Neag School Accolades: May 2020

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Congratulations to our Neag School alumni, faculty, staff, and students on their continued accomplishments inside and outside the classroom. If you have an accolade to share, we want to hear from you! Please send any news items and story ideas to neag-communications@uconn.edu.

In addition to the Dean’s Office and Department achievements, explore this edition’s list for Accolades from the following: Faculty/Staff; Alumni; Students; as well as In Memoriam.

Dean’s Office

The Neag School will celebrate the Class of 2020 during the University’s virtual Commencement event on May 9. Check out profiles on some of our graduating seniors, along with a video featuring well wishes from faculty and staff to the Class of 2020:

During its May faculty/staff meeting, Dean Gladis Kersaint congratulated four Neag School faculty members on their promotions, effective in August, to the ranks of associate professor: Joseph Abramo, Michele Back, Eric Loken, and Diandra Prescod, and four to the rank of professor: Morgaen Donaldson, Jason Irizarry, Alan Marcus, and Lisa Sanetti.

Dean Kersaint also recognized Sandra Billings, who retired this spring after serving for 12 years; Joseph Cooper, who joined UMass Boston as an endowed chair; Gerardo Blanco, who joins Boston College; and Laura Burton, who is continuing as chair of the Department of Educational Leadership.

New appointments, effective in August, were announced as well, including Del Siegle as the Lynn and Ray Neag Endowed Chair and director of the Renzulli Center; and Sandra Chafouleas as Neag Professor, pending Board of Trustees approval. Joseph Renzulli was recognized for his years of service as the previous director of the Renzulli Center.

The following Dean’s Office staff have recently marked milestones in years of service at the University:  Ann Traynor and Daniel Stolzenberg (15 years) and Gary Hendrickson (25 years).

As school closures were announced around the state and country, Neag School faculty, students, and alumni share resources and their expertise on online learning, teaching, homeschooling, and parenting during the pandemic. Read about the collective efforts.

Letters About Literature Book ImageThe Neag School, the UConn Department of English, and the Connecticut Writing Project recognized Connecticut’s winners of the 27th annual Letters About Literature contest last month. Doug Kaufman and alumnus Jason Courtmanche ’91 (CLAS), Ph.D. ’06 served as faculty advisors for the competition. The nationwide contest, formerly sponsored by the Library of Congress, is for students in grades 4 through 12. The Neag School served as a co-sponsor of the contest for the state for the fifth consecutive year. Students, alumni, and friends from the Neag School served as judges for the Connecticut students’ contest submissions.

The Neag School’s 2020 Rogers Educational Innovation Fund winner Jason Gilmore of Guilford, Conn., is profiled by The Daily Campus.

 

Department of Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI) and Teacher Education

Teacher with a student at the library
The Neag School is launching a new online graduate certificate program focused on educating bilingual learners. (iStock Photo)

The following EDCI and Teacher Education faculty/staff have recently marked milestones in years of service at the University:  Robin Hands, Megan Pichette, and Ann Marie Shannahan (10 years); Tutita Casa, John Settlage, and Mary Truxaw (15 years); and Doug Kaufman (20 years).

The Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA), for which Todd Campbell and David Moss are co-principal investigators, was recognized with a Connecticut Excellence in Conservation Award by the Connecticut Land Council. The award will be officially given at a ceremony in the fall. NRCA has received funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, and Advanced Informal STEM Learning, and is supported by curriculum and instruction doctoral students Laura Rodriguez ’16 (ED), ’17 MA, Jonathan Simmons, and Byung-Yeol Park.

The Neag School is launching a new online graduate certificate program focused on educating bilingual learners. Led by Elizabeth Howard, the program offers general education teachers and other school personnel an opportunity to learn how to support English Learners in their classrooms more effectively.

Neag School student shares message with her classroom at Kennelly Elementary via video.
Click to watch Neag School teacher education students share thank-you sentiments during UConn Day. (Photo courtesy of Kennelly Elementary School)

Teacher education students who were interning at Kennelly Elementary School in Hartford, Conn., shared online thank-you sentiments with their young students in celebration of Kennelly’s UConn Day. Previous to the pandemic, Kennelly has hosted an annual schoolwide UConn Day celebration, including a parade and basketball game with faculty and students, as a way of recognizing Neag School student interns and promoting a path to college among the grade-school students.

Department of Educational Leadership (EDLR)

Laura Burton, department head, and Kim Shirshac, program assistant, recently celebrated 15 and 20 years of service at UConn, respectively. 

Screen shot of Zoom call participants.
Attendees of the UCAPP Change Project Day participate virtually in April.

