The School of Education at UW-Stout • Fall 2014 Also in this issue: Director’s message nAwards n Meet the new faculty n Out of the mouths of babes n Alumnus/chancellor reflects on role models at UW-Stout n Greta Munns speaks from experience n Richness beyond hopes/Flom sabbatical n Leaning toward leadership/alumnus Hay n Art in the neighborhood n Notable notes n Coming home Alumnus Bob Meyer becomes UW-Stout’s seventh chancellor That was then; this is now. Thirty-nine years ago in the fall of 1975, Bob Meyer was a freshman at UW-Stout majoring in industrial education. This fall Meyer returned to his alma mater as chancellor. Meyer, from Port Washington, Wis., was the first in his family to go away to college. His high school shop teacher, UW-Stout alumnus Tim Fuchs, had convinced him that UW-Stout was the college for him. “Tim was a great teacher,” Meyer said. And if he said UW-Stout was the place for him, Meyer figured it must be so. Meyer and his father made a visit to the school, and the decision was confirmed without debate. The campus had a friendly and inviting atmosphere, Meyer said. “My father drove me up and we were greeted by Chancellor Robert Swanson,” Meyer said. “My father was put at ease,” he said. “It never felt like a high risk or uneasy step.” From that point, Meyer was in love. In 1975, the campus felt like a “tremendous playground,” he said. It was lab intensive, academic and enormously welcoming. Young co-ed, Deb Klein, who was majoring in home economics, also captured Meyer’s heart. In addition to a B.S. degree, Deb Klein Meyer has a master’s degree in home economics education from UW-Stout. Meyer became involved in student government; was a senator with the Stout Student Association; vice president of Student Activities; administrator to the president of the SSA and worked with Sam Wood, then assistant chancellor for Student Services/Dean of Students, on student voter registration. Bob Meyer As an undergraduate Meyer planned on a teaching career, and after graduation he landed a job at River Falls High School. However, UWStout was in his blood, and after one year he returned as an adjunct teacher in wood technology. During that time he enrolled as a graduate student and received his master’s in 1983 in management technology. Ten years sped by as Meyer found more and more to do at the university. “I lost track of time, I was enjoying it so much,” he said. He was growing and learning and had such great role models in his teachers and others he worked with that “I had no impetus to leave,” he said. In 1990, Meyer was recognized as Outstanding Teacher of the Year. He taught for 17 years in the School of Industry and Technology, now the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It was a great opportunity, and he was surrounded by mentors and supportive leaders, he said. See alumnus/chancellor page 5 SCHOOL OF EDUCATION College of Education, Health and Human Sciences Inspiring Innovation • Learn more at www.uwstout.edu/soe The School of Education at UW-Stout » Benchmarks 1 Director’s Message: Published biannually by UW-Stout’s School of Education The School of Education has a lot to celebrate Brian McAlister, School of Education In the spring 2013 issue of Benchmarks, we honored the life and career of former chancellor Robert S. Swanson. Our new chancellor Robert Meyer — who prefers to be called Bob — shares more than a first name with Swanson. Both earned their bachelor’s degrees from UW-Stout and launched their careers as teachers in industrial arts, now technology education. But one doesn’t have to look far into this issue of Benchmarks to realize that these two Bobs are not the only UW-Stout graduates to follow paths to leadership. David Hay, with his marketing and business education degree, became a high school principal. Now, he is a student in the Brian McAlister Doctorate of Leadership program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. While not everyone aspires to leadership roles at a university, many have found success in their own right. Art education alumna Greta Anderson Munns, who briefly was in foster care as a teenager, is the part-time liaison in UW-Stout’s Fostering Success program for students who spent time in foster care. Munns was invited to share her wisdom at a graduation party for foster care youth held at the Governor’s Mansion in Madison last summer. The School of Education is proud to offer programs that are instrumental in launching professional careers, and the success of our graduates speaks volumes of the value and prestige of our programs. Brian McAlister, Editor Hannah Flom, Writer 715/232-1108 benchmarks@uwstout.edu Find this publication and additional information about the scholarly activities, publications and presentations of School of Education faculty and staff online at www.uwstout.edu/soe/bmnewsletters.cfm. We