Congratulations to these members of the NIU College of Education family – and watch future issues of the Ed News for full coverage of these announcements. Hope (Bess) Wilson, the College of Education and the Department of Special and Early Education have
Read moreFall numbers of graduate students ranks College of Education atop NIU’s campus
Student numbers in the NIU College of Education have reached levels not seen in a decade. “Our graduate enrollments are up by 9.9%, or 112 students, which is the highest graduate enrollment we’ve had in the last 10 years,” said David Walker,
Read moreAnalyze this: Brandon Perez takes reins of BCBA master’s, certificate programs
NIU’s M.S.Ed. in Special Education: Behavior Analysis is under new management. Brandon Perez, assistant professor in the Department of Special and Early Education, is now coordinating the program led for years by Professor Jesse “Woody” Johnson, the college’s senior faculty fellow for
Read moreBCBA program partners with Westside, Turning Pointe agencies for new cohort
Thirty staffers of Westside Children’s Therapy and Turning Pointe Autism Foundation are beginning coursework this fall toward NIU’s M.S.Ed. in Special Education: Behavior Analysis – with tuition covered by their employers. Following completion of their master’s degrees in May 2026, the graduates
Read moreNo ‘lion’: Double-alumna multiplies impact in visual disabilities, deafness
When Lisa Borgo started taking babysitter jobs at age 11 or 12, she already was looking forward to Dundee Crown High School’s classes in cooking, sewing and, best of all, child care. Bonus: District 300’s deLacey Family Education Center “was right next
Read moreSummer Camp 7.0 poses tough questions, encourages humanity
Exactly 12 hours later, the challenge to follow her example – and the fortitude, reflection, work and commitment that requires – was made plain. Michael Manderino, one of the four camp counselors with James Cohen, Joseph Flynn and Dana Isawi, delivered a
Read morePLEDGE-ECC cheers fourth ElEd cohort, celebrates Early Childhood trailblazers
Ask Ania Tyrka why she wants to become a teacher, and she immediately smiles and points right at 10-year-old Anthony. “This little guy – my son,” said Tyrka, a “mom, homemaker and wife” who also credits 12-year-old daughter, Zosia, for the decision
Read moreWelcome to the Blindness Experience: New course launches with 80 students
Eighty NIU students have gained a vivid understanding of the lives of people who are blind or visually disabled, thanks to a new course in the Department of Special and Early Education. SEVI 205/505: The Blindness Experience, an eight-week, 3-credit and asynchronous
Read moreAlumna Dominique Yackley inspires graduates at New Teacher Send-off
As a new group of NIU College of Education licensure majors prepared to graduate and become professionals in the classroom, a seasoned veteran advised them to pack well for the journey ahead. Their luggage, said Dominique Yackley, must include “exuberance.” “If you
Read moreOrientation and Mobility students travel to experience The Seeing Eye guide dogs
Six Orientation and Mobility majors in NIU’s Visual Disabilities program traveled to Morristown, New Jersey, in April to visit The Seeing Eye, Inc. The philanthropic organization strives to enhance the independence, dignity and self-confidence of people who are blind or visually disabled.
Read moreCOE²: College of Education team gathers for pre-finals Celebration of Excellence
The NIU College of Education family came together May 3 in the ballroom of the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center to celebrate another year of teaching, learning, scholarship, service and success. Acting Dean Bill Pitney recognized several faculty and staff members, including
Read moreStudent Research Symposium celebrates undergraduate, graduate-level projects
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
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