Faculty Activities
Below is a brief summary of faculty activities. Visit the meet the faculty page at CGPS to learn more about specific faculty members.
The Winneba, Ghana Project
For two weeks in June and July of 2009, Drs. Suzanne Houff and Dale Wright traveled to Ghana with the international project’s committee of VSRA. They will provide teacher training and work with elementary students. Their goal is to provide staff development in reading instruction and methodology and to develop reading instructional materials for the newly established teacher training resource center in Winneba. To learn more about the project check out the VSRA Ghana Project Web site at http://www.vsra.org/ghanaproject.html.
Publications
- Disabilities Don't Define a Child. Dr. Nicole Myers wrote an article for The Fredericksburg Parent and Family Magazine encouraging parents to support their children through People First Language (Read the piece)
- Solid Families are Best Bet for Autistic Kids. Dr. Nicole Myers wrote about families and autism for the The Free Lance-Star. (Read the piece)
- Getting to the Heart of Technology Integration. Dr. Teresa Coffman wrote an article for the International Society for Technology in Education journal, Learning and Leading with Technology. The article discusses the successful ITRT program in Virginia. (Read the Article)
- Dr. Suzanne Houff has recently published a book, The Classroom Researcher: Using Applied Research to Meet Student Needs. This book is designed for teachers, administrators, and professional developers who are interested in learning how research can be used to improve instruction. Dr. Houff also published the book, The Classroom Manager: Procedures and Practices to Improve Instruction published by Rowman & Littlefield Education. Dr. Norah Hooper, contributed the chapter “Meeting Special Needs” to the text.
- Dr. Teresa Coffman has recently published a book, Engaging Students Through Inquiry-Oriented Learning and Technology. This book provides a good and engaging look at inquiry in a classroom setting.
- Dr. Tamie Pratt-Fartro has recently co-authored a book, Literacy Coaching to Build Adolescent Learning: 5 Pillars of Practice, with Nancy DeVries Guth. This book is designed for secondary-level coaches and focuses on five pillars of adolescent literacy . To find out more about Dr. Pratt-Fartro's book visit Corwin Press.
- Memory and Storytelling. Jo Tyler, UMW associate professor of linguistics and education, made a surprising discovery when she studied her family’s four-decades-old recollections of a childhood trip. Tyler's research revealed that storytelling helped alter family memories of the outing in which her brother was injured. Read an article about Tyler's research in the UMW Magazine.
Autism in Contemporary Literature, Film – and Life
Listen to Nicole Myers, UMW associate professor of education, as she tells the 'With Good Reason' public radio program about autism, the UMW autism programs, and how families and teachers can draw from various strategies and community resources to help individuals with autism and other disabilities.
Research
Dr. Rebecca S. Hayes, studied education in New Zealand and was featured in an article in The Wanganui Chronicle, the oldest newspaper in New Zealand.
Grant from the State of Virginia. Patricia Reynolds received a grant from the Virginia Department of Education to offer TESL 532: Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners Across the Curriculum for fall 2008. This course will provide instruction on techniques and strategies for working with the increasingly diverse classrooms in the state of Virginia. To find out more about this course visit the course Web site.
VASCD Grant. Dr. Teresa Coffman, Pat Wiedel, Sup. of Professional Development for Stafford County Schools, and Lisa Rollins, Sup. of Instructional & Assistive Technology for Stafford County Schools received a $10,000 grant to study technology professional development using the coaching method from the Virginia Association for Supervision Curriculum and Development. This study took place during the 2007 -2008 academic school year. Read the article, Technology Resource Teachers’ (TRT) Role in Teacher Professional Development published in the Virginia Educational Leadership Journal to learn more about the study.
Presentations
Dr. Jane Huffman, presented “Moving Beyond Cultural Boundaries: Developing Culturally Responsive Practices” at the 64th Annual International Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Conference in Orlando, Fla.
Camp Soaring Eagle
Camp Soaring Eagle (CSE)is scheduled to be held June 24-June 26th this summer. Many CGPS faculty who volunteered last year will be helping again this year. Nicole Myers and Sharon Teabo will be running the camp again this year along with Heather DeCou, a CGPS student. All three of these folks have worked with Quantico MCCC for the past three years to run this camp for special needs children. Jennifer Jakubecy from the Fredericksburg campus will bring her students to the camp as counselors along with students in INDT 531 (Emerging and Assistive Technologies). Other CGPS faculty who have already jumped on board with CSE 2009 include Beverly Epps, Jane Huffman, and Kelly Andrus. CGPS students in leadership roles this summer in addition to Heather DeCou include Kate Szymendera and Jenny McMichael (UMW 2008 graduate).