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

Forward Arkansas Awards ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Phase II Grant to Improve Recruitment and Training for K-12 Teachers

John Hill — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 15:31:49 +0000

has named the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as one of two phase II grant recipients who will work with expert national partners in a multi-year collaborative program to recruit, train, and retain K-12 teachers in Arkansas. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will receive more than $453,000 as part of the implementation of phase II. Altogether, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will be receiving direct funding and comprehensive ongoing technical assurance from expert partners that is totaling more than $1.6 million over the next three years to increase the quantity, quality, and diversity of the state’s teacher workforce. Forward Arkansas launched the Education Preparation Program Design Collaborative last year. Eight universities received grants of $100,000 to develop a transformation plan that captures their vision for change and aligns with the Arkansas Department of Education’s future direction for educator preparation. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and Southern Arkansas University were selected as phase II grant recipients because the universities “developed bold, innovative plans for transformation” that “have the potential to dramatically impact the teacher pipeline” in the state, according to Ben Kutylo, executive director of Forward Arkansas. “Throughout the first phase of the collaborative, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock demonstrated a continuous commitment to the bold transformation of their educator preparation program,” Kutylo said. “We are excited to support them in achieving their vision and for the impact they will have on teachers and students in Little Rock.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will focus on increasing the number and diversity of candidates entering and graduating from their programs and transforming the entire experience for teacher candidates to be more practice-based, so teachers are ready for their classrooms on day one. “We are deeply grateful to Forward Arkansas for giving us the opportunity to implement the transformation plan our teacher education team has created,” Chancellor Christina S. Drale said. “We believe this new approach will enable us to produce more K-12 teachers for Arkansas from a wider variety of backgrounds who will be better prepared and more resilient upon graduation. We can’t wait to get started!” Dr. Sarah Beth Estes, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education, and Dr. Kent Layton, director of the School of Education, will serve as ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s co-principal investigators on the grant. One of the innovative solutions to better prepare teachers for the classroom includes paid residencies where teaching candidates will spend one year working with a partner school. Candidates will also receive support from a site coordinator in addition to their mentor teacher. Site coordinators will be housed at the school even though they are university faculty. “Our intention is to become the No. 1 provider of day one ready teachers in the state,” Estes said. “We are looking forward to providing our future teachers paid residencies. By the time they graduate, our teacher candidates will be exposed to everything they will need to know by the time they step foot in the classroom as teachers. We are committed to improving teacher preparation so that we can also improve teacher recruitment and retention, thereby improving the learning environment for children in Arkansas.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is partnering with local school districts to oversee the residency program that will begin during the fall 2023 semester. These collaborative partnerships will help ��Vlog��ý Little Rock better understand the changing needs of K-12 students as the program evolves. Additionally, the university will collect data on teacher candidates and graduates during their first five years in the profession to support continuous improvement in teacher education and training. In addition to the second phase grant, Forward Arkansas also announced the continuation of the overall Design Collaborative for all eight universities from the program’s first phase. The additional participating universities include Arkansas State University, Arkansas Tech University, Harding University, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, and the University of Central Arkansas. “The decisions were difficult. Overall, we were humbled by the commitment, engagement, and hard work of all eight participating universities over the last year of the Design Collaborative,” Kutylo said. “It exceeded our expectations. Therefore, to maintain the momentum, we are committing to an additional two years of the Collaborative and look forward to supporting the transformative work that will continue.” In the upper right photo, Melissa Hardeman, a senior instructor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, works with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock math students in the classroom. Photo by Ben Krain.