The University of Connecticut Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP) hosted its annual Change Project Day, this year virtually, in April. The event featured students presenting their capstone assignments, in which they identified a need or opportunity for school improvement and worked toward positive change. Read about the event. In addition, UCAPP’s work as part of the Wallace Foundation’s University Preparation Program Initiative was featured in a series of briefs on lessons learned.

Neag School 2020 Distinguished Alumna Bert Wachtelhausen ’81 (ED), a former UConn women’s basketball player who now serves as president of WellSpark Health, was featured in a 10 Questions profile.

Bert Wachtelhausen.
Neag School 2020 Distinguished Alumna Bert Wachtelhausen ’81 (ED), a former UConn women’s basketball player, today serves as president of WellSpark Health. Click to read her Q&A. (Photo Courtesy of Bert Wachtelhausen)

Department of Educational Psychology (EPSY)

Educational psychology faculty Catherine Little, Rachelle Pérusse, Helen Rogers, and Hariharan Swaminathan marked 15 years of service at the University this spring; in addition, program assistant Lisa Rasicot celebrated 35 years at UConn.

Karen and Lauren conduct an online meeting.
Karen Skudlarek ’88 (BUS), ’16 MA, left, and Lauren Schlesselman ’12 MA conduct an online meeting to help with UConn faculty’s virtual instruction needs. (Photo courtesy of Karen Skudlarek)

Karen Skudlarek ’88 (BUS), ’16 MA and Lauren Schlesselman ’12 MA, with UConn’s Center for Excellence and Teaching and Learning, along with doctoral students Andrew Cochran and Lauren Dougher, were instrumental in getting UConn faculty online as the campus transitioned to a virtual environment. Read about how they facilitated remote learning at UConn.

Faculty/Staff

Joseph Abramo co-published “Reexamining ‘Gifted and Talented’ in Music Education” for the March issue of Music Educators Journal.

Cara Bernard co-wrote “‘Ready for Primetime:’ EdTPA, Preservice Music Educators, and the Hyperreality of Teaching” for the March 2020 issue of Visions of Research in Music Education.

Todd Campbell co-published “The Journal of Science Teacher Education in 2019: A Year in Review”  this month, with a special thanks included to doctoral student Byung-Yeol Park in serving as managing editor.

Rebecca A. Campbell-Montalvo co-published “Insights from the Inclusive Environments and Metrics in Biology Education and Research Network: Our Experience Organizing Inclusive Biology Education Research Events” for the April issue of Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

Milagros Castillo-Montoya co-published “Movidas: Globalizing Strategies for Advancing Racial Equity” for the March issue of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

Young female student whose fallen asleep while studying at home.
“Even though college is a time for independence, there may be situations where coping strategies fall short and help is needed,” writes Sandra Chafouleas, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology. (iStock photo)

Sandra Chafouleas wrote an original commentary, “5 Things College Students Should Include in a Plan For Their Wellness” for The Conversation. Chafouleas was also recently featured by the Hartford Courant, along with her family, about parenting and working from home. In addition, the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network’s podcast, PaTTANpod, interviewed her about direct behavior rating.

Clewiston Challenger was profiled by UConn Today about his research work with students of color and previous experience as a UConn football player.

Casey Cobb’s article “A Geographic Account of Economic Health, and Educational Disparities in Hartford’s Sheff Region” was featured by the National Coalition on School Diversity.

Rachael Gabriel launched a new podcast called “Literacy Fellows” for literacy leaders in K-12 schools.

Doug Glanville was profiled by UConn Today about his transition from Major League Baseball to teaching in the sport management program.

Doug Glanville.
Former Major League Baseball player Doug Glanville now teaches sport management courses at the Neag School. (Joe Condren/UConn)

Elizabeth Howard’s co-published book “Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Education: Designing Networks That Transform Schools” was reviewed by Teachers College Record.

James Kaufman wrote “Creativity in a Coronavirus World” for Psychology Today; was interviewed by Table to Stage about the impact of the pandemic on creativity; co-published “Making the CASE for Shadow Creativity” for the April issue of Psychology of Aesthetics Creativity and the Arts; and co-published a chapter in Creativity Models in Contemporary Psychology in Encyclopedia of Creativity 3rd Edition (Academic Press, 2020).

Devin Kearns is part of a new UConn study that will in part assess the detrimental impact of COVID-19 school closures. The research team has received funding through the National Science Foundation’s RAPID program for this project. The Daily Campus also profiled Kearns’ research work on dyslexia.

Tamika La Salle wrote commentary for the Hartford Courant about distance learning not being the new normal.

Lisa Lundgren, a postdoctoral researcher at the Neag School, has been appointed assistant professor at the College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University.

Niralee K. Patel-Lye wrote commentary for the CT Mirror about eliminating teacher performance assessment for students in teacher training.

