Center for the Preparation
of Education Professionals
January 2007
Volume 1, Issue 3
Inside this Issue
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Greetings from Dean
Smith-Skripps . . . . . . . . . . 2
From Kansas City . . . . . . . . . 2
More than 1,300 Miles . . . . . 3
The Path Will Be Clear . . . . 3
The Goal Is Firmly Set . . . . . 4
Always Learning . . . . . . . . . . 4
Scholarship Yes, Yes,
and Yes! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
It Has Made a Difference . . . 5
Sherman Hall
Adaptive Planning: It Is Really
Important . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The Answer Is . . . . . . . . . . . 6
This Apple Is Golden . . . . . . 7
Game Plan in Motion . . . . . 7
Summer Experience 2006
Provides Valuable
Professional Development
for Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Dr. Linda Tomlinson
Director and
Certification Officer
Melissa Phillips
Associate Director
Jacqlin Richmond
Coordinator of University
Field and Clinical
Experiences and
Newsletter Editor
Welcome
Welcome to another edition of the CPEP
newsletter. As we ushered out the old year and
brought in the new, the Center found we were
saying good-bye to our friend and colleague
James Crabtree, Jim, who decided it was time
to retire. Jim served as one of our university
field supervisors from the suburban area. His
expertise continues to impact the many teachers
he assisted through the years. His efforts
and his support of his student teachers were
continuously driven by his desire for them to be
successful and to ensure the schools that he was
working with that these teachers were prepared
to meet the challenges of today’s schools. Good
luck, Jim. We’ll miss you.
As we ushered in the new year, the Center was
happy to welcome Dennis Cromer as our new
university field supervisor for the suburban
area. Dennis brings many years of teaching and
administrative experience to his position. His
expertise and connections to the many schools
he serves have already proven valuable. In the
short time that Dennis has been with us, he has
proven that he understands teacher preparation
and the importance of providing support to
student teaching placements.
Western Illinois University is very active in teacher
education and in seeking collaborations with
schools, communities, and community colleges
to build partnerships and
enhance our education
programs. We are
working with a number
of entities to help prepare
teachers who will work
in hard-to-fill and hardto-serve positions. We
are consistently seeking
ways to improve the
preparation of teachers so
that they will be able to
work in today’s schools.
Dr. Tomlinson
2
Contact
Information
Center for the Preparation
of Education Professionals
Horrabin Hall 91
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455-1390
Phone: 309-298-2117
Fax: 309-298-3386
Linda Tomlinson
LL-Tomlinson@wiu.edu
Melissa Phillips
MM-Phillips@wiu.edu
Jacqlin Richmond
J-Richmond@wiu.edu
Academic
Advisors
Sharon Butcher
SK-Butcher@wiu.edu
Volume 1, Issue 3
Greetings from Dean Smith-Skripps
With this edition of the newsletter, we are wishing Jim
Crabtree the best in his retirement and welcoming
Dennis Cromer to our team as the student teacher
supervisor in the suburbs. We also welcome Molly
Selder as a pre-student teaching supervisor for
secondary education. As with any organization, we are
reliant upon the quality of individuals who make up
the team; I am so impressed with the commitment,
experience, and expertise that our field and clinical
staff demonstrate day after day through their work
with our students and the schools in which our
students are placed or have the opportunity to visit.
You will read about some of these opportunities
in this newsletter. The quality of WIU’s teacher
preparation programs is evident in the demand for
our graduates, and in the feedback we receive from
our graduates and their supervisors once they have
been in their own classrooms as teachers. Over the last
two years, we have surveyed our first-year graduates to
assess how well we are preparing them for teaching in
the public schools. I’m pleased to quote one first-year
teacher’s comments, which exemplified the feedback
we receive:
The student teaching experience was the
most valuable element for teaching. I
truly felt that the skills and knowledge we
learned in the classroom were all applied
during this experience. All that I was
taught by my professors truly prepared
me to become a highly qualified teacher.
