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News from Baylor School of Education

September 27, 2024
by Baylor Instant Impact
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School of Education Faculty Collaborate with Engineering Faculty on $4.3-million Grant

Students and professors with the "Meet the Scientist" sign at the Mayborn

“Meet the Scientist” Showcase at the Mayborn Museum was a big success for the nine students, pictured with Dr. Sterrett and the Mayborn’s April Love.

School of Education faculty Dr. Bill Sterrett, Dr. Rishi Sriram, and Dr. Sandi Cooper partnered with Baylor engineering and physics faculty to provide a 10-week summer experience for undergraduate students focused on collaborating with the Baylor Point-of-Needs Innovation (PONI) Center, Baylor’s Mayborn Museum, and regional partners as a part of a large effort focused on Friction Stir Additive Manufacturing (FSAM) research at Baylor.

Lead Principal Investigator and PONI Center Director, Dr. Paul Allison, invited Drs. Sterrett, Sriram, and Cooper to collaborate as Co-PIs in a $4.3-million effort funded by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences that focused on providing the 10 students with a true Baylor experience on campus, including living on campus. Continue Reading →

September 24, 2024
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Own the Narrative: Empowering Educators to Advocate for Public Education

Graphic design reading " Own the Narrative Advocacy Event"Baylor University School of Education and Raise Your Hand Texas will host a transformative advocacy event, Own the Narrative, supporting public education and the role of teachers and other educational leaders. This event is designed to equip educators and those who support public education, including parents and community leaders, with the tools and knowledge they need to become powerful Texas public education advocates.

Event Details:

Own the Narrative: An Advocacy Event
Date: Thursday, September 26
Time: 4:30 PM (snacks) | 5-6 PM (program)
Location: Baylor Business School, Foster 250 (1621 S 3rd St, Waco, TX 76706)
FREE and no reservations required Continue Reading →

September 16, 2024
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Mindfulness: A Superpower Within Reach for Student Teachers [09/16/2024]

Two Baylor students show the mindfulness reminder stickers they received.

These charming mindfulness stickers, given to students from Baylor’s Office of Professional Practice, are a fun and easy way to practice mindfulness — “breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold” and repeat.

by Theo John Milton

In today’s fast-paced world, everyday decisions and obligations can feel overwhelming. But what if a simple yet powerful tool existed to help manage it? Chris Asikis, a staff clinician at the Baylor Counseling Center, believes mindfulness is just that, and he explained how to unlock its power in a presentation at Baylor School of Education’s School Safety and Wellness Summit, a professional learning seminar for seniors who are beginning a full year of student teaching.

Asikis presented a compelling case for the future teachers that mindfulness is an important tool to reduce depression and anxiety. His research-backed presentation offered practical techniques to help the young professionals cultivate a more mindful approach to their daily lives and their profession as a teacher. Continue Reading →

August 16, 2024
by Baylor Instant Impact
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SOE Professors Offer Back-to-School Expertise

Baylor faculty members Dr. Bill Sterrett, professor chair of the Department of Educational Leadership, and Gae Connally, lecturer and coordinator of the elementary education program in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, are featured on the Baylor Media website with K12 back-to-school information and advice. Click the story titles for full information.

• The Four-Day School Week in Texas — Is this Best for Students?Dr. Bill Sterrett

The jury is still out on the benefits of a four-day school week, says Baylor education expert

This fall, more than 100 Texas school districts have moved to a four-day school week with another 19 districts moving to a hybrid schedule, but does this move benefit students? This is a question Baylor University education expert Bill Sterrett, Ph.D., is asking as he looks at how the four-day week could potentially affect student learning, attendance, teacher retention, and cost savings. As of now, Sterrett says the data is inconclusive about the benefits – and stresses – of the four-day school week.

