Hunger: Does it Justify the Means

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Dr. Wendy Glenn, associate professor of English education at the Neag School of Education and young adult literature expert, gives a review of the book “The Hunger Games” for the French newspaper, Le Monde. Below is her review.

 

Theater image from The Hunger Games movie. (Google images)
Theater image from The Hunger Games movie. (Google images)

The Hunger Games series has become so successful among both teens and adults given both the quality of writing and the complicated issues the novels raise.  Readers enter a world that is described in compelling, rich detail; they witness a reality that, on the surface, seems distant, and come to care about the well-developed characters who inhabit this place.

However, as is true across dystopian titles, the three novels in the series call into question assumptions about readers’ own realities and societies, thus encouraging connection and reflection.  The fact that the story is grounded in the coming of age process, one that is often defined by idealism and hope, heightens readers’ willingness to root for Katniss and those close to her.

I appreciate how Collins avoids the glamorization of violence in the novels; the violence is both uncomfortable and necessary.  We, as readers, witness the results of a class-based system gone awry, one in which entertainment is derived in ways reminiscent of the Roman gladiator tradition.  Collins uses violence to show just how low those in this community have gone, effectively issuing a warning to readers in our time and place.

In the midst of violence that results from a persistent belief in societal stratification and the valuing of people based upon where they live and what they possess, those moments of empathy and human connection that do arise (such as when Katniss sings a lullaby for Rue upon her death) are all the more poignant and somehow special.  I believe these moments serve as a reminder of what really matters, thus urging us to honor and fight for equity and respect among all people.

The Hunger Games can be defined as political in nature.  I argue that the series can be read as a critique of a capitalistic economic system that inherently creates disparities among citizens and rewards and punishes in inequitable ways.  This theme can be likened to school funding in the United States in which students who hail from wealthier communities enjoy up-to-date school facilities and text materials, ample resources in the form of technology and extra-curricular opportunities, and, subsequently, greater opportunities for enrichment and success.  In less affluent communities, the pervasive influence of concentrated poverty inevitably introduces greater challenges into the school and larger community.

Young adult (YA) fiction is thriving in part due to novels like Twilight and The Hunger Games.  Admittedly, publishers recognize that adolescent readers have more expendable income than in the past and are a ready market for sales; interest in YA titles among movie makers doesn’t hurt either.

However, the field is strong beyond these high profile titles and offers teen readers incredible variety and high quality.  John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars challenges readers to embrace life and loss in their full complexity.  Matt de la Peña’s Mexican WhiteBoy exposes readers to new and culturally influenced ways of defining their identities.  And Laurie Halse Anderson’s Chains tests and contests readers’ assumptions about history and those whose voices have been historically silenced in the United States.

Quilts, Surreal Photos At UConn Library

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QuiltsIn 2008, Catherine Whall Smith was working on a quilt about the presidents of the United States. She thought Hillary Clinton would get the Democratic nomination and then win the presidency. Then Clinton conceded. So Smith excluded Clinton and just changed the name of the quilt to “Where’s Hillary?”

That wasn’t the only time Smith changed the theme of a quilt in the middle of creating it. In 2009, she was working on a yellow quilt, and she was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. She was given three kinds of medicine. One was yellow. “It seemed appropriate,” she says. She changed the theme of her quilt to “Lyme Disease Babiosa Strain.”

“When I’m planning a quilt, I might pick out a palette, but I interpret it as I work with it,” Smith says. “The quilt itself tells me where it’s going.”

Smith’s quilts are the focus of a new exhibit at the University of Connecticut, “Line Dances.” It is at the Homer Babbidge Library and the Dodd Center on campus in Storrs.

Smith, who retired in 2008 from her position at UConn’s Neag School of Education, is inspired by a lot of things: her family, her friends, hay bales she sees in the fields while commuting from Chaplin to Storrs.

She has a lot of fun with those hay bales. “I just noticed them one day, in the field, with the white plastic over them. They fascinated me. They looked like marshmallows,” she says. Her quilts show variations on the theme of white-covered hay bales. A single bale is “Alone But Not Lonely.” In a row, they’re “Pearly Whites.” In the sunshine, they’re “Hay in Heat.” In the enticing autumnal colors, they’re “Rolling in the Hay.”

