Launch - Fall 2013

EDUCATION.PURDUE.EDU

LAUNCHING THE FUTURE IN EDUCATION

VOL. 3

College of Education...What We Make Moves the World Forward

by Maryann Santos de Barona Dean of Purdue College of Education With the slogan, “What we make moves the world forward,” Purdue President Mitch Daniels recently announced the Purdue Moves Campaign which spells out 10 initiatives designed to broaden the University’s global impact and enhance opportunities for our students.

The College of Education (COE) is laying the foundation for Purdue Moves by discovering the educational processes that help improve learning and by training the next generation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) teachers who will prepare the thousands of children they teach each year for a future that includes college, perhaps even a Purdue University education.

Two goals in Purdue Moves are fundamental to the mission of the College of Education: to forge the way in STEM education, and to change the way learning occurs. In order to build a strong, diverse pipeline of STEM talent for Purdue and our nation, our efforts focus on transforming P-12 education, especially with what research has found as critical—early learning experiences for children.

The value of the College of Education to the University is to prepare world-class STEM teachers who have deep content knowledge coupled with adept teaching skills. Our COE graduates will spark curiosity and interest in STEM disciplines and careers through innovative classrooms where instruction is adapted to meet the needs of all children.

Educational systems in the US still reflect models from the Industrial Age. Transformation is critical if our country is to be competitive in a global, Information-Age economy. The College of Education is committed to driving P-12 and teacher education reform.

The College is positioned to lead STEM education nationally and has taken notable steps in that direction.

High quality P-12 STEM education, integration within all subjects is the key. We must build STEM into the very fabric of a classroom—at

every grade. Science and mathematics must be situated within the real-world contexts of literacy, social studies, criticalthinking, problem-solving and communication in an active learning environment.

Transformative initiatives within the College of Education include: –The SLED Project (Science Learning through Engineering Design) strives to improve science learning in grades 3-6 by implementing an engineering design-based curriculum.

–The STEM Road Map integrates the Common Core, 21st-Century Learning, and NextGeneration Science academic standards with real-world themes for each level in K-12.

–STEM Goes Rural prepares individuals with STEM degrees for new careers as math and science teachers.

–The Science Literacy Project combines inquiry science with language arts – for kindergarten students. The Modeling Across Primary Grades Project extends this effort to the second grade.

–The Co-Teaching Model places student teachers in the classroom working alongside a supervising teacher. Research shows that P-12 students who experience co-teaching out-perform students in classrooms with only a student teacher or only a veteran teacher.

–The Gifted Education Resource Institute (GERI) develops ways to identify high-ability students who are overlooked because of socio-economic factors and works with underserved gifted students and their teachers in 23 states, 11 countries, and five Native-American nations.

–CATALyST (Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning in STEM Education) is a collaborative effort between the College of Education and College of Science that addresses the regional, national, and global challenges in STEM education of the 21st century.

By building on Purdue University’s strong foundation of education and STEM programs, these initiatives underscore our long-term commitment to preparing leaders in STEM education who make a difference.

Astronaut’s Life Story Inspires Literacy and Science Curriculum From age10, looking up at the stars, Jerry Ross knew that he wanted to journey into space. His autobiography, Spacewalker, tells the story of how he came not only to achieve that goal, but to become the most-launched astronaut in history. From his childhood in rural Indiana, through his education at Purdue University, and a career in the US Air Force, Ross recalls his path to NASA after overcoming many setbacks—from failing to qualify for Air Force pilot training because of “bad” eyesight, to an initial failure to be selected into the astronaut program.

“My goal is to help motivate and educate young people in the sciences, so that they can see all the opportunities available to them.” said Colonel Ross, “I couldn’t be happier working with my alma mater on this exciting project.”

Susan Gunderson, Continuing Lecturer in Literacy and Language Education, is rewriting the book for children based on Ross’s book, photos and life adventures.

The program will help teach STEM and Literacy in the context of a fun and motivational real-life story.

Spacewalker 2-5 Curriculum will become available to schools in the fall of 2014. Follow progress as we get closer to publication at www. thepress.purdue.edu.

