School of Education - Spring 2017, Volume 2, Issue 2

NEWS

Volume 2, Issue 2 Spring 2017

“Leading with Your Heart: How Perspective Connects Us” Minnesota Teacher of the Year 2016, Abdul Wright

by Tess Kwon On April 12th the SCSU Ignite Center sponsored the session “Leading with Your Heart; How Perspective Connects Us” for district leaders and teachers and SCSU teacher education faculty and staff. The Center is a unique partnership between SCSU and area school districts which works to support and create networks for new teachers, experienced teacher-mentors and students who want to be teachers.

This session featured Abdul Wright, recipient of the 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Award. He’s the first charter-school teacher to win the award and also the youngest recipient. Previously, he was recognized for “Minneapolis PeaceMaker” award in 2015 and he is a six times recipient of the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School “You’ve Made a Difference” award.

Wright described his career as one in which he tried to be a voice for underrepresented populations and to make a difference in those communities. He further addressed the importance of looking beyond the surface to truly understand our teachers and our young people in order to change schools and communities.

“When you encounter those moments when you are in a position to teach something to student, then you realize you learn from them, something bigger than state standards and something bigger than what is in the textbook. You learn something about life.

Students teach us how to live and carry on our lives as an adult, and eventually how to teach them about school and how to stay as a positive role model for them.”

Passionate Discussion among current & future educators

the classroom and teaching; it’s the key for change in one’s life and it continues to affect one another, and the whole community.

Wright has taught English Language Arts for 5 Years at Best Academy in Minneapolis in North Minneapolis. He received a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts and Literature from Corcordia Universtiy-Saint Paul in 2011. He completed the African American Leadership Program and received a Master of Science degree in Education in spring 2016. His session was aimed at those who want to work with students who may be struggling in classrooms and to support them as professionals trying to make a difference.

“And the main key lays in building up a relationship with student” Wright stated. “The foundation of being inspired by one another and being a source of change in one’s life is less about material, but more about what’s from inside; getting to know your student and stay connected from the heart.” As indicated by the title of his presentation, he had a very important message about the “heart” in

Inside this edition

Hooding Ceremony -Page 2

Dean’s Message -Page 3

Teacher Toolbox -Page 3

Honor Society -Page 4

More than 100 area school district leaders and teachers and SCSU teachers education faculty and staff attended the session.

Vera W. Russell

Dessert Fest

MN Superintendent

Special Education Leader Award

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School of Education Hooding Ceremony The fall Hooding Ceremony for students receiving a Master of Science degree was held on December 16, 2016 at 10:30 am, prior to University Commencement program. During this ceremony master’s students from the departments of Child and Family Studies, Educational Leadership and Higher Education, Information Media, Special Education and Teacher Development were hooded by Interim Dean Steve Hoover and their advisor, providing an opportunity for friends and family to capture photographs of this milestone.

The SOE Hooding Ceremony for spring 2017 will be held on May 5 at 12:30 pm in the Cascade Room of Atwood Memorial Center.

Left to right – Child and Family Studies master’s degree recipients Julie Sandquist, Jen Polzin, and Danielle Bailey

Dean Steve Hoover

Left to right – Dean Dr. Steve Hoover, master’s degree recipient Jennifer Polzin, Child and Family Studies faculty member Dr. Jane Minnema

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St. Cloud State University / School of Education

Dean’s Column Welcome from the School of Education. As with past semesters, we have been very busy. In this edition you will see the great work being done by our faculty and staff, our students and Dean Steve Hoover graduates. The EdTalks have been a great success this year. Special thanks to Katie Kustritz and Diane Moeller for their great work in organizing and delivering these to our students. As we consider the Lifecycle of an Educator, these talks begin our students’ professional careers! We also initiated our new Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society members. SCSU was the first school in Minnesota to have a chapter and we continue a long tradition of honoring students committed to education. A special thank you to Melissa Hanzsek-Brill for her deep commitment to our students. We are also pleased to highlight two graduates who have received special professional recognition from our Special Education and Educational Administration Departments.

As we close this academic year, there are several transitions. First, this is my last message as Interim Dean of the School of Education. I have been so pleased to work with all my education colleagues who have clearly demonstrated their commitment to education and our students. I look forward to transitioning back into the classroom, my first true love is teaching. Beginning July 1st we welcome Dr. Jennifer Mueller as the new Dean of the School of Education. Dr. Mueller was selected from a successful national search. Dr. Mueller comes to us from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her background is in Early Childhood Education and she has extensive teaching and administrative experiences.

Dr. Mueller will be a tremendous administrator and ambassador for the School of Education and teaching, in general. We welcome her to our school.