Not all of Smith’s quilts are amusing. One titled “Pain” was made after her sister died. The quilt features lines intersecting each other in almost a grid pattern. “Pain goes in and out and through you until you’re rid of it,” she says. “Drilling for Oil,” from 2008, is accented by a penguin pattern, to show the creatures whose lives are endangered by oil drilling.

But really, every quilt she makes is about one thing: patterns, colors, lines, especially the wavy lines that are her trademark. “These lines are the voice in my quilts,” she writes.

Art‘Natura Morta’

Daniel Mosher Long got his MA at the Neag School, but that’s where his and Smith’s commonalities end.

As an artist, Long gathers together strange accumulations of objects — a wrench, lace and a robin’s egg; dead bugs and pretty china; bird claws, flower petals and mah jonng tiles; a caterpillar, a light bulb and a cut-glass plate — arranges them artfully and then photographs them, giving them all an antique look that emphasizes their strangeness.

His work is the focus of another show in the Homer Babbidge Library at UConn, “Natural Morta.”

“Many but not all of the objects in my photos are family mementos. Things passed down through the generations. Other things I have found in and around Mansfield (i.e. animal bones) or purchased during my travels,” he says. “Most of the birds, snakes and rodents (mice, voles, shrews) were supplied by my two cats.

“I had a collection of oddities long before I started photographing them,” he says.

Even though his objects are odd and his arrangements are often disturbing, Long says he does not intend for the images to be sinister.

“Many of the objects I use in the compositions are not suitable for Hallmark cards. And I have an interest in how objects are associated with magic and voodoo. But I do not go out of my way to make images that are scary or disturbing,” he says.

Long, a resident of Mansfield who teaches photography at Manchester Community College, says he likes it when the objects create a narrative. But that’s not necessary.

“I also like my images to be open to interpretation. I like ambiguity. I don’t want the work to be too literal,” he says. “I think the work is more interactive, more engaging, when it is less straightforward.”

LINE DANCES: QUILTS BY CATHERINE WHALL SMITH and NATURA MORTA: CABINET OF CURIOSITIES will be at the Homer Babbidge Library, 369 Fairfield Way, and the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, 405 Babbidge Road, both at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, until Friday, Oct. 19. Opening receptions for all three exhibits will be on Sunday, July 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. Details: http://lib.uconn.edu/about/exhibits.

Copyright © 2012, The Hartford Courant

To see more pictures of the exhibits, visit here.

Researchers Win $3 Million Grant to Probe Surprising Science Learning Gap

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UConn researchers, backed by a $3 million federal grant, are beginning an ambitious project aimed at understanding why some urban schools are excelling in science education, research that could ultimately change the way the subject is taught around the country.

The five-year School Organization and Science Achievement Project, funded by the National Science Foundation, is unique by specifically examining science education not only in the classroom, but in terms of the entire educational environment. John Settlage, a professor at UConn’s Neag School of Education and the principal investigator, said the idea for the project came from studying elementary science test scores. What was surprising was that certain urban schools in Connecticut were outperforming not only their city peers, but also many suburban schools.

That’s prompted researchers to look beyond what happens in classrooms to learn how successful science performance arises from systems of relationships. This includes examining all stakeholders, from the building’s principal to the lead science teacher, and even parents and volunteers who partner with the school.

John Settlage
John Settlage, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, is principal investigator of a study aimed at understanding how certain schools excel in science education. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

“We’re taking an ecological view of science education,” Settlage said. “How we teach science is obviously important, but we should not ignore the bigger picture. The interactions among people throughout the school, including with the surrounding community, all contribute to children’s science learning.”

Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that uneven success in schools translates into unequal access to college and career options for certain students. Settlage’s study promises to shed light on improving the quality of all children’s science experiences.

