watson chronicle sept. 2013

The WATSON CHRONICLE is a publication of UNCW’s Watson College of Education Vol.2 Issue 1

DEANKenneth Teitelbaum

EDITORSusan Finley

GRAPHIC DESIGNERKrystine Wetherill

Watson College of Education, UNCW601 S. College RoadWilmington NC 28403-5994www.uncw.edu/ed/publications

PUBLICATION OF THEWATSON COLLEGE

OF EDUCATION WatsonWatsonChronicleVolume

ISSUE 01September2013

02 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON

Sections

Watson College News 2

Faculty Highlights and Staff News 4

Student and Alumni News 5

Education Updates 5

Upcoming Events 6

Opportunities for WCE Students 7

Initiatives to Bolster STEM Education 8

Support for Teachersin the Field 9

Youth Programs and Summer Camps 10

Family Corner 12 LEARNLEADCREATEINSPIRE

The WATSON CHRONICLE is a publication of the Watson College of Education Vol. 2, Issue 1,

Crystalyn Schnorr, Ph.D.

University of North Carolina at CharlotteAssistant Professor, [email protected]

Crystalyn Schnorr is a 2013 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she completed the Ph.D. in special education. Her dissertation is entitled Effects of Multilevel Support on First-Grade Teachers’ Use of Research-Based Strategies During Beginning Reading Instruction.

Crystalyn also holds a master’s degree from UNC Charlotte in special education and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from James Madison University. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Crystalyn was a special education teacher (K-5), and an exceptional children program specialist (K-8) in North Carolina public schools.

Her teaching and research interests include beginning reading instruction, instructional strategies, response to intervention and instructional coaching.

2 - The WATSON CHRONICLE is a publication of the Watson College of Education

Key to Departments and Centers

EEMLS Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Literacy, and Special EducationEL Educational LeadershipITFSE Instructional Technology, Foundations and Secondary EducationCESTEM Center for Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsPDS Professional Development System Partnership

Watson College News

Welcome to New Faculty

Andrew Ryder, Ph.D.

Iowa State UniversityAssistant Professor, [email protected]

Andrew J. Ryder joins the Watson College after serving as a research scientist at the Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE) at Iowa State University. Andy earned both his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in higher education from ISU and his B.A. in history and government from the College of William & Mary. His dissertation studying Iowa GED students’ pathways to community college completion earned the 2012 Dissertation of the Year Award from the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC).

Andy’s research and scholarly interests include access to postsecondary education for academically at-risk students, how colleges promote students’ development of personal and social responsibility, and the history and philosophy of student affairs practice.

Andy has 12 years of professional experience in the fi eld of student affairs, and has authored several chapters for the New Directions sourcebooks for higher education and institutional research. Andy is a big fan of the Boston Red Sox and enjoys running and triathlons.

New Conceptual FrameworkA visual design incorporating the college’s new mission and value statements was introduced at an open meeting of faculty and staff in August. This fall, posters with the new conceptual framework will be hung throughout the building so that students and visitors are aware of the focus of the college’s work.

WCE Advisors Move to the First FloorStarting this fall, a Watson College of Education professional advisor will work with each undergraduate student from the time they declare a major (usually sophomore year), through graduation. For added student access and convenience, our team of advisors – Sam Black, Tanya Malacinski, Lisa Keenan and Terri Merritt – have moved to new offi ces located on the fi rst fl oor of the Education Building.


Watson College NewsSEEA Moves to the UNCW CampusThe Watson College of Education (WCE) has entered into a new three year partnership agreement with the Southeast Education Alliance (SEEA). WCE has a long-standing affi liation with SEEA, an organization that represents 13 regional school districts and is dedicated to the improvement of Pre-K-12 education in our region. The new agreement, offi cially signed by SEEA Executive Director Linda Lowe, Watson College Dean Kenneth Teitelbaum and UNCW Provost Denise Battles on Aug. 26, provides for a closer partnership with the relocation of SEEA offi ces to the UNCW campus.

Dean Teitelbaum welcomed SEEA as an extension of the Watson College’s Offi ce of Outreach and described the partnership as a “win-win” for two organizations aligned to common goals. Provost Battles also extended a warm welcome saying, “Partnerships with outside organizations are central to UNCW’s core strategy and focus.” Director Linda Lowe said that SEEA “looks forward to continued collaboration with the Watson College, and fi nding ways to build on a very successful partnership.”

The offi cial relocation of SEAA offi ces to Friday Annex at UNCW is anticipated to take place in late September or early October.

Start of Semester Celebrated at 3rd Ice Cream SocialOn Aug.21, faculty, staff and students celebrated the fi rst day of classes with an Ice Cream Social. This popular event, now in its third year, provides an opportunity to socialize as the new semester gets underway.

