News
News
WMU is named one of America's best national universities for 10th consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report.
Dr. Jim Lewis speaks with a student at Major Excitement, Sept. 18. At Major Excitement undecided students are introduced to the many potential majors at the University.
Katharine Cummings, Office of the Dean, Sarah Summy, Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies, and Jane Baas, Department of Dance, were panelists for "Rubrics, Rubrics, Rubrics!" on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008.
First 2008-09 Student
Education Association meeting - Left to Right: Jamie Green, event coordinator, Sarah Struett, president, and Jill Hum, membership coordinator.
Natalie Zeppa, public relations coordinator and Nicole Vanderhoff,
Secretary, speak to an interested student.
Dr. Jiabei Zhang, professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, received a Research Award in the 2008 Annual Summer Conference of National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities. The award was presented in recognition of his distinguished record of publications in refereed journals of national and international significance. His publications have systematically directed toward specific questions that helped advance knowledge in physical education and recreation for individuals with disabilities.
The Health Education Teacher Preparation Program was reaccredited in August and fully recognized by the American Association for Health Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The “School Health Education” program is one of only 34 health education programs nationally recognized by AAHE and is the only health education program approved by AAHE/NCATE in Michigan. It also is the only HETP major program in Michigan that prepares candidates for K-12 certification. It also prepares minors for 6-12 certification.
Associate professor Barbara Frazier, Ph.D., Family and Consumer Sciences, received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative National Research Initiative. Dr. Frazier is co-principal investigator on the project with researchers from Iowa State University and Ohio State University.
Professor of Sport Studies Jody Brylinsky, Ph.D., presented the results of the National Coaching Report, the only comprehensive report addressing both youth and interscholastic sport coaching education requirements in the United States, at the National Press Club Aug. 6, in Washington, D.C. Published by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education in partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations, Dr. Brylinsky served as the chair of the National Coaching Report Task Force. The report stresses the importance of qualified coaches for every athlete.
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The winners in the University's fourth electronic portfolio contest are: Kristine Crummel, a graduating senior majoring in elementary group minors; Matthew Feltner, a graduating senior majoring in music education and Lisa Fisher, a graduating senior majoring in elementary education. Honorable mention went to Chelsea Sharp, a freshman double majoring in biomedical sciences and Spanish.
The contest was sponsored by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. Examples of student-created portfolios were solicited during the spring semester, and a team of reviewers from WMU judged the entries.
Portfolios were judged according to the students' use of iWebfolio to present personal, professional and academic accomplishments electronically. The four students will each receive a cash award.
Ann Browning and Marijo Elwell help a student at the Sangren Hall Help Desk. Sangren Hall staff work at the Help Desk to assist students in find classes, rooms, and buildings.
Congratulations to DeAnna Burt, Educational Leadership Ph.D. with a concentration in Higher Education, for receiving a 2008-09 Association for the Study of Higher Education/Lumina Fellowship.
Congratulations to the following 2008 Presidential Scholars:
Family and Consumer Sciences--Amy M. Bobalik, Sturgis, Mich.
Health, Physical Education and Recreation--Lara J. Vertalka, Grand
Ledge, Mich.
Special Education and Literacy Studies--Amy L. Marshall, Grand
Junction, Mich.
Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies--Lauren A. Kenny,
Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Drs. Kathy Cummings, associate dean for academic services in the College of Education, and Arlen Gullickson, consultant in the Evaluation Center, presented "Beyond Accountability: Using Assessment to Promote Student Learning" on Jan. 30.
Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Delta Kappa invited Billy Staples, an inspirational, motivating and entertaining speaker to present and sign books on Tuesday, Feb. 19. Staples left a national corporate sales position to pursue a career in teaching resulting in a unique style of teaching that won him several awards including Who's Who Teacher of the Year and nominations for Disney's National Teacher of the Year.