Astronaut Jerry Ross (center) with co-author, Susan Gunderson (left), and Purdue University Press Director, Charles Watkinson at a recent Dean’s Advisory Meeting

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Programs Keep COE Buzzing All Summer Ben Franklin Institute Brings Teens from Across the US and Europe to Learn the “Franklin Skill Set”

Ackerman Summer Institute Helps Keep US History Alive in K-5 Classrooms

As a diplomat, writer and storyteller, publisher and innovator, Ben

For the past two summers, the James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship and the Center for Literacy Education and Research (CLEAR) have hosted a weeklong training program for Indiana K-5 teachers. Called the Summer Institute, it is designed to help teachers develop content-rich instruction for the Indiana state-mandated, daily 90-minute reading block. The institute helps address one of the unintended negative consequences of the reading mandate which was to crowd out learning time for nonISTEP (Indiana State-wide Testing and Progress-Plus) subjects.

Franklin used his communications skills, fame, creativity and diplomatic skills to build relationships within the American colonies, then among the states, and as the young nation’s most important ambassador with Europe.

The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute provides the opportunity for 45 diverse and intellectually curious students, 35 from Europe and 10 from the United States, aged 16 to 18, to participate in an intensive four-week exchange program on the campus of Purdue University.

Students stayed on campus and with host families while participating in five educational modules that represent Franklin’s legacy: A. International Relations and Diplomacy B. Media and Communication C. Civic Education and Democratic Citizenship D. Science E. Service and Volunteerism Led by Anatoli Rapaport of the College of Education Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship, the institute is sponsored by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and operated in collaboration with the Center, the Brian Lamb School of Communication, the Department of Political Science, Tippecanoe School Corporation, and Lafayette Urban Ministry.

“We heard from teachers in the field that social studies learning time was being cut by the reading period, so we developed a program to show teachers how to kill two birds with one stone,” said Ackerman Director, Phillip VanFossen. “Learning about history and government is crucial for citizens in a democracy, however, there is nothing to say that students can’t do this while practicing their reading skills.”

A class of 16 highly motivated elementary school teachers participated in the five-day Summer Institute held on campus last June.

They learned to integrate the five-foundational reading elements (Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension) with revised social studies standards. The Institute provided a customized reading list that included high quality

“These are very bright motivated students who come to learn the skills that keep democracies healthy. Students attend the institute to learn how to build a community of people united around a cause.

How to be civically and politically engaged, how to raise money, how to petition, how to protest, and how to communicate the message,” explained Rappaport. “ The Institute doesn’t end when the students leave campus. They stay in contact with cohorts and work on their projects throughout the school year,” he continued.

The Institute fellows worked, learned, and travelled together. One of the highlights was a bus trip from Lafayette to Philadelphia to see the streets Franklin walked and learn about the cradle of freedom. While the Summer Institute was a great learning experience and a lot of hard work, there was also time for fun and friendship.

COE is looking forward to hosting the Institute again next summer.

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Participants in the Ackerman Summer Institute share a light moment with Professor VanFossen

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION • EDUCATION.PURDUE.EDU children’s literature, both fiction and non-fiction, rich in social studies content for each of the grades from K-5 and for all levels of reading ability. At the conclusion of the Institute, participants received several free sets of reading materials to bring back to their classrooms. This professional development experience culminated in participants using these materials to plan units used throughout the school year. Participants also earned three hours of Purdue graduate credit or credit for continuing education.

GERI Summer Residential Camps In its 39th year, the GERI (Gifted Education Resource Institute) Summer Camp once again brought gifted, creative, and talented students from across the country and around the world to experience advanced learning at Purdue University. This summer 378 youngsters from eleven countries, five Native-American communities, and 23 states arrived to challenge themselves, meet new friends, and discover just how much fun learning, building, experimenting, engineering, and expressing themselves can be.

The camp is designed to stimulate their imagination and expand their abilities. Students, who have completed grades 5 through 12, live in campus residence halls, take challenging courses (normally 2 to 3 grade levels above their current grade) and participate in engaging recreational activities. GERI offers three programs each summer: • Comet is a one-week session for students who have completed grades 5-6.

