2015 college of education report on enduring partnerships

2015 COLLEGE OF EDUCATION REPORT ON

ENDURING PARTNERSHIPS

REPORT ON ENDURING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

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The University is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information, or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University’s educational mission, and will not be tolerated. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to Dr. Kenneth Lehrman III, Vice Provost for Affirmative Action, Affirmative Action Office, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901; Email: [email protected]; Tel 814-863-0471. U.Ed. EDU 16-05

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David H. Monk, DeanCollege of EducationThe Pennsylvania State University274 Chambers BuildingUniversity Park, PA [email protected]

EDITOR: Annemarie MountzWRITERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jessica Buterbaugh, Jim Carlson, Mike Dawson, Richard Hazler, Annemarie Mountz, Javier F.C. Pérez, Ann Taylor-Schmidt.

To discontinue delivery of printed materials and receive future e-mail alerts regarding online publications, e-mail [email protected], with your first and last name and the subject line: “online magazine only.’’

Read this document online:issuu.com/pennstateeducation

Penn State’s academic reach continues to expand and evolve. The College of Education has partnerships in other Pennsylvania cities, other states and other countries.

The Summer Academy for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired offers instruction to prospective students to help them negotiate themselves around a campus and help them believe that anything is possible.

The Center for Science at the Schools is celebrating its 10th anniversary of strengthening science and engineering education at all levels.

Students with special needs ages 18-21 get a chance to sit in on college courses at Penn State through the University’s LifeLink PSU program with the State College Area School District.

Partnership among Penn State’s College of Education, Law School and Division of Student Affairs allows students to get an idea of what their every-day job will entail.

The College of Education partners with the State College Area School District with its Professional Development School in which prospective teachers spend an entire academic year in the classroom.

The College of Education partners with National Taiwan Normal University in technology integration in teaching science and K-12 learning.

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Project TEAM focuses on implementing six conceptual foundations found to contribute to individual growth and behavior change — helping others, problem-solving, positive change, anti-bullying, resiliency and leadership.

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College of Education 1

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

The Penn State College of Education has long recognized the importance of building partnerships. We take pride in creating teams that include colleagues inside the College as well as those in other parts of the University.

Our collaborative efforts also include other universities, government agencies and community groups at local, regional, national and global levels.

We are convinced that deep and lasting positive impact comes when we find ways to work together to pursue mutually beneficial results. These positive results benefit our students because the partnerships strengthen our instructional programs. They also benefit the larger society as the collaborative research we conduct allows us to address the most timely educational issues of the day.

In the pages that follow, we provide an overview of a representative sample of the partnerships that are increasingly defining the College of Education at Penn State. I invite you to explore this sample, encourage your interest, and invite your questions.

Read about our virtual tutoring program that permits aspiring teachers to interact with hundreds of elementary students in Philadelphia and Hazleton. Other partnerships include an agreement with Xavier University in New Orleans and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez that enables master’s degree students at Xavier and Puerto Rico-Mayaguez to become doctoral candidates here.

The Summer Academy for the Blind is a partnership that brings visually challenged recent high school graduates to University Park to prepare them to navigate post-secondary educational institutions. The Center for Science and the Schools works in partnership with our

science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) colleagues to strengthen the outreach components of STEM research.

LifeLink, a 14-year partnership with the State College Area School District, offers 18- to 21-year-old students with special needs age-appropriate educational experiences. Our Professional Development School uses an inquiry-based approach to teacher preparation, which involves a year-long internship in State College schools.

Our partnerships with Penn State Law and the Division of Student Affairs enable our students and faculty to cross institutional boundaries and to pursue interdisciplinary studies. Our global partnerships include the Student Teaching Abroad program as well as longstanding agreements with major universities around the world. We recently agreed to lead a benchmarking initiative between National Taiwan Normal University and multiple parts of Penn State.

We are pleased to describe how Project TEAM is working in partnership with school districts to provide opportunities for youth to focus on the importance of teamwork, service and leadership in their daily lives as a means of reducing the incidence of bullying behavior in school settings.

We also have partnered with World Campus and the U.S. Army for a new U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Fellowship Program.

We hope you enjoy learning about the numerous and highly varied partnerships that are becoming so important to us in the College of Education as we dig more deeply into the 21st century.

DAVID H. MONK, Dean

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Academic partnerships in place with Penn State span a wide range By JIM CARLSON

Partnerships between Penn State’s College of Education and other academic institutions include an array of areas from Philadelphia to Puerto Rico and Hazleton, Pennsylvania, to New Orleans, and involve students ranging in age from elementary to doctoral candidates.

They’re growing, they’re evolving and, most importantly, they’re helping students on both ends of the spectrum.

This includes the virtual tutoring that College of Education CI280 students use to help their younger counterparts in Hazleton, to similar programs in a pair of Philadelphia elementary schools, to an XU2PSU program that invites graduates from Xavier University in New Orleans to Penn State’s College of Education doctoral programs. A similar partnership exists with the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.

These partnerships provide multiple options for people at Penn State to help people around the state, the country and the world.

CITY OF HAZLETON

That starts with the Hazleton One Afterschool Scholars Program. According to Andrea G. Kolb, graduate instructor in the College’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Penn State students

enrolled in CI280 Virtual Tutoring work in pairs to provide afterschool virtual tutoring and mentoring to a young scholar in the nine-week program.

“In addition to providing homework help, the Penn State students will create individualized lesson plans to assist their scholar in mastering core academic concepts that have been identified by the scholar’s classroom teacher and/or parents,’’ Kolb said.

Virtual tutoring at University Park is a powerful option for providing students in teacher education programs opportunities to work with culturally and linguistically diverse

learners, according to Mark Merritt, instructor of science education in curriculum and instruction. “This is critical given the diverse make-up of schools where many of our students will come to teach,’’ Merritt said.


Merritt also directs the teaching and technology initiative EDUCATE, or Exploring Directions in Ubiquitous Computing and Teacher Education.

“One of the roles of EDUCATE is to support initiatives such as virtual tutoring that have the potential to meaningfully impact teaching and learning for our students,’’ Merritt said.

“We are here to provide ongoing support for faculty to iron out wrinkles and help these valuable programs run as smoothly as possible. EDUCATE is also seeking to tailor a physical space on campus to serve as the hub for virtual tutoring which should not only support the current initiatives but should lower one of the significant barriers that exists for expanding the programs.’’

While virtual tutoring is used in the Hazleton One Afterschool Scholars Program, the Hazleton Maymester is an example of a university-school-community partnership, according to Kolb. Penn State students are assigned to tutor and mentor two students in the Hazleton One program and also are assigned to observe and provide assistance in their scholars’ school classrooms, working and learning alongside mentor teachers in the Hazleton Area School District.

The Penn State students reside on the Penn State Hazleton campus for the two-week program, and engage in classroom observation during the school day, tutor scholars in the afterschool program and participate in faculty-led seminars in the evening. They also co-design a community-based project and lead their scholars in completing that project which concludes with a community celebration.

“Another important goal of both programs is that students are better prepared to design instruction and assessment that is culturally and linguistically responsive to their individual learners,’’ Kolb said.

CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE

The College’s affiliation with the School District of Philadelphia includes the Isaac Sheppard School, which came on board about 10 years ago, and the John Marshall School, also an AfterSchool Program Partnership part of a technology-enhanced urban teaching collaborative that linked in just last year.