A multidisciplinary project, UConn researchers joining Settlage are educational statistics guru Betsy McCoach, educational leadership experts Morgaen Donaldson and Anysia Mayer, and post-doctoral fellow Regina Suriel. Right now, the researchers are working to firm up arrangements with school districts including Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport. In total, Project SOSA will involve 150 schools in Connecticut and Florida, where researchers at the University of Central Florida are collaborating with the UConn team.

Ultimately, the goal is to craft a set of recommendations about school leadership and organization practices that can be used by educators around the country. The result will be improved school environments where science teachers and science students can thrive. These efforts will also inform UConn’s science teacher and school administrator preparation programs.

“You can be the best science teacher in the world, but if you’re not in the right environment and there is not solid leadership, then those problems will show on the science test,” Settlage said.

 

Neag School Hosts 35th Year of Confratute at UConn

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Confratute Participants
Confratute participants Allison Epstein and Elizabeth Cartier learned about how science works – versus science facts — in a hands-on lab. Photo credit: Shawn Kornegay

For the past 35 years, Storrs, Connecticut, has attracted more than 20,000 worldwide educators for a highly acclaimed, enrichment-based program sponsored by the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.  The week-long program is geared toward providing educators with research-based, practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning for all students, as well as meeting the needs of gifted and talented students.

Attended by more than 600 educators from across the U.S. and 15 other countries, this year’s Confratute was a blending of educators interested in gifted education, differentiation of instruction and curriculum, and creativity and innovation in education. Sessions included Math for Those Who Think They Can’t Do Math; Storytelling, Mime and Movement; CSI: Forensic Science in the Classroom; Books That Inspire and Guide; and numerous other topics.

This year for the first time, Confratute hosted the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) Leaders Forum, an intensive week for principals interested in school change using a philosophy of enrichment learning and teaching. While Confratute has always offered workshops for administrators, the SEM Leaders Forum was a conference-within-a-conference, designed specifically for school leaders.

Confratute, founded in July 1978 by Neag School of Education professor Joseph Renzulli, is the longest-running summer institute of its kind. Through exposure to differentiation, talent development and enriching learning experiences, the community of adult learners is able to share similar interests, as well as foster professional growth.

“A unique part of the Confratute concept is that it is more than a summer course, more than formal instruction, for it is a careful blend of a conference and an institute with a good deal of fraternity in the middle,” said institute Director Dr. Sally M. Reis.

“Confratute is total immersion and involvement in enrichment, teaching and learning,” she said. “It’s the excitement of new ideas, the satisfaction of hard work, the joy of creating and producing, and the happiness that comes from making new friends, having fun and learning a little bit more about yourself.”

The informal learning environment provided in over 50 hands-on class strands also fuels interactions between passionate participants, keynoters and faculty members alike.

Dr. Reis attributes much of the program’s success to the enthusiastic and dedicated participants who collectively bring thousands of years of diverse experience in education. Indeed, she said, it is the acknowledgement and celebration of differences that make Confratute so memorable and special.

For more information on the program, visit  http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/confratute/. To see a photo album from the week, click here.

Joe Smey Retires After 40 Years at UConn

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SmeyThe year was 1972. The Watergate scandal had broken, The Brady Bunch was popular on TV, and Mark Spitz won a record seven gold medals at the Munich Summer Olympics. That was the same year Dr. Joe Smey joined the physical therapy faculty at UConn.  Forty years later, Dr. Smey has retired after a long and successful career at the university, having become an icon to physical therapy students across Connecticut and beyond.

Smey, also an UConn alum, said he has always loved the Storrs campus, but never imagined he would spend 45 years of his life here.

He first set foot on the UConn campus in 1963 to begin his undergraduate education. Originally from Naugatuck, CT, he was a member of the UConn football team as well as the second family member to become a Husky, following the footsteps of his sister, Barbara.

While he considered several majors, his personal interest in athletics and sports medicine steered him toward physical therapy. Growing up with a cousin with polio also affected his choice. But the defining moment, he recalled, was when he was being treated for a football injury by the UConn athletic trainer and struck up a conversation with the team quarterback, who was taking courses in physical therapy.

“That talk, and the field itself, really resonated with me,” Smey said. “Looking back, I can say without a doubt that taking the physical therapy path became the best decision I ever made.”