• Star is a two-week session for students who have completed grades 7-8.

• Pulsar is a two-week session for students who have completed grades 9-12.

Some of the students, especially those who have travelled the furthest, stay for all four weeks. Classes range from drawing and painting to organic chemistry and computer design.

GERI Pulsar campers collaborate on a project that combines engineering and art skills

GERI helps keep gifted young people engaged and excited about learning. Many young people enjoy the GERI experience so much they come back each year, even returning to become camp counselors, and many more matriculate as students at Purdue.

Financial aid and full scholarships have been made available from several generous donors to help ensure that students from any background can attend. Five students form nearby rural schools received scholarships from Evonik Tippecanoe Laboratories, 20 Chicago Public School students received scholarships from Shell. And, students from Native-American nations received full scholarships including airfare from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

In addition to summer camps, GERI offers Super Saturday programs each Fall and Spring—a six-Saturday program for K-8 students—and Super Summer, a one-week day camp.

Faculty Research Advances STEM Education Partnering with Project Lead the Way to Train US Computer Teachers Aman Yadav, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, is the principal investigator of a newly funded NSF project to provide professional development for computer science teachers. The project, in partnership with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is entitled “Leading the Way to CS10K: Assessing a Just-in-Time Professional Development Approach for Teacher Knowledge Growth in Computer Science.” The project will develop and implement a high-quality professional development approach for teaching computer science that incorporates face-to-face training coupled with continuous online just-in-time support.

PLTW is the US leading non-profit provider of rigorous and innovative STEM education curricular programs used in middle and high schools. A non-profit organization, it has implemented innovative and rigorous STEM curriculum in over 4,700 schools.

This large-scale project with Purdue College of Education will establish an evidence-based professional development program to improve teachers’ knowledge to teach computer science, and will deliver empirically validated best practices for providing computer science professional development to teachers, especially those with a limited computer science background. The project team includes James Lehman of the College of Education, John T. Korb and Suzanne Hambrusch of the Department of Computer Science, and Brian French of Washington State University.

New Research to Address Nationwide Shortage of Underrepresented Minorities in Post-Graduate STEM Careers Aman Yadav, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, joins an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Purdue Graduate School and Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) as co-principal investigator on a $1,417,500 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to examine the problem of underrepresented minorities (URM) in STEM disciplines. Their goal is to create and optimize a mentoring initiative for Under Represented Minority (URM) postdocs in STEM disciplines, with the mission of training a new generation of exceptionally well-prepared faculty.

The project will conduct educational research examining the impact of this program on changing the culture of hiring practices for new URM faculty in STEM disciplines. In addition to producing measurable outcomes by increasing the number of minority faculty in STEM subject areas, the group will be focused on understanding the role mentors play in encouraging or discouraging students. The mission is to help recruit, train, and retain a new generation of exceptionally well-prepared URM faculty.

Global Soundscapes: Preserving Earth’s Acoustic Heritage Three COE researchers are collaborating on an Emerging Research Incentive Grant awarded through a university-wide competition. Nadine Dolby, Professor of Curriculum Studies, and Dan Shepardson, Professor of Science Education with a joint appointment in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, are part of the team on “Global Soundscapes: Science, Engineering and Education Research to Preserve Earth’s Acoustic Heritage.”

Advancing STEM Education across Scale and Disciplines Lynn Bryan, Professor in the Departments of Physics, and Curriculum and Instruction, is part of a team collaborating on an Emerging Research Incentive Grant awarded through a university-wide competition. Their research is titled “Learning Quantum Mechanics through Modeling-Based Instruction: Advancing STEM Education across Scale and Disciplines.”

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Barbara Cook—Pioneering Dean New LDT online Masters Program Proves Very Popular The College of Education lost a professor, administrator, advocate, and benefactor when Barbara Cook, PhD, passed away April 10, 2013.

