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2012 Graduation Celebration
Was awesome! See some photos…
Bernard-Johnston appointed
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Jean Bernard-Johnston (Ed.D. 1993) was appointed to a three-year term as a Member of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO. She sent us a link to an article about her work in Somalia that appeared in the United States Mission to UNESCO e-newsletter. |
Jen Daigle Matos (Ed.D. 2011) is featured in a clip from WWLP-TV Springfield about her graduation from the Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce’s small business seminar. Read more
School of Education’s 2nd Social Justice in Education Forum
Friday, April 20, 2012: Our 2nd Social Justice in Education Forum Featured Sonia Nieto, Michelle Fine, and….See the photos
Kent Divoll (Ed.D 2010) and Angelica Ribeiro (M.Ed. 2008) work together to improve student learning in Texas
UHCL: Educator couple works together to improve student learning
yourPearlandNews.com
April 4, 2012
Classrooms figure prominently in the life of University of Houston-Clear Lake Assistant Professor Kent Divoll and his wife, Angelica Ribeiro, an English as a Second Language elementary school teacher in the Pasadena Independent School District. The two educators met in a classroom, were married in a classroom and now both spend much of their days working in classrooms.
Divoll, assistant professor of teacher education, supervises interns and teaches classroom management for UH-Clear Lake’s School of Education. Ribeiro, originally from Fortaleza, Brazil, teaches fifth- and sixth-grade language arts to English language learners at Melillo Middle School.
The pair met while enrolled in the same class at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He was a doctoral student and she, a master’s student. Two years later, shortly before relocating to Houston, the couple exchanged vows in the same classroom where they met. They would later marry in a formal ceremony before family and friends in Massachusetts, and yet again in Brazil, bringing the total number of anniversaries to three.
“We do an average,” jokes Ribeiro, though her husband confesses they celebrate all three.
Today, they each have a classroom of their own, and they often pull from each other’s experience and background to enhance their students’ learning experiences. For instance, when Divoll visited his wife’s family in Brazil, he felt the frustration of trying to communicate in Portuguese, a language he hasn’t yet mastered. It helped him realize that many of his interns don’t know what it is really like for ELL students to be in a class being taught in a language other than their own. He solicited his wife’s assistance to help create that experience for his students.
“We talk about English language learners, but until they (teachers) experience what it’s like, they don’t know, and they don’t have that same perspective,” he explains.
For the session, Ribeiro teaches two mini-lessons both in Portuguese. In the first session she teaches the class without utilizing learning strategies, or techniques such as pictures and gestures, that help language learners understand lesson content even though they may not understand the language. In the second session she teaches the exact same class, but this time employing the strategies.
“The point is for the students to realize how important the strategies are, and how they allow students to actually learn the content,” she explains.
Divoll adds that the experience creates a sense of empathy and understanding. The demonstration has been so popular among the students that Ribeiro has been asked by several other UH-Clear Lake School of Education professors to present it in their classrooms as well. In fact, one student who missed her regularly scheduled class made a point of coming back to the campus and sitting in just for the experience.
The couple enjoys bouncing ideas off each other especially where improving student performance is concerned. When Ribeiro was perplexed by the poor TAKS performance of two of her students who she knew were capable of doing better, her husband suggested a different approach.
He advised that she should pretend to be a student taking a test, thinking out loud and rushing through the exam. As the young students watched and listened to Ribeiro role play, she purposely made careless mistakes. In this way the students were able to recognize their own errors.
The students also tracked their scores, recording the initial grade made when they carelessly rushed through the test, and then the follow-up grade they could have made had they taken their time and carefully read and answered the questions correctly.
The idea is to increase motivation and self-confidence, Divoll explains. The approach helps students focus on analyzing their mistakes and improving.
“I have used it with 12 students,” says Ribeiro of the strategy she now calls “Goal Graph Reflect.”
“I’ve had some of the students more than once. If we look at their grades in the second year, the grades are better than the ones from the first year. Several of the students didn’t pass the TAKS initially, but when they came to me and they used this strategy, they did pass.”
Ribeiro continues to utilize the Goal Graph Reflect strategy with her students, and she has presented the results at four teacher conferences, including the Texas Association for Bilingual Education and the American Association Teaching Curriculum. She and Divoll plan continued research on the approach.