Smey joined the U.S. Public Health Service after graduation and was afforded the opportunity to serve as a staff physical therapist in an outpatient clinic in southern California while simultaneously earning a MA in physical therapy from the University of Southern California.  He was subsequently assigned back home in Connecticut as chief physical therapist at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London. After holding a similar role at Lawrence and Memorial Hospitals, he joined the University of Connecticut as an assistant professor in physical therapy and spent the next four decades making a local, regional and national impact in the physical therapy field.

Smey built a successful career, first starting in the faculty and progressing into leadership roles, including becoming director of the physical therapy program and later associate dean and dean of the School of Allied Health.  Along the way he earned his EdD from Clark University in education and program management and served as Director of Rehabilitation at John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington.  He did this while simultaneously running the PT academic program in Storrs.  The position at John Dempsey helped him learn more about clinical practice and the management side of physical therapy.  He also served various leadership roles in both the Connecticut Physical Therapy Association and American Physical Therapy Association.  When physical therapy transitioned from the School of Allied Health to the School of Education, Smey happily returned to the classroom and taught in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.

“Fred Adams, the first dean of the School of Allied Health and the first African-American dean at UConn, helped the younger faculty in physical therapy realize the value of diversity,” Smey said.  “I learned a lot from him and the team of leaders brought to the school.”  Early in his career, as President of the Connecticut Physical Therapy Association, Smey indicated that he knew just about every physical therapist in the state.  He began to become increasingly concerned about issues of diversity and gender equity in physical therapy and began to use his contacts locally and nationally to encourage a more diverse population to consider physical therapy as a career.  He also spearheaded an initiative nationally to eliminate economic and career barriers recognized to exist for women in the field.  He went on to serve on national task forces, and participate in nationwide workshops, focusing on racial diversity and gender equity in physical therapy and allied health.

Smey acknowledged his love for teaching from the very beginning. He realized he had a lot to learn, but he always valued getting to know the students as well as he could.  “I include humor in anything I’m teaching. Whether it’s neurology or management, it’s been a long-term interest to use humor as a way to connect with the students.”

“I try to be participatory in a sense of knowing the students,” he added. “I’ve had such pride in my teaching, and I’ve always felt I’ve done a good job.”

Faculty member and PT alumnus Dr. Pamela Roberts was one of many students affected by Smey’s work as PT Program director.

“I was co-teaching and had courses of my own, in addition to clinical experiences I coordinated. As an adjunct faculty member, I was working full-time hours,” Roberts recalled.

“Joe mentored me toward applying for a full-time tenure track position. My interview was just days after my second child was born. Joe was thoughtful and moved the interview to the ground level.”

Roberts ended up getting the position and worked along-side Smey for many years. She said he supported and encouraged her through her tenure years, including suggesting that she continue her education. Years later, when Roberts worked for the State

Department of Education for therapy services in schools, she ran into a lot of PT alumni. “Invariably, their first question had something to do with Joe Smey. They share stories of Dr. Smey and site him as the motivator, the challenger, the supporter, the leader they wanted to become. They ask about other faculty, but the first question is always about Dr. Joe Smey.”

Another student dramatically impacted by Smey was Roland Perreault, who finished the program in 1982 and stayed in contact with Smey throughout the years. As members of the Connecticut Physical Therapy Association, they would often encourage one another on critical issues related to their profession.

“Dr. Smey ran for the APTA Board of Directors, and I was there to support him. Throughout this time, Dr. Smey served as mentor to me and countless others regarding our duties and responsibilities as members of the professional association,” Perreault said.

Perreault also mentioned the legacy of Smey: “Dr. Smey has been the face and name of the PT program over these many years, and the evolution of the program. For so many graduates and friends of the program, that identity will be greatly missed.

“(He) has been a leader because he allowed himself to grow and evolve into a socially and culturally aware person and has been willing to take on the challenges affecting the underrepresented and the most needy.”

