Teacher Education/Special Education Latest News
From the Director
Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand.
- Chinese Proverb
In my early quest to become a truly great teacher, I assumed it was all about what I did as a teacher until my mentor wisely told me, “Cindy, it’s not about the teaching… it’s about the learning.” And boy was she right! As I reflected on my actions as a teacher, I couldn’t truly assess how things really went without questioning what my students were able to learn as a result of my instruction and what I was constantly learning each time I set foot in my classroom. As you continue on your own quest to become an exceptional teacher, push yourself to keep learning at the focus! Push yourself to create instruction that involves your students in meaningful ways! Push yourself to be an involved learner in your partner school and your courses! It is well worth it.
~Cindy Gutierrez, Director, IPTE
From the Academic Advisor
I hope that you all are having a great semester and enjoying and learning in your internships. Summer registration will begin March 9 (depending on total number of credits) with Fall registration soon to follow in April. If you need any assistance or have questions about classes, please feel free to call or make an appointment. Good luck to any who are planning on taking the PLACE or Praxis exams. Hang in there-only one more month till Spring Break!
Just a couple of reminders:
Switch Week is March 16th. If 2 internships are being completed Spring 2009, the first internship ENDS the week of March 9th and the second BEGINS the week of March 16th.
Deposit Refunds. If you are in your final semester of internships, your $250 deposit will be refunded to you at the end of March. Please look for emails from Rachel.
Scholarship Deadline. The deadline to apply for SEHD scholarships is April 1st. Please see the section below for more information.
~Meredith Lopez, Academic Advisor, IPTE
Scholarships!
Make sure you apply for any and all scholarships you qualify for! Materials below! Due date is April 1st!!!
Letter of Recommendation Form for Scholarships
TO SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS: Special Education Maymester Offering
With registration for summer semester beginning on March 9th, I’d like to provide you with some information about the new Maymester schedule. In addition to a variety of online and face-to-face course offerings available throughout the months of June and July, UC-Denver is now offering a Maymester schedule. In the upcoming Maymester session, we are offering SPED 5400: Advanced Seminar in Special Education. This course is scheduled to meet four evenings per week ( T, W, R, F) from 4:00-7:50 from May 19th– June 5th. Given that the demands of a Maymester course are rigorous, please consider if this offering is one that best fits your learning needs and is feasible given your personal and professional time commitments. Please keep in mind that the deadline to add or drop this course is midnight on the first day of class. As you consider your program plan of study remember that SPED 5400 is always offered 2x/year and is available again in the Fall semester. I will be sending a syllabus and reading list to all registered students in early May, but in the meanwhile, if you have any questions about this course, feel free to contact me directly.
Donna M. Sobel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Colorado Denver
School of Education & Human Development
1201 5th Street, Campus Box 106
Denver, CO 80204
Office location: 1380 Lawrence Street, #636
303.315.4954
donna.sobel@ucdenver.edu
Critical Dates
Student Council for Exceptional Children meeting
Friday, March 6 @ 5 p.m. @ Panera Bread – 13th & Grant.
Mark your Calendars!
April 6 - Last day to drop or withdraw without a petition and special approval from student’s dean.
May 19 – Maymester classes begin
May 25 – Memorial Day Holiday-Campus closed
June 5 – Maymester classes end
June 8 – Summer classes begin
July 4 – Independence Day Holiday – No classes; campus closed
August 1 – End of term
Financial Aid
Fill out the free FAFSA and UAPP form now for financial aid for calendar year 2009-10 year (Summer 2009-Spring 2010) by visiting the website here.
Click on “How to Apply” under the heading of “The Financial Aid Process.”
Check out the Federal Teach Grant for high needs areas under “Funding Your Education” on the home financial aids home web page. If interested mark on the FAFSA form.
Contact financial aid:
Office Hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm Monday – Friday
Advising Hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
8:00am – 12:00pm Thursday
Contact:
Main Phone: 303-556-2886
Fax: 303-556-2325
Email: financialaid@ucdenver.edu
Financial Aid Staff Listing
Physical Location
North Classroom
1200 Larimer Street, Suite 1030
Denver, CO 80217
Attention Special Education Teacher Candidates:
The internship element of the special education licensure program provides the opportunity for you to connect theory to practice and is essential to your success in the program. With this in mind, please review the following information regarding the process for internship application for all “one-the-job” and alternative internship experiences and the reminder of the submission dates. A completed internship application must be submitted for all internships that are completed outside of a UCD partner school.