Largest NSF Grant Awarded to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Will Support Ongoing Undergraduate STEM Education Efforts

John Hill — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 13:05:40 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been awarded a nearly $2 million grant from the (NSF) to enhance teaching and learning and to promote student success in undergraduate STEM education. This is the largest grant ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has ever received from the National Science Foundation.�� The $1,999,986 five-year grant from the NSF will be used to provide support for faculty and students in the Donaghey College of STEM with a specific focus on supporting students from historically underserved groups. The researchers will use the grant, “NSF IUSE Institutional and Community Transformation Level II: Upholding Active Learning Reform in STEM,” to grow the use of evidence-based teaching practices to increase student engagement and retention in undergraduate STEM education. “A strong STEM workforce is critical for our country,” said Dr. Lawrence Whitman, dean of the Donaghey College of STEM. “To build and sustain a strong STEM workforce, we must educate students for next-generation careers. To properly educate these students, we must transform our education. I am beyond pleased to see that this funding will continue the excellent work of our faculty. We are grateful to the National Science Foundation and their support of this transformational project.” The interdisciplinary team led by Dr. Mark Baillie, assistant professor of chemistry, is a collaboration with faculty from the STEM Education Center (Dr. Michael Moore, director of undergraduate research and mentoring), the School of Education (Dr. Lundon Pinneo, assistant professor) and the Office of the Provost (Dr. David Montague, associate vice chancellor for student success). Ronia Kattoum, an advanced instructor of chemistry and Ph.D. student in applied sciences-chemistry, is working as the project’s graduate assistant. “Our main focus is to increase the number of underserved students who successfully complete STEM courses,” Pinneo said. “We want to identify current barriers for faculty and improve support systems so campus-wide we can close the equity gap.” Students from historically underserved populations, first-generation students, and Pell Grant recipients are likely to encounter barriers to their success in their lecture-based STEM courses. Baillie says that traditional teaching methods are often a barrier to students reaching their potential. “People’s journeys through education are very different,” Baillie said. “If you can create a classroom environment that gives everyone the opportunity to engage, then everyone will learn and progress.” To support faculty members as they learn about and adopt more student-centered and inclusive teaching strategies, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will utilize successful NSF-funded interventions including the expansion of the Mobile Institute on Scientific Teaching (MoSI) and the Learning Assistant Program in the Donaghey College of STEM. Currently, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is the only higher education institution in Arkansas with these two highly successful programs that focus on faculty and student success. The grant builds upon the previous success of these programs by allowing many more faculty and students within the Donaghey College of STEM to participate in these initiatives.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock teaching assistants and professors participate in the Mobile Institute on Scientific Teaching workshop. Photos by Ben Krain.

“��Vlog��ý Little Rock has a rich history in the STEM area, with innovative programming for faculty as well as major initiatives focused on student success,” Montague said. “This funding will certainly help promote the future of STEM education in Arkansas.” MoSI workshops focus on active learning and other evidence-based teaching practices. Research on teaching and learning shows that students are 1 ½ times more likely to pass classes in active learning classrooms than in traditional lectures. Prior to receiving this grant, about 20 percent of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty completed the weeklong workshop on their own time. The grant will reward future faculty to participate in the workshop by providing a $500 stipend for 75 STEM faculty members to complete the workshop over the next five years. Starting in the spring 2023 semester, faculty will be recruited to join the first cohort of participants. The grant also provides a $975 stipend for 605 students to participate in the Learning Assistant Program. The assistants will provide peer learning support for more than 9,000 of their classmates over the five years of the grant. The stipends will allow greater access for many students who previously couldn’t afford to volunteer for this leadership role. By the end of the project, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock plans to support approximately 250 learning assistants per year. Further opportunities will be provided for faculty who have successfully completed the MoSI workshop to improve their teaching skills. The researchers will form Communities of Practice – small groups of up to five faculty members who will meet bi-weekly to offer peer support and build out their expertise. Faculty who participate will each receive stipends of $1,000. The grant will also fund one graduate student and one postdoctoral researcher for five years, as well as a series of speakers that will focus on implementing student-centered practices. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will also create a Community of Transformation annually for faculty members who have participated in the Communities of Practice. This group of 10 change agents will discuss and plan efforts to enact policy changes focusing on student success and closing the student equity gap. The grant also provides up to $5,000 a year for five years for faculty and administrators in the Donaghey College of STEM to implement ideas that emerge from the Community of Transformation. “We want to emphasize how the departments and programs are encouraging their own teachers,” Moore said. “This is a multi-prong approach by the whole university on how to support a successful culture of teaching. It speaks to the credibility of the support we have across the university and from our partners. This is a win for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.” Caption: ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors, from left, Mark Baillie, Ronia Kattoum, Michael Moore, David Montague, and Lundon Pinneo are working on a National Science Foundation project to improve undergraduate education in the Donaghey College of STEM. Photo by Ben Krain.��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Doctoral Student Selected as Early Literacy Fellow in Missouri