“We care about education a lot and want the students to do well,” says Divoll. “Angelica came to the United States as an exchange student so she understands what it’s like to be an English language learner. For my students – I want to make sure we are producing teachers that understand the issues and how to serve that population.” |
Holly Graham, LLC doctoral student, winner of teaching award
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Superintendent Salzer, Holly Graham, Principal Lesley Wilson
JFK Middle School |
Holly Graham, a School of Education doctoral student in the Language, Literacy and Culture concentration, is a winner of a 2012 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards sponsored by the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation. A seventh-grade English teacher at JFK Middle School, Northampton, Graham, who is in her first year at the school, was the "overwhelming" choice of her school's nominating committee, according to a Daily Hampshire Gazette article by Barbara Solow.
Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards are given each year to teachers in 40 local districts. Winners, who are nominated by their peers, demonstrate excellence, show enthusiasm and do outreach to their school community. Graham is one of several teachers in Northampton schools who won the awards.
Members of the nominating committee cited Graham’s passion for writing and her skills in data analysis and curriculum development. Graham recently inspired a group of seventh- and eighth-graders to participate in a Boston Globe writing contest where seven JFK students took home gold, silver and honorable mention awards.
Superintendent of Northampton Public School Brian Salzer wrote about Graham in his blog:
“She is an exceptional teacher. She is passionate about teaching English, especially writing, and about working with middle school students. She is energetic, enthusiastic and a great advocate for her students. Her teaching practices include a differentiated approach to instruction and varied assessment methods for measuring student understanding. She collaborates with her colleagues to provide interdisciplinary units for students. Her students were thrilled to hear from the Department of the interior following receipt of their persuasive letters about White Nose Bat Syndrome. Ms. Graham is also an integral member of her department, skilled at data analysis and curriculum development.
Ms. Graham works with students on most afternoons supporting their achievement and interest in writing. Most recently she helped a group of seventh and eighth grade students participate in the Boston Globe Writing Contest. Seven of our students were recognized with gold, silver and honorable mentions. Ms. Graham regularly attends JFK events and has made many connections in the community on behalf of her students. Ms. Graham has already made a difference at JFK with her contributions to her students, team, department, and our community as a whole. She is truly deserving of this honor.” |
Keenh wins Distinguished Teaching Award
Molly Keehn, a doctoral student in the social justice education concentration, was awarded 2011-12 the Graduate Student Distinguished Teaching Award by UMass Amherst’s Center for Teaching and Faculty Development. The purpose of the Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA) program, a feature of the UMass Amherst campus for over 30 years, is to honor exemplary teaching at the highest institutional level. Both faculty and graduate students, nominated by students or alumni, are eligible for this highly-competitive award. DTA winners are recognized at both the Undergraduate and Graduate Commencements.
Pica wins research article award
Cinzia Pica ( Ed.D. 2008), assistant professor at Assumption College, received the Distinguished Education Research Article Award from the Association for Childhood Education International Association at the Global Summit on Childhood, held in Washington, D.C. on March 28, 2012. Pica's article “Children's perceptions of interracial friendships in a multiethnic school context”, which was based on her dissertation, was published in the Journal of Research in Childhood Education (2011).
Homecoming 2011: See photos
Alumnus Carlton E. Brown talks about investing in financial literacy.
Read The Chronicle’s interview
Zito’s ( Ed.D. 2011) school district named 7th “Top Workplace” in Hartford region
Mark Zito, (Ed.D. 2011), superintendent of the East Hartford Public Schools, announced that his school district is being recognized as one of the Top Workplaces 2011 in the greater Hartford region by The Hartford Courant and FOXCT. The district was ranked #7 in the large business division. Zito said that 793 employers in the greater Hartford region were invited to participate in the program, and 45 were designated Top Workplaces. The rankings were based on feedback from employee surveys.
“The designation as a Top Workplace serves as a testament to the quality and dedication of our employees, our consistent focus on providing our students with outstanding educational opportunities, and a high overall level of employee morale,” Zito said. “We are certainly honored to be included in this list, particularly because the judges are the hardworking employees of the East Hartford Public Schools.”
Mitchell receives early career award
Tania Mitchell, Ed.D. 2005, will receive the Early career Award from the international Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement at the association’s conference in November. Mitchell is a critical service learning scholar. She currently serves as the associate director for undergraduate studies and as director of service learning at the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at Stanford University.
