College of Education students in pursuit of teaching professions can apply for the Mary F. English Technology Award, which supports and encourages them in that goal while also furthering their use of classroom technology. Participants – called Mary F. English Scholars –
Read moreUG Student Research Spotlight locates Tommy Jonen, special education major
Although Tommy Jonen is in the early stages of his journey to becoming a teacher, the junior Special Education major is familiar with the workplace. Education, he says, “requires collaboration and consistent development among all members.” The purpose of that teamwork is
Read moreUG Student Research Spotlight shines on Lexi Koehl, special education major
When Lexi Koehl began her research on federalism and education policy, it started as an honors component for her Political Science course. As the project developed, however, it became clear that her work addressed timely and meaningful issues with lasting relevance, especially
Read moreRockford LEAP graduates celebrate bachelor’s degrees in special education
Andria Williams stepped behind the podium, smiled and raised a victorious fist in the air. “We did it, y’all!” The new graduate of the NIU College of Education’s LEAP (Licensed Educator Accelerated Pathway) program with the Rockford Public Schools served as the
Read moreCollege to host Nov. 12 screening, panel to debut ‘A Teacher’s Shoes’ docu-film
What motivates educators to devote their lives to the process of teaching and learning? How do they find the energy to climb out of bed each morning, fill their water bottles, pack their lunches and drive through the darkness to their schools?
Read moreSEED’s Michelle Sands procures return of statewide Early CHOICES grant to NIU
Early CHOICES is returning to NIU. Funded by an Illinois State Board of Education Training and Technical Assistance grant, the initiative that launched on campus in 1990 focuses on the “least restrictive environment” (LRE) for children ages 3 to 5, which is
Read moreStephanie Baker, Natalie Andzik travel to Thailand to deliver pair of workshops
When Yuwadee Viriyangkura needed more experts and broader perspectives to provide professional development to educators in Thailand, she remembered a classmate and friend from her doctoral studies at Illinois State University. Stephanie Baker. Viriyangkura is the creator of the well-regarded Association of
Read moreNew, federally funded project to prepare special education teachers for rural, small-town northwest Illinois districts
More than two dozen classroom paraprofessionals and long-term substitutes in rural and small-town school districts throughout the northwest corner of the state are embarking on a tuition-free path to becoming special education teachers. The NIU College of Education’s Licensed Educator Accelerated Pathway
Read moreSESE 448 students visit Batavia to see Valley Sheltered Workshop operations
For students with disabilities, life naturally goes on after school ends. To help facilitate that, their IEPs (individualized education programs) are required by federal law to include a coordinated set of activities, measurable post-secondary employment goals and annual updates based on age-appropriate
Read moreYum! Elementary Ed majors talk pizza, engage Chana Education Center pupils
Whether pizza truly is America’s favorite food is the stuff(ed crust) of hopeless debate. But considering the infinite personal preferences for preparing a pie, it’s no surprise how many ways that creative teachers can slice it up for the sake of learning.
Read moreNIU awards Stacy Kelly for excellence in mentoring master’s, doctoral students
Not one moment of Stacy Kelly’s career has transpired outside the realm of visual disabilities. “I always knew, from an early age, that I wanted to be a teacher. I really like everything about school and learning,” says Kelly, professor in the
Read moreNIU curricular innovation grants enable faculty to try new tech, teaching styles
In 2023, NIU’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning piloted a Curricular Innovation Grant Fund. Congruent “with university goals and priorities,” the program was “established to provide competitive grants for experimenting with innovative teaching methods such as transdisciplinary learning, virtual reality, digital
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