Lately, educators have been heroes. While pandemic teaching might be the hardest thing teachers have done,  many educators have gone above and beyond to ensure student learning.  There is stress, there is anxiety, there is vulnerability….yet there is also joy and passion.

The Teacher Hero Poster Project was completed by the faculty, staff, and students of the Judith Herb College of Education.  Posters were created to motivate educators as they participated in the Lucas County Health Department’s vaccination clinics, which was held on UToledo’s campus.

Thank you educators for what you do each day!

The University of Toledo is hiring an Accreditation and Assessment Manager for the Judith Herb College of Education.

The Accreditation and Assessment Manger plays an important role in the College. General summary:

Oversee all aspect of accreditation and assessment reporting as follows:

• Ensure that the College is in compliance with state and national requirements for initial and advance licensure programs.
• Complete annual college accreditation reports.
• Provides student and program data summaries to support faculty and administration in preparing reports.
• Ensure the ongoing collection and management of assessment and accreditation data including, but not limited to: student surveys, field evaluations, cooperating teacher and administrator feedback, and supervisor feedback.
• Provide leadership with University administrators, faculty, and staff regarding assessment and accreditation issues on an ongoing basis.
• Liaise with state, national, and professional point persons regarding emerging issues

The position is posted at this link:

https://utoledo.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/6/home/requisition/2639?c=utoledo

This could be a great opportunity!  Apply now and join our team!

Terence Armentano, a Ph.D. candidate in the Educational Technology program, won the BG Best Award for his work with students and faculty transitioning to emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the  COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Armentano is the assistant director for Online and Summer Academic Programs at Bowling Green State University.  For the full story please follow the link below.

https://www.bgsu.edu/news/2020/10/bg-best-award-winner-has-eye-on-helping-with-online-learning.html

Congratulations to Dr. Susanna Hapgood, who has been name as the new Judith Daso Herb Endowed Chair in Education.

The Judith Daso Herb Endowed Chair in Education was established in 1998 by Judith Daso Herb in honor of her devoted parents, Richard and Betty Daso.

Susanna Hapgood, Associate Professor at UToledo, has a deep background in both formal and informal education, literacy, and children’s language learning while doing science. Dr. Hapgood has been involved the Networking Urban Resources with Teachers and University to Enrich Early Childhood Science (NURTURES) project for the last 9 years. In 2017 this project received the Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Teacher Education Award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. She was key-faculty for one year then co-PI with her University of Toledo colleagues (Drs. Charlene Czerniak,(PI), Scott Molitor  & Joan Kaderavek, co-PIs) for 8 years on two National Science Foundation grants that funded the development and research of the project. Before coming to UT in 2006, she taught English in Japan for over five years, two in middle and elementary schools and three more in a preschool immersion program she developed. She was the program director at the Children’s Museum in South Dartmouth (in Massachusetts) for several years and has assisted in the development of special exhibits at the Boston Children’s Museum and the National Children’s Castle in Tokyo. After conducting an in-depth case study of second graders’ investigations of the motion of balls on inclined planes, she completed her doctorate in early childhood education at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Hapgood has authored or co-authored nine peer-reviewed articles, five book chapters and several national and state accreditation reports and has chaired 13 dissertation committees. In addition, she has made over 50 presentations at peer-reviewed national and international conferences. Her research has focused on young children’s experiences engaging in scientific inquiry in classrooms and in informal learning contexts when with family members. A second line of research has examined how to support teacher’s specialized knowledge development for planning and enacting scientific and engineering-design inquiry instruction and for informational text-based discussions. She currently serves on the Professional Development Committee for the Association of Science Teacher Educators and regularly reviews articles for the Journal of Research on Science Teaching and Science Education.

Judith Daso Herb Endowed Chair funding will first support in-depth examination of families’ discourse and engagement with science and engineering materials. This information has the potential to enhance our understanding of how families incorporate science and engineering practices into their children’s home learning experiences.

The legacy of The Judith Daso Herb Endowed Chair will benefit education and learners in Toledo, Northwest Ohio and beyond.

Are you…

• Currently licensed to teach either early childhood education (PreK through Grade 3) OR K-12 Special Education?
• Interested in making a difference in the lives of young children (from ages 3 to 5) who have intensive needs through interprofessional teaming all while earning Ohio’s Preschool Special Needs Endorsement AND a graduate certificate in inter-professional teaming?
• Interested in furthering your career in Early Childhood Special Education? Concerned that you don’t have the time or money to do it?

If so. . . PROJECT PREPARE MAY BE JUST WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR!

Project Prepare is a 2-year, part-time online program of graduate study funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Students enrolled in the project will complete 2 online graduate1 courses per semester (Spring, Summer, Fall) as well as 2 internships at the end of their program of study. Project Prepare is housed at the University of Toledo, a leader in high-quality distance learning programs. Project Prepare will provide full tuition support and an additional stipend towards earning Ohio’s Preschool Special Needs Endorsement (PSNE) AND a graduate certificate in inter-professional teaming.

Now recruiting for new participants to begin coursework in January 2021.

Click here for more information and to apply: http://www.utoledo.edu/education/grants/project-prepare/ 

Help us recruit and support future educators and leaders!

Now hiring our next Marketing Communication & Recruitment Specialist.

The Marketing, Communications and Recruitment Specialist will assist with the integrated process of advertising, student outreach and contact, as well as the recruitment and retention of undergraduate and graduate students for the Judith Herb College of Education. This college-specific position will be centered on increasing and diversifying enrollment for all programs as well as helping to monitor student performance and connectedness once the students are attending classes in the college.