See our WGBY-TV spot on YouTube featuring student Kerry Weir
Zangmo talks about women’s education
Asia Society, NYC, Sept. 19
Tashi Zangmo, (M.Ed. 2004, Ed. D. 2009) Executive Director of the Bhutan Nuns Foundation, a will be introduced by His Excellency Lyonchhen Jigmie Thinley, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan, following his presentaion about Bhutan’s role in promoting peace and prosperity in South Asia on Monday, Sept. 19 at The Asia Society, New York. Zangmo will talk about her work in women’s education in her home country of Bhutan. The Bhutanese Nuns' Foundation was established in 2006 under the patronage of Her Majesty Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck to help improve the well-being and education of nuns in Bhutan.
Lateef receives Achievement Award
Yusef A. Lateef, Ed.D. 1975, received a Distinguished Achievement Award at UMass Amherst Graduate Commencement 2011. Lateef, a multi-instrumentalist, educator, composer and author has a career that has “defied categories.” Lateef says that his music “comes from one’s physical, mental and spiritual self” and combines theoretical knowledge and a direct expression of life experience. He is a master of the alto and tenor saxophone, flute, oboe and bassoon as well as the bamboo flute, rehad, shehnai, shofar, arghul, sarewa and koto.
Grad student Vacchi runs for returning veterans
David Vacchi, SOE graduate student, veteran and former manager of the Army ROTC program at UMass Amherst, will be among the runners in the Run to Home Base fundraiser held in Boston on May 22. Proceeds from the event go to program to help veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Read the story.
Our 2011 Scholarship Donors & Recipients Reception
Always an inspiring event, this reception provides an opportunity for our scholarship donors and recipients to meet.
Thank you, donors, for your generosity, and congratulations to our recipients. See some of the photos.
Charles Desmond receives Distinguished Alumni Award
 Charles Desmond ( '92 Ed.D.) was presented the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award at the Massachusetts State House in April. This is the most prestigious award conferred by the UMass Amherst Alumni Association upon its alumni, faculty, staff and friends. These awards are presented to those individuals who have translated their UMass Amherst experience into distinguished achievement in their field of endeavor, and whose accomplishments reflect admirably on or bring honor to the university.
Desmond was appointed chair of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education in 2008 by Governor Deval Patrick. The Board oversees the goals, needs and requirements of delivering higher education programs, as well oversight of spending plans and a statewide tuition program. Prior to this role, he served for seven years as executive vice president of the Trefler Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving educational opportunities and success for Boston's urban youth. He also worked for 30 years at UMass Boston, his final role as associate chancellor for school/community collaboration.
View a slideshow of the 2011 awards being presented at the State House on April 13, 2011.
More about Dr. Desmond http://www.umassalumni.com/awards/profiles/2011/desmond.html |
Heriberto Flores (M.Ed. 1991) believes in Springfield
Springfield’s Heriberto “Herbie” Flores, son of Puerto Rican farm workers, is passionate about the city - and he just might be “the right man at the right time” to spearhead the next wave of downtown revival.
Earlier this month, the nonprofit agency Flores leads - the New England Farm Workers Council - purchased the historic former Paramount Theater for $1.725 million with plans to develop the former Main Street movie palace into a multi-cultural center that celebrates the city’s diversity.
The ebullient Flores, who counts the late Peter Pan bus magnate and entrepreneur Peter Picknelly as one of his role models, is full of development ideas for the century-old building. Those ideas include a high-end restaurant with a Spanish flavor, a Starbucks coffee shop that would serve as a daily meeting place for downtown workers and an entertainment venue that would complement Symphony Hall and other downtown arts organizations.
Those who know Flores are confident he’ll achieve his vision for the building.
Russell Omer, executive vice president at Chicopee Savings Bank - the lead lender on the project - is one of those believers. “You’ve got to know Herbie and the way he does business,” Omer said. “He’ll develop it. It’s not going to be risky.”
Read the full story here.
Bemak wins humanitarian award from American Counseling Association
Dr. Fred Bemak, (Ed.D. 1975), professor in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University, has been honored by the American Counseling Association as winner of the Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person. The Wrenn Award honors an ACA member who gives to others without fanfare or expectation of reward other than the personal satisfaction of seeing other people made happier.