University officials also are working to expand after-school virtual tutoring with a partnership with Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences, a middle school in Philadelphia, according to Maria Schmidt, assistant dean, multicultural programs.

Students in the Hazleton One AfterSchool Scholars Program partake in chemistry lab work.

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Students who opt to perform their student-teaching requirements in the school have said that the challenges presented by an inner-city environment have allowed them to grow and have altered their philosophy of teaching as well.

Education students on the University Park campus get involved in those schools by enrolling in EDUC 397B. Through the use of technology and online communication (virtual tutoring) from Krause Innovation Studio, they help the youngsters with reading and math prior to spending some time simply chatting about their young students’ lives.

The elementary students look forward to the Penn State teachers’ presence, administrators have said, and they in turn have been part of trips to State College to tour University Park campus sites such as classrooms, the Berkey Creamery, Beaver Stadium and many others.

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS (AND BEYOND)

Penn State’s academic reach stretches both into the Deep South and to Puerto Rico. Its XU2PSU program involves a mechanism for recruiting talented students of color from the master’s degree program at Xavier University in New Orleans into the College of Education’s doctoral program. It has a similar agreement with the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, with both collaborations designed to aid in the recruitment of highly qualified students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Hispanic Serving Institutions

(HSI). These collaborations also lead to program development beyond student recruitment including summer seminars, and student and faculty exchange programs, Schmidt said.

Five Xavier graduates have earned Penn State doctoral degrees and five more are in progress. Five Puerto Rico-Mayaguez graduates also have achieved doctoral status with two others under way.

Stephanie Danette Preston, senior director of Penn State’s Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs, is an alumna of the XU2PSU partnership, earning a doctoral degree in 2009 in science education.

“I appreciate and value the opportunity to work with key leaders in the field of science education and the support I received within my college,’’ Preston said, listing Nelson, Schmidt, Carla Zembal-Saul, Greg Kelly, Scott McDonald, John Daniel Marshall and Charleon Jeffries as those who provided assistance.

“Leaving New Orleans to come to central Pennsylvania was a struggle for my family and me; however, the idea of obtaining a Ph.D., field training and preparation at an institution like Penn State made it all worth it.

“Partnerships like the XU2PSU memorandum of understanding are important because institutions/universities like Penn State might not ever cross the minds of educators (or those in other disciplines) who don’t reside in Pennsylvania or surrounding states,’’ Preston explained.

Students at Isaac Shepperd Elementary School in Philadelphia enjoy a few smiles with their tutors from Penn State.


“The partnership at the onset was set up so that students interested in attending Penn State would have the support of other Xavier grads while continuing to receive support from Xavier faculty. The cohort/mentor model proved to be beneficial in that we formed a sense of community within the group that helped in supporting each other in addition to having structured interactions with mentors/instructors from Xavier as we began to embark upon a research-focused agenda,’’ Preston said.

Dwayne Ray Cormier is the most recent College of Education doctoral candidate from Xavier. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida, a master of education in physical education: sports and leisure management from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, and a master of arts in teaching: middle school science and mild/moderate special education from Xavier.

“The degree I am seeking at Penn State University is a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on curriculum and supervision,’’ Cormier said. “Though I do not have a research question at the moment, my area of interest is how policies and politics affect teacher education.’’

Cormier said he would like to seek a tenure-track position at a college or university to continue research in the field of curriculum and supervision upon completion of his degree. He also has the goal of providing consulting services to K-12 schools as well as publishing books in curriculum and supervision field.

“Upon my arrival at Penn State, my advisors and various stakeholders

were welcoming and were knowledgeable about my past work in education and youth development,’’ Cormier said. “Partnerships such as this give students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities opportunities to obtain advanced degrees at storied universities such as Penn State,’’ he said.

Yamil Sarraga-Lopez is the College’s most recent doctoral candidate from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from there and this past

summer completed his master’s in English Education. His doctoral focus is in curriculum and supervision in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Working with other professors who had participated in this collaboration fueled Sarraga-Lopez’s interest. “Their experience in the program as well as Penn State’s reputation as one of the biggest research institutions led me to the College of Education and to curriculum and instruction,’’ he said.

“(These) partnerships provide students of different sociocultural and economic backgrounds the opportunity to experience new perspectives in educational research

through the different programs offered by the College of Education. The program allows for students to pursue a career in educational research and this partnership makes it more accessible for students to apply and benefit from this wonderful experience.

“Additionally, it opens possibilities toward new collaborations between these two universities and both cultures,’’ Sarraga-Lopez said.

Photo: Jim Carlson

Dwayne Ray Cormier is seeking a doctorate in curriculum and instruction at Penn State after earning his master’s degree at Xavier.

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Summer Academy teachers instruct students who are visually impaired about managing their way around a college campus and urge them to believe that anything is possible.

Future successalways the goal

Photos: Jessica Buterbaugh

Rebecca Weber, left, reads a map of downtown State College while classmate Taylor Carini, right, negotiates a crosswalk on College Avenue as part of the Summer Academy for the Blind and Visually Impaired independent mobility curriculum.

By JESSICA BUTERBAUGH

For the second year, Penn State’s College of Education, in conjunction with the College of Health and Human Development and the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), has partnered with the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation’s Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS) to host the Summer Academy for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. The three-week academic program welcomes a maximum of 25 high school students each year from across the Commonwealth and prepares them for life after high school.

“Our whole philosophy is to teach students how to be successful college students,” said Shelly Faust-Jones, vocational rehabilitation specialist for special programs for BBVS. “Our students are cognitively right on target and are certainly capable of being successful in college. However, they are lacking in many of the soft skills that are necessary to be successful.”

Individuals who are blind or visually impaired fall behind in the development of certain skills because of the well-meaning assistance they receive throughout their lives, Faust-Jones explained. “The education system provides aides for these students so when they get to college and those supports are not in place, the students flounder because they are not able to attend to their own personal needs.”

It is those needs that are addressed during the Summer Academy. Students gain confidence by learning tactical skills such as navigation technology to assist with independent mobility. They have the opportunity to utilize the CATA bus system and are free to explore the University Park campus as well as downtown State College.

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Students also learn vocational skills such as how to do laundry, coursework organization and time management, and cooking. They live in student residence halls, eat in the dining halls, have access to University resources such as career services and library services and also have the opportunity to attend Penn State summer courses.

Prior to 2014, the Summer Academy was held at the Hiram G. Andrews Center in Johnstown, Pa., a technical institute that provides post-secondary education to individuals with disabilities. However, organizers of the Summer Academy believed that in order to prepare for and understand life as a college student, the program must take place on an actual college campus.

With the help of Jim Herbert, professor of counselor education and rehabilitation and human services, the Summer Academy became another community partnership for the College of Education.

“We were already working with the State College Area School District on the LifeLink PSU program,” Herbert said. “So we saw this opportunity as a kind of extension to that partnership with the focus being to help students with disabilities acclimate to college life.”

After coordinating the logistics of hosting the Summer Academy on the University Park campus with other units including the College of Health and Human Development, the program was able to make its big move to Penn State.

“It is an amazing program and, to my knowledge, one of the few in the United States,” Herbert said of the Summer Academy. “And moving it to a college campus just made sense.”

In addition to organizing the program, Herbert has several students who work for the Summer Academy as staff members and resident assistants. “You only know what you know,” he said. “This program gives Penn State students a chance to work with individuals with a particular disability and learn from them. It makes them

better people and more effective professionals. It’s a win-win for both sides.”