Lisa Sanetti co-published with doctoral students Sarah Charbonneau and Allison Knight, along with others,“Treatment Fidelity Reporting in Intervention Outcome Studies in the School Psychology Literature From 2009 to 2016” for the March issue of Psychology in Schools. Sanetti also co-published with Neag School alumnus Justin Byron ’09 (CLAS), ’10 MA, ’14 6th Year, ’16 Ph.D. and doctoral student Sarah Charbonneau “Increasing Teacher Treatment Fidelity to Cover, Copy, Compare Through Consultation and Computer-Based Implementation Planning” for the April issue of International Journal of School & Educational Psychology. 

Richard Schwab co-wrote “A Giant Resource During the Coronavirus Crisis: University Campuses” for the Hartford Courant.

Brandi Simonsen co-published “How to Create a Classroom Teaching Matrix for Remote Instruction” with colleagues at the Center on Positive Behavioral and Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The brief was part of a series on Supporting Families with PBIS at Home.

Qing Wang
Qing Wang is a visiting international scholar this spring.

Qing Wang, a visiting scholar in educational psychology, was profiled by UConn Global Affairs.

Jennie Weiner wrote “I Refuse to Run a Coronavirus Home School” for The New York Times and was featured on Good Morning America (video 1:30) and by Lemonada’s Good Kids podcast about working from home and parenting. Weiner also co-published with Alexandra Lamb, a doctoral student, “Exploring the Possibilities and Limits to Transfer and Learning: Examining a Teacher Leadership Initiative Using the Theory of Action Framework” for the March issue of Journal of Educational Change.

Eli A. Wolff co-wrote “Sport for Solidarity” for SportandDev.org.

Sarah Woulfin presented on the evolution of a district’s instructional coaching system for the University of Texas Austin’s Educational Leadership and Policy speaker series, virtually in March. Woulfin is also joining the editorial board of the American Journal of Education and has been recognized by the AERA’s Special Interest Group with the Outstanding Publication Award for her research paper “Mediating Instructional Reform: An Examination Between District Policy and Instructional Coach.”

Students

Neag School student groups Husky Sport and Leadership in Diversity (L.I.D.) combined efforts to come in third place for the annual UConn Foundation’s 2020 Ignite Campaign. Their campaign received the third-highest number of donations from current students and young alumni.

Batouly Camara and her mother at a UConn women's basketball event.
Batouly Camara, left, cries while being comforted by her mother as she holds her framed jersey presented during an on-court senior ceremony before the UConn Huskies take on the UCF Knights at Gampel Pavilion in February in Storrs. (Kassi Jackson/The Hartford Courant)

Batouly Camara ’19 (ED), ’20 MA, a sport management master’s student and UConn women’s basketball player, was featured by Middletown Press and Hartford Courant.

Garrett Dukette, an educational leadership doctoral student and assistant principal at Ashford School in Ashford, Conn., was interviewed by the Connecticut Association of Schools about being selected as a 2020 Assistant Principal of the Year.

Tamashi Hettiarachchi, an aspiring science educator, was named recipient of the Greater New England Alliance of Black School Educators’ Annual Lou Irvin Education Award for 2020.

Britney Jones, an educational leadership doctoral student, received honorable mention for her application to the highly selective Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship competition. Only 5% of applicants from a variety of fields and disciplines receive this award from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Alexandra Lamb, an educational leadership doctoral student, received the AERA Educational Change SIG Graduate Student Research Award.

Laura Rodriguez, a doctoral student in curriculum and instruction, along with Todd Campbell and other colleagues at UConn, published “Conservation Science and Technology Identity Instrument: Empirically Measuring STEM identities in Informal Science Learning Programs” for the April issue of School Science and Mathematics.

Elena Sada, a doctoral student in curriculum and instruction, wrote “Let’s Try a Different Approach to Learning During the Stress of the Pandemic” for CT Mirror. 

Montara Tomasetti, a master’s student in special education, penned “Be Aware That This Crisis is Far More Trying for Some Than Others” for The Day.

Alumni

Screenshot of participants from virtual alumni event.
Clockwise from top left, Emilly Murray, Neag School’s director of Alumni Relations, Elizabeth Gubbins, Jocelyn Tamborello-Noble, Timothy Neville, and Santosha Oliver. (Shawn Kornegay/Neag School)

The Neag School’s Alumni Board is hosting a series of virtual career and networking events for students and alumni this month. Featured panelists include Timothy Neville ’06 MA, ’18 MA, history/social sciences educator, Glastonbury (Conn.) Public Schools; Santosha Oliver ’00 Ph.D., assistant superintendent for instructional services, Windsor (Conn.) Public Schools; Jocelyn Tamborello-Noble ’03 (ED), ’04 MA, 6th Year ’09, world language supervisor, West Hartford (Conn.) Public Schools; and E. Jean Gubbins ’82 Ph.D, professor, Department of Educational Psychology.