welcome your inquiries and comments. UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS Art Education Career, Technical Education and Training Early Childhood Education Family and Consumer Sciences Education Marketing and Business Education * Science Education Special Education Technology Education Technology and Science Education ** Concentration in Mathematics Education GRADUATE PROGRAMS M.S. Career and Technical Education M.S. Education M.S. School Counseling M.S./Ed.S. School Psychology Ed.S. Career and Technical Education Ed.D. Career and Technical Education TEACHING MINORS The School of Education Mission: The School of Education faculty and staff will engage in exemplary teaching, research, and service to ensure that graduates of the School become successful professional educators. Vision: The School of Education faculty and staff have the vision of preparing teachers and other professional educators who are reflective practitioners and engage in evidence-based practice. School of Education 267 Heritage Hall University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, Wisconsin 54751 Biology Chemistry Economics Health and Fitness History Mathematics Physics SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS Career and Technical Education Coordinator Early Childhood through Middle Childhood, PK-6 Early Childhood Special Education Reading Specialist Reading Teacher ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EDUCATORS M.S. Education Graduate Certicate in E-Learning and Online Teaching * The B.S. in science education offers major certifications in biology, broadfield Phone: 715/232-1088 Online: www.uwstout.edu/soe/ 2 Benchmarks » The School of Education at UW-Stout The School of Education at UW-Stout is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), 2010 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036; phone (202) 4667496. This accreditation covers initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator preparation programs. NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional school personnel. science, chemistry and physics; and minor certifications in biology, broadfield science, chemistry, earth and space, environmental science and physics. ** The mathematics education concentration, within the B.S. applied mathematics and computer science program, is offered through the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Renee Chandler receives Jax Teaching Excellence Award Renee Chandler was selected to receive the Jax Teaching Excellence Award in May. “My passion for teaching stems from my belief that all individuals can learn,” she said. Chandler came to UW-Stout in the fall of 2008 and taught in the special education program. She is now program director for the online master’s in education program. Her background includes teaching Renee Chandler students identified as having emotional and behavioral disorders at South Middle School in Eau Claire, Wis. She has taught students who live in extreme poverty as well as those who represent a middle class background. “I have taught typically developing children and those who have significant challenges, both academically and behaviorally,” she said. “I embrace the challenge of finding ways to overcome the barriers that some learners have experienced in their previous schooling,” she said. Because of her range of teaching experience she is well equipped to work with university students, she said. “I believe it is important to have real-life examples to support what you are teaching,” she said. One of her primary research interests is Universal Design for Learning, a framework for meeting the widest possible range of needs in a specific teaching context. “For me, the ultimate compliment is when a student tells me how much they learned in my class and that they plan to implement some of my teaching strategies into their own context,” Chandler said. The Jax Teaching Excellence Award, which recognizes career achievements in teaching for SOE faculty or staff, was established in 2004 by Judy and Joe Jax. Carol Johnson awarded Robert S. Sedlak Spirit of Community Award Carol Johnson Carol Johnson was awarded the Robert S. Sedlak Spirit of Community Award in May. Johnson teaches in the school counseling program and is in her eighth year at UW-Stout. She has spent the last 40 years as an educator. “I believe in service leadership and advocating for others,” she said. The award is important because “it is recognition by my peers for my lifelong dedication to education and teaching the next generation of school counselors,” she said. The award, with a monetary gift of $300, was established in 2007. It recognizes a faculty or staff member within the School of Education or a related unit in the university who demonstrates the same commitment and leadership