Faculty/Department Highlights
February 2010
Science Olympiad
On Saturday, February 13th the Maurice G. Kellogg Science Education Center hosted the regional competition for the Illinois Science Olympiad. Thirteen high school teams and 8 middle/junior high teams competed in a total of 46 science events. Each team was limited to not more 15 members. Some of the science and engineering events the teams participated in were Elevated Bridge Building, Junkyard Challenge, Mission Possible, Battery Buggy, Mousetrap Vehicles, Trajectory, and Egg-O-Naut. To test student's scientific knowledge and process skills there were events like Can't Judge A Powder, Road Scholar, Experimental Design, Science Crime Busters and Physics Lab.
The events were supervised and directed by faculty from the College of Education and Human Services and Departments of Curriculum and Instruction, Health Science, and Instructional Design and Technology; the WIU School of Nursing; and the College of Arts and Sciences and Departments of Biological Science, Chemistry, Engineering Technology, Geography, Mathematics, and Physics. Local teachers and coaches from the participating schools also assisted in the events.
The day concluded with an Awards Ceremony where the first four teams in each event were recognized and awarded individual medals. Team awards and trophies were also given to the top five schools in each division.
Publications
Dr. Abha Singh, C&I, published the article, Conservation of Energy: Teaching Environmental Science, in Spectrum - The Journal of Illinois Science Teachers Association for Winter 2010.
Dr. Kathy Barclay published the article, Using Song Picture Books To Support Early Literacy Development in Childhood Education, The Journal of the Association for Childhood Education International, Vol. 86(3)pp. 138-145.
December 2009
Presentations
Dr. Kathy Barclay presented at the National Head Start Parent Training Conferences in San Jose, California on December 5th. She presented the topic "Will Head Start Children Be Ready for Kindergarten? What Teachers and Parents Need to Know About Language and Literacy Development".
November 2009
Awards
Dr. Frances A. Steward, Curriculum & Instruction, was awarded an honorary membership in the Golden Key International Honour Society. Golden Key values are integrity, collaboration, innovation, respect, diversity, excellence, and engagement. The honorary membership awards may represent outstanding work in the areas of leadership, scholarly professional, or service. The presentation ceremony was conducted in the Lamoine Room, Western Illinois University on Sunday, November 8, 2009.
International Honors
Pamela Godt, Curriculum & Instruction, was presented with the O.L. Davis, Jr. "Counselor of Distinction" Award at the Biennial Convocation of Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, held in Orlando, Florida. This award is the highest honor that Kappa Delta Pi presents to its Counselors. To earn this distinction, one had to meet stringent criteria for excellence in Chapter Leadership, Scholarship, Service, and Professional Development over the past five years. At the same conference, she was also honored for fifteen years of service to Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education as a Chapter Counselor.
Workshop
Melissa Stinnett and Pamela Godt, Curriculum and Instruction, presented the workshop, Coping with Stress, Burnout, and Anxieties in the Classroom at the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education's 47th Biennial Convocation in Orlando.
Presentations
Dr. Kathy Barclay presented the topic "Meeting Young Children's Individual Literacy Learning Needs" at the Regional Conference of the International Reading Association in New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 30th.
On Friday, November 13, a group of WIU science education methods students attended the 2009 Illinois Science Teachers Conference in Peoria.
SCED Center Faculty presenting at the conference and their topics were:
Dr. Abha Singh, "Movement to Engage Learners for Science"
Dr. Barbara Sandall, "That's Pretty Slick" and "One Well"
Dr. LaVerne Logan, "Color Wheels, Color Investigations for Early
Childhood" and
Megan Yocum, a WIU C&I student, & Dr. Don Powers, "Science Inquiry
Activities & Assessments for the Elementary Classroom"
During the conference, ISTA honored the association's past presidents. Three of the 23 past presidents were from WIU; 3rd President (1971-72) Dr. Maurice Kellogg, 5th President (1975-76) Dr. Don Hamilton, and 18th President (1999-2000) Dr. Don Nelson.
L-R: Jennifer Turn, Dr. Don Hamilton, Lindsey Muur (back), Mark
Gregory (front), Leigh Edwards (back), Dr. Maurice Kellogg (back),
Rachel Harvey & Megan Yocum (front), Dr. LaVerne Logan (back)