(Left) Dean Teitelbaum; (Right) Kathy Fox and Elizabeth Crawford with SNCAE students.

(L-R) Dean Kenneth Teitelbaum, Provost Denise Battles, Linda Lowe, executive director of SEEA, and Michael Bracy, superintendent of Jones County Schools, celebrate new agreement between WCE and SEEA.

Ed Lab Extends Partnership with CCCC and adds Middle Grades TutoringThe Watson College of Education serves the children of Southeastern North Carolina with one-on-one tutoring through the Betty Holden Stike Education Laboratory. Over the past 25 years more than 5,000 students have come through the Ed Lab located on the main campus. In 2009, WCE opened a second Ed Lab in partnership with Coastal Carolina Community College (CCCC) to serve children in Onslow County. In July, the College signed a memorandum of understanding with CCCC to extend this partnership for an additional three years.

In other news, this fall the main campus Ed Lab welcomes middle schoolers in addition to elementary students and children with special needs. This change gives WCE students in the middle grades licensure program the opportunity to tutor students one-on-one. It is expected that WCE pre-service teachers will tutor 20 area middle school students through this program expansion.

Watson College Milestone: 10-Year Anniversary of Legacy HallThis year marks the 10th anniversary of the North Carolina Teachers Legacy Hall, housed in the atrium of the Watson College of Education Building. Legacy Hall features a set of museum quality displays designed to honor P-12 education and highlight teaching excellence in the state. The displays continue to add to the aesthetic quality of our building, which is a feature location for prospective students and families touring the UNCW campus. Grace Burton, Cooperative Bank and Progress Energy made Legacy Hall possible through generous donations.

Teacher Recruiting Gets UnderwayMark Phelps, teacher recruiter was on hand to promote Watson College at UNCW’s Involvement Carnival on Aug. 28. Additional events including visits to area schools and programs targeting teacher cadets, teacher assistants, community college and early college students are planned throughout the year.


Carol McNulty, associate dean for Academic and Student Affairs, participated in the prestigious Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Summer Institute in Denver in July. HERS is a leadership development program for women in higher education.

Deborah Powell, associate professor of Language and Literacy, EEMLS, participated in UNC’s Entrepreneurial Mindset-Maximizing Faculty Impact workshop, May 13-16 in Chapel Hill. A goal of the workshop is to promote entrepreneurial thinking to move research to commercialization.

Lisa Buchanan, assistant professor, EEMLS is the 2013 recipient of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) annual Geographic Literacy Grant Award. This funding enables WCE to expand geography kit resources for pre-service elementary school teachers.

WCE Professor Maurice Martinez is continuing his work as a documentary fi lmmaker. His latest fi lm, “The Piano Entertainer: Stompin’ Grenoldo Frazier” debuts Sunday, Sept. 15 at the Cameron Art Museum. Several other screenings of Martinez’s fi lms are also planned:

• The Black Indians of New Orleans, Sept. 21 in New Orleans

• Colored White Boy, Sept. 22 in Atlanta

• Irene will be shown at the 19th annual Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington in November

Faculty Highlights and Staff News

Eleni Pappamihiel, associate professor, Department of Instructional Technology, Foundations and Secondary Education (ITFSE), is the 2013 recipient of the prestigious Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award.

Elizabeth Crawford, assistant professor, Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Literacy and Special Education (EEMLS), was awarded the university’s 2013 Excellence in e-Learning Award.

Robert Smith, professor, ITFSE, received the university’s prestigious J. Marshall Crews Distinguished Faculty Award.

Robert Tyndall, professor, Department of Educational Leadership (EL), was recently recognized for having joined the select group of UNCW faculty who (cumulatively) garnered at least $1 million in external funding.

Staff UpdatesWatson College recently welcomed two new staff members to the university’s highly successful MarineQuest Youth Programs. Harris Muhlstein became assistant director of MarineQuest in April and Wesley King joined Youth Programs as MarineQuest communication specialist in June.

Joy Childs is now business services coordinator for the college, working with Nancy Jones to manage business affairs. Joy’s previous role was data analyst/administrative specialist in the Dean’s Offi ce.

Susan Finley has assumed the role of communication specialist for Watson College. Susan will edit the Watson Chronicle and help raise visibility and awareness of the many programs, activities and events offered at the college.

Laurie Howell, administrative associate, EEMLS, received a KUDOS award from human resources for exemplary service to the university.

(L-R) Laurie Howell, Amy Moody (EEMLS), and EEMLS department chair Tracy Hargrove.

(L-R) Janna Robertson and Dean Teitelbaum, Amy Moody, and Michele Parker

Janna Robertson, ITFSE, was awarded tenure and promoted to full professor.

Amelia Moody, associate professor, EEMLS, was awarded tenure.