With the recent transition from educating in the classroom to the virtual realm due to the pandemic, the teaching world has changed drastically. Neag School alumni now serving as teachers share their experiences on how they are managing the online teaching and learning environment.

Tracey Lafayette reads to students remotely.
To comfort her students, Tracey Lafayette ’15 (ED), ’16 MA records herself reading a story every day and shares the link with families. (Photo courtesy of Tracey Lafayette)

Tara Amatrudo ’13 6th Year is the new principal of Marine Science Magnet High School in Groton, Conn.

Carla Brigandi ’12 6th Year, ’15 Ph.D., was named by West Virginia University a 2019-20 College of Education and Human Services Outstanding Educators. The award given in recognition of exceptional teaching and innovation in teaching methods, course and curriculum design, and instructional tools. Brigandi is an assistant professor of educational psychology at West Virginia University, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in educational psychology, statistics, and special and gifted education.

Alumna Carla Briganti.
Carla Brigandi ’12 6th Year, ’15 Ph.D., was named by West Virginia University as a 2019-20 College of Education and Human Services Outstanding Educator. (Photo courtesy of Carla Briganit)

Miguel Cardona ’01 MA, ’04 6th Year, ’11 Ed.D., ’12 ELP, Connecticut’s commissioner of education, participated in a broadcast conversation about the coronavirus in Connecticut.

Chris Dailey ’99 MA, associate coach for UConn women’s basketball, is featured by UConn Blog about her college playing days, including winning the national championship.

Ricki Ginsberg ’06 (ED), ’07 MA, ’17 Ph.D., an assistant professor at Colorado State University, received the university’s Multicultural Staff and Faculty Network Distinguished Service Award.

Rachel Hill playing soccer.
Rachel Hill ’17 (ED), a professional soccer player for the National Women’s Soccer League, was traded from Chicago to Orlando. (Photo credit Thundercap Photography)

Rachel Hill ’17 (ED), a professional soccer player previously with the Orlando Pride, is featured in a write-up about her recent trade to the Chicago Red Stars.

Laura Kern ’11 MA, ’17 Ph.D., Brandi Simonsen, and Sarah Wilkinson, an educational psychology doctoral student, published “A Review of Behavior-Based Interventions that Address  Bullying, Aggressive, and Inappropriate Student Behavior During Recess” for the March issue of Education and Treatment of Children.

Jordan Orlovsky ’14 MA was appointed to the football coaching staff at the University of Albany.

Coleen Palmer ’75 (ED), ’03 ELP, ’07 Ph.D. has been selected head of school for Mountain School at Winhall in Winhall, Vt.

Jessica Stargardter ’16 (ED), ’17 MA, wrote a piece for the National Association for Gifted Education about online instruction for gifted students. A gifted and talented teacher at Norwalk (Conn.) Public Schools and the Neag School’s 2020 Outstanding Early Career Professional, she was also recently named a 2020 Fund for Teachers Fellow. As a Teachers Fellow, she will spend 2021 in London and Prague, examining international storytelling programs and translating their practices into instructional strategies that foster empathy and global competency.

Alicea (Kochis) Strodel ’04 MA, head coach of the University of Minnesota’s women’s crew team, is featured by Gopher Sports.

Danielle Taylor.
Danielle Taylor ’14 (ED), ’15 MA, a fourth-grade teacher in Windsor (Conn.) Public Schools, has been named a 2020 Fund for Teachers Fellow. (Photo courtesy of Danielle Taylor)

Danielle Taylor ’14 (ED), ’15 MA, was named a 2020 Fund for Teachers Fellow. She will spend 2021 in Bali, exploring mindfulness and emotional regulation techniques to improve students’ social and emotional regulation, and support those with traumatic backgrounds.

Kelly (Heffley) Villar ’06 MA, a mom of six who teaches second grade at Southeast Elementary School in Mansfield, Conn., was selected last June as the Iditarod’s designated “teacher on the trail,” a year-round role created in 2000 to extract educational opportunities from the annual 1,000-mile sled dog race. She recently blogged about her time on the trail in Alaska and was featured by the Hartford Courant.

In Memoriam

Norman R. Allard ’56
Arthur O. Berry ’67
Raymond N. Blanchette ’65
William A. Gillis ’60
Margery A. Griskauskas
Peter Kashanski ’70
Louise C. Pempek ’55
John E. Rajala ’56
Donald W. Repoli ’66
Sandra M. RaVell ’82
Barbara A. Rawski ’73
Richard K. Roberts ’73
Eugene N. Schultz ’64
Shelley Jean Smith ’90

Aspiring School Administrators Present Capstone Projects Via Zoom

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Screen shot of Zoom call participants.
Attendees of the UCAPP Change Project Day participate virtually in April.