Faust-Jones said many things about the program changed because of the move. “It’s a much better program now because students are able to move from building to building, and truly experience a college campus,” she said.

Photo: Jessica Buterbaugh

Summer Academy students Lucas Leiby, left, and Dalton Wilcox bake chocolate chip cookies and learn to operate a range oven and stove top to prepare them for independent living after high school.


A former resident assistant at both program locations, Luis Fontanez Jr. agrees that moving the program to the University Park campus has had countless benefits for the students.

“Here at Penn State, it is a more authentic college experience,” he said of the program. “The Hiram G. Andrews Center is an institute that has been built for and around persons with disabilities so the center is very accommodating.

“It is all on one floor, very easy to navigate and you don’t have to go outside to go to any of your classes. Being at Penn State allows the students to be immersed in that authentic, true college experience where they have to learn how to be independent.”

Unfortunately, the Summer Academy did not exist when Fontanez graduated high school and his transition to a college was not smooth.

“Speaking from my own personal experience as a youth-in-transition without the Summer Academy, my experience going to college was very rough. It was very shoot-from-the-hip and I had to figure it out as I went along,” said Fontanez, a current second-year master’s student in the counselor education program (rehabilitation counseling

option). “The strategies and the tools and skills that the summer academy provides its students as they are participating in the program are what youth-in-transition who are planning to transition to higher education need to be able to survive on a college campus.

“There’s orientation. There’s advocacy. There’s rehab teaching to learn cooking skills, laundry skills, organization, bill paying. There’s the

“We were already working with the State College Area School District on the LifeLink PSU program. So we saw this opportunity as a kind of extension to that partnership with the focus being to help students with disabilities acclimate to college life.’’

— Jim Herbert, professor of Counselor Education & Rehabilitation and Human Services


At left, counselor Tracie Maille and Summer Academy student Colin Prettyman participate in a mock job interview demonstration. Above, Summer Academy counselors work with students who are blind and visually impaired to find the appropriate shade of tinted glasses to help shield their sensitive eyes from the sunlight.

10 Partnerships

familiarization with new pieces of assistive technology that will help these students be successful on a campus environment.”

It’s the little things, he said, that students don’t think about until they are in a specific situation. With the Summer Academy, students think about things in advance and are prepared for what to expect.

“Being able to compare and contrast my experience as a client of the BBVS and going into college and then seeing how these students and the skills that they’re being taught and their experiences of starting off their freshman years, it’s worlds apart,” Fontanez said.

But the Summer Academy isn’t just about preparing for college and adulthood by going to daily seminars and lectures. In addition to learning how to use a guide stick, reading campus and town maps, and using innovative software such as BlindSquare, a GPS app specifically designed for the visually impaired, students also get to participate in different team-building exercises.

“Team-building is really important,” said Marcia Wazeter, lead orientation and mobility specialist for the Summer Academy. “We have 24 students from all over who don’t know each other so we have a series of activities that we plan to get them engaged with each other.”

Students also get to enjoy Penn State’s many facilities.

“Students have a wonderful opportunity to participate in recreational activities at Shavers Creek,” Wazeter said. There, students use the high ropes course, rock climbing wall and are also taught how to use a canoe and upright it once it has been tipped

over, Wazeter added.

“Our move to Penn State has been absolutely wonderful,” Faust-Jones said.” “We are extremely happy that our program is here, and it just keeps getting better and better each year.”


Student Alan Brint, left, works with an iPad as part of the assistive technology workshop provided by the Summer Academy. Students receive access to apps such as BlindSquare to help increase independent mobility.


Center for Science and the Schools keeps an eye on STEM growth

Joe Szczechowicz, left, of Dallas, Pa., was part of a Google Glass teacher workshop in April. At right, Megann Koegler of Tyrone participated in a Young Scholar ASSIST program.

By JIM CARLSON

The Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS), a University-wide center based in Penn State’s College of Education, uses knowledge and experiences of science and engineering education to develop and foster teacher-researcher partnerships that strengthen science and engineering education at all levels.

Having recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, CSATS continues to increase mutually beneficial partnerships

Photos: Ann Taylor-Schmidt (left) and Center for Science And The Schools

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Photo: Center for Science and the Schools

Rachel Brennan, far left, discusses an exhibit at a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Education Program teacher workshop.

between Penn State science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) colleges and K-12 school districts. The goal is to partner with Penn State researchers to design and implement teacher professional development utilizing research-based best practices.

One example of this partnership is the highly successful CSATS Saturday Science Workshops, a program for K-8 teachers. CSATS collaborates with experienced and novice researchers to design and implement about six workshops each year. These workshops expose teachers to aspects of cutting-edge science and engineering research through inquiry-based activities that can be easily adapted for use in the K-8 classroom.

“We share with researchers various teaching and learning strategies which work well in teacher professional development programs,’’ said CSATS director Annmarie Ward. “This partnership allows the research faculty to broaden their teaching repertoire and see how an inquiry-based teaching approach is quite effective.’’

The partnership also meshes the present and the future. “We see K-12 students as our future scientists and engineers,’’ Ward said. “Their STEM education, how they learn it, the kinds of activities they do, and how their teachers are prepared is very important to building the future workforce of America.

“The STEM colleges are understanding the importance of this partnership. I think the knowledge of how people learn and best practices in teaching and learning which CSATS brings to the partnerships are benefiting researchers in the STEM colleges,” Ward said.

In addition to the Saturday Science Workshops, CSATS also collaborates with STEM faculty on research grants from federal


agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and the United State Department of Agriculture.

These grants require a “broader impacts” (BI) component that benefits society more broadly. These BI elements are becoming increasingly important in the proposal review process. CSATS faculty work with researchers to develop and implement education-based BI components that enhance the competitiveness of the proposals.

CSATS faculty are science education professionals with backgrounds in K-12 teaching and expertise in best practices for teacher professional development. Several are also former STEM researchers.

They, along with the other CSATS faculty, strive to make prospective programs cohesive through the involvement of graduate students, undergrads and K-12 teachers and students in the learning experience.

“Often, an exciting element of researchers’ work is the interdisciplinary nature of the research, as they often use many science disciplines, and partner with other experts, such as engineers or geographers, to solve complex problems,’’ said Leah Bug, assistant director of CSATS.

“Because of that, we can help the teachers see the interrelationships of STEM and how content areas are connected and not just ‘now I teach science and now I teach technology and now I teach engineering.’ It’s very much a systems approach. We help them to see these connections

through the partnerships with STEM researchers.’’

Bug said researchers have altered their method of instruction in the classroom as a result of working with CSATS, which was followed by appreciation from students for the new approach. “We try to model the ways we want them to teach in the classroom by using those methods in our workshops,’’ Bug said.

All of the pieces must connect to create an effective program.

“We’re starting to do more and more with undergraduate and graduate education,’’ Ward said.

“Those pieces interact and intersect with teacher preparation. Many

undergrads go through science programs to get their teaching degrees, a part of that group is going to go on and become science teachers. “So the way they are taught influences how they are going to teach.”

Photo: Center for Science and the Schools

Nayab Gill, left, and Michael Easterbrook, both standing and both members of Penn State’s International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition team, offer assistance at a NEWBio-BBEP Teacher Workshop.

