H I G H L I G H T S I N T H I S I S S U E :

SCATTER WINS GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

EXTRA YARD EVENT CELE-

BRATES TEACHERS CELEBRATING DIVERSITY METACOGNITIVE THINKING SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDY

ABROAD SCATTERS ATTEND STATE

& NATIONAL CONFER-ENCES

FREE PROFESSIONAL DE-

VELOPMENT

SunCoast Area Teacher Train-ing and Educational Research (SCATTER) Honors Program Dr. Joan F. Kaywell, Director E-mail: kaywell@usf.edu Andrea Thompson, Assistant E-mail: andrea1@usf.edu Office Phone: (813) 974-2421

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SCATTER WINS GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD!

Above (Front Row L-R): SCATTERs Jacqueline Wotasek, Brittany Schmiedel, Savannah Fancher, and SCATTER graduate Rebekah Plourde who now lives in Wyoming join authors (Back Row L-R) Chris Crowe, Jon Scieska, Adrian Fogelin, Dr. Joan Kaywell, and M.T. Anderson at the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN) Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, November 2016.

Below (L-R): Emily Lehman, Bibor Hivatal, Amy Bolick, and Caylee Fredette participate in the College of Education’s Week of Welcome during the first week of spring classes.

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I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : A M E S S A G E F R O M D R . K A Y W E L L P P . 3 - 4

S U P P O R T I N G S T U D E N T S ’ M E T A C O G N I T I V E T H I N K -I N G A N D S E L F - R E G U L A T E D L E A R N I N G C L A S S R O O M M A N A G E M E N T : S C A T T E R S T Y L E

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S C H O L A R S H I P S : T H E V A L U E O F P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T , N E T W O R K I N G , & B E I N G A L E A D E R A S C A T T E R T E S T I M O N Y - E N N I S C R U Z G O N Z A L E Z

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T H E F U L B R I G H T S C H O L A R S H I P I N F O R M A T I O N W O R K S H O P

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C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S T O T H O S E S T U D Y I N G A B R O A D

S C A T T E R S A T T E N D A V A R I E T Y O F P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T O P P O R T U N I T I E S O N A N D O F F C A M P U S

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L E T Y O U R S E L F G L O W : E X T R A Y A R D S U M M I T

C E L E B R A T I N G D I V E R S I T Y : U N D E R S T A N D I N G & A S S I S T I N G S T U D E N T S W I T H S E L E C T I V E M U T I S M A N D A U T I S M S P E C T R U M C O N T I N U U M

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H E Y I N T E R N S ! T A K E A D A Y F O R Y O U R S E L F W H E R E H A V E A L L T H E S C A T T E R S G O N E ?

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Go to the SCATTER Store to order for When I Grow Up, I’ll Be a Bull!.

Would you like to be a permanent reporter for the SCATTER Chatter Newslet-ter? Would you like to write an article for service hours? Do you have an idea for an article that you would like to share with a reporter?

Please contact Omar Cosme for more information.

S C A T T E R C H A T T E R

March 2017 Newsletter Contributors:

Amy Bolick, Mekayla Cook, Omar Cosme, Caylee Fredette, Emily Gahafer, Ennis Cruz Gon-

zelez, Autumn Handin, Courtney Lancaster, Henry Leng, Emily Lehman, Sara Palczynski, Vibha Rivan,

Evaleigh “Evie” Reele, Brittany Schmiedel, and Kaitlynn Zitnyar

The purpose of the SCATTER Chatter Newsletter is to inform, en-hance and educate the members of the SCATTER organization as they seek and contribute to SCATTER’s Legacy of Excellence.

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On November 18, 2016, SCATTER was presented with the USF World Global Achievement Award to “recognize the ongoing work of our organization as we work to raise the global reputation of the USF System.” Knowing full well that this is a USF priority, I initiated a two-week study and teaching abroad initiative with the help of Nancy DiBella in the USF Study Abroad Office. Typically, USF Study Abroad experiences are much long-er, but I knew we could create a program that would fit the sched-ules of teacher candidates. In sum-mer 2015, that goal was realized. English Education students en-rolled in LAE 4469 or LAE 6467 “World Literature for Teachers” and Elementary Education students enrolled in EDE 4943 “Alternative Setting Field Experience” were eli-gible to go, and I developed a one-hour independent study for other students who wanted the experi-ence but were not in either pro-gram. Dr. Jenn Jacobs and I took the first group of ten students to

study and teach abroad in Costa Rica, and Dr. Jacobs took another ten last summer as well. Not only were students immersed in the cul-ture, but they were able to teach in a private school and visit a public school. Both summers we took supplies to the students in the pub-lic school and will do so again this summer when 21 students attend with Dr. Lauren Braunstein and me with some of her students enrolled in TSL 4324 “ESOL Competencies and Strategies.”

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Many students say they want to study abroad, but money - or the lack thereof - is the number one reason I hear for their not going. There are many opportunities that the university offers to as-sist students if studying abroad is an earnest goal. In fact, pur-suing any number of these op-tions helps SCATTERs to achieve V.I.T.A.L., the highest honor bestowed on a SCAT-TER. Becoming a Global Citi-zen is one way and another is

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Photo Credit: Sonya Sones

Above: The 2015 Inaugural CR Study Abroad Group (L to R): Sara Wisniewski, Stephanie Branco, Sophie Allen, Dr. Jenn Jacobs, Jason Acevedo, Elly Kretchman, Thomas Mazzola, Katrynna Acosta, Dr. Joan Kaywell, Brittany Nestor, & Daniella Rey with Dominique Cribb in front of bull.

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pursuing the many scholarships available through the USF Office of National Scholarships. Not only do I encourage students to attend their workshops, but I also develop special workshops to facilitate their efforts. Of course, you don’t have to take it from me but please read the wonderful testimony written by Ennis Cruz Gonzalez (pp. 16-17) in this newsletter.

The fall semester ended with a group of SCATTERs volunteering at Champions for Children where we wrapped and bagged toys for children. All in all, it was a fantas-tic year. Before the spring semester began, teachers were invited to the Extra Yard Event sponsored by the Col-lege Football Playoff Foundation to celebrate teachers in America. Be-

cause the National College Cham-pionship game between the Clem-son Tigers and Alabama’s Crimson Tide was held in the Raymond James Stadium, we were the lucky recipients of their generosity. My only regret is that I did not know more about the event ahead of time or I would have done a much bet-ter job of advertising it. Fortunate-ly, I did see a few SCATTERs, some former SCATTERs, and some graduates of USF’s College of Education. Though none of them won the classroom makeover prizes, like me, they did benefit from the many speakers Joaquin Zihuatanejo - award-

winning teacher and World Po-etry Slam Champion;

Christian Long - educational futurist and co-founder of WONDER (by design);

Rachel Baribeau - first female sportscaster to ever fully par-

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ticipate in a professional football training camp; Lamar Mills - former defensive

tackle now behavioral coach at Woodlawn Elementary School in Pinellas;

Ashley Grimes - President of the Society for Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) Florida;

Don Yu - Director of the Better Make Room Campaign to get students to attend college;

Lavie Raven - co-founder of the University of Hip-Hop, a multi-disciplinary school of the street arts;

Lori Beth Bradner - Avid Coor-dinator at Randall Middle School in Hillsborough and re-cipient of the 2011 NASA Ex-cellence in Teaching Award;

Courtney Ferrell - creative con-sultant and originator of Girl Up, designed to empower young girls;

Jahana Hayes - 2016 National Teacher of the Year; and

All 2016 State Teachers of the Year, including our own Diane McKee who keynoted the SCATTERs’ Honors Celebra-tion last year; this May 5th Jes-sica Solano will be delivering the address.▪

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Above (L to R): Elizabet Rivera, Amanda Silebi, Cait Snider, Grace Gardner, Autumn Handin, Jordan Blevins, a guide, Matthew Greene, Crystal Bonet, Vibha Rajan, Dr. Jenn Jacobs, and Lindsey Moser.

“Teachers need to change their language from ‘I HAVE to go to work to teach’ to ‘I GET to go to work to teach.’ The fact that we GET TO makes all the difference.”

~Jahana Hayes

The mission of the SCATTER is to enhance the teaching profession by producing exemplary teachers who exhibit a passion for lifetime learning for them-selves and for the students whose lives they touch.

Above: Yu-Ting Tsai, Amanda Silebi, An-drea Thompson, Caylee Fredette, and Dr. Joan Kaywell.

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Above: Teachers flock to get their seats to get insured by Jahana Hayes, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, and HCPS Randall Mid-dle School Teacher Lori Beth Bradner. Below: All of the 2016 State Teachers of the Year attended the event.

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Above: Katherine Reineke, Dr. Kaywell, and Grace Gardner ran into each other at the event. Below: International Teacher of the Year Joanna Hapner meet with former SCATTERs Cory Puppa and Jillian King.

Above: Everyone was encouraged to eat more chicken! Below: National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes shared a good laugh with a fellow teacher.

Below: The 2016 State Teachers of the Year were all recognized and celebrated at the 2017 National Championship Game.

C E L E B R A T I N G D I V E R S I T Y : U N D E R S T A N D I N G A N D A S S I S T I N G S T U D E N T S W I T H S E L E C T I V E M U T I S M

A N D A U T I S M S P E C T R U M C O N T I N U U M ( 1 1 / 1 5 / 1 6 ) By: Kaitlynn Zitnyar

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with opportunities for social in-teractions.

The characteristics include the child being shy, fearful, appear-ing oppositional, and reacting with tantrums. Strategies to help children with selective mutism are to communicate with sym-bols, use pictures for the child to point at, and use games to help the child feel more comfortable. Ways to go out of the box to help students with selective mutism find their way to communicate is by using picture books, repetition, combining art with other content areas, fine arts/musical theater, and music. Music can be benefi-cial by making lists into songs to help them memorize things and have fun while doing it! The book and music finding suggestions include asking a librarian, the As-sociation for Library Service to

Children (ALSC) Notable Children’s Booklist, http://www.the-best-childrens-books.org/, the National Education Association (NEA) Best Books for Children, and http://songsforteaching.com/index.html. She strongly recommended that we watch the HBO production of Au-tism: The Musical. Ellie Weber, a consultant from USF’s Center for Autism and Relat-ed Disabilities (CARD) told us about the free resources about autism and related disabilities for students and families. There are CARD locations at major universities, which provide resources for the surrounding coun-ties. A little-known fact is that teach-ers can call CARD directly for help and information! Students with au-tism have rights to an education, a quality education with instruction that is responsive to their individual needs and that uses evidence-based practices. Autism is more prevalent now. One suggested reason is the increased awareness and understanding of the corresponding exceptionalities, like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), selective mutism, and senso-ry overload. The prevalence rate raised 300% in the last 20 years, and autism collects 41% of all special education services at the national level. Autism is a neurological disorder. A person with autism is diagnosed us-ing five criteria: impairment in so-cial communication and interaction; restrictive repetitive patterns of be-havior, interests, or activities; char-acteristics are present from early

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Five panelists were origi-nally scheduled for this SCAT-TER Workshop but Dr. Flora Zaken-Greenberg, a practicing child psychologist, had to serve on jury duty; she prepared a valu-able handout for us on selective mutism just the same. Award-winning author and song-writer Joni Klein-Higger began the workshop by playing a couple of her original songs and sharing two of her books, Rainbow Friendship and I Have a Voice; the latter is a book about a child with selective mutism that she co-authored with Dr. Zaken-Greenburg. Her goal is to help teachers see the special and unique qualities of each of your students.

Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder where the person is afraid to speak in social situa-tions. People can grow out of the disorder, but some people need therapy to help them deal with the anxiety beneath the selective mut-ism. Pre-kindergarten and kinder-garten teachers are often the first to report it. This is when children are first entering an environment

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Above: Author and songwriter Joni Klein-Higger playing an original song.

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contained to general education classrooms. Dr. Sabella helped to change policy at the national level to help students on the spectrum. She wrote a position statement The Right to Language Support for Students on the Autism Spec-trum that was accepted and passed by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The position statement outlines provisions to be made in the ELA like making material meaningful for learning and finding the spe-cial interest areas (SIA) and using them to the student’s benefit. Dr. Sabella’s research findings showed the strengths and chal-lenges for teachers. The challeng-es: teachers initially used deficit language to describe students with autism, and noticed literacy challenges, social skills challeng-es, and unexpected behaviors. The strengths—teachers eventual-ly became culturally responsive, the students showed extreme competencies (i.e. digital litera-cy), the students exhibited inter-changeability of ELA competen-

cies, and teachers had initially re-ported difficulties finding resources and had turned to families for infor-mation about the students to find the special interest areas (SIAs). There are things you can do to sup-port students on the autism spectrum. Dr. Sabella encouraged us to seek out students with autism in our in-ternship to increase our exposure. Look for uneven literacy skills to identify students sooner who need supplemental instructional time or increased intervention. Learn about and use digital literacy. Remember parents are assets. Look for SIAs. When working with students who have autism, offer explicit instruc-tion. Amanda Dohm is a social worker who works at USF Students with Disabilities Services (SDS) on cam-pus. She described how social work looks at the environment around the person experiencing the challenge as opposed to psychologists who look at the individual. There are 1200 stu-dents who are registered with SDS at USF, and 83% have exceptionalities.