Michele Parker, associate professor and program coordinator of the Higher Education Concentration for the Ed.D. Program, Department of Educational Leadership, was awarded tenure.

Kathleen Schlichting, associate professor, was named assistant department chair, EEMLS.

Donyell Roseboro, associate professor and director of the Professional Development System (PDS), was elected chair of the Advisory Board for the D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy for the 2013-14 school year. The Blue Ribbon Commission fi rst appointed Roseboro to the board in 2012.

Ann Potts, associate dean for Teacher Education and Outreach, will serve on the Chancellor’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. Potts is past chair of the University’s Diversity Committee.


Legislative Update

In July, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation that has a signifi cant impact on education in the state. For information, please see the July Legislative Update from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

WCE Legislative Forum on Education

On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Watson College will host a legislative forum on education. The purpose is to provide elected offi cials an opportunity to share their vision for the future of education in North Carolina, and to provide other stakeholders, including superintendents, school and parent organizations and members

of the business community, an opportunity to engage in an open dialogue on educational issues. The legislative forum is free and open to the public.

Student and Alumni News

Chip Bobbert has begun a new position as media engineer, Interactive Technology Services in the Offi ce of Information Technology at Duke University. He is currently fi nishing up his capstone project in the Masters of Instructional Technology program with an anticipated graduation date of December 2013.

Amy Conklin, who received a master’s in school administration (M.S.A.) from UNCW, is the principal of Mary C. Williams Elementary.

Erin Hankard, who received an M.S.A. from UNCW, is assistant principal of New Hanover High School.

Kimberly Horton, who received an M.S.A. and B.A. in middle grades education from UNCW, is an assistant principal of Williston Middle School.

Janna Lennon, who received a master’s degree in school administration and elementary education from UNCW, is the assistant principal of Bellamy Elementary.

Beth Metcalf, who received her undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees from UNCW, is director of elementary education for Pender County Schools.

Jackson Norvell (M.S.A.) is principal of Ashley High School.

Michael Robinson (M.S. in instructional technology) is educational technologist within the missiles and fi re control team for Lockheed Martin.

Maggie Rollison (M.S.A.) is assistant principal of Hoggard High School.

Kristin Lisi Seltzer (B.A. in special education) is executive director of Livingstone Schools, Inc. in Florida.

Daniella Williams (M.I.T., anticipated graduation December 2013) is the UNCW Emerging Leaders Program (ELS) director.

Education Updates

Public Announcement of the NCATE Review

The Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington is scheduled for a spring 2014 reaccreditation review by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Federal regulations require that accrediting agencies allow for public comment on the qualifi cations of institutions or programs under consideration for initial or continuing accreditation.

Both NCATE and the University of North Carolina Wilmington recognize that graduates, parents, schools and community organizations have valuable perspectives on the quality of the programs that prepare teachers and other school personnel. We invite interested parties to submit written testimony on the Watson College of Education to:

Board of ExaminersNCATE

2010 Massachusetts Ave., NWWashington, D.C. 20036-1023

or by email to:[email protected]

Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered at the Watson College of Education, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and should specify the respondent’s relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to the Watson College of Education for comment prior to the review. No anonymous or oral testimony will be considered.

Letter of comment should be received by Friday, Nov. 15, 2013.


DPI Instructional Update - October 3The Offi ce of Teacher Education and Outreach will host an annual presentation by the North Carolina Department of Instruction (DPI) on Thursday, Oct. 3. The meeting, which will be held from 9 a.m.- noon in ED 162, will feature the following topics and presenters:

• Home Base Rolls Out, Mary Keel, PD Consultant• The K-12 Literacy Initiative/Read to Achieve, Karla Casteen,

K-3 Literary Consultant• The New K-3 Assessment, Leslie Simmons, ELC Educational

Consultant• Statewide System of Support, Mary Keel and Robin Lofl in

Smith• Educator Effectiveness, Curriculum Implementation and

Other Initiatives

• Additional Updates on IHE

To register, please contact Deloris Rhodes at [email protected] or ext. 2-7256 by Sept. 30.

Public Speaker Series: Writer and Educator Lisa DelpitTuesday, Oct. 15, 5:30-7 p.m., UNCW Lumina Theater

On Oct. 15, the Watson College of Education will begin our second annual WCE Public Speaker Series with an event entitled, “Unsilencing The Dialogue, Embracing the Needs of Diverse Students” featuring Lisa Delpit. Delpit is a dynamic speaker, whose work on school-community relations, cross-cultural communication and the education of children of color is widely acclaimed. Perhaps best known for her award winning fi rst book, Other People’s Children, Delpit received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1990. She is currently the Felton G. Clark Professor of Education at Southern University in Baton Rouge.