Upon completing student teaching, I felt
very satisfied and ready to enter the world
of teaching. WIU prepared me to become
an educator as well as a
lifelong learner.
Principals, overall,
commented very favorably
on WIU’s first-year
teachers’ knowledge of
content areas; on their abilities to engage/motivate
students; and on their ability to align lesson plans
with state standards, and their use of different
types of assessments. Principals were also very
positive about our graduates’ enthusiasm for
the profession. The 12 Illinois public colleges of
education collaborated on this study of first-year
graduates who are teaching in State public schools.
In both years of the study, we have found that new
teachers from WIU enter the profession motivated
and well-prepared in their primary subject areas, in
using student assessment strategies, in managing
the learning environment, and in establishing
equity in the classroom. They report feeling
least prepared for teaching English Language
Learners, working with school administrators,
and partnering with parents and the community.
As we prepare new teachers for the challenges
and opportunities of public education today
and tomorrow, we continually work with P-12
educators and leaders to ensure that our students
have the experience and resources to be confident
and effective in ensuring that all learners reach
their educational potential. We’re pleased to share
with you some of our students’ achievements and
engagement in teaching and learning.
Jeanne Ellis
JC-Ellis@wiu.edu
Phoebe Wilson
PV-Wilson@wiu.edu
Tammy Wilson
TS-Wilson@wiu.edu
Kim Moreno (QC Campus)
KM-Moreno@wiu.edu
From Kansas City
Last year at this time, Molly Selders’ high school
English classroom provided a variety of challenges
in the urban setting of Kansas City, Missouri, Public
Schools. Now she is part of the field supervision
team at the Center for the Preparation of Education
Professionals at Western. Her focus is on secondary
education majors in the fields of English, math,
science, and social studies. Molly places and
supervises students in area schools as part of the
fieldwork in Educational and Interdisciplinary
Studies classes. She also assists with Urban Field
Trips (part of a Department of Educational and
Interdisciplinary Studies class) to Peoria and the
Quad Cities.
Molly is a graduate of Westminster College
in Fulton, Missouri, with a BA in English
and Anthropology/Sociology. Her MA degree
in Teaching was earned at the University
of Virginia. Her public school teaching
experiences include schools in Virginia and
Missouri. Molly has an abiding interest in
urban education, and she was a teaching fellow
with the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the
National Writing Project. She lives in Macomb
with her husband,
Dr. Brian Powell,
and their two
children. Brian is an
assistant professor
in the Philosophy
and Religious
Studies department
at Western.
Molly Selders
Center for the Preparation of Education Professionals
More than 1,300 Miles
As she entered the room, her enthusiasm grew.
The classroom was full of colorful displays and
centers. Students were working in small groups
with eyes focused on the assigned task. She
knew learning was taking place. The secondgrade teacher, Susan Olsen, welcomed Rachel
Romines-Hokanson to the classroom. This
would be Rachel’s student teaching site for three
months at Robbin E. L. Washington Elementary
School (REL Washington Elementary).
Rachel taught various core subjects to the 21
students. Ethnic diversity in the classroom was
95%. Students also had instruction in other
subjects such as computers, library, physical
education, and fine arts. Rachel appreciated
the positive classroom management structure
within the classroom. She easily adapted as she
began to increase the amount of time per day
that she was teaching. She also believed the
established communication between parents
and the teacher had a strong positive influence
on student learning within the classroom.
REL Washington Elementary has 569 students
and includes grades K-6. It is one of 36
elementary schools in the Ysleta Independent
School District
in El Paso,
Texas. The
building
principal was
Emilio Quiroz.
In the 60
schools in the
district, 3,075
Susan Olsen, mentor teacher,
teachers educate
and Rachel Romines44,888 students
Hokanson, student teacher
on a daily basis.
The class size average for elementary schools is
21 students.
Rachel graduated from Morris High School in
Morris, Illinois. After graduating in December
2006 from WIU with a BS in Elementary
Education, she moved to Birmingham, Alabama,
with her husband. Rachel appreciated the
opportunities for expanding her teaching
experiences while at REL Washington Elementary.