She arrived at Purdue in 1956 as a counselor in the Office of the Dean of Women. Cook Barbara Cook 1929-2013 went on to serve as director of the Placement Service for Women, assistant and associate Dean of Women, associate Dean of Students and finally Dean of Students from 1980 to 1987. She was also a lecturer in the (then) School of Education, and a professor of education from 1987-1989.

Who can benefit from an online M.S. Ed. in Learning Design and Technology (LDT)?

Apparently, a lot more students than projected. Targeted for 20 students, original enrollment nearly doubled projections at 39, and the program has grown every semester since to over 200 participants.

Educators need effective instructional materials whether teaching in traditional schools, training employees at IBM, helping patients learn to manage diabetes, or running a military boot camp. Teachers and trainers who understand the most effective learning design principles and how to use technology to assist learning help their students learn more in less time. Students in the LDT online program learn to use new technology to design, develop, implement, and evaluate learning methods.

The LDT Online M.S. Ed. is for two types of professional learners: those who wish to concentrate on instructional design and technology in training and development settings, and those who wish to focus on technology-enhanced instruction in school environments. LDT is an interdisciplinary, systematic way of designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the total process of teaching and learning in terms of specific objectives, learning activities, and evaluation to bring about more effective learning. Computers and technologies play a key role. Specialists in LDT develop instructional materials, often computer- or web-based, and implement and evaluate them in a variety of settings.

The curriculum incorporates the latest research in learning theory, educational technology, and instructional design principles and encourages students to use their work experience as a framework for study. As students collaborate on assignments and discussions, everyone benefits from the diverse backgrounds and experFor nearly thirty years, Cook served as the advi- tise of their classmates. sor to the Mortar Board, a senior-student honor Employers understand society. She is credited with the survival of the the value of LDT expertise Online Master’s Program in Learning Design and Technology national Mortar Board organization during the and many students report continues rapid growth being reimbursed. tumultuous years following Title IX legislation.

An all-women’s society, the organization had to admit men or disband. Cook spearheaded a successful reorganization of the group’s memBy Jonathan Hines bership and mission. She served as president of the national foundation and the Purdue “When I think of a face-to-face classroom, the teacher tends chapter is named for her. to drive interaction,” Victoria Walker says. “ In an online environment, discussion forums, blogs and wikis allow you to see Cook was a “champion of the underdog,” a passionate advocate for students who were in and discuss what everyone else is thinking about.” distress financially or academically, and worked Transferring a discussion from the classroom to the computer tirelessly to create equal opportunities for all. isn’t automatic. To encourage student engagement, Walker utilizes a few key strategies and tools.

She received numerous awards for her work, including the Helen B. Schleman Gold MedalFirst, limit the areas where course content, discussions sites and lion for Distinguished Contributions to Victoria Walker, clinical asst. assignments are completed to prevent confusion.

Purdue University, the Dean Beverley Stone professor, Department of Award for Personal Counseling Contributions, Curriculum and Instruction Second, model participation by interacting frequently and and the Distinguished Lifetime Mortar Board making rapid responses to student inquiries.

Member Award.

Upon graduating near the top of her class from the University of Arkansas in 1951, she was told by her advisor that he could not recommend her for graduate school because “women should get married and have babies.” Cook went on to become nationally recognized for her efforts in promoting career opportunities for women. She served in several leadership positions within the organization that is currently known as the National Association for Women in Education.

Boosting Interaction in Online Instruction

In 2004, the sculpture “When Dreams Dance” was dedicated to two former Deans—Cook and her late colleague and friend, Beverley Stone. It is located between Schleman and Hovde Halls. Barbara Cook endowed an undergraduate scholarship in the College of Education that bears her name.

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“I post messages at least three times a week. It can be an announcement, something current I found in the news or a resource I think might be helpful,” she says.

Incorporating a little variety can also encourage interaction. Synchronous activities, where the teacher and students interact online at the same time, help recreate the feel of a traditional classroom. “In an online environment, I can see whether a student has been interacting on a regular basis, and I can look and see what pages that student has viewed and how much time they spent on them. It makes students more accountable,” Walker says.

