Welcome from Dean Wixson

Dean Karen Wixson enjoys taking part in the UNCG Homecoming 2013 festivities with School of Education students and staff.

Welcome to our Fall 2013 edition of Educate Magazine. The UNCG School of Education’s online magazine provides updates on our School and the many wonderful programs we offer our students, alumni, and community partners. I hope you enjoy reading about some of the exciting new endeavors planned for this academic year.

School of Education Provides Support to Schools, Alumni in the Teaching Profession

Justin Thomas (far left) from the New Teacher Support Program leads a group discussion of first-year teachers during the Yopp Institute in June.

By Bruce Buchanan

The UNCG School of Education is taking a direct role in helping North Carolina’s public schools succeed by providing a variety of professional development teacher support initiatives. In addition to serving as one of the state’s primary training grounds for future educators, the School and its faculty are actively engaged with school districts across North Carolina, helping them provide better quality instruction and services to classroom teachers.

School of Education Developing Special Ed Educators, Leaders

LINK-2-LEAD scholar Melissa Sullivan Haag (pictured far right) leads a group of preservice teachers in an on-site research project in Greensboro.

By Bruce Buchanan

In the past three decades, the number of students served by special education programs in America’s public schools has roughly doubled. According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 13 percent of public school students now are classified as having special needs.

School of Education Promotes Instructional Technology in Low-Income, Rural Areas Through Support from Major Grants

Principals participating in the IMPACT V grant program earned their Education Specialist degrees (Ed.S.) from the School of Education in May 2013.

By Bruce Buchanan

In recent years, the School of Education (SOE) has been successful in winning highly competitive federal and state grants to fund programs that promote educator preparation and professional development. One of those grants, the federal IMPACT V grant, just finished its two-year cycle, but this summer, the School of Education began a one-year Golden Leaf grant.

CED, ERM Alumni Carry UNCG Banner in Research, Teaching, and Professional Leadership

Alumnus Josh Goodman, recipient of the 2013-2014 Early Career Award from the UNCG School of Education, talks with UNCG students about his experiences in the field of educational measurement.

By Bruce Buchanan

The goal of any quality educational program is to prepare students to succeed after they leave school, and the UNCG School of Education’s Educational Research Methodology (ERM) and Counseling and Educational Development (CED) departments are doing just that. Recent alumni in the CED and ERM departments are making their mark across the nation in research, teaching and professional service.

UNCG Alumni Share Books, Love of Learning with Greensboro Youth

Nancy Teague reads to students from Greensboro’s Archer Elementary during a Hooked on Books visit to Barnes & Noble in April.

By Bruce Buchanan

Tommy and Nancy Teague settle into comfortable chairs at Tate Street Coffee House, a landmark Tate Street hangout for UNCG students. While students around them pour cream and sugar into mugs and pour over term papers on their laptops, the Teagues recount how they began a book donation campaign that has helped youngsters for more than a decade.

New Opportunities: Online Programs Create Greater Access

UNCG's School of Education is developing new online and distance learning programs to provide teachers with greater opportunities for continuing education.

By Sherry Meeks 
 

The School of Education strives to serve students from a wide range of backgrounds, including students who may not be able to attend classes on campus full-time. To fulfill this mission, the School has expanded its online course components in recent years. Two new online offerings are a fully online Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) program and a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program that blends online and traditional classroom courses.

New Initiatives: School of Education Bridging Professional Development Gaps

UNCG School of Education student Carrie Burch assists students in the computer lab while in teacher residency at Wiley Middle School in Winston-Salem, NC.
 

By Sherry Meeks 
 

Professional development is vital to the success of a school. But most school districts struggle to provide quality professional development for a variety of reasons, including the scarcity of funding, the challenge of aligning preparation with classroom practice and the lack of access to professional development opportunities.

New World Views: Student Exchange and Study Abroad Programs Expand Opportunities, Perspectives of Participants

A delegation from UNCG visits the Great Wall in Beijing as part of a visit to foster partnerships for faculty and staff exchange programs in China. (Pictured from left to right): Antonio Truyols, Dean of the UNCG School of Health and Human Sciences Celia Hooper, John Salmon, Tang Cai, Dean of the UNCG School of Education Karen Wixson, Doryl Jensen, Ye He, and Nell Pynes.

新的世界观 : 国际交流改变思想
Nueva Vision del Mundo:
Iniciativas Internacionales Cambian Opiniones'
By Sherry Meeks
 

Lucia Vidable regretted not being a part of a study abroad program while she was an undergraduate student. When she got a second chance as a UNCG graduate student, she eagerly took it, participating in a university trip to Costa Rica in May. 

New Partnerships: Coalition for Diverse Language Communities Helps Families, Students Transition to American Life

UNCG School of Education students take part in a "College Access" panel discussion held at Ben L. Smith High School in Greensboro last year as part of UNCG's Coalition for Diverse Language Communities program. 

By Sherry Meeks

Imagine relocating to another part of the world where the language and culture are different. You worry about the welfare and education of your children, but you are not always certain about how to navigate this new territory on their behalf.