“I am proud to have him as a teacher, mentor, colleague and friend,” said Perreault. “He has remained committed to causes of the profession and social action. His insight has influenced many of his students and encouraged a culture within the program toward awareness and service to others.”

Smey’s impact on students was monumental from day one, according to Chuck Cota, who was in Smey’s class the first year he taught at UConn: “He was young, not much older than the students he was teaching. Yet from those early years, he was a dynamo, very enthusiastic about the PT profession and passionate about his love for UConn,” recalled Cota.

Smey’s lectures were also sprinkled with personal experiences that always made the subject matter easier to grasp, Cota said. “At the end of those first classes, Smey would always ask us if he was doing okay. He wanted so much to help us be good clinicians and ambassadors for the school.”

As the years went by, Smey would take great pride to hear of the accomplishments of his former students—and never missed the opportunity to brag about them, Cota said.

Cota’s three sons would also eventually go on to UConn and study under Smey. “They are grateful for Joe’s guidance while in school. He was never too busy to advise them in their careers or take the time to listen,” said Cota.

“It seems fitting that I was in Dean Smey’s first class and our son Kevin (DPT ’12) was in his last graduating class of therapists,” Cota said proudly. “Joe’s career has spanned generations of physical therapists, and his impact on the profession for years to come. Joe is a ‘rock star’ in the work of physical therapy.”

In lieu of a retirement celebration, Dr. Smey requested that folks who wanted to honor him should consider supporting his scholarship that will help future PT students. The scholarship was started by his former students. To support the Joseph W. Smey, ’68 EdD, PT Endowed Scholarship in Physical Therapy, click here. Be sure to include fund name on the form. For any questions, contact Heather McDonald at hmcdonald@foundation.uconn.edu

Save the Date – Homecoming 2012

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Homecoming Come home to UConn and show your true Husky spirit! Go Huskies!

The UConn Alumni Association invites you to reconnect with UConn during Homecoming 2012. All alumni, families, and friends are welcome during this weeklong celebration. The festivities include such traditions as the Homecoming Parade and the Annual Student Lip Sync contest. The excitement and momentum build toward the game against Temple University and the Spirit Village & Tailgate BBQ on Saturday, Oct. 13. We hope to see you there!

You’re a true-blue Husky if you:

  • Sing along to “The Husky Fight Song” ringtone.
  • Wear your lucky Huskies T-shirt under work attire.
  • Block an entire week for UConn Homecoming fun!

For more information and to RVSP, visit here.

 

UConn Hosting Info Sessions for One-Year Teacher Certification Program

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Lorna Carrasquillo
Lorna Carrasquillo studied chemistry as an undergrad. After working as a chemistry tudor, she decided she wanted to be a teacher. UConn’s program helped her realize her dream. Source: UConn

Do you know someone looking to make a career change? Do you know someone who wants to become a teacher with the help of UConn’s nationally acclaimed Neag School of Education? Graduates of Neag School’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates earn an MA, state certification and the know-how to make a difference in the lives of middle and high school students.

Each year, 70-80 new certified teachers graduate from UConn’s one-year, accelerated Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates. A bachelor’s degree is one of the primary entry requirements.

Information sessions at UConn’s three Teacher Certification Program locations will take place in September and October in West Hartford, Waterbury and the newest location, Avery Point. The Avery Point program will lead to an additional 20 teachers certified annually in math and science.

Information sessions will include:

 

Avery Point (math and science focused)

Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m.

Academic Building, Room ACD 308

For more information and to RSVP:

ellen.clinesmith@uconn.edu or 860-420-7653.

 

Greater Hartford Campus, West Hartford (all subject areas)

Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

Library Building Auditorium

For more information and to RSVP:

monica.gat@uconn.edu or 860-570-9283

 

Waterbury Campus (all subject areas)

Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m.

Multi-purpose Room 113

For more information and to RSVP: ann_marie.niesobecki@uconn.edu or 203-236-9926.

 

Applications for the Teacher Certification Program will be accepted until Dec. 1, 2012. Each location will be comprised of a cohort of  students, entering the following summer and attending full time. Part time students are not accepted.

