School of Education Winter 2024

Winter 2024 School Of Education

Message from the Director

O ver the past several months I have been reminded about the value of experiential learning for our students, one of the tenets of UW-Stout’s mission. Experiential learning is near and dear to my heart as a former career and technical educator (business education). Providing students with real-world experiences was an important part of the curriculum and my philosophy – field trips to businesses, mock interviews with a human resources professional, work-based learning, and FBLA competitions that presented real world situations for students to address. Research on experiential learning in undergraduate teacher preparation programs indicates the value in applying theory to practice through experiences in schools and the community (Williams & Sembiante, 2022). Here at UW Stout, our education students not only participate in the field experiences, pre student teaching and student teaching required in their programs, they also have opportunities through student organizations and volunteer opportunities to develop skills as professional educators. Some examples are highlighted in this newsletter. Many of our students strive not only to be educators but to be leaders within their fields. Good examples of this are two alumni of the Family & Consumer Sciences Education program who recently received recognition at the national level, one for leadership within their field and the other as a Fulbright Scholar. Their inspiring stories are shared in the new Alumni Spotlight section of the newsletter. In addition, you will read about two current students who are taking their leadership to the state level, one serving on a board for school counseling and the other on a DPI council.

I am proud of our education faculty and staff for their leadership and for the extra time and effort they put into the programs, to ensure students have quality experiences that prepare them for their careers as educators. I am also proud of our students for taking it upon themselves to participate and to step into leadership roles that serve their peers and others. During this time when public education faces challenges, I find hope for the future in the students who choose education as a profession, and I hope you do, too.

Williams, L. & Sembiante, S. (2022). Experiential learning in U.S. undergraduate teacher preparation programs: A review of the literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 112.

Deanna Schultz, Ph.D. Associate Dean School of Education Director schultzdea@uwstout.edu

UWStout.edu/SOE

Issue Highlights: • Alumni Spotlight • Students’ Experiential Learning

School of Education students participate in mock classroom teaching

Alumni Spotlight De’Andre Jones is currently the Di rector of Alumni Engagement at Seattle University where he also earned a Master of Education in Student Development Administration. De’Andre is the recipient of the 2024 Mena Valdez Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award, a national award from NASPA, an association for higher education student affairs administrators. This award recognizes outstanding mid-level professionals in student affairs and services with at least five years of full-time experience in the student affairs field. De’Andre has been involved with the NASPA organization for a number of years, has been actively involved with the NASPA Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community which nominated him for the award, and has enhanced the Latinx/a/o Dawn A. Oler is a recipient of a Ful bright Distinguished Award in Teaching Research to Finland for 2023-2024. She is spending 5 months in the spring at the University of Eastern Finland’s Joensuu Campus studying Finland’s education system and how they recruit high-quality candidates into the education profes sion, something they are known for. In her Fulbright application, Dawn stated: “I believe acquiring information on how Finland promotes education among their youth could be crucial to creating a cur riculum map that can be used to encour age young people in America to pursue a career in education.” She goes on to say that she wants to “create connections to support students’ inquiry into the profession and support them throughout their pursuit of higher education.” Her goal is to bring her research back to the state where she teaches (Illinois) and throughout the nation to support grow your-own programs and encourage the establishment of new programs. Dawn has previously explored education in other countries. She spent two weeks in South Africa in 2017 as part of a delegation to work with and learn from

teachers in the Leap Science and Math Schools which serve black children living in poverty. While there she worked with future teachers as a presenter at the Axis Global Education Summit. She also spent time in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake to understand the needs of the community and how they were using their limited resources to provide education in the face of such a devastating event. In addition to her undergraduate degree from UW-Stout, Dawn earned a master’s degree in human development and family studies from UW-Stout, and she also earned a second master’s degree in school improvement leadership from Olivet Nazarene University. In 2012 Dawn became a nationally board certified teacher in career and technical education. In 2014 she was named Illinois Teacher of the Year by the Illinois Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and represented Illinois in the AAFCS National Teacher of the Year Award program. Dawn is currently a family and consumer sciences teacher at the Hinsdale (IL) Central High School and is President of the Illinois Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. community at Seattle University through campus programs and initiatives. De’Andre is the only honoree from Washington State to be recognized this year across all the Mena Valdez Award categories and will be honored at the NASPA National Conference in Seattle, WA in March. De’Andre shared, “Receiving this award affirms the value and impact of the education I received from UW-Stout and Seattle University and represents my commitment to the profession of higher education and student affairs. I am grateful for the mentorship and support I have received over the years from colleagues – locally and nationally. As a queer, first-generation, Afro-Latino, I am humbled by this recognition and look forward to what the future holds.”