John Hill — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 13:04:43 +0000

A ��Vlog��ý Little Rock doctoral student has been selected as part of an inaugural cohort of educators who will work to improve literacy education and instruction in Missouri. Adria Waters, who is earning a Ph.D. in Reading from the School of Education and is an assistant professor of education at Lincoln University, is one of eight higher education professors in Missouri who have been selected to participate in the Early Literacy Fellow program. The Early Literacy Fellow program is part of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Missouri Read, Lead, Exceed initiative, a more than $35 million plan to support student literacy by improving up to 15,000 kindergarten through third-grade teachers’ ability to teach language, reading, and spelling skills. “I was extremely excited about the opportunity,” Waters said. “It’s part of a statewide initiative to improve literacy in the state of Missouri. I taught for 14 years in a public school. Literacy has always been near and dear to my heart. To be able to affect literacy education in this way is really exciting.” Waters has a background as a kindergarten and second-grade teacher and a reading recovery and reading interventionist, where she helped low-income students learn to improve their reading, writing, and literacy skills. The program began in the spring and will end in August 2024. During the first year with the fellowship, Waters will complete the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling training course, which equips teachers with evidence-based skills to improve language and literacy courses. As a fellow, Waters and her cohort will create recommendations for an increased alignment between literacy research and education preparation for literacy instruction and the current practices that are in PreK-12 schools in Missouri with a focus on early literacy. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Waters is researching elementary teachers’ knowledge of vocabulary development and their teaching practices for low-income students for her dissertation. She is planning to graduate in December. “I’ve always wanted to be a professor, but I wanted to be in the public-school realm before I became a professor,” Waters said. “I always felt that it was refreshing to learn from professors who were in the field.”

Preston Awarded Second Place in National Educators Rising Moment Competition

John Hill — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 13:24:07 +0000

Ayonna Preston, a senior elementary education major from Little Rock, has been recognized for her inspirational speech about the importance of pursuing a career in education. Preston won second place in the nation in the Moment Competition, which recognizes amazing students and aspiring educators for their outstanding work. Educators Rising is a Grow Your Own career and technical education program that inspires students to become educators. The competition provides students at the Educators Rising National Conference the opportunity to talk about their goals in pursuing a career in education and share their personal experiences that illustrate the power of being an educator. Preston represented Arkansas in the national competition after winning first place at the regional level. In her speech, she talked about what caused her to major in education and what she hopes to accomplish as a teacher. Preston said she was first inspired to become a teacher by her grandmother, who is also a teacher. Preston gained a lot of experience by working summers at her grandmother’s daycare. “Going into ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, I first majored in speech pathology, but I didn’t know if this was for me, but I did want to work with kids,” Preston said. “I decided halfway into my sophomore year to change my major to elementary education. I really enjoy working with kids. I really wanted to see minority students have a role model and become successful and be able to give my students the resources and knowledge that I have inside and outside the classroom.” With her graduation coming up in December, Preston will spend her final semester at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student teaching at Terry Elementary School in Little Rock. “I would hope that future education students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will take advantage of this opportunity to explain why they want to be a teacher and to network with like-minded students,” she said. “I enjoyed it a lot, and it helps get you outside your comfort zone if you are shy like me.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Grad Fulfills Dream of Becoming a Teacher