She described her experience as “wonderful” and
indicated it was well worth traveling the more
than 1,300 miles to be a part of the learning
process in this second-grade classroom. She is
now ready for a career in teaching.
The Path Will Be Clear
The path is not new, but it is often less traveled.
High school and college students will have
a unique opportunity to pursue the goal of
becoming a special education teacher through
a Higher Education Cooperation Act (HECA)
grant program. The shortage of special education
teaching professionals is of vital concern for P-12
school administrators. This program will help
high school and college students investigate and
hopefully select a career in the field of special
education. Postsecondary schools participating
in this program are Black Hawk College, Spoon
River College, Carl Sandburg College, and
Western Illinois University. Each community
college will invite three school districts in their
individual areas to participate. The grant is funded
for one year and has the option for renewal. Dr.
Darlos Mummert, a professor in the Department
of Special Education at Western Illinois University,
is the grant administrator.
Students will have new avenues to investigate
the career selection process, develop
relationships within the field, participate in
leadership training, and explore the advantages
of membership in the Council for Exceptional
Children. Additional goals for the grant are to
develop community college Student Councils
for Exceptional Children and high school
Future Teachers for Special Education Clubs
facilitated by WIU. With assistance from
local faculty, each group will develop its own
activities including visits to college campuses.
Students will be selected from each of the
above groups to participate in a three-day
Special Education Leadership Training Summer
Experience at Horn Lodge, WIU-Macomb
Campus. Participants will leave Horn Lodge
with the knowledge of “what it takes to be a
successful special education teacher in the real
world.” The path will be clear.
3
Calendar of
Events
Spring 2007
January 15
MLK Day
University Closed
January 16
Classes Begin
January 26
Student Teaching
Seminar Sp. 2007
February 12
Lincoln’s Birthday
University Closed
March 10-18
Spring Break
March 19-April 20
Career Services
Virtual Career Fair On-Line
April 6
Certification Meeting
Grad Prep Day
April 24
Purple and Gold Day
May 7-11
Final Exams Week
May 11
Graduate
Commencement – Macomb
May 12
Undergraduate
Commencement – Macomb
May 13
Commencement – Quad Cities
May 28
Memorial Day
University Closed
June 3
Summer Classes Begin
4
University
Programs
for Teacher
Certification
Early Childhood
Education (Birth-Grade 3)
Elementary Education
K-9
Bilingual/Bicultural
Education
Secondary (6-12)
Agriculture Education
English
Mathematics
Science/Biology
Science/Chemistry
Science/Physics
Social Science/History
Special (K-12)
Art
French
Music
Physical Education
Spanish
Special Education–
Learning Behavior
Specialist I
Administrative
(Graduate Programs)
General Administrative
Superintendent
Chief School Business
Official
School Service Personnel
Guidance
School Psychologist
Speech and Language
Impaired
Volume 1, Issue 3
The Goal Is Firmly Set
The goal is firmly set. The “pilot” was a
success. In its place is an ongoing, structured
program designed to assist in meeting the needs
of teacher education students to experience
opportunities in urban school settings.
Individual schools in Peoria and Rock Island
hosted education students from Western Illinois
University to participate with public school
students in the classroom.
Each EIS (Educational and Interdisciplinary
Studies) 201 student (240 students in total) was
assigned to an individual classroom in one of
the selected schools. Some of the experiences
included working with elementary students in
small groups within the classroom, while other
opportunities included assisting students with
individual assignments. The WIU students
ate lunch with their assigned classes. They also
accompanied their groups to special subject
classes such as physical education, art, and
music. And yes, they also experienced recess
supervision.
Peoria schools participating in this program
were Tyne Elementary, Harrison Elementary,
Kingman Elementary, and Irving Elementary.
Rock Island schools in the program were
Horace Mann
Elementary, Intermediate
Academy, and Primary
Academy. Building
principals played an
Peoria District #150
important role in the
planning and implementing of the multiple trip
experiences.
