Teacher Education/Special Education Latest News
Important Information from Meredith Lopez, Urban Teacher Education Academic Advisor:
Regarding Summer/ Fall Registration
We guarantee that you will be able to finish your current program in the allotted credit hours and time frame for which you were admitted (i.e., the 12 month or 18 month program) as long as you are currently on track with that program plan. We will be sending individualized e-mails to all current students that clearly states exactly what courses you will enroll for this summer and fall (and next spring for new 18 month students) to complete your program. Some of the changes are simply changes in course prefix and numbering which will be included in your e-mail. But some of you, particularly new 18 month students, will actually get the benefit of taking some of the newly redesigned courses that will be offered in a block format starting this fall to complete your program plan. Again, the credit hours and time frame will remain the same. Our new Urban Teacher Education Program will continue to use the Professional Development School model for internships, so that will remain the same in your current program as well, with the new program starters joining your PDS cohorts in August.
Please note: New UEDU and SPED courses for fall may not be up on the system until the end of June.
SPED 5140 and 5500
The changes in both SPED 5140 and SPED 5500 were approved at curriculum committee which means that they are ready to be “uncovered” for fall registration. There will be a delay in students’ ability to see those offerings, however, both courses ARE on the fall schedule, and registration for both of them will open in June.
Registration
Don’t forget to contact me if you have questions about summer registration. Students typically take no more than 6 credits in the summer for elementary/secondary licensing. Special education students may take more depending on their program plan. Please contact me if you are planning on taking more than 9 -12 credits as this is the cutoff for summer registration. For any circumstances that fall into this category, contact to discuss via phone, email or in person appointment.
Please note that UCD is replacing the current student portals (CUAccess, SMART, and Pinnacle) with one new portal, UCDAccess. For the Fall 2010 semester you will need to use the new portal, UCDAccess.
The Summer icon refers you to CUAccess, SMART, or Pinnacle for Spring and Summer 2010 semesters.
The Fall icon will refer you to the new portal, UCDAccess (for Fall 2010 semester). This new portal will allow you to apply for financial aid, search for your classes on various criteria, view real-time numbers of seats available, enroll and pay for your classes, order transcripts, and more . . . all in one spot!
For more information and an FAQ, visit www.ucdenver.edu/ISISComm
Be expecting an email regarding day/time for Fall registration which begins in early May. You can also check S.M.A.R.T. for this information as well. Don’t forget: before registration, all students must pay a $200 registration advance payment; which will be applied to your tuition and fees.
For those of you in the middle of your Teacher Education Program, emails with Summer/Fall program plans and schedules will be emailed out in April. These schedules have been designed to assist in the merging of the old IPTE program to the new Urban Teacher Education program. Please stay tuned!
UCD Academic Calendar
As a UC Denver student, you are responsible for knowing the specific requirements and deadlines published each semester. Please visit this site to see the Academic Calendar now posted for summer and fall 2010.
Registration for Internships
Rachel Fraser is working on placement assignments for Fall 2010. You will receive an email with your placement assignment and call number in May. Please register for everything else BUT your internship.
Partner School – Fall Term Calendar
Also be mindful of partner school calendar starts for the start of the fall terms. Many schools go back in early August so plan accordingly with your summer schedule. You will be receiving communication around partner school placements in May as well as welcome letters from your site team.
Teacher Education Job Fairs
Please visit www.teachincolorado.org for the most current listing of Colorado’s educational positions.
UCD Career Center
The UCD Career Center, is located in Suite 260 in the Tivoli Student Union, 303-556-2250. The Center offers many services aimed at helping Teacher Candidates find a teaching position. The list below provides an overview of their services and functions.
Resume assistance: The Center has resume writing sessions and critiques individual resumes on request.
Campus career library: The Career Center has a library that includes school district personnel office addresses, information about in-state, out-of-state and overseas teaching positions, brochures and applications from school districts, etc.
Interviews: Interviewing tips are available and school district personnel conduct mock interviews with Teacher Candidates. Ask your Site Coordinator and Site Professor to do mock interviews with you during site seminars.
Completion of Teaching License/Endorsement
Congratulations! To celebrate your achievement, we invite you to the Spring 2010 SEHD Picnic following commencement. Please see the attached flier for details.
Use this link to the CDE application wizard to download the applications-http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeprof/Licensure_main.asp. You may click on the following link for a detailed licensure checklist.
• Spring Licensure/Endorsement Completers-All grades must be complete and listed on transcript before you can start the application process. Grades will begin to be posted May 26, 2010. We will not be able to sign on licensure paperwork until May 28 or after. Please call or email Meredith for an appointment which takes no more than 10-15 minutes. Please have the complete application filled out in its entirety so that she can provide a recommendation signature and answer any questions in the most efficient manner.
