off to a great start in their schooling!

SOE Students Receive CEW Scholarships

Terrie Bishop (Elementary Education) and Diamantina Salinas (Early Childhood Education) have been awarded scholarships by the University of Michigan Center for the Education of Women (CEW). The CEW Scholarship Program for returning women students was established in 1970 to honor the academic performance and potential of women whose education has been interrupted and to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the admission of women to the University of Michigan. Please join me in congratulating Terrie and Diamantina on being selected for this honor from among a large number of worthy applicants.

SOE Staff Members Recognized for Service

At a recent event hosted by Chancellor Daniel Little, several SOE staff members were recognized for their service to UM-Dearborn. Judy Garfield and Pat Parker were recognized for 5 years, Liz Morden for 10 years, Shirley Solomon for 15 years, and Sandy Kulka for 20 years of dedicated service to UM-Dearborn. Please join me in congratulating them and thanking them for their efforts on behalf of the School of Education community.

UM-Dearborn Teacher Preparation Program Deemed Exemplary

For the second year in succession the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has designated the teacher preparation program at UM-Dearborn as EXEMPLARY, the highest category available.To make these program designations the MDE uses a complex, multi-faceted evaluation system that includes several different indicators of program characteristics, with special attention to teacher candidates’ content knowledge and preparatory experiences. Kudos to the faculty, staff and students in UM-Dearborn School of Education teacher preparation program for this recognition!

Educational Doctorate Program Coordinators Named

I am pleased to announce that Bonnie Beyer, Professor of Education, and Chris Burke, Associate Professor of Education, have agreed to serve as co-coordinators of the School of Education’s Educational Doctorate program.

Both Bonnie and Chris have been active in shaping the program since its inception, and they have both taught and advised students in the first cohort. As we launch our second doctoral cohort this year we are fortunate that these two dedicated faculty members have agreed to take the helm, stepping in to succeed Gail Luera who skillfully led the program through the approval processes and through its first year of operation.

Professors Beyer and Burke bring a combination of talents and perspectives that are essential to nurturing the program and helping it serve well the needs and aspirations of our students. Professor Beyer’s expertise and research interests are rooted in administrative leadership. She has published in national and international journals, presented at state, national, and international conferences, and is the author of numerous journal publications, book chapters, and books. Burke’s expertise is rooted in curriculum and instruction, with particular attention to the teaching and learning of science. His qualitative research endeavors have resulted in multiple publications and numerous presentations.

Please join me in congratulating and supporting Bonnie and Chris as they undertake this important new leadership role in the school.

Special Education Inclusion Specialist program reaches milestone

The online Master of Education in Special Education Inclusion Specialist program celebrates its 10th anniversary in September. When it was launched in 2000, it was the first entirely online master’s degree program offered by a university in Michigan. Since 2000, more than 500 students around the world have completed the program. Students have been drawn from Michigan and 41 other states in the U.S., as well as from many countries, including Canada, Colombia, England, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon, Norway, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, and Venezuela. Please join me in congratulating Professors Belinda Lazarus and Kim Killu on this important milestone accomplishment!

For more information aboiut the program and its origins see:
http://www.umdearbornreporter.com/2010/09/innovative-program-celebrates-10-years-of-online-education/

Associate Dean appointments

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Paul R. Fossum, associate professor of education, as associate dean for academic affairs, and of Mesut Duran, associate professor of educational technology, as associate dean for research and administrative affairs. Both appointments are effective July 1 and have been approved by the Board of Regents. I am grateful to both of them for being willing to assume these leadership roles at this pivotal moment in the school’s history.

Professor Fossum earned his doctorate from the University of Minnesota in 1996. Paul joined the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 1997. At UM-D he has played a number of important roles, including serving as an elected member of the School of Education's Executive Committee, the University of Michigan Senate Assembly on the Ann Arbor campus, and the UM-D Faculty Senate and Senate Council, which he also chaired for a term. In the SOE he has coordinated the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, and he was co-director, with Mesut Duran, of a U.S. Department of Education grant project on technology utilization in instruction. Most recently, Paul served as interim dean of the School of Education for the 2009-2010 academic year. In that role he drew praise from many in the school and from others across the UM-D campus. His scholarly interests include comparative education and international educational exchange, social and ethical aspects of instructional technology, and the democratization of public postsecondary and K-12 schooling.

Professor Duran earned his doctorate from Ohio University in 2000. Mesut joined the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2000. At UM-D he has played a number of important roles, including serving as an elected member of the School of Education's Executive Committee, as a member of the UM-D Faculty Senate and Senate Council, and on several technology-related committees in the school and the university. Most recently, Mesut served as chair of the SOE dean search committee during the 2009-2010 academic year. He was co-director, with Paul Fossum, of the U.S. Department of Education grant project mentioned above, and he currently directs the Fostering Interest in Information Technology (FIT) project, funded through the National Science Foundation's Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. His scholarship is focused on improving the capacities of postsecondary and K-12 teachers in their use of instructional technology.

I am delighted that Paul and Mesut have agreed to serve as part of the team in the dean’s office. They bring experience, insight and wisdom to their roles, and we are fortunate to have them sharing the leadership of the school.

UM-Dearborn faculty win distinguished diversity leaders award

Dear Members of the SOE Community,

I had the opportunity this morning to attend the award ceremony in Ann Arbor for the University of Michigan 2009 Distinguished Diversity Leaders.  In my opinion the highlight of this wonderful occasion was the presentation of one of the team awards to the Early Childhood Education faculty for their excellent work in promoting diversity and inclusion in early childhood education.  The teachers at the Early Childhood Education Center initiated the nomination, and the EC faculty team was the only recipient this year from the UM-Dearborn campus.

Please join me in congratulating Mary Trepanier-Street, Seong Hong, and Katie Silverman on their award and in thanking them for their excellent contributions to promoting a diverse and inclusive educational experience for the students, young and old, who are touched by the ECEC.  Mary, Seong, and Katie enrich us all through their work.

Sincerely,

Ed Silver