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Childhood; there are limits or im-pairs in everyday functioning (social or occupational function-ing); and the characteristics can-not be explained by an intellectual disability or developmental delay. Characteristics of autism include challenges with turn taking with communication, oppositional be-havior, restrictive or repetitive behaviors, lack of prosody, and the ability to visually store infor-mation. Executive functioning challenges include planning, or-ganizing, reasoning, impulsivity, and mindfulness. Mindfulness is explained by the Theory of Mind, understanding other people do not have the exact same thoughts as you do.

Dr. Laura Sabella, a USF English Education and Secondary Clinical Experiences instructor, encour-aged us to follow inclusive prac-tices and increase access to the English language arts (ELA) for students with exceptionalities. Autism is diagnosed in one out of 68 students. Inclusive classrooms move students through self-

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Above: Dr. Laura Sabella changed poli-cy at the national level to help students on the autism spectrum.

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can also be beneficial for this challenge as well. Hyperfocus can be both a challenge and a strength. When it is presenting a challenge for the student, you can help them direct their attention toward something that is produc-tive. When coping with stress be-comes a challenge, you can offer an outlet and encourage healthy decision making. Transitions can be daunting because of the uncer-tainty. Raising the student’s awareness and providing role-play opportunities will help the student prepare for what is about to happen. Students with autism may have strengths: they can be very logi-cal at times, their SIAs, their di-rect communication and attention to detail, and their tendency to follow rules and schedules. They are often the students in class who have read the material in ad-vance. Accommodations that can be provided include assistive

technology, reduced-distraction test-ing, and audio recording. No copies of instructor notes may be provided. Students with Disabilities Services (SDS) at USF has resources availa-ble: fliers and videos. They have an autism peer-mentoring program where a person with autism is paired with a peer who is typically develop-ing.▪

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She encourages self-advocacy with all of the students she works with. Exceptionalities at USF show 4% with autism or Asper-ger’s. In high school and college, course requirements cannot be changed. The accommodations and services providing to students with excep-tionalities do not guarantee suc-cess. Students are told it is up to them to be successful. Students must self-identify and use their memo of accommodation to re-ceive accommodations. Lastly, universities are not required to offer health services for free; however, there are sometimes sliding scales.

With social challenges, role play can be used to help them practice social interactions. Initial contact can be intimidating, and role play

Above (L to R): Dr. Laura Sabella, Amanda Dohm, Ellie Weber, and Joni Klein-Higger pose in front of Klein-Higger’s children’s book Rainbow Friendship, a bopok that en-courages students to celebrate in each other’s differences. Ten Things Your

Student with Autism Wants You to Know: 1. Learning is

circular, 2. We are a team, 3. I think differently, 4. Behavior is

communication, 5. Communication is

essential to learning,

6. Teach the whole me,

7. Be curious, Build my trust in you,

8. Build my trust in you,

9. Believe in me, and 10. See me as

capable.

S U P P O R T I N G S T U D E N T S ’ M E T A C O G N I T I V E T H I N K I N G A N D S E L F - R E G U L A T E D L E A R N I N G

( 1 / 2 3 / 1 7 ) By: Emily Lehman

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Encouraging Metacognition: Classroom Practices Dr. Kiefer referenced an article called, “Strengthening the Stu-dent Toolbox” (Dunlosky et. al., 2013) to give practical ways we could encourage metacognition in our classroom. Support of meta-cognition includes encouraging students to Develop a study planner, Practice retrieval when study-

ing, Ask “why” questions, Review at the beginning of

the class, and Restudy important material in

a distributed fashion.

Self-Regulating Learning While metacognition focuses on thinking about what you know, self-regulation is managing how we go about learning. Self-regulating learn-ing (SRL) is strategic and involves taking charge of your own learning. This skill is a strong predictor of so-cial and academic success. Like met-acognition, SRL can also be in-creased when it is taught explicitly and learned from experiences. Teachers play a critical role in help-ing students regulate their learning; SRL strategies start with planning. After planning your goals as a learn-er, you need to then monitor and control your attention. The final piece of the strategy cycle is reflec-

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Would you consider your-self a savvy learner? Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions: 1. “What is the format of the up-

coming test? 2. Does procrastinating really

work? 3. How does multi-tasking work

for me?” If these questions ever crossed your mind as you think about your own learning, you might be a savvy learner. Dr. Sarah Kiefer and Katie Jansen started this Spring semester’s first SCATTER workshop with ways to under-stand your own metacognitive thinking and self-regulated learn-ing. While understanding both are important to become an effective learner, it is also important to know how to teach these thinking practices to your students in the classroom. Metacognitive Thinking Metacognition goes beyond the commonly known definition of “thinking about thinking.” It in-cludes both monitoring and con-trolling cognition. While monitor-ing your cognition you may ask yourself, “How am I doing? What do I already know? Does this make sense? How confident am I?” Controlling cognition includes developing a study plan, study pacing, and organization of mate-rial. Metacognition is not some-thing that a person receives all at once; it improves over time through self-reflection, responsi-bility initiative, and goal setting.

Below: The cycle of self-regulated learning strategies as it goes from planning to monitoring then controlling to reflecting.

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these effective behaviors that lead to greater student success. Overcoming Challenges It is not always going to be easy to imbed metacognition and self-regulated learning in your class-room because teachers often feel overwhelmed to teach required content. To teach content while developing these skills at the same time can be challenging. Students are going to need ex-plicit support and encourage-ment. Additionally, teacher edu-cation programs might not teach these skills. Most SCATTERs had never learned this material in their required classes. We were in agreement that preservice teachers need to be informed of methods to incorporate metacog-nitive skills and self-regulated learning in their instruction to help them become proactive and savvy learners themselves and then be able to help their future students as well.

Current SCATTER member Kathe-rine Reinecke said she was “most impressed with seeing how meta-cognition and self-regulation over-lap and are intertwined.” After eating some of Katie Jansen’s delicious baked cookies during our short break, we broke up into groups to strategize ways to over-come challenges and incorporate metacognitive and self-regulating practices in our own classrooms. As future teachers, it was very applica-ble to see specific areas where we could be promoting metacognitive and self-regulating strategies. We talked about providing warm cor-rective feedback, keeping records, setting goals, and helping learners make connections between abstract concepts. It is our job as educators to provide students with strategies that support them in their efforts to learn to their fullest potential. Finally, Dr. Sarah Kiefer and Katie Jansen provided us with great re-sources to incorporate metacogni-tion and self-regulated learning in our classrooms: Activities for Metacognition

from DePaul Teaching Com-mons,

Common Self-Regulation Strat-egies, and How-to Instruction for Self-Regulated Learning Strategies from UConn’s Na-tional Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.▪

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tion. It is important for learners to self-evaluate their progress so that they can start the cycle over again, making improvements and becoming better learners. Encouraging Self-Regulated Learning: Classroom Practices To first apply self-regulated learning in the classroom, the teacher acts as the leader by di-rect instruction, modeling, and using resources such as KWL charts and driving questions. Next the responsibility will shift from teacher as leader to teacher as guide. Here, the teacher will manage strategy use, monitor goal progress, and make learning visible. In the final transition, the teacher becomes the reflector in how s/he reflects on the progress or outcome, and attributes suc-cess to effort and effective strate-gy use rather than abilities. As the teacher models these roles of leader, guide, and reflector, the students will be able to emulate

Above: Dr. Sarah Kiefer shares a laugh with SCATTERs at the opening SCATTER workshop for the spring semester.

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It wasn’t long before we were up and moving, taking part in the kinetic tangi-bility that characterizes the essence of SCATTER. As Mr. Zickafoose played a song, we walked and shook hands with everyone. When the music stopped, we shared a challenge we were experiencing in our internship with a partner. The time came for me to speak, and I felt a rush of relief to share my story. I imme-diately felt better knowing that I wasn’t alone as everyone shared their stories with the whole group. Mr. Zickafoose took some time to share advice and give us encouragement. After the activity, he split us into different groups. I was both-ered by having to sit away from my friends, but I was now engaged in the workshop. Mr. Zickafoose then gave a very short lecture on classroom management, em-phasizing that all students want to know the following information when they first meet you: Am I in the right place? Where am I supposed to sit? What will I be doing this year?

Who is this teacher as a person? How will I be graded? What are the rules in this classroom? Will the teacher treat me as a human

being? He reminded us of the importance of water, and that simply sending a disruptive or sleepy student to the water fountain could prevent a referral, argument, or some other unfortunate event from occurring. He uses music in the classroom for multiple purpos-es: it can help students to remember key facts (i.e. North America, South Ameri-ca, Europe, Asia, Africa Australia, Antarcti-ca); can alter the class’s mood, and can even make it easier for some students to think. The point that stuck most with me was how Mr. Zickafoose lamented that some teachers still ask for volunteers to answer questions. Asking for volunteers almost always results in the same few students answering, and at least a handful falling through the cracks. I did not get into education to lose students to distraction or negligence. I was reinvigorat-ed and will be sure to use the “Numbered Heads Together” strategy: Teacher asks a question. A team of students have x seconds to

make sure all of them know the answer. Teacher randomly calls on one of the

students in the team. Student answers the question. Class gives feedback (thumbs up/down)

By the time we were giving our traditional SCATTER thank you to Mr. Zickafoose, I realized that I had entered TECO Hall that night like so many of our students do. Ex-hausted. Distracted. Thinking of all the plac-es I’d like to be at that moment. But Mr. Zickafoose caught my attention, he made me feel like part of something great, and gave me information that was immediately relevant. This is the kind of learning we

need to be striving for.▪

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While an education major’s internship can be a real challenge, it can also be very rewarding. It is this dichoto-my that paints the entirety of the experi-ence as you watch the case studies, prac-tices, and theory fly off the page and into real life, where the promise of a vibrant learning community lies just at the hori-zon. But then you see things differently, as all your ideas and expectations are tested and sometimes disproved. With all of this swirling in my head and tired from a long day of internship, I shuffled into the TECO hall for the first day of SCATTER Success Summit Part 2 on Classroom Management: SCATTER Style. Before I could finish greeting my sleepy peers, or picking out a seat where I wouldn’t be noticed, a stocky gentleman appeared before me. He gave me a stur-dy handshake, which I tried to match with a teacher presence of my own; I was immediately alert. He exuded an air of leadership, but not of the arrogance that too often follows. He was confident, energetic, and his name was Steve Zick-afoose. Mr. Zickafoose began by congratulating us for being members of SCATTER, relaying his great pride as a former SCATTER student himself, and remind-ing us that we are part of a legacy of excellence; we earn that inheritance eve-ry time we go that extra mile. I smiled, but the exhausted side of my brain whined about how tiring excellence can be. I wondered if my time would have been better invested in grading the stack of worksheets in my backpack and get-ting to bed a bit early.

The most important step regarding classroom managment is in engaging students with meaningful and relevant material.

~Steve Zickafoose

Above: Steve Zickafoose, a SCATTER graduate and assistant principal, guar-antees that being a SCATTER matter.

Below: SCATTERs practice their hand-shakes while sharing internship chal-lenges with one another.

