- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Arkansas Department of Education Awards ��Vlog��ý Little Rock $175K Grant to Create Online Teaching Academy for K-12 Teachers

John Hill — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 19:53:42 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $175,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Education that will provide funding for a new online teacher academy for K-12 teachers in Arkansas.�� The 2021-2022 Online Teacher Academy Endorsement program will provide training for K-12 teachers in the state to learn more about online teaching and course creation by taking courses through the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Learning System Technology Education program in the School of Education. During the academy, participants will earn 15 hours of graduate credit as well as an endorsement in K-12 online teaching by the Arkansas Department of Education upon completion of a state assessment. The grant will cover tuition, books, and a state assessment for 20 K-12 teachers who are participating in the online teacher academy. Dr. Daryl Tate, assistant professor in the School of Education and coordinator of the Learning System Technology Education program, will serve as the director of the online teacher academy, while Sharonda Lipscomb, instructional design coordinator, will serve as the program administrator. “Educators in the 21st century need to have certain skill sets to be effective in their classes, whether they are teaching hybrid, fully online, or face-to-face classes,” Tate said. “This grant from the Arkansas Department of Education will help us prepare K-12 teachers to deliver quality online learning to their students.” During the academy, teachers will create an online course that they can use in their schools. During the spring showcase on April 9, 2022, teachers will present the design and development elements of their course to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty members for review. The participants will also have the opportunity to share ideas and receive feedback from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock eLearning instructional designers.

Sharonda Lipscomb will serve as the program administrator.

“What happened with the pandemic really got people’s attention focused on the quality of online learning,” Tate said. “Some teachers seamlessly moved over to online versions of their courses, while some were not ready for the fast transition caused by the pandemic. People want to be prepared, and teachers who complete this academy will enhance their online teaching and course development skills.” Teachers participating in the online teaching academy also have opportunities for further learning. Participants who complete the academy will earn the graduate certificate in Learning Systems Technology Education with the completion of one more course. They may also earn a master’s degree in education with the completion of six courses after the graduate certificate. For more information, contact Dr. Tate at datate@ualr.edu or visit the Learning Systems Technology Education program website.��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock rolls out online resources for best practices in online instruction

John Hill — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 14:14:38 +0000

With summer classes moving to an online-only format for the summer 2020 semester, educational experts at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock are breaking out new resources to help faculty members implement best practices in online education.�� Dr. David Montague, director of online learning and faculty mentoring which includes eLearning and Scholarly Technology & Resources (STaR), said that the university has been preparing multiple resources to assist faculty members to continue to deliver excellent online courses.�� They have developed a Fast Track to Teaching Online course, a virtual alternative to the Summer Academy for Online Learning Excellence that provides professional development geared toward creating engaging instructional content and meaningful learning experiences for traditional, hybrid, and online courses. “Faculty members are aware of the potential for social distancing guidelines to be reinstated at some point during the fall semester, and they are taking every precaution to be ready to resume online learning to protect the health of our students,” Montague said. “The Fast Track to Teaching Online course is just one of things we are doing to help our teachers provide strong instruction in the online learning environment.”�� Facilitated by Dr. Daryl Tate, faculty coordinator, along with the STaR Instructional Design team, the course is an excellent opportunity to collaborate with other online instructors as well as gain insight and research-based best practices for developing and creating innovative online content. Faculty members will learn how to develop a syllabus, create a course overview, how to develop accessible and engaging content, how to interact with students, etc.�� While faculty members are working hard at developing their online courses, STaR members are available to evaluate online and hybrid courses through its Online Course Design Quality Assurance Standards. Earning a silver or gold standard ensures that courses meet internal quality assurance guidelines. “Earning a silver or gold star from the STaR Office is a good way for faculty members to make sure their online course is ready to go,” Montague said. “A thorough evaluation and review means that students have everything they need to be successful in an online course.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock also has an instructional continuity website, where faculty members can view instructional videos and guides, learn about online open lab sessions with eLearning and STaR, sign up for Blackboard and Collaborate Ultra Training, and request individual help. They also offer a mini-renovation service, where faculty can dust-off an old online course and refresh it with the “latest and greatest,” Montague said. Additionally, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has a new Faculty Helping Faculty Blackboard Organization, a forum where ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty members share tips and ideas and provide assistance for online education. “All of these things can help improve the online learning experiences of our students,” Montague said.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock holds virtual food drive to fight food insecurity in Arkansas