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College of Education Awards Honorary Doctorate Vice Admiral Gerald L. Hoewing served as the 53rd chief of naval personnel and was commanding officer of the USS John F. Kennedy before retiring in 2006. Yet it is the work in his second career that earned him an honorary doctor of education degree from Purdue’s College of Education on May 11, 2013.

Since leaving the Navy, Hoewing has made it his mission to promote student interest in science, technology, education and math (STEM) education. Working with fellow naval aviators and Purdue alumni Capt. Neil Armstrong and Capt. Gene Cernan, Hoewing brought to fruition the National Flight Academy (NFA), an immersive learning experience that uses flight to stimulate students’ interest in STEM fields of study and career exploration. The centerpiece of the academy’s initiatives is the Ambition, a 102,000 sq. ft. four-story structure, that is modeled as a modern aircraft carrier, complete with Ready Rooms, Intelligence & Operations Centers, and extensive simulation space.

Middle and high school students from around the country attend inresidence programs on the Ambition applying math and science concepts

to conduct humanitarian missions like providing post-earthquake relief or rescuing people stranded at sea. Each mission is aligned to the National Common Core Standards for Math and Science with a focus on 21st Century Core Competencies, to include emphasis on leadership development, critical thinking, teamwork, and communication. As Vice Admiral Hoewing explains, “We don’t teach kids how to fly.

We teach them engineering, science, math, public speaking and leadership. Learning comes first.”

In addition to Ambition, classroom-based versions of the simulations are available for use all over the country. Faculty within the College of Education are working with the NFA and its partners to bring this immersive learning technology to Purdue as a way to enhance STEM teaching and learning experiences.

Fulbright Fellow, Sharon Smith, Inspires Fellow Graduates May Commencement’s student responder, Sharon L. Smith, a double major in Elementary Education and Spanish with an overall GPA of 4.0, was notified a few weeks before Commencement that she was also the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship. This award allows her to work, study, and teach this year in Bogotá, Colombia. In her Commencement address, Sharon discussed the obligations that come with a Purdue diploma: “I could not agree more with Nelson Mandela when he said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ Class of 2013, we have just received a certificate that tells us that we are educated.

And how we have worked for that! Long essays, all-nighters, and dozens upon dozens of Scantrons… and now, at last, we hold in our hands this certification. We must not look at this diploma as our ticket to just a good

job and a successful career. I implore us to see this as so much more – this is our certification with which we can make a difference! Our degree is symbolic of having a well-equipped toolbox, not just an easy chair to make us comfortable. What are we going to do with these tools? How will we excel in our use of what we have acquired here?”

While Sharon inspired us with her words, she continues to inspire us even more with her actions. In Colombia, Sharon is currently working three jobs.

She has been putting her “tools” to good use by utilizing both her Spanish fluency and her understanding of education science and methods in the Colombia Ministry of Education, at a school—Colegio Fundación Nueva Granada, and by writing articles for Reach the World, an NGO that connects world travellers

Sharon Smith celebrates a post-commencement moment with her proud parents.

with classroom students. Sharon also invites her Purdue fellow alumni, friends, mentors and colleagues to follow her on her blog: Memoirs from Colombia, http://smithsharonlynn.wordpress.com.

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Cluster Hires: Building Interdisciplinary Teams to Make Change Happen CATALyST Seeks Cross-Disciplinary Team to Help Transform STEM Education “We are looking to hire the six best people we can find with expertise in education and one of the following content areas—physics, biology, chemistry, agriculture, technology, or engineering and employ them jointly with one of five additional colleges— Engineering, Agriculture, Science, and Technology,” explained Lynn Bryan, Director of CATALyST (Center for Advancing Teaching And Learning in STEM Education).

“We call this a ‘cluster hire.’ We are looking to build an interdisciplinary team to investigate and develop innovative teaching methods and curriculum that may not be imagined by single-subject experts. We expect this team will create synergy across colleges and train a new cadre of teacher education graduates who can lead and implement this revolutionary new way of teaching,” Bryan continued.

