***********************************************
UW-Madison School of Education Online News - November 2006
***********************************************

Welcome to the UW-Madison School of Education Online News, a monthly update on School and campus news and resources.

IN THIS ISSUE: NOVEMBER 2006

• School Reformer Deborah Meier to Speak – Nov. 13
• MacArthur Foundation Provides $3 Million to Education Research Team
• Art Professor Bruce Breckenridge Honored at Retirement Event
• Art Alumni: Tell Us Who Inspired You
• Rehab Psych and Special Ed Department Revamps its Website
• Research: Teacher Compensation Remains a Challenge
• Last Call for Alumni Award Nominations
• Mark Your Calendar for the January Careers Conference
• Panel Will Discuss Relationship between Research and Schools - Nov. 10
• Coleman to Speak in Racine on Minority Achievement - Nov. 15
• Panel Will Highlight Schooling Around the World - Nov. 15
• Guest Artist Featured in Fall Faculty Dance Concert - Nov. 16-18
• OEO Offers Workshop in Milwaukee on Forgiveness in School Settings - Dec. 5
• Webgem: Celebrate Native American Heritage Month
  

SCHOOL REFORMER DEBORAH MEIER TO SPEAK – NOV. 13
“Creating Cultures of Learning in an Era of Testing and Standardization” is the topic of Deborah Meier’s keynote speech for the School’s celebration of American Education Week. Meier, a legendary school founder and reformer, will speak on Monday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wisconsin Union Theater, 800 Langdon St. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required. American Education Week is a nationwide celebration of K–12 schools and all the people who work to make them successful.
Read more on Meier’s presentation

MacARTHUR FOUNDATION PROVIDES $3 MILLION TO EDUCATION RESEARCH TEAM
Kudos to the School’s Advanced Digital Learning (ADL) Co-Laboratory team, which has received two grants, totaling $3 million, from the MacArthur Foundation to investigate digital media and its impact on youth culture, learning, and literacy. For the past five years, the ADL team has been studying the enormous untapped potential of gaming, simulations, and other digital teaching tools to transform the classroom. The group’s $1.8 million grant supports a number of related and ongoing ADL research efforts, while the $1.2 million grant supports a partnership between ADL and New York-based GameLab to develop software platforms that allow students to build their own computer games, as a tech-savvy and creative exercise. Team members, representing three departments, include James Paul Gee, principal investigator, David Williamson Shaffer, Kurt Squire, Constance Steinkuehler, Erica Halverson, Richard Halverson, and Elizabeth Hayes.
Read the full article

ART PROFESSOR BRUCE BRECKENRIDGE HONORED AT RETIREMENT EVENT
Former students, friends, and colleagues of emeritus art professor Bruce Breckenridge gathered for two full days in October to celebrate his career and his impact on their lives. Organized by Verona Area High School art teacher Randy Becker, the event included panel discussions, artist demonstrations, and a visit to Breckenridge’s new exhibit at Edgewood College. Before retiring in 2005, Breckenridge taught ceramics at UW–Madison for 37 years.
Read more and view event photos

ART ALUMNI: TELL US WHO INSPIRED YOU
Graduates of the UW-Madison Department of Art often point to one or more faculty members who have influenced their art, their careers, and their lives. We are now inviting all Art alumni to tell us “Who Inspired you?” by filling out an online form, which also seeks information to help keep alumni better connected with the Art Department community of current and emeritus faculty, students, and alumni.
Check out the form

REHAB PSYCH AND SPECIAL ED DEPARTMENT REVAMPS ITS WEBSITE
It’s a total facelift – the updating of the Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education Department’s website – and we think you’ll like what you see. The site features easy-to-find information on programs, people, resources, and research, as well as an FAQ page and an updated list of announcements and events.
Visit the site

RESEARCH: TEACHER COMPENSATION REMAINS A CHALLENGE
Figuring out the best way to compensate K–12 teachers has occupied the best minds in education research for a long time. The system of paying teachers simply according to how long they’ve been on the job does not account for how effective they are. Each teacher is unique, and his or her strengths should be measured carefully and rewarded appropriately, depending on the context, according to education professor Allan Odden, researcher Tony Milanowski, and their colleagues at the School’s Wisconsin Center for Education Research. Their research is featured this month on the center’s website.
Read more

LAST CALL FOR ALUMNI AWARD NOMINATIONS
Here’s your chance to make someone’s day! If you know an alumna/us who has had an outstanding career or whose work within a profession or a community exemplifies the service for which this School is known, we urge you to nominate that person for a School of Education Alumni Achievement Award. These awards are the highest honors given to alumni by the School, which will recognize recipients at a special ceremony during Alumni Weekend in May. Nominations are due December 1, 2006, and require letters of support, so it’s best not to wait much longer. A nomination form and directions are available online.
Read more