“It’s a rigorous program, but the benefits are clear,” said David Moss, interim director of Teacher Education. “Not only is UConn’s Neag School of Education the No. 1 public school in the Northeast, but we frequently get feedback from superintendents who say Neag grads are their first choices for hires. Our graduates are exceptionally educated and tend to stay in education far longer than the state or national average. What we do for teachers, students and really education as a field is pretty special. There’s definitely a Neag difference.”

 

Accolades: Read About the News and Accomplishments from our Students, Alumni and Faculty/Staff

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104516017-hands-clapping1-300x2001Accolades – below are news and notes from our alumni, faculty, staff, and students. We are proud of all the amazing accomplishments by our Neag family. If you have an accolade to share, we want to hear from you! Please send any news items (and story ideas) to shawn.kornegay@uconn.edu.

Alumni

Cynthia Costanzo ‘88 was named executive director of recreational services for the University of Connecticut.

Lynda Mullaly Hunt BA in elementary education ’88, MA in elementary education ’96 came back to campus for an author reception and booksigning during Confratute. She recently published her first book One for the Murphys.

Daniel Mosher Long has an exhibit of unique accumulations of objects, which he then photographed, on display in the Homer Babbage Library.

Jenna Masone is the new assistant principal at Hindley School.

Dirk Olmstead UCAPP ’08 was named principal at Parkville Community School for Hartford Public Schools.

Bethany Royer BA in agriculture education ’05, MA in curriculum instruction ‘06, was chosen as 2012 Agriculture Teacher of the Year.

Paul K. Smith Sixth-Year Diploma in educational administration ’98, formerly Bolton Public Schools superintendent, was appointed to a superintendent position in the Griswold public school system.

Faculty/Staff

Gifted and Talented won the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Curriculum Award for their kindergarten geometry unit, “Exploring Shapes in Space: Geometry and the Frogonauts.” The purpose of the competition was to identify different curriculum units, for heterogeneous classrooms and gifted education programs that can be shared with other educators as models of exemplary curriculum.

Assessment — A sell-out crowd of 500 individuals attended the third annual statewide forum for K-12 school staff entitled, “Transition to the Connecticut State Standards and System of Assessments.” This forum, sponsored by the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Neag School of Education, was held August 13 and August 14 at the Crown Plaza, Cromwell. The first day Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan provided the keynote address, while Dr. Don Leu provided the plenary session to opening the second day. The PowerPoints of the presentations are available at: http://assessment.education.uconn.edu/.

Catherine Whall Smith (retiree) has an exhibit of quilts in the Homer Babbage Library.

Sandra Bell, Marijke Kehrhahn and Doug Casa co-authored an article (in press) “Case-based analogical reasoning: A pedagogical tool for promotion of clinical reasoning” in Athletic Training Education Journal.

Anjana Bhat received a $20,800 Faculty Large Grant entitled “Embodied Rhythm Interventions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders” from UConn’s Office of the Vice President for Research.

Laura Burton was invited to serve a three-year term on UConn’s Individualized Major Advisory & Admissions Committee. She authored “Making a mistake as an AD: Do gender-stereotypes influence evaluation of leaders in intercollegiate athletics?” for the North American Society of Sport Management. She also co-authored “The mediating effect of organizational culture on the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment, turnover intentions and job search behaviors in NCAA Division I athletic departments” for the same organization, North American Society of Sport Management.

Laurie Burton and Stephanie Mazerolle published “They cannot seem to get past the gender issue: Experiences of young female athletic trainers in Division I intercollegiate athletics” in Sport Management Review.

Doug Casa was recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association with the President’s Award in July. He also recently hosted the Korey Stringer Institute’s inaugural Kick-off Fundraiser at the NFL Headquarters to recognize the achievements of educators and medical professionals who have made significant contributions in preventing sudden death in sport.

Tutita Casa published a top paper in Teacher Children Mathematics (the top practitioner journal in elementary mathematics education), which she wrote with a former IB/M student. The paper shared results from her inquiry project where she investigated how her first-grade students utilized the talk frame, an instructional tool that she developed to support communication about mathematics. Maddie now is a third-grade teacher at Goodwin in Mansfield.