A priority of the CATALyST team is to find new ways to help teachers present STEM content

The CATALyST Objective: Nothing less than transforming how teaching is done in the 21st Century globally connected classroom.

Numerous research studies have found that when students solve real-world problems in a group (sometimes called project-based learning), they become more interested, engaged, motivated about their own learning, better prepared for college, and they gain confidence in solving the complex, multi-disciplinary problems common in the 21st century workplace. What this looks like in a classroom is to challenge students with a question about their world and then help them find the tools to discover a solution.

For example, in a CATALyST partner middle school, students were asked: “Why do we have large windmills in the farm fields north of town and what do they do?”

The answer to this question is multi-layered and multi-disciplinary. It required inquiry into energy dependence (social studies), electro-magnetism (physics and math), weather and wind (geography), aerodynamics (physics and math) as well as electrical and mechanical engineering. Students working on this problem built an electrical generator using magnets and copper wire, used mathematics to calculate the number of copper wire windings they needed and the size of their magnets, tested different sizes and shapes of windmill blades, tested different types of fans to generate enough wind to turn their turbine (eventually settling on a leaf blower!), and discovered that their machine could light a light bulb.

The problems CATALyST hopes to address are many: How do you teach teachers to lead this kind of classroom? Does it require

multi-disciplinary teaching teams? Radically different texts or multimedia resources?

New ways of organizing schools and educational infrastructure? New ways of assessing knowledge and achievement in students?

“We suspect that solving this problem will require breaking down traditional subjectarea siloes, not only at the K-12 level, but at Purdue,” Bryan conjectured.

In the next few months CATALyST will be hiring this new cluster of STEM education researchers. If you know someone who might be interested in this challenging new project, they can learn more at http://catalyst.education.purdue.edu.

Cluster Team Seeks to Unravel the Mystery of Autism The College of Education is partnering with the departments of Psychological Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Speech, Language and Hearing in a cluster hire devoted to autism research. This new Assistant or Associate Professor in Special Education will join a large cohort of researchers and clinicians committed to interdisciplinary and collaborative investigation of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to making a positive impact on the quality of life of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. A specialization in ASD is expected to build a strong program of ASD-focused research supported by scholarly publications and extramural funding, to contribute to clinical practices serving individuals with ASD and their families, and to teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Helping Nonverbal Autistic Children Communicate ... Now There’s an App for That

by Cynthia Sequin Stephen and Diane Beaudoin have tried for years to fully communicate with their son, David, 11, who is diagnosed with severe, non-verbal autism. The Beaudoins credit SPEAKall! for the enriched communication they now have with their son. It is an iPad application resulting from the research of Assistant Professor of Special Education, Oliver Wendt, and developed by Purdue’s Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program. David has been using SPEAKall! for about one year.

“We’ve found that David is building real sentences that we weren’t getting no matter how many times we mimicked the behavior we wanted from him,” Stephen Beaudoin said. “SPEAKall! helped him complete more meaningful, interesting sentences. He enjoys the interface, and this has helped him pick up SPEAKall! very quickly.”

“Fifty percent of children with severe autism are non-verbal, meaning they don’t develop speech or language skills needed to communicate,” said Oliver Wendt. “One strategy to get the children started with functional communication is a low-technology approach where they learn to pick up a graphic symbol card and exchange it for a desired item. The last couple of years, we have been looking at how to move children on to more sophisticated

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solutions, such as speech-generating devices that facilitate natural speech and language development.” The iPad is a perfect solution because its touchsensitive, graphic interface is portable and intuitive to use. The app allows the children to construct sentences by choosing photos and graphic symbols.

The app speaks the sentence, which allows a child to communicate a thought and also helps the child learn to talk.

With the app, a child could take an iPad into a fast-food restaurant, construct a sentence saying “I want a cheeseburger,” then play it for the order-taker.

Hearing how the sentence sounds also Oliver Wendt, Assistant Professor Special Education, can help the child develop his or her demonstrates the new own speech and language skills.

SPEAKall! app for iPad.

Launched in November on iTunes, the free app has been downloaded over 16,000 times.

