As a Special Education major in clinical placements, Courtney James noticed something about students with autism and their devices for augmentative and alternative communication. They weren’t using them – at least not to initiate dialogue, James says, or not at all. Most
Read moreDouble-alumna Jessica Lombard named first female superintendent: Huntley 158
Jessica Lombard graduated from Huntley High School in 1990, when the superintendent of District 158 was – as had always been the case since its creation in 1920 – a man. On her return to Huntley in 2002 to become assistant principal
Read moreCOE alumna Molly Kettelhut receives Rockford-area 2024 Golden Apple award
Molly Kettelhut spent her childhood dreaming of one thing. “I wanted to teach for my whole life. I went through a short period where I wanted to do something else, but then I quickly realized – like I always had known –
Read moreAlumna Cindie Cortinas-Vogt celebrates state, national teaching awards in 2023
Cindie Cortinas-Vogt arrived late to the college game. She was 22, maybe, and all of her friends from high school already had graduated. While they all had apparently felt certain enough to enroll and select their majors as teenagers, Cortinas-Vogt had not.
Read moreCongratulations!
Gail Cappaert, an instructor of ESL methods in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, was named a WIDA Fellow for 2023-2024. The program, launched in 2019, brings expert educators and WIDA staff together in a collaborative effort to enhance the development of
Read moreHarper College, school districts partner with NIU on equity-focused Ed.D. cohort
Enrollment in the NIU College of Education’s Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction program continued to grow significantly this fall. Behind the large jump in students specializing in Curriculum Leadership is a new contract cohort from Harper College that includes 20 of its
Read moreCOE enrollment remains consistent
Enrollment in the College of Education is mostly steady this fall and, in some areas, beating averages. Rising numbers were recorded in 10 undergraduate programs and 18 graduate programs, including a 108% growth in the Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (with a
Read moreStephen Tonks, David Nieto share ideas with teachers in Uruguay via Fulbright
What is language? What are the roles of language and culture in the process of teaching and learning? How can teachers encourage motivation in their students during lessons covering those topics? Stephen Tonks and David Nieto spent most of June and part
Read moreGrad students create podcasts in support of new teachers amid educator shortage
Graduate students in Anna Quinzio-Zafran’s TLCI 795 (Models of Mentoring) class this summer created podcasts to support new educators as they face common challenges. “With the teacher shortage, a sense of belonging is so important to making educators feel valued,” says Quinzio-Zafran,
Read moreCongratulations!
Congratulations to these members of the NIU College of Education family! Ben Creed, associate professor of Educational Administration in the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations, was elected this spring as president of the NIU Faculty Senate and chair of the
Read moreSocial Justice Summer Camp means solidarity, writes Michael Manderino
by Michael Manderino I have had the tremendous fortune of being a NIU Social Justice Summer Camp co-counselor since Dr. Joe Flynn invited Dr. James Cohen and me back in 2016, and Dr. Dana Isawi in 2019, to help him build his
Read moreIllinois Tutoring Initiative team extols first year of work to erase COVID deficits
Growing up as one of two girls among nine children, Diana Vroman understood that her big family was “pretty spread out with the resources.” School was different, however. “I really depended on the resources that I got from my instructors and educators
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