S C H O L A R S H I P S : T H E V A L U E O F P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T , N E T W O R K I N G A N D B E I N G A

L E A D E R ( 2 / 3 / 1 7 ) By: Brittany Schmiedel

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tion students could use this scholarship for the Cambridge Experience, and Sec-ondary Education majors could use this scholarship for programs like Summer in London. Winners receive a maximum of $5,000 for this scholarship and can ap-ply once a year. The Gilman Scholarship is also intended for four-week long Study Abroad Programs; it has a maxi-mum winning amount of $5,000 and is limited to Pell Grant Recipients. The Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) Scholarship is $1,000. While you don’t have to be a PKP member to receive this scholarship, it does require a 3.75 GPA and a 750-word personal statement. The DAAD (German Academic Ex-change Service) involves studying abroad in Germany or completing a mas-ters’ program in Germany. For students looking to spend an extended amount of time in Asia, the Freeman-Asia Scholar-ship is for a summer consisting of eight weeks or a semester consisting of 12 weeks. Recipients must have a 2.8 GPA and receive the Pell Grant. There are two scholarships available for students

who want to study a critical language (Chinese, Arabic, Persian, Japanese, etc.). First, the Boren Scholarship is a fully-funded, full-semester abroad studying one of the 60 critical languages; the Boren Scholar-ship also guarantees job placement in Na-tional Security upon graduation! Second, the Critical Language Scholarship is a fully-funded 8-10 week program, studying one of the critical languages in the country it’s spo-ken. Many of the language options don’t even require previous experience! The Fulbright Scholarship is not only pres-tigious, but it can grant you the opportunity to do research, study, or teach abroad. For studying abroad, Fulbright winners receive a fully-funded trip (you specify the country, school, and/or program) to complete your master’s degree abroad. They also have a branch of the scholarship dedicated to stu-dents who want to teach abroad. This would also be a fully-funded 12-month program as a Teacher’s Assistant abroad. Applicants can apply for only one country at a time, and must be done with their undergraduate de-gree prior to leaving for either of these pro-grams. There are over 50 countries included

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As SCATTER members, we signed up to be problem solvers and the best educators we can be. We participate in the community, attend professional development workshops, and Do What-ever It Takes - making us DWITs! Scholarships are already available to us, especially for studying and teaching abroad! Robert Annis, an Advisor in the USF Office of National Scholarships (ONS) and the Honors College, gave us a detailed look at some of the scholar-ships available. According to Mr. Annis, the ONS aims to, “find, recruit and mentor high per-forming students with applications for nationally competitive scholarships and opportunities.” They guide you through the application process through various workshops Dr. Kaywell constantly en-courages us to attend (see p. 37): how to write personal statements, essay strate-gies, the interview, and faculty review preparation; they offer one-on-one schol-arship mentoring as well. He also debunked some common myths about scholarships. The ONS does not help students apply for scholarships for USF tuition or textbooks. The scholar-ships that ONS handles are non-USF funds that are not primarily used for USF studies. These scholarships include re-search opportunities, graduate school paid internships, and studying/teaching abroad. What about the “I don’t have time!” myth? Most of the required crite-ria involve things we are already doing: high academic performance, strong rec-ommendation letters, service and leader-ship experience, and an international perspective. Think Global! To gain a global perspective, Annis recommends diversifying your interests. As an MFA in Creative Writing, he is currently learn-ing Japanese and Sanskrit to enhance his writing. Find something you find inter-esting and work on it. When it comes right down to it, your interests make you unique. The Fund for Education Abroad Scholar-ship (FEAS) is aimed towards study abroad programs through USF that are four weeks or longer. Elementary Educa-

Above (L to R): Joan Kaywell, Susan Houser, Emily Lehman, Wei-Ling Kuo, Robert Annis, Amanda LaRue, Heather Thomas, Brittany Schmiedel, Michael Stevens, Amy Whitehurst, Shannon McLaughlin, and Katherine Reinecke

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V O L U M E 3 7 , I S S U E 2

We also have a chance at USF Awards through the USF Office of National Scholarships. The Golden Bull Award is given annually to no more than 20 USF students who actively represent the spirit of USF and the values of the university. Students must have a 3.0 GPA or higher, be in good standing with the university, and demonstrate their commitment to the university through leadership. In the last four years, Dr. Kaywell has only nominated one student. Annis remarked this award requires a large amount of service hours! Another attainable award for us SCAT-TER members is the Global Citizen Award. Winners receive $2,500 to study abroad, a cord to wear at graduation, and earn SCATTER V.I.T.A.L. To start the Global Citizen Adventure, students must attend a “Getting Started” workshop.

SCATTERs should visit the ONS Web-site, create a profile, and start looking at the scholarships available. You can make a one-on-one appointment with representatives in the office by calling them at 813-974–3087 and follow them on their Facebook page. The earlier you start the better, but it’s never too late! There are hundreds more scholarships and awards available, and the opportuni-ties are there and waiting for you. The second half of the workshop fo-cused on the importance of finding your learned society home. Susan Houser, the current President of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and Dr. Kaywell talked with us about the importance of getting involved with our professional organizations. According to Ms. Houser, “In this age of accounta-bility, teachers need to be prepared spokespersons for our profession and for what we know to be true about teaching and learning.” Not only do we need to know about policy, how to affect policy,

and the current state of education, but we also need to surrounded by teachers with as much passion for the field as we have. Un-fortunately, there are a lot of jaded and un-happy teachers out there. Many of them are at the schools where we intern or will be at the schools where we eventually will work. We need to be surrounded by other educa-tors who can lift our spirits; exchange strate-gies; and help advocate for our students, our profession, and our peers. According to Dr. Kaywell, “With all the effort we are putting into our field and work we put into affecting change, we all need to find [our] learning society home. Much like we have here in SCATTER, where we help each other, offer opportunities, and support each other’s en-deavors, professional organizations offer the same support on local, state, and national levels.” Many of these organizations were founded “on the steps of anarchy” (Houser) to help teachers, support teachers and be a voice for teachers. Once noted for journals, learned societies now help to create a form of soli-darity among professional educators.  Professional organizations have numerous scholarships and grants available that some-times go unused! At NCTE, for example, teachers in their first five years may apply for classroom supplies and conference ex-penses in order to present at a conference. The NCTE recently established the Kent D. Williamson Fellowship, which grants a classroom teacher up to $3,500 and the op-portunity to work in the NCTE Washington D.C. office over the summer to experience influencing educational policy. Getting involved in our learned societies not only gives us the tools we need to affect change in our specific area of teaching, but provides us the support we all need in and

outside the classroom.▪

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in this scholarship, including Costa Rica. Mr. Annis recommended that to be a competitive applicant, you must show you are prepared for this type of pro-gram. By visiting the country you intend on applying for shows more prepared-ness on your part. Participating in the Costa Rica Study Abroad Program this summer with Dr. Kaywell, or participat-ing in any of the many study abroad pro-grams offered at USF would satisfy this requirement. There are many workshops through the ONS for information on the Fulbright scholarship, and Dr. Laura Chambers is the main Fulbright repre-sentative in the ONS Office.

The Institution for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) has a mass-interview-fair in Andover, Maine, each year for teach-ers and prospective teachers wishing to pursue graduate school. Winners of this award receive a stipend for room and board. The Truman Scholarship is in-tended for students who want to be agents of change in the nation. Recipi-ents of this award will work in govern-ment, affect educational policy, and have a direct impact on our field. Leadership is key for this scholarship.

Above (L to R): Robert Annis verifies that SCATTERs already have the “Core Four” to make a competitive applicant for scholarships.

FREE 1-Hour Workshop: “Start Your Own Adventure toward a Glob-al Citizen Award” RSVP REQUIRED - Go to http://www.usf.edu/gcp/students/gcaward-starting.aspx. Write up required for credit. 3/22 (W) 2:00 - 3:15 MSC 3709 3/30 (R) 11:00 - 12:15 MSC 3709 4/6 (R) 9:30 - 10:45 MSC 3709 4/11 (T) 2:00 - 3:15 MSC 3709

4/19 (W) 11:00 - 12:15 MSC 3709 4/24 (M) 12:30 - 1:45 MSC 3709

“In this age of accountability, teachers need to be prepared spokespersons for our profession and for what we know to be true about teaching and learning.”

~Susan Houser, NCTE President

A S C A T T E R T E S T I M O N Y : H O W I G O T M Y S T U D Y A B R O A D P A I D F O R T H R O U G H S C A T T E R A N D

S C H O L A R S H I P S By: Ennis Cruz Gonzalez

V O L U M E 3 7 , I S S U E 2

the process of teaching abroad. Although the Teaching and Stud-ying Abroad in Costa Rica trip this summer fits my future goals perfectly, the financial aid I had did not cover the cost of the pro-gram. If I wanted to go—and I was positive that I wanted to— then scholarships were crucial for me. Through SCATTER, I learned about the Global Citizens Project (GCP) and was encouraged to pursue it. This program offered 45 summer scholarships of $2,500 to students willing to complete the project and become global citizens; dong so would also make me V.I.T.A.L. This could not have been a more per-fect fit for my goals. Through the GCP I was able to conduct re-search in Second Language Ac-quisition with the head of the Lin-guistics Department -- something

I never would have imagined. More-over, I took the leadership position of being an iBuddy Event and Com-munications Coordinator where I met several inspiring domestic and international students. The best part of my journey with the GCP was the wealth of knowledge that was introduced to me about our world. For example, I attended a fair that focused on the refugee commu-nity in Tampa. Did you know that from 2010-2015 about 11,000 refu-gees were resettled in Hillsborough County? After learning this, I began working closely with this community by volunteering some of my morn-ings at a local elementary school that teaches refugee children English. Once I completed the GCP, I not on-ly received a scholarship to study abroad this summer, but I also gained insight on what it means to be

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I chose the University of South Florida (USF) because of the future it promised for me. I chose the SCATTER Honors Pro-gram because it offered me a way to make that future into a reality. When I decided to attend USF, I did so because I knew that I would get the chance to conduct undergraduate research, study abroad, and learn about different cultures; however, I had no one to guide me towards any of these goals. Since these opportunities are also time-consuming and ex-pensive, I was at a loss about what I could do to achieve them but I was not going to give up. Everything I have done educa-tionally thus far has been funded by scholarships and grants. Both of my parents received their de-grees in Puerto Rico, but when I was eight and our financial situa-tion negatively affected the quali-ty of education I received, my parents moved us to the United States. Their sacrifice of leaving everything behind taught me that money should not prevent me from receiving a quality education as long as I’m working hard to deserve it. When I came across SCATTER my freshman year at USF, I knew that I found a place to help make my goals a reality for me despite my financial situa-tion. As a student pursuing a degree in English Education with hopes of teaching abroad, my SCATTER advisor Dr. Kaywell and her as-sistant Mrs. Andrea Thompson both highly encouraged me to study abroad to learn more about

Continued on page 17

Above: Ennis Cruz Gonzalez currently serves as the SCATTER Chatter Co-Editor in Chief and works in the SCATTER Office as a Federal Work-Study student .

“SCATTER is not just a program that helps students become better teachers through workshops. SCATTER is also a program that can help guide you towards all the resources that USF has that can help you get scholarships, get research experience, gain insight on multicultural education, networking, etc.” ~Ennis Cruz Gonzalez

V O L U M E 3 7 , I S S U E 2 P A G E 1 7

a global citizen and how this affects my future students. In addition to this scholarship, SCATTER gave me direct access to the Office of National Scholarships (ONS). After attending a workshop about the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, Mr. Robert Annis told me about a grant for $1,500 that I could receive for my summer study abroad. After meeting with my study abroad advisor and my financial aid advisor, I received an email a couple days later letting me know that I also received that grant requested. I don’t say all this to glorify myself, but rather to inspire anyone who’s reading this. SCATTER is not just a program that helps students become better teachers through workshops. SCATTER is also a program that can help guide you towards all the resources that USF has that can help you get scholarships, get research experi-ence, gain insight on multicultural education, networking, etc. There’s so much more out there. All you have to do is ask and be willing to put in the work because it is all worth it in the end. I was not only able to ac-quire $4,000 in scholarships for my 2017 summer study abroad trip to Costa Rica, but I was also given the chance to strengthen my professional background. Now, I’m even raising the bar a little higher and applying to study abroad in the fall in South Korea, since this is the country I plan to teach in after graduation. But aside from all that, I also I realized that I’m not just studying abroad for myself. I’m doing this to show my future students, whether they’re minority or not, that as long as they work hard, their situation does not limit them from achieving academic success -- however they may define that. What can SCATTER help you accomplish? Take it from me — it can help you make your dreams come true! It’s up to you to pursue them.▪ The Fulbright Scholarship is a fellowship program where students go abroad to study for 8 - 12 months. A Fulbright scholar may complete field research, complete a graduate school program, or teach as English teach-ers assistants overseas. The “What Is Fulbright and How Do I Apply?” workshop is the first of three work-shops to prepare students who want to apply for a Fulbright. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is intended to work in close collaboration with other countries. From an experience he had in 1925, Senator J. William Fulbright introduced a bill in Congress to fund the “promotion of international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science” and President Truman signed the bill into law a year later in 1946. Fulbright scholars immerse themselves in the culture and community of their fellowship country and then give back to their community back home. Ful-bright students use the knowledge they gain in the fellowship to affect change domestically. The example giv-en was about one USF student who studied Music Education in the UK, then returned home to fight for music education in public schools across the country. Fulbrighters come back home as cultural ambassadors and eventually become leaders in their field. The Fulbright application opens on April 3, and requires and extensive amount of statement writing and revi-sion. Applicants will need strong recommendation letters from professors, a strong personal statement, a pro-ject proposal, and (in some cases) an affiliation letter, and a foreign language evaluation. Dr. Chambers has helped over 250 students apply for a Fulbright and encourages interested students and faculty to explore the Fulbright Scholarship website in order to begin researching countries/programs of interest and their respective specific requirements. Interested students should attend the USF Office of National Scholarships (ONS) many workshops to gain SCATTER Workshop credit and knowledge on how to study abroad with financial sup-port.▪

T H E F U L B R I G H T S C H O L A R S H I P I N F O R M A T I O N W O R K S H O P

By: Brittany Schmiedel

FREE 1-Hour Workshop: “Fulbright: How to Write a Competitive Statement” RSVP REQUIRED - Go to the USF Office of National Scholarships (ONS) Webpage. http://ons.usf.edu/calendarlist.asp. Write up re-quired for credit.

