Kate Delaney, associate professor of early childhood and special education poses for her environmental portrait outside Gillham Hall.

The Foundation for Child Development is proud to announce the 2022 Promising Scholars. Congratulations to this new cohort!

Promising Scholars were Young Scholars Program applicants who demonstrated exceptional potential to conduct rigorous high-quality implementation research focused on the early care and education workforce. Over the next year, they will receive resources and supports to further refine their research skills and knowledge.

Katherine K. Delaney, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education
Department of Teacher Education
University of Toledo

Research Interest Area: Supporting early childhood educators’ professional practices to facilitate access to and utilization of early intervention evaluation and services for children with potential developmental delays and disabilities, and their families

“I am honored to be chosen as a Promising Scholar by the Foundation. This program offers an incredible opportunity to continue to develop my line of research, to build relationships with scholars working in other disciplines, and to gain new skills. I look forward to continuing to develop my research agenda to better understand how to best support diverse populations of early childhood educators, working in varied auspices of care, in the identification and inclusion of young children with developmental needs and/or disabilities. Including the voices, perspectives, and experiences of early childhood educators in the design of professional learning experiences is key to building truly responsive systems of early childhood professional education.”

Madison Spears, a senior studying early childhood education at The University of Toledo, has spent many summers helping youngsters foster their love of scouting at Camp Miakonda in Toledo. Now, she does it all year long through the virtual Cub Scout pack she leads.  For more information click here.

Dr. Kevin Gannon, the author of the viral blog post and subsequent book, Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto, gave a series of two workshops on themes very relevant to our campus efforts to improve teaching and learning and support the student experience.

This session explores the ways in which we can make the learning environments we create more transparent, and thus more equitable and successful as well. By examining research on student belonging and transparent teaching methods, we’ll consider strategies that we can easily implement into our teaching to help our students see explicitly what is all too often only hinted at implicitly. We’ll also ask ourselves how these transparent methods might inform the larger culture and practices at our institution, and what the implications are for equity and student success.

This session explores what it means to do the work of teaching and learning from a place of hope, even and especially in the difficult times in which we find ourselves. What does it mean to embody a pedagogy of hope in conditions that have made our work–and the work of our students–so difficult? How do we avoid cynicism and detachment without weakening our opposition to the things that are negatively affecting us and our institutions? In short–what gives meaning to our work of teaching and learning? A Pedagogy of Hope, based in practice instead of empty slogans, offers a compelling way forward for those of us committed to higher education as we know it can be at its best.

A University of Toledo alumnus with a commitment to improving diversity, opportunity and belonging through collaboration has been selected the University’s vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Dr. Dilip Das, assistant vice provost for equity, inclusion and academic affairs at the University of Michigan for the past 15 years, will lead UToledo’s diversity initiatives. He will join UToledo May 2.

http://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/03_02_2022/utoledo-names-vice-president-for-diversity-equity-and-inclusion

Recently aired on WGTE, Rocket Talk focused on the current teacher shortage, and the preparation of teachers. Guests on this episode are from the Judith Herb College of Education.

Most school-aged children are back in class after semesters of virtual or hybrid learning due to the pandemic. But some people didn’t return. Assistant Professor of Science Education, Dr. Natasha Hillsman Johnson, and chair of the Department of Educational Studies, Dr. Edward Janak, discuss the nation-wide teacher shortage.

Click below to view the episode:

UToledo Rocket Talk – Teacher Shortage

United with Ukraine

Date: Thursday, March 3
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Thompson Student Union Auditorium

Free “United with Ukraine” T-shirts will be given out to first 200 students.

The Toledo Helps Ukraine rally starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Thompson Student Union Auditorium. Attendees, who are encouraged to make signs, will then march to the Law Center.

We are looking to increase our pool of supervisors for our teacher candidates. Do you know someone who could be a good mentor for young teachers?

Supervisors play an important role in the development of the next generation of educators. By making classroom visits to observe student teachers, supervisors have a great opportunity to support, guide, and assist future teachers.

Requirements:

• Minimum three years teaching experience

• Master’s degree in field, preferred

• Minimum technology skills

Benefits of being a supervisor:

• Staying connected to the field of education

• Flexible schedule

• Stipend and mileage reimbursement

For additional information, contact:

Melissa Stewart, Coordinator of Student Field Experiences

UToledo’s Judith Herb College of Education

419.530.8558

Melissa.Stewart@UToledo.Edu

In her UToledo Students Vlog, Taiyah Persi-Roberts, a junior middle childhood education major from Pittsburgh, shares tips for getting the most out of the new semester including not feeling overwhelmed.

Nice work Taiyah!

Follow the link below to view:

https://youtu.be/MqK7xnDhcxI

Students in the Judith Herb College of Education course titled Schooling and Democratic Society are hosting a town hall about Ohio House bills 322 and 327 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, in Health and Human Services Building Room 1600 on Main Campus. Free parking is available for the event only in lots 1N and 1S.

The event, titled “The Future of Education: Divisive Concepts in the Classroom” and sponsored by the UToledo Department of Educational Studies, will begin with an overview of the bills and a working definition of “divisive.” A panel of speakers will lay out issues, and participants will be invited to voice or submit questions and short statements. The list of panelists is being finalized.

To attend the Dec. 8 event virtually, preregister via Webex.