John Hill — Tue, 03 May 2022 13:41:41 +0000

One University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate has fulfilled her dream of completing her college education and her longtime goal of becoming a teacher. Christen Alsup, 36, of Benton, will graduate May 14 from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education 19 years after she first started college. “Besides giving birth to my kids, this is going to be one of the proudest moments of my life,” Alsup said. A career as an educator and going to college are two things that weren’t always on Alsup’s radar. Upon graduating from Benton High School in 2003, Alsup began taking classes at ��Vlog��ý-Pulaski Technical College for a year until she decided her heart wasn’t in college at the time. She chose to enter the workforce instead. Alsup eventually got married, and her life moved fairly quickly from working at a marketing and advertising firm to becoming a military wife and stay-at-home mom. “Had I stuck with college right when I graduated high school, I probably would have become a horrible teacher,” Alsup said. “It wasn’t until I became a mom that I loved and appreciated children so much. Timing is everything. This is my time now, and I want it, and I am confident now.” When Alsup’s son, Hayden, turned five and started kindergarten, she wanted to give college another try. “I reapplied at Pulaski Tech, and I chose to pursue a certificate in medical coding,” she said. “While I was in school, my youngest child started kindergarten. I still wanted to be with him every day, so I became a substitute teacher. That is where I found my passion for teaching. I quickly changed my certificate to a degree in elementary education.” Alsup graduated from Pulaski Tech and started at ��Vlog��ý Little in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. “I’ve loved my time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and it has been eye opening,” Alsup said. “A lot of the first semesters were all online. When we finally got to go to campus, I had never been on a university campus before. I felt accomplished just being here. Some people thought I was crazy for going back to school for a teaching degree. I was determined to prove it’s never too late. I didn’t just want to pass, I wanted to excel!” Alsup did indeed excel at her classes, earning a 4.0 GPA at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She recalls her favorite moment of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as April 15, the Arkansas Department of Education’s annual Educator Commitment Signing Day. Alsup and her classmates traveled to the Arkansas State Capitol Building to meet with Gov. Asa Hutchinson and other teachers across the state. “It was so exciting to be with my classmates and to sign my certificate of commitment to teach in Arkansas,” Alsup said. “We got to meet the governor and other graduates to share our experiences. I also had my picture taken with Dr. Leslie Sharp, who inspires me very much. I’ve really connected with her, so I’ve asked her to hand me my diploma at graduation.” Among the people who will cheer her on at her graduation, Alsup said she is proud to share this moment with her mother, who served as an inspiration for going back to college later in life. “My family has been a huge support system. After having a baby my first semester in, it was their encouragement and help that kept me going. There were times I wanted to give up, but they always told me NO! I am so thankful for them watching the kids, cooking supper, cleaning my house, or whatever I needed while I studied.” she said.

Christen Alsup will be graduating in Spring 2022 with a degree in elementary education. Photos by Ben Krain.

“My mom is the only other person who’s graduated college before in my family,” she said. “My mom had me at 15, and the earliest memory I have is of her high school graduation. She did not go to college right after high school. She too became a military wife and joined the workforce. She was in her late 30s when she decided to go back to college to become a nurse. She didn’t want to be a statistic. She wanted something better for her girls and to be a role model. “Between my grandparents, who helped raise me while my parents finished high school, my mom, and dad, who is a veteran and now a police sergeant, I have a strong passion to serve and help others, especially children. I am so proud to be their daughter.”

Christen Alsup celebrates her mother’s graduation.

