Fall 2009 - College of Southern Maryland

CSM Teacher Education Program
The Bulletin Board
Fall 2009
In This Issue…
p.1
‣ New Teacher
Education Advisor
‣ Contact
Information
p. 2
‣ Teacher Education
Clubs and
Activities
p. 3
‣ Early Childhood
Club
‣ Child Care
Development Fund
p.4
‣ Teacher
Certification in MD
‣ What the heck is
Praxis?
‣ The Teacher
Education
Practicum
The Bulletin Board is a newsletter for teacher education majors at the
College of Southern Maryland. It is distributed once per semester, primarily
through e-mail, so please be sure to keep your contact information up-todate!
Meet Bill Rollins
Bill Rollins is the new designated teacher education advisor. He is based at the Waldorf
Center and is available to help teacher education students plan their programs, to assist with
transfer decisions, and to answer any questions they have. The Waldorf Center is located at
3261 Old Washington Road, Waldorf, MD, 20602.
8 AM-7 PM Monday-Wednesday by appointment
12:30-6:30 Thursday (Walk-in hours)
He also takes phone appointments and can be reached at 301-632-2900.
Teacher Education Contact Information
Beth Settle
Teacher Education Program Coordinator& Association of Future Educators advisor
301-934-7821 or elizabeth.settle@csmd.edu
Mary Hunt
Early Childhood Education Coordinator& Assoc. for the Education of Young Children advisor
301-934-7512 or maryh@csmd.edu
Debra Wyvill
Professor& Prince Frederick Future Teacher’s Club advisor
443-550-6156 or debraw@csmd.edu
Jody Simpson
Prince Frederick teacher education advisor& Future Teacher’s Club advisor
443-550-6023 or jodys@csmd.edu
Financial Assistance for College
If you or your family may not be able to pay for your educational costs, you are encouraged
to apply for financial assistance. To do so, complete the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). The form is required before applying for any kind of assistance.
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
http://www.csmd.edu/Financial/scholarships/

CSM Teacher Education Program
LaPlata Campus Association of Future Educators
Fall 2009 Officers:
President: Stephanie Moore
Vice Presidents: Amanda Kerby and Kristi Kiider
Treasurer: Staci Thomas
Membership Coordinator: Teonna Keys
Teacher
Education Clubs
and Activities
A great way to get
involved at CSM,
meet other students
in your major,
prepare for your
future, and give back
to the community
(Club information
continues on the next
page)
Upcoming Events:
Oct. 13
5:00-7:00 PM, BI Building: LaPlata Campus Open House
Nov. 20
Future Educators Association Conference – AFE members will present workshops for middle
and high school students on diversity
Dec. 3
6:00-7:00 PM: Teachers Panel – hear from and meet with current teachers about their college
and teaching experiences
For more information or to join, please contact Professor Beth Settle
Prince Frederick Campus Future Teachers Club
Fall 2009 officers:
Presidents: Katherine Fitzpatrick and Amanda Valtos
Vice President: Linda Dexter
Secretaries: Danielle Hall and Brandy Desper
Treasurers: Dan Doran and Jacquelyn Martis
Upcoming Events:
Oct. 22
1-2:15 PM in room 119: Transfer Success Stories- past CSM students share how they moved on
to local four-year college educational programs
Oct. 30
9:00 AM-3:00 PM: STEM program - future teachers help 5th grades learn about science,
technology and math
Nov. 18
5:00-6:00 PM in room 12: Master Teacher Best Practices Panel
Nov. 20
Future Educators Association Conference at LaPlata - students present an interactive lesson on
diversity
For more information or to join, please contact Professor Debra Wyvill or Advisor Jody Simpson

CSM Teacher Education Program
CSM Association for the Education of Young Children
Fall 2009
The College of Southern Maryland Association for the Education of Young
Children (CSMAEYC) was formed to help early childhood professionals be informed about the
latest information about children and to help establish connections through the field. CSMAEYC
is open to those interested in working with children, who are currently working with children,
or are working towards their Early Childhood degree. Our purpose is to provide members with
up-to-date information in the field of early care and education and to present them with the
opportunity to expand their knowledge for the classroom.
Upcoming Meetings: Nov. 12
7:15 p.m.-7:45 p.m. La Plata Campus-Learning Resource Center – LR 101
Early Childhood
Education
Child Care Professional Development Fund
Funding is available to pursue a college degree in early childhood education, education for
children, child development, family studies, or related disciplines. People working at least 1 year
with children in a registered or licensed child care facility in the State of Maryland, participating
in the Maryland Child Care Credential program, holding a high school diploma or equivalent,
and accepted by an accredited college or university in Maryland for enrollment in one or more
college courses for credit toward a degree in early childhood education or a related field may
receive funding through this program. An award under the Fund may be used for the costs of
tuition, college fees, and books.
Funding may continue as long as an academic grade-point average of 2.75 or higher is
maintained, the grantee is employed as a provider in an approved child care facility, and the
approved course of study is pursued. Upon the completion of the college course of study, a
person is committing to remain employed in the child care field for a period of time of one
month for each college credit successfully completed, two years for a completed associate
degree, or four years for a completed bachelor’s degree, whichever is less. If a person does not
complete the employment requirement, the balance of the award amount must be paid back to
the State of Maryland.
For more information, contact Ms. Shaneeza Kazim at (301) 934-7513 or Skazim@csmd.edu

CSM Teacher Education Program
Teacher Certification in Maryland
Teachers in Maryland are required to have at least a Bachelor’s degree, which means you must
transfer to a four-year college or university teacher education program to complete all the
requirements. The certification grade bands in Maryland are:
Fall 2009
Early Childhood: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 3
Elementary: Grades 1-6
Middle School: Grades 4-9 (has been approved but is not widely offered at this time)
Secondary: Grades 7-12
Praxis I: The Pre-Professional Skills Tests
I think I want to
be a teacher…
now what???
Basic information to
get you started on
the path to teacher
certification
The Praxis I exams are designed to measure basic academic skills in three areas: Reading,
Writing, and Math. These tests are offered by the Educational Testing Service throughout the
year in a paper-and-pencil format (CSM is a testing center) or on demand in a computer-based
format (see www.ets.org for a list of computerized testing centers).
Information about the Praxis I tests can be found at www.ets.org. These tests are a graduation
requirement for most teacher education degrees at CSM and are also an entrance requirement
for four-year teacher preparation programs. The tests can be taken at any time, but you
should take them well before you plan to transfer so that you have your scores when you
apply to your transfer school.
In place of Praxis I, most Maryland colleges will accept the following options from candidates:
SAT taken after 2005, combined math and critical reading scores of 1100;
SAT taken between 4/95 and 2005, math and verbal composite score of 1100;
SAT taken prior to 4/95, math and verbal score of 1000;
ACT composite score of 24;
GRE math and verbal composite score of 1000.
Be sure to check with your selected transfer institution about the specific requirements for their
teacher education program!!
The Practicum: Early Field Experience for Teacher Education Majors
CSM offers four practicum courses in teacher education; these courses are usually taken
towards the end of your program. Early Childhood Education majors take either EDU 2611 or
PSY 2035, Elementary Education majors take TED 2011, and Secondary Education majors take
TED 2021. These 1-credit courses require a minimum of 45 hours of participation and
observation in a public school. The practicum is NOT the same as student teaching. A criminal
background check is required. All placements are coordinated through the Teacher Education
Program. You should contact Beth Settle, Teacher Education Program Coordinator, well before
the start of the semester in which you plan to do your practicum.