To ensure that each of your internship experiences provides you with varied professional opportunities to apply your skills in natural settings, and to enlarge the range of strategies you bring to the classroom, please remember to plan ahead and communicate with your advisor regarding internship requirements. All teacher candidates in the special education endorsement program are expected to demonstrate knowledge and skill with students of varying age and grade levels, so a range of internship experiences will be designed individually between you and your advisor. Please note the submission dates for each semester:
• March 1st for Summer internships
• May 1st for Fall internships
• October 1st for Spring internships
If you are intending to complete a special education internship outside of a UCD partner school during the summer term of 2009, your completed application materials must be submitted to your special education faculty advisor by March 1st, 2009 for approval. Please contact Meredith Lopez in the Student Services Center if you need assistance in contacting your faculty advisor – meredith.lopez@ucdenver.edu
What’s New with LiveText?
If you have not yet attend a LiveText training to set up your account, you must do so before PBAs! Please see information on the trainings below:
All January LiveText trainings will be held in LW1100. This is the computer lab on the 11th floor of the Lawrence Street Center. As you exit the elevator on the 11th floor, the computer lab will be on your left.
As of Spring Semester, 2009, it is necessary for you to RSVP for the time you wish to attend. To RSVP, simply click on the desired time from the calendars in the links below, and fill out the short form that pops up. Be sure to click the “register” button when you have filled out the form.
Please bring to the training the following important items: 1) your student ID number; 2) your CUDenver email address . These items will be used to match you to SIS information during account creation.
If you have not yet registered or been to a LiveText training please see the calendar below:
LiveText Workshops, February 2009
TC/Partner School Spotlight
Sarah Culter
Sarah Culter is currently in her 5912 Internship at Thomson Elementary in Jefferson County, and boy, has it been busy! First, she was trained to facilitate at Young AmeriTown, a business simulation for her fifth grade students. Then she headed to NASA’s Space Camp! There she learned a ton about space, the operations at NASA and even met a real live austronaut! In the summer she is headed to Africa. Even with all thsoe extra curriculars, Sarah always manages to get her PBAs in on time! We are delighted to have her with us at Thomson.
~MJ Lechner, Site Professor, Thomson Elementary, JeffCo
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Creating Connections – A Pen-Pal Project between Goldrick Elementary and Aurora Central High School, by Tracy Piniarczyk
During my SPED 5911 internship at Goldrick Elementary, my site coordinator Tania Hogan, my CT Jaimee Steinberg, and I discovered a great way to get students excited about writing! While working with special education students who were English language learners I started to notice that some students relied solely on the pictures and visuals instead of the words. To give students motivation to read something without any pictures, Tania suggested I try writing the students letters. I tried her suggestion and it was a huge success! In the last week of my internship we wrote several letters back and forth. The students were writing the letters at home, even though they knew this wasn’t homework!
Although it was time to switch internships, we wanted to continue the letter writing. My CT, Jaimee, had an idea to extend it into a pen-pal project with students from my new internship. I have since been in contact with Aurora Central’s Future Educators of America club, a group of mostly senior students who are thinking of going into the teaching profession, and they loved the idea. Not only will this project allow them to help a young student learn how to read and write, but it will also give them a glimpse of how exciting that process can be.
Thank you to everyone who has been involved in this, we have matched about 5 pen-pals together so far and our first batch of letters is going out this week!
Lauren Walcher
WOW! This was our reaction to Lauren Walcher’s artistic talent, when we first noticed it way back in September at the UCD Orientation Day for new TC’S. That day, Lauren’s artistry and keen ability to demonstrate concepts in a non-verbal way helped her Rose Hill cohort of new TC’S create and share a delightful and informative poster. This ability has also served Lauren (and her students!) well as a teacher. She remembers clearly that as an elementary student herself, pictures and visual symbols helped her understand new and/or abstract concepts. She has consistently and effectively incorporated this into her lessons, which has been especially valuable for her ELL students.