Neag School students completing the UConn Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP) this spring presented their change projects — the program’s signature capstone assignment, in which students identify a need or opportunity for school improvement and work toward positive change — during the 6th Annual Change Project Day.

The program, designed to prepare school leaders to serve in the state of Connecticut, last month brought together 23 students to share their projects and field questions from alumni and fellow cohort members during presentations held via a Zoom web conference call.

Change Project Day provides the opportunity “to celebrate our students’ UCAPP two-year leadership journey,” says Richard Gonzales, associate professor-in-residence and director of Educational Leadership Preparation Programs in the Neag School. The projects, he adds, serve as a “capstone assignment that provides an authentic opportunity for our students to apply what they have learned, and to lead improvement around an area of need in their internship or home school.”

Gladis Kersaint, dean of the Neag School, shared words of encouragement with the UCAPP grads and their guests during the online event. “The Class of 2020 will go down in UConn’s history as nothing short of unforgettable, with everything that has transpired over these past few months,” she said. “Your perseverance has been extraordinary, but even beyond that, what’s just as commendable is your enthusiasm about wanting to become capable leaders when the world is in greater need than ever before.”

Responding to the Pandemic: ‘A Real-Time Case Study’

While the Change Project Day normally would have occurred on the UConn Storrs campus, the coronavirus impacted that as well as the program’s spring semester, including the launch of UCAPP 3.0, the third-generation design of the program.

“Due to the pandemic, our students had to deal with significant changes to their personal and professional realities in addition to managing the demands of UCAPP.”

— Richard Gonzales, Director, Educational Leadership Preparation Programs

UCAPP had redesigned its program, introducing changes that went into effect this past July, through a nationwide $48.5 million four-year partnership program funded by the Wallace Foundation. UConn is one of seven universities participating in the initiative, aimed at improving training for aspiring school administrators. As part of UCAPP 3.0, students will now have leadership coaches guiding them in planning and strategizing their change projects. The coaches, like the program’s mentors of the past, will continue to be selected from among current and retired principals and school administrators.

In response to the pandemic, all UCAPP courses continued without interruption, shifting to a distance-learning format. Instructors adjusted syllabi to incorporate discussions about leadership in K-12 public education in the face of unprecedented change.

“The crisis served as a real-time case study for analysis, discussion, and reflection,” says Gonzales.

The bigger change occurred in the area of the practicum, or internship. With schools closed, Year 2 students who presented in April could not bring closure to their school improvement initiatives (i.e., change projects). As a result, some students had to report limited, or ‘in progress’ outcomes, according to Gonzales. 

Leadership coaching also shifted to a distance-learning format. As with the coursework, UCAPP leadership coaches used examples of school/district responses to the crisis as a case study for discussion about effective school leadership practices.

“Due to the pandemic, our students had to deal with significant changes to their personal and professional realities in addition to managing the demands of UCAPP,” says Gonzales. “Similarly, our faculty (instructors and leadership coaches) had to plan to support student learning differently and use technology to teach online.”

“All of this happened within a few weeks, and it honestly went as smoothly and positively as realistically possible. This speaks to the high capacity, professionalism, character, and commitment of everyone involved,” he says.

Learn more about the University of Connecticut Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP).

Alumni, Students Assist in UConn’s Transition to Remote Learning

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Karen Skudlarek provides education technology presentations at UConn new faculty orientations.
Prior to the pandemic, Karen Skudlarek ’88 (BUS), ’16 MA provides education technology presentations at UConn new faculty orientations. (Photo courtesy of Karen Skudlarek)

A typical workweek for Neag School alumna Karen Skudlarek ’88 (BUS), ’16 MA involves a handful of workshops and one-on-one technology trainings with UConn faculty. Skudlarek works as an educational technologist at the University’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). She and her colleague, Daniel Facchinetti, usually see about 10 faculty members in attendance at their workshops — but in recent weeks, that number has increased eightfold due to the situation surrounding COVID-19.

The University had originally planned to conduct remote learning for two weeks following spring break, but growing health concerns led to a fully online transition for the Spring 2020 semester. UConn faculty members, some of whom had never administered remote courses before, had to transition their coursework quickly to align with the new remote teaching style. Skudlarek and her colleagues at CETL have been instrumental in the process.

“Going from face-to-face to remote is not a switch that you turn on and it works,” says Skudlarek. “It takes a lot of thought and a lot of intention behind it to make sure that it’s done well.”

