Entrepreneurs are known for their ability to seize opportunity and move forward toward their creative and innovative goals, usually taking substantial risks along the way.  With skill, they have an ability to keep advancing, pivoting on the path, avoiding obstacles and adjusting to the changing conditions to achieve success.  If they don't reach their goal, they learn from the experience and apply that new understanding to the next creative project.    

The Unleashing Entrepreneurial Spirit course will open up dialogue on innovation for participants from a variety of backgrounds.

In the course Unleashing the Entrepreneurial Spirit, teachers, school administrators and community leaders will learn how to apply entrepreneurial techniques to the domain of education, and put into action their own creativity. The four-session course offers participants the opportunity to build their own plan for realizing their creative vision.  The course will bring insightful speakers to prompt class discussions and inspire group collaboration as each participant builds and refines their strategic plan for innovation. The course is designed and delivered as a collaboration between the School of Education and the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University and ieSonoma.org.

The link to register and pay for this short course is now available online.  The course fee is $50, plus there is an option to register for 1 continuing education unit for an additional $55.  Instructions for payment are at http://www.sonoma.edu/education/ues/index.html

Tony Harris, left, with some of his students, receiving the 2013 Sonoma State University Jack London Award for Educational Innovation for NorthWest Prep's Multi-Age, Project-Based Learning Curriculum for grades 7-12.

Successful entrepreneurs build sustainable business models that can support themselves over time.  Educators need to consider sustainability too when building their innovations.  And, over time, as the project grows and the environment changes, the innovator needs to be open to receiving feedback and incorporating change to keep what they are doing relevant, true to their vision, and successful.

During this session, participants will share their ideas and action plans based on their collaborative work developed during the course.

More details on this session TBA

The room in Salazar Hall was filled with educators and community members: school teachers, principals and superintendents, community organization leaders, college students, and local business people. They had all come to explore the idea of entrepreneurial thinking in education in the Preview Class for Unleashing Entrepreneurial Spirit at Sonoma State University.

Organized as a follow-up to the ieSonoma community-wide event featuring Sir Ken Robinson, the pundit who claims in his popular TED talk that 'schools kill creativity', the evening offered participants a chance to engage in an in-depth dialog about how to foster innovation in schools, and helped them get a taste of what the four-session course would be like when it begins on August 26. The Preview also provided a forum for course planners to hear what aspects of entrepreneurship participants are most interested in exploring. In subsequent sessions, students will have the opportunity to meet and talk with people who are entrepreneurs and innovators in their field, engage in critical dialog and deep thinking about creativity and innovation, and work on developing their own strategic plans.

Mark Nelson, Codding Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Sonoma State University and William Silver, SSU Dean of the School of Business and Economics were the featured presenters for the Preview Class. Their talk focused on how they envision entrepreneurial thinking can be applied in educational settings. Entrepreneurs need to have a vision, be creative and resourceful, recognize opportunity, take risks and learn from failure. Working in small groups, Preview Class participants discussed the nature of creativity and innovation, and explored how those ideas might be applied in a new way to their work in schools, organizations, businesses and the community.

To design and lead the class, SSU Educational Leadership Professor Paul Porter pulled together a team that includes Jennie Snyder, Superintendent of Piner-Olivet Union School District, Dan Blake, Director of Innovations and Partnerships, Sonoma County Office of Education Mark Nelson, Codding Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Sonoma State University and former President and COO of the Nelson Family of Companies. This is one of the collaborative learning initiatives that Porter is working to develop this year for the School of Education.

In planning the class, the team felt it was important to leave the Unleashing Entrepreneurial Spirit course outline open at first, and didn't finalize details of the course content in advance; they waited to meet with the Preview Class participants and engage in discussions with them about their needs, and their ideas about creativity and innovation before sketching out the mini-course's full outline. Many who attended were looking for ways to incorporate some of the '21st Century Skills' into their classrooms and expressed the need to be ready for the new Common Core Standards curriculum changes, while others were looking for ways to develop community partnerships that could help support student learning. Some said they hoped to develop their leadership skills to foster a climate of innovation in their schools and organizations. Most of the Preview participants plan to attend the four fall class sessions.

"The first session was inspiring and productive," noted course facilitator Jennie Snyder, " We had a wide range of experiences and backgrounds among the participants. I was particularly impressed with their level of engagement and commitment to creating positive change in their organizations."

Registration is still open for the Unleashing Entrepreneurial Spirit Class. The cost for the four Monday night sessions (8/24, 9/9, 9/23, 10/7. 6:00-8:30) is $50, plus an option to earn one CEU for $55 more. For more information about the class and how to register visit www.sonoma.edu/education/ues/index.html

Last month over seven hundred local teachers, school administrators, university faculty, and community and business leaders came together for an inspiring event designed to open up dialogue about creativity, innovation and technology in our schools. The June 10 event started out with a panel discussion of leading North Bay entrepreneurs followed by a keynote by Sir Ken Robinson, a respected inspirational speaker, well-known for his TED talk entitled Schools Kill Creativity. Sonoma State University's School of Education was a major sponsor of the event which was held at Sonoma Country Day School and organized by ieSonoma (innovate + educate Sonoma), a new collaborative partnership between public and private educational institutions and the larger community spearheaded by the Sonoma County Office of Education. ieSonoma's collaborators hope to engage in projects which improve teaching and learning in local schools so that students will be prepared for life in a technology rich world.

Changes in information resources, educational technology and the national shift to the new Common Core Standards are helping fuel a growing interest in how to lead innovation in schools. According to Robinson, "Education is not a linear process of preparation for the future: it is about cultivating the talents and sensibilities through which we can live our best lives in the present and create the future for ourselves." In his talk he questioned assumptions in the education system and challenged listeners to make systematic changes that will foster, not inhibit student learning and creativity. He asserted that "creativity is as important now in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status."

Part of the audience formed teams representing 18 local schools and districts who spent the remainder of the week at an institute focused on how to implement some of these ideas in their schools this year. Participants examined how their schools can systematically support teachers and students to teach in a way that will foster creativity and infuse what have become known as 21st Century skills into the curriculum. This kind of learning, which has been regarded as essential for student success in college and careers, requires students to develop and practice their ability to think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate and be creative as they are studying core subjects and developing both cognitive and technical abilities. The teams worked together to form a strategic plan for implementation over the 2013-2014 school year.

A team of faculty from Sonoma State's School of Education participated as a team at the Institute this year too. While critical thinking, collaboration and communication are not new concepts in teaching and learning, their context is new with the adoption of the Common Core Standards and innovations in technology. The SSU team hopes to spend the year helping the credential program faculty infuse more technology in the teaching preparation program, find new ways to collaborate with local districts and schools, and look at ways the specific skills emphasized by the Common Core align with the School of Education's Conceptual Framework..

Dr. Karen Grady, Professor in the Single Subject Credential Program is on the SSU team. She noted "The ieSonoma institute provided me with the opportunity to spend a week talking with School of Education colleagues and other teachers and administrators from Sonoma County about curriculum, technology, and teaching and learning in general. That kind of focused time is such a luxury these days. I was able to make new connections, renew existing partnerships and hear many different perspectives on long-standing issues in education."

Dr. Susan Campbell, Program Director of the Multiple Subject Credential Program also found the experience at the institute worthwhile. She valued "the opportunity to connect with teachers and principals in the surrounding area, Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) resources, and my Sonoma State colleagues. During the week I was able to find support for future projects planned for the SSU Multiple Subject Program. For instance, I scheduled a meeting with a person who works at SCOE who collaborates with schools in maximizing resources in support of English language learners. We are going to meet with one of our faculty members who teaches our English language learner (ELL) credential course and discuss how we can better prepare student teachers to be innovators in classrooms with high ELL populations."

In addition to sending a team to the summer institute, the School of Education is continuing to find ways to work collaboratively in the community and contribute to this dialogue. The University setting provides a learning environment with unique resources and a faculty that is rich with knowledge, diverse teaching experience and valuable expertise. Sonoma State aims to provide opportunities for teachers and educational leaders to think deeply about both the practical and the theoretical issues embodied in the changes schools are facing. Continuing education offerings and events designed to build on the themes of creativity, innovation, communication, and educational technology will complement the teaching credential and graduate programs which provide space for research and reflection along with innovation.

Building on the momentum of the day with Ken Robinson, Sonoma State invited attendees to enroll in a short follow-up course, "Unleashing Entrepreneurial Spirit", geared to help educators and community members develop their own entrepreneurial spirit, stay relevant, challenge assumptions and take risks. In the course, participants will have an opportunity to take with innovators, engage in critical dialog about creativity and innovation and work on how to apply that in their own environment. For more information about the class, which starts on August 26, 6:30-8:00 PM and will meet on four Monday nights, visit www.sonoma.edu/education/ues/index.html.

Teacher candidates and graduate students have been gearing up for the event.  The Single Subject Credential Program and the Administrative Credential Program help students with resume preparation and conduct mock interviews to help prepare candidates for the job market.  Associate Professor Susan Campbell who teaches in the Multiple Subject Credential Program says the full time students who are finishing the program are excited about this opportunity to meet potential employers here on campus. Campbell noted they are very grateful to our education community for making the effort to come here to meet them and talk about jobs in their schools and districts.

The Sonoma State School of Social Sciences and University Library are honored to host the exhibition Anne Frank: A History for Today. The exhibit provides a glimpse into the story of Anne Frank and her family, which is juxtaposed against world events before, during, and after the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party.

Anne Frank: A History for Today coincides with the planting at SSU of a sapling from the chestnut tree Anne Frank so often wrote about in her diary. The tree which gave Anne so much inspiration was set to be destroyed due to disease. SSU is one of 11 locations in the the United States to receive one of the saplings. "The addition of the Anne Frank tree will solidify the SSU campus as a major center on the West Coast for the study of the Holocaust and genocide," says Elaine Leeder, Dean, Social Sciences. "It will provide eventually a vast canopy under which the University Holocaust Lecture Series can continue for generations." The sapling will be planted at the Erna and Arthur Salm Holocaust & Genocide Memorial Grove at SSU mid-April, 2013.

