EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS - The University of Akron

THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON
Students in the Instructional Technology Applications
course, a core undergraduate class in the COE,
immersed themselves in an idea that led them to
Columbus to a standing-room only audience.
Juniors and seniors across disciplines take this class taught by John Milam, assistant professor
(CIS). At the onset of the course students determine what their learning path will be. This
particular class wanted to incorporate problem-based learning (PBL) and technology to
showcase the innovation and excellent work at National Inventors of Fame (NIHF) STEM
School in downtown Akron.
Using the PBL approach, six students presented
their integrated technology project idea to the
NIHF-STEM school. Through a collaborative
process, students in the course created an
informational Prezi presentation for the STEM
school parent open house in February.
Prezi is a Web-based presentation tool using
a map layout and zooming to show contextual
relationships. It displays information much
like PowerPoint, but in a seamless, cutting
edge way.
In nine short weeks, the students learned
about Prezi and worked to gather information
and interviews to showcase the school.
Students interviewed officials from the STEM
school, partners such as COE Dean Mark D.
Shermis and Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, and
also interviewed students and their parents.
The Prezi included STEM school student
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from left to right:
Ben Hymes, Ryan Reed,
Mark Zajaczkowski
from left to Right:
Stephanie Yoder,
Aimee Bassett,
Andrew Weaver, Megan
Knight, Ryan Reed
Students ‘wow’ at
state level
work, the school’s philosophy, approaches
to curriculum using PBL, and local, state and
national recognition of the program, including
a CNN-TV segment.
Upon presenting their Prezi to accolades,
Milam and his students decided to submit
their ideas to the Ohio Educational Technology
Conference. This is the third largest state
educational technology conference in the
country – more than 6,500 educational
innovators gather to share their successes
and challenges. The COE and UA’s Institute
for Teaching and Learning supported the
students’ trip to Columbus.
Students Aimee Bassett, Ben Hymes,
Megan Knight, Ryan Reed, Andrew Weaver,
Stephanie Yoder and Mark Zajaczkowski
represented UA very well at the conference.
Their presentation was so well received that
from left to right: Mark Zajaczkowski, Megan Knight, Andrew Weaver,
Aimee Bassett, Stephanie Yoder, Ryan Reed, John Milam
they were asked to present again at the
conference – almost unheard of!
Sadly, due to the weather, they were not
able to commit.
“Our students were able to advance their
knowledge in technology so much so that
seasoned educators were asking for their
advice on how to implement this in their
classrooms – it was very empowering,”
says Milam. n
Knight Grant recognizes UA’s
diversity and inclusive excellence
UA will work to increase the recruitment, retention and graduation
rates of black male students, with a $425,000 grant from the John S. and
James L. Knight Foundation. John E. Queener, a professor in the
Department of Counseling, was a co-principal investigator on the grant.
Nationally and locally, college retention and graduation rates are starkly lower
for African-American males than their classmates. For example, during the 2006-07
academic year, the first-year retention rate for African-American males at UA was
46 percent, compared to 54 percent for African-American females and 66 percent
for all first-year students. n
COE E D U C A T I O N H I G H L I G H T S 2010 – 2011
GED knowledge to be
strengthened for teachers and
adult learners alike
The College of Education received a $63,262 grant from the Ohio Board
of Regents to strengthen GED and pre-GED teachers’ knowledge of both
pedagogy and content in mathematics education. Project collaborators
include UA’s Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences and Adult Basic Literacy
Education (ABLE) GED programs (Canton City Schools, Project Learn of
Summit County, Massillon City Schools and Wayne County Career Center).
ABLE program educators often work with
limited resources and experiences in
mathematics, yet they devote their time to
work with adult learners who have rededicated
themselves to pursuing a high school
diploma. The comprehensive GED programs
involved support and facilitate students
transitioning to technical, community and
university programs to continue
their education.
Approximately 30 teachers are being
recruited from adult education programs
in Northeast Ohio to provide a series of
workshops with current GED teachers. Their
workshops will engage participants in
learning math content and best practice for
teaching math as well as developing lessons
that reflect differentiated instruction.
Lynne Pachnowski, professor (CIS), and
Denise Stuart, associate professor (CIS), are
grant co-project investigators n
John E. Queener
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