• Summer Licensure/Endorsement Completers-The Student Services Office works with each instructor to make sure students have completed their final summer courses satisfactorily so that there is not a wait for summer grades to be posted in August. This is helpful especially for those that may be done with their summer courses as early as June. Students can turn in paperwork to receive institutional recommendation signatures once completed with course work and Meredith has had confirmation from your instructor.
• If you need a confirmation letter for employment while waiting for your licensure paperwork to process, please email Meredith your request with details and how you would like the letter delivered or held for pick up.
• Please note, if an incomplete has been taken in any licensure course (SAPS for example) the grade must be posted for the incomplete course. All prerequisite courses must be completed and you must have passed the PLACE or PRAXIS II tests. This is a requirement that should have been completed prior to entering your third internship.
• You can make a request for UCD transcripts to be mailed to your home once grades are posted via SMART or pick them up from the Bursar’s office for $20.00. Graduate students will also need to include transcripts for all colleges at which courses towards degrees (e.g. BA, BS) and/or licensure programs were completed. The Student Services Center may have an extra copy of your transcripts in your file if needed.
• CLAS Undergraduate Licensure Completers will submit their licensure paperwork for institutional recommendation to Stephanie Hamington. Graduate teacher education students submit their paperwork to Meredith Lopez.
• Master Options for Graduate Licensure Completers–All teacher education graduate licensure completers who are going on to complete a Masters option are required to complete an MA Option Selection Sheet indicating the MA Option that will be pursued and the term starting the MA Option. Please turn this form into the SSC office. For a complete list of IPTE MA Course Requirements, click here. We encourage you to contact the advisor listed on the options sheet for more information and sequencing of courses.
If you are an Undergrad Licensure Completer and would like to apply for one of our educational masters options-please contact me for an abbreviated application process and the opportunity to waive the $50 application fee!
PLACE/Praxis II
Please remember that a copy of complete licensure exam results need to be turned into the student services office no later than 20 days prior to the start of the third internship. For special education endorsement this applies to the your final internship of SPED 5913. Please see the Colorado Department of Education’s link for correct test information and links to the testing sites. http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeprof/content_tests.htm. Contact me if you have any questions regarding timing and type of test for your program plan.
if students are interested in another study guide option for Praxis II, especially for secondary content knowledge review, please check out Cliff’s Quick Review at amazon.com. Students studying for the elementary education content knowledge exam also might find help for specific content reviews from this resource.
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 Fall term of 2010, your completed application materials must be submitted to your special education faculty advisor by May 1st, 2010 for approval. Please contact Meredith Lopez in the Student Services Center if you need assistance in contacting your faculty advisor – meredith.lopez@ucdenver.edu
TC Student/PDS Spotlight
Game Night at Laredo
On the night of April 8th, a lot was happening at Laredo Elementary. You could here the cries of victory and the moans of defeat as families from the school participated in the First Annual Family Game Night hosted by the teacher candidates. Using the proceeds from an Americorps grant, games were purchased that would develop language, math, and thinking skills outside the school day. Parents, students, and TC’s were all learning new games and playing old favorites that will soon be available for checkout on a weekly basis. The evening was a success and the teacher candidates were happy to be giving back to the community.
Cindy Peterson
“The students make me smile and laugh on a daily basis…reminding me why I have chosen this career path”. This statement by Cindy Petersen, a Teacher Candidate at Rose Hill Elementary School, reminds all of us why we have chosen to be teachers. Cindy is completing her final internship in the program and it has been clearly evident from the moment she walked into Rose Hill that she loves to teach. Her high energy, positive attitude, and joyful enthusiasm draw students to her. She works very hard to make learning fun, while still being mindful of standards and objectives.
Cindy has done her final two internships in a first-grade classroom. She connects especially well to these younger students. She has prepared a variety of developmentally appropriate hands-on and visual materials and activities that support instruction well and keep her students meaningfully engaged. This year District 14 has begun implementing the C.O.R.E. (Consortium of Reading Excellence) Literacy Program. Cindy has demonstrated a strong commitment to learn the skills needed to effectively teach within the parameters of this program. Her grade-level teammates appreciate her hard work and flexibility. C.O.R.E. has been new to all of them and Cindy has proven herself to be a valued member of the team.
It has been a pleasure for me to see Cindy grow as a teacher. She loves her students and they love her. She has brought her unique and wonderful energy to Rose Hill and we will miss her. Thank you, Cindy!
~Carol Younghans, Site Professor, Rose Hill Elementary School, Adams #14
Check Out Goldrick TC’s Involved in Extra Curricular Activities
We have many different after school activities and our TC’s have been helping out and “leading” some of them.
