Growing up in suburban Des Plaines, R.J. Gravel wanted to live a life in song. He enrolled at NIU in the fall of 2001 to major in music education and vocal performance, but something happened before classes began in August that would
Read moreFuture middle school teachers at NIU hear expert advice from 13-year-olds, parents
As a former middle school principal and assistant principal in the McHenry County towns of Woodstock and Cary, Joyce Laben knows well the value of listening to the “stakeholders” at those institutions. It’s something she stresses in the EPS 512: Principal, Family
Read moreEd.S. student accepts new challenge while closing in on NIU superintendency degree
During Matt Birdsley’s high school days in Fulton, Ill., he took advantage of – and thoroughly enjoyed – service-learning opportunities that allowed him to work with elementary school students. Those positive interactions led Birdsley to the NIU College of Education, where he
Read moreSuperintendency alums look back fondly on NIU preparation, forward to new roles
Charlie Kyle and Matt Barbini, alums of NIU’s various Educational Administration programs, are celebrating new professional milestones. Kyle, who completed his Ed.D. in 2017, his Ed.S in 2004 and his M.S.Ed. in 2001, was named in 2018 as the assistant superintendent of
Read moreFor better or worse: Two couples gaining new credentials in principal prep cohort
Jessica and Keith Langosch will clink the champagne glasses on two years of wedded bliss this June. By the end of the summer, they will celebrate two new and shiny M.S.Ed. in Educational Administration degrees from NIU – and they’re not the
Read more‘Marks on a Page’ exhibition to explore long history of printed communications
Communication is so simple and immediate today that it’s difficult to comprehend the struggle our human ancestors faced. An upcoming exhibition in the Blackwell History of Education Museum will recognize those challenges and celebrate the achievements of those people throughout history who
Read moreEducational Studies Colloquium Series to explore impactful teaching practices
Organizers of the Professor Jean W. Pierce Educational Studies Colloquium Series are hoping to expand the audience across campus. Daryl Dugas and Kelly Summers, members of the faculty in the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations, have scheduled faculty from both
Read moreU.S. News raises NIU College of Ed score in annual online grad program rankings
The NIU College of Education remains in the country’s Top 10 among U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of online graduate programs. NIU ties for ninth with Pennsylvania State University-World Campus, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Virginia (Curry).
Read moreMore than meets the eye: Two principals from one district take Ed Admin journey
Tricia Rollerson grew up in various homes around the country, moving from one state to the next. So did Teresa Polson. Both went to college, earning bachelor’s degrees in psychology and social work, respectively. Later, they both found paths into education, eventually
Read moreRoberts co-authors ‘Bitten by the Blues,’ story of Chicago-born Alligator Records
Patrick Roberts, associate professor in the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations, is celebrating the Oct. 30 publication of “Bitten by the Blues: The Alligator Records Story.” Roberts is the co-author of the book with Bruce Iglauer, who in 1971 launched
Read moreA homecoming 40 years in the making: Lynn Gibson starts second career at NIU
During Lynn Gibson’s undergraduate years in the NIU College of Business, then housed inside Wirtz Hall, she lived directly across the street in the Timbercrest Apartments on the corner of Lucinda Avenue and Garden Road. Hers was Apartment 5, she knows for
Read moreMerritt speaker James M. Giarelli looks at ‘After-School Era’ future of education
James M. Giarelli is old enough to remember when the family physician made house calls. “The doctor driving to our house, in his own car, coming into our house with the little black bag, taking care of my sister and me,” muses
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