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LifeLink PSU offers students with special needs a taste of college life

Photos: Jessica Buterbaugh

The LifeLink PSU Class of 2015 held graduation ceremonies in late April in Penn State’s HUB-Robeson Center with many people in attendance, including the Nittany Lion, who took time to celebrate with senior Austin Bowen (far left). Mentors accompanied graduates as they gave their commencement speeches. Above, College of Education senior Anthony Alberici-Bainbridge (left) stands with LifeLink PSU senior Paul Kleit as he addresses the crowd.

By JESSICA BUTERBAUGH

Sharing a college classroom with a student with special needs is uncommon. But at Penn State, it is an experience that many students embrace.

“It was something I have not witnessed before — a student with special needs in a college classroom,” said Anthony Alberici-Bainbridge. “And he was just a great kid. He was always super happy to see everybody and just happy to be there.”

Alberici-Bainbridge, a senior majoring in rehabilitation and human services, is referring to Alek Masters, a senior with special needs at State College Area School District who sits in on Penn State courses through a unique program called LifeLink PSU.

What began as a small partnership between the SCASD and Penn State’s College of Education, LifeLink PSU is now in its 14th year and sees more than 200 volunteers each semester. The program supports students with special needs who are ages 18 to 21, an age range where many of these students fall behind in public education.

“If it weren’t for this program, these students would be in high school for seven years. They wouldn’t be with their same-age peers and that is one of the main driving forces of this program’s creation,” said Marla Yukelson, program coordinator and learning support teacher. “The purpose of this program is to give these students the opportunity to be with their peers because when you have a 20-year-old taking a class with a 16-year-old, they are worlds apart.”

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Because students with special needs are eligible to stay in the public education system through their 21st birthday, many do not get to advance with their peers. Instead, they remain in a traditional high school setting with students as young as 14. Recognizing this as a real problem, Teri Lindner, founder of LifeLink PSU and former SCASD special education teacher, had the idea to build a partnership with the College of Education to provide these students with a transition experience that would help them grow to their full potential.

“We really thought that the students should be able to not only negotiate their way around the University, but they should feel comfortable in doing so,” Lindner said. “Plus, they deserve the opportunity to be with their peers and to learn what college is like.”

With encouragement from the district’s director of special education, Lindner and her colleagues approached David Monk, dean of the College of Education, who immediately agreed to help start a program.

“LifeLink PSU is a remarkable program,” Monk said. “Not only does the program give advanced educational opportunities for students with disabilities, it also allows our own students to make a meaningful contribution and care for the well-being of others. I am thrilled to see the program grow more successful with each passing year.”

THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Before enrolling in the LifeLink PSU program, students must submit an application, letters of recommendation and transcripts — similar to the college application process — to the director of special education at the school district.

“Our students know that only select students get to come here,” Yukelson said. “So they know that there is a responsibility to be a good steward and representative of the program. And they’ve all done that fantastically.”

The program also requires students to have paid or volunteer work experience while in the program. Many of the students work part-time jobs while also volunteering for various

community organizations.

“We try to help them develop the skills they need so that when they do graduate, they can transition into a job that is something that will be life-long or sustaining for them,” Yukelson explained.

Students must also follow LifeLink PSU rules related to personal character and stewardship. “We talk a lot with the students about the privilege of being here because if they don’t follow the rules, the


LifeLink PSU seniors link their arms with their mentors to display strength and support during the 2015 graduation ceremony.


option is always there to send them back to the high school. And, they know that,” Yukelson said. “They know that they’re guests on campus and they represent our program. They might see Penn State students sleeping in class or using their phones during class, but they know that type of behavior is not acceptable for our students.”

LifeLink PSU senior Josiah Walter takes pride in the fact that he was chosen to represent the program. “Representing LifeLink PSU properly is my favorite thing,” he said. “And to have the chance to be at college.”

THE MENTOR EXPERIENCE

The success of LifeLink PSU is due in large part to its many student volunteers, also known as mentors. Of the 239 volunteers who served for the 2015 spring semester, more than 50 were from the College of Education and completed a total of 2,620 volunteer hours. Mentors served in a variety of capacities but primarily accompanied students to their Penn State classes.

Coming from a family of educators, Amy Schneiderhan always knew she wanted to be a teacher. A junior majoring in elementary education with a minor in special education, she had never heard of LifeLink PSU when she was assigned to complete her field experience with the class. Not knowing what to expect, she was nervous about being in a non-traditional classroom environment.

“I loved it!” she said. “It was such an awesome experience and made me want to go back as a mentor.”

Living with the effects of ADHD for much of her life, Schneiderhan believes she can relate to the students she helps serve. “Just knowing that I’m with students that also struggle, that really attracted me

to the program, because as a future teacher that is one of my passions,” she said. “And I just love to give these students an equal opportunity to learn.”

“The students love going to class,” Schneiderhan said. “This program builds these students’ confidence and self-esteem just because they know they’re not just at any college — they’re at a great university like Penn State.”

Mentor Kelcee Benzel agrees.

“I think they’re even more appreciative to be able to sit in on these classes,” she said of the LifeLink PSU students. “As Penn State students, we can take it for granted. But these students are invited to come in and they’re getting the chance to experience college like the rest of us do.”

In addition to being a mentor, Benzel, a junior studying early childhood education, also works with the students outside of the classroom.

Photo: LifeLink PSU

Penn State baseball players celebrate a victory with the athletes of CheerLink.

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CheerLink is an extracurricular activity that provides LifeLink PSU students the opportunity to support the Penn State community through cheering.

Benzel, along with other mentors, created a three-minute routine the students have performed at University basketball and baseball events as well as competitively at the Jamfest Cheer and Dance competition in Pittsburgh on April 12.

“These students are just a fun group to work with,” Benzel said. “They have their own way of telling jokes and their own quirkiness. I love the moments of laughter I have with them.”

Benzel is not the only one who enjoys their time together. The LifeLink PSU students’ eyes light up whenever their mentors’ names are mentioned. “My favorite thing about LifeLink PSU is being with my mentors and the interns,” LifeLink PSU senior Tanya Roberts said. “I like socializing with them during lunch and CheerLink.”

Alberici-Bainbridge also enjoys working with the students outside of the classroom. These students have the ability to achieve their full potential, he said. And, it is in a gym setting where he believes their abilities can best be tested and measured.

“They make great progress and I get to actually show them a tangible piece of paper that shows them that progress,” he said. “You can see the pride in their eyes and how happy they are and excited to know that they’re doing something that they might not have done before.”

A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE

When Alberici-Bainbridge transferred to Penn State from Bloomsburg University, he switched his major twice before settling

on a career path. After spending a semester in the Smeal College of Business, he decided to pursue his interest in fitness and enrolled as a kinesiology major. During this time, he also began volunteering with LifeLink PSU and will graduate from the RHS program this fall. He will continue his education as a graduate student at Regent University studying special education.

“LifeLink PSU changed my entire life goals,” he said. “I just fell in love with it. It’s an amazing program and the students and staff are phenomenal, and it really just opened my eyes.”

“The experience has been life-changing,” he said with a bright smile. “I would like to think that where I go, I can bring this innovation to

Photo: Annemarie Mountz

LifeLink student Austin Bowen, left, walks in the annual Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run supporting Special Olympics of Pennsylvania.


wherever it is that I land after I get my degree and hopefully make changes.”

It’s not just the volunteers on whom the program leaves a lasting impression. For the students it serves, LifeLink PSU gives them experiences that many other students with special needs never have. “I get to do the Penn State Pep Band and most of the kids here don’t get to do that,” student Austin Bowen said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Bowen, who plays the cymbals, is grateful to Gregory Drane, newly appointed director of the Penn State Blue Band, for the opportunity to play at athletic events such as basketball, volleyball and hockey games.