The public speaker event is free to all students, faculty, staff and community members. A reception in Dr. Delpit’s honor will be held in the Fisher Student Center at 4:30 p.m., and the main event will begin at 5:30 p.m. in UNCW’s Lumina Theater.

On Wednesday, Oct.16 Dr. Delpit will be available for open discussion with faculty (10-11 a.m.) and students (11 a.m.- noon) in EB 337. See the Public Speaker Series website for more details.

Upcoming Events

Holocaust Speaker Alfred SchnogAlfred Schnog, a Wilmington resident and WWII Holocaust survivor and activist, will return to the UNCW campus to provide a guest lecture at the Watson College of Education in November. Born in Cologne, Germany, in 1931, Schnog and his family escaped Nazi Germany in 1938 on the morning after Kristallnacht.

After decades of silence, Schnog began to share his story and in recent years he’s been a featured speaker at middle schools, high schools, colleges and communities throughout North Carolina. Schnog fi rst spoke at the Watson College in October 2012, at an event attended by more than 150 students and faculty members.

The presentation, which will be held Thursday, Nov. 21 in EB 162 from 6-7:30 p.m., is open to faculty, staff, students and the community.

Dropout Prevention Coalition ForumSave the date! On Dec.12, the UNCW Watson College of Education Dropout Prevention Coalition will host a forum on career and technical education. This is the third in a series focusing on priority topics in our schools. At the fi rst event, a symposium held in December 2012, schools and community agencies showcased a wide range of successful programs for PreK-12 students. At a follow-up meeting last March, the coalition hosted a roundtable entitled “Easing the Transition from Middle School to High School.” If you have a speaker or program to recommend, please contact Deloris Rhodes ([email protected]) or Janna Robertson ([email protected]).

Legal Issues & English Language Learners: Tips on Avoiding LitigationOctober 25, 2013With guest speaker Alan J. Rom of Rom Law, PC Sponsored by the ELMS Project and Southeast Education AllianceFor more information, visit www.uncw.edu/ed/elms.

3rd Annual WCE Scholarship Brown Bag Series

All faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to join us for lunchtime presentations throughout our fall and spring semesters. Visit www.uncw.edu/ed/brownbag for more information and archived videos.


Opportunities for WCE Students

The Watson College of Education works hard to prepare highly qualifi ed teachers and administrators who will lead our schools in improving the learning experiences of students. In addition to offering academically rigorous coursework taught by dedicated full-time faculty, the college ensures that fi eld experiences and leadership, diversity and global learning opportunities are available to all of our students. A few are highlighted here.

Poverty Simulations This fall, WCE will offer poverty simulations to help pre-service teachers build the skills and competencies needed to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population of students.

Child poverty is a growing problem in the nation and in our state. Twenty-three percent of all US children now live in poor homes. And poverty affects 26 percent of all children in North Carolina; up from 20 percent just fi ve years ago.1

For the past three years, the Watson College has offered simulations, using the Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) program, developed by the Missouri Association for Community Action. To date, more than 1,300 UNCW students and in-service teachers at our partnership schools have participated in CAPS, which is designed to educate individuals about the day-to-day realities of living with a shortage of money and an abundance of stress.

Poverty simulations will be held for Watson College students on Sept. 18, Oct.22 and Nov. 13. To register, please visit www.uncw.edu/ed/news.html#poverty.

1 Source: Datacenter.kidscount.org, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

International Field Experiences

Travel abroad provides an enriching personal experience and helps teachers develop a global perspective and better understanding of other cultures, traits sought after by employers.

The Watson College offers faculty-led international fi eld experiences in a number of countries including Belize, Costa Rica, Japan, Kuwait, England and South Africa. Participating students experience classrooms and service learning projects, and refl ect on commonalities and differences as they look at education through the eyes of a different culture.

Students interested in international study can fi nd more information at www.uncw.edu/ed/international/. For information about a specifi c country or program, please contact the Watson College Faculty Leader.

Costa Rica– Summer 2013

This summer, 14 students accompanied Debbie Powell to Costa Rica in the fourth annual “Walk in the Shoes of Your English Language Learner” program designed to help students gain a better understanding of diverse cultures and empathy for all English language learners.

Each participant lived with two different Spanish-speaking families during the

three-week trip, experiencing both rural and city life. They visited or taught in four schools, worked on service-learning projects, and took 60 hours of Spanish to immerse these pre-service teachers in the culture and to experience similar frustrations their future students will experience.

Japan - Summer 2013

UNCW is part of a six-university consortium dedicated to helping pre-service and in-service teachers in the United States and Japan understand a different culture, refl ect about teaching and learning, establish collaborative relationships and develop ways to help our children prepare to live in a global society. The consortium, which promotes teacher exchanges and shared research, was started in 1999 with a grant from the U.S.-Japan Foundation.