• Returnin to Routine: Five Tips to Lessen Back-to-School StressGae Connally

School of Education expert offers ideas to help make the start of the new school year less stressful for everyone

As summer comes to an end – earlier than ever, it seems – parents and children are getting ready for the new school year. For younger children, making the transition from a relaxed summer schedule to the routine of school can be jarring. Veteran teacher and Baylor University School of Education faculty member Gae Connally, M.S.Ed., offers five practical ideas to help make the start of the new school year less stressful, especially for younger students. Continue Reading →

July 31, 2024
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Former SOE Interim Dean and Associate Dean Retires

Dr. Trena WIlkerson presented gifts to Dr. Doug Rogers at his retirement reception.

Dr. Trena WIlkerson presented gifts to Dr. Doug Rogers at his retirement reception.

After 37 years in service and leadership in the Baylor School of Education and beyond, Dr. Doug Rogers retired in May 2024. An expert in educational technology, Rogers served as interim dean, associate dean, technology director, and faculty member in the SOE.

At his retirement reception — which was attended by former students as well as current and former colleagues — Curriculum & Instruction interim chair Dr. Trena Wilkerson commended Roger’s leadership for the SOE. “Doug was visionary, pursuing the concept of what we see now as online learning, easy access, and focused professional development that we take for granted,” she said. Wilkerson said she worked with Rogers on a major grant project when she first came to Baylor in 1999. “He was a mentor to me,” she noted. “We presented and published together, taught together, and served on doctoral dissertations.”

Dr. Doub Rogers with Kinsey Award

Dr. Doug Rogers with Kinsey Award presented by NAPDS for significant leadership and contribution to the organization.

Rogers is a 1978 BSEd graduate of Baylor with a major in secondary English education. He taught English, speech, and drama in middle school for several years and then pursued a master’s in library science (1982), and EdD (1987) from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M University Commerce). After earning a master’s, he held university positions in library and technology services before returning to Baylor in 1987 as director for the SOE’s Center for Educational Technology and assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction. He became associate professor in 1990.

Rogers served 12 years (2004-2016) as associate dean in the SOE, overseeing undergraduate programs and student and information services. His purview included advising, the Learning Resources Center, state certification of educators and administrators, clinical placements, school accreditation processes, recruitment, communications, scholarships, and more. Continue Reading →

July 18, 2024
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Baylor Hosts Mathematics for Early Learners Academy Throughout July

School of Education senior teaching pre-k students.

School of Education senior Anna Hiltz is a teaching associate for Math for Early Learners Academy (MELA), instructing 4-6-year-old students in early math concepts.

Baylor University’s Mathematics for Early Learners Academy (MELA), sponsored by the Baylor School of Education (SOE), is underway now at the Mayborn Museum on the Baylor campus through July 25 for students ages 4 to 6.

The four-week summer program, designed for students who have just finished PreK or Kindergarten and directed by Sandi Cooper, Ph.D., professor of mathematics education, aims to establish a solid foundation in “number sense,” especially for students who could benefit most from this summer experience in mathematics.

Read more at the BAYLOR MEDIA website…

 

June 27, 2024
by Baylor Instant Impact
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100+ Gifted Students Attend Baylor TIP Summer Residential Camp [06/26/2024]

Students work on pendulums in a Baylor TIP engineering class

Students work on pendulum calculations in a Baylor TIP engineering class.

For the first time this summer, Baylor University hosted residential camps for high-ability gifted students in grades 8-12 on the Baylor campus. As part of the School of Education’s Baylor TIP (Talent Identification Program), 103 students stayed in a Baylor residence hall and took courses during one or more of three one-week sessions offered in June, with a total of 130 course enrollments. Commuter students could also enroll in courses, and staying on campus was not required. Students came from all across Texas and several other states.

Baylor TIP students do warm-up exercises in theater class.

Baylor TIP students do warm-up exercises in theater class.

Baylor TIP, a program of the Baylor Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, identifies exceptional talent in pre-collegiate students and provides world-class learning opportunities commensurate with the exceptional potential of the students. Students in the 8-12th-grade programs have been admitted to Baylor TIP through above-level testing administered to 7th grade students by Baylor TIP.