4/21 (F) 2:00 - 3:00 ALN 233

V O L U M E 3 7 , I S S U E 2

All students eat breakfast and lunch at school. The school day starts at 7:00 a.m., beginning the day with prayer and a story from the Bible. The first lesson of the day is then introduced, then at

about 8:00 a.m., students stop working and eat their breakfasts in the classroom. Fol-lowing breakfast is morning recess. It was so interesting to see this model where school begins prior to breakfast. In the United States, students who eat breakfast at school eat before the school day begins. We also do not eat meals in the classrooms, only in the cafeteria. Teachers in Costa Rica do not monitor students during recess nor do teach-ers walk them to the playground. Students are free to roam and play as they please. I know that if were to let my students walk to the playground and play unsupervised, it would not be promising for my future career as a teacher. At 10:00 a.m., students are given a snack break, also known as a fruit break, for ten minutes; it was beautiful. Almost every single student ate fresh fruit that they brought from home. As a resident of a junk food nation where I see students eating pro-cessed snacks everyday, it was so refreshing and encouraging seeing how Costa Rican children are taught to manage their diets. At about noon, students have their lunch break. The elementary students (pre-k through 6th grade) eat lunch in the classroom. If a child did not bring a lunch, a cafeteria lunch is brought to the classroom for purchase. Sec-ondary students (7th through 12th grade) are given the option to eat lunch in the cafeteria or at outdoor tables. The lunch break in-cludes enough time to eat and have a second recess. Most of the other aspects of education are the same between Costa Rica and America. Students are taught all subjects: English (grammar and literature), math, history, and science. They also take electives such as physical education, music, art, home eco-nomics and wood-shop/metal-shop, which they call “industrial arts.” Unlike here, they maintain a bilingual environment during their entire educational process. All the textbooks and classes are taught in English, while the students speak to each other in Spanish. Despite their tendency to avoid speaking in English, they complete their education as bilingual graduates. It was an incredible opportunity and experi-ence to work at Colegio Monterrey and I am truly grateful. If given the opportunity, I

would love to return and teach there again.▪

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Our experience at Colegio Monterrey was a wonderful introduction to primary education in Costa Rica. While American schools separate pre-school, elementary school, middle school, and high school, Colegio Mon-terrey has all the students together on one campus. They are separated by buildings: pre-school and kindergarten are together in one building, 1st through 6th grade are in one building, and 7th through 12th grade are in another build-ing. There are play areas dedicated to the younger grades and soccer fields open to the older grades. Our classrooms in the United States are far more structured than what we ob-served in Colegio Monterrey. Our teach-ers demand silence while they are teach-ing, and student socialization must be minimized during independent work. In Costa Rica, the students are not repri-manded for chatter while the teacher is teaching. As long as they are not too loud, a little chitchat is accepted. During independent and/or group work, there is a lot of movement and socialization that occur simultaneously as the students are working. The teachers do not try to cor-rect them, tell them to stop talking, or tell them to stay in their seats. This was probably my biggest educational culture shock moment.

Above (L to R): Lindsey Moser, Vibha Rajan, Grace Gardner, and Matthew Greene at Colegio Monterrey in San Pedro, Costa Rica.

Congratulations to the USF students studying abroad in Costa Rica this summer 2017: 1. Julie Allen - Pre-Early

Childhood Education 2. Hunter Campoamor

Magann – Elementary Education

3. Gina Capozzi – Elementary Education

4. Jose Cristobal – Elementary Education

5. Amanda Enos – Elementary Education

6. Nancy Garcia – Pre-Elementary Education

7. Ennis Cruz Gozalez - English Education

8. Rachel Gregory – Curriculum & Instruction

9. Sarah Lucker – Social Science Education

10. Caitlyn Lutz – Exceptional Student Education

11. Lauren Madsen – Elementary Education

12. Sidney O’Sullivan – Elementary Education

13. Sara Palczynski – English Education

14. Amanda Racioppi – Elementary Education

15. Katherine Reinecke – Elementary Education

16. Hannah Seamans – Elementary Education

17. Ellie Sharp – Elementary Education

18. Erika Shick – Elementary Education

19. Michael Stevens – Curriculum & Instruction

20. Heather Thomas – English Education

21. Unique Watkins – Elementary Education

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S T O T H O S E S T U D Y I N G A B R O A D I N C O S T A R I C A D U R I N G S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 : W H A T I

L E A R N E D L A S T Y E A R W H E N I W E N T By: Vibha Rajan

S C A T T E R S A T T E N D A V A R I E T Y O F P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T O P P O R T U N I T I E S O N A N D O F F

C A M P U S

By: Autumn Handin

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On October 22, 2016, I attended a Hills-borough County Public School Literacy Expo where former NCTE President Carol Jago presented an over-view of vocabulary instruction in an elementary class-room. She began with explaining that our writing vo-cabulary falls somewhere between our spoken and reading vocabulary. Often, students are frustrated when writing because they do not have the words to explain their thoughts. Students need to be exposed to words at least six or seven different times in a text before it can transition into their own vocabulary bank. Therefore, the key to increasing students’ vo-cabulary is not learning a certain number of words a week then being tested on them. Rather, students’ vo-cabulary will increase significantly with the more they read. Ms. Jago was clear when explaining text is not only words. Students can read, analyze, and infer from illustrations; in fact some students may take more inferential risks with visual texts over written texts. Ms. Jago introduced Sidewalk Flowers, a word-less picture book. She guided us to the conclusion that we can read a book without words by inferring from the illustrations. Ms. Jago mentioned when the text or task is meaning-ful, suddenly it does not feel like work. She explained readers must work through their texts as bicyclists must pedal a bike through their journey. With this in

Above: Carol Jago served as the Presi-dent of the National Council of Teach-ers of English (NCTE) and as a class-room teacher for over three decades.

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M E E T I N G W O R D S W H E R E T H E Y L I V E : V O C A B U L A R Y I N S T R U C T I O N R E V I S -I T E D

mind, it is important to remember the difference be-tween difficulty and complexity. The difficulty of the text can be differentiated based on your stu-dents’ needs; however, the complexity of the text should always be maintained. She concluded the presentation by listing several rich texts we might consider using: Maybe Something Beautiful by Isa-bel Campoy, Lillian’s Right to Vote by Jonah Win-ter, The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, The Wild Book by Margarita Engle, and Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet.▪

“Students’ vocabulary will increase significantly with the more they read.” ~ Carol Jago

I N D E P E N D E N T R E A D I N G F O R G R A D E S 2 — 5 By: Autumn Handin

On November 15, 2016, I was able to attend another professional development workshop spon-sored by Hillsborough County Public School. The presenters thoroughly explained how independent reading fits into readers’ workshop, the role of data, classroom libraries, and independent reading con-ferences. After shared reading, there should be inde-pendent reading (with conferences), guided reading, and literature studies/circles, followed by sharing or evaluating as a whole group. The sharing or evalu-ating may include book hooks, reading responses, or random students sharing what they learned, read, or practiced. We reviewed how to set up the first 20 days of in-dependent reading, which can begin on the first day of school or at any other point in the year. The over-view helped to explain how to set up and launch independent reading, which requires a lot of model-ing and practice. Students need to learn how to choose books, build their reading stamina, learn what to do when they get stuck, how to check for their understanding, how to respond to reading, etc. When establishing this in your classroom, it is im-portant to specify what the students and teachers will be expected to do during this time to explicitly indicate that everyone has a specific role. Classroom libraries can be organized in numerous ways. Arranging it by genres gives students a vari-ety of choices without limiting them by their read-ing level. Creating displays for new books, maga-zines, or other texts can increase students’ interest

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in the books available in your classroom library. Us-ing book passes and book hooks are also great ways to introduce students to different books. Book passes are when students skim a book, write down a few comments, then share with others to introduce many students to new books. Book hooks are similar to commercials for books. The intention is to encour-age others to want to read the book. The facilitators gave us data to learn about students based on FAIR, SAT, and FSA data; reading interest surveys; and videos of reading conferences. Watch-ing the conference and having the teacher’s notes was advantageous in understanding the students as whole people, more than scores. Reading inventories and independent reading conferences can help us understand how to better support our students based on their needs. Overall, the workshop presenters thoroughly explained how to set up and maintain independent reading and conferences, and provided excellent ideas, suggestions, and strategies.▪

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By: Sara Palczynski T H E T A M P A B A Y A R E A W R I T I N G P R O J E C T ( T B A W P )

On November 12, 2016, I attended the Tam-pa Bay AWP Conference here at USF. The two ses-sions I attended had excellent speakers who present-ed their information well and opened my eyes to new teaching strategies and ideas. Using Argumentative Writing. The presenter Dr. Betty Herzhauser taught us the importance of allow-ing our students to learn to craft an argument. As a group, we discussed the many definitions of this form of writing. This was a main focus of the ses-sion because we cannot teach our kids how to do something if we do not understand the complexity of the argument itself. We all said that arguments have a motive, are between people trying to prove some-thing, and they are formed in order to persuade someone. We then practiced writing arguments and interpreting arguments from articles she distributed. This was helpful as we put our ideas and words into practice. This session showed and reminded me that arguments are an important and healthy part of life. Great Finds in Content. The second session I at-tended was very interesting as our speaker Ms. Ran-dall was full of excitement over her ideas. She gave us a large amount of resources and explained to us a process that she uses so her students better under-

stand content and vocabulary. She gave us an article about a boy who played football at a high school in a rough neighborhood and then gave us instructions as though we were her actual students. We circled vo-cabulary words, wrote poems based on these words, and were forced to think about the content from dif-ferent angles. We essentially analyzed the piece by bringing creative writing into the process. I plan on being creative with my students when it comes to having them understand what they are reading, so I really enjoyed this session.▪ 

The Tampa Bay Area Writing Project (TBAWP) is an affiliate of the National Writing Project and a partner with USF. TBAWP is a nonprofit profes-sional development organization that teaches teachers in the Tampa Bay area about teaching writing at all grade levels. The 2016 Fall Conference consisted of three sessions with four dif-ferent workshops during a ses-sion.

Using Argumentative Writing. Dr. Betty Her-zhauser, an English Teacher who teaches AP English Language and Composition at Osceola High School in Pinellas County, began by saying that “argument” is a popular term used by standards writers, but they use the term loosely. Argument is found everywhere from sports to education. Argument requires students to make reasoned claims to defend a position. A claim is a statement that as-serts a belief or a truth; a claim is not a thesis. Think of a thesis as the entire position while the claim helps to further advance the thesis. Reasoning expands up-on the claim by offering evidence with a fact or an-other claim; evidence is offered to support the argu-ment. Evidence may be based on principles of reason and shared knowledge (artistic appeal) or it may be facts, statistics, eyewitness testimonies or other evi-dence that is found by the writer (inartistic appeal). Opinions are not evidence. People are entitled to their own opinions but not to their own facts. Facts are not claims and they cannot be argued; however, people attempt to argue facts.  

T B A W P P R E S E N T S W R I T I N G U N -D E R C O N S T R U C T I O N : B U I L D I N G T O O L S F O R T H E T R A D E By: Henry Leng

Continued on page 21

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In 1958, British philosopher Stephen Toulmin pre-sented the Toulmin’s Argument Model, also called the legal argument, in which there is a claim, evi-dence and reasoning, a warrant, and a backing. The warrant is the logical and persuasive connection be-tween the claim and the evidence/reasoning, while the backing supports the warrant; it also incorporates the acknowledgement of counterclaims.

Five literary structures include narrative/descriptive, cause and effect, problem and solution, chronologi-cal/sequential, and compare and contrast. The differ-ent structures can be seen in all other subject areas including mathematics (problem/solution), science (cause/effect), literature, and social sciences. This understanding enables students to view writing as interdisciplinary and important. Three Tampa Bay Times news’ articles used in the seminar to demonstrate the different structures were “Just saying ‘no’ to high heels at Cannes (and the White House)” by Katherine Snow Smith (5-21-15), “Congress’ delays on the infrastructure must end” by Kathy Castor (5-21-15), and “For Tampa Bay, Lightning plays coolest game in town” by Tom Jones (5-23-15). These pieces can be used to intro-duce different structures for students’ argumentative writing. Students need to know the purpose of writing. Dr. Herzhauser believes evidence generally comes first to lead to a claim. Although students are expected to write their claim then their evidence and then their reasoning on standardized tests, Dr. Herzhauser be-lieves providing evidence and then backing up the evidence with reasoning provides students with greater opportunity to display a more sophisticated

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style of writing. She understands that standardized testing does not allow students to show this style, but this style may be used in AP essays and research pa-pers. Great Finds in Content. Elvira Randall, an English teacher at McKeel Academy in Polk County present-ed this session. We used mentor texts as scaffolds to create word collections and then used this acquired vocabulary in personal fiction and non-fiction writing to demonstrate understanding of the content. The first activity she modelled was called the “Found Summary”. We used an article from Sports Illustrat-ed “Young, Gifted & Homeless” by L. Jon Wertheim and Ken Rodriguez that shows the struggles of high school athletes using sports for their hope and escape from homelessness as they looked towards higher education to improve their lives. After choosing an article, the directions are as follows: 1. Read the article; 2. As you read, write down any “great find” words

you come across; A. Words important to the topic. B. Words that elaborate/describe the topic. C. New and unfamiliar words.

