ONU's Education Department

Freshmen Orientation

2009-06-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and speeding by very quickly! Last weekend I had the privilege of participating in freshmen orientation on campus. I loved meeting our new education students as well as helping them create their new schedule.

It was fun listening to the students who have a passion for teaching - some desire a particular grade level or age of students, while others have a desire to work with underprivileged children. Several students even would like to teach abroad.

Where is your passion? Do you have a passion to teach? Lead? Help the underprivileged? Teach internationally? Self-reflection is good. Take your time; identify and evaluate your current activities. What to you enjoy doing? Where is God leading you?

Soon you may be taking part in a freshman orientation for college and your future.

Laura Crawford - Children's Author

2009-04-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

The Education Department sponsored the first annual children's author event on campus. It was really exciting. We had Laura Crawford, a children's author who also teaches in Deer Creek Elementary School as a reading specialist. She has written 5 books and has another book which will be published and available in September, 2009.

Her current books are excellent nonfiction writings: Pilgrim's Thanksgiving A to Z; Postcards from Chicago; Postcards from Washington D. C.; Postcards from New York City; and In Actic Waters. Her new book coming out is The American Revolution A to Z.

She told about her experiences with rejections before becoming published. Her first book was rejected 23 times before it was ready for publication. Having a children's author on campus was like having a children's book "celebrity!"

We are looking forward to planning another event like this next year. Publicity is definitely a key.

Are You Frozen?

2009-02-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

Well, the semester began in quite an unusual way. We went to school for 2 days and 2 days off! It kind of caused us to "begin again" almost the next week. We had wind chills of 40 below!

This has been a great semester so far. Friday, I'm taking my Children's Literature class to the Limestone Public Library which is about 15 minutes from the campus. This is a small public library that has amazing resources for teachers and even our students can check them out for their field experiences and student teaching.

Have you checked out the new Newbery and Caldecott book winners? Go to ala.org and you'll get the list of all the new award winning children's books for 2009. The new Illinois Rebecca Caudill book list for 2010 is also recently published. Go to islma.org, click on awards and then Rebecca Caudill. These are books recommended for 4th - 8th graders. Take time to read some of them - I love reading these books.

I'll also keep you posted - I am so excited because on Monday March 23, we're having a children's author Laura Crawford on campus. More information will be coming!

Stay warm!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-10T07:23:00.000-08:00

Aruba was amazing! My husband and I spent 8 days there and went to the pool and white sands beach. Rest and relaxation! Now it's time to get back to the real world. We have a winter weather advisory and more snow this morning on the ground.

Time now to prepare the final syllabi for classes and be ready to go on Tuesday, Jan. 13 to start a new semester. It's always exciting to meet the students I haven't had yet and to catch up with those that I've had in previous semesters.

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I'm working on a few "life changes" this year - one is always the diet - but rather than dieting, my husband and I are trying to change the foods we eat.

Dissertation work is coming but always a challenge. I want to be prepared for the new semester and spend time every day writing some for the dissertation - my goal is to be done by June. I'll keep you posted!

Hope you had a wonderful start to the new year! New beginnings and new adventures await us!

Happy New Year

2008-12-30T18:27:00.000-08:00

Where did the time go? October, November, December? When we got back from Thanksgiving, Ithink there was one week and then finals. In college, time just flies - even more than when I taught in public education.

I had a very nice Christmas with my family and now my husband and I are going to Aruba for a few days for rest, relaxation, and warm temperatures! I've been working on my syllabi for the new semester.

I'll keep you posted - but we're planning on having an author come to campus in March. We've been talking with an Illinois author. Our plan is to have a children's author come to campus every year for a day.

We had a big book fair in December for 2 days. We need to improve advertising (signs), but we sold lots of new books inexpensively. Teachers came and bought gifts for their students. My Children's Literature and LA/SS students helped set up and sell those days. They were great!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Midterm in Education Department

2008-10-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Midterm is a busy time with projects and/or tests to grade. Students find themselves busy with presentations and studying for tests. Our field experience students have received their assignments and are excited about working in real classrooms in various capacities. Some of them put up bulletin boards, tutor students, grade papers, and teach lessons.

