Please spread the word. Applications are due Friday, Oct. 2, 2020 for students applying to be a Spring 2021 candidate in the Professional Program in Education. To apply, please submit the Application for Candidate Status Form. If you have questions regarding the Education Program or our application requirements, please contact us at 920-465-2137 or education@uwgb.edu for more information or to schedule an advising appointment.
Campus mourns loss of retired faculty member Dennis Bryan
UW-Green Bay learned of the loss of Dennis Bryan, one of the original faculty members in UW-Green Bay’s Education program. Bryan passes away on August 21, 2020. He served as a professor for 27 years. Honoring his wishes, there was no public funeral services. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Nature Conservancy. See the full obituary.
UW-Green Bay Social Work student Amanda Rosado encourages students to ‘dive in head first’ to online classes
Although UW-Green Bay is intending to be open in fall and welcoming faculty, staff and students back on campus, some classes originally scheduled for in-person instruction will be moving online or having online aspects to them for the safety of the UW-Green Bay community. Current UW-Green Bay students who transitioned to online learning in Spring 2020 demonstrated that they are resilient problem-solvers and describe their experiences while providing some advice to future students…
Amanda Rosado is a junior in the Social Work Program.
“I’ve had my share of hybrid and online classes! Although it can be scary to dive into, whether you may have had bad experiences in the past or even have never taken one before, they are still fun, engaging and very similar to a normal lecture class! Online classes require some more discipline to get your studies done, but you typically have some extra time! Instead of assignments being due “at the start of class,” they’re usually due by midnight so that you have the whole day and/or week to do them! They’re also really engaging due to the usual discussion posts you’ll have to do as assignments that help you to connect with your fellow classmates and get their own perspectives on topics!
Lastly, if you think you’re still unsure or anxious about taking online or hybrid classes, office hours are still the same as they are for lecture courses too! So there will always be a designated time that the professor will be actively responding to emails and answering any questions or concerns you may have. On top of that, they typically provide additional and supplemental resources to help you as well! So dive in head first, start something new, invest in a planner to stay on track and you will do amazing! Always remember that college is a time to try new things and challenge yourself! Best of luck to you all!”
Colleges respond to demand for more nurses through partnership for four-year degree
MARINETTE, Wis. (WBAY) – The coronavirus has put increasing demands on the health care industry in the past several months. This comes as the Administrators of Nursing Education of Wisconsin predicts a shortage of 27,000 nurses in the state in the next 20 years.Two colleges are trying to address those concerns with new options for nursing education.Theresa Mabry will finish her nursing degree from NWTC Marinette in May, eager to begin her second career.“I actually was in the banking industry for 19 years and started this program last January,” says Mabry. “The kids are grown and I’ve always had an interest in health care, and the opportunity at NWTC presented itself, so I jumped in.”
Source: Colleges respond to demand for more nurses through partnership for four-year degree
UW-Green Bay’s transition to online learning helped student Taylor Schreiber feel more confident about virtual learning
Although UW-Green Bay is intending to be open in fall and welcoming faculty, staff and students back on campus, some classes originally scheduled for in-person instruction will be moving online or having online aspects to them for the safety of the UW-Green Bay community. Current UW-Green Bay students who transitioned to online learning in Spring 2020 demonstrated that they are resilient problem-solvers and describe their experiences while providing some advice to future students…
Taylor Schreiber is an Education major entering her junior year.
“Nothing can replace walking to your first class of the semester after an exciting time of just
moving in for the fall or starting your college experience, but amongst the current situation, UW-Green Bay faculty and staff are working to support students in the best way possible. While on campus, I thought I already used my email too often, but as everything shifted to online, this became even more important. Professors were very responsive, accommodating, and understanding when it came to class work, exam schedules and any other questions I had via email. Through lecture videos and screen recording, I was able to learn the necessary information in my classes. My professors also included ungraded quizzes, created questions boards and used other tools to assure students’ understanding of the material. When necessary, professors would hold class meeting times to catch up and clarify class content. Most would even host optional office hours via video conferencing! Of course it was nice working on papers and quizzes in sweatpants after rolling right out of bed, but I also found it extremely helpful to stick to a schedule and daily routine. This helped me stay organized and maintain motivation!
