Curriculum and Instruction News
UW-Madison alumna Lorena Mancilla is now serving as the Director of WIDA Early Years. WIDA is housed within the School of Education's Wisconsin Center for Education Research. WIDA advances academic language development and academic achievement for children and youth who are culturally and linguistically diverse through high quality standards, assessments, research and professional learning for educators. Mancilla recently earned her Ph.D. from the School of Education's Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Mancilla has been with WIDA since 2010.
More than 300 people gathered June 2 at UW–Madison’s Gordon Commons for Wisconsin’s first statewide Prenatal-to-Five Summit. Attendees included practitioners, early childhood professionals, scholars and community members of varying backgrounds. The one thing all had in common was a passion for helping children and families in Wisconsin live better lives. The event — “Elevating the Early Years through Access and Equity” — was hosted by the Center for Child and Family Well-being in the School of Human Ecology, in partnership with the School of Education and several other schools and colleges at UW–Madison, UW System administration, and UW-Extension.
UW-Madison alumna Rita Verma received the ANAHEI Research Leadership Award: Global Issues, from the 2017 Global Conference on Education and Research. Verma received this honor for her book, “Critical Peace Education and Global Citizenship: Narratives From the unofficial Curriculum.” The book was inspired by Verma’s work in the community and in the classroom, and her passion for teaching social studies education and peace studies at Adelphi. Verma received her Ph.D. from the School of Education’s departments of Educational Policy Studies and Curriculum and Instruction in 2004. Today she is an associate professor at Adelphi University in New York.
UW-Madison’s Michael Apple delivered remarks during a commencement celebration for Rowan University’s College of Education on Wednesday, May 10. Apple, a 1967 alumnus of Rowan University, has spent nearly half a century on the UW-Madison campus and is recognized across the world as one of the most important and influential education scholars of our time. The John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies also received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Rowan University Alumni Association.
The National Academy of Education (NAEd) announced the recipients of the 2017 NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral and Dissertation Fellowship Programs on May 25. And no institution is home to more recipients this year than UW-Madison’s School of Education and its seven awardees. Congratulations to Postdoctoral Fellowship winners Erika Bullock, Nicole Louie, Kathryn Moeller and Erica Turner, and Dissertation Fellowship winners, Kathryn Boonstra, Upenyu Majee and Rachel Silver.
High-quality classroom discussions don't just happen, says UW-Madison education researcher Paula McAvoy. They need structure and planning. McAvoy and School of Education Dean Diana Hess are developing and implementing The Discussion Project, one of several campus initiatives that aim to improve the experiences of students of color and other under-represented students.
The Wisconsin State Journal recently featured the work of UW-Madison's Erica Halverson with an innovative artistic outreach program for children called Whoopensocker. The program is designed to help children explore their imagination and strengthen student engagement at all academic and personal levels. Halverson created Whoopensocker, along with Beau Johnson and Amanda Farrar. Halverson is an associate professor with the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
UW-Madison’s Diana Hess and Paula McAvoy were recognized in April as co-winners of the 2017 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Education, a prestigious honor that includes a $100,000 prize. The Grawemeyer Awards program pays tribute to the power of creative ideas, emphasizing the impact a single idea can have on the world. Hess and McAvoy visited Louisville last month to take part in an Awards Dinner on April 20. While in Louisville, the two also presented free lectures about their award-winning ideas and discussed controversial political issues with students during a visit to Central High School.
UW-Madison’s School of Education recognized its Spring 2017 graduates by hosting a pair of events to celebrate the accomplishments of its many talented and dedicated students. On Friday evening, May 12, the School honored its newest cohort of Ph.D. and MFA degree recipients with a reception and traditional Hooding Ceremony at the Gordon Dining and Event Center on campus. And prior to UW-Madison’s Spring 2017 Commencement Ceremony at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, May 13, the School celebrated with its newest class of master’s and bachelor’s degree graduates by hosting the annual Pre-Commencement Celebration and Breakfast at the Gordon Dining and Event Center.
UW-Madison's School of Education hosted its annual Partners in Education Banquet and Recognition Program Thursday night at the Pyle Center to celebrate and thank the many dedicated K-12 professionals who open their classrooms to School of Education students. Award winners included: Cynthia Carter, Elizabeth Mackman, Hope Mikkelson, Cathy Perry, Elizabeth Pike and Abigail Swetz. Congratulations and thank you to all who help mentor the next generation of teachers!