Finally, we have a number of faculty who will be transitioning into retirement either at the end of this semester or at the end of summer. In the Information Media Department, Merton and Marcia Thompson and Jeanne Anderson will be retiring. In Educational Leadership and Higher Education Janine DahmsWalker, Christine Imbra and Nick Miller will be leaving us. In Special Education, John Hoover will also be retiring in August. While we will greatly miss the expertise, commitment and years of experience of our retirees, we wish them the very best as they transition into the next phase of their life. We greatly appreciate the years they dedicated to SCSU, the School of Education and our students. You will be missed!

Exploration with Teacher Toolbox This semester, the Discovery Lab (part of the Vera Russell Curriculum & Technology Center) has hosted a series of mini workshop sessions called “Teacher Toolbox.” These mini workshops are designed to be 30 minute, hands on opportunities for faculty and students to explore makerspace and other educational resources. IM graduate assistants have taken the lead on topics such as robots (Ozo Bots, Dot and Dash, Sphero), Makey Makey, virtual reality, math apps, and exit tickets. OSMO has also been featured, with IM alum Dave Blanchard dropping by to guest host a session. As part of the mission of the Curriculum and Technology Center, we as a Department are trying to “teach” college students to play again, which we are finding is no small task. It seems that the American educational system has taken some of the “play” out of students by the time they reach higher education. We are trying to assist them in finding their inner child. We particularly want pre-service teacher candidates to have this sense of play so they will carry it forward into their future classrooms!

St. Cloud State University / School of Education

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Reinstated Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society

Alyece Bina, Kaja Lasher, Nicholas Nelson, Rachel Chacko, Laura Carlson, Jessica Petrik, Larissa Borg, Lindsay VonRuden, Alex Schoonover, Dallas Brenteson, Hyojong Sohn

The SCSU Gammi Pi chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is the International Honor Society in Education. With a vision “Quality Learning for All,” the mission of KDP is to advances quality education by inspiring teachers to prepare all learners for future challenges.

KDP was founded in 1911 to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching by providing a variety of programs, services and resources to educators throughout their teaching careers. KDP was one of the first cogender honor societies in the United States. The Gamma Pi chapter was founded at SCSU in 1932 as the 88th chapter in the US and is the oldest active chapter in Minnesota. However, the chapter has had minimal activity for the past several years.

In December 2016, The School of Education Future Educators Club put forth an effort to rebuild Gamma Pi. The club wanted to honor the longstanding tradition, as well as acknowledge education majors who excel both academically and through participation in community building events. The club soon learned that the most challenging aspect of rebuilding was getting the word out that Gamma Pi is once again active and recruiting students. Due to the club’s efforts, 10 new students were inducted into the honor society this spring which is a great start.

The members of Gammi Pi plan to participate in several activities this year. This began with an induction ceremony held on February 22, 2017. Inductees must continue to be active in KDP and participate in Future Educator Club activities and events in order to wear the honors cord/medallion at graduation. Activities and events in which these students will participate include the annual high school Future Educators Clubs’ visit to campus know as a “A Day in the Life of an Education Major,” volunteering at community outreach events on campus like the Vera W. Russell Art Gallery showcase and the Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast kids activity room, and attending EdTalks, which are professional development events held on campus.

Gamma Pi is open to any student who has declared education as their major, both within the School of Education and in

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all the K-12/5-12 programs across the colleges and schools at SCSU. Candidates must also be a member of the campus Future Educators Club and earn points through involvement in a variety of community building activities and events. Students need to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their education major in order to qualify.

Interested students may contact Dr. Melissa Hanzsek-Brill, advisor/ coordinator for both Future Educators and Gamma Pi for more information. For 2016-17, meetings will be held on Wednesdays from 4-5:30 in Atwood.

St. Cloud State University / School of Education

Vera W. Russell Art Gallery Exhibit If you have visited the Education Building, you might remember artwork that decorates the hallways. These are the work of K-12 students from throughout central Minnesota and form the Vera W. Russell Art Gallery. Twice a year, to celebrate great student artists, a new exhibit is displayed. The most recent Vera W. Russell Art Gallery Exhibit was held on February 11 at 10 am.

A total of 113 students exhibited their artwork, and parents, friends, and art teachers attended the event. The art works were collected from five schools: Apollo High School, Clearview Elementary School, Kennedy Community School, Madison Elementary School, and Westwood Elementary School. Due to Vera Russell’s philanthropy, the university’s first $1 million benefactor, the School of Education awarded a Vera W. Russell art gallery certificate and commemorative T-shirt to each student who exhibited their art work.

One of the participants, Cate Lund, 1st grade student from Madison Elementary School, drew a picture of a pink house and her dog. Her parents said “We am so excited to be invited to this event.

We are so proud of her. This is memorable moment.” All of Cate’s family attended the event to celebrate her art work and enjoyed good time.

Anna’s parent added “Our school community is very close and our teachers are great. Anna loves to draw pictures at home as well as at school.”