At the end of the day, WIU students were asked
to write their impressions of their experiences.
Many of the WIU students identified some
“special” moments that they remembered
with the elementary students. Most of the
experiences relayed were not profound but
gave EIS students unique insights to the
learning process. Some of the university
students identified that this
experience has made them
seriously consider a career
in an urban school setting.
The initial goal has been
met. The long-range goal
of expanding the horizons
of WIU teacher education
students in relation to urban
Rock Island
education is ongoing. The
School District
challenge will continue.
#41
Always Learning
The College of Education and Human Services
(COEHS) has developed two newsletters and
a podcast to provide innovation and a focus on
advanced technology applications for faculty
and staff. Brief descriptions and websites are
identified below:
• TecheNews is a monthly newsletter that
is sent electronically to COEHS faculty
and staff. The goals are to highlight new
technology used in education, to showcase
COEHS faculty who use innovative
technology in their classrooms, to provide
news about upcoming technology or
innovative ways to incorporate technology
in education, and to provide tips/tricks for
using software or technology. To view the
current newsletter, go to www.wiu.edu/
TecheNews or the archives at www.wiu.edu/
imm/archives.shtml.
• Mobile Learning News is a monthly
newsletter that is sent out to the faculty
and staff of COEHS.
Its focus is on mobile
applications geared
towards teaching,
learning, and human service applications.
To view the current newsletter, go to www.
wiu.edu/TecheNews/mobilelearning.htm or
the archives at www.wiu.edu/imm/archives.
shtml.
• TechKnowCast Podcast information provides
learning about the advances in mobile
technologies; teaching and learning with
technology; distance learning; and tech tips
for teachers, students, and human service
professionals. These are just some of the
knowledge areas available to participants of
the monthly podcast. Some episodes will
feature native podcasts, while others will
consist of enhanced podcasts and vodcasts.
The archives for this information can be
found at www.wiu.edu//imm/podcast.shtml
or subscribe to TechKnowCast on iTunes.
Center for the Preparation of Education Professionals
5
Scholarship Yes, Yes, and Yes!
Did she meet the criteria to apply? She needed
to be a graduate of a Kendall County high
school. She had to be a sophomore, junior, or
senior in an Illinois college or university, and
she had to have been accepted into a Teacher
Certification Program. A 3.0 GPA or higher
on a 4.0 scale was required, and she also had
to be an English or foreign language major.
Did her application/essay score above the other
applicants? The answer is yes, yes, and yes!
Haley Coop was awarded one of the MolerAustin Scholarships ($4,500), which are
sponsored by the Illinois Retired Teachers’
Association. Haley is a midyear graduate
in English Education from Western Illinois
University. She was an active member of the
National Council of Teachers of English as well
as being recognized on the Dean’s Academic
List for several semesters. She graduated from
Oswego Community High School in Oswego,
Illinois.
Haley was a student
teacher at Batavia
High School with
Laura Foote as her
mentor teacher. She
believes her student
teaching experience
will be a fantastic
basis as she enters
the “real world”
of teaching in her
own classroom.
Her assignment of
Haley Coop
working with ninthgrade English students provided new insights
for classroom preparation and management.
She liked their enthusiasm in the classroom. She
stated in her scholarship application, “I have
realized that becoming a teacher has not only
been my lifelong goal, but also the one thing that
truly excites me deep inside.”
It Has Made a Difference
It was last January, cold and cloudy, when she
clicked on the “submit” button. She had just
electronically sent her initial application to
the Chicago Public Schools Summer Teaching
Residency and Internship Program. After an
extensive selection process, Lisa Blatner was
on the list of 100 teacher education students
who were chosen to be a part of this unique
program. Many students from colleges and
universities in a four-state region had applied.
Lisa is a Special Education major from Sugar
Grove, Illinois, and a graduate of Aurora
Central Catholic High School.
Lisa found her assignment as a teaching
assistant for the six-week summer program
at Claremont Math and Science Academy
(a self-contained classroom for students in
grades 4-8) to be motivating and exciting.