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New Faculty and Directors Carla Johnson, Professor and Associate Director of CATALyST, joins the college from the University of Cincinnati where she earned an EdD and MEd in Curriculum and Instruction. There she was professor of Science Education, the Chair of the Department of Middle Childhood Education, and Director of Engagement for the College of Education. She is an active researcher in STEM education policy implementation and science education reform.

Carly Roberts, Assistant Professor, joins the college with a PhD in Special Education, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before UW, she did her Master’s work at the University of Alaska Southeast and matriculated to become a Special Education Teacher, Fairbanks Northstar Borough School.

Marisa Exter, Assistant Professor, was previously the Director of Design and Development and Lead Curriculum Designer and Instructional Specialist at Indiana University. She also completed her PhD there in Instructional Systems Technology with a Computer Science Minor. She also holds an MS in Computer Science, Illinois Institute of Technology and a BS Elmhurst College in Computer Science.

Jasmine Begeske, Clinical Instructor, holds an MS in Education and is licensed P-12 in both Special Education: Mild Interventions and Visual Arts. She earned an MFA and BFA in photography. Her experience includes teaching K-12. Most recently she served as Visiting Lecturer in the School of Education at Indiana University Northwest.

Awards and Recognition

Sidney Moon (Associate Dean) has been awarded the 2013 Distinguished Service Award from the NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children). The awards ceremony will be held at NAGC’s 60th Annual Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana (November 7-10, 2013)

Ayse Ciftci, (Associate Professor Counseling Psychology in the Department of Educational Studies) has been selected as a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 52 - International Psychology). Being named Fellow is an honor bestowed upon APA members who have shown unusual and outstanding contributions in the field of psychology and whose work has had a national impact on the field of psychology.

Laura Bofferding (Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education) was named a 2013-14 National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow. This year, twenty fellows were selected from a competitive pool of over two hundred twenty applications from scholars of education. The fellowships are administered by the National Academy of Education, an honorary educational society.

Matthew Fugate (Doctoral Candidate) has won the 2013 NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children) Doctoral Student Award. Purdue students have won this award in 2008, 2010, and 2012.

Patricia Morita-Mullaney, Visiting Assistant Professor, is a PhD candidate from Indiana University in Language Literacy and Culture. She completed her MS in Educational Leadership from Butler University and an MS in Language, Literacy and Culture from IUPUI where she also completed her BS in Elementary Education. She also holds a BA from Whitworth College, Spokane WA in Intercultural Communication. She has been a Faculty lecturer at IUPUI and Butler University, an assistant principal in Indianapolis schools (MSD of Lawrence Township) as well as ELL and World Languages Director.

Marianne Isaacs, Continuing Lecturer, holds two MSEd degrees from Purdue University in Curriculum Studies and Educational Leadership, Building Level Administration. She also earned two BS degrees from Ball State University in Secondary Education Social Studies and in History. For the past three years, Isaacs has served the college as the Head University Supervisor for the Secondary Social Studies program, Social Studies University Supervisor, and Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. During this time she also has completed two internships in building level administration.

Mike Davids, Director of Communication, has over 25 years of experience in public relations, advertising, publishing and curriculum development. He served four years as Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations at Holy Cross College in Notre Dame, and most recently as Chief of Staff at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He holds an MALS from Wesleyan University and a BA from the University of Iowa.

Angela Schoenbeck BA ‘01, MSED ‘07, Director of Literacy at Frankfort Community Schools (Frankfort, IN), has been named one of Phi Delta Kappa’s (PDK) emerging leaders in education. The Emerging Leader program honors 25 educators aged 40 or younger for outstanding professional accomplishments as thought leaders, problem solvers, and change agents.

Carla Johnson (Associate Director, CATALyST) was awarded the Association for Science Teacher Education’s (ASTE) “Implications of Research for Educational Practice Award” for her paper: “Educational Turbulence: The Influence of Macro and Micro Policy on Science Education Reform. “ One paper presented at the ASTE conference each year is selected for this award based on the potential impact on the field.