In June, Brad Walker, Cory Callahan and eight WCE students traveled to Japan for a summer study abroad experience. Over the course of two weeks they toured the country, learned about the Japanese culture, and visited schools to observe teaching and learn through interactions with Japanese educators and their students.

Become a Watson College Student Leader!

The Watson College wants dedicated and enthusiastic individuals who are passionate about teaching to represent the college through leadership, professionalism and service. Student Leaders serve in two key capacities:

• As advisory council members to the dean and associate deans, sharing your voice and representing Watson College students.

• As volunteer ambassadors, assisting in various WCE functions involving faculty, staff, students and community members and representing our college at functions of the larger university.

Students interested in becoming a Watson College Student Leader should visit www.uncw.edu/ed/wsl/ or contact Amy Rottmann at [email protected].


Join SNCAE!

Current SNCAE members and faculty sponsors Elizabeth Crawford and Kathy Fox would like to invite all education majors and students involved with teaching to join the Student North Carolina Association of Educators (SNCAE).

The fi rst meeting of the 2013-14 year will be held Monday, Sept. 9, and workshops, community service, outreach and other events will be held throughout the year. “Joining SNCAE is a great way to get involved with people who share the goal of teaching,” says WCE senior and elementary education major Carrie Godwin. For more information, check out the UNCW SNCAE Facebook page or visit www.uncw.edu/ed/sncae/.

New Fall Initiative: Service Learning Opportunities in the Community

During the 2012-13 school year, the Offi ce of Teacher Education and Outreach hosted a series entitled, “Meet the Community Non-Profi ts.” Over the course of six months, faculty, staff and students had opportunity to learn about the work of 12 community agencies, and to explore synergies between services offered by schools and area non-profi t organizations.

This fall, in a new initiative entitled, “Connecting the Community Non-Profi ts with Student Learning and Outreach,” the offi ce aims to connect faculty to outside agencies in order to provide service learning and student volunteer opportunities that are directly related to course initiatives. In seven sessions, nine agencies will present successful theories and practical applications, and discuss service learning/volunteer opportunities in the community. The series, which begins Sept. 17, is open to all faculty, staff, and students.

• Sept. 17, 3:30 p.m., EB 226 Literacy in Action - Cape Fear Literacy CenterJeremy Hilburn, Diverse Learners

• Sept. 18, 2-4 p.m., EB 214Canines for Literacy in WilmingtonDenise Ousley,Developmental Reading and Writing

• Sept. 26, 9:30–10:30 a.m., EB 226Paws for Learning – Canines of WilmingtonLisa Buchanan, The Teaching of Communication Arts

• Sept. 30, 11 a.m.–noon, EB 226 Coastal Horizon Center of WilmingtonAlicia Brophy, Teaching Students with Learning Problems

• Oct. 4, 8:30–9:30 a.m., EB 214 and 246Child Advocacy and Parenting PlaceJanna Robertson, Diverse Learners

• Oct. 23, 2–3:15 p.m., EB 214 The Harrelson Center with Communities and Schools and Center for RedemptionKosta Kyriacopoulos, Elementary Schools Programs and Practices

• Oct. 31, 3:30–4:30 p.m., EB 214Wilmington’s Carousel CenterJale Aldemir, Introduction to Early Childhood

Opportunities for WCE StudentsInitiatives Underway to Bolster STEM Education for Teachers and Students

The Center for Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CESTEM) is working with organizations from around the state to develop ideas and actions to meet North Carolina’s future science and technology needs.

In April, CESTEM director Dennis Kubasko and assistant director Christopher Gordon participated in the North Carolina Science Summit, a key event of the North Carolina Science Festival, where participants identifi ed fi ve top strategies to bolster science and technology in the state.

1. Develop programs that match students to science industry experience.

2. Provide substantive professional development opportunities for N.C. teachers, through experiential programs that connect them with individuals from industry, university, government and local community organizations.

3. Partner with the N.C. Grassroots Science Museums (35 facilities) to promote science and technology opportunities for students of all ages.

4. Create an “entrepreneurial co-laboratory” to promote entrepreneurial thinking, move research to commercialization and facilitate the generation of start-up companies.

5. Create a category of state matching grant awards for companies that get support through promising co-development agreements with partner companies, and promote tax credits for large companies that invest in smaller start-ups.

On Sept. 16 and 17, CESTEM and UNCW will host a meeting of STEM center directors from around the state to collaborate on ways the universities can lead STEM innovations and educational and entrepreneurial initiatives throughout North Carolina.

On Sept.19, Kubasko and Gordon will attend a regional summit meeting at the Cape Fear Museum, joining leaders from business and community organizations to discuss concrete ways to pursue these strategies in Southeastern North Carolina.