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE JANUARY CAREERS CONFERENCE
Now’s the time to register for the 21st annual Careers Conference, Jan. 29-31 in Madison. What makes this conference so important? The majority of people entering the workforce today can expect to change jobs many times and careers several times. But businesses report that adults in transition are not prepared with the skills needed for today’s careers. Offering more than 150 sessions, this conference provides participants with practical strategies and resources they can use to prepare students and adults for the decision-making and employability skills they’ll need throughout their working lives.
Get conference details

PANEL WILL DISCUSS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESEARCH AND SCHOOLS - NOV. 10
A panel of educators and researchers will discuss “Who Needs Education Research? Perspectives from the ‘Consumer’ Side” on Nov. 10, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Room 253 of the Educational Sciences Building, 1025 West Johnson St. The panel discussion is free and open to the public. Participants include Norma Baker, director of elementary education for the Los Angeles Unified School District; Lisa Wachtel, director of teaching and learning for the Madison Metropolitan School District; and Steve Kailin, research and outreach specialist for the Wisconsin Center for Education Research.
Read more

COLEMAN TO SPEAK IN RACINE ON MINORITY ACHIEVEMENT - NOV. 15
Announcing a special event for alumni, friends, and educators in the Racine/Kenosha area: You’re invited to join counseling psychology professor Hardin Coleman for coffee, dessert, and a stimulating talk on the evening of Nov. 15. Coleman, who has spent decades studying resilience in culturally diverse youth, will discuss “Minority Achievement: Keeping Students on the Path to Success,” at the Racine Marriott, 7111 Washington Ave., Racine, WI. Coffee and dessert will be served at 7:00 p.m., with the talk to follow at 7:15. This community event is free and open to the public. To help us estimate attendance, we ask that people RSVP by Friday, Nov. 10, to alumni coordinator Nancy Nelson.
RSVP to Nancy

PANEL WILL HIGHLIGHT SCHOOLING AROUND THE WORLD - NOV. 15
A group of doctoral students in the School’s Department of Educational Policy Studies (EPS) will offer global perspectives on education in “Schooling around the World: Sights, Sounds, Stories and Travels,” on Wednesday, Nov. 15, in a special program to mark International Education Week. Based on their research and travel to Uganda, Tanzania, China, Belize and Morocco, the five panelists will connect important global issues, such as modernization and migration, with everyday school life. The program, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 7:00 p.m. in Room 154 of the Education Building on Bascom Hill. Co-sponsoring the event with EPS is the International and Comparative Education Research Group.
Read more

GUEST ARTIST FEATURED IN FALL FACULTY DANCE CONCERT - NOV. 16-18
The reconstruction of Alwin Nikolais’s work, “Tensile Involvement,” staged by guest artist Alberto de Saz and performed by Dance Program students, will be featured in the annual faculty concert. “Tensile Involvement” has been performed all over the world and requires great ensemble precision. Additional works by visiting lecturer Chris Walker from Jamaica, Claudia Melrose, and other faculty and staff round out the program. Performances will begin at 8:00 p.m. in the H'Doubler Performance Space, Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Ave. Ticket information at (608) 262-1691.
Read more

OEO OFFERS WORKSHOP IN MILWAUKEE ON FORGIVENESS IN SCHOOL SETTINGS - DEC. 5
The School’s Office of Education Outreach (OEO) is sponsoring a workshop for educators in the Milwaukee area: “Forgiveness: Principles, Approaches, and Strategies for Use in School Settings.” Instructors will be educational psychology professor Robert Enright, considered an international expert on forgiveness, and Jeanette Knutson from the International Forgiveness Institute. The workshop will be held at the Milwaukee Public Museum, and participants may choose either the morning session (8:00 a.m. - noon) or the afternoon one (12:30 - 4:30 p.m.).
Information on the forgiveness workshop

Information on other OEO workshops

WEB GEM: CELEBRATE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
The November “webliography” of the Center for Instructional Materials and Computing (CIMC) offers a fine annotated list of web resources on Native American heritage, history, and culture. Resources range from “Turtle Tracks,” a newsletter for kids from a Native American point of view, to “Exploring Native Americans Across the Curriculum,” which provides activities meant to challenge common stereotypes about Native Americans. Of special note is the link to the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of the American Indian – art professor Truman Lowe developed the museum’s inaugural exhibition of contemporary art.
Check out the webliography

HAVE YOU MOVED OR CHANGED YOUR NAME?
You can easily update that information via the School’s website. And we’ll make sure that your University records are updated as well as ours. See “Staying in Touch” on the School’s alumni page. Update your record

NEXT ISSUE
The next issue of the School of Education Online News will be delivered in Decemberr.

SUBSCRIBING
If you would like to subscribe to this listserv, CLICK HERE.

WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK
Thank you for reading the online news. If you would like to comment on this service, please send a message to: soeonline@education.wisc.edu.