The college education bug has hit Alsup’s family hard. In recent years, her mother also earned her Advanced Practice Registered Nurse degree at the age of 50. Alsup’s younger sister, Gabrielle Ramsey, is also studying secondary education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Her youngest sister, Gracie, is also thinking about attending ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. After graduation, Alsup is hoping to teach in the Benton or Bryant school districts, where she completed her student teaching. She is reminded of a piece of advice she received from Tammy Reitenger, who was the former principal at her son’s school, Hurricane Creek Elementary School, in Bryant. “She said that I would be a fantastic teacher,” Alsup said. “She told me, ‘The way you love these kids is something that can’t be taught.’ It was that piece of advice that helped me decide to become an education major. The educators in the Benton and Bryant school districts have been so encouraging along the way that it’s more confirmation that I am doing what I’m meant to do.”

Forward Arkansas Awards ��Vlog��ý Little Rock $100K Grant to Help Recruit and Train K-12 Teachers

John Hill — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 15:22:37 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $100,000 grant to help recruit, train, and retain K-12 teachers in Arkansas. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is one of eight Arkansas universities selected to participate in the Education Preparation Program (EPP) Design Collaborative. The universities will receive design and technical assistance from Forward Arkansas and its partners to develop a “transformation plan” that captures their vision for change and aligns with the Arkansas Department of Education’s future direction for educator preparation. Dr. Sarah Beth Estes, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education, and Dr. Kent Layton, director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Education, will serve as the principal investigators on the grant. “We are thrilled to be included with seven other EPPs in the state to plan toward growing our work in recruiting and educating high-quality teachers,” Estes said. “This grant provides wrap-around services to identify areas of focus, support for planning, and technical assistance for plan implementation.�� We will be spending the next few months in a collaborative process including faculty, district stakeholders, and students to identify and plan for the implementation of the innovations that make most sense for us as an EPP in central Arkansas.” Forward Arkansas selected the universities through a competitive statewide process. It sought a cohort of institutions of varying sizes and locations. It also looked for universities with proven commitments to increasing teacher diversity and track records of placing educators in high-need locations. “We want to support and champion Arkansas institutions that have the bold ideas and committed leadership needed to transform our state’s teacher pipeline,” said Ben Kutylo, Forward Arkansas’s executive director. “Through the collaborative, we aim to help Arkansas recruit more qualified teachers, better prepare educators for the challenges of the classroom and improve overall teacher retention rates.” The additional participating universities include Arkansas State University, Arkansas Tech University, Harding University, Southern Arkansas University, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, and University of Central Arkansas. Next year, a select number of institutions will have the opportunity to pursue additional funding for implementation in summer 2022. Forward Arkansas was established in 2014 with grants from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Walton Family Foundation with the goal of improving outcomes for all students. It works with districts, schools, educational partners and state leaders to transform learning, build educator capacity and provide equitable resources to ensure every student has access to, and is prepared for, opportunities in life and career.