Upcoming Event

STEM Activity DaySaturday, Sept. 219 a.m. - 1 p.m. MLK Center401 S. 8th StreetWilmington, NC 28401

A day of hands-on science activities for students at all grade levels!


Support for Teachers in the FieldWCE Launches New PDS Website

The WCE Professional Development System (PDS) Partnership, created in 1993, has grown to serve 145 schools and more than 2,000 partnership teachers. PDS Director and Associate Professor Donyell Roseboro recently announced the launch of a new PDS website designed to enhance communication between the college and partnership schools and teachers. For information on upcoming meetings, workshops and events, please visit www.uncw.edu/ed/pds/.

2nd Annual ELMS Workshop

In June, the ELMS (Educating Language Minority Students) Project hosted Andrea Honigsfeld and Maria Dove for its second annual Teacher Workshop. This summer’s workshop focused on co-teaching and how it is most effectively implemented with English language learners in the mainstream classroom. The presenters, who are on the faculty at Molloy College (Long Island, N.Y.), led 35 participating teachers from nine North Carolina school districts through a comprehensive discussion about the history and effectiveness of collaboration in educational settings. Additionally, using many interactive activities, participants learned about the most effi cient ways to design and implement a co-teaching model in a variety of classrooms. For more information on the ELMS Project, please visit www.uncw.edu/ed/elms.

1st Annual Coastal North Carolina Writing Conference

Fifty teachers, professors and authors from across the state gathered at the Watson College in June for a three-day writing conference. Keynote speakers from as far away as Australia and South Africa participated through WebEx, and sessions focused on three strands: teaching writing strategies for the Common Core Standards, how to set up an effective writing program and how to get writing published.

Effective writing is a gateway to many 21st century jobs, yet research indicates 73 percent of eighth and 12th grade students in the U.S. are below profi ciency in writing. The Common Core Standards recently introduced in North Carolina place a higher emphasis on language and literacy and require all teachers to help students acquire effective writing skills.

Conference organizers Debbie Powell and Donyell Roseboro said a goal for the conference was to bring teachers, writers and aspiring writers together. “Teachers who write become better writing teachers,” Powell said. “The combination of teachers, local authors, literacy coaches and professors from across the state provided a very interesting mix.”

The conference was co-sponsored by the Language and Literacy Program, WCE’s PDS Partnership and Uni-Spire, publisher of The Universal Writing Continuum. Participants gave rave reviews at the conclusion of the program, saying it was “well organized,” “inspiring” and “invigorating.” Plans for a second annual Coastal North Carolina Writing Conference are already underway for June 22-24, 2014.

Leadership Workshop at Camp Lejeune

William Sterrett and Eddie Caropreso collaborated to offer a two-component workshop at the Camp Lejeune Leadership Conference for its school and district leaders. Modules focused on a unique blend of school leadership and gifted education strategies, and included several related topics: meeting the needs of all learners, using data effectively as a leader, effectively teaching strategies to challenge students, and serving as the professional leader of the school. Approximately 30 administrators participated in the workshop, which was held on base in August.

CS4HS Workshop Funded by Google

Seven years ago, WCE’s instructional technology (IT) and computer science faculty began using the Squeak Etoys program to improve math and science learning concepts. They found that this free, open-source software is a tool that can enhance STEM education for upper elementary, middle and high school students.

Google agrees. This summer, through their global Computer Science for High School (CS4HS) initiative, Google funded a Watson College workshop promoting the use of Squeak Etoys as a means of enhancing student knowledge of math, science and engineering through computer science exploration.

WCE Professor Dr. Mahnaz Moallem, in collaboration with Sridhar Narayan and Gene Tagliarini (computer science), Christopher Gordon (CESTEM) and Karen Hill (WCE), led the July workshop, which involved 30-hours of in-person study and collaboration on campus, plus 14 hours of on-line work. There were 26 workshop participants; and 12 in-service teachers plus fi ve inspired pre-service and IT students completed the intensive program.

WCE’s IT department hopes to fi nd funding to offer the workshop again next summer. In the meantime, they will continue to use Squeak Etoys to advance STEM education in area schools.

Note: Squeak Etoys, originally developed by Allen Kay at Apple and Disney Imagineering in the 1990’s uses tile based scripting as the foundation of a sandbox programming environment which allows students to create an endless variety of projects. For more information please visit www.squeakland.org.

Introductory Biotechnology Workshop for High School Teachers

In June, CESTEM ran a one-week workshop to introduce high school teachers to the basic concepts of biotechnology. Eighteen area teachers participated in the workshop, which focused on sharing ways to integrate the teaching of biotechnology into the high school curriculum according to the N.C. Essential Standards for Biology. The program, funded through a $25,220 grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, was organized by Dennis Kubasko, associate professor of science education and director of CESTEM, Joseph Covi, biology and marine biology, and Christopher Gordon, assistant director of CESTEM.

