Alexandra Ronnenberg received statewide recognition for her teaching as a Baylor senior at Hillcrest PDS.
Alexandra Ronnenberg, who graduated from Baylor University in May with a B.S.Ed. in elementary education, has been named Clinical Teacher of the Year for the state of Texas, honored for her outstanding instruction and interaction with children while a senior at Baylor.
She is the fourth Baylor intern to receive the award in the last five years it has been presented. No award was given in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Ronnenberg received the award that honors senior-level teacher-education students from the Texas Directors of Field Experience (TDFE), the organization of faculty members within university teacher-education programs who supervise field experiences. The award was presented during this fall’s statewide meeting of the Consortium of State Organizations for Texas Teacher Education.
EdD student Erika Neuman is pictured (front row, center) with the active-duty and military veterans in Cohort Six of the EdD in Learning and Organizational Change. Cohort Six is in the fifth term (of nine total in the program) and was on Baylor’s campus in October for an immersion experience.
U.S. Army veteran, fifth-grade teacher and Baylor University doctoral student Erika Neuman has been named a Pat Tillman Foundation Scholar in recognition of her military service and her mission to educate children.
Tillman Scholars are U.S. service members, veterans and military spouses chosen based on their service, leadership and potential. Of more than 2,000 applicants, only 60 are named each year. Tillman Scholars are awarded academic scholarships, lifelong leadership development opportunities and a diverse, global community of high-performing mentors and peers. Neuman, who is enrolled in the University’s Doctor of Education in Learning and Organizational Change online program, is the second Baylor student to receive the honor.
“The Pat Tillman Foundation offers this incredible network of scholars and other professionals in every field at various universities and government institutions,” Neuman said. “It is an amazing group of veterans and selfless leaders who support one another and strive to see the other scholars succeed. The whole mission of the Tillman Foundation is empowerment, building leaders and service to others and that is exactly what this incredible organization does. I am honored to be among their ranks.”
Some intense “teacher” vibes emanated from the second floor of Marrs McLean Science Building on the Baylor campus to celebrate Halloween. Faculty and staff in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) decided to decorate doors along the hallway and host trick-or-treaters at Baylor’s traditional event.
Dr. Sandi Cooper and her first-place door, which featured candy tagged with QR links to math activities (see links in the story).
And when former K12 classroom teachers gain access to butcher and construction paper, amazing designs are bound to happen! Many enlisted the help of their own children in designing their doors, and some had help from Baylor teacher-education students (particularly from 1312 and 3380 courses) — providing great training for decking out their future classrooms and bulletin boards.
The idea to go all out for Halloween came from doctoral student Ashleigh Maldonado, said graduate program director Dr. Lakia Scott. “It started as a decorating contest, and then we wanted to share it with more people, and faculty were eager to pass out treats, so we arranged to be a site for Baylor’s Treat Night for children of employees,” Scott said. “It was a lot of fun and showed the great community we have in the C&I department — especially because a student suggested this, and then everybody jumped on board.” Continue Reading →
October 4, 2021
by Baylor Instant Impact 0 comments
Baylor Cherry Award nominee Dr. Hollylynne S. Lee, professor of mathematics and statistics education at North Carolina State University, will speak at Baylor at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 5, in Marrs McLean Science Building, Room 101. Lee is one of three finalists for the prestigious award, and if she receives it, she will teach in residence in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction during a semester in 2022.
Lee’s lecture, “Data Moves and Discourse: Design Principles for Strengthening Statistics Education,” will be relevant to teachers and future teachers at all levels as she explores how to foster discourse and engagement with data. Prior to Lee’s work at the university level, she served as a K-12 teacher.
Lee says that in today’s society, we all need to be fluent with statistics — for making everyday decisions, making sense of visualizations and statistics given in the media, and preparing for many careers that utilize data. But statistics is one of the hardest subjects for students to learn. With so much data flowing in all facets of life, how do we prepare teachers to give students the tools they need for statistical literacy? Continue Reading →
September 29, 2021
by Baylor Instant Impact 0 comments
Elementary Education major Ashley Solar (left), now a senior, taught in Baylor SOE’s Math for Early Learners Academy, held at La Vega Primary School during the summer school session.
After a 2020 hiatus due to COVID, Baylor University’s Mathematics for Early Learners Academy (MELA), sponsored by the Baylor School of Education (SOE), returned for the summer of 2021. The program, which has helped young students ages 4-6 to achieve or exceed grade level in early math skills and number fluency, also began pilot testing its new curriculum and assessments.