As an Education major, I will always prefer being in class with peers and professors because in-person discussion and interactive class work can never be replaced. However, UW-Green Bay’s ease while transitioning to online class work made me feel much more confident as I was adjusting the way I learn.”
Faculty note: Miranda Schornack’s recent publication named ‘Feature Article’ by educational organization
Assistant Prof. Miranda Schornack (Education) recently co-authored an article titled “How dispositions are(n’t) addressed in the English learner case study assignment.” In August 2020, the Minnesota Chapter of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages named the article by Schornack et al. (2020) as a Feature Article. Being named a Feature Article is a formal recognition of the manuscript for its importance and impact on the field of multilingual education.
Common Read Events coming up in September
In March, Common Read discussions of the book, Your Heart is the Size of Your Fist: A Doctor Reflects on Ten Years at a Refugee Clinic by Martina Scholtens, MD, were cancelled because of pandemic closures. (Book is available for purchase via Amazon for $12.49). Self-study of the book followed by a written online discussion will occur between September 8-16. A virtual discussion with a panel of presenters will occur via Collaborate Ultra on September 17 from 3 to 4 p.m. Register for the event by Sept. 4, 2020. After submitting your registration, you will receive instruction for enrolling in the online discussions. If you have questions about the event, please contact Joan Groessl (groesslj@uwgb.edu) or Gail Trimberger (trimberg@uwgb.edu). The activity counts as an Inclusive Excellence Certificate Program Level 1 event for ethnic or socioeconomic status.
Berens and Beyond: Here’s What It Means to Be a Wisconsinite (interview with Prof. Lor)
Pao Lor, a longtime school administrator and coach in northeastern Wisconsin who’s now an education professor at UW-Green Bay, saw many of his fellow members of the state’s immigrant Hmong community feel welcomed to Wisconsin and adopt many facets of the Eurocentric Sconnie culture. They became deer hunters, Packers fans. “People were friendly to a great extent. Those are some of the things that we were defined by,” he says. There was a confidence that Wisconsin’s long-established progressive culture would carry the day over the challenges any immigrant community faces.But, Lor says, that began to change recently. “I think the political climate in the last 10 years revealed certain aspects of Wisconsin that were not as welcoming,” he says. “I think it’s hard for someone from a minority background to regain that trust.”
Source: Berens and Beyond: Here’s What It Means to Be a Wisconsinite
Faculty note: Assistant Professor Miranda Schornack publishes article
UW-Green Bay Assistant Prof.
Miranda Schornack (Education), published an article in the MinneTESOL Journal Spring 2020 Issue. Schornack co-authored the manuscript with Michelle Benegas and Amy Stolpestad from Hamline University (St. Paul, MN). The article is titled “How dispositions are(n’t) addressed in the English learner case study assignment and examines an assignment common in English as a second language methods courses—the English learner case study (or learner profile)—for dispositional development and explores how teacher educators can be more explicit and thorough in cultivating educator dispositions for working with multilingual students.”
David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund continues to invest in Education
The David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region recently awarded $2,362,100 in grants to local and state nonprofit organizations reflecting the charitable interests of the late couple and their family. The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay received $91,600 to add to the Rita E. Nelson Endowed Scholarship for Education Students Fund. The scholarship, at Rita’s alma mater, will provide two non-traditional students majoring in education with a $2,500 scholarship award annually.
“Nontraditional students come from all walks of life, and bring an expansive, critical repertoire of life experiences that enrich the classes and students they will one day teach,” says Pao Lor chairperson, Professional Program in Education, UW-Green Bay. “We are most grateful that many nontraditional students choose to pursue a career in teaching, and we are also most grateful there are individuals like David and Rita Nelson who shared the same vision and the generosity to provide the financial support to pursue it.” Last year’s recipient, Frances Nazario, said the news of her scholarship came at exactly the right time: “After this semester, I will no longer receive any kind of federal aid. So I’m pulling from wherever I can. And this came at a perfect time, because I just didn’t know if next semester was going to happen. And I was very scared because I have three semesters left.”
To UW-Green Bay and to the Nelson family, Frances says: “I don’t know if there are enough words for me to even express my gratitude. You’ve inspired me, and you’ve taken a big weight off my shoulders. A very humble thank you.”