3. After reading the article, write a summary para-graph using some of the great find words you found;

4. Underline them in the paragraph; and 5. Use the title of the article as the title of the sum-

mary.

Continued on page 22

Above: Dr. Betty Herzhauser has been a writing consultant with TBAWP since 2004. Besides being a classroom teacher, she also teaches at USF in Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Above: Elvira Randall has been a writing consultant with TBAWP since 2001.

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Students may also create a “Found Poem”. Using only words from the found word list of great find words, create a found poem by arranging the words so that they tell the story or the essence of the arti-cle. Use words from the list to craft the title of your poem. Other articles great to use for this assignment are both from National Geographic: “Too Young to Wed: The secret world of child brides” by Cynthia Gorney and “Tsunamis: The Calm before the Wave” by Tim Folger. Ms. Randall shared an activity she calls “Content Tell All” where students are asked to create a piece of writing that has to do with a topic written in the context of a tabloid theme.  

Variations include creating horoscopes or personal ads for important topics.

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Ms. Randall then went on to describe how she used “Where I’m From” poems when working with The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. Students are asked to write a poem as a character from the novel.

Many of the activities could be used in any subject area and class level. Other ideas include blackout po-etry and using shells as a vehicle for their poems as seen below.

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Above: A student’s example of the “Content Tell All” assign-ment written in the context of a tabloid theme.

The Shocking Truth about Dangerous Liaisons: We Need to Talk about Atom

Diatomic. That’s how Oxy Gen described their rela-tionship. Nothing could tear them apart or come be-tween them. That was before she met those other atoms. From the beginning, Oxy Gen claimed her relationship with each new atom was merely platon-ic; they weren’t attached, just casual flirting. Even-tually, she changed her name to Ozone, citing mo-lecular differences. Always the allotrope, Ozone sits pale and toxic these days, the result of attaching her-self to multiple partners. It’s not only her sharp odor that gives her away.

Math Horoscope

October 23-November 21 You must realize that it is not your side of zero that matters; it is your absolute value. Your friend and you are adjacent; don’t distance yourself. Lucky numbers 2, 5 and 7 are prime for you. Stick with yellow, the third color of the rainbow, odd as that may seem. Stay indoors on days expressed as 10/26 or 10/31. Fractions will be harmful to you this week.

Above: A student’s example of the “Content Tell All” assign-ment written as a horoscope.

Bacteria Personal Ad

Ideal Mate Wanted: A free-living mutualist, I often enjoy close intimate relationships with Eukaryotes. Seeking a cell with which to spend quality time get-ting down and dirty, with the possibility of fixing nitrogen on legume nodules. Sound romantic? Wait until you see my fabulous flagella.

Above: A student’s example of the “Content Tell All” assign-ment written as a person ad.

I’m From . . . Poem

I’m from proper pine trees and late nights, From Lee and Jackson. I’m from the bloated dead bodies And bloodstained clothes. From Yes, Sir! And No, Sir! I’m from the smell of coffee With the smell of blood And poker nights.

Above: A student’s example of a “Where I’m From” poem based on a character from Shaara’s Killer Angels.

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Out of the Graveyard into Writing History. Melissa Carl, an AGP teacher at Grady Elementary School in Hillsborough County, has been a consult-ant with TBAWP since 2004. Her presentation was created by Mary Reed from TBAWP class of 2003. Ms. Reed created this activity after she learned about her personal history with the City of Tampa. The presentation focused on the Oaklawn Cemetery in Tampa where people may go on walking tours. We learned about different historical figures buried at the cemetery. Did you know that U.S. Repre-sentative Stephen M. Sparkman, Governor Henry Mitchell, cattle king William Brinton Hooker, gang-ster Charles McKay Wall, Captain Wilson Hubbard, and Don Vicente Martinez Ybor, are buried there? There’s even a ghost named Charles Owen who sup-posedly appears hanging near his grave at sunset, and there are memorial plaques for slaves and others in Tampa who died of yellow fever. One of the most celebrated tombstones is of William and Nancy Ashley. William married his African-American slave, and their tombstone reads, “Master and Serv-ant. Faithful to each other in that relation in life, in death they are not separated. Stranger consider and be wiser. In the grave all human distinction of race or caste mingle together in one common dust.” We then created poems of these figures after we learned more about them. Students can learn about historical figures and create poems as well. The poem is in the format (see upper right):

Name, Name Adjective, adjective, adjective name Telling sentence Telling sentence (lines 3 and 4 rhyme) I wonder ___________ Or ____________ Or ____________.

We then designed a tombstone that reflects the life of a family member and were given only $1500 for engraving; each letter or character costs $20.00 so a little math is involved. In the final activity, we used artifacts to write family history in a Frame for Im-portant Poem. By learning effective writing strate-gies, all subject area teachers can develop the writ-ing skills of their students. Those in attendance received a Certificate of Partici-pation, good for continuing education credits.▪

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Above: A student’s example of a poem based on the live of U.S. Representative Stephen M. Sparkman, following the format described at left.

Stephen M. Sparkman

Sparkman was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-fourth and to the ten succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1917). He served as chairman of the Committee on Rivers and Harbors (Sixty-second through Sixty-fourth Congresses). He did not seek re-nomination in 1916. He resumed the practice of law in Tampa, Florida. He served as president of the board of port commissioners until 1920. He died in Washington, D.C., September 26, 1929. He was in-terred in Woodlawn Cemetery, Tampa, Florida.

Stephen, Stephen Self-taught, loyal, ambitious Stephen You toiled in Congress many a day

Funding the port at Tampa Bay I wonder if you rode a horse to Washington in 1895,

Or did you go by boat, Or could you take a train.

Frame for Important Poem

The important thing about A daisy is that it is white. It is yellow in the middle, It has long white petals, And bees sit on it, It grows in green fields, And there are always lots of daisies. But the important thing about a daisy Is that it is white. Mary Reed had a basket belonging to her grand-mother for her important poem. The important thing about The basket is that it belonged to Goggie. It is small, handmade from pine, It came with her on Sunday mornings, And it always held a surprise or two or three. But the important thing about the basket Is it belonged to Goggie.

Above: Students’ examples of Frame foo Important Poem based on artifacts.

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We’ve always heard to make lemonade out of lemons and that’s just what billionaire philanthro-pist T. Denny Sanford did after his fourth divorce. He realized that people don’t know how to com-municate with one another very well so he founded a non-profit organization called Sanford Harmony. The goal of Sanford Harmony is to “incorporate spe-cialized teaching strategies into classroom activities in an effort to reduce bullying, and help develop the youth of today into tolerant, compassionate, and car-ing adults for the future.” Sanford Harmony is a social-emotional tool de-signed for students in grades pre-K through 6th grade, but it has been successfully implemented in high school classrooms as well. Mr. Sanford's dream is to help our kids grow up being kind to one another, be accepting of our differences, and learn to appreciate one another. “Sanford Harmony teaches relationship skills that produce immediate and last-ing results, helping teachers build connected, inclu-sive classrooms where children are motivated to learn.” Sanford Harmony is research tested and there are benefits of using the tool: Improves student cooperation, collaboration, and

problem solving abilities; Helps reduce teasing, bullying, and aggression; Establishes trust and encourages connection and

empathy; Promotes harmonious peer-to-peer relationships;

and Increases parent communication.

The two main parts of Sanford Harmony are Meet Up and Buddy Up. During Meet Up, the class gath-ers in a circle for about 5-15 minutes to first greet each other. The second part of Meet Up is sharing, where one student has the opportunity to share what-ever they want with the class. The third part is moni-toring classroom climate goals. The teacher should start off by discussing what the goals are for the day and why they are important (see photo at right). The teacher should work with the class to come up with three goals they want to accomplish and post them. The teacher then reviews the goals with the class and discusses the progress being made on each goal.

During the fourth part of meet-up called community check in, the teacher works with the class to modify or add to the goals if necessary. Quick connections is the final part of Meet Up. During quick connections the students do a short, group activity to get the students working together. Buddy Up is a way for students to work together and get to know each other better. Each Monday the stu-dents are assigned a buddy for the week. The students must get together and do activities or work on aca-demic content together. It is important to discuss with the students what makes a good buddy, and why it is important to be a good buddy.

Sanford Harmony has developed another program called Inspire at National University. There are a se-ries of 61 brief professional development online mod-ules to help all teachers understand many tools that can help them in the classroom. They are excellent for new teachers but also powerful for veterans. Mr. San-ford recalls several special teachers in his lifetime that "inspired" him and wanted to be able to give back to them with this training. Sanford Harmony has donated millions of dollars to for teachers to use his programs free of charge. San-ford donates all materials, training and other resources to make this work. We encourage you to check it out for yourself. We did and we found it valuable!▪

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S A N F O R D H A R M O N Y : B U I L D I N G H E A L T H Y R E L A T I O N S H I P S O N E C L A S S R O O M A T A T I M E

By: Caylee Fredette & Amy Bolick

Before attending this training, I was not sure what to expect to hear from the instructors on this topic. Since I am a Women’s and Gender Studies mi-nor, I have a decent amount of knowledge when it comes to information on LGBTQQIA identifying in-dividuals. However, once I showed up and listened to the presentation, I learned so much. The staff putting on the presentation were extremely friendly, knowl-edgeable, and passionate about getting all of this in-formation about acceptance out into the open. Though there were some basic terms, key ideas, and history about the LGBTQ+ community that I already knew, I was able to learn new details and deeper concepts. The biggest takeaway from attending this training was not just about the knowledge and further sensitiv-ity that I obtained. These three hours of conversation and listening has led me to better understand my fu-ture students and how to help them if they are in bad situations. If students trusts me enough to tell me about problems in their lives, inside or outside of school, then I will absolutely be there for them. If their issues relate to how they identify as a person or who they are sexually attracted to, I will not be afraid

to lend support and give them helpful resources. I will make sure that I establish good rapport with my kids, the administration, parents, and the school guidance counselor. All of these people would possi-bly be able to help in situations dealing with this topic of identity; there are always resources that can help me out. Being proactive in real life situations that involve our kids is the most important thing a teacher can do besides teach content.▪ 

I also attended the Safe Zone Ally Training and it was very eye opening. Before attending this training, I had some knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community, however this training furthered that knowledge and presented me with proper tools and resources to be an ally. This workshop included a lot of information through interactions with each other and activities. Within the three hours I was there, the group became a safe place for partaking in these ac-tivities that were both challenging and emotional. Each of us were given a certain scenario that opened our eyes to some of the things LGBTQ+ members have to go through in life because of who they are. One of the main points that I took away from this training that relates to education is that people, espe-cially young students, have a need to fit into their surroundings. I have witnessed it myself in schools and in my internship class. Students will try so hard to fit into their community in order to be accepted and well liked. They can sometimes be so afraid to be who they really are because they are afraid of be-ing bullied and hated. For members of the LGBTQ+ community, it can often be hard to be themselves because not only are they bullied, but also they are sometimes looked at as less than others. Another comparison between LGBTQ+ and students are labels. We question identities in order to place labels instead of trying to gain an understanding. With students, we look at assessments and test scores to label our students and place them in “boxes” according to their scores. We as teachers should be using these test scores, not to label our students as pass or fail, but instead to understand our students and their learning styles. Getting to know our students for who they are both in and out of the classroom can help us plan our lessons to best suite their learning needs.▪

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By: Sara Palczynski

FREE 3-Hour Workshop (you may take this one time for credit): “Safe Zone Ally Training Session” Register by access-ing Bullsync, searching for the "Office of Multicultural Affairs" page, and completing the Safe Zone registration form. Write up required for credit.

