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November 20, 2019
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Faculty and Student Literacy Research Recognized by International Literacy Association [11/20/2019]

Dr. Kelly Johnston

Dr. Kelly Johnston (center with certificate) was recognized at the ILA Conference.

Baylor School of Education faculty and doctoral students in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction garnered recognition and presented research at the International Literacy Association’s annual conference in October. The International Literacy Association is a global advocacy and membership organization of more than 300,000 literacy educators, researchers, and experts across 86 countries.

Dr. Kelly Johnston, assistant professor of literacy, and Dr. Phil Nichols, assistant professor, both received recognition as finalists for the ILA’s Outstanding Dissertation Award. Baylor was the only university with two representatives recognized among the finalists. Continue Reading →

November 7, 2019
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Copple Professor Dr. Jon Eckert — A Catalyst for Christian Education Leaders

Words mean something to Jon Eckert. Sitting in his office, he clasps his hands and gestures, as if to underline a specific word as he discusses his work within the Center for Christian Education to position Baylor University as the destination for leadership development within education.

“A catalyst speeds up a reaction; it’s not the focus of the reaction,” Eckert, Ed.D., says as he leans forward.

Catalyst. It’s a good word. And for this former science teacher, its definition perfectly illustrates his calling at Baylor.

“So a catalytic leader isn’t the charismatic person out front whom everybody’s following,” he continues. “It’s the person that comes alongside and speeds up the good work that’s already happening. I want to be one of those leaders for the kind of leaders that come into our program, and I want them to go out and be those kinds of leaders in their schools and districts and also alongside students. They start to elevate the good work that’s already happening and speed it up.” Continue Reading →

November 6, 2019
by Baylor Instant Impact
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New Book Explores the Intersection of Teaching and Christianity [11/06/2019]

Baylor School of Education faculty members Dr. Perry Glanzer, professor, and Dr. Nathan Alleman, associate professor, have teamed up for a second book, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Teaching, which was published by Oxford University Press. The book focuses on the various challenges that Christian professors face inside the classroom when intersecting their two identities — their Christian primary identity and their teacher vocational responsibility.

In 2012 the two faculty members in the Department of Educational Leadership, along with other scholars, began conducting a large survey of Christian professors across the nation. Their initial interest was how a professor’s Christian faith, as well as their traditions, influenced a variety of factors, such as teaching. While conducting this survey, however, the data collected from one question, regarding how the professors’ Christianity affected different areas of their teaching, sparked a concept that would become the core of the professors’ recent book. Continue Reading →

October 30, 2019
by Baylor Instant Impact
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2119: The Next 100 Years in Education [10/30/2019]

By Dr. Jonathan Eckert
Centennial Faculty Guest Blog

What will schools be like in 2119?

“Books will soon be obsolete in the public schools. Scholars will be instructed through the eye. It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture. Our school system will be completely changed inside of ten years.”

Interestingly enough, this quotation was shared six years before Baylor started educating teachers. This was the prediction of Thomas Edison in 1913. Most of the last 100 years, people were suggesting that massive changes were coming to education. Looking ahead to the next 100 years, we really have no idea what schools will be like. However, I am certain about four things that will catalyze education for the common good.

KEEP READING at baylor.edu/SOE/100.

October 21, 2019
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Watch the School of Education Centennial Video [10/21/2019]

As Baylor School of Education marks its 100th year, the School is reflecting on not only the impact we’ve had, but also where we are going. Watch the Centennial video “A Century of Learning & Light” to hear from faculty and students about the sense of purpose and community that permeates the School and the bright future on the horizon.

“I think we are experiencing change — change for the good,” says Dr. Grant Morgan, associate professor and chair of the Department of Educational Psychology. “But I want to appreciate and acknowledge all the things we’ve done to get to this point.”

More information — including a historical timeline, feature stories on alumni and faculty, and this video — can be found at baylor.edu/SOE/100.

Continue Reading →

October 18, 2019
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Baylor Launches School of Education Dean Search [10/18/2019]

Baylor University has launched a nationwide search for Dean of the School of Education. Baylor seeks a Dean who combines academic achievements with strategic leadership ability, outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, collaborative and creative energy, entrepreneurial ambition, passion for the field of education, and vision for the role of a School of Education within a 21st century Christian research university.

Diversified Search has been retained by Baylor University to assist in this search process. Screening will begin in February 2020 and continue until an appointment is made.