The program provided housing (dormitories
on state university campuses in the city) and
transportation to and from the school.
Professional development for the teaching
assistants was scheduled for each afternoon
and all day on Fridays. The topics focused on
urban education, poverty, social justice, and
classroom management. Inspiring seminars were
presented by many well-known speakers such
as Esme Raji Codell, Anita Kishel, Jonathan
Western Illinois
University
Websites
Center for the Preparation of
Education Professionals
www.wiu.edu/cpep (under
construction)
Admissions
www.admissions.wiu.edu
Alumni Association
www.wiu.edu/alumni
Bookstore
www.wiu.edu/bookstore
Career Services
www.careers.wiu.edu
Financial Aid
www.fa.wiu.edu
Foundation Office
www.wiu.edu/foundation
Kozol, Dr. Allen Medler, and Dr. Harry Wong.
Outstanding educational workshop sessions
were held at the following locations: Shedd
Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Field Museum,
Cultural Center, Art Institute, Spertus Museum,
DuSable Museum, and Freedom Museum.
Lisa participated in reflective sessions focusing
on student motivation and teaching reading
skills. In addition, tours were taken in various
neighborhoods such as Pilsen, Chinatown, and
Bronzeville.
Lisa believes that she received many teaching
ideas/tools for her future classroom. The
program required all teaching assistants to begin
a portfolio of the summer experience: “We
created our own classroom management plans.
The program was fantastic. It was unforgettable!
It has made
a difference
for me. Now,
I can make a
difference for
others.”
Lisa Blatner
Graduate Studies
www.wiu.edu/grad
Library
www.wiu.edu/library
Registrar
www.wiu.edu/Registrar
Scholarships
www.wiu.edu/scholarships
Student Activities
www.osa.wiu.edu
Student Services
www.student.services.wiu.edu
6
Volume 1, Issue 3
Field Supervisors
Adaptive Planning: It Is Really Important
Benjamin Bishop
BG-Bishop@wiu.edu
Sometimes life provides experiences that are
unexpected. If one is lucky, these experiences
prove to be very helpful in the future. As
a Kinesiology (Physical Education) major,
Dustin Wensel completed part of his student
teaching assignment at Lincoln Intermediate
in Monmouth, Illinois, with Bob Reedy as his
mentor teacher. Lincoln Intermediate has 358
students in grades 4, 5, and 6. It is a part of the
Monmouth-Roseville School District.
Charles Bolton
CF-Bolton@wiu.edu
Dennis Cromer
D-Cromer@wiu.edu
Keith Erickson
KG-Erickson@wiu.edu
Isabel Lamptey
IE-Lamptey@wiu.edu
Connie LaRue
CK-LaRue@wiu.edu
Molly Selders
MS-Selders@wiu.edu
Victor Tocwish
V-Tocwish@wiu.edu
Kathryn Withenbury
KL-Withenbury@wiu.edu
Certification
Cheryl Hutchins
CK-Hutchins@wiu.edu
Staff
Nancy Stoneking
NE-Stoneking@wiu.edu
Julie Schoonover
JA-Schoonover@wiu.edu
Lois Retherford
(QC Campus)
LA-Retherford@wiu.edu
Dustin worked with Mr. Reedy to teach a variety of
units to the multiple grade-level classes at Lincoln.
In his content coursework at WIU, Dustin had
training in working with students who have special
needs. He was prepared to use this knowledge
during student teaching. The unexpected
experience Dustin had was the type of program
that Mr. Reedy had already established to meet the
needs of some of his students with special needs.
For example, Dustin discovered that adapting
many of the games and activities to someone in
a wheelchair was a challenge and required much
Dustin Wensel, student teacher, and
Bob Reedy, mentor teacher
planning. Dustin described the experience at
Lincoln as “great,” but the extra bonus was the
additional experience in adaptive planning to better
meet the needs of all the students in the class. This
experience was “really important.”