Anne Frank: A History for Today is on display on the second floor of the University Library at the Schulz Information Center. The exhibit runs through April 22, 2013. A reception with light snacks will take place on April 12, 2013 from 12:30 - 2:00 on the second floor of the University Library.

For more information about the exhibit, please visit: http://library.sonoma.edu/about/frank.php or contact University LIbrarian Karen Brodsky at karen.brodsky@sonoma.edu For information about the sapling planting at SSU, contact Dr. Elaine Leeder, Dean, School of Social Sciences, elaine.leeder@sonoma.edu, (707) 664-2120.

Article by Melissa Marengo, School of Education Multimedia Student Assistant

Rebecca Lynne Lucas is the 2013 Patricia Nourot Memorial Scholarship recipient! In honor of Dr. Patricia Nourot, every year the scholarship is given to a student to cover expenses in the Early Childhood Studies program.

Rebecca grew up in Vallejo, California and had a great experience at her own elementary school, Dan Mini Elementary. This made her want to start volunteering with children as she got older. She volunteered at the school's after school program for three years. Rebecca has also contributed many hours of community service with children through her church and Vallejo High School.

Currently, Rebecca works with Join Us Making Progess (a.k.a. JUMP) on campus as a student leader for their Hunger and Homelessness program. She also volunteers as a coordinator for Catholic Charities Family Support Center. In the future she hopes to work with non-profits that help children and their families enrich their lives or become an elementary school teacher. She believes that with enough support and encouragement, every child should be able to grow up the confidence to follow their hopes and dreams, and not be limited by their present situation. After earning her degree, Rebecca is hoping she can get a job working with children, be part of that support system for children, and continue to be inspired every day by their energy and optimism.

Article by Jessica K. Parker, Assistant Professor

What's one of the best things about living in the digital era? With access to the Internet, we can all be authors! This wasn't always the case. I grew up a consumer and I watched TV and listened to the radio. The only things I created were mixed tapes and video recordings of athletic events. Today, youth grow up as both consumers and producers. Why not capitalize on this by having students create media texts! Here are three powerful tools that students can use to author their own content and demonstrate understanding.

Dr. Parker's son dressed up as Yoda last Halloween.

Storybird: Storybird is an online collaborative storytelling tool that gives users the ability to read, create, and share books online using original art and their own writing ideas. Students can make visual stories with artwork from illustrators and animators around the world! Storybird can inspire anyone to turn images into narratives. Want to learn more? Here is a digital handout on Storybird designed by School of Education Master's students, Kristina Beltz and Carol Wise.

Capzles: Curate your own multimedia presentation with images, audio, and video with Capzles! Dr. Carlos Ayala is using Capzles to have his students discuss important historical events in education.

Jing: Use Jing to take free screenshots or make screencasts. Have credential students annotate aspects of student work or images of their classroom walls. Have math students talk through their process of solving a problem by recording their own computer screen. Give directions for homework by annotating the document using Jing. You will need to download the software, and Jing saves all your work to your computer. I attached my own example of an annotated Yoda!

Article by Jessica K. Parker, Assistant Professor

How did we survive without these essential resource and reference tools?

WolframAlpha is a computational knowledge engine. Want to find the answers that aren't in the back of the math and science textbooks? Still trying to solve that chemistry equation from HS? Or are you more interested in people and history, culture and media, music, words and linguistics, education, or even weather--because WolframAlpha can rock your world in about a nanosecond. Check it out some examples and then let's chat about traditional assessments in math, science, history, etc., since one can easily solve for X with this computational knowledge engine.

is an online mind mapping tool. Want a way to create multimedia galleries, record your thoughts, explore ideas, and organize your insights? Popplet is your online tool for mind mapping with text, images, videos, AND you can collaborate with colleagues and students! Easily zoom in and out and just use your cursor to move around your map. Here is an example from a group of students who shared their summary of the book, Reading the Media, in the EDCT 559 class.

Article by Dr. Jessica K. Parker

Here is another installment of our biweekly Ed Tech Tips blog articles from the Sonoma State School of Education. In this platform we will share thoughts and practical advice on technology and ideas for how to use these tools and applications for good teaching practice.

1) TED Talks: You love TED talks, but are you aware of all their amazing features? Not only can you embed the TED talk in a Moodle page or your latest blog post, but you can also email the link to colleagues and students. Feel free to turn on subtitles for talks as well and download the talk to use later, EVEN if you don't have access to the Internet. Not interested in watching a video but would rather listen to a TED talk? Then subscribe to the RSS audio feed and start listening via iTunes!

2) TED Ed: Love TED talks and want to use them creatively in your class? Check out the TED Ed videos that allow you to customize supplemental material such as quizzes, questions, and additional readings and activities for a specific Ed video. Just click on the "flip this video" button and you can turn a TED Ed video into a customized lesson. Take the TED Ed tour to learn more.

3) TED Books: Wishing you could read a multimedia TED book? Now you can download the TED Books app and choose a TED book from their library for either $2.99 per book or $4.99 per month for all access. Plus, the TED books are short and inspiring. TED books work with the iPad, Kindle, and the Nook.

Congratulations to School of Education Assistant Professor Megan Taylor for recently being accepted as a 2013 STaR Fellow! The Service, Teaching and Research (STaR) Project is an induction program for recent doctoral graduates in mathematics education. The program, funded by the National Science Foundation, is a 12-month experience that networks early career mathematics educators (in the first or second year of their first academic appointment). The Program focuses on three themes: research, teaching and service as well as leadership development To be eligible for this program you must have your doctorate in mathematics education and be in your first or second year of tenure track at an institution of higher education in the U.S. As a STaR Fellow, Megan will have the opportunity to attend a week-long Park City Mathematics Institute this summer, get extra support as she continues her research agenda and collaborate with a strong cohort of other mathematics faculty to strengthen her teaching practice.

Megan Taylor is the newest faculty member in the Curriculum Studies and Secondary Education department and the Single Subject Credential Program here at Sonoma State. Her research focuses on secondary mathematics and teacher education. Megan has taught 6th-12th grade for twelve years and believes that in order to improve public mathematics education in the U.S., improvements on teacher education are necessary. Her recent work investigates how mathematics teachers use textbooks and explores ways they can be do it more effectively to improve classroom learning.

SSU Credential Candidate Roxana Leiva, 2012-2013 SOMArts Curator in Residence

Roxana Leiva, Single Subject Credential Program Candidate in Art and student teacher in the Art Quest program at Santa Rosa High School knows what it is like to be an immigrant. She has done it herself-- twice. First, she moved to Petaluma at the age of 13 from her homeland of El Salvador. She recalls the experience as terrible--an incredibly difficult cultural transition--and vowed that after she grew up and finished school she would move back to home country. After high school, she earned her B.F.A. in Art/Illustration and her M.A. in Latin American Art and Culture at Long Beach State University and then she followed her heart and returned to El Salvador. She had a great job at the Art Museum of El Salvador, and even worked as the project director to establish a government funded arts school for youth. She was making a difference in the lives of hundreds of children through her arts education program there, but after several years, Leiva felt a need to come back to California and be near family, so once again she became an immigrant.

Leiva recalls the culture shock she experienced both times she moved to the U.S., and how she felt out of place, and marginalized socially. Although she is Salvadoran, she was often referred to as Mexican, and she felt that people she interacted with didn't treat her as an educated woman. Even now, as a credential candidate at Sonoma State she says people that she meets and talks to often assume she is training to be a Spanish teacher, not an art teacher, just because she is from Latin America. Leiva is motivated to break through these stereotypes, and aims to work on building cultural understanding through teaching art and art history--both in the classroom and in the broader community. As an artist and an educator, Leiva understands that art is a powerful medium which can help express ideas and feelings and expose people to new ways of thinking about culture.

Leiva is on a career path for arts education, and realized her employment options would be much wider if she had a Single Subject Credential in art. As she looked for jobs in arts education both in non profits and in public schools, most required that she hold a credential.

Artists installing their work at SOMArts. Left to right: Leiticia Hernandez, Jan Carlos Mendizabal, Tessie Barrera-Scharaga and Rick Victor

At the same time she was starting the credential program, she decided to build on her graduate school research too. Continuing her exploration of art, culture and civil war in 1980s El Salvador, Leiva applied for and received a grant the SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco to be a Commons Curator in Residence. Her project, Mourning and Scars: 20 Years After the War presents new artwork by Salvadoran immigrant artists and exposes their life straddling two cultures 20 years after the signing the Peace Accords which ended civil war. Leiva hopes that the show, which opens on February 1 and runs through the end of the month, will be a catalyst for dialogue on ethical, political and cultural matters and that it will help the reconciliation process needed after experiencing trauma and war.

Black Butterfly by Juan Carlos Mendizabal

The exhibit features work in a variety of media, including paintings, video, textile sculpture and large-scale multimedia installations by prominent contemporary artists, all immigrants from El Salvador, including Victor Cartagena, Carlos Rogel, Tessie Barrer-Scharaga and Juan Carlos Mendizabal and others.

Leiva wants the Sonoma State community to join in the dialogue too, and is partnering with The Hub, our on campus multicultural center, to host a panel discussion on February 28. Three noted cultural scholars Beatriz Cortez, Karina Zelaya, and Douglas Carranza will speak at the noon event. Leiva is exploring the possibility of bringing the art exhibition to Sonoma State next year as well.