Deitz becomes National Association for Gifted Children Board Member

John Hill — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 13:04:38 +0000

Dr. Christine Deitz, associate director of the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Children at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has been elected as a state representative to the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Board of Directors, the largest advocacy association focused on the needs of talented children and adolescents in the U.S. Through education, advocacy, community building, and research, the NAGC aspires to help individuals who work to improve the growth and development of gifted and talented children. “Serving the children, their families, and educators of our state has prepared me for the national position,” said Deitz. “My chief role and responsibility at the state level was to advocate for all children to develop their gifts and talents, and now I will be able to do that at the national level.” Deitz is one of 15 elected board members with the responsibility to read and research current issues, engage deeply in conversations, and help the board reach a consensus on issues that impact children. She also has volunteered for the NAGC Conference Committee, where she previously attended for over 20 years, to ensure equal representation and inclusiveness. Upon leaving the Little Rock School District as the secondary coordinator for gifted services, Deitz is currently a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty member going on six years in the Jodie Mahoney Center, where they work alongside the School of Education to help teachers obtain their gifted and talented licensure. “The University of Arkansas Little Rock is very fortunate to have a national leader in gifted, creative, and talented education on our campus at the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education,” said Dr. Ann Robinson, director of the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Children and past NAGC president. “Dr. Deitz has recently completed her term as the president of our state organization, Arkansans for Gifted and Talented Education, and is now joining the board of directors of the National Association of Gifted Children. She brings creativity, diplomacy, and keen insight to her new role as an NAGC Board member. To be sure, we appreciate her here in Arkansas, but it is also very gratifying to know that her superb leadership and her gracious collegiality are recognized across the country.” Deitz has been actively involved in NAGC since she began as a graduate student here at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She has frequently presented at the national conferences, served as the chairperson for NAGC’s Middle Grades network, and wrote many articles on gifted education. She won the A. Harry Passow Classroom Teacher Award in 2007 and was named Doctoral Student of the Year in 2013 by NAGC. Along with her career, she served as the president of Arkansas for Gifted and Talented Education organization for two years from 2018-2020. The nationally recognized advocate’s success was no small feat running against two other well-qualified applicants and now, thanks to her, Arkansas will have a voice at the national level. Deitz’s first aim is to engage and network with the 47 states who have NAGC affiliate memberships in meaningful conversations and to support the affiliates in reaching their goals. “I’ve been in gifted education for most of my teaching career and having the opportunity to serve at the national level is truly an honor,” said Deitz. “I’m thankful to NAGC’s membership for the opportunity to serve in this capacity.” Deitz received her bachelor’s degree from Ohio University. She completed her master’s degree in gifted education and a doctorate in education leadership with a co-emphasis in gifted education from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has played a critical role in shaping my professional career,” said Deitz. “I’ll carry my Trojan spirit with me as I take on my new leadership responsibilities with NAGC.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Researcher Explores Community College Stigma in High School Seniors

John Hill — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 13:50:46 +0000

Most high school seniors consider factors like cost, majors, and distance from home when deciding where to go to college. Bradley Griffith, a graduating Doctor of Education student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and director of fitness at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois, thinks there is another very real, but invisible factor at play that affects where seniors go to college – community college stigma. “Community college stigma is a major issue,” Griffith said. “A lot of students believe they are too good for community college, or they could never attend there because their parents expect better or their peers will make fun of them. As community college leaders face enrollment problems, they need to realize that stigma is a real reason why they miss out on a lot of students.” Across the country, community colleges face significant challenges including declining enrollment, decreased state support, and a declining birth rate. Gaining a deeper understanding of community college stigma would provide an opportunity for community college leaders to combat the stigma and attract more students. “Mr. Griffith presents a study that is both theoretically and practically significant for overcoming the enrollment and financial challenges currently facing community colleges,” said Dr. T. Gregory Barrett, a professor of higher education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as well as Griffith’s advisor. “As the result of the important work he has done on community college stigma, Bradley Griffith has established himself as the foremost authority on community college stigma in the world.” In his dissertation, “Community College Stigma and its Effect on Illinois High School Senior’s College Choice,” Griffith surveyed more than 300 graduating high school seniors in Illinois from 27 participating high schools during the spring 2021 semester to investigate their perceptions on community colleges. “The primary finding was that community college stigma does have a significant impact on college choice,” Griffith said. “Some of the main reasons why someone is considering a college are cost, distance from home, and the programs that they offer. What I found is that community college stigma can impact the college choice decision just as much as a lot of these primary factors.” In general, Griffith found that high school seniors in Illinois have a positive perception of community colleges, but it changes when the question of their own attendance comes into play. “Everyone thinks community college is good, just oftentimes not quite good enough for themselves or their children,” Griffith said. “These stigmatized perceptions have a very damaging effect. There are a number of high school graduates who are completely ignoring community colleges because they look down on them or think they will be belittled for attending.” That can be a major loss for high school seniors who are missing out on all the benefits of attending a community college, including affordability, accessibility, academic flexibility, small class sizes, and being close to home. “My experience at a community college was great, and I loved it,” Griffith said. “Community colleges give everyone an opportunity. It’s a very tight knit community where you can build strong relationships. Community college can be a second chance for a lot of people. Community college leaders should be more informed and proactive in addressing stigma in order to recruit students and improve the image of their institutions.” Griffith found that family and peer perceptions of community college had a significant impact on student perceptions of community college. As one survey taker stated, “Community college is typically looked down on unless you’re just using it as a stepping stone to save money before transferring out to a better school. That’s what my family and friends have always thought.” In the survey, Griffith asked high school seniors what community colleges could do that would make them more appealing to students. “That really opened my eyes to the ways that community colleges need to be marketing themselves and what kind of services they need to provide,” Griffith said. “One of the main things students talked about is they feel that sometimes a community college doesn’t offer the full college experience. They want more activities, more clubs, more athletics, etc. It can be hard to fill that need since a lot of students are commuters and don’t stay on campus.” To combat stigma against community colleges, Griffith recommends that community colleges should establish relationships with local students at an early age to increase familiarity. In addition, community colleges should also dedicate time and resources to creating a more engaging environment and enjoyable campus life with more clubs, athletics, events, and other recreational opportunities. “My data showed the more familiar a student is with community college, the more likely they are to attend,” Griffith said. “I think community colleges need to make more concentrated efforts to promote themselves and get themselves out there for students at a young age. They need to offer events that get young kids on campus. They need to find a way for kids to already have a rock solid understanding of their local community college before they enter high school.”