“He made me a good cymbal player,” Bowen said of Drane. “He taught me how to not look at music and now I don’t look at my music [when I play].”

LifeLink PSU senior Nicole Tetzlaff is also appreciative of the opportunities the program has allotted. She works for The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel as a member of their hospitality services team, a position she will continue following graduation, and is also a talented artist — she has enrolled in every art class a nonmajor can take.

“I’ve taken a lot of art classes,” she said.

She underestimates her abilities, Yukelson said, explaining that Tetzlaff makes her own costumes and even came to the class’s Halloween party dressed as Elsa from Disney’s Frozen, in a costume she made from scratch.

For all who enter the LifeLink PSU classroom, whether a teacher, an intern, a volunteer or a student, one thing is certain — you leave a changed person.

“The greatest part is not just interacting with the students but interacting with them for such a long period of time that you are actually connected to them,” Alderici-Bainbridge said, noting that he began his Penn State career with this class and will be graduating with them as well.

“You actually do have that attachment to be proud and happy for them, and to see them grow. It’s an amazing feeling and an amazing experience to know that this program is giving them something that they can be proud of for the rest of their lives.”


LifeLink PSU graduating senior Tanya Roberts, left, gives her commencement speech with her mentor, Samantha Webb, by her side.

20 Partnerships

By ANNEMARIE MOUNTZ

The college experience has undergone a lot of change for undergraduates in the last decade, and Student Affairs professionals have had to adapt in order to keep up and continue to serve students’ out-of-classroom needs. In this ever-changing world, colleges and universities are looking to hire individuals who not only have an understanding of the field of Student Affairs as it currently exists, but also have the skills to assess how it is likely to evolve.

In addition, the education environment has become more complex for administrators, teachers and counselors who increasingly need to navigate legal topics as well as the traditional issues. Educational professionals with an understanding of the law in addition to education have a distinct advantage over those without a legal background. That’s why the partnerships the Penn State College of Education has developed with both Penn State Law and the Division of Student Affairs are so valuable.

“Our partnerships with both the law school and the Division of Student Affairs bring an element of real-life work experience and a focus on practice,” said Gerald LeTendre, head of the College’s Department of Education Policy Studies. “These partnerships help keep us tied better to what our students will be doing with their advanced degrees in the workplace. The real nature of the work they’re going to be doing is made clear, and that’s important for our students.”

The subfield of education law is one of the fastest growing law specialties, according to the American Bar Association.

According to the Law and Education Alliance

at Penn State, the field covers issues relating both to K-12 education and higher education, including charter school regulation, faculty employment, curricular policy, school reform and student rights. The partnership cultivates collaboration between the School of Law and College of Education by working with faculty and students in both departments to host speakers, hold seminars and conduct research in education law. It also fosters networking opportunities to help students launch careers in education law.

“Penn State Law and the College of Education offer a joint degree program leading to a Juris Doctor (J.D.); and a Master of Education (M.Ed.), a Doctor of Education (D.Ed.), or a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Higher Education,” said Keith Elkin, assistant dean for academic and student affairs and professor of legal skills at Penn State Law.

That allows students to complete their first year of coursework in the law school and then start taking courses in Education Policy Studies (EPS) in their second year, according to LeTendre. Programs could be Educational

“Our partnerships with both the law school and the Division of Student Affairs bring an element of real-life work experience and a focus on practice.”

— Gerald LeTendre, department head, Education Policy Studies

Partnerships with Penn State Law, Student Affairs lead to robust degree options in Ed Policy Studies


“We have a more stringent research requirement than any other master’s program that prepares Student Affairs practitioners that I know of. That really makes our program distinctive.”

— Philip Burlingame, associate vice president for Student Affairs

22 Partnerships

Leadership, the Higher Education Program or Educational Theory and Policy.

“The basis of the partnership is really the ability of students to share certain credit hours so they can work on their law degree while they’re also working on their degree in EPS,” LeTendre said. Students are able to earn two degrees in a shorter amount of time than if they were to do the law degree separately from the master’s or doctoral degrees.

There’s also the intellectual connection that happens, according to Neal Hutchens, associate professor of higher education and senior research associate in the Center for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE).

“We’re really fortunate in that we have people that cross over between legal issues and other issues involving educational policy from K-12 to higher education, and so it really allows a richness of what we can offer students based on our strengths and the strengths that the law school has,’’ Hutchens said. “These intellectual bridges and connections that exist are very beneficial for our students.”

Hutchens has been working with fellow College of Education faculty members Liliana Garces, assistant professor of higher education and CSHE research associate; and Erica Frankenberg, associate professor of education, to further the partnership. “We’ve been the liaisons of sorts at various points for the program,” Hutchens said.

Hutchens, who has degrees in law and higher education, understands firsthand the value of the partnership. “It really intersects nicely with what I do for my scholarship in a way that is not found in higher education programs or in ed policy departments in other places in the country. The partnership is a joint recognition and appreciation of the expertise and the overall excellence of what we have in terms

of our department and the law school, and it also allows us to expand beyond that in terms of what our students can do,” he said.

Although structured very differently than the law school partnership, the College’s partnership with Student Affairs benefits students in similar ways. “Students work 20 hours a week in Student Affairs positions within the University, whether it’s with health services or Greek Life or some other University office. They get to have this intense practicum while they’re getting their degree,” said LeTendre.

Students who are enrolled in the master of science in higher education (Student Affairs emphasis) also have an opportunity to explore higher education and student affairs as fields of study, said Dave Guthrie, associate professor of education and co-coordinator of the partnership along with Philip Burlingame, associate vice president for Student Affairs.

“Substantial and significant research occurs while at the same time working in a particular position in which they not only develop and hone professional skills, but also come to understand the relevance and application of research for practice,” Guthrie said.

Photo: Annemarie Mountz

The subfield of education law is one of the fastest growing law specialties, according to the American Bar Association. The College of Education has partnered with Penn State Law, housed in Katz Building, to enable students to complete their law and education graduate degrees simultaneously.


Burlingame noted that “Penn State’s College Student Affairs Program has had a very strong national reputation for decades and it’s still considered one of the top programs in the country.” He attributed its strength to the evolution in the program over the years.

“We have a more stringent research requirement than any other master’s program that prepares Student Affairs practitioners that I know of,’’ Burlingame said. “That really makes our program distinctive.

“Those of us who are practitioners know that people who go into the Student Affairs profession must now be prepared to make evidence-based decisions, so they have to be able to read and evaluate research articles. They need to be able to understand research methods. They need to be able to conduct their own basic research; to partner with others to conduct more intensive research; to understand the student experience from a more research-based view; and to move away from maybe what had been more traditionally anecdotal ways of making decisions,” he said.

Burlingame said the partnership also benefits Penn State’s Division of Student Affairs. “The opportunity to work with graduate students is invigorating. These students are engaged in learning the latest ideas in student identity theory and they bring those ideas back with them from the classroom into the workplace. Through them and their

research, we gain insights that help us better serve our student population.”

Burlingame said a key component of the partnership is the relevance of the work done by the students. He said those involved in the partnership develop a list of pragmatic problems, from which the students select for their required research capstone project.

“This past year, one of the problems was how to provide a viable co-curricular experience in the World Campus environment. The research done by the students has led directly to the creation of a new position, director of student affairs in the World Campus,” Burlingame said.