The SOMArts Opening Reception for Mourning and Scars: 20 Years After the War will take place on Friday, February 1, from 6:00-9:00 PM. The event is free and open to the public. SOMArts is located at 934 Brannan St., San Francisco (between 8th and 9th streets). The exhibition will be on view through February 28. http://www.somarts.org/mourningopens/

Article written by SSU Student Melissa Marengo

Franklin Matthews never thought he would one day become a teacher. At SSU during his undergraduate studies, he originally declared a business major. Eventually, he switched his major to Kinesiology where he began working as a basketball coach and personal trainer. Parents of kids that he was working with suggested to him that he become a Physical Education teacher because he seemed to work well with children and enjoy teaching them. He thought he would give it a try and began taking some pre-requisites for the credential program during his senior year in 2008.

He then took a brief leave of absence from the school and moved down to the Peninsula with his wife. Wanting to continue his schooling and get his teaching credential he went to San Jose State who would not accept his transfer credits. Instead of starting over with them, he spoke with Dr. Karen Grady here at SSU who encouraged him to do the program up in the North Bay, despite the long commute. Franklin said that all of his teachers worked around his schedule and his busy commute to allow him to get his credential and fulfill his dream of becoming a Physical Education teacher.

Franklin would commute by bus everyday from East Palo Alto to his classes in Rohnert Park. He got his student teaching opportunity at Petaluma High School, which he described as a "blessing in disguise". He was having a hard time finding a student teaching job and Petaluma High was his last hope. He said his experience there was great and he learned a lot about full inclusion for all students. During his time in the credential program what he learned most was classroom management, the importance of gaining student respect and understanding, and developing strong relationships with your students that will leave a lasting impact on their lives.

With the help of all of his professors and fellow students at SSU, Franklin was able to graduate from the Single Subject Credential Program for Physical Education and is now working with kids in the South Bay. Franklin works at a non-profit organization which partners with Stanford University called East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring. He works with about 25 students every other day after school as the High School Group Coordinator. He teaches them life experience as well as offers help with college applications. Franklin Matthews would like to thank Dr. Grady, Dr. Marker, Dr. Victor, and the entire Sonoma State faculty and staff for being so supportive and flexible with him through out his credential program experience. He says he would not have made it where he is today without them.

The teachers at Mary Collins School in Petaluma are dedicated to teaching as a profession, one which mentors new teachers and fosters professional growth for experienced ones through collaboration, research and study. Each semester the Multiple Subject Credential Program places teacher candidates at Mary Collins to gain valuable clinical experience from their staff of expert mentor teachers and the guidance from School of Education faculty supervisors and gain direct experience working with children in the elementary classroom.

In step with this belief that a continual learning process is key for professional growth, Mary Collins teachers host an annual Symposium on topics related to curriculum, teaching and learning. The Symposium is not just for their own staff but is open to educators in the North Bay community. Motivated by the belief that parents are key partners in student learning, they include a parent night in the Symposium schedule so parents can listen to presentations by the guest speakers and discuss these topics too.

This year will mark the 11th time they have hosted the Annual Mary Collins Symposium, which will take place on Saturday, January 26, 2013 and features presenters Dr. Vivian Vasquez and Dr. Patrick Callahan.

Dr. Callahan will focus on the changed expectations for mathematics instruction with the Common Core Standards, specifically two of the mathematical practices: "Constructing Viable Arguments and Critiquing the Reasoning of Others" and "Reason Abstractly and Concretely" and Dr. Vasquez will focus on critical literacy across the curriculum--specifically: critical literacy and technology-- and place based pedagogy.

Registration is $25 to attend the event, which includes lunch.  Registration is online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/308125

This a wonderful opportunity to network with teachers and educators from all across Sonoma County.

Person Theater's house was filled last week with people gathered to celebrate a new group of teachers who have completed their credential programs at Sonoma State.  This group of students will move on to work as public school teachers in elementary, middle and high schools in California.  Most have completed the program over the course of two or three semesters, including many hours of work in clinical practice, working with a mentor teacher and a university faculty supervisor to gain the important practical experience needed to begin their career as a teacher.

Dean of Education Carlos Ayala and President Ruben Arminana delivered opening remarks for the evening's celebration. Faculty from the School of Education's Credential Programs spoke, offering kind and supportive words to the students as they begin their teaching careers.  A student speaker from each program offered remarks at the ceremony: Sarah Kremple, Yasha Mokaram and Jaime Alexander each spoke about their own experience in the program, and their passion for teaching.

In her address to the Multiple Subject Credential Candidates, Dr. Susan Campbell noted that this is an exceptional group of motivated teachers saying, "You have also taken your own students beyond their immediate worlds and shown them how to be active citizens in a humane democracy. With your guidance and leadership, your elementary students have cleaned up local creeks, sent letters to active military personnel, sent food and cards to needy families, started school recycling programs, and made scarves for residents in eldercare-all this within the umbrella of academic learning as they also learn how to read, write, research, and interact within school. You have changed the world and we are proud of you."

Dr. Viki Montera offered her congratulations to the group who completed the Education Specialist Credential Intern program, "who have earned their credential while also serving as full - time teachers in area schools."  Dr. Montera acknowledged the tremendous effort that required, since these Special Education Interns "are responsible for their students' success at work while simultaneously being responsible for their success here at SSU. A balancing act and a remarkable feat."

Dr. Karen Grady acknowledged how challenging it is to earn a credential in California, and offered words of advice to the beginning middle and high school teachers: "
Remember to be kind to adolescents. Even when it is hard to do, put the kids first" and stressed she the importance of maintaining a professional community, advising "...remember that you do not have to manage it all by yourself--the Lone Ranger is actually not a good metaphor for being a great teacher. Find like-minded colleagues, go to conferences, become members of your professional organizations. You will need to do this to be your best, to stay sane and healthy, and to keep growing."

The inspiring ceremony concluded with a slide show of photos of the teachers at their student teaching field sites, and a reception for the graduates and their guests.

Sonoma State faculty, staff and administration got together on December 14 to honor Professor James Fouche's retirement from Sonoma State's School of Education after twenty years of service.  Dr. Fouche came to SSU as the Dean of Education in 1992 following a post as Dean of Education at Winthrop University in South Carolina.  During his tenure as Dean of Education, Fouche contributed in many ways to the campus and community, including the establishment of the Educator in Residence Program, work as a partner on the design for Technology High School, and a co-author of the North Coast Beginning Teachers Program, along with many other projects and initiatives. In 1997 he transitioned to a faculty position in the Curriculum Studies and Secondary Education Department and spearheaded many successful state and federal grants, including work for the advancement of bilingual teacher preparation (Projects BECA and PITA), and many notable initiatives to the advancement of educational technology for teachers: Digital Bridge, Light Bridge and SMART. More more recently he was a partner on the EnAct grant project for accessible technology and Universal Design for Learning. Together these grant projects brought millions of dollars for educational research and innovation to Sonoma State and our public school region.

At the retirement celebration, colleagues shared stories of working with Dr. Fouche over the years, noting many examples of his steady leadership, collegiality, vision for innovation, and dedication to helping teachers and students that characterized his career.  Retired faculty joined the celebration, including Jayne DeLawter, Rick Marks, and Marty Ruddell.  Dr. Fouche's roots in Louisiana and his well-known dedication to Gators football were a theme at the party too, including a cake decked out with an alligator staring down a seawolf, surrounded by blue and orange icing.  The School of Education faculty presented Jim with a gift of a framed Matisse print in honor of the occasion. 

Jim and his wife Kathy look forward to this new opportunity to spend more time with their family, especially their two young grandchildren.   

Despite the stormy weather outside, an enthusiastic crowd of teachers, school and district administrators, university faculty, staff, and Sonoma State Students gathered in the Student Union on November 29 for an evening of creative idea sharing and professional dialogue about educational technology. Twenty-nine student and alumni presenters showed examples of the kinds of lessons that they are designing using new media tools. What is unique about this showcase is the emphasis not on the tools themselves, but on how they are used to increase student engagement and student learning. Carlos Ayala, Interim Dean of the School of Education posed the question, "How can we create a better learning environment for students through the integration of technology, and how do we know it is better?" Presentations at the event demonstrated how new teachers at Sonoma State are working to answer those questions.

Dr. Jessica K. Parker first organized the Technology Showcase last year, as part of a project funded by Google. Dr. Parker noted that this year the event has more than doubled in size. This year's Showcase was once again sponsored by Google, with additional support from KQED Education and Edutopia (The George Lucas Education Foundation); both of these organizations tabled at the event.

What the Showcase revealed is that across all subjects and age groups, new technology tools provide many possibilities for engaging students, providing teachers with tools for teaching and assessing student progress. There are many useful tools that foster open student collaboration and creative opportunities for student engagement. The Showcase also demonstrated that there is much room for research on how these tools can best be applied to advance learning.

Many of the applications that were on view were not originally developed for educators, but have been applied to teaching in unique and powerful ways by these beginning teachers. For example, a team of Special Education teacher candidates Wendy Franklin, Samantha Thurston and Erica Metz showed how music entertainment software Garage Band can help students learn vocabulary. And Diane Dalenberg, Master's Degree candidate in Educational Leadership showed how she re-purposed two children's storybook websites to analyze children's reading skills with retrospective miscue analysis.

Some presentations showed how applications can provide ways for reluctant students to become more engaged and active in learning. Christina Sanders and Tasha Schmitz, both from the Multiple Subject program, demonstrated using Voicethread to get students to talk about literature. Carmen Vecchitto, a candidate in Single Subject Spanish showed how a 'digital jump start' can warm students up and help them be ready to learn more in a Spanish lesson. Julia Marrero and Mary-Clare Neal showed how the social learning platform Edmodo can help keep students engaged and collaborate on learning activities beyond the classroom walls.

The atmosphere at the event was one of wonder, hope and possibility--an invitation for educators to try new things and share ideas with colleagues, to experiment and innovate all to help foster student learning. In the lobby of the Student Union, informal 'sandbox' areas were provided for one on one dialogue about tools, equipment and applications. Clearly, in this ever-changing technology environment, educators from all backgrounds need to be agile and open to learning new skills. The robust attendance at the event showed that many teachers, administrators and students are eager to acquire some of these skills themselves.