My Language Arts Social Studies methods class students have to teach 3 lessons during their 24 hours of experience. It's really great because they get some experience in a classroom before their final big student teaching experience. I enjoy reading their reflections about their lesson taught and how they would change it for next time. It's a real "hands-on" learning experience!

If you're in high school you're probably at the end of the first quarter - getting ready to receive report cards and possibly experience parent conferences. Have you ever done a "student-led" conference? It's a great experience and really makes you accountable. In this situation you have to sit and explain your work to your parents - what you have and haven't done! Many middle schools have adopted this conference format.

Teaching Internationally?

2008-10-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

Today Olivet hosted the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Over 20 international schools were represented. Have you ever thought about teaching overseas? On Friday, Mr. David Gentry shared pictures of Bangkok, Thailand. The pictures were amazing. Teachers contract for two years because the first year they are getting used to the cultural differences, and the second year they are more comfortable. Many teachers stay for five or six years. Interestingly, the school in Honduras is in need of a 3rd and 4th grade teacher right now as well as a full-time substitute teacher. What a unique opportunity this could be!

Our education students spoke with these representatives to find out about current and future openings. If you're thinking about teaching, God may direct you to an international school. As you plan to become a teacher, keep in mind that there are many different types of schools or educational settings - public and private schools in the United States, charter schools, homeschooling, tutoring, and international Christian schools are some of the options. As you prepare to become an educator, be open to where God may lead you.

Butterflies and Exams

2008-09-26T19:51:00.001-07:00

Do you get butterflies when you think of taking exams? I still do. It's been a month since I wrote here, but much has happened. Classes at Olivet started, I wrote the last course for the Library master's program, and I just completed my comprehensive exams for my doctoral degree.

Even though I've taken tests for years, each test is different and I find they do create a little anxiety - not paralyzing - just enough to keep me focused. This last exam was different than any I've taken. In seven days, I had to write 8-10 pages for each of the five questions I received.

Now the waiting begins. Do you find it challenging to wait? It will be 2 to 4 weeks before I find out if I passed my exam. The good news is that all I have left to do is to write my dissertation. I love writing and research.

Have you had your first exams this year? Are they all traditional or are some unique? Preparation and prayer help the butterflies of exams!

Plan B

2008-08-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

Like you, I'm getting ready for the beginning of school and I've been working this summer to rewrite my syllabi and order new textbooks. I created the one for Children's Literature and I really like the text. Then I've been watching my mail for my teacher's copy of the Language Arts text - but it never came. Yesterday I called the company and there has been a delay on its publication. Thus begins Plan B - writing a syllabus for the class without using a textbook as a base.

Do you ever have to implement Plan B? Sometimes in my life I think I have everything all planned and God has a different plan for my life. That's the way it was with my job. I was very happy as a library information specialist at Dwight Common School, but then this professorship at Olivet opened up. I knew God was in the midst of the change because EVERY detail worked out smoothly and perfectly! God had a Plan B for my life that I didn't even know about. Questions for thought! What is God's plan for your life? Is the plan yours or God's?

Summer's End! New Beginning!

2008-08-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

This past summer has been a busy one - I took five doctoral classes at Argosy University in Schaumburg but my husband and I just returned Friday, August 15, from Maui, Hawaii. It was very relaxing, but as we returned we said we are returning to the "real world!" Friday I completed one paper, wrote another, and created a powerpoint presentation which was due on Saturday in my last class.

Tomorrow I'll spend in my office at Olivet preparing the final syllabi for my courses this fall. As I begin my second year in the department, I feel a little like a child, excited for the first day of school. We begin meetings on Wednesday, but it will be great to see all of my colleagues and hear a little about their summer experiences. This week the campus will still be rather quiet, but this weekend the students will return - such a difference - the whole campus comes alive!