3/30 (R) 4:00 - 7:00 MSC 3709

U S F S A F E Z O N E T R A I N I N G

By: Emily Gahafer

U S F S A F E Z O N E T R A I N I N G

On February 13, 2017 from 4:00-7:00 p.m., I attended this workshop and thought the focus would be undocumented students in the k-12 public school system and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the focus was on undocumented students at the college level. After completing my field experience and now working as a substitute teacher, I have become aware of the number of undocumented students in the pub-lic schools but had not extended my thinking that there were also undocumented students in colleges and universities. The program began with an overview of the process of becoming a United States citizen, either through naturalization or birth right, and it was very informa-tive. As a permanent resident who has gone through the naturalization process myself, I quickly realized how fortunate I was to have gone through the process quickly; I did it in approximately 18 months total. The average waiting time to becoming a citizen rang-es from six to 20 years, depending on the route the immigrant has to take. Unfortunately, many undocu-mented students are not made aware of their undocu-mented status until later in life, often during the mile-stone of obtaining a driver’s license in which a social security number is required. The workshop shed further light on the plight of un-documented students through the use of taped inter-views of undocumented students in asylum, much like a jail, awaiting the next steps in their immigra-tion cases. In their interviews they would give per-sonal accounts of the moment they were told of their undocumented status. It was often received as a trag-ic piece of information, deflating their opportunity to obtain a license to drive and hopes of going to col-lege. While programs mandated by the Obama ad-ministration, such as Deferred Action for Children Arrivals (DACA) offer some protection for older documented students, it is not a guarantee that they will not face the possibility of deportation if pulled over even for a minor traffic stop. Furthermore, with the onset of the Trump administration, certain pro-grams such as DACA have the possibility of being repealed. Two undocumented students came in as guests and shared their personal stories on what life was like for

them as an undocumented college student; it was an eye-opening experience. I never realized how some-thing like a driver’s license, that most of us take for granted, is something they may not have for a very long time and maybe not even at all. They told us that the administration and the registrar were not fully aware of many of the programs available to help un-documented students. When brought up by the un-documented student, a staff person’s reply would be “I have never heard of that or I don’t know what you are talking about.” Very often the student would have to be proactive in gaining financial support, and it felt like it was an uphill battle all of the way. I fully intend to share the information I gleaned from this workshop whenever possible, and I encourage my SCATTER friends to take it whenever they can. I work with many undocumented students who some-times feel that there is nothing for them out there. By sharing this information, I can give my students the hope that they otherwise may not experience.▪

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By: Evaleigh “Evie” Reele U S F U N D O C U A L L Y T R A I N I N G

By: Emily Gahafer

FREE 3-Hour Workshop: “UndocuALLY” RSVP IS REQUIRED - Go to the USF Office of Multicul-tural Affairs Webpage! http://www.usf.edu/student-affairs/multicultural-affairs/programs/undocually.aspx. Write up required for credit.

4/5 (W) 5:00 - 8:00 MSC 2703

By: Kaitlyn Zitnyar

V O L U M E 3 7 , I S S U E 2

her talents and abilities. Autism was not seen as a downfall, but as one aspect of Dr. Grandin. She was not allowed to become a recluse, and, as a result, she has become an intelligent, inquisitive, and bold wom-an, whose work is still helping humans and animals today. Autism does not look the same for everyone living with it, and diagnosing it is not an exact science. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disor-ders (DSM-5) has shifted the labels of autism onto a spectrum. Whether one is high-functioning or low-functioning, Dr. Grandin stressed that we should not focus too much on these labels. The characteristics are all that matter. Once we know the effects autism is having on a child, then we can begin to provide the accommodations they need to succeed. General sug-gestions on how help a child with autism include: ex-plicitly teach manners, help them learn basic skills, involve the children in groups with children who have a shared interest, start intervention early, use gentle voices, provide choices for the child, and give instruc-tions instead of yelling or saying “no.” Autism may look different for each person, but the sensory chal-lenges can be studied as a specific characteristic. Visual processing is different for a person living with autism. The line of sight is different from a person who is typically developing. For example, a person with autism will watch a speaker’s mouth instead of making eye contact. Processing time can be longer when switching between things, which can be misin-terpreted as a negative characteristic. Visual images can be distorted, and the result can be migraines. Signs of visual processing challenges can involve the child reacting negatively to their surroundings. They can be seen placing their fingers in front of their eyes,

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Future Horizons, a world leader in autism resources and conferences, hosted an autism confer-ence at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida on December 9th. The meeting was a one-day gathering of teachers, therapists, parents, and other professionals who work with children. Dr. Temple Grandin, Dr. Eustacia Cutler, and Dr. Jed Baker were the speakers who provided priceless in-formation and insight on how to work with children who have autism or other sensory processing excep-tionalities. The uniqueness of the conference stemmed from having Dr. Grandin speak about her life living with autism followed by her mother, Dr. Cutler, speaking about rearing four distinctively tal-ented children. Dr. Baker ended the conference with a segment on behavior management and how to use various therapeutic methods to help desensitize chil-dren to their fears. Each speaker complemented the other with their professional presentations about children who are exceptional. Dr. Temple Grandin. Dr. Grandin is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She has made contributions to the world of agriculture and the humane handling of animals. She is also living with autism. Dr. Grandin grew up in a time when autism was not as prevalent as it is now. This led to a misdiagnosis, and it was suggested that she be placed in an insane asylum. Due to the support of her mother and other family members, institutionali-zation did not happen. Her mother diligently worked with her to ensure she continued to develop

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F U T U R E H O R I Z O N ’ S S P O N S O R E D A U T I S M C O N F E R E N C E A T H I L L S -B O R O U G H C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

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fect.” If an individual has to ask if the medication is working, then it is not worth the side effects associat-ed with taking the medicine. Dr. Grandin ended her segment on a positive note and encouraged the development of talents and strengths. Children can and will grow up to be something. It is important to help find out what they can do. She en-couraged teaching children with hands-on activities. Sorting activities can be provided to increase their mental libraries of categories. Teaching with specific examples can provide more context. Overgeneraliza-tion can limit what you are able to learn about what the individual child can do. Employment options cov-er a range of possibilities, from NASA to sign paint-ing. Exposure to different information and hands-on activities will increase the possibility of finding the child’s specific area of interest. There are jobs for even those with verbal challenges, like lawn work, shelving library books, fast food work, or even facto-ry assembly work. Dr. Eustacia Cutler. Dr. Cutler is Dr. Grandin’s mother. She has three other highly talented children. The segment was conducted remotely through a Skype video conference session. Even though she was not physically present, she was still able to convey her strong personality and warm heart. Dr. Cutler’s presentation was full of information and interpreta-tions of how autism and other exceptionalities are handled in our society and school system. A new understanding of autism was presented. Au-tism is not a single puzzle piece. It is the surrounding pieces that interact and make things work. Normal is simply what works for the group. She mentioned how it is important to find out what it is that people with autism do to make us feel uncomfortable; this can tell us more about ourselves. Teachers need to connect with the parents to work as team when teaching chil-dren with autism. It is helpful and positive to suggest speech lessons and education as opposed to placing the child in an institution. Practicing inclusion can help students living with au-tism. Standardization does not always work, which is why teachers need to differentiate instruction to help students use and build on their strengths. Inclusion encourages desensitization and should be implement-ed as early as possible. Language and labels can be demeaning. The word “special” places students into a

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tilting their heads, avoiding fluorescent lights or es-calators, or challenges catching things thrown to-ward them. This can all be present despite a suc-cessful eye examination from an optometrist.

Auditory processing has similar challenges. There can be additional time required to process the infor-mation being heard and to shift from one thing be-ing heard to another. These severe sensory challeng-es can require constant and frequent breaks. This can help with sensory overload. Background noise can be reduced, or the child can be brought to a room with limited visual and auditory distractions. The medium used to present information to the child can be modified to decrease effects from sen-sory challenges. Text can be printed on different color paper, like lavender, to reduce contrast, or lighting could be changed to decrease brightness. The need will be different for each child, which is why it is important to understand exactly what each individual child is affected by and to what extent. Environmental enrichment is an evidence-based ap-proach to desensitization. The technique uses stimu-lation of two senses at once for a short period of time to reduce sensitivity to the stimulation. If med-ication is chosen to be used, it should be in the low-est dosage possible, and it must have a “wow ef-

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General suggestions on how help a child with autism include Explicitly teach manners, Help them learn basic

skills, Involve the children in

groups with children who have a shared interest,

Start intervention early, Use gentle voices, and Provide choices for the

child, and Give instructions instead

of yelling or saying “no.”

V O L U M E 3 7 , I S S U E 2

Dr. Jed Baker. Dr. Baker is a behavioral consultant and works with children on behavior management through desensitization. The basis that fear drives be-havior makes incremental therapy necessary for change and positive results in this type of behavior modification process. Children who are exhibiting challenging behaviors are trying to obtain or avoid something. Finding out what that is sheds light on how the individual can be assisted. Frustration and anxiety can be managed with tolerance, patience, and understanding. Dr. Baker’s presentation was persona-ble and light-hearted; however, it also provided in-sight on how to help students who are dealing with frustration and anxiety. “[Teaching] is a thankless job,” is how Dr. Baker be-gan the segment. He expressed how teachers help stu-dents without praise or thanks from them. Everything we do will be for our students. Basic, general rules can be used as the first method of managing behavior. When that does not work, the management must be individualized. Precautions should be taken when dealing with students who are frustrated and anxious. He states, “Escalating the discipline can escalate the problem.” Fear is what leads to anger. Fear turns into acting out sometimes, instead of focusing on their special area of interest. Finding the trigger for the behavior can help with finding the strategies to teach the child to help them cope with challenging situa-tions. If you miss the trigger, then you might miscon-strue the reason for the behavior. The difficulties associated with challenging behavior involve difficulties with abstract thinking and per-spective taking and inflexibility. A child acting nega-tively and is challenging is not always doing so on purpose. Their social skills may need to be developed to a higher level to include more options for social interaction and coping. Multiple steps are provided to explain behavior management techniques: relation-ship issues, crisis management, and repeat behavior problems. Relationships can be challenging because of power struggles or a lack of confidence. Teachers or thera-pists can help them by showing hope, warmth, and a caring spirit. Crisis management can be strengthened by teaching students how to work through a crisis with self-talk or questioning techniques. If you per-sonally are the trigger for the behavior, ignore the be-havior until it subsides—if it is safe to do so. If the individual is frustrated and angry to the point where

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category, and this can have negative effects. Dr. Cutler expressed her concern of children being asked to do too much at too early of an age in our education system. “This system of learning isn’t working,” she proclaimed. Some students can be encouraged to seek jobs that they can be successful at with small amounts of help. Executive functioning is a challenge for some indi-viduals living with autism. The relationship between concept, context, and shared information is develop-ing at a different pace. Connections between these aspects of executive functioning need to be strengthened. This is an example of the bottom-up instead of top-down thinking Dr. Grandin spoke about during her talk. Dr. Cutler expanded on this; individuals living with autism need to be given ex-amples of items to place into categories in their minds. The more they have in their minds, the more they will have to pull from to perform at a success-ful level. The challenges with executive functioning along with sensory challenges can lead an individu-al living with autism to a career path that does not require a college degree; college is not for everyone. It is a social construct that a degree is necessary to be successful. Dr. Cutler explained, “College may not be suitable for all students, especially those with autism. Find jobs that are easy for them: carpenters, alteration, plumbing, repairing shoes, or painters.” The theme remained constant about teaching chil-dren the basics with hands-on activities to prepare students for jobs that require a certain skill set. Chil-dren with autism and other exceptionalities need to be challenged to grow. When they are in limbo, no growth occurs.

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“Children who are exhibiting challenging behaviors are trying to obtain or avoid something. Finding out what that is sheds light on how the individual can be assisted.”

~Dr. Jed Baker

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timers could be used. Check out the Challenging Be-haviors Toolkit for suggestions. Dr. Baker shared the “trying-when-it’s-heard” technique, a strategy stu-dents can utilize when learning how to persevere. They can choose to try a little, ask to watch first, take a break and try again, or negotiate how much work they need to complete during that time. This can all be preceded by explaining the learning curve to the stu-dent. They need to understand that learning happens because we do not know everything yet. It is okay to not be an expert in something. This strategy is the epitome of Carol Dweck’s growth mindset ideology.

The conference helped explain the reason for behavior and performance levels. Understanding individuals on a level that considers their personal experiences and sensory experiences can help us make better plans to help our students. Listening to the three speakers pro-vided the attendees with multiple narratives and per-spectives of individuals living with exceptionalities. I will be taking this information and applying it when I can during my teaching career. I am thankful to have been in attendance for such a great conference.▪

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logic is absent, then use distraction until they are calm. This can be done with novel items, the use of special interests, or sensory activities. Remember to plan afterwards with the student what to do the next time this kind of challenge arises. Always give the child the chance to explain their behavior. This can tell you more about what is driving them to behave the way that they are. Repetitious behavior should be documented in an A-B-C format. Antecedents, behaviors, and consequences have a relationship that can inform the behavior management process. The information obtained about the patterns of be-havior can be used to develop a prevention plan for the individual. A good behavior plan includes four steps to modify the target behavior and teaches the individual strate-gies to use to improve themselves. The steps in-clude: changing the triggers, teaching skills and strategies to deal with the triggers, rewarding new skills, and using a loss system. Dr. Baker strongly suggested limiting the use of a loss system. This can cause additional frustration. Loss systems should be used when dealing with dysregulated positive emo-tions, such as a child who is repeating dangerous or provocative statements. The loss could be in the form of losing a snack. Possible triggers for chal-lenging behavior are internal issues, sensory issues, a lack of structure, new, feared situations, having to wait without strategies to deal with disappointment, threats to self-esteem, or a lack of attention. Changing the triggers in an educational setting can be modeling and giving explanations rather than strictly testing the student. The students could be provided with choices for their work that include their special interests. Breaks should be given and

“Possible triggers for challenging behavior are internal issues, sensory issues, a lack of structure, new, feared situations, having to wait without strategies to deal with disappointment, threats to self-esteem, or a lack of attention.”