Dustin is a graduate of Bolingbrook High School
and a December 2006 graduate of Western. He
is currently teaching at Warsaw School District.
The Answer Is . . .
The competition was intense. The preparation
took weeks and even months. Could they
depend on fellow teammates to make the
difference? Was the time spent enough to give
them the edge? Was the planned strategy the
best path to the goal?
Southeastern High School-Augusta, Spoon
River Valley High School, Union High SchoolBiggsville, and Washington Community High
School. Schools were encouraged to bring
students in addition to their team members for
the day’s activities.
Teams from area high schools had the
opportunity to explore the field of biology and
participate in academic competition. Students
were offered many different information
sessions during the day. The sessions were
designed for high school biology students and
presented by faculty and students from Western
Illinois University. The topics covered current
research as well as career issues.
Winners of the Biology Bowl competition
were Athens High School, 1st; Rock Island
High School, 2nd; and Southeastern High
School-Augusta, 3rd. Biology Day is one
of several outreach events sponsored by the
Biology, Physics, and Chemistry departments at
Western. The Biology Day coordinator was Dr.
Richard Anderson, Chairperson of the Biology
department. He was assisted by members of the
Biology Day Committee.
Each high school that participated identified
a team of four students to compete in the
Biology Bowl event. Students from the
following schools participated: Astoria High
School, Athens High School, Beardstown High
School, Hamilton High School, Lewistown
High School, Lincoln High School, Macomb
High School, Mediapolis High School (IA),
Monmouth-Roseville High School, Rochester
High School, Rock Island High School,
Biology Bowl
Center for the Preparation of Education Professionals
This Apple Is Golden
She began by describing what a fantastic
summer she had experienced. Her enthusiasm
was contagious as she talked about the Summer
Institute held at DePaul University as a part
of the Golden Apple Scholars program. Erin
Lewis, an Elementary Education major,
is one of seven students at Western in the
Golden Apple Scholars program. The WIU
program liaison is Dr. J.Q. Adams, a professor
in the Department of Educational and
Interdisciplinary Studies. As liaison, he assists
the students with admission, financial aid
questions, and academic advising.
Fifty-three colleges and universities in the
State of Illinois have partnerships with the
Golden Apple Foundation. To be an applicant,
the student must be a high school student
interested in a teaching career. The applicant
must submit biographical information,
transcripts and ACT score, a personal essay,
and three letters of reference. After the selection
process is completed, 100 Golden Apple
Scholars are identified each year.
The Summer Institute is the key component
to the Golden Apple Scholars program.
Students spend five weeks during the first
summer engaged in a unique study of the
teaching profession
with time spent
in classrooms
interacting
with students.
Professional
development seminars and experiences are
a part of each day. The second summer
experience is an expansion of the first summer
at DePaul. The third summer includes an
opportunity for the students to design their
own six-week experience in areas such as camp
counselors and summer teaching in Illinois or
in other locations. During the fourth summer,
students reconvene at Elmhurst College for a
three-week residential setting to prepare for
student teaching and their employment search.
Erin is a graduate of Harold Richards High
School in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She will be student
teaching in fall 2007 in the Chicago area and
will graduate in December 2007. Erin is a
strong advocate for the Golden Apple Scholars
program. She believes she will have a tremendous
“treasure chest” of experiences to draw from
as she begins her student teaching experience.
As a requirement of the program, Erin will be
teaching in an Illinois school of need for five
years. To her, the apple is definitely “golden.”
Game Plan in Motion
The pace is fast.
Organization and
attention to detail
are critical. It can
make the difference
between success and
failure for 45 to 50
student teachers
each semester. The
Dennis Cromer
job is important.
Dennis Cromer had
no idea his training and past experiences would
prove to be so valuable for the new challenges
he would face as a supervision field specialist
in the Chicago suburbs for Western Illinois
University.