that Robert Sedlak exhibited in his career. The award is funded by friends and university colleagues of Sedlak who died in November of 2006. Wismer receives Outstanding Educator Award Kurt Wismer Kurt Wismer, ‘00, marketing and business education, was selected to receive the Wisconsin Business Education Association K-12 Outstanding Educator Award in October at the WBEA Conference in Eau Claire, Wis. Wismer is completing his master’s degree in career and technical education at UW-Stout, while teaching business, marketing and information technology at North Fond du Lac School District. He also is a Google Certified Teacher and Trainer and an educational trainer for EdTech Sages, a new educational technology training and consulting group. Wismer is a strong proponent of educational technology and thrives on project-based learning environments, he said. When asked the key to being a successful educator, Wismer said, “I am lucky to have a job that I do not consider work. I truly enjoy what I do... when you are passionate about your work, it is easy to be successful.” The School of Education at UW-Stout » Benchmarks 3 Meet the new faculty Tami Weiss, instructor and program director in art education, has a bachelor’s degree in art education from UW-Stout; a master’s in education from UW-La Crosse; and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She has taught at the university since 2010 and was named Program Director of the Year in 2011-12. Tami Weiss Weiss’ research interests are in teacher education and assessment; comprehensive art education; aesthetics; interdisciplinary education; learning technologies; arts-based research; phenomenology and critical discourse analysis. Weiss is married and has three children. Originally from Cottage Grove, Minn., Weiss came to Menomonie to attend UWStout. After graduating in 1999, she moved to La Crescent, Minn., where she taught high school art for 10 years. She returned in 2008 to teach art in the Elk Mound School District. When Weiss isn’t teaching, she can be found on the stage of the local theater. This fall, she and all her family performed in Menomonie Theater Guild’s production of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Her hobbies also include painting and fooling around with Photoshop. Weiss is on a bowling league and likes to play tennis. “Someday I would like to be on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ or ‘Survivor,’” she said. Out of the mouths of babes What does a chancellor do? In September, Chancellor Bob Meyer visited the fouryear-old class at the Child and Family Study Center. The children were told that the school had a new chancellor and were asked what they thought he might do each day at work. Marcus: I hope he has a mustache! Nadia: He drives planes. Alice: He’s in charge of Minnie Mouse. In September, Chancellor Bob Meyer visited the four-year-old class at the Child and Family Study Center. 4 Benchmarks » The School of Education at UW-Stout Everett: He’s in charge of police officers. Allison: He takes care of the Stout school. Zoey: I think he vacuums... Ben: He cleans boats and airplanes. Haylie: He makes toys. Jacob: He talks through a microphone. Arianne: He takes care of babies Sophia: He helps the school. Laith: He’s in charge of dotters and markers Marley: He takes care of the University. Ariana: “He’s in charge of the world.” CJ: He takes care of bugs. Owen: He writes papers and stuff. Talal: He just runs. Alumnus/chancellor reflects on role models at UW-Stout From front page Despite the fact that he had a passion for teaching —“for seeing the light go on in students’ eyes,” he said — Meyer decided to transition into administration. In his new leadership role, he led the Stout Technology Transfer Institute — now the Discovery Center — as the bridge between the university and industry. He also was the dean of the College of Technology, Engineering and Management. His early experiences with his teachers, colleagues and former Chancellor Robert Swanson left their mark and influenced him in his leadership philosophy and goals. “Chancellor Swanson had the ability to recognize and praise people, to celebrate their success,” he said. “If I can emulate Bob Swanson and his wonderful touch with people in any way, I’ll be very proud of that,” Meyer said. The campus of 1975 differs greatly from the one of today, he said. “You wouldn’t recognize today’s labs from 39 years ago.” Technology and the digital learning environment also is a huge change, he said. But some things never change, Meyer said. The university still honors the values of James Huff Stout that are carved in the lintel above Bowman Hall: “For the Promotion of Learning Skill Industry and Honor.” Another constant is the amazing dedication and quality of the staff and their commitment to student success, Meyer said. “My