“As the only Christian university that hosts a Talent Identification Program for adolescent students, Baylor TIP challenges students to fully develop the academic gifts that God has given them and to use those gifts for the greater good,” said Dr. Cheryl Taliaferro, director of pre-collegiate programs for Baylor TIP. Continue Reading →

June 4, 2024
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Baylor SOE Hosts Second Year of STEM+ Camp for Fifth Graders [06/04/2024]

Students at Baylor SOE STEM+ Camp

STEM+ Camp Launch campers learned about force and friction by launching balloon-powered cars after pumping the balloon full of air. (Kassidy Tsikitas/Baylor School of Education)

Baylor University School of Education is hosting the second year of STEM+ Camp Launch, a week-long day camp focused on rocket science, for rising fifth graders from three Transformation Waco schools. Co-founded last year by Suzanne Nesmith, Ph.D., associate professor of STEM education, and Sandi Cooper, Ph.D., professor of mathematics education, the program is funded by a grant from Waco’s Cooper Foundation and held at Baylor’s Mayborn Museum.

STEM+ Camp Launch includes two week-long camp sessions running Monday through Friday the weeks of June 3 and June 10. During the camp, students learn about scientific, mathematics and engineering principles through projects like engineering, which includes building rockets and racing model cars.

Read more on the BAYLOR MEDIA SITE HERE.

May 28, 2024
by Baylor Instant Impact
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School of Education’s Jordan Nguyen Honored as Student Employee [05/28/2024]

Jordan Nguyen received the Student Employment Award from Baylor President Dr. Linda Livingstone.

Jordan Nguyen, BSEd ’24, received the Student Employment Award from Baylor President Dr. Linda Livingstone.

Newly minted Baylor School of Education graduate Jordan Nguyen was honored with the Student Employment Award by Baylor University for his time as a student employee in the School of Education. Nguyen worked as a Learning Resources Center (LRC) Assistant for the School of Education. Nguyen is returning as a graduate student in curriculum and instruction.

As an undergraduate student, Nguyen was heavily involved in both his academic pursuits and campus life. He was a student teaching intern for second grade students at Spring Valley Elementary where he created lesson plans, co-taught classroom activities, collaborated with other interns and teachers, and assisted in whole and small group instruction. Nguyen served as president of Baylor Chamber of Commerce for 2023-24, Chamber’s Homecoming Prep Coordinator from 2022-23, and as Family Weekend Chairman in 2021-22. He was a Student Ambassador for the School of Education’s Student Advisory Council.

Nguyen worked as an assistant in the SOE’s Learning Resources Center, a dedicated library unit for education studies that is located in Marrs McLean Science Building. His duties included checking in/out books and resources to patrons, checking printers, reshelving sources, assisting the librarian in taking inventory, and aiding students and faculty use of the Media Lab and any other resources. Continue Reading →

May 21, 2024
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Baylor SOE Recognizes Two “Memorable Teachers” [05/21/2024]

Memorable Teachers Geoff and Shannon Brooks with Baylor senior Moriah Feng

Memorable Teachers Geoff and Shannon Brooks with Baylor senior Moriah Feng

by Kassidy Tsikitas

Two “memorable” teachers were honored at the annual Baylor University School of Education Senior Recognition Banquet on April 25. Following tradition, Baylor School of Education seniors had the opportunity to nominate a teacher who had been influential in their lives, and the awarded educators were chosen by a Baylor faculty committee.

This year, Shannon and Geoff Brooks, who both teach at Second Baptist School in Houston, were honored with the Baylor School of Education’s “Most Memorable Teacher” award. They were nominated by senior middle grades mathematics education major Moriah Feng, who read her nominating essay at the banquet.

Feng, who graduated from Baylor University in May, said that Shannon and Geoff Brooks often referred to their students as “their kids.” As members of Second Baptist Church, the married couple shaped their respective classrooms through Christ’s love, leaving a lasting impact on their students. Mr. Brooks said, “My wife and I work hard to give each student who crosses our paths an experience that is worthy of their time and the effort we are going to require of them.” Continue Reading →