Danica Peterson, 1st grade student of Westwood Elementary School, drew a bunny and a self-portrait. Her teacher, Kristen Dollman Stoll explained, “We looked at a picture of Marc Chagall’s I and the Village and worked on the use of imagination. Danica was excited about doing her project” Her mother added “We are very proud, because the children are very creative. Danica also likes to draw at home. It is fun to see our child express her creativity.”

The Vera W. Russell Art Gallery exhibit encourages future artists, parents and their teachers in the community. By knowing that their artwork will be displayed on the university walls, the dreams of the students are stimulated and they can be very proud of themselves and their contributions.

Bethany Knopp, 7th grade student from Kennedy Community School, exhibited mandala art patterns with vivid color. “I tried to apply opposite colors from color wheels.” Her mother chimed in, “It is an honor to be invited to the exhibition which includes her art work.”

Owen Andersen, 4th grade student from Madison Elementary school, showed off his image of roller skate. His parents explained “We are so excited to be here. Actually, we found his picture hung upside down, which makes a good memory. We are proud of his work.”

Danica Peterson, teacher, and mother

Cate Lund and her family

Kingston Murray’s family

Madison Dingmann, 10th grade student from Apollo High School, took a photo of a book and her legs as her contribution. Her parents explained “This is a big honor. This is her first year of photography and her photo is now on display here.” They enjoyed taking family photos with her art and of the event itself.

Kingston Murray, 2nd grade student from Clearview Elementary School, colored the peace sign. Unfortunately he was not able to attend the event because he was sick, but his mother and brother came to receive his certificate and T-shirt. Kingston’s mother explained “Since he worries a lot about things, he was passionate to draw a peace sign and used different color to decorate.”

Bethany Knopp and her mother

Madison Dingmann and her family

Owen Anderson and his family

Anna Allenspach, teacher, and family

Anna Allenspach, 4th grade student of Westwood Elementary School, drew a flower based on observation of and inspiration from Georgia O’Keeffe. Her teacher Kristen Dollman Stoll, Westwood Elementary school’s art teacher enthusiastically explained “We have prepared our artwork since September. I am proud of their job.”

St. Cloud State University / School of Education

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Minnesota Superintendent of the Year The Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) has named Dr. Curt Tryggestad, Superintendent of Eden Prairie Schools, as the 2017 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year.

Superintendent of the Year nominees are evaluated on how each candidate demonstrates leadership for learning, communication skills, professionalism, and community involvement. Dr. Gary Amoroso, MASA Executive Director, added Dr. Tryggestad is deserving of this award in every fashion as he has become a pillar of leadership and professional excellence within his schools and the surrounding communities.

Dr. Tryggestad has served as Superintendent of Eden Prairie Schools since 2012. Throughout his years, Eden Prairie Schools has achieved various academic successes including the city being ranked as “Best Places to Live in America” by Money Magazine. Elaine Larabee, Chair of the Eden Prairie School Board, said Dr. Tryggestad contributed to the success of all students and the district itself as he strived to satisfy the needs of the distinctive culture of Eden Prairie which has a rich and diverse student culture. Kelly Hopper, Eden Prairie Schools Parent and current PTO President at Central Middle School, further added that Dr. Tryggestad overcame large hurdles to create a culture of trust, innovation and integrity.

From serving on the Minnesota Online Learning Advisory Council to 2016-17 President-Elect for the MASA Board of Directors, Dr.

Tryggestad has served in a variety of places. He was also awarded the Administrator of Excellence Award by the MASA in 2010 and received the MASA 2015 Richard Green Scholars Program Award for his doctoral research, “The Role of the Minnesota Superintendent as a Technology Leader: A Delphi Study.”

He began his duties as superintendent of Eden Prairie Schools on July 1, 2012. Prior to that, he was the Superintendent at Little Falls Community Schools, Superintendent at Esko Public Schools, and Secondary Principal at Pine City Public Schools. He earned a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and a master’s degree in Music: Conducting and Literature from St. Cloud State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in music from Luther College and licensure in educational leadership from Winona State University.

(Article distributed by MASA-Minnesota Association of School Administrators)

Dessert Fest The 18th annual School of Education Dessert Fest will be held on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 7:00 pm. This event recognizes School of Education 2017-2018 scholarship recipients and donors.

Scholarship recipients, their families, and donors are invited as an opportunity the meet each other and, for the students, to say thank you in person. All have the opportunity to socialize over delicious desserts. Students also have the opportunity to honor a faculty or staff member who has made a significant difference in their lives at St. Cloud State University.

Over 375 SoE alumni, employees and friends are fund sponsors or have contributed to scholarships for students in the School of Education. Through their generosity, over 80 students will receive scholarships and be recognized at this event.