Kristina Ayers Paul (Assistant Professor of Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies) has become ChairElect for the National Association for Gifted Children’s (NAGC) Computers and Technology network.

JoAnn Phillion, (Professor in Curriculum Studies) has been awarded a 2013-14 Synergy Grant by the College for her proposal “Towards a Collaborative Engagement of Educational Theory: Impacting Teacher Education, Community, and Schools.”

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2013 Distinguished Education Alumni Award Honorees

Every two years Purdue College of Education recognizes outstanding alumni who have made major contributions to the field of education and the world with the Distinguished Education Alumni Awards. We will be celebrating the 2013 honorees on Friday, November 1.

Albert Kwing-Wong Siu (PhD’79 Counseling Psychology) Albert Siu is Vice President and General Manager of the PAREXEL Academy, a unit of Human Resources that manages the Learning and Leadership Development function for PAREXEL—a global clinical research and regulatory consulting and outsourcing company. Previous positions include Vice President for Learning and Development at Boston Scientific, President of Gilead Learning, and Chief Learning Officer for AT&T where he executed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement between China’s State Planning Commission and AT&T to enable the process of transforming China’s state owned telecommunication enterprises into various market-based, customer-focused corporations. He also served 16 years with Hewlett-Packard, including eight years in China and Hong Kong. Siu has served on the board of directors at Thrivent Financial for 14 years, and currently serves on the Board of Directors at Wittenberg University.

Deborah S Teuscher (MS’94 – Science Education) Deborah Teuscher’s education philosophy can be summed up in three words: “Making Science Matter.” She is an award-winning science educator who recently retired from the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township in Indianapolis after teaching earth space science, integrated chemistry and physics, physical science, biology and directing activities of the school district’s planetarium.

In 1993, Teuscher received a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Grant for a two-week geologic study tour of Iceland. The portfolio of teaching units developed from that experience led to a Golden Apple Award in 1995.

In addition to teaching, she participated in a year-long “teacher in residence” experience as a Master Practitioner at Butler University.

Teuscher has been awarded the 2007 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House.

Carol A. Loehr (BA’65 Elementary and Special Education) Carol Loehr helped establish the special education program in the Whiting Primary School in northwest Indiana and later worked as a classroom volunteer for special needs children. Her work as an educator found a new purpose following the suicide of her son, Keith, in 1999. Unable to find the information and support that she and her family needed, Loehr became an advocate for those who have experienced loss through suicide. Loehr built and maintains a website (www.TheGiftofKeith.org) to provide information about suicide prevention and awareness and hosts “Cyber Friends,” an e-mail support group for suicide survivors.

She authored “My Uncle Keith Died”—a children’s book to help families explain mental illness and suicide to children. Because teachers and school counselors should be aware of the warning signs of depression and at-risk behaviors, Carol and her husband Dick

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Loehr created a scholarship in the College of Education—The Keith Loehr Memorial Scholarship that provides funding for graduate students in school counseling who have an interest in suicide prevention in primary and secondary schools.

Jan Hansen (PhD’88 – Educational Psychology) Jan Hansen is President/CEO of Educate Tanzania, a Minnesota-based nonprofit, dedicated to building Karagwe University College in Tanzania. While a doctoral student at Purdue, she helped Prof. John Feldhusen expand the Gifted Education Resource Institute (GERI). As a research fellow and visiting professor, she helped Professor Miraca U.M. Gross at the University of New South Wales initiate and grow GERI’s sister center in Australia. After leaving Purdue, Hansen cofounded the Center for Pre-Collegiate Engineering Education at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. While serving as an advisor in Tanzania in 2008, she learned about plans for a university and wanted to help. In 2010, she resigned her tenured position from the University of St. Thomas to devote herself to building Karagwe University College in Tanzania. Since then Hansen has led efforts to bring education, water and health to the ‘neediest part of the world.’

Hansen has received numerous awards for her work and has published over 50 articles and 2 books. She serves on editorial and advisory boards and has led educational initiatives in the United States, Japan, Australia, Puerto Rico, and Africa.