Student Affairs professionals also serve as adjunct faculty in the program, which further integrates theory and practice in both the academic and professional environments. Among those who teach in the program in addition to Burlingame

are Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs; Andrea Dowhower, assistant vice president for Student Affairs; Stan Latta, assistant vice president for Housing, Food Services and Residence Life; and Peggy Lorah, director of the Center for Women Students.

“The academic program and the administrative division both are significantly stronger because of the partnership,” Burlingame said. “We are connected to the Center for the Study of Higher Education, and benefit from the research done there. The program benefits from the experience of our staff. And the collaboration keeps both faculty and staff fresh and current, which ultimately is a benefit to everyone.”

“The partnership is a joint recognition and appreciation of the expertise and the overall excellence of what we have in terms of our department and the law school, and it also allows us to expand beyond that in terms of what our students can do.’’

— Neal Hutchens, associate professor, higher education

24 Partnerships

The College of Education partners with the State College Area School District to enable student teachers to gain a full year of experience in the classroom prior to graduation.

Penn State’s

Professional Development School

By JIM CARLSON

Photos: Jim Carlson

Elementary education major Lisa DiLorenzo and Kaytlin Young (far right) are shown presenting their research at the annual Teacher Inquiry Conference in April.


Each and every day in the State College Area School District, about 65 prospective elementary and secondary English teachers enrolled in the College of Education’s Professional Development School (PDS) stand up and give students a piece of their mind.

Penn State professors and school-district administrators wouldn’t have it any other way, because what goes into the makings of a good teacher is something those academic partners constantly have on their collective minds.

The PDS program is unique in that its student teachers spend an entire academic year in the State College school system, not just a single fall or spring semester like traditional teacher-training programs. They attend August in-service days, faculty meetings and adhere to the district’s schedule, which means that they have a solid month’s work remaining after they graduate, not including a mandatory CI 501: Methods course yet to be completed.

It’s safe to say it’s not for everyone. Jim Nolan, a professor of education and one of the coordinators of the elementary side of the PDS until his June retirement, can recite a list of qualities candidates should possess:

—“I think it’s for people who have a strong commitment to teaching.’’

—“I think it’s for people who are hands-on learners.’’

—“I think it’s for people who are willing to make that commitment to be a professional and step into that professional world because we have really high expectations.’’

26 Partnerships

Shannon Trozzo of Bethel Park in suburban Pittsburgh said the students help her become a better teacher.

“I have seniors, I have AP (advanced placement) seniors, and they’re going to Harvard, they’re going to Princeton — they’re smarter than I am. They just teach me so much every single day,’’ she said. “My juniors are college prep level and they teach me about the side that I’m not, like the creative side, the ones who like to do hands-on projects.

“It’s definitely reinforced my want to be a teacher.’’

Supervising teachers and administrators at State High enjoy the positive feedback they encounter from their student teachers. “We really believe that you learn by invention and you teach from who you are, so each student teacher brings his own strengths to the classroom,’’ said Veronica Iacobazzo, a professional development associate based at the high school.

“I would say all of our interns show initiative, they are dedicated to students and they are looking to learn the practice the best they can

and use each moment to be productive. Eagerness to learn is an asset to our program and a strength to our interns.’’

Hundreds of interns have come and gone in the program across its 17-year history. They’ve overcome nerves; they’ve gained confidence;

they’ve secured jobs.

Nerves ultimately give way to optimism, according to Nolan. “An undervalued piece of leadership is a sense of optimism and portraying that sense of optimism,’’ he said. “Even if you’re not sure if something is going to work, you need to act as if you think it’s going to work. I think that’s really powerful.’’

Power is content knowledge, particularly on the elementary side. “When I look at second-graders and what they’re expected to do compared to 20 years ago, it’s phenomenal,’’ Nolan said. “So the teacher has to be a content expert but you have to be a content expert without losing that sense of

compassion and caring and developing the whole child.

Nolan’s PDS elementary crew does “a great job with that,’’ he said. “Planning a full day with different classes, different content day after

Photo: Jim Carlson

Elementary education major Alexandra Verna presents research garnered over the course of a full academic year of student teaching in the State College Area School District.


day, that’s a tremendous workload. And you have parents who are giving their kids over to you for the first time. Teachers need to keep in touch with parents and say things are going OK, and they need to be able to say that things aren’t going OK. It’s a tremendously underappreciated job, it’s amazing.’’

Dana Kinek Susko, who graduated in 2007, is a K-8 library media specialist and remains invested in learning. She said her experience with technology while in the PDS program at State College “opened my eyes to how it can be used to leverage learning experiences, support various types of learners, supplement the curriculum and increase engagement and interest levels in the classroom.’’

She praised her mentor teachers and said they sparked her interest to obtain a library science masters degree. She recently returned to school as a doctoral candidate in education media and tech (Curriculum and Instruction) in relation to teacher technology preparation and to integrate technology in the classroom.

Angela Single-Adelman, an English teacher at Overlea High School in Baltimore, said she constantly tells colleagues how well the PDS program prepared her.

“I truly believe that the experience I had as an intern went above and beyond what any of my

other teaching colleagues outside of our program experienced, even if they went through a PDS program with another college,’’ Adelman said.

“No program I have seen so far was as well-structured as ours at PSU; the day 1 to day 180 experience was truly invaluable.’’

Those involved with the program say the time span of 180 school days allows the Penn State students to follow their State College pupils’ maturation process.

“They really do see the ebb and flow of the school year and see how the students change and progress,’’ State High’s Iacobazzo said. “They have the ability to put course-work theory right into practice. And experiment and take risks and be better productive and helpful to students that in a 14-week time period there just isn’t time for.

“Really, our inquiry-based model does allow them to go into depth with an interest and passion and pursuit and a need that they see in their classroom. That is an asset not only to students but to pre-service students in our program,’’ she said.

“The PDS program changed my life,’’ Single-Adelman added. “People say that about things all the time, I know, but it’s true.

“It prepared me so well that my first year of

Photo: Jim Carlson

Penn State elementary education major Emily Mowery of State College was a participant in the College of Education’s Professional Development School.

28 Partnerships

teaching really wasn’t; I was a second-year teacher, simply moving to a new place and a new assignment. The day 1-to-180 experience was by far the best way to student teach.’’

Another intangible, according to Jamie Myers, a Penn State professor of education who heads the secondary English side of the PDS program, is having two teachers actively involved in the students’ instruction.

“We’ve had teachers report that particular students like the intern – ‘they don’t like me but that’s OK.’ Somebody is helping them and they’re receptive to that person. By having two personalities working together, they have a broader impact and are reaching a more diverse range of kids.’’

The older “kids” teaching the younger “kids” are deeply invested. All PDS interns participated in the 17th annual Teacher Inquiry Conference on April 25 at which they presented their yearlong research. They appeared to be confident even if some deep-rooted nerves existed. Many said they knew at an early age that they wanted to teach.

And all subscribe to the College’s 4-E theory of Enhance, Ensure, Engage and Educate. In detail, that translates to:

— Enhance the educational experiences of all children;

— Ensure high-quality inductions of new teachers into our profession;

— Engage in furthering our own professional growth as teachers and teacher educators of all children; and

— Educate the next generation of teacher educators.

Nolan said the interns see that teaching is complicated, that there are always problems and that not everyone’s exact needs will be met. “But when problems come up – and they expect that will happen – they’re not floored by it,’’ he said.

