Winter 2012 Partnership Magazine - College of Education Home ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Pathways to Teaching Growi The College of Education Recruitment team started the new school year with valuable experience and plans to continue growing. Over the summer, the team stayed active with summer education programs, campus visits, and creating detailed blueprints for enhancing the various efforts put in place since inception last school year. While existing partnerships grow in scale and scope, new partnerships in and outside the College of Education are created and more students hear the benefits of entering the teaching profession at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Pipeline #1 – Teachers of Tomorrow (ToT) Over the summer, Maverick Recruitment Coordinator (MRC) Robbie Burnett and Graduate Assistant Eric Karikari focused heavily on the enhancement of the Teachers of Tomorrow work group for diverse students at Minnesota State Mankato pursuing a teaching career. The program’s vision, goals, and expectations were detailed and plans were outlined for implementation beginning in the fall. The team welcomed 6 new members representing Hispanic/ Latino, Hmong, and African-American populations, which brings the total up to 11. Four members began the new school year with a one-time $3,000 scholarship, which was provided for the first time this school year to address a common barrier, affordability, to diversifying teacher preparation programs. Weekly meetings now occur according to plans that delineate members into two levels, each with similar goals and experiences in the teacher education program. Graduate Assistants continue to tutor members in specific subject areas by request, but all members have begun attending study table sessions four hours a week or more. Members have the additional opportunity to tutor in Mankato Area Public School’s new 9th grade Academy each week. They gain training from Mankato TOSA’s that facilitate the Academy as well as form valuable experiences in the field. Returning member, Pathy Xiong, commented, “This year, ToT has provided me with knowledge about updated classroom technology I would have never known about until I was in the elementary blocks. They College Awareness Day, Teachers of Tomorrow also gave me the chance to be in the classroom where I gain experience for my future teaching career. Knowledge and experience isn’t all ToT has offered, the program also offers scholarships that has really relieved me of financial stress. I have said this to others before: I wish ToT had been available during my first years but I’m glad to be in it now because it has put me on the right road.” Each meeting focuses on a particular strategy for achievement and success, at times bringing in faculty members to corroborate effective practices. Group members stay in touch through a Facebook group and assist in outreach events and/or campus visits. Burnett also hosted the second annual Meet & Greet in August bringing together ToT members and College of Education faculty for conversations surrounding academic expectations and student perspectives. New member Morgan Stampley described the benefits for her, “The meetings are very helpful. We can get information from our teachers. We’ve met and talked with principals, been able to tutor and help Mankato students with their homework. It’s nice to know, as a young student, that this is something I definitely want to do.” Meanwhile, new graduate assistant, Paulkani Siddela, is collecting data on the group’s participation and grades to measure improvement and program effectiveness. Siddela also conducts research on recruitment and retention strategies that succeed in supporting diverse students in higher education, especially in teacher preparation. 10 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/
ng Deeper and Wider Pipeline #2 – Partnering in the Schools During the 2010-11 school year the MRC made several connections to schools in communities across southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area. So far this school year, these relationships have been enhanced in many ways to consistently inspire the youth in our communities to make a difference through teaching. Existing relationships with Normandale Community College, the Northwest Integrated School District, and Professional Development School (PDS) districts, became more intentional in maintaining a positive presence while also looking ahead for chances to commence a Teachers of Tomorrow summer camp at Minnesota State Mankato in 2012. The MRC and ToT members revisited the students in Bloomington’s Leadership Club while also reaching out to school staff, paraprofessionals, and teachers with student panels happy to address teacher preparation and college readiness. Normandale’s Introduction to Education course invited Burnett to make the prospect of teaching real by discussing opportunities through Minnesota State Mankato’s innovative preparation programs. The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program increasingly offers chances for recruitment either through Minnesota State Mankato’s AVID Alliance or in other schools also employing the program. A former AVID student and ToT scholarship recipient, Morgan Stampley, collaborates with Burnett to deliver on-site presentations to AVID students as well as AVID Alliance site teams in workshops. Meanwhile, AVID Alliance classrooms have been visiting the Minnesota State Mankato campus, guided by Teachers of Tomorrow and learning more about the college experience. State-level efforts such as Governor Dayton’s College Application Week in mid-November involved Burnett in participating PDS districts for help assisting high school Winter 2012 Partnership College Awareness Day, Nana Boakye, Teacher of Tomorrow seniors, especially first-generation college-goers, in completing college applications. Minnesota State Mankato received the most applications among all MnSCU institutions. The Minnesota Department of Education also recognized the MRC’s efforts within the College of Education by inviting her and Dean Haar to discuss innovations that increase diversity in pipelines to teaching. The MRC, the Student Relations Coordinator, and graduate assistants collaborate to provide as much opportunity as possible for identifying future educators. As the MRC travels with the Teachers of Tomorrow to impact youth in our communities, sustainability remains a priority through additional grants and scholarships, research evidence, and program effectiveness. New partners continually add opportunities to this dialogue while current partners support Minnesota State Mankato in identifying, involving, advising, and mentoring a broad and talented teaching force. Teachers of Tomorrow members after a meeting 11
Page 1 and 2: artnership PCENTER FOR SCHOOL-UNIVE
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS Winter 2012 Partn
Page 5 and 6: Note From the Editor Ben Pendarvis
Page 7 and 8: Heather Verstraete, Bloomington TOS
Page 9 and 10: of the Leadership Institute, which
Page 11: How has AVID impacted your school,
Page 15 and 16: QUT students and exchange program f
Page 17 and 18: After the last full school year of
Page 19 and 20: Marti Sievek can speak to the posit
Page 21 and 22: 7th Annual Fall Play Therapy Confer
Page 23 and 24: Innovative Program Targets Coaching
Page 25 and 26: if a student can make one strong co
Page 27 and 28: Teaching Fellows ? ? Describe your
Page 29 and 30: Jenna Haala Graduate Program: Maste
Page 31 and 32: New Systems for Working Together Th

Winter 2012 Partnership Magazine - College of Education Home ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?