Lauren has worked in kindergarten, third grade, and is now doing her 4912 in fifth grade. Her empathy for young learners; her warmth; and her hard work in planning meaningful learning experiences for her students have made her a welcome member of our Rose Hill staff. Thank you, Lauren, for the special gifts you bring to Rose Hill!
~Carol Younghans, Site Professor, Rose Hill Elementary, Adams #14
National Experts Visit Goldrick Elementary
Teacher Candidates and Clinical Teachers at Goldrick enjoyed receiving visitors this week from across the nation. The visiting team included experts in urban education, special education, multicultural issues, second language learning, and merged teacher education programs such as the IPTE program. Pairs of team members visited six schools across the partnership. In addition to observing TCs at work in the classroom, the visitors to Goldrick, Drs. Beverly Cross and Betty Epanchin, met with the current TCs and CTs, respectively, to query them about their experiences in particular and our practices in general. After the completion of their school visits, the team members will review their observations and formulate their suggestions for improvement in the IPTE program. Those who met with the visitors enjoyed hearing about the school partnerships they represent in other parts of the country. It’s good to become more aware of this significant, nation-wide effort to improve urban education.
~Tania Hogan and Linda Bruce, Site Team, Goldrick Elementary School, DPS
Check it out!
Communicating with Parents Effectively
1. Make your first communication with parents a positive one. This means contacting every parent in the first two weeks of school. Introduce yourself and say something positive concerning his/her child and the upcoming year. Phone calls and short notes home can set the stage for a strong partnership.
2. Set aside time to conference with parents throughout the year. Make yourself available for phone calls during specific times before and/or after school. Make sure you let parents know when and how you prefer to be contacted within the first week of school.
3. Make an effort to “catch” students doing something well or coming up with a good idea. Make note of this and share it with parents between report card periods.
4. Create an email address specifically for classroom communications. Check this often; this is an excellent way to communicate with parents without needing to arrange a real-time meeting.
5. Create a webpage for your classroom. Post upcoming events and highlights.
6. Create a weekly newsletter. Send it as an email document, post it on your classroom website, or print out and send home copies to parents who do not have access to the Internet.
7. Increase parents’ interaction by communicating about upcoming projects or events by sending home a wish list. Include small, easy-to-contribute items such as baby food jars, as well as more expensive items such as white board markers. Parents love to contribute but often don’t know how.
8. Distribute a volunteer list. Make it specific and manageable, such as “4 parents are needed for Thursday from 1- 2 pm to help manage small groups during a science project.”
9. Early in the year, send home a questionnaire to parents, asking them to supply key information about their child that will help you meet that child’s needs. Be sure to provide space for parents to communicate anything they believe you should know.
10. Make sure you are aware of households where communication in English may be a challenge. Arrange for a translator to be available during conferences. Free translation services are available on the Internet.
Visit us at www.kdsi.org today!
Boosting Literacy Through Interactive Media
PBS Teachers’ “Media Infusion” blog features experts sharing ideas on using multimedia resources to address common instructional challenges. This month’s blog highlights the new, interactive “Electric Company” site and other great literacy resources online.
Brown Foundation Scholarship Program for Educational Equality and Excellence
Teacher Quest Scholarship Program
History
The first Brown Foundation scholarship was awarded in 1989 in an effort to cultivate minority educators. This was predicated upon a report by the Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy which stated that, “Schools form children’s opinions about the larger society and their own futures. The race, sex, and background of their teachers tell something about authority and power in contemporary America.” The Foundation’s goal in providing financial assistance to minority education majors is to create a future in which all students see a view of the world that includes them and to provide role models that are so important to identity formation.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
• Recipients must be enrolled at least half-time as defined by the higher education institution of attendance.
• Applicant must be enrolled at an institution of higher education with an accredited teacher education program.
• Applicant must have been admitted to a teacher education program; confirmation of acceptance must be submitted by May 15, 2009.
• Applicant must have a grade point average at 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale or equivalent (i.e. 4.0 on a 5.0 scale).