Skudlarek leads workshops on video conferencing software such as WebEx and Blackboard Collaborate, which allow professors to create synchronous learning experiences for their students, such as real-time group discussions. She also instructs faculty on how to use Kaltura for professors to create asynchronous learning experiences (recorded short lectures with quizzes that are accessible at any time) for their students at home. An important aspect of the online transition is ensuring that all students are given an equal opportunity to engage with the coursework regardless of where they are in the world or what their circumstances are. Skudlarek and her colleagues at CETL encourage professors to record video lectures for their students and offer the live session as a time to ask questions or engage in a group discussion.

“Going from face-to-face to remote is not a switch that you turn on and it works. It takes a lot of thought and a lot of intention behind it to make sure that it’s done well.”

— Karen Skudlarek ’88 (BUS), ’16 MA

“We did not want to put a burden on students, and we wanted to make sure they were able to get this [remote learning experience] as equitably as possible,” says Skudlarek.

Before UConn made the switch to remote learning, CETL had already been considering this possibility. Through an ongoing partnership with Schwarzman College in Beijing, China, CETL had been assisting the college with improving instruction methods; COVID-19 brought on new challenges. The faculty at Schwarzman had no experience with remote learning, so CETL assisted them in converting their classes to the virtual space.

Skudlarek says they encouraged instructors at Schwarzman College to focus first on the learning outcomes they wanted for their students, and then on varying their instructional techniques to keep students engaged. CETL was able to incorporate those guidelines into UConn’s transition months later.

From Reactive to Proactive

Karen and Lauren Schlesselman conduct an online meeting.
Karen Skudlarek ’88 (BUS), ’16 MA, left, and Lauren Schlesselman ’12 MA conduct an online meeting to help with faculty’s virtual instruction needs. (Photo courtesy of Karen Skudlarek)

Following an intense rollout at UConn, CETL is now moving from a reactive to a proactive approach in implementing remote learning. The director of CETL’s educational technologies team, Lauren Schlesselman ’12 MA, also a Neag School alumna, says faculty are deciding how they are going to administer final exams and, for some, prepare their summer courses to be taught remotely.  

“We need to do a better job of planning for these types of possibilities so that everyone is comfortable making a transition online,” says Schlesselman. “There’s a lot more training that we as a University and at CETL need to make sure that everyone is ready.”

Expanding the Support Team

UConn’s educational technology team also hired two Neag School graduate students in March to assist faculty through one-on-one training sessions. Andrew Cochran and Lauren Dougher, students in the Neag School’s educational psychology program, help familiarize professors with different forms of remote learning technology, allowing them the freedom to experiment and decide which they feel most confident using for their classes. The two agree that, for the most part, faculty have been learning quickly and responding well to the new technology.

“They come with their questions, and they are open and honest and want to know which platform is best for them to use,” says Dougher. “I have met with some faculty multiple times because I’ll teach them how to use it and then prior to their class they like to do a run-through.” 

UConn’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning has reached more than 1,000 UConn faculty members through workshops and one-on-one sessions.

During the week of spring break, Cochran and Dougher each led nearly 50 one-on-one sessions with faculty. The two are now working with CETL’s instructional design team to develop modules for the University’s online COVID-19 course. The one-credit class launched on April 6 for all UConn students interested in learning more about the global implications of the pandemic.

“Due to how soon we got the go-ahead for the course, we are going to have to build it up as we go,” says Cochran.

Finding Ways to Support Faculty

Between the ed tech team and the additional help of the Neag School graduate students, CETL has reached more than 1,000 UConn faculty members through workshops and one-on-one sessions.

“Given the nature of what is happening, the anxiety for everyone has been up,” says Skudlarek. “There are some faculty that are struggling for a variety of reasons, but many of them have stepped up, and it’s been amazing to see how quickly they have been able to learn.”

Danielle DeRosa, a clinical instructor in the Neag School’s sport management program, was among the faculty members who has utilized the resources offered by CETL. She participated in Skudlarek’s Blackboard Collaborate workshop prior to spring break, hoping to improve her remote teaching abilities and make her course content accessible to students regardless of their personal circumstances. She said it was clear that CETL was working hard to anticipate the needs of faculty and find ways to support them, while also reminding faculty of the many stressors students are facing. 

“Karen did a great job of easing the anxieties of faculty and signaling to us that we are all learning about this at the same time and doing the best we can,” says DeRosa.

DeRosa and her colleagues in the sport management program chose to complement asynchronous learning for their students with optional synchronous content, such as live online discussions, so that students who are able to engage in a weekly discussion can do so, but those who lack access to the necessary technology or a quiet workspace will not be penalized.

“A lot of what we do in my classes is having really substantive conversations about career development and different perceptions, and some of that is really hard to translate online, especially when given a short window of time,” says DeRosa.

The ed-tech team encourages professors to find which online platforms work best for them and their class structure.  

“We are not expecting them to become experts in online pedagogy overnight,” says Cochran. “Whatever they can do to keep their students learning is all we can expect.”