Dean Ayalay noted that Sonoma State's School of Education is ready to be a center for innovation in educational technology for the region and welcomes opportunities for collaboration and research in this arena. Hosting this annual Showcase, offering credential and advanced degree programs that spur innovation in schools, and participating in partnerships that encourage collaboration and innovation all contribute to this effort to support the appropriate use of educational technology in our schools.

Imagine a classroom where middle school students learn geospatial awareness by taking a virtual tour of the moon, or a lesson where special education kids improve their vocabulary with Garage Band.  These are just a couple examples of projects that will be featured at the Teacher Technology Showcase this Thursday at Sonoma State University.  At the Showcase, twenty four pre-service and recently credentialed teachers will demonstrate lessons that they have created to help build student engagement and support student learning. 

School of Education Assistant Professor Jessica Parker designed the event, which provides beginning teachers the chance to share creative ideas for ways they plan to use new media tools in classroom experiences. Dr. Parker, who teaches educational technology at SSU, notes that the focus of the event is not just on the technological tools the teachers are employing, but also on the content objectives as well; how are they creating a better learning environment for students through technology integration.   At the showcase, presenters will have the opportunity to converse with experienced teachers and administrators from local schools, graduate students and faculty about the lessons they designed. 

Presentations will include examples of lessons built for mobile devices, the use of web based collaboration tools, video screencasts for flipped classrooms, wikis and more. The presenters come from a range of teaching environments and student age groups, from early education, elementary, secondary, educational leadership and special education, and they will provide examples of for kindergarten through senior year of high school and beyond.

This is the second year that the SSU School of Education is hosting the Showcase, which this year has support from Google, KQED and Edutopia. The event will take place on Thursday, November 29, 5:00-7:00 PM in the Student Union Multipurpose Room and is free and open to the community.  (Please note that parking on campus is $2.50).

Can't make it to the event?  Follow us on Twitter for highlights:  @educationSSU #ssuedtech.

The School of Education will officially launch a new undergraduate major in Early Childhood Studies with lunch hour celebration of children, learning and play on the Stevenson Quad on Thursday, November 1, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM.  The new major will help prepare students to work or pursue graduate study in education, health and other professions that serve young children and their families, leading to better health and education outcomes as children grow into adulthood. 

"Early investments in children help all youth, regardless of the barriers they may face, to increase their personal achievement, thus breaking the cycle of disadvantage that perpetuates inequalities in the United States," says Associate Professor Chiara Bacigalupa, faculty advisor for the Early Childhood Studies program.

"In order for these advantages to be realized, however, early childhood program need educated professional who understand the complexities of providing effective care and learning opportunities in today's diverse communities."

The major is a multi-disciplinary course of study will prepare students for a variety of career paths, including:

• Infant, toddler and preschool teachers
• Administrators of programs for young children and families
• Professionals in health fields, including child life specialists
• Pre-requisite work for the multiple subjects credential for elementary school teachers
• Pre-requisite work for the special education teaching credential.

The November 1 launch celebration will include interactive exhibits from the Sonoma County Children's Museum, play-based learning activities and the chance to meet representatives from agencies in Sonoma County that offer support services to children and families.

The goal of the Single Subject Credential Program is to prepare candidates to be successful secondary teachers for California Public Schools. Achieving that goal requires a study in teaching theories and pedagogy, balanced with valuable practical experience working in classroom settings with a professional mentor. This year the Single Subject program is impementing a new model for student teaching, called co-teaching.

Dr. Karen Grady and Dr. Susan Victor have been working closely with teams of teachers and single subject candidates in five local schools for this pilot: Altamira Middle School in Sonoma, Elsie Allen High School in Santa Rosa, Petaluma Junior High School and Lawrence Jones Middle School in Rohnert Park. Teams from the schools came to Sonoma State campus and participated in special workshop so they will be ready to put the model into practice in Spring semester 2013. Grady hopes to expand the model to more schools in coming years.

Co-teaching is defined as two teachers (mentor teacher and teacher candidate) working together to teach groups of students - sharing the planning, organization, delivery and assessment of instruction, as well as the physical space. Co-teaching involves a continuing partnership where the lessons are all prepared collaboratively and taught as a team. Both teachers are actively involved and engaged in all aspects of instruction. This differs from the prevalent model of student teaching in secondary classrooms where student teachers are expected to solo teach for the entire semester of student teaching. In the co-teaching model student teachers both team teach with their mentors and solo teach.

The co-teaching model has been used and evaluated nationwide, and shows benefits not only for beginning teachers, but benefits for student learning. One high school student remarked, "While one is teaching, the other comes around and asks if we need help. It makes it easier to get around to everybody." The research shows that this model enhances classroom management, supports different learning styles and increases student engagement and participation. Another student noted, "I think we learn more because there are two different teachers in the room - which means they teach different ways - which means they know different facts - which means you're going to learn a lot more."

Mentor teachers have a lot to gain from the model too. Teachers who have implemented co-teaching in their classrooms noted that not only do student teachers perform better through the collaboration, but that they themselves feel a new energy for teaching, have experienced professional renewal, and have been better able to try new things because they are working in a team.

Janet Hardcastle retires today after twenty five years of dedicated service to Sonoma State University.  When she started working here in 1987, her first position was with the Intensive Learning Experience Program for the Communication Studies Department.  But shortly after that, she took a position with the School of Education, where she has worked ever since.  From 1989-2001 Janet worked as the assistant to the dean in the School of Education, before transitioning to the world of educational technology grant work, where she has truly made her mark over the last decade.  Janet has been the administrator of three major federal grant projects sponsored by U.S. Department of Education, and has worked closely with teams of faculty from Sonoma State and other partner institutions.  These projects include Light Bridge:  Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology, Ensuring Access through Collaboration and Technology (EnACT) and EnACT - Partnerships, Technology and Collaboration, EnACT-PTD.

Two weeks ago, the campus celebrated her retirement with a send-off party hosted by the School of Education.  Faculty and staff from across campus, as well as other retired SSU people and family members came together at the Terrace Room and Patio at the Commons to thank Janet for all the good work she has done for Sonoma State, and to wish her well.  Colleagues Gayle Graff, Jim Fouche, Brett Christie and Emiliano Ayala praised her for years of professionalism, precision, dedication and collegiality.  They credited her with much of the success of their grant work, because she brought so much knowledge and expertise to the complex world of federal grants.  Janet was at the hub of all their work, and for that they are forever grateful.

The School of Education presented Janet with a commemorative Waterford vase and a framed picture with photographs of campus to mark the occasion.  Janet noted that she loves Sonoma State’s beautiful campus, and while she will no longer be working here, you will likely in the future see her here taking a walk, maybe pushing one of her grandchildren’s strollers, enjoying the beauty of the trees and gardens here at Sonoma State, truly taking time to make the most of her retirement.

Sonoma State welcomes Melba Pattillo Beals to campus on September 27, 7:00 PM in the Cooperage.  Beals is a journalist and member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who were the first to integrate Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas. Beals' book Warriors Don't Cry chronicles the events of 1957 during the Little Rock crisis, based partly on diaries she kept during that period. She also wrote White is a State of Mind, which begins where Warriors left off. 

In 1958, the NAACP awarded the Spingarn Medal to Beals and to the other members of the Little Rock Nine, together with civil rights leader Daisy Bates, who had advised the group during their struggles at Central High. In 1999, she and the rest of the Nine were awarded the highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. Only three hundred others have received this. Beals will be discussing her book and experiences.

This events is free, but you need a ticket to attend. Stop by the SSU Student Union Box Office to get a ticket. Tickets will be available to select freshman classes this week, and opened up to the community starting Monday, September 17.

Check out a clip here about Beals and how she grew to love learning, books and libraries:

As part of Sonoma State University's ongoing effort to improve student learning for all, the School of Education is launching its first Tech Infusion Challenge. The Tech Infusion Challenge is a project sponsored by the CSU Digital Learning Ambassadors Program and the Google Education Division.

School of Education students and a faculty partner are invited to design a lesson in mathematics, science or language arts that infuses technology in teaching based on a lesson the student observed at Sonoma State. The best lesson selected and re-designed will be awarded $600.

• Consider a lesson that you observed at SSU and how it might be improved.
• Invite a faculty member to be a partner in redesigning the lesson.
• Prepare an alternative lesson that infuses technology to help convey subject content and skills. Work collaboratively.
• Four workshops will be offered throughout the semester to assist with your technology planning and implementation.
• Submit your lesson (e.g., *video link, webpage, presentation) with any additional instructional materials that would be used by students (*video no longer than 10 minutes).
• Each submission will be reviewed by a panel of faculty.
• First Prize $600
• Second Prize $400.

Partner teams must REGISTER by SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

Only the first 12 qualifying teams will be selected to participate. All team members will receive digital prizes for participating.

Registration and challenge guidelines can be found online at:
http://sonoma.edu/dlc/challenge.html

Submissions are due by Monday, November 26, 2012. Winners will be announced Friday, December 7, 2012. For more information contact Dr. Sandy Ayala, 707-664-2972 or ayalas@sonoma.edu

written by MaryAnn Nickel, Professor

Fifteen graduate students and 56 kids had an exciting two weeks of adventuring with reading and writing at the Summer Academy held on the Roseland Elementary School campus. The Academy ran from July 9th through July 20th. Guest readers shared their favorite books to close each day. Children worked in a small groups with two or three graduate teachers selecting books to read from a wonderful collection of rich multicultural children's literature and authoring an original story or non-fiction piece to be published in the Sonoma State University's Academy 2012's annual Academy Magazine. At the SSU Author's Tea in the fall, students and their families will come to campus to receive their copy of the magazine. For many it is their first time on a college campus.