• Applicant must submit two recommendations; one from a faculty member or other college/university official and one from a person familiar with the applicant’s skills and abilities who is not a family member. Recommendations should take into account leadership, attitude, maturity, initiative, persistence, reliability, and communication skills. Indicate how many years known.
How to Apply
Applications for the 2009-2010 Teacher Quest scholarships are now being accepted.
Download, complete, and submit:
o Application form: Application in PDF (92 KB PDF) (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) OR Microsoft Word Version (342 KB DOC)
o Recommendation Form (two recommendations required) (24 KB PDF) (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Submit application by March 20, 2009 to:
Brown Foundation Scholarship Committee
1515 SE Monroe
Topeka, KS 66615
(785) 235-1001
Fax: (785) 235-1001
Brownfound@juno.com
The Brown Foundation will notify students and participating colleges and universities of scholarship awards after applications have been reviewed. Recipients are notified in May.
CU Online Yearbook
Here at CU Online, we are seeking contributions for a new e-book entitled the CU Online Yearbook. The yearbook is an effort to capture some of the great things faculty, staff, students, and alumni are doing with technology and media to improve teaching, learning and performance.
Tentatively, the book will consist of four sections:
1. Trends and Issues with Online Learning:
5-10 page (i.e., 1250 – 2500 words) articles on specific problems of practice written by faculty, staff, students, or alumni.
2. Technology in Action:
3-5 page (i.e., 750 – 1250 words) articles on how and why to use a specific application to improve learning and/or performance written by faculty, staff, students, or alumni.
3. Emerging Tools and Applications:
1 page articles on specific applications (e.g., GoogleDocs, Delicious, Diigo, Picnik…) written by staff at CU Online.
4. Resources
Resources faculty have created for their courses that they want to share with others (e.g., rubrics, online discussion expectations).
We are currently seeking contributions from faculty, staff, students, and alumni. In order to ensure a quality book, we are asking contributors to submit a proposal for each article they want to contribute.
The original deadline for proposals was February 15th 2009 however we have extended it until February 23rd. The proposal is less than a page long.
More information can be found online at: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhmhc6fg_120dncrphcf
Thanks!
Patrick R. Lowenthal
Academic Technology Coordinator
CU Online, University of Colorado Denver
303.315.3687 (Downtown Campus)
303-724-2489 (Anschutz Medical Campus)
patrick.lowenthal@ucdenver.edu (new email address)
CU Online Helpdesk
303-315-3700 or 1-877-UCDEN-44
help@cuonline.edu
Conferences & Special Events
Denver Justice and Peace Committee
CAMINOS 2009 Education Delegation to Guatemala: June 14-23, 2009
Current K-12 teachers please join us!
A new outlook on the importance of education in human rights and global justice.
The Guatemalan indigenous populations, a highly marginalized people, were guaranteed the right to education with the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords. CAMINOS invites current K-12 teachers to discover and experience the educational advancements and the struggles that still persist after the end of a disastrous internal conflict.
Cost: $900 + airfare to Guatemala City
*Take advantage of the great opportunity to earn graduate credit through Adams State. These credits include an addition $115 plus $35 administrative fees to be paid through Adam’s State.
Applications deadline: March 16th
Participants will have the opportunity to participate in the following:
- Experience the transformational power of experiential learning in a traveling classroom and earn 3 credits in multi-cultural/education studies.
- Discover how the Guatemalan education system operates—compare and contrast differences in rural and urban facilities, including the discrepancies between private and public education.
- Visit multiple educational facilities and participate in an exchange with the educators and students.
- You will also visit Tesorito and learn about a distinctively unique educational experience from members of the Communities of Population in Resistance (CPR) before and after their forced relocation.
- Take advantage of the opportunity to experience Guatemala’s history, meet inspirational individuals and also reflect upon the effects of poverty and war on education.
For more details about the delegation please visit the Denver Justice and Peace Committee’s website at: www.denjustpeace.org or call DJPC at 303-623-1463.
Please download the attached application here.
Contact Jane Covode at jcovode@ecentral.com or Sheila Malcolm at sheilamalcolm@comcast.net for more information.