The summer program, designed for students entering 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 have been identified as struggling in mathematics.
Baylor School of Education associate professor Dr. Lakia Scott became the first Baylor faculty member to be named as the university’s “Champion of Change” earlier this year.
Baylor University launched the “Champions of Change” awards to recognize and acknowledge the accomplishments of faculty, staff, and alumni (one of each annually) who have demonstrated efforts to “foster greater appreciation and advancement of diversity, inclusiveness, and equity for communities of color at Baylor and in Waco.” A diverse and representative volunteer advisory committee sought nominations and made the final selections for the inaugural honorees.
Scott’s efforts in equity enhancement have included promoting the recruitment and retention of first-generation college students and students of color through advising student organizations; establishing a reputation for being empathetic and supportive of students from traditionally marginalized backgrounds; and focusing her research on multicultural awareness, diversity practices, and urban education and literacy. Continue Reading →
The spring 2021 issue of Baylor Impact newsletter is now online and in the mail to alumni. If you do not receive a newsletter in the mail soon, please let us know by emailing BaylorImpact@baylor.edu. To make sure you don’t miss any future communications, you can also update your information online at this link: Update Your Information
The Spring Impact issue features the work of faculty, students, and alumni who are making a difference through education. This issue is notable for the number of award-winning faculty and students we are celebrating — people you’ll want to know about!
Read about exciting and impactful new grants helping children with developmental disabilities like autism and their families and teachers, new leaders in K12 education, national professional roles for faculty, and so much more!
Great news includes:
• The cover story shares the work of Dr. Stephanie Gerow, who has received a prestigious national grant to design a system to help agencies provide effective behavior interventions for children with developmental disabilities.
• SOE faculty members received three of the university’s Outstanding Faculty accolades this spring.
• Dr. Trena Wilkerson is serving is a significant national role as president of NCTM, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, working to bring equity in math education.
Baylor School of education 2021 Outstanding students with Associate Dean Dr. Terrill Saxon
Baylor School of Education [SOE] recognized six seniors as outstanding students at the 36th Annual Senior Recognition Banquet April 26. Seniors were recognized for their excellence in academic and fieldwork in education programs and their readiness to impact the world. Baylor SOE senior award recipients (biographies below) for 2021 are:
• Cole Sussman — EDICUT Preservice Educator of the Year Award • Angela Tallent — Dolores Coker Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Student in Education
• Julia Gates — Lorena B. Stretch Award for Outstanding Student in Elementary Education • Emily Dickey — Award for Outstanding Student in Middle Grades Education
• Mary Cade — M.L. Goetting Award for Outstanding Student in Secondary Education • Samantha Schwartz — Award for Outstanding Student in EC-12 Education Programs Continue Reading →
Dr. Laila Sanguras, a lecturer in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction, received the Baylor University Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching / Non-Tenure Track. Sanguras teaches primarily in the EdD Online in Learning and Organizational Change. While carrying a full teaching load, Sanguras also mentors students, directs dissertation projects, and takes the lead in revising course sequences and in developing new initiatives.
“Dr. Sanguras’s student evaluations are consistently strong,” said Dr. Brooke Blevins, Associate Professor, department chair, and Conwell G. Strickland Endowed Chair. “Students frequently comment on the thorough and meaningful feedback provided by Dr. Sanguras . . . and how genuine and engaging Dr. Sanguras is during live sessions of the course and how she takes the time to get to know each student.” Students also describe her as “firm but fair,” Blevins said. Sanguras’ areas of teaching include educational evaluation and mixed methods research. Continue Reading →
Dr. Lakia Scott, Assistant Professor in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction, received the Baylor Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching / Tenure-Track Faculty. She began teaching at Baylor in 2014 and is an expert in literacy, urban education, and in the social, cultural, and political influences on educational practices and schooling. She received tenure this spring, so her title will change to Associate Professor this summer, and she also becomes Graduate Program Director for the department in May.
“Her peers and students recognize Dr. Scott’s prowess as an outstanding teacher,” said Dr. Brooke Blevins, Associate Professor, department chair, and Conwell G. Strickland Endowed Chair. “She has a unique ability to capture the interest of her students and push them to think about new possibilities. Dr. Scott has amazing commitment to preparing teachers and educational leaders who will respond to the new reality of education — a reality of diversity, innovation, and rapid global change.”
Scott said she is deeply honored to receive the award, because teaching is one of the noblest professions. Her teaching philosophy is one of inclusiveness and positivity. Continue Reading →