The Academy is a supervised practicum for Reading certificate and Specialist candidates. Using a Reading and Writing Workshop format, candidates work with students from 2nd to 9th grades under the supervision of and in collaboration with faculty and Specialist candidates. An emphasis is placed on assessing the strengths of readers and writers from all levels and ages with an obligation to inform the students of what they can do well. Informal assessments and planned instruction utilizes learners' strengths in order to address their needs. Candidates participate in professional conferences and write reports in which they summarize and critique assessment findings. Opportunities are available for candidates to work with beginning readers, struggling readers at different levels, English language learners, and successful readers and writers.

Language is learned through its functional use. As our students engage in purposeful literacy experiences they learn language, learn about language, and learn through language (M.A.K. Halliday). Literacy is a dynamic and multidimensional human process that enables individuals to express, communicate, and reflect on their experiences and their potential next steps. Reading and writing involve constructive strategies of communicating, composing, and meaning making.  Language and literacy vary according to regional, historical, social, cultural, political, and economic influences; these and other factors must be interrogated and taken into account when making instructional decisions. Teachers who understand the linguistic, cognitive, socio-cultural, and developmental dimensions of literacy in authentic contexts can better address students' next places to learn and roadblocks in language arts, reading and writing. The course focuses on assessing, planning, teaching and collaborating with fellow graduate candidates to best meet the needs of readers and writers at all levels of skill and ability. The end goal is deep preparation of graduate students who will return to their classrooms and schools and become more successful literacy professionals and educators.

The Department of Educational Leadership and Special Education welcomes Dr. Viki Montera to the position of Department Chair for the Fall 2012 semester.  Dr. Montera is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership for the ELSE Department which offers both advanced credential and master's degree programs for the preparation of principals, superintendents and education administrators. In addition, Dr. Montera is taking over the role of co-director of the CANDEL Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership this semester as well. Joining her in a department leadership role this semester is Dr. Sandy Ayala, who will serve as the program coordinator for the Education Specialist Credential program. Fellow ELSE Department faculty member Jennifer Mahdavi, on sabbatical through the end of this term, will move into the role of department chair in Spring 2013 upon her return.

This change in leadership follows former Department Chair Professor Emiliano Ayala's departure from Sonoma State University to a new position at our sister institution Humboldt State University as Associate Dean of the College or Professional Studies. Dr. Ayala was a member of the Sonoma State faculty since 2000, teaching in the Education Specialist Credential and Special Education Master's Degree programs. In addition to his recent role as department chair, he wrote and directed two grant projects here on campus related to adaptive technology and Universal Design for Learning, first as Project Co-director and Co-principal Investigator for Access by Design (AxD) funded by the National Science Foundation, and later, from 2005-2012, as Project Director/Principal Investigator for Ensuring Access through Collaboration and Technology (EnACT~PTD) funded by the U.S. Department of Education: Office of Postsecondary Education.

Dr. Ayala has been a valued scholar and leader at Sonoma State, and will be missed here on campus. Department colleague Professor Paul Porter remarked that "Emiliano is one of the brightest and most talented faculty members in the School of Education. His great organizational skills, vision, student-centered outlook, and always positive attitude will add so much to Humboldt State. We will miss him very much."

The CSSE Department in the School of Education welcomes new Assistant Professor for Mathematics Education Megan Taylor this semester.  She comes to Sonoma State having just completed  a post-doctoral research fellowship at Harvard Graduate School of Education for the TESLA Project (Transforming the Engagement of Students Learning Algebra).  Immediately prior to the postdoc, her doctoral work at Stanford focused on the way mathematics teachers use and adapt textbooks in the classroom.

We asked Megan tell us a little about herself and her journey to becoming a mathematics educator:

*Math was never easy for me. If you had told me, as I was struggling through freshman Algebra (and hating every minute), that I would become a mathematics teacher, I would have laughed hysterically (and probably cried a little, too). But I AM a math teacher today in spite of and because of the teachers I had along the way. Teachers who ignored my needs, who frustrated me, who saw me as a lost cause. Teachers who inspired me to challenge myself, try my best, and never give up. Teachers who helped me realize I wanted to BE a teacher.

Today I work with mathematics teachers and study mathematics teaching so more people can help more students be successful in mathematics. In my dissertation research I studied how four teachers worked to use their textbooks more effectively, and observed fascinating changes in how they adapted and created curriculum materials over time. In my postdoc the past two years I developed curricula and a professional development experience for over 400 teachers, as part of a project designed to understand motivation in middle-school mathematics. One of the most recent findings emerging from the data is that the "best" lessons were not necessarily those from teachers implementing our materials the way we expected them to.

I couldn't be more excited to join the SSU team and get to know the Seawolf culture!"

Adam Green at the NSF Noyce Poster Session in Washington D.C.

School of Education faculty member Kirsten Searby, and Noyce Scholars Adam Green and Ginnie Chu represented Sonoma State University at the May 2012 NSF Noyce Conference in Washington D.C. The meeting was an opportunity for hundreds of NSF Noyce Program awardees from across the nation  to learn and share strategies from each other, as well as from K-12 STEM leaders, and national experts in recruiting, preparing, and retaining new K-12 STEM teachers.  The invitation-only conference featured plenary speakers and panel sessions; concurrent workshop sessions, including sessions for Noyce Scholars and new teachers; and poster sessions.

Noyce Scholars Green and Chu have both completed the Single Subject Teaching Credential Program in the School of Education, and just finished their first year of teaching.  Green teaches mathematics at Rancho Cotati High School here in Rohnert Park, and last year Chu worked as a science teacher at Piner High School and Grace High School, which both meet on the same campus in Santa Rosa. SSU Noyce Scholars receive collegial support both during their credential program and for the first couple of years as they begin to work in California high needs school districts.

Noyce Scholar Adam Green with his poster NSF Noyce Conference

Searby, who is the Sonoma State Noyce Program Coordinator says this is the first time Sonoma State Noyce Scholars have presented at this annual conference.  She says the opportunity proved to be a great experience for them, and remarked that  "Watching them interact and share ideas with other new teachers and experts in the field  was inspiring.  Seeing them participate in the conference showed me what they understood and valued about education.  They are both really excited to try some of these new ideas in the schools where they work."

In addition to attending workshops, both Sonoma State Noyce Scholars made presentations at the conference.  Adam Green participated in a poster session, presenting information about three teaching strategies he finds helpful in the mathematics classroom.  Ginnie Chu was as a panelist for a session titled, "Voices from the Field", featuring six beginning teachers from different regions of the country.  The session was attended by hundreds of people including pre-service teachers, new and old teachers, deans, and professors. Searby noted that the audience all clapped when Chu said, "I have learned that to my students I'm not only teaching science but I also have to teach language as part of the curriculum."  Chu, reflecting about the conference and the opportunity to talk to teachers from all over the country said, "I realize that I am not as isolated as I think. As I attempt to make small ripples in my classroom, teachers all over the country are doing the same. And together, we are collaborating to generate a large wave of positive change while propagating social justice." You can read more of Ginnie Chu's reflections here.

SSU Noyce Scholar Ginnie Chu during the Voices from the Field panel discussion. Conference photo by colellaphoto.com

The Robert Noyce Scholarship Program for Math and Science Teachers seeks to encourage talented Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors and professionals who might otherwise not have considered the teaching profession, particularly those from underrepresented groups. Each Noyce Scholar receives a maximum of three years of scholarship support of up to $10,000 per year. In addition, Sonoma State provides support to the scholars throughout the period covered by the scholarships and up to two years after to assist the scholars to reach their goal of a credential and a teaching position. Noyce Scholars are selected by consideration of academic achievement, under-representation and financial need. To learn more about the Noyce Scholarship Program on the School of Education website at www.sonoma.edu/education/scholarships/noyce

A Sense of Perspective

by Ginnie Chu, SSU Noyce Scholar, and Science Teacher

At the recent NSF Robert Noyce Teachers Scholarship Conference, as I recounted some of my teaching experiences to a professor in attendance, he asked how long I have been teaching. When I responded that this was my first year, he exclaimed, “But you sound like such an expert!” I was caught a bit speechless, because I thought, “Of course I am an expert of my own experiences.” I realized that as I write this, I should ask you, dear reader, to bear in mind, my musings on my first year teaching come from a sample size of one…me.

About me:

1. I just completed my first year teaching at a comprehensive and an alternative high school in Santa Rosa, CA. Both are high-needs public schools sharing one campus.
2. 2) This is the first STEM education conference I have ever attended.

One of the many challenges I faced in my first year teaching was a lack of perspective for the diversity of new experiences in which I found myself living. I was constantly reflecting, asking colleagues for their perspectives, and then re-evaluating my own instinctual reactions to these new experiences because I lacked past experiences for comparison. One of best outcomes of attending the Noyce conference was the valuable perspectives and additional lens I gained for which to view my understanding and place in the larger world of education. While the conference provided me with rich layers of multifaceted learning, I will focus on three specific experiences.



The first one-hour workshop I attended was titled, “Social Media for STEM Educators: How to Build an Online Community Around STEM Ideas and Market Yourself as a Leader in the Field.” While I gained some tips and tricks, such best blogging sites and how to set up a Twitter account, sitting in this workshop forced me to consciously recognize that I am actively building my identity as an educator. I must exercise great intention in the process of creating my professional identity. This workshop emphasized the use of social networking tools in education. The idea of social networking tools spurred me to think deeper about the idea of education itself. Very few educators currently in classrooms today experienced the same learning environment of that of their students. The current learning environment is a very different landscape from which I was raised. The learning paradigm is shifting, and whether I choose to shift and adapt my teaching with it has significant implications for my students’ achievement. This is well illustrated in an exchange I had with a student I taught this year. The classroom was buzzing with a school scandal. When I asked the students what they were talking about, one student said to me, “Oh come on Ms. Chu. You know what we are talking about.” When I feigned ignorance, she responded, “Don’t you read the news? You need to go to Facebook.” While it hadn’t occurred to me that Facebook was a legitimate news outlet, it also had not occurred to me that I was not meeting my students where they were, both metaphorically and in the virtual places they congregate. Recognizing this leads me to ponder, how do I teach to most effectively engage today’s students in the act of learning?



