M. Smith Griffith Auditorium
Georgia Museum of Art

A reception will be held from 4-5 p.m.
M. Smith Griffith Grand Hall
Georgia Museum of Art

Vagle

The Introduction to Phenomenological Research will offer qualitative researchers, instructors of qualitative research methods and graduate students insights on the philosophical and methodological foundations of phenomenology, practice with the core methodological techniques commonly used in descriptive and interpretive phenomenological research and discussions about the presenter’s post-intentional phenomenology.

Instructor: Mark Vagle
Associate professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
University of Minnesota

Georgia Center for Continuing Education

Press release
Website

UGA Gwinnett
Lawrenceville

Online registration
Press release

UGA Gwinnett
Lawrenceville

Online registration
Press release

Hamilton

The University of Georgia College of Education will host the Design, Implementation, and Analysis of Randomized Experiments in Education workshop series May 29-31 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

This three-day workshop on the design, implementation and analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) is designed as an introductory session for people with an interest in trials, but with limited experience in undertaking them in educational settings. The goal is to increase the capacity of researchers to develop and conduct rigorous evaluations of the impact of education interventions.

The workshop will be interactive, with individual and small group assignments, and will include real-world examples from both the literature and the presenters own experience. It will provide intensive training on planning, implementing and analyzing data from an RCT. Participants will learn to describe the principles underlying randomized experiments and their advantages for making causal inferences and adequately describe the treatment and counterfactual, and measure implementation fidelity. Attendees will learn how to design an RCT, taking into account the practical limitation of the field, as well as the hierarchical structure of populations in education, and understand many of the common pitfalls in implementing RCTs in the field.

The instructor will be Jennifer Hamilton, senior study director at Westat, recognized as one of the foremost research and statistical survey organizations in the United States.

Hamilton more than 20 years of experience managing a variety of research studies in education. She specializes in evaluation methodology with a focus on experimental and quasi-experimental designs. She has designed and managed rigorous, high-stakes evaluations for clients that include the U.S. Department of Education, school districts, and city agencies such as the New York City Mayor’s Office. She is a certified What Works Clearinghouse reviewer, a peer reviewer for numerous journals, and a board member of the Eastern Evaluation Research Society.

Her chapter on program evaluation is forthcoming in a major textbook. In addition to her methodological expertise, Hamilton is adept at analyzing, interpreting and presenting complex data in ways that are understandable to a non-technical audience. Her analytical experience includes hierarchical linear modeling, logistic and multiple regression, and factor analysis, as well as complex modeling techniques such as structural equation modeling, including longitudinal analytic models. She graduated with a Ph.D. in measurement, statistics and evaluation from the University of Maryland, College Park.

The registration fee is $799 and includes workshop materials, refreshment breaks, lunch and parking passes each day. The registration deadline is Wednesday, May 15.  For more information or to register for these and other COE workshops, visit: www.coe.uga.edu/events/.

Vagle

The foundations of phenomenological research in education will be introduced to in a three-day workshop sponsored by the University of Georgia College of Education June 5-7 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

The Introduction to Phenomenological Research will offer qualitative researchers, instructors of qualitative research methods and graduate students insights on the philosophical and methodological foundations of phenomenology, practice with the core methodological techniques commonly used in descriptive and interpretive phenomenological research and discussions about the presenter’s post-intentional phenomenology.

Mark Vagle, a former UGA College of Education professor, will be the instructor for the workshop. Vagle is currently an associate professor in the department of curriculum and instruction at the University of Minnesota. He uses what he calls post-intentional phenomenology to critically examine some of the broad philosophical and social concerns that take concrete shape in elementary education.

Formal learning systems try to create a community in which people have similar feelings, behaviors and understandings, and so, they mostly ignore students’ individual differences. Phenomenology focuses on an individual’s first-hand experiences rather than the abstract experience of others. It emphasizes explaining the meaning of things through an individual’s perspectives and self-experiences.

