EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS - The University of Akron

THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON
If you build it they will come!
In August 2010, COE students were among the 200 volunteers who built a
new, safe playground at Patterson Park in Akron’s North Hill neighborhood.
Education students Jordan Ferrell, Tiffany Brenner and Julie Humes joined Dr. Shelley
Waltonen-Moore, of the Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership, for
the daylong project. Sponsors for the project were the city of Akron, Kaboom!, John S. and
James L. Knight Foundation, and North Akron Baseball Association.
“This was one of the most rewarding
experiences I have had in my years at Akron,”
says Ferrell. “I got to be a part of making
something that children can enjoy for years
and years to come! I am very glad to be a
part of the build team, and it is an experience
I will never forget.”
The volunteers built the playground in one
day, through planning, teamwork and hard
work. Brenner mixed concrete, which she
says was tough, but well worth the effort.
“Kids from the neighborhood stopped to
stare as we worked to build the playground,”
she says. “It was a great feeling knowing that
I was helping make a place for them to play
and have fun. I love showing people what we
helped build.”
Humes, Ferrell and Brenner represented the
Dean’s Dozen, a group of extraordinary
students who act as ambassadors, spreading
their enthusiasm for the COE and UA at
numerous events for the Office of Admissions,
as well as academic and alumni/donor
activities. They also advise the administration
on key issues facing students and participate in
leadership and service learning activities. n
My time in
France –
A student
perspective
We spent three weeks in Besançon at the
renowned Centre Linguistique Appliquée,
where we took French lessons and learned
the ins-and-outs of the French system of
education. While in Besançon, we stayed
with host families. My family was very
accommodating as they were also hosting
other exchange students. I lived with two
students from Mexico, one from Germany
and one from Turkey. It was a really
incredible multicultural experience!
From there we were sent to our individual
teaching assignments. I was posted for three
months in the city of Reims, which is the
capital of the Champagne region. The city is
home to one of the most beautiful old
cathedrals in all of Europe. The Notre
Dame of Reims is almost 800 years old, and
it is where the kings of France used to be
crowned. There is so much history there that
I sometimes felt as though I had traveled
back in time.
I taught English Language Arts to the
equivalent of seventh, eighth and ninth
graders. My students were in what is known
as “European Section” classes, which are
very advanced and taught in all different
languages. Some students take their history
classes in English, for example, while others
take science in Spanish. These dual language
programs are very competitive. Thus, the
» THE FIRST UA5K:
Run @ the Roo, held Sunday, April 17, was
a huge success. Thanks to the more than
300 runners who came out in support
of the event, which was sponsored by
the Department of Sport Science and
Wellness Education and the Sport
Science Academy.
students were of exceptional caliber. I taught
them as if they were American students and
introduced them to American pedagogy.
They do not practice cooperative learning
nearly to the extent that we do here in the
states, and I believe that they enjoyed
working together.
This project is great for teachers because
it shows them what it is like to be different. In
our increasingly diversified classrooms,
it is imperative that all teachers understand
COE E D U C A T I O N H I G H L I G H T S 2010 – 2011
Ten of us arrived in Besançon, France, in late August. We didn’t know
each other, aside from the three days that we spent together at UA for a
predeparture orientation. We all came from different schools and
backgrounds. There were math, English, French and science teachers.
what it is like to be handicapped due to
disconnects in communication. These
disconnects are not always linguistic, either,
which is the most important lesson that I
learned in the classroom.
I will continue to learn and grow from this
experience for years to come. I am so
thankful to everybody involved in the project.
I don’t know if I will ever be able to thank
them enough. n
– John Casper
Graduate Student,
Integrated Language Arts
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