Members of the University’s Search Committee come from within the School of Education as well as from other academic units and were announced by Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., in late August. Continue Reading →

October 10, 2019
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Insights into Hispanic Heritage Month from our Bilingual Education Faculty [10/10/2019]

Dr. Lupita Lang is pictured in her office with a wall hanging of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo! Lang appreciates Kahlo because of her intensity. “Frida poured passion into what she wrote, what she painted, how she lived, and her relationships with others. I think of her as someone who burned the candle at both ends,” Lang said.

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), we sought some insights on the occasion from new faculty member Dr. Lupita Lang, who is assistant professor of bilingual education.

Lang does not typically describe herself as Hispanic or Latina, although she is both. She prefers the specificity of “Mexican,” because she was born and raised in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, México, just across the Texas border. She joined the Baylor School of Education in August, after graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she earned her PhD.

Five commonly misunderstood facts about Hispanic Heritage:

Continue Reading →

October 3, 2019
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Two Alumni Honored by Baylor School of Education with Centennial Awards [10/03/2019]

Dr. Robert Duron and Ashley Minton were honored with Centennial Awards.

The Baylor University School of Education honored two alumni with awards in conjunction with the School’s yearlong Centennial celebration during 2019.

Current or former students, faculty, staff and SOE partners submitted nominations for the Centennial Outstanding Alumni and Outstanding Young Alumni Awards, choosing educators whose work makes significant, observable changes in the lives of others and exemplifies the Christian mission and practices of the SOE. The honorees were recognized Sept. 27 at a banquet for donors and scholarship recipients.

Baylor graduate and Waco native Robert Duron, EdD ’00, received the School of Education’s Centennial Outstanding Alumni Award, and Ashley Minton, BSEd ’07, MSEd ’08, received the Centennial Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

Duron has 32 years of public education experience and has held significant leadership roles. He is currently the Associate Executive Director of Governance Services for the Texas Association of School Boards, which provides training, consulting services, productivity tools, research, and direct support to school districts and school board members. Previously, Duron served as superintendent of the San Antonio and Socorro (El Paso) Independent School Districts and then as Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Administration for the Texas Education Agency.

Minton, a native of Jacksonville, Texas, is the new principal of Canyon Ranch Elementary School in Coppell ISD, which opened its doors August 14, 2019. She earned her BSEd in Elementary Education with a specialization in Gifted and Talented education. After graduation, she immediately began work on her master’s in Educational Psychology, also at Baylor, graduating in 2008. Continue Reading →

September 19, 2019
by Baylor Instant Impact
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Dr. Janet Bagby Elected to American Montessori Society Board of Directors [09/19/2019]

Janet Bagby, Ph.D., senior lecturer of educational psychology in the Baylor University School of Education, has been elected to the board of directors of the American Montessori Society (AMS). Board members are elected by a vote of the group’s members, which number 14,700 individuals and 1,520 schools and span 70 countries. Bagby took office in July for a term that will extend until July of 2022.

“I strongly believe in the Montessori philosophy and in the important work of AMS to support and promote quality opportunities for all children to learn,” Bagby said.

READ MORE on the Baylor Media site.

September 17, 2019
by Baylor Instant Impact
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School of Education History Exhibit Open at Mayborn [09/17/2019]

SOE Centennial Exhibit at the Mayborn Museum

A public exhibit outlining the history of the Baylor School Education is on display through December as part of the SOE’s year-long Centennial celebration.

The exhibit is located at Baylor’s Mayborn Museum, 1300 S. University Parks Drive, in Waco, immediately to the right inside the Mayborn’s front door. The display is available for visitors to browse during regular museum hours.

“I really enjoyed diving into the rich history of the School of Education,” said Museum Studies and Curriculum & Instruction graduate student Meg Tucker, who curated the exhibit. “I am impressed by the School’s resilience and continued dedication to excellence. It was an exciting challenge to use my background in education and museum studies to help curate this exhibit. It was powerful to read about and see pictures of education students and professors working at Baylor more than one hundred years ago.”

Among other things, the exhibit features artifacts specific to SOE history along with items from partner Professional Development Schools in Waco and Midway ISDs. A World War I uniform from Fred M. Hale is also on display. Hale and his wife, Edith, were the first donors to make a gift of $1 million to the SOE.

The exhibit also features vintage photographs, including some by famed Waco photographer Fred Gildersleeve, which outline the evolution of the SOE from its creation in 1919 to where it is today. More current exhibited items include research from SOE faculty members and displays that speak to the SOE’s commitment to research, community service, study abroad, and faith. Continue Reading →