Another workshop I attended was titled, “Using Concept Maps as an Assessment Tool to Close the Achievement Gap.” In this one-hour workshop, two professors presented a cursory introduction to concept mapping followed by practice creating our own concept maps. This workshop was unlike any other experience I had at the conference. Some audience members raised skepticism and expressed negative sentiment about the validity and effectiveness of concept mapping as an assessment tool. There was provocative and at times hostile debate throughout. From my participation in this workshop, as well as the conversations I had with other scholars in attendance afterwards, I have two conclusions to share. First, I was surprised by the controversy surrounding something as seemingly innocuous as concept making. This surprise underscores a greater philosophical debate about education. We as educators share a common goal; we want students to learn. That may be where the consensus ends. What we consider effective teaching, whether in theory or practice, expected learning outcomes, and how we assess those outcomes lie on a wide continuum. Just as students act in the way they see themselves, we act in the way we see our roles as educators. The controversy in which I found myself allowed me to realize this second point. The dialogue around me underscored the importance that I must form and articulate my own pedagogy in order to participate in both the larger conversation as well as in consensus building in the STEM education community. While this goes in tandem with building professional identity, I believe that when I can articulate what teaching and learning mean to me, I will find that identity. Or alternatively, how am I able to cross pedagogical lines if I don’t know where I stand?

Aside from attending workshops, I also had the opportunity to speak on a plenary panel discussing some of the trials and tribulations of my first year teaching. It was not the panel talk itself but rather the feedback I received that was so poignant and thought provoking for me. Teaching can be an isolating experience. In the concentric circles of inclusion, I am in the center. From there, my students, departmental colleagues, school faculty, and district occupy the outer circles roughly in that order. While I shared my experiences as a first year teacher in a high needs school, I falsely assumed that many in the audience would not be able to relate to the unique vagaries and challenges of teaching in Northern California, or more specifically, at my schools. For example, I believed that some would take offense to the idea that I see myself as both a science and language educator. After this plenary session, a first year teacher from Mobile, Alabama thanked me for the talk. This teacher expressed gratitude and appreciation for my words because, as she put it, “You articulated everything I was thinking and wanted to say.” From that brief exchange, I learned two new things. First, a teacher from Mobile, Alabama and one from Northern California shared similar teaching experiences. It suggests to me that our situations and experiences are far more alike than not. For one, we are attempting to teach scientific literary. While there are always nuances to each individual circumstance, teachers in high-need schools throughout the country share similar obstacles, needs, and student populations. If this is true, then there must be similar underlying root causes to these challenges we face. The second realization I made from talking to this teacher is that I am not as isolated as I think. As I attempt to make small ripples in my classroom, teachers all over the country are doing the same. And together, we are collaborating to generate a large wave of positive change while propagating social justice.

This conference was an invaluable opportunity for me to immerse myself in quality discourse. It challenged my own ideas of what it means to be an educator. And in a year when I was just treading water to stay afloat, this experience was a lifeline that brought me back to the raft of values that originally inspired me to teach. During my time in the SSU credentialing program, I felt indoctrinated to many of the visions contained within the School of Education Conceptual Framework. I understood what that meant on paper, but only now am I beginning to embody and understand what that means in action.

Jennie Snyder, Superintendent of Piner Olivet Union School District has been awarded a Circle of Excellence Award by the School of Education's Educational Leadership faculty. Jennie has served the district as Superintendent for two years. She is an alumna of the CANDEL Ed.D program, a joint doctoral program that Sonoma State offers in collaboration with UC Davis. Dr. Paul Porter, Co-Director of CANDEL describes Jennie as an outstanding educator and thoughtful leader who, since becoming Superintendent has "already begun to change and shape the culture of the district, stressing collaboration, team work, and highest standards."

At a recent visit to her office I had the opportunity to speak with Superintendent Snyder about her work and her experience in the CANDEL program. As a doctoral candidate, she appreciated the time and space for reflection, and the collaboration with a cohort of fellow students with a diverse set of experiences and backgrounds. In her role at Piner-Olivet she sees tremendous challenges ahead, yet is inspired by the opportunity to collaborate with teachers and administrators in an effort to find creative solutions for her schools and community. In the end she believes that each student in her district is entitled to an education that sparks their natural curiosity, builds on their capacity to learn, inspires their imagination and provides opportunities for them to express their ideas to their fullest. Jennie Snyder is receiving the Circle of Excellence Award because she is an accomplished scholar and gifted administrator. She is the kind of child-centered, collaborative, reflective and thoughtful leader that can make those goals come to fruition.

Congratulations to Windsor High School's Vineyard Academy and Oak Grove Elementary School's Primos programs for both receiving the 2012 Jack London Award for Educational Innovation.  Each year this award is granted to one or more programs for their exemplary and innovative contributions to education in a Sonoma County Public School Because of their originality, creativity, and their ability to engage children and the community, these exciting programs deserve public recognition.

This year the honor in the elementary school category goes to the Primos program at Oak Grove Elementary School in the Oak Grove School District in NW Santa Rosa.  Program coordinator Nancy Saylor designed it after a big brother mentorship model, to provide support for kids who are learning English.  The mentors provide a little extra help at school and and a lot of encouragement.  To find mentors, Saylor started out by extending an invitation to some Oak Grove alumni who were enrolled in nearby El Molino High School, Those kids took on the role of primos, our cousins to the younger students. Their time together is characterized as playful and fun, a mix of homework help, games, and social events, all with the goal of helping these kids acquire academic skills and foster a desire in them to succeed.

The award to a secondary level program goes to Vineyard Academy at Windsor High, an interdisciplinary career track program combining culinary arts training, English, math, science and history. Students at Vineyard Academy see and experience the real world relevancy of these subjects as experience coursework in business building, economics and applied arts. The program works with community collaborations, and is supported by local businesses and organization partnerships, who provide not only resources but mentors for these students. Graduates of Vineyard Academy have a good foundation for building a career path in local tourism, including hospitality, winery and food businesses. Marie Ganister is the culinary instructor coordinating this program, but the strong collaborations include many teachers across the curriculum.

The Jack London Awards are sponsored by the California Faculty Association, The Sonoma County Educators Council CTA/NEA, The Sonoma County Office of Education, and the Sonoma State University Educational Leadership Institute, which is supported by Lozano Smith Attorneys at Law.

The SSU Educational Leadership Program will host a series of Information Meetings in May for educators interested in earning Administrative Services Credentials, Preliminary and Clear Credentials and Master's Degree in Educational Leadership.

• Sonoma Valley Unified School District
  El Verano Elementary School Library
  18606 Riverside Drive - Sonoma CA, 95476
  Wednesday, May 2, 4:30 p.m.
• Napa Valley Unified School District
  Napa Valley Adult Education, Room #15
  Monday, May 14, 2012, 4:30 p.m.
• Solano County Office of Education
  Wednesday May 16th 4:00 pm

The meetings will provide Information on how SSU's Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and/or Preliminary or Clear Administrative Services Credential Programs will prepares candidates for a position of leadership in K-12 educational settings. Public, private and charter educators welcome. Prospective candidates will receive information on the following topics:

Now accepting applications for Fall, 2012 admission.
Application Deadline: May 30, 2012

For more information visit the Educational Leadership Programs webpage, or contact Dr. Rod Buchignani at buchignr@sonoma.edu or Dr. Viki Montera at montera@sonoma.edu

This week, Mary Gail Stablein received the 2012 Circle of Excellence Award in the category "Friend of the Program", having been selected by the Single Subject Credential Program faculty for this honor.  The annual award recognizes the contributions of a local educator for their contributions to and in support of the Single Subject Program which prepares beginning teachers to teach in a California public high school.

Stablein is an alumna of the Educational Leadership program at SSU, and many of the teachers on her faculty at Elsie Allen are graduates of the SSU Single Subject Program. The school continues to be a training ground for many candidates during their field experience semester.  In the award ceremony, SSU lecturer and retired Elsie Allen teacher Kirsten Searby noted that many single subject candidates appreciate how helpful Principal Stablein has been to them as they prepare for their first teaching job, offering concrete advice about job interviews as well as a candid introduction to the realities of the impact of standardized testing data, NCLB legislation, and how that legislation relates to their classroom teaching. 

Stablein is a dynamic and creative leader, qualities that serve her in her role as Principal of Elsie Allen High School.  Elsie Allen serves a highly diverse population of 1150 students in the southwest part of Santa Rosa. Instead of viewing the diversity of the student body as an obstacle, the school embraces the diverse population as something to be celebrated and a opportunity for learning.  The school's foyer is adorned with flags of fifty nations, each representing a home country of students at the school.  When she is hiring teachers, Principal Stablein carefully selects candidates that are skillful in teaching populations of English Learners, and teachers who are passionate in their role to help every child achieve and have a positive high school experience, equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in college and careers.

High school students who excel in academics have an opportunity to participate in the University Center, which is a collaboration between SSU and Elsie Allen, upholding rigorous academic standards and an opportunity to take classes at the college level while still in high school.  After graduating from the University Center program, students are guaranteed admission to SSU, although some go to colleges far away from home, including Harvard, University of Chicago, and the University of California. 

One of the other special programs and career tracks at Elsie Allen include classes in Agricultural Sciences.  The week I visited the campus, and took the photos for this article was the first time teachers were able to use a newly refurbished Ag Building, equipped with science labs and a forklift, welding station and other specialized equipment for students to learn skills for careers in farming and agriculture. 