In his role as Assistant Principal at Fenton
High School in Bensenville, Dennis developed
and administered the new teacher induction/
mentoring program. In the last six years,
approximately 50% of the 110 positions have
been filled with new teachers. In addition,
he was responsible for student discipline and
teacher observation/evaluation. At Fenton,
he had also served as Athletic Director,
Department Chairperson, Dean of Students,
classroom teacher, and basketball coach.
He was high school boys’ varsity basketball
coach beginning in 1997 and continues in
that position. He has had experiences at the
elementary, middle school/junior high, and
high school levels.
As a graduate of Augustana College, Dennis
began his teaching career at Sherrard School
District, Sherrard, Illinois, and was also a
faculty member/coach in the Alwood School
District, Woodhull, Illinois. He completed a
MS in Physical Education at Western Illinois
University and earned an administrative degree at
Governor’s State University. For Dennis and his
student teachers, the game plan is in motion.
7
Western’s
Mission
Western Illinois University,
a community of individuals
dedicated to learning, will have a
profound and positive impact on
our changing world through the
unique interaction of instruction,
research, and public service as
we educate and prepare a diverse
student population to thrive in
and contribute to our global
society.
Western’s
Teacher
Education
Mission
To prepare versatile teachers who
appreciate the importance of our
diverse population; who adapt
to emerging social, economic,
and demographic patterns; and
who are skilled in the use of
technology tools to promote
teaching and learning in our
nation’s schools.
Quotes
A teacher affects eternity; he can
never tell where his influence
stops.
– Henry B. Adams
The man who makes hard things
easy is the educator.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
8
Volume 1, Issue 3
Summer Experience 2006 Provides Valuable Professional
Development for Teachers
The College of Education and Human
Services’ 6th Annual Summer Experience
was held in Horrabin Hall. Geared toward
K-12 teachers, this two-day conference
sponsored by the Office for Partnerships,
Professional Development, and Technology
brought together 97 teachers and
administrators from across Illinois for handson sessions focused on building technologyenhanced, student-centered classrooms.
Building on the popularity of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies,
this year’s conference featured a pirate theme in which teachers created
their own “treasure chest of technology tools.” Sessions such as learning
to podcast, creating Web pages with Dreamweaver, using handheld
computers with students, and producing digital movies with iMovie
and Windows Movie Maker were held in rooms decorated as Port Royal,
Davy Jones’ Locker, or the Black Pearl. All sessions promoted the use
of technology with students
in transforming methods,
encouraging teachers to shift
from a teacher-directed lesson
to creating opportunities for
students to explore and ask
questions, plan and problemsolve, and create high-quality
products to share with peers
and others in the community.
Participants were not only afforded quality professional development
sessions, they were provided with funfilled activities tied to the central
theme. Immediately following lunch in the Pirate’s Cove on the first
day, teachers earned a chance to win a “Back to School Kit” of supplies
and software by playing pirate-influenced games such as Walk the
Plank, Swab the Deck, and
Doubloon Toss as they
attempted to discover the
location of hidden treasure.
A new addition to Summer
Experience 2006 was
a community outreach
initiative referred to as
Rock the Campus to
Support Local Schools.
The Daddy-Os, a local band comprised of Western employees and
community members, performed a special concert on July 26 for
participants and the general public to collect school supplies for
students who would need them before the start of the new school year.
Collected donations of notebooks, pencils, crayons, markers, glue
sticks, backpacks, and other supplies were distributed to identified
students during school registration with the assistance of Mr. Gary
Eddington, the Regional Superintendent of Schools for Hancock and
McDonough Counties.
The Office for Partnerships, Professional Development, and
Technology provides training and professional development services
on and off campus through its Teacher Education Partnerships, STAROnline, and the Interactive Multimedia Lab. For more information on
professional development offered through this office, please visit www.
wiu.edu/otep or call 309-298-2444.
“A Technology Paradise” for Summer Experience 2007 will be held July
25 and 26, 2007, featuring Hawaiian-themed sessions, activities, and
entertainment. To visit our online photo gallery or learn more about
participating in Summer Experience, please visit or website:
www.wiu.edu/otep/summerexperience.
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