job is to find ways to support that,” he said. In 1977, Bob Meyer won the standing-on-one-leg competition. Greta Munns speaks from experience Gretta Munns In the summer of 2014, alumna Greta Anderson Munns had the opportunity to share some wisdom with foster care youth at the 2014 high school graduation party at the governor’s mansion in Madison. The event, hosted by Gov. Scott Walker, is for students who may not have families capable of giving them a party. Quoting from the book “Little Bee” by Chris Cleave, she encouraged the young people to look at scars from their pasts as something beautiful. “‘A scar means, I survived,’” she quoted. Munns, part-time foster-care liaison for the Fostering Success program at UW-Stout, understands. “I had a lot of wounds when I entered foster care at 15. And I say wounds not scars, because they hadn’t healed yet.” Munns suffered from depression and self-injury. “I didn’t know what to do with all the pain from my wounds,” she said in her address. Munns did receive the support and care she needed, and the wounds gradually healed. That journey is “a huge part of what makes me whole, and I feel so fortunate,” she said. The foster program provides specific support to UW-Stout students who were placed in foster care at some time in their youth. UW-Stout is a great school for foster care alumni because it provides important services, such as a laptop, textbook rental and tutoring services, she said. Munns became an advocate from experience, not only her own but by interning with foster care organizations in 2009 and 2010 when she was in college. Also in 2009, she testified at a congressional Ways and Means Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., concerning the impact of the Fostering Connections Act of 2008 on low-income, transitioning college students. After she graduated from high school, she received a $5,000 scholarship from the state Department of Children and Family Services and attended UW-Stout, majoring in art education. “Art is a good way to connect with others; it is an instant equalizer,” she said. Munns taught K-8 art for one year in Chicago at Piccolo School of Excellence, where most students live below the poverty level, she said. Living in Eau Claire, Wis., Munns recently became the mother of twins, a boy and a girl, and is happier than she thought was possible. To support Fostering Success, refer to https://foundation. uwstout.edu/pages/givings/fostering-success The School of Education at UW-Stout » Benchmarks 5 Richness beyond hopes Flom has sabbatical experience with low-income youth In the fall of 2013, Barb Flom left her classroom of graduate students to fulfill a goal of working directly with low-income urban youth in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. Flom took a sabbatical for the 2013-14 academic year and commuted two to three days a week to the Minnesota Internship Center Charter High School. She teaches in the school counseling master’s program and is licensed as a school counselor in Barb Flom Minnesota. The placement allowed “direct encounter with some of the most disenfranchised, discouraged and resilient youth in the Twin Cities,” she said. She also was able “to experience daily the impact and reality of the education reform movement as it plays out in one urban charter school,” she said. “These young people are an untapped resource,” Flom said. “In spite of all they had been through, most of the students were touchingly hopeful about their futures.” Flom volunteered in MNIC’s Students Services Department at the Unity site in North Minneapolis, MNIC’s largest site, with about 100 students; and the St. Paul/Midway site, which houses a program for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. MNIC also collaborates with the community to provide various support services to meet the students’ physical needs. Students attending the school work part time and attend classes part time. As a volunteer counselor, Flom worked with students on their plans post-graduation. She asked them, “What are you going to do after you have your high school diploma?” Her efforts were rewarded. “My sabbatical experience provided richness beyond my hopes in terms of service to urban youth,” she said. Included in her caseload was a cognitively challenged young man who lived at a youth shelter while attending MNIC and a young man with a significant criminal history who was one credit short of receiving his high school diploma. With Flom’s help, he developed an education and postgraduate plan and graduated in May. 6 Benchmarks » The School of Education at UW-Stout “He was so proud of himself,” she said. The alternative public high school accepts students ages 15 to 21 who have failed in one way or another in other schools. Some have served time in correctional institutions, and many are parents, she