Casey Cobb was appointed to the editorial board of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.  He also co-authored an article (in press), “Intergroup Relations in Integrated Schools: A Glimpse Inside Interdistrict Magnet Schools” in Education Policy Analysis Archives.

Morgaen Donaldson authored “Coaching for Instructional Improvement: Conditions and Strategies that Matter” in The Cambridge Handbook of Implementation Science for Educational Psychology. She published “An Evaluation of Disparities in Instructional Quality Across Connecticut School Districts” for the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Finance. She also published “Teachers’ Perspectives on Teacher Evaluation Reform: Findings from One Reformist District” for Center for American Progress in Washington, DC.

Michele Femc-Bagwell and Mallory Bagwell published the A.S.P.I.R.E. Survey: Six Points of Engagement for School Communities. It is an instrument that assesses the collective resource pool of all parents and adults associated with a school community as well as the assets and traits of the community itself. A.S.P.I.R.E. Survey work at Bassick (2011-2012) was just accepted in the new edition of Promising Partnership Practices 2012 (National Network of Partnership Schools/Johns Hopkins University). It was recognized as one of 80 best practices from 16 states.

Wendy Glenn has several publications in press, “Omdefinerer en Norsk Norge: The influence of changing demographics on Norwegian schooling for social democracy” in Equity and Excellence in Education Special Theme Issue, Global and Local Perspectives on Social Justice Pedagogy: History, Policy, and Praxis. She co-authored “Looking into and beyond time and place:  The timeless potential of young adult literature” in The ALAN Review. The other article, “Developing understandings of race: Pre-service teachers’ counter-narrative (re)-constructions of people of color in young adult literature,” in English Education came out in July.

Richard Gonzales authored his first article (in press) “Planning University-District Partnerships: Implications for Principal Preparation Programs in Educational Planning.  He was a co-author with three colleagues at UT.  His second article (in press), “A Rigorous Recruitment and Selection Process of the University of Texas at Austin Principalship Program” is a chapter in Advances in Educational Administration (Vol. 17). He co-authored the article. He’s also the founding member of the UCEA Graduate Council that’s producing the first annual Graduate Student Summit at UCEA 2012 in Denver.

Anysia Mayer was elected to treasurer in addition to her current role as registrar of the Sociology of Education Association (SEA).  She was also elected to AERA program chair for the Tracking/Detracking SIG for 2013-15. In addition, she developed new programs for ELL students at CREC schools.

Anysia Mayer authored (in press) “Misinterpreting School Reform: The Dissolution of a Dual Immersion Bilingual Program in an Urban New England Elementary School” in Bilingual Research Journal. She also co-authored a report with Kimberly LeChasseur “English Learners and Language Policies in Connecticut” for the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Finance on behalf of the Center for Education Policy Analysis.

Stephanie Mazerolle and Laura Burton co-authored a paper, which was accepted. “The professional socialization of college female athletic trainers: navigating experiences of gender bias” will appear in Journal of Athletic Training.

Joe Renzulli, on the recommendation of International Center for the Study of Giftedness board of directors, was invited to become a member of the international Scientific Advisory Board of the International Center for the Study of Giftedness (ICBF).

Del Siegle was recently named “2012 CAG Friend of the Gifted” by the Connecticut Association for the Gifted for his contribution to the field of gifted education over the past 30 years. He will be officially recognized at a later event.

George Sugai was invited to present at two national events by the federal government (OSHS Institute on School Discipline). He presented at the “Third Annual Bullying Prevention Summit” and “Education Experts Discuss Alternatives to Traditional Disciplinary Strategies.” Both were televised by C-SPAN.

Bob Villanova was invited to serve on the Educator Preparation Advisory Council (EPAC), co-chaired by Dr. Robert Kennedy (president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education) and Commissioner Stefan Pryor.  EPAC was established on by the State Board of Education to develop a system for the approval, quality, regulation, oversight and accreditation of Connecticut educator preparation Programs.