~Dr. Jed Baker

By: Mekayla Cook

V O L U M E 3 7 , I S S U E 2

was evidenced by their smiles recorded as they danced, sang, played instruments, and listened to mu-sic at the school. As an advocate for the arts in educa-tion, I was inspired by the impact of music on the lives of Sarasota students. Town Hall Meeting. The conference began with an

informative and reflective presentation by Dr. Bill Heller, USF Dean of the College of Education in St. Petersburg; Dr. Rosalind Hall, the Director of Excep-tional Student Education for the Florida Department of Education; and Dr. Fartun Mohamud, a licensed mental health counselor. Dr. Bill Heller has an out-standing history of involvement in special education; his influence is recognized from the 1950’s to now. The charming and witty professional shared historical documents dating back to the 1960’s. Progress in ex-ceptional student education is especially evident in the case of the 1962 brochure addressing “Mongolism,” now known as Down syndrome (Heller, 2016). Since the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, Public Law (PL) 94-142, mandate of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least re-strictive environment (LRE), students with disabilities have had full access to schools and many spend most of their days in the general education classroom. In-structional resources and technological innovations

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The Florida CEC is an international commu-nity of professionals who are the voice and vision of special and gifted children. The CEC’s mission is to improve, through excellence and advocacy, the edu-cation and quality of life for children and youth with exceptionalities and to enhance the engagement of their families (FCEC, 2016). My attendance at the FCEC Teach-IN was an inspir-ing professional development opportunity that has furthered my career as a future teacher. Members of the local and state CEC board were in attendance, superintendents from various school districts were present, as well as a representative from the Florida Department of Education. Throughout the three-day experience, I was able to collaborate with experts in the field and was asked to provide my own insight from the perspective of an undergraduate student. The conference focused on six components of rein-venting special education: 1. A shift in focus from Regulatory Compliance to

Results Driven Accountability; 2. The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS),

the MTSS has replaced the “wait to fail” special education eligibility models;

3. Individual growth plans for students below 35th percentile on screening assessments;

4. Certification and licensure based on demonstrat-ed skills;

5. Flexibility in the use of local/state/federal funds; and

6. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) eligibility only for those whose disabil-ity has a significant adverse impact on learning and development.

An innovation introduced in the beginning of the conference was the inclusion of music therapy to meet student’s needs. An educator from Oak Park School in Sarasota presented the impact of using music in a therapeutic relationship to reach physi-cal, cognitive, social-emotional and academic goals with his students. The students’ joy and progress

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S C A T T E R S A T T E N D A V A R I E T Y O F S T A T E A N D N A T I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E S

T H E F L O R I D A C O U N C I L F O R E X -C E P T I O N A L C H I L D R E N T E A C H - I N : I N C L U S I O N , I N V O L V E M E N T , I N N O -V A T I O N !

“My attendance at the FCEC Teach-IN was an inspiring professional development opportunity that has furthered my career as a future teacher.”

~Mekayla Cook

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achieve expectations that will further their academic, social and lifelong success. With superior instruction and truly knowing your students, a valuable education will be provided to all learners. The room burst into applause again as Dr. Hall proclaimed Response to Intervention (RTI) as a practice effective educators have always applied, not just a roadmap to ESE (Hall, 2016). Dr. Fartun Mohamad led a reflective discussion that encouraged the conference attendees to engage in thoughtful dialogue with people at their table. I was able to speak with recognized professionals in the ed-ucation field about the impact of preservice teacher training and inclusion in classrooms all over the state. The discussions included a focus on the parent’s pow-er and role in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. With knowledge from my own studies at the University of South Florida, I was able to contrib-ute and participate in discourse about the dispropor-tionate representation of minority, or culturally/linguistically diverse, students in special education and gifted programs. The conference advocated supe-rior instruction and knowing your students to offer all learners an exceptional academic experience.

What Can Inclusion Look Like? Laurel Colgate, who I had the honor of sitting next to for the Town Hall Meeting, and Georgia Plath addressed how to support the general education teacher, including con-siderations for what impacts student’s learning and practical supports that can be applied. Ms. Colgate

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have changed the nature of teaching and learning, as educators seek to meet the needs of all students in the general education classroom. This is supported by an inclusive mindset among educators, with a strong awareness of the range of student needs when plan-ning, programming, and identifying improvement efforts. Dr. Heller shared a brief history of special education from his own experiences and first-hand accounts, including public laws, notable conferences, and Pres-ident John F. Kennedy’s significant contributions to the development of special education programs. Sur-prisingly, the U.S. Department of Education was not established until President Jimmy Carter instituted the department in 1979 (Heller, 2016). Dr. Heller’s wisdom, experiences and extensive knowledge was inspiring and recognized the advancements that have been made toward meeting the needs of students.

Dr. Rosalind Hall received a room of applause as she declared special education as a service and not a place (Hall, 2016). Educators, administrators, and influential members of the CEC emphasized the im-portance of discussing supports and services first in an IEP meeting, then establishing an appropriate least restrictive environment. The conference advo-cated collaboration and cooperation to provide all students with their civil right to a free and appropri-ate public education. Dr. Fartun Mohamud elaborat-ed by declaring mainstreaming practices as a stu-dent’s own right (Mohamud, 2016). Dr. Hall shared the quickly approaching, July 2017, implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The bipartisan bill advances equity in edu-cation by maintaining protections for America’s high-need students through holding all learners to high standards (Hall, 2016). The inclusion mindset pro-moted at the conference endorses all students to

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Academic problems linked to executive functioning deficits and reading comprehension include predicting outcomes, recalling facts from a story, character anal-ysis, establishing sequence of events, and establishing author’s purpose (Colgate & Plath, 2016). The work-shop acknowledged that every lesson, in any disci-pline, is a reading lesson. Presenting vocabulary in different modalities, as well as providing outlines, copies of lecture notes, establishing learning partners, and backward scaffolding were promoted as practical strategies to make learning accessible to students. Providing differentiated levels and scaffolding re-sponses for response to instruction present learners with disabilities with a manageable number of ques-tions, allows for verbal testing, scribing/recording re-sponses, and chunking of test questions to demon-strate understanding (Colgate & Plath, 2016). Pre-teaching, maintaining attention with cues, using con-crete objects as aides, graphic organizers, representa-tive symbols, mnemonics, and rehearsal through ver-balization, visual or manipulatives, and games were strategies recommended to assist students in the aca-demic environment. The workshop confronted behavior in the classroom that interferes with student’s own learning or the learning of others. Excessively interruptive or off-task behavior is often addressed with a Functional Behav-ior Assessment (FBA), which provides the anteced-ent, behavior, and consequence in the classroom. The FBA contributes to the development of a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) that seeks to prevent the ante-cedent so that behavior doesn’t occur, or the BIP ad-vocates replacing the behavior with something for ap-propriate and teaching the appropriate behavior. The workshop provided tools for addressing students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders, including effec-tive communication, maintaining a sense of humor, setting up a system of rewards, providing fidgets, and offering a cool down place for sensory overload. Beyond the Textbook: Leading Collaboration for Rigor in the Inclusive Classroom. Two ladies from the University of Central Florida Erin Vacchio and Tracy Webley led this session to enlighten partici-pants to overcome a culture of overreliance on pub-lisher-produced textbooks to provide all students with equal access to the rigor of the state standards. The presenters began their workshop by introducing the application of The Golden Circle (Babin, 2016) in education. They addressed “Why” to make meaning-

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teaches in an innovative inclusion model as a self-contained ESE teacher who also acts a resource teacher as students come in and out of her room. This modified inclusive model allows for learners to be encompassed in a normal setting, while receiving the additional supports they need.

The workshop addressed possible medical conditions and disorders of students, various models of inclu-sion, and information on documents important to as-sist in instruction. The presenters recommended that we first consider what data and information have been obtained regarding a student from the IEP meet-ings/plans and cumulative files, then be proactive when recognizing a student’s strengths and deficits in academic, social skills, and classroom behaviors. The workshop gave practical strategies for setting stu-dents up for success by teaching organizational skills and student’s responsibilities, including using a tim-er, providing checklists, giving explicit instructions daily (through visual and verbal directions) that sup-port student’s executive functioning (Colgate & Plath, 2016).

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“. . . every lesson, in any discipline, is a reading lesson. Presenting vocabulary in different modalities, as well as providing outlines, copies of lecture notes, establishing learning partners, and backward scaffolding were promoted as practical strategies to make learning accessible to students.”

~L. Colgate & G. Plath

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that promotes curriculum layers in lesson planning to effectively reach all learning profiles. “These layers help promote learning and retention for all learners regardless of their disability profile” (Elliott, 2016). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) “is a frame-work to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn” (CAST, 2015). Principles of UDL in-clude providing a variety of ways to present material to students, considering different ways for them to show what they have learned, and incorporating unique ways to motivate student engagement (McLeskey, Rosenberg & Westling, 2013).

Universal Instructional Design is composed of four key elements: discussion, prior knowledge, applica-tion, and reflection. In order to offer students 21st cen-tury learning skills - like adaptability, critical think-ing, problem solving, and research - Dr. Elliott recom-mends an instructional lesson planning approach that considers students’ executive functioning skills; or-ganization, planning, focus/attention, and time man-agement; as well as concepts of UDL. Universal De-sign for Learning is complemented with multiple means of providing information, setting goals and giving students options. UDL calls for high interest topics, prior knowledge, vocabulary study, activity-based learning, and reflection. Dr. Elliott supports in-clusion for students with disabilities, as UDL benefits all students. Dr. Elliott proposes beginning a lesson with a whole class discussion to address the affective or “why” of learning. This discussion will provoke student en-gagement, identify prior knowledge and indicate how students are feeling. Students who are identified as gifted can be sensitive or prone to high levels of anxi-ety, so it is important to consider If your students are

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ful learning experiences by facilitating learning dis-cussions to offer elaboration. Textbooks provide in-formation but do not promote hands-on experiences that engage students to explore concepts and require reflection. To answer “How” to engage students in tasks, the presenters promoted designing questions that elicit higher-order thinking. Question stems were provided to initiate students to experiment (how would you determine if?), problem solve (develop a strategy to…), make decisions (what is the best way?), and investigate (how/why did this happen?) (Vacchio & Webley, 2016). Leading with the ques-tions stems mentioned will present students with a problem, allowing educators to facilitate learning.

When students invest in their learning, they retain the information (Vacchio & Webley, 2016). All of these quick tricks into rigor are done without a textbook. In order to push students to higher thinking, start with the “Why” in learning, set goals, and then give a teacher demonstration of “How.” Often, instruction begins with the “What” of the golden circle and nev-er reaches higher order thinking opportunities to ad-dress the “Why.” Ms. Tracy, a school administrator, works with a pro-fessional team to write the curriculum, which they then deliver to teachers who revise the curriculum to meet their students’ needs. This collaboration process has allowed for the school to address students’ learn-ing needs through engaging methods, without relying on the rigid structure of a textbook. Lesson Planning for all Learners: The Four Es-sential Elements of Universal Instructional De-sign. Dr. Christopher Elliott, of Rollins College and Orange County Public Schools, led this workshop

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Above: Maxine Babin’s Golden Circle in education.

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exceptional), how to identify these students, and strat-egies to meet their academic and affective needs. We began this interactive workshop by rotating around the room and writing characteristics we were aware of for students identified with Autism Spectrum Disor-der (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Intellectual Disabilities (InD). Through discussion, participants were led to recognize the need for noticing student’s strengths, not focusing on learn-ers from a deficit perspective.

Learners identified with giftedness, as described in the presentation, demonstrate a strong desire to learn, have broad or focused interests, enhanced communi-cation skills, a heightened problem solving ability, strong memories, quick insight to deeper meanings, notable curiosities, logical and analytical reasoning skills, high levels of imagination or creativity, unusual or mature humor, sensitivity, and intensity. A student recognized as gifted is often intense in their reaction to different stimuli, sometimes referred to as their “over excitabilities.” These over excitabilities are of-ten manifested in five forms: psychomotor, sensual, emotional, intellectual, or imaginational.