Bemak is the founder and director of the Diversity Research Action Center. He has directed federal, state, and privately funded human services programs and has provided consultation, training, and research with culturally diverse populations and public and private human services organizations locally, nationally, and internationally. Bemak has published extensively in the fields of cross-cultural and multicultural psychology and counseling, social justice, working with at-risk youth, and immigrant and refugee mental health and psychosocial adjustment. He co-authored “Social Justice Counseling: The Next Steps Beyond Multiculturalism in Application, Theory, with Dr. Rita Chi-Ying Chung, and “Counseling Refugees: A Psychosocial Approach to Innovative Multicultural Interventions” with Chi-Ying Chung and Paul Pedersen.
Bemak was the program evaluator for a six-country cross-border child trafficking program in Asia, consultant for several years with Save the Children, UK, in Burma, and currently is doing ongoing consultation and training with Invisible Children in Uganda. He founded Counselors Without Borders to respond to worldwide disasters and has brought teams to provide counseling, training, and consultation following Hurricane Katrina, the San Diego wildfires, and the Haiti earthquake. He has been a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil, a Fulbright Specialist in Scotland, a World Rehabilitation Fund International Fellow in India, a Kellogg International Fellow in Latin America and the Caribbean, and has held faculty appointments at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and the University of Queensland in Australia.
He is active in ACA and the American Psychological Association. Founded in 1952 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, the American Counseling Association is the world’s largest private, not-for-profit organization for professional counselors.
School of Education’s Center for International Education Receives $9.9 Million Grant for Higher Education Work in Afghanistan
The School of Education’s Center for International Education (CIE) has been awarded a one-year, $9.9-million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development to continue its work to improve access to higher education in Afghanistan.
This project is part of an overall program to rehabilitate and strengthen the education system throughout Afghanistan. Since 2006, CIE has worked as a partner in a consortium with the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and education faculty who offer four-year teacher education programs in that country. The Higher Education Project (HEP) built on initial successes with education faculty and worked with Kabul Medical University and six other medical institutions to enhance medical education.
For this grant UMass Amherst was asked to assume primary responsibility for overseeing the entire project. Indiana University, another member of the original consortium, will also participate. The collaborators will work with the higher education ministry and 18 Afghan institutions of higher education with a focus on improving their ability to train secondary school teachers.
During the past five years, the CIE has worked in Afghanistan with other institutions in a group led by the Academy for Educational Development. The consortium recently completed a successful project to revitalize teacher training and establish the first functioning master’s degree program in Afghanistan in at least 30 years.
The same UMass team that has been involved in the Higher Education Project over the past five years will continue in this new venture. The initiative is led by David R. Evans, CIE director, and Joseph B. Berger, chair of the department of educational policy, research and administration in the School of Education. Berger and Evans stressed that the HEP has been a team effort that includes CIE faculty, staff and graduate students. Notable for their contributions are Barbara Gravin Wilbur, fiscal administrator, and graduate student Mindy Eichhorn, who serves as the project coordinator.
Christine B. McCormick, dean of the School of Education, praised the ongoing effort. “CIE has a 40-year history of highly effective work with developing nations,” she says. “We are very proud that the center has been selected to work with Afghan institutions to build educational capacity in the essential areas of training teachers and improving access to quality education.”
Evans and Berger also noted that the UMass Amherst administration has been consistently supportive of their efforts to secure this most recent grant. “The university has stepped up to the plate to make this happen,” Evans says. Berger added, “The level of support has been remarkable.”
The current project has several major components. The CIE staff will continue to work on developing and sustaining the very successful master’s degree program in teacher education at Kabul Education University. It has already graduated two cohorts of students, with a third cohort half-way through the program. A fourth cohort will be admitted in the coming months. This program is notable because half of the graduates are women, which is highly unusual in Afghanistan. In addition, a large number of students are from provincial centers outside of Kabul, which allows the program to have a significant impact in underserved areas throughout the country.
CIE will also oversee continued development of 11 Professional Development Centers located in universities throughout Afghanistan. These centers provide access to technology and offer training in teaching, subject areas, and English. Another aspect of the program is the development of degree programs in public policy, including a master’s degree program based at Kabul University and a bachelor’s program that will be offered at four or five provincial universities.
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