Katie Kustritz, Student Relations Coordinator, is coordinating this year’s Dessert Fest. She sees the Dessert Fest as a way for the School of Education to demonstrate our pride in the accomplishments of our students and to show gratitude to the scholarship donors whose contributions have helped our students pursue their academic and career goals.

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St. Cloud State University / School of Education

SCSU alumni, Tim Finn Receives MASE New Special Education Leader Award The Minnesota Administrators for Special Education (MASE) has named Tim Finn, Director of Special Services at the St. Francis School District, as the recipient of the 2017 New Special Education Leader Award.

Finn received the award for his commitment to students with disabilities and their families and his active involvement in professional and community affairs. He was honored at a statewide recognition ceremony during the MASA/MASE Spring Conference, March 9-10, 2017, at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn Park.

Tim Finn received a post-master’s graduate certificate in Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAD) from St. Cloud State University. He also earned a master’s degree in Special Education and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of St. Thomas.

“Tim continuously demonstrates a commitment to providing exemplary programming for all students within the St. Francis School District, collaborating with parents and staff, and mentoring new leaders within the district,” said AnnaRae Klopfer, Special Services Supervisor in her letter of support. She goes on to say “Tim takes the time to listen to all points of view, considers all options, and bases his decisions on what is going to best meet the needs of everyone involved, particularly the student.”

Finn has been with the St. Francis School District as the Director of Special Services since 2013. He has been instrumental in increasing the programming options for all students. Finn helped establish Saint’s Online in the fall of 2015, an online school for students in grades 3-12. The following year Finn also help to establish Saint’s Academy, an alternative learning program for students in grades 6-12 which began in the fall of 2016. He was also the driving force behind the St. Francis District becoming a member of Intermediate 916 to better meet the needs of the district’s most challenging students with disabilities. Finn has co-chaired St.

Francis’ new Strategic Plan Implementation Team, identified a need and developed a new center-based special education program at East Bethel Community School, and worked closely with the director of curriculum and instruction to more effectively implement the RTI program. He has also supervised the Indian Education Program, implemented changes to the district’s 504 development and delivery, and repurposed St. Francis’ Crossroads School and Vocational Center by bringing back the 18-21 Transition Program.

“Tim is the glue that binds our district level cabinet and administrators together – each of us goes to Tim when we need a fresh and honest perspective. He truly is an out-of-the-box thinker who provides new perspectives on an on-going basis,” said Troy Ferguson, Superintendent of the St. Francis School District, in his letter of support. “Tim’s tireless work ethic and commitment to continuous improvement has significantly helped our district move forward in its mission to ‘equip all students with the knowledge and skills to empower them to achieve their dreams and full potential while becoming responsible citizens in a dynamic world.’”

For the first 15 years of his professional career, Finn worked for a non-profit social services agency that provided day programing and employment services to adults with disabilities. He joined the St. Francis School District in 2001 and has held the roles of Transition Teacher/Due Process Facilitator and Program Supervisor ECSE prior to being named Director of Special Services. He has also been an active MASE member serving on the Strategic Planning Committee.

MASE is a professional association organized to promote programs and services to improve the education of children with disabilities, to foster high quality programs of professional development, and to study problems relating to serving children with disabilities and improving the leadership of administrators for special education.

MASE members are administrators for special education in public or private schools, cooperative regional, state and other education administrative units, college and university professors of special education teacher or administrator preparation programs, and administrators, coordinators or consultants for the Minnesota Department of Education.

St. Cloud State University / School of Education

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Ed Talks ED Talks, the monthly Professional Learning Series for undergraduate and graduate education majors begun last fall continued through spring semester.

In November, Angie Kalthoff, Technology Integrationist from St. Cloud Area Schools focused on information teachers need to know to get elementary age students excited about coding. She discussed the possibilities for incorporating coding into the classroom and helping students think about the variety of occupations that coding can lead to. Participants had an opportunity to work with several apps and to try their hand at coding.

In December, the topic was social emotional awareness with Beth Mann and Diane Moeller from the Ignite Center and Kathryn Young from the Office of Clinical Experiences leading a panel discussion on using your energy where it counts, cultivating compassion and the primacy of self-care.

The first ED talk of 2017, held in January, was led by Diane Moeller and focused on classroom management, or, how we can get students to work with us, rather than against us. Using models, group work, and sometimes incentives, Moeller outlined the basic sources of power in the classroom, and how we as educator can effectively use these power sources to engage our students and help them learn.

The February ED Talk featured interim Dean Steve Hoover who discussed stress management for teachers and students. Dean Hoover lead students through a series of exercises, including breathing and meditation, that allowed them to experience the impact the exercises can have on the body. He also gave tips and information for recognizing and addressing stress in students.

Contributors Mary Boyle, Tess Kwon, Minh Le, and Yewon Sung.

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