Offering programs and opportunities for kids to succeed and learn are essential to the program at Elsie Allen.  Mary Gail Stablein exemplifies good administrative leadership because she knows that to be a good principal, she needs to be in touch with and care about the kids, stay in communication and be a support for her teaching staff, and collaborate  effectively with community partners. Kristen Searby commented, "she has been instrumental in promoting the Single Subject program and assisting student teacher candidates to be informative, confident and successful.  She values the work we do here in the school and is a great model for these beginning educators."

This week The School of Education celebrates alumni and local educators with annual Circle of Excellence Awards, and this year's recipient in the field of Early Childhood Education is Master's Degree Program Alumna Margaret Clark. Faculty in the Early Childhood program selected her for her exemplary scholarship.

Associate Professor Chiara Bacigalupa remarked that Clark's rigor and intellectual curiosity was evident from the start.  She noted that "in her very first class in the program, she completed an excellent action research study on children's ideas about peace and then continued to build on that research as she continued her studies." During her time in the program, Clark also served as a research assistant for Dr. Bagigalupa. Clark's Master's thesis, entitled, Making Peace: A Creative Thesis Project defined the ways children are natural at making peace, and explored literature and projects that build on their inclinations to be peace makers, peace builders and peace keepers. As part of the project, Clark wrote a children's book, Making Peace, which she hopes to publish.

Her thesis and the research behind it garnered national attention this year when it was selected as the first place winner of the American Montessori Society's Outstanding Master's Thesis Award, one of two such awards given annually to exemplary graduate studies research in the field of Montessori methods and theory. Clark is now at UC Santa Cruz where she continues her research in peace education in the doctoral program there.

The School of Education Recognition and Awards Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 25, 5:00-6:30 pm. in the Cooperage at Sonoma State University and is a free event, open to the public. The Circle of Excellence Awards are generously sponsored by the Alumni Association of Sonoma State University. Click to view the invitation flyer.

The School of Education at Sonoma State University successfully completed its national and state accreditation review with a stellar performance that the university president described as "hitting a home run with the bases loaded." The School of Education prepares teachers and principals for the North Bay Region.

"These are a remarkable group of faculty and students," said Gerry Giordano, a professor in education management at the University of North Florida who was the head of the 13 member review panel which said the School had exceeded both state and national standards.

This includes all of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Program Standards for all of its programs and all six National Council of Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE) Standards.

Giordano said that the School stood out because of "the extraordinary faculty and students that it had recruited," "highly imaginative community-based programs," and a "culture in which candidates and faculty members interacted outside as well as inside university classrooms."

The team specifically commended School programs where social justice permeated every aspect of every program as evidenced by eloquent and inspiring testimonials that local teacher candidates provided.

The re-accreditation was extensive, said Carlos Ayala, interim Dean of the School of Education.

Since the fall of 2011, the expert panel had reviewed the School's website, an exhaustive repository of documentation for all of the teacher, counseling, school administrator and masters programs, sifting through evidence from the last three years of program implementation.

In order to verify the electronic reports and evidence, the expert team then visited campus. While at Sonoma State, they interviewed nearly 473 teachers, faculty, staff, students, mentor teachers, counselors, school principals, superintendents and community members; sifted through budgets, meeting minutes and assessment results; and visited Roseland Elementary School where School of Education prepared teachers, counselors and principals work.

Signficantly, the review panel did not find any "areas of concern" nor did they identify any "areas for improvement" in any of the programs and are proposing that the maximum accreditation period of seven years be awarded.

The panel specifically gave the School of Education four commendations in the following areas: teacher candidates completing programs learn to develop highly creative learning activities, learn to assess student learning, exhibit professional dispositions, and employ pedagogy aligned with state standards.

The review panel will present its findings to their respective governing boards for those boards to take final action in April for state and in October for the national review.

Article written by Jean Wasp, University Affairs

Sonoma State Associated Students Productions welcomes political analyst and intellectual Dr. Marc Lamont Hill to Sonoma State University on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. He will be presenting a free workshop at 3PM in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Student Union and will lecture at 7:30PM in the Cooperage.

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill is one of the leading hip-hop generation intellectuals in the country. His work, which covers topics such as hip-hop culture, politics, sexuality, education and religion, has appeared in numerous journals, magazines, books, and anthologies. Dr. Hill has lectured widely and provides regular commentary for media outlets like NPR, Washington Post, Essence Magazine, and New York Times and has been a regular guest on CNN, MSNBC, and Larry King Live. He has recently become the host of the nationally syndicated show Our World with Black Enterprise.

In Fall 2009, he joined the faculty of Columbia University as Associate Professor of Education at Teachers College. He also holds an affiliated faculty appointment in African American Studies at the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University.

His workshop, "Why Black Fraternities and Sororities Still Matter," will take place at 3PM in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Student Union. As we enter the 21st century, many people question the role, purpose, and function of Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). In this lecture, Marc Lamont Hill (a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.) argues that Black fraternities and sororities still play a critical role in the Black community. He takes on some of the key issues and challenges faced by BGLOs such as hazing, political engagement, and institution building. Rather than merely spotlighting problems, Dr. Hill also offers concrete solutions and shares his vision for building and sustaining strong 21st-century Black fraternities and sororities. FREE

In his lecture, "1st Class Jails, 2nd Class Schools," Dr. Hill will be speaking about the how much financial focus is given to our jail system while our education system is continually on the chopping block.   He will acknowledge the large number of poor and /or minority people currently incarcerated, which he attributes in large part to a War on Drugs going on since 1984.  Dr. Hill believes that democracy needs people to ask tough critical questions in terms of how to get American society on track to educationally balanced country.

This lecture will take place at 7:30PM in Cooperage. Tickets are free for SSU students and faculty and $10 for general admission. Pick up yours today in the Student Union or order by phone at 664-2382.

Mary Collins School, one of the CORE collaboration school sites for the Multiple Subject Credential Program is hosting their annual Symposium for educators this month, and invites the local education community to participate on Saturday, January 28, from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. SSU student teachers, faculty and alumni will attend the event, which provides a setting for collaboration about big ideas in teaching and learning.

This year's speakers for the Symposium are Dr. Jo Boaler and  Dr. Peggy Albers. Dr. Boaler will be talking about, "Beautiful Math: How successful school approaches change students' lives" and Dr. Albers will be speaking about,  "Working Critically in the Arts". This is a fabulous opportunity to hear both Peggy Albers and Jo Boaler, dialogue in small groups with other educators around the county and be able to ask them questions.

For more information and to sign up to attend, download the registration form.

About the Symposium

Now in its 10th year, the Symposium typically highlights teaching and learning in literacy and mathematics, typically featuring a presenter in each subject.  To prepare for the Symposium, Mary Collins faculty engages in professional book clubs, reading books and articles of the featured presenters.  The Symposium itself kicks off with a Parent Night, in which featured presenters share important educational research, providing a glimpse of the big ideas their children's teachers will be studying in the Symposium. The teachers spend the following day engaging with the presenters, thinking about and leveraging theory into practice.

The third day in the Symposium their doors to the community to continue the conversation with colleagues from around the greater Bay Area.  Featured presenters start off the morning by introducing the group to another aspect of their work, simultaneously building on the previous days and integrating new teachers into the conversation. Throughout the Symposium Mary Collins teachers take the lead, facilitating collegial dialogues that consider the application of research and theory site-based and in the district and expanded to the broader community.

About Mary Collins School at Cherry Valley

Mary Collins School has been a collaboration site for the Multiple Subject Credential Program for over a decade.  Mary Collins School at Cherry Valley "converted" to a charter to preserve their constructivist and child-centered approaches to teaching and learning when they saw it being slowly eroded by district pressures. With a tradition of learning through the arts and engaging the whole child and the world in which  (s)he lives, they established tenets and a mission to help us maintain our school's focus and our identity.  A big part of their mission is that teachers maintain their lifelong learning stance and to that end make every effort to stay current and engaged in educational scholarship.  

On December 8, 2011, the Pre-Service Teacher Technology Showcase provided SSU School of Education pre-service teachers and recent credential students in their first years of teaching with an opportunity to present how they have used or plan to use technology in the classroom to support students and student learning. The Showcase was run like a poster session at a conference and allowed students to share with attendees their unit plans, lessons, or activities that incorporated new media technologies.

The Showcase was created out of a project supported by Google and developed in a collaborative project at the Google Faculty Institute. Three CSU campuses explored online tools and how they are integrated into classroom projects. A special emphasis was placed on geospatial technologies for multidisciplinary, locally relevant lessons for K-12. Cal State Bakersfield, San Diego State and SSU each took part in the collaboration, with Dr. Jessica K. Parker directing the efforts here at Sonoma State.  Students and recent graduates from the Multiple Subject Program, the Single Subject Credential Program, Education Specialist Program presenters, with some demonstrations offered by School of Education Masters students and faculty.

The goal of the Showcase was to highlight how our novice (pre) teachers were integrating technology in their work with students. The focus was not just on the technological tools the teachers are employing but also on the content objectives as well: how are they creating a better learning environment for students through the integration of this technology? We also offered "how-to" stations on Google Earth, Google Docs, and iPad apps for attendees interested in learning about new, cool tools for teaching.

Some examples of the 13 student presentations included a middle school science teacher using Google Maps to highlight plate tectonics and numerous earthquakes; a high school history teacher employing a Flickr gallery to analyze Russian propaganda during the Cold War; a middle school English teacher relying on blogs to stimulate student discussion about students' outside reading books; a high school math teacher using Google Earth to have students learn about the Pythagorean theorem by measuring distance; and special education pre-service teachers using an iPad app called proloquo2go to promote student communication.

Watch the two videos here and hear our students talk about their projects.