Technology can be intimidating and frustrating for some, especially in these times of heightened anxiety due to the pandemic. The team at CETL has worked to reassure faculty that they will figure this out in time and if they ever have trouble, there is a team of people that will be there for them.

“We have been very lucky because we have a really great support team with our students and the rest of CETL who has been really instrumental in making this happen,” says Skudlarek. “The faculty have been extremely supportive of us and gracious for the work that we do.”

Neag School Alumni Teachers on Navigating the Virtual Classroom

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With the recent transition from educating in the classroom to the virtual realm due to the pandemic, the teaching world has changed drastically. We wanted to hear from Neag School alumni now serving as teachers about how they are managing the online teaching and learning environment.

Emily Anna Ciprano
Emily Anna Cipriano’17 (ED), ’18 MA, a seventh-grade English language arts teacher in East Hartford, Conn., now interacts with students virtually from her home office. (Photo courtesy of Emily Anna Cipriano)

Teaching From Home

Whether it’s at the kitchen counter, the home office, or the dining room table, some educators have been setting up their at-home teaching spaces in ways that feel similar to their traditional classrooms.

It was important for Emily Anna Cipriano ’17 (ED), ’18 MA, a seventh-grade reader’s and writer’s workshop teacher at Sunset Ridge Middle School in East Hartford, Conn., to make her at-home teaching space resemble her classroom space so that she and her students could feel a sense of normalcy and comfort.

“I knew I would be speaking with students over video conferences via Zoom or Google Hangout, and I wanted the atmosphere to seem familiar to them, so I positioned my bookshelf behind my desk, just like I have behind my desk at school,” says Cipriano.

Meanwhile, for others, being active during the school day, just as they would be in their traditional classrooms, remains key. Sean Palzere ’18 (ED), ’19 MA, a fifth-grade teacher at Kennelly Elementary School in Hartford, and Tracey Lafayette ’15 (ED), ’16 MA, a third-grade teacher at O’Brien STEM Academy in East Hartford, are varying their teaching space throughout the day. Palzere says he moves around his house, even venturing outside when the weather allows for it. Lafayette always has her iPad, school tablet, clipboard, and erasable pens, no matter where she is working.

“They go wherever I go, and I love that flexibility,” says Lafayette.

Where They Connect: Google, Zoom, and Social Media

Aside from establishing an at-home workspace, alumni teachers also have had to decide how to hold class sessions, often over video conference platforms, and how to structure their day to maximize communication not only with students and families, but also school staff members.

Google Classroom seems to be one of the platforms of choice for conducting online lessons; others are using Zoom to connect students directly with experts, or Quizizz to create live, interactive games.

Many of the Neag School alumni we spoke to each start their day by looking through their email inbox and making sure their lesson plans for the day are clear and accessible. Google Classroom seems to be one of the platforms of choice for conducting online lessons and allowing students to view their assignments, connect with one another, and submit work; others are using Zoom to connect students directly with experts, including professional writers and actors, or Quizizz to create live, interactive games.

At-home teacher's desk of Lauren Niessing.
“I try to be a minimalist and keep very organized when it comes to my physical classroom space, so I’m doing the same at home,” says Lauren Niessing ’13 (ED), ’14 MA. (Photo courtesy of Lauren Niessing)

“I am able to post daily lessons, activities, videos, and more,” says Lauren Niessing  ’13 (ED), ’14 MA , a third-grade teacher at Hindley Elementary School in Darien, Conn. “My students and I chat on Google Hangout all day, and we have been using Google Meet, which is super fun to actually see each other’s faces.”

Some teachers choose to post a recording of their lessons for their students to watch and then complete complementary assignments, while also making themselves accessible to their students throughout the day in case they have any questions. Asfia Qutub ’18 (ED), ’19 MA, who teaches teaching eighth-grade English language arts in East Hartford Middle School, says she has found it helpful to hold “virtual office hours” twice a day, during which students can contact her and receive immediate feedback.

Niessing dedicates her afternoons to checking in with her students individually on Google Meet to monitor their progress.

To comfort her students, third-grade teacher Tracey Lafayette records herself reading a story every day and shares the link with families.

“I am always checking and resubmitting work back to kids as they submit, just like they would get their instant, daily feedback from me in person,” says Niessing.

Tracey Lafayette reads to students remotely.
To comfort her students, Tracey Lafayette ’15 (ED), ’16 MA records herself reading a story every day and shares the link with families. (Photo courtesy of Tracey Lafayette)

Teachers like Lafayette and Cipriano are making themselves accessible to students and parents even beyond the school day hours by offering their phone numbers in case students are struggling with anything. To comfort her students, Lafayette records herself reading a story every day and shares the link with families. Alumni at other schools are similarly posting bedtime story read-alouds or brief poetry readings on social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook Live to stay connected with students. Alumni teachers have even made a lighthearted appearance on short-form video app TikTok.