Hood Named New Art Education Professor at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

John Hill — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 13:26:51 +0000

Dr. Emily Jean Hood will join the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the fall as the new assistant professor of art education.�� “We’re looking forward to welcoming Dr. Hood to the Department of Art and Design,” Chair Thomas Clifton said. “Art education is an active program with a significant number of students and a substantial employment success rate for our graduates. I’m sure Dr. Hood’s extensive experience in secondary education and her research will be a valuable asset to the program, the department and the community.” Hood’s duties include teaching undergraduate courses in art education, coordinating the art education program, including content and curriculum development, advising undergraduate art education majors, program coordination with the School of Education and local school districts, and supervising student teachers. “Teaching and art are truly magical,” Hood said. “I know I will learn so much working with up and coming art educators at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. I can’t wait to meet my students. I’m also excited about experiencing the broader ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community and making connections and collaborations with folks all over campus. The art and design department has access to a lot of great resources from facilities to travel abroad opportunities.” Hood, a native of Grants, New Mexico, has been interested in art ever since her mother encouraged her to create. “Art has always had such a big positive, even transformative, influence in my life, and art education gives me a way to pass that on to others,” she said. “My mom always encouraged me to make stuff even as a young child. As an undergrad, I was actually interested in art therapy. In a senior humanities class, I wrote a research paper about art therapy and realized that there are similarities between art therapy and art education, so I eventually opted to get a master’s degree and certification in art education.” Hood earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities from Lubbock Christian University as well as a master’s degree and Ph.D. in art education, both from the University of North Texas. Prior to joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Hood served as a visiting assistant professor of art education at Appalachian State University, where she was nominated for the Excellence in Teaching Award this semester. She also worked as a visiting assistant professor of art education at Texas Woman’s University, a teaching fellow at the University of North Texas, and an art teacher at three Texas K-12 schools. Her research focuses on amplifying voices that have been left out of art education scholarship and pedagogy in the past. Hood said that she’s looking forward to revitalizing the art education program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “The new program will focus on emergent and child-centered pedagogies where art is situated as a path for inquiry and exploration,” she said. “Art classrooms are often inherently relational spaces, so the new courses will focus on engaging materials, social and cultural differences, and fostering differentiation and inclusion for all members of any given art learning community.”