said. “Between 20 to 50 percent of all MNIC students in any given year meet the federal definition of homeless,” Flom said. Flom loved the experience. She was counseling young people who were on the verge of becoming adults and whose backgrounds were very different from hers, she said. The MNIC students she worked with were respectful and appreciative of having someone listen to them as they shared their dreams and hopes. “These young people are an untapped resource,” Flom said. “In spite of all they had been through, most of the students were touchingly hopeful about their futures,” she said. In September, Flom returned to her university students to train them in the “work I most love,” she said. She has incorporated much of her new-found knowledge into her courses. Her hands-on experience has added “depth to my understanding of comprehensive PK-12 school counseling programs,” she said. As a school counselor, Flom gained an important take-away. “The sabbatical placement really allowed me to live out the importance of hope and the value of small, successful steps forward in the counseling process.” MNIC students graduate in May. Leaning toward leadership Principal Hay returns to classroom at Harvard Alumnus David Hay used to occupy a high school principal’s office in Western Wisconsin. Since September, he has taken on the mantle of a student and is in the fifth cohort of the new Doctor of Education Leadership program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, which is a joint venture between the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School for Public Service. Hay’s leaning toward leadership is not new. At UW-Stout, Hay, from Antigo, Wis., served in student government as a senator, caucus leader, financial affairs director and, in his senior year, as student body president. “My passion for social justice and my drive to help shape a more prosperous, fair and sustainable future for our society lends itself to education leadership,” he said. “Over the last decade that I have been involved in education, I have seen first-hand the power of education to change the lives of students and in doing so to change the world,” Hay said. Leadership experience was “pivotal in my understanding of the various roles of leadership,” Hay said. Hay also learned the importance of strong mentors, seeking advice and the art of leveraging influence. “My experience at UW-Stout solidified the idea in my mind that the only true power we have as leaders is through the deep relationships we build, not in the titles we hold,” Hay said. After graduating in 2004 with a B.S. degree in marketing and business education, Hay took a position at Kettle Moraine High School in Wales, Wis. After one semester, he was asked to become dean of students, then to assume the position of associate principal and, shortly thereafter, the position of principal. In 2011, he left to become the principal in Tomah, where he incorporated his vision of personalized learning in the area of math to students in grades 6-9. The initiative is already showing promising signs of increased student achievement, Hay said. Hay is looking forward to the next three years at Harvard, the “institution that is best-poised to lead the charge to transform the K-12 system in the new millennium,” he said. In committing his time and energy to being a doctoral student, Hay expects change. “I anticipate learning, growing and having my own assumptions about education and the task of transforming education challenged in ways I cannot imagine right now,” he said. David Hay, outside Radcliffe Hall, is a student in the Education Leadership program at Harvard University. Art in the neighborhood Tami Weiss’ seven year old daughter RaeLinne enjoys making art once a week with UW-Stout students majoring in art education. The college students run the Children’s Art Club for local kids, ages four to 12, at 6 p.m. Tuesdays, with fun art activities and supplemental art education. This year’s theme is Artists through the Ages, and each week the children are introduced to an artist. So far, they have met Leonardo Da Vinci, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh. The club is in its third year and shows no signs of slowing down. Children’s Art Club after-school program. The School of Education at UW-Stout » Benchmarks 7 SCHOOL OF EDUCATION 267 Heritage Hall University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI 54751 Faculty and staff: Mary Alice Anderson, Online Professional Development, published “THE NEW MEDIA CENTER: Ten Titles for Your Professional Growth and Collection,” in May, Internet @ Schools, An Educator’s Guide to Technology and the Web, www.internetatschools.com/Articles/Column/ The-New-Media-Center/THE-NEW-MEDIA-CENTER-Ten-Titles-for-YourProfessional-Growth-and-Collection-97025.aspx. Mary Alice Anderson