The application-oriented workshop is presented by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research in Education and Human Development, based in the UGA College of Education.

Registration cost for this workshop is $625, which includes workshop materials, refreshment breaks, lunch and a parking pass each day. The registration deadline is May 22.

For more information and to register visit: www.coe.uga.edu/events

Gassner

Nearly 200 speech language pathologists, audiologists, educators and students from across the state will hear about the latest research and best practices in their fields at the University of Georgia’s fifth annual Communication Sciences and Special Education Summer Institute at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education June 6-7.

Dena Gassner, program director and owner the Center for Understanding in Nashville, Tenn., will be the keynote speaker. She will speak on The Missing Link: Helping Students with Asperger’s to Embrace and Integrate Self-awareness as a Foundation for Personal Advocacy and Growth at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 6.

Gassner, LMSW, developed her interest in family systems with diagnostic training at the University Affiliated program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital while simultaneously becoming a certified early intervention specialist. Upon completing her master’s degree at the University of Kentucky, she transitioned to individual/family coaching support in the field of Asperger’s Syndrome and similar processing/developmental learning challenges.

She was the 2009 winner of the Jo Andrews Award from Nashville’s Mayor’s Committee on Disability for outstanding disability advocacy. She has been featured in a PSA (no-myths.org) and an online video for the Dan Marino Foundation (AU-tube). She is a frequent contributor to Autism Brainstorm (autismbrainstorm.org). She recently completed two years as an itinerant faculty member for Health-Education Network traveling the nation, providing professional development training to teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, behavioral consultants, families, individuals and others.

Several breakout sessions, led by both national and local experts, will address current topics and trends for special educators, general educators and speech-language pathologists such as:

• Asperger’s Disorder
• Reading Disabilities
• Medical Issues of Children in the Schools
• Data Collection and Behavior Management
• Legal Issues Pertaining to Classroom Teaching and Children with Disabilities
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication Solutions in the Classroom

The institute will also include information on administrative issues, parental concerns and perspectives of individuals with disabilities on each of these topics.

Participants may earn 1.0 PLU from the Georgia Department of Education and up to 1.075 CEUs from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for attendance on both days. PLU and CEU approval is in progress.

Registration costs vary. The early registration deadline is May 9. Regular fee registration deadline is May 30.

For costs and more information, visit:
www.coe.uga.edu/cssesummer/

Fecho

Aderhold Distinguished Professor
Robert Fecho, a professor and head of the department of language and literacy education, received the college’s highest honor when he was named the Aderhold Distinguished Professor for exemplary contributions in teaching, research and service.

Fecho, an internationally recognized expert on adolescent literacy, founded and co-directs the Red Clay Writing Project with colleague JoBeth Allen. Begun in 2003, Red Clay has created a cadre of over 180 area teachers committed to teaching writing and promoting social justice.

The Aderhold Distinguished Professor holds the title for one academic year and receives discretionary funds for one year, a one-time cash award, or a combination of the two. Only professors with five years or more on the UGA faculty are eligible.

Neuharth-Pritchett

Ira Aaron Award for Teaching Excellence
Stacey Neuharth-Pritchett, a professor in the department of educational psychology, received the Ira E. Aaron Award for Teaching Excellence and Collegiality. Only full-time tenured faculty members are eligible for this award. The awardee receives an instructional grant.

Thompson

Carl Glickman Faculty Fellow
Katherine Thompson, a clinical associate professor in the department of educational theory and practice, received the Carl Glickman Faculty Fellow Award, which recognizes distinguished accomplishments and potential for future contributions of faculty in fulfilling the mission of the university through teaching, research and service. Awardees receive a cash award and a grant for professional development.

Cahnmann-Taylor

Russell H. Yeany, Jr., Research Award
Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor, a professor in the department of language and literacy education, received the Russell H. Yeany, Jr., Research Award, which recognizes a tenure-track faculty member’s outstanding cumulative research. It includes a cash award and a grant for professional development.