On Tuesday, November 29, the School of Education will hold the second annual Cognate Fair in Schulz 1121 from 6:00-7:45 PM . The Cognate Fair is an informal way for students, faculty, teachers and Sonoma State community members informally interact with Master's Degree candidates about their research, through a poster session-style event. The open house event will include project presentations by Juhwan Kim, in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program concentration; Shawn Rosales and Jonathan Wright, in the Curriculum, Teaching and Learning (CTL) program concentration; and Jennifer Cantrell and Emily Walz in the Early Childhood Education program concentration.

The cognate is one of three pathways to completion of the Master's Degree in Education program in the School of Education. The cognate project (e.g., professional article, video, website, field-based product) is a significant undertaking through which students connect their cognate course of study with the program concentration, and/or work in the field. Projects arise out of candidates' goals and professional interests and may take virtually any form. The project may address, for example, implications of the cognate course of study for the classroom, or be reflections on teaching practices involving the use of new technologies, or the application of scholarly research and educational theory in a particular setting. A written reflection that includes the theoretical context for the project must be included, and students must present the completed project to their three-member committee in a public forum. The Cognate Fair provides the perfect setting for that public forum, which not only fulfills the degree requirement but also allows others not in the program to hear about the creative,and stimulating research with which our students are engaged.

A memorable storyline brings learning to life in Gena Richman and Liza Eichert's classrooms at Mary Collins Elementary School in Petaluma. This semester mentor teachers Richman and Eichert have worked with SSU Multiple Subject Credential Program student teachers Kelly Simonis, Carlyn Kerney, Diana Long and Laurel Angeli as they encouraged their second and third grade children to use their imagination and employ problem solving skills while learning about marine mammals. The lessons were based on the Scottish Storyline method, which integrates curriculum in a narrative created by teacher and students in collaboration. The teacher poses questions that begin the process, and the kids create the setting, the characters, and investigate and solve problems that might occur. Through the context of the story, children learn lessons and develop skills in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies and science.

The learning unit included a field trip to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. In preparation for the field trip, Richman's students started by creating a freize, or classroom mural, depicting the Marin Coastline, teaming with ocean life, and the nearby Marine Mammal Center ready to help rescue injured or sick animals. Then the students each created their own imagined story character that would work at the facility, and researched and wrote a biographical narrative about why that person works there and what their duties entailed.  Characters included Trixie, who takes X-rays, Blossom, the veterinarian and John, the security guard. On the field trip the children got to meet the people that work there, see some of the animals, and learn about the need to protect wildlife and reduce pollution in our oceans.

After the field trip, Eichert's class was motivated to support the Center's work and raise money to "Adopt a Seal." The children decided to hold a bake sale to raise the funds, and student teachers helped facilitate the project. Kids needed to use math skills to determine how to set their pricing, figure out how much they needed to sell in order to raise enough to meet their goal. The children wrote letters to the other classes in the school to announce their project and advertise their sale. They made apple juice and zucchini muffins harvested from their school garden to sell. In the end they managed to raise enough money to adopt two seals, named Garnett and Calloway.

Another student teacher-collaborative project in Richman's classroom was a letter writing campaign for the Friends of the Otters, and another was a homework project inspired by the art project called Washed Ashore, in which children created sea creature sculptures out of trash and recycled materials, to bring awareness to the problem of trash destroying ocean life. Creations included assemblages that looked like sea turtles, lobsters, dolphins and more. One of the classes followed up by writing letters to the Mayor and City Council of Petaluma, urging them to take steps to reduce plastics pollution that can harm oceanlife.

In designing these lessons, teachers hope to not only offer kids the chance to master basic skills like reading and writing, but also to encourage creativity, problem solving, teamwork and civic responsibility through a lasting, memorable learning experience. For more information visit Multiple Subject Credential Program at Sonoma State University.

Teaching English in another country is becoming a popular post-graduation career option, one that is exciting, rewarding and even life-changing. The School of Education TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Masters Degree Program is joining with the English Department to host an Informational Panel Discussion about Teaching English Abroad. The event will take place in Schulz 3001 on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 from 5:00-6:30 PM. This event is free and open to community.

Panelists will include SSU students and graduates who have traveled and have lived around the world while teaching English.  They will talk about their personal experiences and answer questions.  Faculty will be on hand to discuss what programs SSU offers to prepare student for teaching English overseas, what countries are looking for English teachers, and what qualifications are necessary for getting a good position. 
For more information contact Greta Vollmer in the English Department, or Karen Grady in the CSSE Department.

Teaching literacy to middle school kids means a whole lot more than reading books and writing papers for the students in Laura Bradley's English classes at Kenilworth Junior High.  The lessons in this classroom are applied to a 21st-century media and technology environment. Although this generation of middle schoolers have grown up with computers, Bradley has discovered that they needed instruction to know how to use technical tools appropriately.  Bradley  teaches essential reading and writing skills through blogging and writing their blogs keeps them engaged.  Laura notes, "This simple shift from paper to internet is a powerful strategy for improving students' writing, reading and analysis. For example, an online blog allows students to 'pass through' classroom walls and collaborate with peers in other classrooms, schools and even countries."  

Bradley, who is currently a Masters Degree candidate in the Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Educational Technology program in the School of Education, was recently awarded a grant to help purchase laptop computers for her classroom. The $15,000 Major Impact Grant from the Petaluma Education Foundation is awarded annually to innovative projects of "extraordinary scope, reach or longevity".  The news of Bradley's grant was recently featured online in the Petaluma 360 blog: http://town.blogs.petaluma360.com/10107/petaluma-educational-foundation/

The Physics Department at SSU has invited physicist Dr. Ed Prather to speak about Astronomy Education as part of their on-going "What Physicists Do Lecture Series" on Monday, October 17, 4:00 PM in Darwin 103. The event is open to the community.

Dr. Prather is an Associate Professor at Steward Observatory, and the Department of Astronomy, at the University of Arizona and is Executive Director of the NASA and NSF funded Center for Astronomy Education (CAE) at the University of Arizona. He has led several research programs to investigate students' conceptual and reasoning difficulties in the areas of astronomy, astrobiology, physics, and planetary science. The results from this research have been used to inform the development of innovative instructional strategies proven to intellectually engage learners and significantly improve their understanding of fundamental space science concepts.

Over the past decade members of the Center for Astronomy Education (CAE) at the University of Arizona have worked closely with hundreds of college instructors, postdocs, graduate students, and undergrads on collaborative projects designed to understand issues of teaching and learning in college-level gen. ed. college Earth, Astronomy and Space Science courses (EASS). The results from these collaborations have been used to transform traditional lecture-based classrooms into learning environments shown to significantly impact learners' science literacy and engagement in STEM. The recent national study his team completed, involving nearly 4000 students at 31 institutions around the United States, reveals dramatic improvement in student learning with increased use of interactive learning strategies. In addition, the study revealed positive effects of interactive learning strategies apply equally to men and women, across ethnicities, for students with all levels of prior mathematical preparation and physical science course experience, independent of GPA, and regardless of primary language. These results powerfully illustrate that all categories of students can benefit from the effective implementation of interactive learning strategies.

Future Science and Mathematics Educators

The Noyce Scholarship program will host a reception in the lobby of Darwin Hall immediately after Dr. Prather's presentation. Sonoma State University's Noyce Scholars, all of whom are on track to become mathematics or science teachers in the School of Education Single Subject Credential Program, will attend Monday's lecture.

The Noyce Scholarship Program is a collaboration between the School of Science and Technology and the School of Education at SSU, providing support for future math and science teachers. Each Noyce Scholar receives a maximum of three years of scholarship support of up to $10,000 per year. In addition, Sonoma State provides support to the scholars throughout the period covered by the scholarships and up to two years after to assist the scholars to reach their goal of a credential and a teaching position. For more information about the Noyce Scholarship Program see www.sonoma.edu/education/scholarships/noyce

ELSE welcomes a new Assistant Professor to its faculty beginning Fall 2011, Dr. Sandy Ayala. Sandy comes to the department with a strong background and varied experience in special education, having served as a K-12 special education teacher, speech/language pathologist, and assistive technology specialist. She also has recent experience teaching at the university level as well as serving on the editorial board of a noted journal in the field of special education. She completed her doctorate from U.C. Riverside in 2010 and has relocated from the Claremont area to Sonoma County.

We asked Sandy to tell us more about herself:

I am a native New Yorker. Born and raised in the Bronx and Whitestone, Queens, I discovered my love for working with children with special needs as a volunteer through girl scouting and summer camps. A graduate of SUNY Geneseo, I began my professional career in special education as a Speech Pathologist on Long Island. I earned a Master's degree at the University of Northern Colorado in Outdoor and Therapeutic Recreation Programs where I specialized in ropes courses, rafting and canoeing for children with special challenges and at-risk youth. I moved to Northern California to teach in the Bay Area and direct resident summer camps. I love sports, the out-of-doors, road trips and music.

I moved to Southern California where I worked as a Speech Pathologist for L.A. County and earned a special education teaching credential at CSU San Bernardino. Over the course of the next 15 years I was a teacher of children with varied disabilities including autism, Down syndrome, mental retardation, learning disabilities and communication disorders. I eagerly integrated my love for music and technology into the classroom and became a trainer of teachers in these domains. As an Assistive Technology specialist and advocate, I pride myself on pursing the latest technology research to engage children in their learning process. As a musician, I produce children's educational music and can often be found with a guitar in my hands. I earned my doctorate at the University of California, Riverside in special education with an emphasis on technology integration. I spent 4 years as a Doctoral Fellow working on RTI research and as the Editorial assistant for the Journal of Learning Disabilities. My dissertation work was on the use of video self-modeling and reading disabilities. I am enjoying my return to Northern California whole-heartedly and have kayaked the Russian River a number of times in the past month - with my dog Capo at the helm. I am looking forward to the start of the new academic year and getting better acquainted with Sonoma State University.