These are our “Garden Clubbers,” Sarah Kaeding, Mary Robinson, Ryan Kelley, Lauren Dougherty and Nicole Martin. For their Legacy Project they started a Garden Club after school. Students are learning about the many benefits of growing their own vegetables, as well as planting their own miniature lettuce gardens. So far the Garden Club has been a huge success!
D Kozoh stayed after school to help out with our “Cinco De Mayo” dancers. They are practicing for their performance in front of the entire school and parents on Cinco De Mayo!
Jon Barr and his CT’s, Jaimee Steinberg and Judy Davis have been staying after school for the past two weeks to do “Homework Club.” There were so many kids interested that they had to split the kids up into two groups! Jon stepped up as a “Teacher Leader” and volunteered to be in charge of one of the groups! Way to go Jon!!!
This week all of our TC’s volunteered to help out during the “Homework Club.” Thank you to our TC’s Mary Robinson (pictured above), Nicole Martin, Ryan Kelly, Sarah Kaeding, Teresa Dickinson, Angeles Fields, Lauren Dougherty, Carolina Mendez, D Kozoh, and our leader Jon Barr!! YOU are AWESOME!!!!!
~Tania Hogan, Site Coordinator, Goldrick Elementary School, DPS
UCD Legacy Night at Edison
The Edison interns designed a UCD Legacy Night for the parents and students that took place last week. It was a tremendous success. The 100 children had the choices of going to several centers. The Read Aloud, Floor Hockey, Cookie Decorating, and Mosaic Making centers embraced the children’s “night In” and the “parents’ night out”. This was the first annual, perhaps, bi-annual UCD Legacy night at Edison.
The first week in May Edison interns will present their Action Research to the faculty in Round Table formats. The interns developed questions they were concerned about and followed up with triangulating three sets of data.
I am extremely proud of our Edison Interns.
~Stevie Townsend, Site Professor, Edison Elementary School, DPS
Aurora Central Goes to Colorado State Mock Trial Competition
On the weekend of March 12-14 I had what has been my most fun, exciting, and challenging experience as a TC. I was fortunate enough to accompany two teams from my site, Aurora Central High School, to the Colorado State Mock Trial Competition in Colorado Springs as a volunteer coach. My CT is one of the coaches for the ACHS Mock Trial Team and I’ve been watching the students prepare and working with them in my free time at the school. In recent years ACHS has become a leader in Mock Trial, taking second in the state competition last year, and I feel so lucky to have met such a great group.
The last weekend of February ACHS took four teams to the Arapahoe Regional Tournament and qualified for two of the five state tournament spots, alongside two teams from Regis Jesuit and one from St. Mary’s Academy. During March’s State Tournament ACHS unfortunately didn’t grab one of the two illustrious spots in the Championship Round, but one team did make the semi-finals.
Watching students I work with at ACHS perform so well in an area that is generally dominated by private schools or public schools from the most affluent areas made my heart swell. Standing up and competing without the financial advantages and overwhelming family support the other schools brought, Central students went in to courtrooms and performed phenomenally and believably as lawyers and witnesses.
Without a doubt I was affirmed in my decision to pursue a career working with students in urban and diverse environments. I’ve never felt more gratified as a teacher than when those students turned to me Saturday after their last round and said “Thank you Ms. Lane.” On another note, though, chaperoning 15 teenagers in a hotel for two nights was a high-school extracurricular baptism by fire and I wonder when I’ll ever recover from the exhaustion!
~Elizabeth Lane, Teacher Candidate, Aurora Central High School,APS
Check it out!
SCEC
A dynamic organization geared toward advocating for individuals with special needs. Come and build relationships with both general and special education teachers (and teachers in training). This organization allows you to become a leader in the field and build social and professional networks. Individuals associated with this group have a chance to participate in local, state, and national conferences (both participants and presenters), serve on the state board (CEC-Colorado), and become leaders in the local chapter.
Typically, SCEC meets once a month on the first Thursday of the month on campus. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail Dr. Caron Westland at Caron.Westland@ucdenver.edu!
My son was on her “bucket list”
Please click here to read the story about Mary Pat Holliday, a 9 year DPS teacher, who spent her final year teaching at Cole, one of our Professional Development Schools. This article was submitted by Jason Janz, pastor of a church in Five Points and the parent of three Denver Public Schools students. Jason serves on the Cole Arts and Sciences Academy leadership team. His wife Jennifer volunteers in classrooms and works in the children’s ministry at their church.
Quick Tips: Making the First Six Weeks a Success
I am thrilled to announce that my book with Scholastic was released on April 1st. It is a book for elementary teachers about organizing a classroom and it comes with a CD that contains electronic versions of all of the templates in the book. The title is a bit long: “Quick Tips: Making the First Six Weeks a Success”.