Oliver

Faculty Diversity Award
Jenny Penney Oliver, a senior academic professional in the department of counseling and human development services, received the Faculty Diversity Award.  This award recognizes faculty members whose research, teaching and/or service promotes a more diverse local, university and/or global community.  It includes a cash award.

The award has recently been renamed the Jenny Penny Oliver Diversity Award in honor of her commitment and record of accomplishment in creating and facilitating partnerships to bridge diversity in Georgia and beyond.

Harman

D. Keith Osborn Award for Teaching Excellence
Ruth Harman, an assistant professor in the department of language and literacy education, and Stephanie Jones, an associate professor in the department of educational theory and practice, received the Faculty Senate D. Keith Osborn Award for Teaching Excellence. Awardees receive an instructional grant.

Butchart

Distinguished Research Professor
Ronald Butchart, professor and head of the department of educational theory and practice, has been named a UGA Distinguished Research Professor. The title is awarded to faculty who are internationally recognized for their original contributions to knowledge and whose work promises to foster continued creativity in their discipline.

Awardees receive a one-time permanent increase in base salary of $7,000 in addition to a $5,000 account each year for a 5-year period to be used in any appropriate way to support scholarship and a framed certificate. Butchart was recognized at the UGA Research Foundation’s 34th annual Research Awards Banquet on April 18.

Johnson

Thompson

Service-Learning Teaching Excellence Award
Corey Johnson, an associate professor in the department of counseling and human development services, and Katherine Thompson, a clinical associate professor in the department of educational theory and practice, received UGA’s Service-Learning Teaching Excellence Award which recognizes UGA faculty for excellence in developing, implementing, and sustaining academic service-learning opportunities for UGA students in domestic and/or international settings. This award, established in 2011, carries a $2,500 faculty development award.

Brown-Crowell

Outstanding Teaching Award
Cathleen Brown-Crowell, an associate professor in the department of kinesiology, received the UGA Outstanding Teaching Award during the Faculty Recognition Banquet on April 15.

Weatherford

College of Education Outstanding Undergraduate Academic Advisor
Kate Weatherford, an academic advisor II in the department of educational theory and practice, was named the college’s Outstanding Undergraduate Academic Advisor. The awardee receives a cash award.

Cohen

College of Education Outstanding Honors Student
Stephanie Cohen, of the department of communication sciences and special education, received the Outstanding Honors Student in the College of Education Award. The award includes a membership to a professional organization or a journal subscription. Cohen was honored at the Honors Program Graduation Banquet on April 17.

Room G-23 (Dean’s Conference Room)
Aderhold Hall

For more information, contact:
Erica Gilbertson, Office of School Engagement, ericag@uga.edu

Sponsored by the COE  Office of School Engagement

Norris

Norris, of the COE’s Office of Instructional Technology and manager of Teaching for Technology, is on the Board of Directors for AthFest Educates

AthFest Educates inspires, engages and educates the youth and adults of Athens in music and arts by providing sustained funding for programs and initiatives through events that showcase the community’s talent.  For the last three years, AthFest Educates has provided funding to CCSD directly through a mini-grant program and via the UGA String Project.

See more on AthFest Educates.

Norris is also a volunteer production coordinator for AthFest (music festival). The music festival and AthHalf (half marathon) are the vehicles through which AthFest Educates raises money from the local community for its programs (it obtains other funds from private foundations).

“As a production coordinator, I assist AthensFest executive director Jared Bailey with getting in place the necessary permits, stages, tents, electricity and beverages,” said Norris.  I am privileged to be part of a very active 13-member festival committee that books musical acts, obtains vendors and artists (the festival includes a juried art show), organizes KidsFest, obtains and sells merchandise, supervises marketing and PR efforts, organizes the film festival and the annual sampler music CD.”