De’Andre Jones, a 2016 Family & Consumer Sciences Education graduate and McNair Scholar

Dawn A. Oler, a 2003 Family & Consumer Sciences Education graduate

Students’ Experiential Learning

leader on campus, serving as President of the Stout Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Vice-President of the Phi Upsilon Omicron Honor Society, and as a residence hall manager. Kaitlyn Gillis, a student in the M.S. School Counseling program, came to UW-Stout after completing a degree in psychology at UW-Madison, with minors in education and German. She currently serves as the Graduate Student Co-Director for the Wisconsin School Counseling Association (WSCA), a position she applied for after learning about it from a class presenter. In this role, she shares information from the WSCA Board/association with school counseling graduate students across the state. In addition, she will co-lead a leadership summit in the summer for WSCA student representatives from each of the campuses in Wisconsin, public and private, that have school counselor preparation programs. She is enjoying gathering input from other school counseling students, assessing their needs, and working to meet those needs through WSCA. She also appreciates learning how to advocate for herself and others in a professional manner.

Students Serving on State Education Boards

UW-Stout’s education programs are represented on two education-related boards this year. Hannah Timm, a junior Family & Consumer Sciences Education major, was nominated and selected by the Department of Public Instruction to serve as the student representative on the state Professional Standards Council for Teachers. This Council serves as an advisory committee to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction on policy matters in the areas of licensure, educator preparation, evaluation, and effective teaching. Other members include PK-12 teachers from public and private schools, administrators, school board members, and university faculty. As the student representative for educator preparation programs, Hannah has become proficient in advocating for and supporting teacher excellence, specifically how to aid first year teachers through peer mentoring, teacher preparation, and policies that support teachers. She hopes that the conversations with the Council can spark ideas for supportive school board and state policies and practices to develop teacher excellence. Hannah is also a Technology Education Competition and Conference Four Technology Education Engineering Collegiate Association (TEECA) student members participated in the 74th Four-States’ Regional Technology Conference November 9 and 10, 2023, in Pittsburg, Kansas. The TEECA students participated in the Problem Solving, Tech Challenge, and Teaching a Lesson Plan competitions. In addition, students attended professional development breakout sessions during the conference. The highlight of the event for the TEECA students was Miranda Johnstone, a freshman Technology Education student, winning the Teaching a Lesson Plan competition. The team of TEECA students designed a lesson plan around measuring and Miranda presented the lesson plan.

Hannah Timm

Kaitlyn Gillis

TEECA students and advisor, Barb Bauer, at the Four-States’ Regional Technology Conference.

DECA District Conference The UW-Stout Marketing & Business Education students hosted the 52rd annual Re gional DECA District I Career Development Conference on January 6. By planning and implementing the event, these future teachers learn what is involved in their future advisor role. Over 450 high school students from Western and Northwestern Wisconsin participated in competitive events related to real-world marketing situations, which business professionals and other community volunteers judged. Study Abroad in Mexico Ten education students spent two weeks during the January winter term in Cozu mel, Mexico, completing a teaching practicum in schools and learning about the local culture while earning credit for their multiculturalism course. The program is led each year by Dr. Terry Kohlmeier, Early Childhood Education faculty member, and Dr. Mary Hopkins-Best, former UW Stout Dean, in partnership with the University of Quintana Roo. This year the UW-Stout students used a children’s book written to foster a positive attitude toward homeless dogs and cats, a population common in Central American countries. They created lessons centered around the book that reflected their teaching field and were appropriate for the childrens’ ages and special needs. For example, a future technology education student had 5th and 6th graders creating simple dog leashes. You can read more about the UW-Stout students’ experience and their lesson plan activities here: University Students Visit Cozumel Schools - Cozumel 4 You

MBE students and advisor, Dr. Debbie Stanislawski, at the DECA District Career Development Conference hosted by UW-Stout.

Teaching children in Cozumel to create simple dog leashes.

Education Programs at UW-Stout • For high school students interested in becoming teachers • For paraeducators seeking to become licensed teachers • For licensed educators looking for professional growth and development: - Graduate degree and certificate options - Add-on licensure options • For career changers and others

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