UW-Madison School of Education Online News - December 2008

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

Teaching Trumps Retirement for Wiley and Rainwater

John Wiley and Art Rainwater recently retired from two of the most visible education posts in Madison – chancellor of the state’s flagship university and superintendent of the state’s second-largest public school district.  Fortunately for the School of Education, neither administrator has opted for an idle retirement.  Instead, both are sharing their experience and knowledge with current and future leaders through the School’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.  Check it out.

Finding and Supporting Top K-12 Teachers and Instructional Leaders

School of Education professor Allan Odden and colleague James Kelly have begun a project designed to improve K-12 instruction and student outcomes by radically improving the strategic management of teachers and instructional leaders.  Odden and Kelly are working in concert with a 31-member national task force that aims to find better ways of recruiting and retaining the best talent.  Ultimately, the project will design strategies to help these educators turn their skills into instructional practices that have been shown to boost student learning. Get the details.

Educational Psychology Professor Aims to Improve Statewide Assessments for ELLs with Disabilities

A team led by assistant professor Craig Albers will spend the next year and a half developing a new assessment tool that allows English Language Learners (ELLs) with significant disabilities to be included in statewide accountability tests.   Albers and the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop this system – the first of its kind – with the goal of providing valid, reliable, and useful information regarding students’ progress in English proficiency.  Read the story.

Art Professors Unveil Light Sculptures at Kohl Center

Light sculptures designed by Art faculty members Steven Feren and Gail Simpson are being placed along the Dayton Street promenades leading to the Kohl Center.  Intended to add color and activity to the plaza area, the 17-foot-tall sculptures consist of a light column supported by a stainless steel structure and wrapped with ribbons of bronze.  Each sculpture contains 200 energy-efficient LED lights that are computer controlled and are capable of generating millions of color variations.  The artwork was funded by a gift from U.S. Senator Herb Kohl. Learn more.

Art Alumni Remember Humble Homes for MFA Studios

“Once upon a time, in a dilapidated house that belonged in a second-rate crime novel, a group of UW-Madison graduate (art) students discovered some unwelcome visitors.”  Thus begins the article, “40 Years of MFA Studios: A Nooks and Crannies Retrospective,” in the Art Department’s fall newsletter.  It’s a fun read for any UW alum who remembers studying in a few less-than-stellar campus facilities – places we never told our parents about! Find out more.

Counseling Psychology Publishes Online Newsletter

A new look, informative articles, stories on featured alumni and emeritus faculty – these are but a few of the highlights of the Department of Counseling Psychology’s revamped online newsletter, “The Here and Now.”  Of special interest to anyone involved in counseling is an article about the department’s unique training clinic, where “live supervision” provides graduate students with invaluable counseling experiences and constructive criticism. Read the newsletter.

Web Videos Showcase Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education Programs

Faculty and graduate students in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education (RPSE) speak warmly and convincingly in two videos about the benefits of pursuing a degree in the top-ranked department.  Be sure to check out the resource if you’re contemplating graduate studies in this area.  Even if you’re not, you may want to view the videos simply to be reminded of the excellence of the RPSE programs and the beauty of the UW campus. Watch the videos.

School’s International Education Committee Launches Website

UW-Madison is one of the most internationally connected universities in the world, and the School of Education plays an important role in helping to shape the university’s global agenda.  This new website highlights the School’s international initiatives, with information about its study-abroad programs, global institutional partnerships and research centers.  In addition, the site provides a host of campus-wide resources for faculty, students, educators and policymakers.  Learn more.

Alumni Photo Gallery Features Partners Banquet and Homecoming Tailgate

The School of Education thanked the K-12 educators who mentor its student teachers at the annual Partners in Education Banquet on November 18 in Memorial Union’s Great Hall.  Nearly 150 people attended the festive event, where six school professionals were honored with outstanding educator awards.  A few weeks earlier, on October 24, 400 spirited Badger fans – education alumni and their families – gathered at Union South for the School’s annual Homecoming Tailgate party.  Photos from both events are now available online via the School’s Alumni Events page. (Note: additional homecoming photos are available via the alumni page’s link to Facebook.) Check out the photos.

Online Marathon Training Back for an Eighth Run

Back by popular demand!  Once again, kinesiology instructor Ron Carda is partnering with the Wisconsin Alumni Association to offer his successful online marathon training course.  Carda provides individual feedback and coaching throughout the course, as he guides trainees through the process of designing and implementing an individual training plan.  Register soon online if you’d like to participate.

Last Call for Education Alumni Award Nominations

The Outstanding Recent Graduate Award and the Alumni Achievement Award are the two highest honors the School of Education bestows upon its graduates.  If you know of an outstanding educator, artist, counselor, occupational therapist, professor, school administrator or other graduate of the School, please consider nominating that person for an alumni award.  Guidelines and a nomination form are available online.  Nominations are due January 15, 2009. Learn more and nominate someone.

Careers Conference: January 26-28, 2009

Early registration rates end December 15 for this premiere conference, to be held at the Madison Concourse Hotel.  With seven featured speaker sessions, more than 150 practitioner sessions, and many other career-related activities, the conference promises valuable learning experiences and networking opportunities.  Registration may be completed online.

Call for Proposals: Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning

Do you have expertise and experience in the application of technology to the teaching and learning process?  If so, consider sharing your knowledge at the 25th annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning, to be held August 4-7, 2009, at the Monona Terrace in Madison.  Proposals may be submitted online and are due by January 20, 2009.

Update Your Records

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. 

http://www.education.wis c.edu/alumni/frm_address.asp

Next Issue

The next issue of the School of Education Online News will be delivered in January 2009.

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.