As a teacher, Billy Staples enjoyed tremendous success. His philosophy of LEARNING + FUN = KNOWLEDGE RETENTION”, produced measurable results that surprised parents, teaching peers, and administrators. Students putting in real effort in his class were rewarded with a trip to visit with a well-known athlete or entertainer and to learn who these accomplished people were before they were famous. The trips became some of the most unforgettable days in the lives of Billy’s students with positive results. Since it was impossible to take millions of kids on these same visits, the idea of a book series evolved. Billy worked tirelessly to secure interviews with some of baseball’s greatest legends. He sold the idea to anyone who would listen, in or out of baseball, never taking “No” for an answer and never losing sight of his book’s potential to reach the young and the young-at-heart. The first book in the series has been published. “Beyond the Glory” is a fabulous, inspirational read about the surprisingly challenging childhood experiences of twenty household names in baseball.
That was the easy part. Staples never shrank from his other goal. In 2004 he co-founded CAPERS as a way to help pay for the college education of any Bethlehem, PA, high school student serious about contributing to society and needing financial assistance. To date, the organization has sent over 57 financially challenged students to college without a single dropout.
The Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index recently ranked our graduate faculty in three education programs—counselor education, educational evaluation and research, and science education—in the top 10 in their disciplines nationally. The Index is a ranking of graduate programs at research universities based on per-capita scholarly accomplishments. A private company, owned in part by the State University of New York-Stony Brook, compiled the data, which is based on the number of professors in a given program and the number of books and journal articles they have written, the number of times other scholars have cited those publications and the awards, honors and grant dollars received.
The National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education has accredited WMU at Level V for its coaching education program. WMU's coaching education program is the first to be accredited by NCACE at Level V and will serve as a prototype for other organizations seeking to promote excellence in coaching preparation.
Are you interested in completing a Master's in Special Education with
Dual Endorsements in Emotional Impairments and Learning Disabilities in 18 months and $16,000 toward tuition and fees?
Western Michigan University’s Special Education Program is home of the Intensive Recruitment, Preparation and Retention Revisited (IRPR²) program! This fast track program prepares teachers, currently holding an elementary or secondary teaching certificate, with a master’s in special education and dual endorsements in learning disabilities and emotional impairments within 18 months. The program is an intensive competency and field-based experience that will prepare and support two cohorts of 15 students. Each cohort will complete the program within 18 months. Anyone interested should visit the IRPR site.
Ms. Beth (Lightfoot) Blazejak, class of 1993 and teacher at Gray M. Sanborn Elementary School in Palatine, IL, participated in the school's program to create an environment at the elementary level that highlights the importance of pursuing a college education. Beth states, "We believe that every one of our students deserves the opportunity to attend college and are dedicated to making sure that they have all the skills necessary to do so. To this end, our hope is that this program will foster such an environment."
Each teacher adopted a university for their classroom and decorated their classroom with the school colors, mascot, motto, etc. Beth adopted WMU and created an exciting Bronco classroom after receiving a variety of items representing WMU, Beth received a variety of items representing WMU and created an exciting Bronco classroom. Students wrote letters to the College of Education Office of the Dean expressing their appreciation for the items donated and encouragement.
President John Dunn (second from right) congratulates the 2007 Golden Apple Award recipients (left to right): Mrs. Rhonda Vander Veen, Mr. Dene William Hadden, and Mr. James Hawkins.
Western Michigan University's second annual "Major Excitement" academic fair was held Thursday, Sept. 20. The event helped undecided undergraduate students and incoming freshman comprehend the extensive variety of majors available.
Sangren Hall staff offer assistance the first week of classes to students. Pictured above, Tammie Klinger and AnnaLee Miller give Sangren hall room directions and class information to new and returning students.
Congratulations to the College of Education's annual awards recipients.
27th Annual Presidential Scholars: Congratulations to the College of Education students recognized as some of WMU's top seniors for 2007:
- Caroline F. DeWick, Family and Consumer Sciences
- Denise R. Peters, Health, Physical Education and Recreation
- Kasandra M. Posey, Special Education and Literacy Studies
- Lisa E. Zmudzinski, Teaching, Learning, and Educational Studies
Students from ED3500 "Children, their families and society" pose in front of Housing Resources, Inc. This class features an academic service learning project in which students interact with the community by developing a project to help homeless children.