Sarah Woulfin was appointed to the editorial boards of Reading Research Quarterly and Education Policy Analysis Archives. She also authored (in press).“Equity-oriented instructional leadership: Turning up the volume for English Learners” in Re-imagining Education Reform.

 

Spotlight on Assessment – Early Fall Priorities

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Together, we are embracing and promoting an assessment culture characterized by evidence-based decisions, with the intended purpose of providing a more challenging, learner-centered academic community that advances knowledge and improves vitality in all aspects of the School.  Together, using assessment, all of us can make a difference.

Now that we have kicked off the fall 2012 semester, assessment is on the minds of almost everyone. While students are getting adjusted to the assessment requirements of each class by reading the syllabus and listening to the information shared by the faculty, at the school level there is so much planned regarding assessment. Noted below are some September and October highlights.

Neag School of Education’s Common Entrance Surveys for our new candidates in four of our programs – IB/M and TCPCG Teacher Education, School Counseling, School Psychology, and UCAPP – was administered in September. Reports of these survey results will be posted by October 15 at:http://assessment.education.uconn.edu/reports/program-reports/

Did you graduate from our Teacher Education program in 2010 or 2012? If so, we need you to let us know two things. First, are you are in a certified teaching position? Second, if you are in a certified position, what school and district employ you?  The aggregate statistics will be supplied on the form submitted to US News and World Report. In turn, this organization ranks the schools of education across the nation. We hope to be ranked as highly as last year. Please provide your answers to these two questions to Mary.Yakimowski@uconn.edu.

Did you graduate from our Teacher Education, UCAPP, School Counseling, or School Psychology program in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, or 2011?  Please anticipate receiving an email which invites you to respond to a specially designed alumni survey. This survey will help us see what individuals reflect upon that was exceptional about the program; and, more importantly, point us in the right direction to what further needs improvement. We look forward to your responses.

We are kicking of our 6th academic year with our Neag School of Education’s Colloquium Series. These are free of charge sessions on assessment, evaluation, and/or research.  This year’s offerings are promised to be top-notch. (Some sessions will even include a free lunch.) Anyone can attend but registration is necessary as they are first come, first serve as there are room space requirements. The session descriptions and registration information may be found at: http://assessment.education.uconn.edu/colloquia/. Sessions commence in early October.

We hope to see you at the colloquia or hear from you soon.

Small Grant Makes Big Difference for Neag Alumna

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As a graduate student 35 years ago, Paula Ivaska Robbins received a $500 grant from the UConn Research Foundation to provide funds for her Ph.D. dissertation.

The grant allowed her to travel around New England, interviewing businessmen who had successfully navigated midlife career changes. It was a relevant topic for Robbins who, as director of career counseling at Trinity College, counseled graduates returning for advice because of layoffs triggered by the 1970’s recession. She wanted to understand how some people managed to adapt to major life changes so she could share the information with future clients.

It turned out to be a hot topic for the general public as well, popularized perhaps by Gail Sheey’s best-selling book about life transitions, Passages, which had been published in 1974. Robbins’ research was featured in an article in The Hartford Courant on a Sunday morning shortly after she received her degree.  Within hours she received telephone calls from media outlets around the country. The buzz gave her the idea of turning her research into a book. Successful Midlife Career Change based on her interviews of more than 90 men between the ages of 35 and 50, was published in 1978 and in paperback in 1980 by the American Management Association.

“It was so successful that royalties covered the tuition costs of my Ph.D.,” says Robbins, who worked as assistant director of the graduate school at Fitchburg State College and assistant dean of the Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, before successfully switching her own career. After experience a layoff herself during the recession of 1990, Robbins turned to medical editing and, ultimately, writing novels and biographies.

The grant, though small, was pivotal to her career; and this spring, she repaid it, sending a check to the UConn Foundation.

“I always wanted to pay back my grant to ensure that others could benefit as I did,” says Robbins.  She is also in the process of repaying Vassar College for a scholarship for her undergraduate education.

“We were delighted to hear from Dr. Robbins,” says Heather McDonald, director of development for the Neag School of Education. “UConn’s strength has a lot to do with the success of its alumni and their generosity in paying it forward.”