SPRING 2022
PATHWAYS FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS
MEETING A CRITICAL NEED Supporting students’ literacy development For many districts and educators, the COVID pandemic exacerbated an already existing need to focus on literacy in PK-12 schools. As a result, districts, such as West Ottawa in Holland, Michigan, are allocating resources and creating positions to target this critical need. Amy Bauer, a recent graduate of CMU’s Reading and Literacy program applied for and was promoted to one of these key positions. Amy is currently the MTSS Specialist for Lakeshore Elementary. Amy has been a kindergarten teacher in her district for 11 years and at Lakeshore elementary school for 9. Recently, West Ottawa Lakeshore Elementary school was awarded the National Blue Ribbon award by the Department of Education. This is a very prestigious award that recognizes schools for academic excellence and their work on closing the achievement gap. Amy is excited to have the opportunity to work at a diverse school that is standards-based and student-centered.
“When we did our portfolio at the end, I was amazed at how much I changed through the entire process, and how I am able to put into practice what I learned. It is really exciting. I could not have walked into this position feeling as confident as I do without that.” —Amy Bauer PATHWAYS FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS | SPRING 2022
When asked how her CMU masters program contributed to her work in her new position, Amy noted that because the program focused on applying critical knowledge and skills to the literacy needs of today’s classrooms, she was able to hit the ground running and implement assessments and intervention strategies for students at all levels in her building. Additionally, she also appreciated how well prepared she was to take the test to receive the BR (Reading Interventionist) endorsement. Amy has always wanted to “plug into reading”. She talked about how excited
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she is in her work with students with intensive literacy needs and that not only did she have the skills to implement all the key assessments but more importantly use that data to meet the individual needs of those students. Amy noted how much she appreciates working in a forwarding thinking district that focuses on supporting both students and staff. In this position she can see the impact that a focus on literacy has in districts. When she gets to work with former students it is exciting to see how much the students have grown and the impact that literacy interventions have on them and their confidence. She is looking towards growing in her current position and appreciates opportunities for collaboration. She noted that the program’s emphasis on building relationships was huge and how fortunate she is to have the opportunity to “walk along side of another teacher” or be “able to meet kids who are struggling and just have those relationships built” in her new position. Pairing the academic background from the degree with the relationships that she has built at her school has helped her engage in a collaborative role in her district that has a foundational impact on students.
PAYING IT FORWARD BY OPENING DOORS Learn more about our graduate and online studies at
ehs.cmich.edu/tepd Master of Arts (M.A.) in Learning, Design, and Technology
“I felt so prepared with CMU’s program. I have always been a nervous test taker but going through this test I felt like I know this. I was confident in the program preparing us for the exam.” —Amy Bauer
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Reading and Literacy (K-12) Doctor of Educational Technology (D.E.T.) Master of Arts in Education (Interdisciplinary)
Adapting literacy practices Meeting the needs of all learners Kindergarten teacher Kathryn Flintoft was searching for a literacy program that would help her create a toolbox of strategies and practices to best meet the needs of all learners in her classroom. Specifically, she wanted a literacy program that would not only help her meet the needs of the young learners in her classroom but would also help her down the road if she decided to move into the role of a literacy coach. After searching for multiple programs she came across CMU’s Master’s in Reading and Literacy and knew that it would meet her needs. Kathryn is a kindergarten teacher who works in a Spanish immersion program where she teaches English, social studies and ELA content while her co-teacher teaches science and math in Spanish. This unique program is split 50/50 between students whose native language is English and students whose native language is Spanish.
Institute. This same amazing approach served as a catalyst for applying concepts and strategies from her courses into her own classroom. For example, in one course her instructor talked about questioning even the small things, such as how sounds and letters are represented in classrooms. This a-ha moment caused her to rethink the visual representations in her classrooms through the lens of her young learners. She noted that slight changes such as this have had a significant impact on her students’ learning. She also highlights the importance of visuals for students learning content in English when it is their second language.
“My heart just bursts seeing the kids growing right in front of me, especially what you can’t see on paper. The kids are coming in and they’re speaking to me in English and they’re so excited.” —Kathryn Flintoft
Kathryn’s growth mindset and passion for empowering young learners through their literacy development is immediately apparent when she talks about why she sought out a master’s program and attended CMU’s Virtual Summer Literacy
“Thank you to the educators of our first two editions of this newsletter. I felt so fortunate to be able to interview such amazing, compassionate and dedicated professionals.” — Kathryn Dirkin PATHWAYS FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS | SPRING 2022
Additionally, she looked at the opportunities presented in the program with an eye towards her own professional growth. An example of this was when she needed to select a student to tutor in the clinical component of the program. She purposely selected a middle school student. By tutoring an older student, she was able to become familiar with assessments and strategies that can later be applied from the role of a literacy specialist for students K-12.
One can’t help but be inspired when talking with Kathryn about her teaching. She talks about her time with her students as a gift and with that gift comes the responsibility of making the most of her time with them to help them grow and develop.
Hands-on science teaching and learning The National Science Teachers Association chapter at Central Michigan University is a group of elementary and secondary preservice teachers who are interested in science teaching and learning. Since the group started in 2002 by faculty advisor Jim McDonald, the group’s community service project has been to provide Family Science Nights to local elementary schools. A Family Science Night is an evening of hands-on science activities for students and their families to do together. The event includes activities to represent the many different facets of science, life, earth, and physical science. The activities are visual, hands-on, interesting, and engaging. Some past activities have included Oobleck, Gliders, Cleaning Up Oil Spills, Static Electricity, and Making your Own Duck Call.
These events provide a unique opportunity for CMU preservice teachers to work with families and children, while spreading their engagement and excitement of science. As a result of these Family Science Nights, many schools have employed some of our CMU NSTA members because of their commitment to community involvement. This fall semester NSTA-CMU sponsored events at Clare Primary School for grades K-4, Farwell Middle School for grades 5-8, and Sheperd Elementary School for Grades K-5. The organization typically does 3 events per semester. If you are interested in having an event at your school, please contact Jim McDonald, Professor of Science Education, at jim. mcdonald@cmich.edu.
CMU Tech Bites: Integrating Technology: eLearning for All Learners the Triple E Framework In this edition of the TEPD S’More newsletter, you will learn about how to make learning accessible to all students. From crosswalks to braille on buttons to traffic signals that speak when it is safe to cross the street, accessibility is something people see in everyday life. However, these same accessibility considerations are often overlooked in eLearning. How do we do it? How do we, as educators, create and deliver accessible digital content? This newsletter shares three simple ways to make eLearning approachable for all learners. Being proactive with designing eLearning environments is easier, less timeconsuming than redesigning a course, and the changes can be beneficial for all learners but are critical for certain learners. Learn more about accessibility in the S’More newsletter!
Technology in Higher Education is not new, but educators can consider how they are using technology to engage students in learning, enhance their understanding of curriculum and extend a student’s learning beyond the course. Using technology in a course does not automatically guarantee the learning is more engaged or that learning will transfer to new contexts. Instead, educators must be thoughtful with their technology integration into courses. The Triple E Rubric, by Liz Kolb, is one way to evaluate technology integration. Explained more in-depth in the S’More newsletter, the Triple E Framework can be used by educators to determine how effective their choice of technology is within a course.