Faculty in the News
Education faculty involvement at the recent Maryland State
Reading Conference
Salisbury
University’s Education Departments were well represented at this
year’s State of Maryland International Reading Association
Council’s (SoMIRAC) Annual Conference. The Thirty-sixth Annual
Conference was held at the Marriott Hunt Valley Inn and
Conference Center in Baltimore, April 16-18, 2008. The theme of
this year’s conference was “Unlocking the World of Literacy.”
SU faculty members certainly aided in that cause. Seven SU
faculty members made formal presentations and many helped with
other conference functions.
Dr. John Wolinski teamed with Robin Daubach, Principal of Denton
Elementary School in Caroline County, and presented a session
entitled “Schema Matters: Unlocking Schema-Unlocking Meaning.”
Dr. Joyce Wiencek presented on “Reaching Out to Parents,” based
on a grant she received from SoMIRAC to help advance literacy at
home. Dr. Wiencek also partnered with Dr. Chin Hsiu Chen and
conducted a session titled “Engaging Primary Students in Reading
Non-Fiction Texts.” Dr. Laurie Andes goal was reaching English
Language Learners. Her topic was “Developing Teams to Assist
English Language Learners: Teacher Candidates, Interns, and
Paraprofessionals.” Dr. Claudia Burgess connected mathematics
and reading in her presentation on “Unlocking Creativity and
Critical Thought: Journaling that Merges Multiple Literacies.”
Dr. Burgess was accompanied by Kolby Davis-Noble, an SU
undergraduate Elementary Education major. Dr. Patricia Richards
teamed with Dr. Regina Royer to connect technology and reading.
Their presentation was “Google Tools: The Keys to 21st
Century Reading, Writing, and Collaboration.”
The SU Education Faculty covered a wide range of engaging
and well-received topics. Their presentations were viewed by
hundreds of teachers, administrators, and supervisors who will
take ideas and strategies back to their classrooms and schools.
Consequently, the SU Education faculty is having a positive
impact throughout Maryland in promoting best literacy practices
to benefit a wide range of diverse learners, and they
contributed their knowledge and expertise towards “Unlocking the
World of Literacy.”
21s t
Century Teaching Update
Professors at Salisbury University will get training on how to
use interactive boards thanks to Doug Dewitt and Regina Royer.
Doug and Regina secured a grant from the USM Technology
Symposium in Maryland. In collaboration with
trainers from Wicomico County Schools,
Doug and Regina have coordinated an experience that is sure to
excite and enthrall professors. Interactive boards, a fairly new
technology, have the potential to transform the way teaching and
learning occurs in the classroom. Technology integration needs
to be seamless and natural. By gaining new skills, professors
can model using the technology in multiple areas such as
reading, math, science, history, creative arts, and writing.
Henry
C. Welcome Fellowship Grant
Recipient (2007 - 2008)
The
Henry C. Welcome Fellowship Grant Program is a competitive
incentive program to help eligible Maryland universities recruit
and retain a diverse and accomplished faculty. Candidates are
nominated by an institution's
president. Salisbury
University has been fortunate in having had new minority faculty
receive a Welcome Fellowship in each of the last five years.
Dr. Sessoms earned his Ph.D from
the University of Virginia in Instructional Technology. He
currently teaches courses in the Teacher Education Department
and supports faculty interested in technology integration. Dr.
Sessoms is also the director of GEAR UP.
Dr. Roebeck in Malaysia.
 
Dr. Edward Roebeck, Associate Professor in the Department
of Teacher Education, is a Fulbright Fellow for the Spring 2008
semester at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor,
Malaysia. During his time there, he is providing instruction in
science education to teacher candidates, and learning about
native flora and fauna!
A Salisbury University professor
earned one of America’s highest honors in teaching.
In
a first for any college or university on the Eastern Shore, the
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the
Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) have
named Dr. Ernie Bond 2007 Maryland Professor of the Year. An
expert in children’s literature, Bond is a member of SU’s
Teacher Education Department. Read the
full story...
Dean Pataniczeck (left), Ernie Bond (right)
Drs. Patty Dean and Ernie
Bond present...

There is a new
contest around for children in grades K through 3, and it stems
from the thoughtful
book
Hey Little Ant. written by Phillip and Hannah Hoose. This
powerful little picture book is often used as an icebreaker for
difficult
discussions. The power is in the final
question: “What do you
think that Kid should do?”The Kid in the book is deciding
whether to step on the ant beneath a raised up shoe or let the
ant go free. Because the book does not answer the question but
rather invites the reader to decide, educators can use it to
launch discussions about what all living creatures have in
common, about anti-bullying, and about mindful decision-making.
Now
children across the country can respond to the question through
the Hey Little Ant Essay Challenge. Find more information online
at www.heylittleant.com.
The contest began February 1 and will end May 1st, 2008. This
electronic essay contest is sponsored by Salisbury University
and other organizations. Dr. Patricia Dean is a member of the
ANTvisory Board, and she and Dr. Ernest Bond are judges for the
contest. For more information, contact Dr. Dean,
pkdean@salisbury.edu
or Dr. Bond, elbond@salisbury.edu.
Phillip Hoose
will be at Salisbury University as part of the Children's
Literature Festival to be held April 2, 3. In addition to a
2:P.M. presentation in Caruthers Hall, he will be the Key Note
Speaker at the Green Earth Book Award Ceremony at 7:P.M. April
2, 2008.
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