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center, established by Governor Jim Hunt in 1984, is the oldest organization of its kind in the world. The goal was to grow jobs to replace those lost in eroding tobacco, textile and furniture markets. Today North Carolina is among the top-three states in bioscience employment, with 237,000 jobs and $59 billion in annual business volume.


Youth Programs & Summer Camps

UNCW Youth Programs completed another exciting summer of exploration, discovery and service with MarineQuest and Engineering Expectations.

Now in its 33rd year of programming, MarineQuest hosted over 1,250 participants with the camps operating at almost full capacity. Our staff of more than 30 instructors implemented the academically-focused curriculum while engaging campers in rich fi eld experiences that allowed them to practice some of the skills employed by marine scientists – even skills as advanced as research diving.

MarineQuest acts as a pipeline to the university, bringing in students locally, as well as from across the state, nation, and beyond. Almost 78 percent of the attendees came from North Carolina while some came from Canada, Israel, and Spain. The programs saw 230 repeat participants who are continuing to attend the university-based programs. Many of our past participants have come back to the university as students and several are currently working for MarineQuest.

Part of MarineQuest’s mission is to encourage youth to value the marine environment. Students attending our ArtSea, Shore Shots and Sea Shots programs demonstrated their appreciation for coastal habitats through art, underwater photography, and videography that produced public service announcements to educate the public about issues impacting the marine environment.

This year, MarineQuest introduced Sea Sports Science Olympiad camp which gave students an opportunity to try a variety of water sports, including surfi ng, kayaking, boogie boarding and fi shing. Such sports help provide an understanding of STEM principles upon which Science Olympiad events are based. For example, campers kayaked beneath two bridges at Wrightsville Beach and studied their structure and operations. Then the students returned to the classroom to build their own bridges and compete to see which was the strongest.

Some of our other stand-out camps this year were the Junior Scientifi c Diver camp, where participants learned underwater research techniques while exploring some of the beautiful shipwrecks off of the coast of Southeastern North Carolina, and our leadership camps, Sea G.E.M.S. and Sea L.A.B. Our gender-specifi c leadership camps gave participants the opportunity to investigate the fi elds of marine technology and engineering and to participate in a PADI Discover SCUBA diving course.

Several of the MarineQuest participants were recipients of a variety of merit- and need-based scholarships. Cy’s World Foundation, First Scholarships and youth programs all sponsored students providing opportunities for 32 students.

The summer of 2013 was also our fourth year offering Engineering Expectations. These camps focus on the engineering design process, creative problem solving and decision-making. This year, we expanded offerings for three different age groups with each age group having the opportunity to

Another Successful Summer for MarineQuest and Engineering Expectations

explore aerospace, civil and mechanical engineering. They also learned engineering history and were introduced to biomimicry, a new and exciting discipline. In June, Kezios, director of youth programs, presented the Nature’s Engineers K-6 curriculum at the International Biomimicry conference in Boston. As part of her presentation she Skyped with Construction Critters, one of the biomimicry camps, so that the conference audience could see for themselves how engaged students were with the curriculum-based activities.

The engineering camps were instructed by teams consisting of New Hanover County Schools lead science teachers, students enrolled in UNCW’s 2+2 pre-engineering program, and senior-level North Carolina State University engineering students. Engineering Expectations hosted more than 250 participants, including scholarship recipients from the Rachel Freeman School of Engineering and the Gregory Elementary School of Science, Math and technology, both of which are Title 1 schools. Some students also received scholarships from the Friends of UNCW, First Scholarships, and Youth Programs sponsored scholarships. In total, 16 students were able to participate in engineering camps because of the sponsored scholarships.

Future female engineers participated in our all-girl’s leadership academy. These campers learned about women engineers who are exploring the ocean and space. Guest speakers working in the fi elds of medicine and safety taught the girls about some of the issues that are attracting women to engineering. One of the speakers who grew up and was educated in Mexico shared her struggles to convince her family and university to allow her to study engineering. She was the only woman in her graduating class and works in Wilmington as a chemical engineer. A highlight of the Leadership Academy for Future Female Engineers involved designing and constructing prototype armored vests specifi cally fi tted for women’s bodies. The girls were surprised to learn that women in the U.S. Army wear ill-fi tting body armor designed for men.

Among the many activities that the campers participated in were fi eld trips to visit a 3D printer, to explore a beaver lodge at the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, to fl y in a vertical wind tunnel, and to experience the behind the scenes working of the battleship U.S.S. North Carolina navigation mechanics.

Youth Programs is already gearing up for our fall programs. To learn more about these offerings, please visit www.uncw.edu/youth.