published “Where can I Find Information about Charley Goddard?” in Library Media Connection, May/June. Mary Alice Anderson published “THE NEW MEDIA CENTER: Not Just for History — Primary Sources in the Science and Health Classroom,” in January, Internet @ Schools, An Educator’s Guide to Technology and the Web, www.internetatschools.com/Articles/Column/The-New-MediaCenter/THE-NEW-MEDIA-CENTER-Not-Just-for-History--Primary-Sourcesin--the-Science-and-Health-Classroom-94610.aspx Mary Alice Anderson published “Student Disovery Sets: Ebooks from the Library of Congress” in Random Thoughts Change, Primary Sources & Other Stuff blog http://maryalicea.wordpress.com/. Mary Alice Anderson published “Discovering Local History Resources in Your Own Back Yard,” a chapter for Interacting with History: Teaching with Primary Source. Kathy Lehman, ed., ALA 2014. Ann Bell, Online Professional Development, and Kay Lehmann presented “Two Trends: Incorporating Mobile and Flipped Strategies into Distance Learning” at the conference on Distance Learning and Teaching in August in Madison, Wis. Jill Klefstad presented “Learning through Inquiry” for the Madison Metropolitan School District in August. Klefstad; Susan Wolfgram, human development and family studies; Tami Weiss, School of Education; Cynthia Rohrer, food and nutrition; and Robin Muza, human development and family studies, presented 8 Benchmarks » The School of Education at UW-Stout NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 3 MENOMONIE, WI 54751 “Retaining Freshman: High Impact Practices and Student Engagement” at the Lilly Teaching and Learning Conference in October in raverse City, Mich. Mensink co-authored “Music and memory: Effects of listening to music while studying in college students” in UW-Stout Journal of Student Research. Klefstad and Sapna Thapa presented “Engaging, Supporting, and Retaining Men within an ECE Program on a Four-year Campus: The Early Steps in Forming a Men’s Club” at the National Association of the Education of Young Children, in November, in Washington D.C. Mensink co-produced and presented the poster, An Exploration of Electrodermal Activity During Comprehension of a Seductive Scientific Text at the annual meeting of the Society for Text and Discourse in August in Chicago. Student and alumni news: Diane Klemme received the Leader Award from the American Family and Consumer Sciences Association at the national conference in June in St. Louis. The award recognizes and honors family and consumer sciences professionals who have made significant contributions to the field through involvement with the AAFCS. Kay Lehmann and Datta Kaur Khalsa, Online Professional Development, presented “The Role of Social Media” at Transforming the Teaching and Learning Environment: the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Virtual Conference. Kay Lehmann and Susan Manning presented “Be an eLearning Rock Star! Best Practices in Online Facilitation” at Conference on Distance Learning and Teaching. in August in Madison, Wis. Susan Manning, Online Professional Development, presented “Designing and Implementing a Digital Badge System” at Conference on Distance Learning and Teaching, in August in Madison, Wis. Susan Manning published “The Potential and Value of Using Digital Badges for Adult Learners,” in American Institutes for Research, http:// lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/AIR_Digital_Badge_Report_508.pdf. Michael Mensink, co-authored “Informing the Design of Future Literacy Technologies with Theories of Cognitive Science” in Mehdi Khosrow-Pour (Ed.) Encyclopedia of information science and technology, Third edition, Hershey, Pa. Joshua Gauthier, ’11, marketing and business education, is a business education teacher in the Denmark School District, He serves on the Denmark School District Technology Committee and recently attended the Google Teacher Academy in July and is a Google Qualified Individual. Alumna Jamey Karnitz, ’13, is a respiratory therapist instructor at MidState Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. Alumna Dawn Oler,’03, family and consumer sciences education, has been named Teacher of the Year by the Illinois Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Oler teaches at Hinsdale Central High School. Alumnus Josh Bleskacek, ’02, early childhood education, has been hired as a second grade teacher at Elmwood Elementary School. Krystian Weglarz, graduate student in career and technical education, was recently recognized by Ten80 Education and the U.S. Army for his work with a 2013-14 after-school STEM club at Gage Park High School in Chicago, where he is an engineering and technology instructor. The program exposes juniors and seniors to STEM education through a Remote Control Car Racing Team curriculum. http://www. studentracingchallenge.com/