Visit UToledo’s Job Opening website to learn more and to apply (req2118)

https://www.utoledo.edu/jobs/

Applications due by September 28, 2020

Additional questions can be directed to Richard Welsch at richard.welsch@utoledo.edu

Dr. Revathy Kumar, professor of educational psychology in The University of Toledo Judith Herb College of Education, has been elected a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.

The appointment will be effective in January.

Kumar

With more than 121,000 members, the American Psychological Association is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States.

Kumar joined the UToledo faculty in 2001. Her research focuses on social and cultural processes involved in constructing a sense of self and identity among adolescents in culturally diverse societies. Of particular interest are the roles of teachers, teacher-education programs, schools, communities and families in facilitating minority and immigrant adolescents’ development, learning and motivation.

Her work has been published in education and psychology journals, and she has authored and co-authored several book chapters. In addition, Kumar has given presentations about her research around the world.

“I am honored to be elected a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. It is humbling to be nominated and elected by scholars whose work I respect and admire,” Kumar said. “I also want to acknowledge the support I have received over the last 20 years from my colleagues and administrators at The University of Toledo to engage in the kind of work I love doing.

“Now I am even more energized to collaborate with teachers to conduct intervention research to improve the academic and psychological wellbeing of students, particularly those from minority and immigrant backgrounds,” she added.

“We are extremely proud Dr. Revathy Kumar is receiving Fellow recognition within the prestigious American Psychological Association,” Dr. Raymond Witte, dean of the Judith Herb College of Education, said. “Few within the profession receive this distinction, and Dr. Kumar and her work are indeed worthy of the honor.”

It is a long-standing phenomenon that education majors spend their years in college looking forward to student teaching.  During that culminating semester, teacher candidates truly transform from “student” to “educator”. Through the mentorship of their cooperating teacher, student teachers take over the duties of planning and instructing.  Student teachers revel in going to work each morning as they take on the role of “teacher” in their placement classrooms, and becoming a “colleague” with faculty in the building.

Spring 2020 Student Teachers
(pictured January 2020)

And so, that was the dream and expectations for the 115 UToledo student teachers who began their experiences in January 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced an abrupt end to the physical school year for PK-12 learners.  Teachers across Northwest Ohio and Southern Michigan pivoted to provide virtual classrooms and home learning, and likewise, the role of our UToledo student teachers required a new transformation…. reinvented student teaching experience in a remote environment.

Specifically, UToledo student teachers have changed to remote teaching by preforming the following:

• Participating in zoom instruction
• Creating a YouTube channel
• Directing virtual oral math practice sessions
• Planning online instruction
• Interfacing through Google classroom
• Producing a Facebook page to communicate with parents
• Recording video read alouds
• Conducting video parent conferences

As you can imaging, the integration of technology into the teaching and learning experiences has been priority of our student teachers.  One cooperating teacher, Joe Ziebold from Genoa Area Schools, stated “Damian [the student teacher] is posting his lessons on Google Class and responding to his students’ comments. I believe this is a great experience for Damian to be able to teach and respond using technology. He is getting best of both worlds- taught in a classroom environment and is currently teaching out of the classroom.”

The College is proud of the work and dedication of the class of 2020.  Their flexibility in this time of crisis has demonstrated sterling dispositions and professional characteristics.  As our student teachers launch their careers, we trust they are ready to face all demands of the field and can continue to provide high quality instruction to their students.   Best wishes class of 2020!

ZETA EPSILON, UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO’S CHAPTER OF KAPPA DELTA PI, INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY IN EDUCATION, VIRTUALLY INDUCTS 24 OF NEW MEMBERS

Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, is pleased to announce that 24 students were inducted virtually into the Zeta Epsilon Chapter of the society at the University of Toledo.

Because of the global Novel Coronavirus pandemic, it was not possible to hold an in-person gathering to induct and celebrate the academic achievements of the twenty-four University of Toledo students joining Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society. As a result, this year’s inductees into the Zeta Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society completed a virtual induction ceremony.

In this ceremony, inductees watched a Kappa Delta Pi national headquarters video and completed an online quiz, provided by the Zeta Epsilon chapter, agreeing to uphold the Kappa Delta Pi ideals. Having completed their virtual induction requirements, inductees listed in this program are officially granted membership into the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society.

The Society inducts only those individuals who have exhibited the ideals of scholarship, integrity in service, and commitment to excellence in teaching and its allied professions. Selection as a member of Kappa Delta Pi is based on high academic achievement, a commitment to education as a career, and a professional attitude that assures steady growth in the profession.

Spring 2020 KDP Inductees

About Kappa Delta Pi
Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, is a 501 (c) (3) organization established in 1911 to recognize and promote excellence in education, provide a reasoned voice for significant issues, and link learning communities of educators. Through its programs, services, and strategic partnerships, KDP supports the professional growth and teaching practices of educators throughout all phases and levels of their careers. The organization currently has more than 600 chapters and an active membership of nearly 40,000 worldwide.

Congratulations!

Herb Scholars – 2020 Award Winners

Four dynamic high school seniors have been identified for the 2020 Herb Scholar award. This most prestigious scholarship, awarded by the College, honors Judith Herb and her family. The scholarship is valued at full-time, in-state undergraduate tuition and general fees, room and board for up to eight semesters of enrollment. The projected value of this scholarship is $82,000.

Congratulation to the following future educators:

• Ryli Harden, Saline High School (MI), majoring in early childhood education
• Lainey Hilliard, Whiteford High School (MI), majoring in early childhood education
• Jenna Pittman, Dundee High School (MI), majoring in early childhood education
• Dylan Smith, Toledo School for the Arts (OH), majoring in visual arts education

This cohort of scholars represents the tenth group of students to be awarded this prominent scholarship.  Recipients are selected based on academic excellence, community engagement, and a successful interview with the selection committee.

We look forward to having these scholars join our 2020 freshman class!