Philips Elementary School’s Auction for Autism: April 24th
Venture out for a night of food and fun at Philips Elementary School’s Auction for Autism on Friday, April 24th, 5:30- 8:30 pm at the Philips Elementary School cafeteria! The Special Education center-based autism programs at Philips Elementary School are hosting our 3rd annual fundraiser and silent auction. We need your help to insure the growth and development of our autism program here at Phillips.
Proceeds from the event will go directly to the autism classrooms at Philips. We are a Park Hill area Denver Public School, located at 6550 East 21st Avenue on the corner of Montview and Monaco. We are an ethnically and economically diverse student body, serving students on the autism spectrum.
Today one in 150 children are diagnosed with autism, yet autism continues to be one of the least funded childhood disabilities. This fundraiser will be essential for our students to receive the instruction and resources necessary for their growth and development in and outside of the classroom. Children with autism have a great deal of social deficits and sensory needs as well as many other modifications needed in the classroom.
Our students spend every Friday out in the community learning how to participate in society, have a feeling of success and a sense of comfort out in the world. We would like to take the burden off of families who are continually required to provide money for our community trips. Your donations and or purchases can help make these community trips a continued reality for these Denver children.
Items for donation can include family adventures, restaurant gift certificates, art, picnics, local excursions, classes, hair cuts, house cleaning and many other treasures, trips, and experiences. The money raised at the auction will pay for Special Education classroom necessities, materials, and for students in need of assistance to participate in activities inside and outside the classroom. This donation is tax deductible.
Tickets include admission, a spaghetti dinner, dessert and beverages.
Tickets can be purchased through either classroom (Room 101 or Room 102). Tickets will be $5.00 in advance and $7.00 at the door. Please make checks payable to Philips Elementary School ? Autism Classrooms.
If you would like to purchase tickets in advance or would like to make a donation please contact Amber at 720-424-4851 or 720-227-4526.
With sincere gratitude and hope we thank you for your interest!
Amber Blowey & Michael Gropper
Attention Special Education Students:
Cherry Creek Schools is having their Special Education, Mental Health & Health Services Applicant Interviews on March 7th. See flier below!
An Evening with Jane Healy, PH.D.
Click here for registration form for An Evening with Jane Healy
Job/Volunteer Opportunities
Colorado Academy Seeking a Middle School Spanish Teacher
________________________________________
Description The position is full-time and includes: 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Spanish
Teachers are responsible for four class sections and an advisory.
________________________________________
Qualifications A minimum of 1 year upper elementary and/or middle school classroom teaching is required, and coaching abilities are desirable.
________________________________________
To Apply Colorado Academy actively seeks diversity in its faculty and student body and is particularly interested in applications from qualified members of minority groups.
Qualified applicants are encouraged to send a letter of application and resume to:
Michael Davis, Ph.D.
Head of School
Colorado Academy
3800 South Pierce Street
Denver, CO 80235
Email: barb.eckler@coloradoacademy.org
Colorado Academy Seeking a Middle School French & Spanish Teacher
________________________________________
Description The position is full-time and includes: 6th, 7th, and 8th grade French & Spanish
Teachers are responsible for four class sections and an advisory.
________________________________________
Qualifications A minimum of 1 year upper elementary and/or middle school classroom teaching is required, and coaching abilities are desirable.
________________________________________
To Apply Colorado Academy actively seeks diversity in its faculty and student body and is particularly interested in applications from qualified members of minority groups.
Qualified applicants are encouraged to send a letter of application and resume to:
Michael Davis, Ph.D.
Head of School
Colorado Academy
3800 South Pierce Street
Denver, CO 80235
Email: barb.eckler@coloradoacademy.org
Interfaith Hospitality Network
My name is Emily Gallagher and I work for Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Denver. We are a non-profit shelter and self-sufficiency program for homeless families. We are looking to expand our life skills program by adding one hour monthly classes in financial matters, nutrition, and resume writing. We would like to develop curricula that are specialized for our organization. I am writing to you to inquire as to whether or not any of your students would be interested in assisting with this project on a volunteer basis. I have attached a description of our organization and a summary of the volunteer opportunities associated with the life skills program. Please note that the volunteer teacher position would be available after the curricula have been developed. If you have any students who would like to help, please email or call me for more information.
Thank you,
Emily Gallagher
AmeriCorps VISTA
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Denver