Feb 21, 2020 | Winter Newsletter

From Dr. Wall:

The Chairs and Directors group has been working to develop a process for badging. Badging refers to a skill that can be recognized by the university and a department. Badging is distinct from certification or licensure, and the university views badging as a growth opportunity to connect to state trends, student skills, and documentable value added through coursework or experience.

If you seek to offer a badge for a discernable skill set, there is now a protocol (once approved by the Provost). Unfortunately, there is not yet a process to actually disseminate the digital badge, track it, and get it to students through some manner like Portfolium (which we do not have licenses for all 7000 students; only about 1,700 at this time).

A department must first approve (and have support of Chair or School Director) the badge, then solicit input from folks around campus, including but not limited to: Career Services; Admission; Associate Provost/Provost; Chairs and Directors; Center for Teaching and Learning; university marketing; student affairs.

More to come on this.

Mark your Calendars

February 24-28: SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR in the Horace Mann Library; 7:45 am-4:15 pm

February 25: SOE Evaluation narrative due (Submission in SCHOOL OF EDUCATION: EVALUATIONS Canvas Site)

March 4: Student Teachers back on campus: Assist table groups in collecting qualitative data regarding their experiences in the school of education.  The data are used to improve our program, and we need several faculty members to help with the collection.  Thank you in advance for your consideration.

March 6: Field trip for 70 teacher candidates (learning about ELL/Sped) to Kansas City Public Schools 

March 20: Deadline for Teaching and Learning Grant

March 20-27: Reggio Emilia, Italy Study Abroad trip 

March 22-24: AAQEP visit

Special Education Update

Leet Center and Horace Mann Updates

• HM completed interviews and had a very strong candidate pool for our 5^th/6^th Grade Instructor position for the 2020-2021 school year. The position was offered and accepted by Heidi Komorech. Mrs. Komorech comes to us from Nodaway Holt, where she is currently a 6^th-grade teacher. Before her grade level position, she was the Title 1 Math teacher at Nodaway Holt. We plan to have some opportunities to allow Mrs. Komorech to meet our school families and become acclimated to her new position.

• Parent Advisory Council meeting on Tuesday, February 25 at 6:30 pm
• STEMathon is April 16: The STEMathon is the one big fundraiser for Horace Mann and Leet Center and helps to provide funds to add to the learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math at Horace Mann and Leet Center. The STEMathon promotes hands-on learning valued by our school.
• Preschool enrollment is underway for the 2020-2021 year
• Kindergarten registration for the 2020-2021 academic year is taking place now
• The BOOK FAIR will be available next week (Monday-Friday; 7:45 am-4:15 pm) in the Horace Mann Library. 
• Donations are being accepted for the third/fourth grade project based learning module.

                   hooks, string, bread, jewels, old keys, bells, spray paint, dishwasher safe mod pdoge, olive oil 

                   baking soda, plastic jars, corn starch, pretzels, cake mix, icing, sprinkles, cupcake lining, rice 

                   krispie cereal, marshmallows, butter, epsom salt, cane sugar, citric acid, almond oil

Middle/High School Updates

Wednesday, March 4 the student teachers will return to campus.  They will be attending the education expo to speak with possible future employers, and they will work with Dr. Dimmitt on additional Kagan structures to use in their classrooms.  Also we need your help collecting information from our student teachers on what we can do to improve the program.  That part of the agenda is from 1-2:30.  In table groups of 10, the students simply share their stories and suggestions for ways we can help them be better prepared for student teaching.  We need the assistance of 12 faculty members during this time.

Members of the middle school, secondary content areas, and K-12 majors will be headed to Stillwell Middle School in West Des Moines on Fri., March 6 to observe interdisciplinary project/problem based learning classrooms, learn about creating such lessons, and hear from a panel of students about their perceptions of involvement in PBL work.  Starting the second block this semester the students will be developing  intradisciplinary units of instruction in Designing Integrated Curriculum Part I and in the fall they will develop interdisciplinary units of instruction as part of project/problem based learning while enrolled in Designing Integrated Curriculum Part II.

Early Childhood Education Update

A success story from one of the early childhood in home child care providers:

We had an exciting morning today! One of our student teachers brought in sensory bags filled with shaving cream and food coloring. This was fun and exciting as they mixed the colors, but as our interest faded, I quietly suggested she poke a hole in one of the bags, (something that probably made me sound crazy... doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of the bags?!) What followed was an hour of joyful, messy, foamy, squishy child-led play! Seeing the kiddos and the student teachers witness and partake in these magical moments is what gives me life! 

Questions? Contact these faculty members.

Accreditation: Joseph Haughey

DESE: Nissa Ingraham

Certification: Kim Hullinger

Program Coordination: David Kiene

Principal/Superintendent Specialist: Kristi Alexander

Special Education: Shantel Farnan

Early Childhood: Sandy Seipel

Elementary: Sue Wood

Leet Center: Cindy Rouner

Horace Mann: Laura King

Literacy: Josie Baugher

Career Closet: Meghan Sheil