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UW-Madison School of Education Online News - October 2007
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Welcome to the UW-Madison School of Education Online News, a monthly update on School and campus news and resources.

IN THIS ISSUE: October 2007

• SoE Handbook for Faculty and Staff Is Available Online

• Education Building Design Takes Shape

• Research Reveals Possible Genetic Risk for Fetal Alcohol Disorders

• CIRTL Introduces Online Guidebooks

• Professor Helps K-12 Educators Ramp up Data Expertise

• Study Finds that Social Context Affects Learning Inequalities

• Graduate Science Education Program to Expand to More Universities

• OMAI Presents 3rd Annual International Spoken Word Series, Oct. 11-13

• School Prepares for Arts Night Out, Oct. 13

• School’s Web Calendar Provides Full List of October Events

• Campus: UW Digital Collections Puts Wisconsin Blue Books Online

• WebGem: EarthGuide

SOE HANDBOOK FOR FACULTY AND STAFF IS AVAILABLE ONLINE
This web resource provides a day-to-day guide for School of Education department chairs, program directors, administrators, faculty, and staff.  The SoE Handbook contains information on administration and governance; funding, budget, and operations; personnel policies; technology; and much more.  It’s accessed via the “For Faculty & Staff” navigation link on the School’s homepage.
Check out the handbook

EDUCATION BUILDING DESIGN TAKES SHAPE
Months of study and ongoing discussions involving representatives from the State of Wisconsin, UW-Madison, the School of Education, and the architectural and engineering firm of Hammel, Green, and Abrahamson, Inc. have produced the basic concept plan for renovating and expanding the Education Building.  The dynamic plan features new elements − such as adding an east wing, while taking care to preserve historical features, such as the main lobby and central staircase, which will be restored to their original splendor.
Read more

RESEARCH REVEALS POSSIBLE GENETIC RISK FOR FETAL ALCOHOL DISORDERS
Research findings recently published by occupational therapy professor Mary Schneider and colleagues suggest that infants and children who carry a certain gene variant may be more vulnerable to negative effects of fetal alcohol exposure.  The findings represent the first evidence of a genetic risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. 
Read more

CIRTL INTRODUCES ONLINE GUIDEBOOKS
The School’s Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) offers teaching tools for higher-education faculty via its online guidebook collection.  The collection contains eight guidebooks, including Effective Teaching with Technology, Diversity in the College Classroom, and Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment – all are available as free downloadable PDF files.
Get the details

PROFESSOR HELPS K-12 EDUCATORS RAMP UP DATA EXPERTISE
“I want to call attention to smart people who are doing innovative things in their schools,” says Richard Halverson, education professor and researcher at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research.  In particular he’s paying attention to how student services staff ramp up their expertise in using student performance data to help their schools meet performance goals.  Working with educators in several Wisconsin schools, Halverson and his colleagues nurture local talent, share ideas, help schools meet Federal accountability requirements, and mentor staff as they become more savvy in using school performance data.
Read more

STUDY FINDS THAT SOCIAL CONTEXT AFFECTS LEARNING INEQUALITIES
According to education professor Geoffrey Borman and research assistant James Benson, school and neighborhood social contexts exacerbate family-based learning inequalities in ways that result in a double disadvantage for many students from low socio-economic status (SES) families, and a double advantage for many students from high-SES families.
Read more

GRADUATE SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAM TO EXPAND TO MORE UNIVERSITIES
The School’s Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) has received a three-year, $5.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to expand a campus science education program to five other major research universities.  The program aims to improve preparation of future college faculty for teaching science, technology, engineering, and math. 
Read more

OMAI PRESENTS 3RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL SPOKEN WORD SERIES, OCT. 11-13
UW spoken-word artists, visiting artists Willie Perdomo and Roger Bonair-Agard, and the Midwest Youth Slam All-Stars will headline a three-day series of high-energy performances sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI).  All events are free and open to the public.
Get the details

SCHOOL PREPARES FOR ARTS NIGHT OUT, OCT. 13
Faculty, staff and students from the Art Department, Dance Program, Tandem Press, and the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives will host a variety of activities at this family-friendly arts festival for the UW community and general public.  Among the events planned are Passin’ the Mic – a multicultural extravaganza of spoken-word performances; Making Metal – where kids can create a cast-pewter pendant of their own design; Drive-By Press – a mobile print-making studio; and Basically Ballroom – partners and experience not necessary!  A complete calendar of events is available online.
Check it out

SCHOOL’S WEB CALENDAR PROVIDES FULL LIST OF OCTOBER EVENTS
The online calendar provides links to detailed information about upcoming events, which include WISCAPE forums on a variety of issues in higher education, CCBC presentations around the state on children’s books, CCBC’s annual Charlotte Zolotow lecture − given this year by Patricia MacLachlan (Oct. 11), the first Safrit lecture in Kinesiology − given by Waneen Spirduso (Oct. 29), dance performances, and more.
Check out the calendar

CAMPUS: UW DIGITAL COLLECTIONS PUTS WISCONSIN BLUE BOOKS ONLINE
More than 150 years of Wisconsin Blue Books are now available online, thanks to the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.  The books include facts and figures on Wisconsin’s government, people, industry, lifestyle, and history, along with delightful essays, such as one on state institutions in the 1887 Blue Book.  It notes that the state’s public schools are “in most excellent condition,” adding that “the people themselves are thoroughly imbued with the idea that popular education is the great safe-guard of our liberties and the chief cornerstone of our advanced civilization.” (page 377)
Check out the collection

WEBGEM: EARTHGUIDE
This informative and visually stunning website provides interactive and easy-to-use resources about Earth, oceans, and the environment.
Visit the website

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

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