By Wes King, Marketing and Communications Specialist for UNCW Youth Programs



Digital StoryTelling

By Eleni PappamihielAs UNCW students were wrapping up their spring classes, the TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and English Education programs, along with Centro Hispano and WCE, hosted the 5th annual Digital Storytelling Event.

On April 26, over 70 ESL students and their teachers came to campus to exhibit digital stories that the students had designed, created and produced. Each story focused on an aspect of the content they were learning that semester. WCE encourages the use of digital storytelling to help non-native English speakers scaffold language and content so that they can better demonstrate their understanding and mastery of content.

Everyone involved received a Seahawk Storytellers T-shirt and our winners and runners-up won gift-cards to use at local stores. Sammy Seahawk made a special appearance and spent time with the children and teachers.

Partnership Gives Middle School Students a College Preview

In partnership with Columbus County Schools, WCE hosted a four-week college immersion program for 30 students from Chadbourn Middle School. WCE Outreach and the Betty Holden Stike Education Laboratory supported the project, in which rising seventh, eighth and ninth graders explored career opportunities, experienced college life and conducted individual research with college tutors.

“This project is an amazing experience for all of the students involved, middle schoolers and college students alike,” remarked Brian Brinkley, director of the Ed Lab. “The middle school students begin to think about career choices and see themselves going to college. And Watson College students see the incredible impact they have as teachers in the lives of the children they serve.”

This marks the third year that Columbus County Schools has funded the Watson College/Chadbourn Middle School Project with a Race to the Top grant.

STEM Camp for Students with Autism

WCE collaborated with Oasis NC, to run a STEM Middle School Camp this summer for area students with autism.

Amelia Moody, associate professor, EEMLS, who has a specialty in the area of special education and Dennis Kubasko, director of CESTEM, helped develop the four-week program, which gave six students (grades 6-8) an opportunity to experiment with bottle rockets, LEGO Mindstorm robots, rollercoasters and GPS tracking.

“Many children with autism have a high aptitude for STEM,” says Kubasko. “Our job is to engage them with activities that are fun.”

Oasis NC is a Wilmington-based start-up with a mission of providing support to individuals with autism, their families and the community. Founded in 2011 by Erika Merriman, the organization seeks to celebrate children with autism and all of their unique gifts and personalities.

Merriman says, “The STEM program for adolescents with autism is a unique offering and may be the fi rst of its kind in the country.”

Moody and Kubasko are continuing their collaboration with Oasis NC, and the summer camp has been extended into a 15-week STEM Middle School Club this fall. For more information on the work of Oasis NC, please visit www.oasisnc.org.

Brian Brinkley works with students from Chadbourn Middle School.


Congratulations to Terri Collins! She completed Ironman Mont Tremblant on Aug. 18. Mont Tremblant is a ski village outside of Montreal, Canada. The Ironman distance consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. At the end of October, Terri will be completing Wilmington’s Beach2Battleship full ironman distance. Wow!

Deloris Rhodes welcomes a new granddaughter! Charlotte Ivey Rhodes was born on July 16.


Junior Seahawks Learn about Health, Literacy and Finance

“(H2)2 = Healthy Habits, Healthy Humans” was the theme of the 2013 Summer Junior Seahawk Academy, now in its ninth year. During the weeklong program, middle schoolers learned CPR and boating safety, thanks to a collaboration between WCE, Time Warner Cable and the South East Area Health Education Center (SEAHEC).

Employees from the State Employees’ Credit Union (NCSECU) introduced concepts of personal fi nance, and Todd McFadden of UNCW Upperman Center and Chris Montero of Centro Hispano encouraged students to aspire to college.

Literacy skills were also promoted by the academy, with each student receiving fi ction, non-fi ction and reference books through a grant from First Book of New Hanover County.

The mission of the Junior Seahawk Academy is to engage middle school students from underserved and underrepresented populations, with a focus on STEM education and exploratory learning.

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Literacy Live Kicks Off Their Fall Program

On Sept. 7, the fi rst Literacy Live Event of the fall semester was held in the Education Building at UNCW. Twenty-fi ve students, brightly dressed to refl ect the event’s rainbow theme, gathered with parents and volunteers to use their imagination and creativity to recreate stories, develop comprehension skills and share the joy of reading. The children designed rainbow fi sh using colored markers, coffee fi lters and water; created rainbows on the ceiling using water, light and movement; and listed things found in nature that correspond with each color of the rainbow.

Literacy Live, a partnership between WCE’s Department of Youth Programs and Randall Library, is now in its fi fth year. Free monthly Saturday programs are offered in the fall and spring to children ages 4–7. Additional events will be held on Oct. 19 and Nov. 2, 2013. To register for Literacy Live in October please visit http://library.uncw.edu/cmc/literacy_live/.

watson chronicle sept. 2013

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