If you know of any teachers who might appreciate this book, I’d love for you to pass along my information. I’m anxious to spread the word! Also, if you know anyone who is in a teacher licensure program, this would be a great gift. I have found the book on amazon.com, borders.com, and barnesandnoble.com. The best way to find it is by searching for my last and first name.
In case you’re interested (or know anyone else who might be), I have two Book Signing events coming up in May:
Saturday, May 8, 2010
2:00-4:00 PM
The Bookies
4315 E. Mississippi Ave.
Denver, CO 80246
303-759-1117
Saturday, May 22, 2010
1:00-4:00
Borders at Southwest Plaza
8501 W. Bowles Ave.
Littleton, CO 80123
303-933-6787
The book is based on a summer workshop that I developed for teachers. I will be presenting the workshop on Friday, July 23rd this summer. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please refer them to my website at BergmansBestTeaching.com.
Thanks so much for helping me spread the word!
Conferences & Special Events
SCEC: Landing a Special Education Job in Tough Economic Times
Congratulations to our Graduates and Licensure Completers!
Congratulations to Teacher Candidates completing their licensure program this May and to undergrads graduating from the Teacher Education program. We invite you, your family, and friends to celebrate with us at our Graduation Picnic. See details below.
Mexico Summer Study Opportunities
As some of you know, a number of SEHD faculty sponsor different international study trips each year.
There is some availability in each of the UCD/LDE summer courses in Mexico, linked below. (I have also attached a ‘flyer‘ and a syllabi for one of the Mexico courses being offered.) The courses meet Linguistically Diverse Endorsement and/or MA requirements/options, and may also count in other certificate or degree programs (–it’s always a good idea to check with your advisor). Feel free to forward/post this information as appropriate.
While “pre-meetings” for the courses have begun, or are starting on Saturday, April 24 (check website or contact me), we are still able to welcome you if you are interested, and to help to get you ‘on board.’
Questions? Interested? Please contact maria.thomas-ruzic@ucdenver or any of the instructors listed for each course/program, on the link below.
Maria Thomas-Ružic, PhD
School of Education & Human Development
University of Colorado Denver
Maria.Thomas-Ruzic@ucdenver.edu
Lawrence Street Center 743
Tel 303-315-6307 Fax 303-315-6311
Job/Volunteer Opportunities
Denver Museum of Nature and Science is Hiring!
DMNS Teacher Programs is looking for a part-time (10hrs/week) person to conduct our online teacher professional development component to our Passport to Health program. The job description is listed below. Ideal candidates might be current teachers working only part-time or current education graduate students with past teaching experience. Anyone interested would need to apply online.
The Passport to Health Online Teacher Programs Assistant will sustain the Museum’s educational component and support formal education by developing and implementing online teacher professional development programs as they relate to the Museum’s Passport to Health teacher programs.
Successful candidates will have at minimum a Bachelors Degree preferably in in Science, Health or Education field. A teaching certificate is also a plus. Candidates will have a minimum of 1 year of education and/or professional development experience. Preferred candidates will have or be actively working towards a Masters in Education. Must also be able to pass background and drug test.
Special Education Positions
Several positions will be available at Thomas Jefferson High School in the Denver Public School in the areas of Affective Needs. A position called Disability Access Teacher (DAT) is also available and that role is describe below. View the DPS website for full application and posting information.
Disability Access Teacher:
To assist general education and special education building staff in developing a sustainable system to ensure access for students with disabilities to the general education curriculum. Provides consultation to the special education and general education teacher to implement appropriate accommodations and modifications to the core content. Provides appropriate assessment to assist the special education and general education teacher to design educational programs to assist students with disabilities to achieve at high levels. Provides targeted interventions to ensure students with disabilities have the skills necessary to access and succeed within the general education curriculum. Designing and teaching a resource class that would provide. Assist in the development of sustainable systems that reflect LRE principles to ensure access for students with disabilities to the general education curriculum. Assist in development of sustainable systems to facilitate screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring assessments. Supports students of diverse backgrounds and who struggle with academic and motivation issues. Participate in district provided professional development opportunities as related to assignment. Provide explicit and systematic instruction to improve students? specific skills, strategies, and concept development to ensure access to the general education curriculum. Is familiar with systems theory and has experience with effecting systemic change. Is familiar with the concept of evidence-based interventions. Is trained in some evidence-based interventions. Is willing to acquire skills in new content and instructional methodology based on current research as needed. Understands the significance of continuous progress monitoring of the effectiveness of interventions and how to use the data for making instructional decisions and making instructional changes based on student performance data. Understands the importance of fidelity in the implementation of interventions.