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 14:00:08 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Education and Health Professions is running a virtual food drive in partnership with the to raise money for those facing food insecurity issues in Arkansas.�� Rather than asking for donations of food items, a virtual food drive asks for financial donations. This allows the Arkansas Food Bank to buy the specific food staples they need and in larger quantities for less money than donated items. Due to agreements the Arkansas Food Bank has with local grocery stores, a $1 donation can buy five substantial meals for food-insecure Arkansans. The College of Education and Health Professions learned about the Arkansas Food Bank after having the school’s retreat at the organization. “We are touched by the whole thing, but we are really touched by children,” said Dr. Bruce Smith, interim director of the School of Education. “Most of us work in teacher education, and it’s inconceivable to us that so many children have to worry about this.” According to the Arkansas Food Bank, one in five people in Arkansas struggles to provide enough food for their families, and 25 percent of Arkansas children have limited access to adequate food. Dr. Anarella Cellitti, associate professor of elementary education, and Dr. Daryl Tate, assistant professor of learning systems technology education, headed the virtual food drive committee. The drive will run through Jan. 1. Visit to donate.

Open Educational Resources and Alternative Textbook Mini Grant Winners announced

Janea Snyder — Wed, 30 May 2018 19:02:39 +0000

Six faculty members have received��Vlog��ý Little Rock Open Educational Resources and Alternative Textbook mini grants. The grants, sponsored by eLearning and Ottenheimer Library, provide up to $1,000 to innovative faculty who plan to integrate open educational resources, affordable course content, and/or open access materials into their online course content during Fall 2018. �� Open educational resources are educational materials in the public domain or introduced with an open license, meaning they can be used freely, which can help lower classroom costs. Educational materials like textbooks, curriculum, lecture notes, syllabi, assignments, and tests would be open to the public and could be used by students and faculty without cost. Grant recipients will participate in campus presentations as part of Open Education Week in Spring 2019. Recipients include: Ann Childers, Assistant Professor and Graduate Coordinator, Mathematics and Statistics Amar Kanekar, Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator – Health, Human Performance, and Sport Management Denise LeGrand, Senior Instructor and Mathematics Assistance Center Coordinator, Mathematics and Statistics Bennie Prince, Advanced Assistant Professor – Health, Human Performance, and Sport Management Brian Ray, Assistant Professor and Director of Composition, Rhetoric and Writing Daryl Tate, Assistant Professor, School of Education Photo of Ottenheimer Library by Benajamin Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors to present research at renowned educational conference in New York

Jenny Lambert — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 16:29:25 +0000

Sixteen professors from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will present research at the 2018 American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual conference in New York, April 13-17. AERA is a national research society that seeks to improve the educational process by encouraging scholarly studies rooted in education and evaluation, and promoting the distribution and practical application of research results. There are more than 25,000 members associated with the renowned society, including university faculty, researchers, graduate students, and other distinguished professionals with rich and diverse expertise in education research. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock presenters and their research topics include:

“Analyzing Determinants and Outcomes of Teachers’ Professional Identity and Organizational Identification: Does School Context Matter?” by Ibrahim Duyar, assistant professor of education, Paul Crutcher, assistant professor of English, Andrew Hunt, education minor advisor, and Muhammed Bogrek, alumni��
“Beyond ��Vlog��ý: Achievement Values Among Low-Socioeconomic Status African American and Latino Students” by Daryl Tate, assistant professor of education
“Effects of an Engineering and Science Intervention on the Science Achievement of Talented Elementary Students” by Ann Robinson, professor and director of the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education, Kristy Kidd, program director of the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education, and Keila Moreno Navarette, STEM Starters+ data specialist
“Investigating Wording Versus Construct Effects for a Modified Perceived Stress Scale” by Dent Gitchel, associate professor of rehabilitation and counseling
“Masculinity, Depression, and Attitudes on Willingness to Seek Help in Male College-Aged Students” by Aresh Assadi, counselor, and Jim Vander Putten, professor of education
“PUBLICizing Educational Research by Writing for Nonacademic Audiences: A Workshop for Justice-Oriented Scholars” by Daryl Tate, assistant professor of education
“Spotting Gaps: An Engineering Curriculum Platform for Advanced Learners From Culturally Diverse and/or Low-income Households” by Robinson, Monica Meadows, collaborative faculty of gifted education, and Christine Deitz, associate director of the Jodie Mahony Center
“Teachers’ Professional Identity and Organizational identification in High-Minority and Low-Socioeconomic Status Charter Schools” by Ibrahim Duyar, assistant professor of education, Carolyn Turturro, associate professor of social work, and Muhammed Bogrek, alumni
“Women Representation in Educational Psychology Journals: An Analysis of Authorship and Citations by Gender” by Amanda Nolen, assistant professor of education, Nancy Hamilton, associate professor of educational foundations
“Responses to Item Wording on Stress and Anxiety Scales for Adults with Disabilities” by Dent Gitchel, associate professor of rehabilitation and counseling

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Arkansas Department of Education Awards ����Vlog��ý Little Rock $175K Grant to Create Online Teaching Academy for K-12 Teachers

����Vlog��ý Little Rock rolls out online resources for best practices in online instruction