Much of that also is due to the mandatory methods courses students must complete. “Each of our methods courses is co-taught by a teacher or a couple of teachers and a University person,’’


Nolan said. “So we have no methods courses that are taught just by University people.

“Each of those courses has a group of teachers that works with it to make sure that the methods course fits into the State College curriculum and helps us get the best amount of learning that we can from that. They also help us design professional learning for teachers. Teacher learning has really been a strong core of what we’ve done.’’

The same can be said for the secondary side of the program. “Teaching English in grades 9-12 is not a closed-door event at this high school,’’ Myers said.

“They welcome each other into classrooms, they’re talking over lunch, they’re sharing failures, there’s just a lot more risk-taking and collaboration among the teachers than was evident when we began the program 17 years ago. The teachers will tell you that.’’

State College superintendent Bob O’Donnell also appreciates the collaborative effort. “The value that it brings to our school really relates to the fact that the mentors and interns are working together so closely with each other and our students, and it’s an incredible win for all parties involved,’’ he said.

O’Donnell has seen the program from both sides. “I get to look at the

PDS program professionally as superintendent interacting with Penn State folks as well as a dad because all three of our children had PDS interns during our time here,’’ he said. “So we’ve gotten to know those interns from conferences, being in the classrooms and also hearing stories at the dinner table. That has helped me to really see it from the inside in a kid’s eyes.’’

The student teachers have their eyes on the future — on securing jobs right out of Penn State and on their ability to make that happen.

“When I went to the career fair I never felt more prepared for anything in my life,’’ said Lisa DiLorenzo, a second-grade intern at Gray’s Woods Elementary. “I felt like the PDS applicants were standouts among the crowd and it was really impressive to see what we could do. I felt completely prepared to walk in there.’’

The steps to that end begin with the partnership, O’Donnell said. “We’re really lucky to have a program where highly committed interns are in our classrooms for an entire year,’’ he said.

“That’s not the norm for developing teachers. Not only are we helping our students in our community, but we’re helping the profession by helping highly qualified and committed new teachers to join our ranks.’’

Photo: Jim Carlson

Participants involved with the Professional Development School mingle at the Teacher Inquiry Conference in April.

30 Partnerships

Penn State and National Taiwan Normal University combine efforts to build a partnership focused on the learning sciences

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

By JIM CARLSON

Across continents and across cultures, the partnership between Penn State and National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) has focused on the learning sciences that include areas of language acquisition, science education and application of technology.

College of Education Dean David H. Monk explained that the association between Penn State and National Taiwan Normal University dates from 1950 and is multi-faceted. It includes a partnership around the Advanced Center for the Study of Learning Sciences and an emerging benchmarking initiative that involves visits going back and forth.

Penn State recently hosted a delegation of NTNU officials that included the university’s president. Even more recently, Jackie Edmondson, Penn State’s associate vice president and associate dean for undergraduate education, oversaw a group of NTNU educators who visited University Park to learn more about how Penn State

National Taiwan Normal University College of Education


welcomes its first-year students. Plans are under way for additional visits to examine business operations, fundraising and embedded international programs, Monk said.

“The benchmarking endeavor is recent and reflects their interest and high regard for Penn State,’’ Monk said. “They are investing a substantial level of resources into the benchmarking effort.’’

Monk in August presented at the International Workshop on the Advanced Learning Sciences (IWALS) in Tokyo along with Ping Li, a professor from Penn State’s Department of Psychology. They reported on research at Penn State that is part of the Advanced Center for the Study of Learning Sciences. Monk’s presentation included an update on a project by Karen Murphy, a professor of education in educational psychology.

Murphy’s “Quality Talk’’ project is an approach to conducting discussions that promote students’ high-level comprehension of text, where high-level comprehension refers to critical-analytical thinking and epistemic cognition about, around and with text.

The approach is premised on the belief that talk is a tool for thinking and that certain kinds of talk can contribute to high-level comprehension. Findings showed that after participation in Quality Talk discussions, native English speakers evidenced transfer effects via improved persuasive and expository writing as well as increased argument generation in social studies and science classes.

It also revealed that Quality Talk can provide opportunities for Taiwanese students to participate in more engaging discussions in English by teaching them how to ask questions linked to deeper learning and better explain their responses. It can also help enhance Taiwanese students’ English proficiency and comprehension by letting them co-construct meaning with their peers.

Rachel Wolkenhauer visited NTNU in Taipei, Taiwan, in June to continue to develop the research-practice partnership. Wolkenhauer, an assistant professor of education in curriculum and instruction, said she and former C&I instructor Nicole Olcese made visits with pre-service teachers, K-12 teachers and students as well as university faculty who work with these students and those who study technology integration and teacher education.

“The partnerships with NTNU places us in the important position to learn with our friends in Taiwan. The work that NTNU is engaging in is creative and considers the implications for continued content area teacher learning that is supportive of teacher voice and expertise at undergraduate, graduate and in-service teacher professional development levels.’’

Rachel Wolkenhauer, assistant professor, Curriculum and Instruction

32 Partnerships

Several research meetings focused on a collaborative survey study into pre-service and in-service teachers’ uses of technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) framework, Wolkenhauer said.

“In addition, we met with professors from NTNU Science Education Center who expressed interest in a continued partnership with Penn State,’’ she said.

Wolkenhauer said professors working in NTNU’s Graduate Institute of Science are working on a project “to develop and provide innovative instructional materials and tools for science education.’’

Wolkenhauer and Olcese also translated, adapted and administered a TPACK integration survey that NTNU designed and administered to a cohort of both in-service and pre-service teachers.

“This survey was shared with a group of our science teacher education students and PK-4 Professional Development School interns,’’ Wolkenhauer said.

“The survey asked questions surrounding their pedagogical uses of digital technologies, specifically related to the teaching of science. Conversations about next steps included expanded survey distribution, adapting the survey to include other content areas and expanding the work to include integrated ethnographic and observational accounts of teachers’ actual implementation of their

TPACK dispositions within K-12 classrooms.’’

Wolkenhauer said that in an increasingly complex and globalized society, NTNU and the College of Education at Penn State can partner in finding innovative and effective ways of supporting teachers for teaching and learning in the 21st century.

“While we share many common beliefs and practices about education, we find that by having conversations with our NTNU partners, we are able to step outside of ourselves and gain new insights into how we think about education in the United States,’’ Wolkenhauer said.

“The partnerships with NTNU places us in the important position to learn with our friends in Taiwan. The work that NTNU is engaging in is creative and considers the implications for continued content area teacher learning that is supportive of teacher voice and expertise at undergraduate, graduate and in-service teacher professional development levels,’’ she said.

Wolkenhauer noted that work by College of Education personnel complements NTNU’s in its emphasis on creative pedagogical implications for 21st-century teacher and K-12 student learning.

“By looking across contexts, these global partners will strengthen our work, and in turn we hope to impact theirs as well,’’ she said.

Photo: National Taiwan Normal University

An on-campus building at National Taiwan Normal University.


“Teamwork, service and leadership are not innate in children. Project TEAM introduces students to a world that is bigger than their own, becoming aware of the needs in their school, community and beyond. Project TEAM provides opportunities for kids to focus on the importance of teamwork, service and leadership in their daily lives; it allows them to take these principles and make a difference in the lives of those in need.’’