Top Tips to Reduce Anxiety in Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic

John Hill — Thu, 28 May 2020 17:28:47 +0000

With many families both working and going to school at home, the COVID-19 pandemic can be a stressful time for families, especially those with young children who may be worried about a global health crisis.�� Dr. Bronwyn MacFarlane, a professor in the School of Education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has compiled some great tips for parents who are worried about their children’s anxiety. “The pandemic has led to a complicated time in society, but it’s important for children to talk about their thoughts and ideas with adults and for adults to structure their children’s days with positive activities. It’s a very important time to think of the cohesive delivery of the distance learning experience for all children.” While many parents are focused on their children’s education and wellbeing, MacFarlane said it’s also a good time for parents to consider and look into expanding their own education, since adults who are actively in engaged in learning are often more excited about helping their children learn.�� “At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, we’ve been a leader for years in online education,” she said. “It’s a good time for adults who want to learn new skills to take online classes.” MacFarlane’s top six tips to reduce anxiety in children during the pandemic:

Write plans

Making plans and writing out plans helps us to be prepared and be calm. Parents can sit down with their children and draft a plan, talk about their child’s ideas, and write down their thoughts. Parents should speak in a moderate way to calm a child’s anxiety. Writing plans not only helps us to be prepared, it also gives us a sense of calm for each day. When people write down their thoughts, it can help to ease anxiety of what is going on in one’s mind.

Follow a routine

After you write a plan for the day, you need to execute that routine for the day. Routines shouldn’t change that much from day to day so that children can know what to expect, and it helps them stay on a schedule. The daily routine should include ideas for meals and recess breaks in addition to their academic pursuits. Children at school know what they will be eating for lunch, so we should plan for those things as well to provide some variety. They can plan their routine for the day with specific times for learning, eating, and play. Children can keep a journal of their plans for this time in a notebook, along with personal notes to serve as a journal and memoir during this time. Parents who are working at home may consider structuring the planned schedule so that everyone is working independently at the same time or working together at other times of the day. That makes it more orderly to know when everyone is working quietly at home and when family members will be interacting together. While it’s important to provide a routine, be sure to mix it up with different games, different walking routes, new recipes, and trying new activities. If we can find contentment in different activities at home, that can help provide spice to the routine while staying at home.

Take steps to be safe

In conversations with kids, adults can help children understand that they are part of the solution. You may remember Mr. Rogers used to say, “Look for the helpers.” You can tell your kids how they can be the helpers in this situation. They can practice good hygiene, review safety steps about handwashing, and help keep the house clean. Since we are all cleaning around the home, small children can help with smaller tasks, like folding laundry. Older children can help with wiping down door knobs, cooking, cleaning dishes, etc. It’s a good time to think about those tasks, build them into the routine, and change them up as the days go by so children won’t get tired with chores. After the Spanish flu of 1918, many schools started recognizing good hygiene habits with awards. We can applaud good behavior and reinforce good hygiene to help keep our children safe.��

Be active

Go outside together for a walk. Plan and prepare your meals together. Make crafts and masks together. There are so many activities out there that are floating around as possible things you can do. Try to make those healthy activities be a part of your daily activities.

Stay connected with others

It’s important to keep in touch and reach out to others to stay connected. There has been a huge increase of video conferencing. Have video chats with grandparents and friends. Reach out to friends that you haven’t talked to in a long time. Keeping in touch with others will keep everyone’s spirits up.

Focus on what can be done in the present

Keep your mind on what we can do today. Parents and teachers should talk about how all school subjects are important in finding a solution to Covid-19. There are doctors treating patients, and math is being used to calculate and project the spread of the disease, and journalists are important to share news and communicate what is being done. History shows us how people dealt with pandemics in the past. Scientists are working to find a cure. All of these subjects work together in an interdisciplinary way. It’s important that students have a deep understanding of how it all works together. This whole crisis shows how every single subject is important in having a complete interdisciplinary study. Parents and teachers should point out the importance of how all subjects can be used together to solve problems. If you would like to find out more tips and resources for teaching and parenting during the pandemic, visit MacFarlane’s Facebook group, “” or where she explains how to enhance a child’s learning experience while reading a storybook.

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