“Our routine has changed so much in the last few weeks, so I am trying my best to keep this one thing constant for them,” says Lafayette.

For alumni serving as educators in grades K-5, students can vary greatly by grade in terms of their level of independence, and so creating a structured and productive learning environment has posed its challenges. Palzere says he tries to make sure his students always know what to expect by creating clear and concise assignments that promote productivity. For third-grade teachers, Lafayette and Niessing, matching the daily schedule to a typical school day is essential for helping students stay focused.

“Structure is important and setting up a place at home, where there are minimal distractions is necessary,” says Niessing. “Time management is tricky, and parents are still trying to work, too, so I suggested using a visual timer; that way, kids know how long they should work.”

Beyond Academics

Many obstacles are encountered in the online learning environment as students are feeling restless and longing to be back at school with their peers. When we asked teachers what their students need most at this time, they say stability and support are vital — that it is up to the teacher and the parents to establish a structured day for children, similar to the one they experienced at school.

Victoria Schilling sends postcards to homes of her students.
Victoria Schilling ’16 (ED), ’17 MA, who was recognized in 2019 with the Neag School’s Outstanding Early Career Professional Award, has been sending postcards to the homes of her students during the pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Victoria Schilling)

Victoria Schilling ’16 (ED), ’17 MA, an eighth-grade science teacher at Ellington (Conn.) Middle School, says her students need compassion, positivity, and relationship building in this virtual world.

“We’re so used to seeing each other every day and checking in on our lives, and I think that can easily get lost in a digital world,” says Schilling. “I try to update my students on my life with videos and pictures, and I encourage them to share updates on their lives with me as well.”

Social isolation can play a toll on students’ mental health, which is why teachers are making it a point to frequently check-in beyond academics to see how students are feeling about what’s happening in the world. Palzere tells his students that he is more than just a digital presence giving them schoolwork to complete, but that he is there to provide support to those who might be feeling overwhelmed or alone.

“I try to update my students on my life with videos and pictures, and I encourage them to share updates on their lives with me as well,” says eighth-grade teacher Victoria Schilling.

“I had my kids write about their feelings about everything that has been going on — the best and worst parts,” says Lafayette. “Almost all of them wrote about missing me and missing their friends.”

Advice for Parents

With the switch to online learning, many parents are juggling working from home with helping their kids get comfortable with this new form of schooling. Neag School alumni educators say they recognize that struggle and want parents to be patient with themselves and to always feel that they are able to reach out for help.

“This is a new experience for everyone, so there are going to be some hiccups along the way,” says Cipriano. “The more we listen and work together, the better off we will all be.”

Although the transition has been overwhelming at times, Lafayette says families are doing a great job of supporting their children as they try to navigate this new environment. To ease the stress for parents, Niessing provides daily messages to express how proud she is of the families and how grateful she feels to work with them. 

“I remind them how each day is a new day, and each day we are all getting better at e-learning,” says Niessing. “They are thankful for the flexibility, resources, and encouragement I provide for their kids and them.”

Coping With Changes

Sean Palzere
Sean Palzere ’18 (ED), ’19 MA, a fifth-grade teacher at Kennelly Elementary School in Hartford, Conn., records himself doing read-alouds. (Photo courtesy of Sean Palzere)

One challenging factor that plays into distance learning is the increased screen time for children. Qutub recommends her students take a quick break in between every hourlong learning session to refresh their minds.

The online transition also poses problems for families with limited or no access to the internet. School districts are offering paper packets to students who do not have the necessary tools to help them during distance learning, but Palzere says he does not believe this is an equitable alternative.

“I even feel guilty posting read-alouds and more engaging online lessons for half my class, knowing that the other half isn’t getting the opportunity to experience them just yet for reasons out of their control,” says Palzere. “I hope my district can provide every student with a device very soon.”

Unexpected Outcomes

One of Qutub’s students came to her with a question about an assignment, and once the student had a better understanding, Qutub encouraged him to help others who may be struggling as well. He told her that he was already on the phone helping two friends and that they were keeping each other motivated.

“This really kept me going and reminded me of the small daily wins,” says Qutub. “I miss my students and can’t wait to see them soon hopefully; that’s my number one motivation.” 

While the switch to online learning has created some challenges and setbacks for students, teachers, and families, the change has also introduced educators and students alike to new technological skills. The technology that educators are using now can be implemented in their in-person classrooms, creating a broader and more equitable learning experience.

“I’ve learned some great resources and tools that I will be implementing in my classroom next year,” says Qutub. “I’ve also realized how thankful I am to be in a career that I absolutely love and how grateful we need to be of our lives at every moment.”