—Project TEAM Mission Statement

ProjecTEAM

By RICHARD HAZLER and JAVIER F.C. PEREZ

Academic pressures, school violence and bullying have never been so prominently represented in media, literature and research as they are today. The detrimental impact of these on students, faculty, staff and the community can be extreme, and it can result in them being ever-present for administrators, parents and community leaders.

Research has made it clear that efforts to improve the situation must focus on creating a school climate where people support each other and recognize how all people and aspects of a school and community must work together for the good of all.

Project TEAM began as an initiative by Linsey Covert (M.Ed.,

34 Partnerships

2006) while a graduate student in the College’s Counselor Education Program.

Consulting with counselor education faculty Richard Hazler and JoLynn Carney over the years, it was a major donation by a Penn State alum, support from the College of Education and the involvement of faculty and graduate students that moved the project to a new level.

Materials were expanded, improved and professionally printed. Implementation began at new schools and a formal research process was under way.

Covert, along with fellow graduate Lisa DiBernardo (M.Ed., 2006), have brought this vision to life as school counselors.

Professors Carney and Hazler are known for their research on school-violence, but Project TEAM (http://www.ed.psu.edu/project-team) is the first program that they have chosen to invest in extensively.

“Over the years we have been approached many times to produce an anti-bullying program, but we have said no,’’ Hazler said. “Our belief is that a more holistic program is needed to involve everyone in the school in making the whole environment better for personal, social and — equally important — educational success.

A program that produces good citizens who seek the best for all and not just themselves is what we wanted to do and Project TEAM truly approaches that goal.”

Project TEAM is a school-wide movement that fosters a team-oriented culture within schools as well as between schools and communities. It is a research-supported ecological approach to empowering all members of the school and promoting a culture of wellness.

This teamwork model serves to improve school climate, expand student, parent and staff investment in problem-behavior change, increase school connectedness and reduce bullying behaviors.

It incorporates a research-supported curriculum that fosters intrinsic motivation through innovative uses of music, media and interdependence between students, teachers and staff.

“The teamwork model is a perfect match for so many things that Penn State is known for, such as sports

teams and THON,’’ Covert said. “As Project TEAM, ‘We Are Penn State.’”

Project TEAM focuses on implementing six conceptual foundations found to contribute to individual growth and behavior change — helping others, positive change, anti-bullying, problem-solving, resiliency and leadership. It also fosters social skills, career education, anti-bullying strategies, friendships and relational skills through the use of a teamwork-based and intrinsically motivated implementation.

• Helping others involves the concepts of altruism and interpersonal support that promote belongingness, usefulness and empowerment individually and in others. Creating a school climate


that supports and models altruism through helping others can directly contribute to the well-being of youth by nurturing their strengths and rewarding their positive interpersonal characteristics.

• Positive change focuses on exhibiting positive behaviors in place of behaviors that are not productive personally or socially. These are the actions that account for the positive emotional, cognitive, social and behavioral functioning of youth in school, home and community settings that promote the positive relationships needed for success.

• Anti-bullying emphasizes how everyone in the school needs to be involved in protecting and supporting others as helpful bystanders and assertive individuals. Developing emotional recognition and behaviors that can support targets and reduce bullying can limit both short-term and long-term consequences of bullying.

• Problem-solving is a learning process that serves as a coping strategy and a self-control method essential to student and school productivity. Students and organizations that are good at problem-solving reduce aggression, reduce bullying and improve school functioning and academics.

• Resiliency emphasizes how individuals and schools can effectively face adversity and overcome obstacles with optimism, self-esteem, competence and achievement. An environment of belongingness and togetherness promote and reward the adaptation needed to bounce back from negative circumstances.

• Leadership success requires development of interdependence in which leader roles are shared among everyone. Speaking up, offering good ideas and displaying good listening skills are critical leadership qualities for all children.

MORE THAN A CURRICULUM

Project TEAM is a multi-dimensional program incorporating various implementation strategies.

These strategies aim to create a Project TEAM culture within the school and includes whole school programming (shared language

representing foundations and components of the program and using project posters, houses and banners), career education (students career journals and exploratory career discussions from an early age), counselor resources (resource guide, implementation plans and project activities) and community outreach (connecting students with their community and integrating parental involvement).

Project TEAM members display their logo at the Nittany Lion shrine.

36 Partnerships

By MIKE DAWSON

Senior leaders in the U.S. military will use a Penn State degree to train the next generation of sergeants major in the Army, thanks to a new agreement between the Army and the University.

The Army has selected Penn State as its educational partner for the new U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Fellowship Program, which will provide scholarships for 20 sergeants major to enroll in the online master of education in adult education degree through Penn State World Campus.

They will finish the degree within a year and go on to teach the academy’s Sergeants Major Course, which educates the military’s enlisted leaders to operate on all levels of leadership.

Successful applicants were to begin their online studies at the start of Penn State’s fall semester. They will be stationed at the academy at Fort Bliss, Texas, and be full-time students.

“Thirteen years of conflict have demonstrated that the future battle space will continue to grow in complexity and bring amplified intellectual changes, and therefore, an educated force of leaders and senior leaders is required,” said Command Sgt. Major Dennis Defreese.

“The partnership with Penn State is key in attracting the best quality sergeants major to the program and ultimately becoming instructors in the Sergeants Major Course.”

Defreese said the Army chose the master of education in adult education because research shows that teachers with backgrounds in curriculum, learning theory and other educational topics are better prepared teachers than those who only have knowledge of their subject area.

“Our program is designed so that once the instructor finishes the fellowship program they can take the tools acquired in the degree program and immediately put them to use in the classroom,” Defreese said.

The master’s degree in adult education

consists of 33 credits with the goal of preparing educators to teach adult learners and understand how they learn best.

Topics include distance and continuing education, planning educational programs, research and evaluation of adult learners and designing courses.

The World Campus courses will be taught online by the adult education faculty from the Penn State College of Education, whose degree program in adult education has been an international leader in the field for more than three decades.

“The Army has entrusted Penn State to provide a high-quality education to the sergeants major who will then teach the future military leaders of our country, and

Army, Penn State partner for new program in adult education

The U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas, trains the military’s future leaders.


• The 20 (or possibly up to 25) people who complete a master’s degree each year in adult education from Penn State World Campus have a three-year commitment to be instructors in the resident and nonresident sergeants major programs at Fort Bliss, Texas.

• Each applicant must provide a writing sample to Penn State that explains “Why I should be selected as a Sergeants Major Academy Fellow,’’ and that will meet the writing sample required by the University.

• Penn State will provide a professor at the Academy two days prior to the start of each semester (fall/spring/summer) to offer face-to-face orientation for fellows.

• Participants must complete 11 classes totaling 33 semester hours and maintain a grade-point average of 3.0 or better; no grades of C are permitted. The program will focus on the knowledge and skills required to develop professionals who work with adult learners.

“The Army has entrusted Penn State to provide a high-quality education to the sergeants major who will then teach the future military leaders of our country, and we are honored to help serve the educational needs of our country’s armed forces.’’

— Craig Weidemann, Vice President, Outreachand Vice Provost of online education

we are honored to help serve the educational needs of our country’s armed forces,” said Craig Weidemann, Penn State’s vice provost of online education and vice president of outreach. “The sergeants major will be in the good hands of our expert

faculty who have made Penn State a leader in adult education.”

The sergeants major will have access to World Campus’ student support services as well as advising by the adult education faculty.

Key facts about the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy

www.ed.psu.edu

2015 college of education report on enduring partnerships

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