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having “on” or “off” days. To activate the recogni-tion network, or the “what” of learning, accessing prior knowledge will allow students to tie learning into their personal lives (Elliott, 2016). Vocabulary instruction in context should provide students with a common language for discussing academic concepts. Activity-based learning appeals to the strategic neu-ral networks, or the “how” of learning (Elliott, 2016). Dr. Elliott recommends reinforcing learning in differ-ent ways as students apply their newly learned skills.

To foster the development of strategic, goal-directed learners, educators should differentiate the ways stu-dents can express what they know. A shift in educa-tion is leading educators away from direct instruction to a more student-centered indirect instruction that promotes students researching topics of interest to them. Dr. Elliott advocates building reflection into class time as students will move their learning from short term memory to become embedded knowledge in their long term memories. Writing is an excellent tool for reflection, as reflecting and summarizing re-quires synthesis, analysis, and deep contextual under-standing. From an administrative perspective, Dr. Elliott stated that administrators should support teachers as they determine what is best for a child and provide appro-priate changes in the levels of support. In an inclu-sive setting, educators should recognize that students with intellectual disabilities may need basic skill set training in addition to quality, UDL instruction. Gifted Students with Disabilities. Dr. Wendy S. Leader and Ms. Cindee W. Schwartz led this work-shop revealing characteristics of learners identified as gifted, who also have disabilities (twice-

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For students who are identified as twice-exceptional, recognizable cognitive characteristics may include Uneven standardized test scores, Superior verbal and communication skills, Visual learning with strong perceptual reasoning

skills, High levels of reasoning and problem-solving

abilities, Conceptual thinking capability, Inability to think in a linear fashion, Auditory processing deficits, and Difficulty following verbal instructions. Academic characteristics of learners who are twice-exceptional include An uneven or inconsistent demonstration of aca-

demic skills, Advanced ideas and opinions, A wide range of interests, Advanced vocabulary Penetrating insights, A specific talent or consuming interest, Difficulty expressing feelings or explaining ide-

as, Extremely messy work, Poor penmanship, Avoidance or failure to complete school assign-

ments, and May appear apathetic or lacking academic initia-

tive. Intrapersonal characteristics of learners who are twice-exceptional include A high level of sensitivity to criticism, Perfectionist tendencies, Denial of problems, Impulsive behavior, Low self-esteem or self-efficacy, High levels of anxiety or depression, and May be easily frustrated. Interpersonally, these students have difficulty relat-ing to their peers and may feel isolated. Educators are often confronted with a puzzle when students who are twice-exceptional are not identi-fied. Students who are twice-exceptional may not be able to do basic skills, like reading or simple mathe-matics computation, but they may engage in higher order thinking. Identification of these students is of-ten difficult, as typical strengths and weaknesses of students who are twice-exceptional often mask each

other. Students who are hidden and twice-exceptional function at their grade level but well below their po-tential, and rely on their high intelligence to mask any disabilities. Paradoxical behaviors include heightened creativity that manifests as the generation of many excuses. These students are task-committed, but may appear to have a short attention span. This paradox leads to underestimation of student’s abilities, leading to frequent inability to meet the criteria for gifted pro-grams.

For identification, educators should conduct compre-hensive and inclusive assessment, considering parent participation and input, as well as looking at the stu-dent’s performance and behaviors at their highest lev-el of engagement. A team approach, including teach-ers, parents, special education coordinators, counse-lors, and gifted/talented personnel, to identification should consider data from the student’s achievements, passions, learning styles, multiple intelligences, apti-tude, areas of disability, and the learner’s social/emotional needs. Through the initial reflection activity and introducing students who are twice-exceptional, the presenters emphasized the importance of changing educator’s perspectives to recognize students’ strengths first. Students who are identified as gifted, as well as hav-ing a learning disability, are creative and resourceful learners with advanced ideas and an imaginative curi-osity. Though these learners may exhibit inconsistent academic performance, difficulty with social interac-tions, and may seem argumentative, their progressive problem-solving ability and interests should be built upon to serve these students appropriately.

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The FCEC Fall Meeting. The Chief of the Florida Department of Education’s Bureau of Exceptional Stu-dent Education and Student Services, Dr. Monica Ver-ra-Tirado, hosted a Fall Meeting at the conference. Dr. Verra-Tirado presented data and legalities relevant to Florida’s education system. Florida strives to move from access to attainment, promoting a statewide equi-ty and excellence stance that supports Florida’s result-driven concentration. Dr. Terra-Virado maintains that educators make the least dangerous assumption in which decisions are made based on data that will have the least dangerous effect on a student’s ability to function independently as adults. Applying this idea, teachers should assume student competence and that poor performance is due to instructional inadequacy between the curriculum, instruction and student, not as a result of student defi-cits. In order to support students with disabilities as 21st Century learners, Assistive Technology should be inte-grated to change the materials or procedures in curricu-lum, not the standards of achievement. Since the im-plementation of assistive technologies, the number of 10-day or more out-of-school suspensions for students with disabilities has decreased by 25 per cent.

The focus of Florida’s education system is to improve the graduation rate of students, decrease dropout rates, and improve post-school outcomes for learners. Dr. Verra-Tirado advocates IDEA 2004 and its mandate that students are to be educated in the least restrictive environment so students can prepare for life in the real world. For the 2015-2016 schoolyear, 73% of students with disabilities were in regular education classrooms for 80% or more of the time. Florida’s exceptional in-clusion model leads the largest seven states. The Every Student Succeeds Act requests that states create a way

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“For the 2015-2016 schoolyear, 73% of students with disabilities were in regular education classrooms for 80% or more of the time. Florida’s exceptional inclusion model leads the largest seven states.”

~Dr. Terra-Virado

for students who take alternative assessments to graduate with a standard diploma, which Florida has already begun. Since Florida’s innovative inclu-sion practice has been implemented, graduation rates for students with disabilities have increased, with dropout rates decreasing. Access Points, as alternatives to traditional standards, allow students with significant cognitive disabilities to meet feder-al requirements. Access Points promote inclusion as they are setting neutral and can be met in the gen-eral education classroom.

Strategies for Inclusion in the Primary Setting. Sandy Smith and Sandra Erickson presented the Technical Assistance and Training System (T.A.T.S.) that supports prekindergarten students with disabilities. Using T.A.T.S. helps young chil-dren with disabilities achieve their greatest potential in an evidence-based and inclusive early learning environment. A high quality early childhood learn-ing environment can be identified by access, partic-ipation, and supports. Inclusion practices benefit children with special needs and their families, typi-cal children and their families, and society as a whole as students attend schools in their home com-munities. One particularly powerful example that was shared demonstrated children advocating for the well-being of a peer with autism to the admin-istration at their new school. Concepts of Universal Design for Learning were discussed, based on the insight of building a ramp, instead of stairs and a ramp, which all children can access. Educators should select an interest-based activity and adjust the activity in ways that a child can par-

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participate independently. For example, a child who is nonverbal could participate in story retelling by using props to answer questions or reenact the sto-ry’s plot. Environmental adaptations and incorporat-ing visual, kinesthetic, and auditory aids will support every child’s participation in the classroom. Material adaptations allow a child to manipulate or use any material to participate in an activity. Simple adapta-tions include taping paper to a student’s desk, large grips (hair curlers) on writing utensils, and incorpo-rating popsicle sticks as tabs to turn pages of a book. Instructional adaptations include modifying or ad-justing instruction and requirements so a child can participate completely and independently. Shorten-ing the number of steps, providing extended time, using clear visuals, illustrating instructions, and al-lowing students to stand will encourage inclusion in the classroom. Educators should consider how a child could be more involved, how the adaptation will enhance the experience, and generalize that ad-aptation to other activities.

Participants in the workshop received a copy of C.A.R.A.’s Kit, which provides strategies and modi-fications to Create Adaptations for Routines and Ac-tivities. The adaptation hierarchy provided in C.A.R.A.’s Kit seeks to use the least intrusive adap-tation, beginning with the less impactful, their hier-archy recommends adapting the environment, daily schedule, activities/routines, materials, and finally, the requirements or instruction. The presenters warned that assistance should only be provided if all adaptations have been unsuccessful because children might develop learned dependency. C.A.R.A.’s Kit provides the situation, for example, “Children are having difficulty sharing books during book time,” and adaptations for the environment, activity, mate-rials, requirements and assistance. From the least intrusive, the teacher could limit the number of chil-dren in the reading area, to the most intrusive assis-tance adaptation, providing a book buddy to share reading with.

Creating Differentiation in Inclusive Classrooms Using Current Strategies, UDL & Technology. The keynote presentation was given by Rebecca Hines and Lisa A. Dieker from the University of Cen-tral Florida. The professionals strongly advocated for the use of a timer in the classroom, which they mod-eled throughout the presentation. To support their suggestion, research has shown that achievement is impacted by socioeconomic status, innate ability, family background, quality of instruction and time. Society is inclusive, and it is important that we are preparing students to be successful members of the workforce with communication and social problem-solving skills. An innovative model of inclusion to support success in society that was mentioned in-cludes bringing students in general education into a self-contained classroom.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) adds Uni-versal Design for Learning (UDL) concepts, which originated from brain research and architecture, to encourage course materials that help each student. Adding layers and options to content and customizing learning will ensure that every student receives an ad-equate education. The presenters introduced the “Five Finger Test,” designing every lesson for a student who can’t walk, see, hear, talk or behave.

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) demands mul-tiple means of engagement, action or expression, and representation. The National Center on UDL was recommended as a resource that provides guidelines and checkpoints for specific learners. Appealing to multiple intelligences will promote UDL, especially making students aware of their best and least effec-tive learning styles. Active learning research consid-ers the retention of information with the most im-pactful being obtained through what we say as we do it at 90 percent; we best learn that what we teach.

When planning lessons, educators were encouraged to consider what they want all students to be able to do and add layers to make the content accessible to every learner. In other words, “What do you want every kid to do by the end of the lesson?” To achieve UDL in representation, students should be able to access information in multiple ways. Four modes of instruction were identified—telling (expository), asking (inquiry), showing (demonstration), and do-ing (activity-based)—and UDL calls for a higher percentage of doing in classrooms. To promote moti-vation and active participation, every student should answer every question a teacher asks, through hand signals, unison response, or flashing answers. Schools are print heavy, but research indicates that students only read print 6% of the time outside of the classroom. Incorporating UDL principles in stu-dents’ demonstration of their learning involves providing choice for expression through exhibition assessments or oral assessments. Providing brain breaks will refocus students’ atten-tion. Shockingly, less than 10% of students with disabilities go to college. Think College! is an excel-

lent resource that was shared for parents of students with intellectual disabilities to discover options and information on attending college. The conference end-ed with an inspirational video of a young student with a disability receiving the news of being accepted into the University of Central Florida.

In closing, there is nothing more empowering than a roomful of people clapping for a single, future schol-ar.▪ 

A Snapshot of AT in the Classroom Robyn Sadlo- Sarasota County Public Schools Donna Marquis-Sarasota Public Schools and FDLRS Suncoast Today’s classroom is more diverse than ever. The principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provide a framework that ensures every stu-dent has an equal opportunity to learn. One applica-tion of UDL often includes use of assistive technolo-gy (AT) for inclusive students who need special assis-tance. Assistive technologies offer access to curricula which otherwise wouldn’t be accessible to those with special needs. The presentation allowed participants the chance for hands-on interaction of various AT tools. In addition, the ongoing display by Technology & Learning Connections (TLC) Team of Florida pro-vided information how educators could have the op-portunity to borrow AT and UDL technologies for use in their classroom 100% free of charge for a 30-day

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T H E F L O R I D A C O U N C I L F O R E X -C E P T I O N A L C H I L D R E N T E A C H - I N : I N C L U S I O N , I N V O L V E M E N T , I N N O -V A T I O N !

By: Evaleigh “Evie” Reele

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trial period. The Florida Diagnostic & Learning Re-sources System (FDLRS) is another good resource. They provide diagnostic, instructional, and technolo-gy support services to district exceptional education programs and families of students with disabilities.

Canine Companions for Independence Dr. Sheri Predmore- School District of Palm Beach County Martha Johnson- Public Relations of CCI Often when we think of companion dogs, we think of dogs that visit nursing homes or hospitals (facility therapy dogs), but companion animals can also serve students with disabilities in a school setting. In this presentation, participants were introduced to a facili-ty dog named Bojangles that works at Palm Springs Community Middle School in Palm Beach County. Many of the students Bojangles works with are au-tistic and are deaf and/or blind. He can tug and pull dog and even assists with the teaching of lessons such as prepositions. When a lesson on prepositions involves a dog, a student is automatically engaged. The visual representation of the term through, for example, as in Bojangles goes through the tunnel reinforces the concept of the key term. Also Bojan-gles assists with communication skills, either by stu-dents giving directions or commands. If you ever are in a situation and you think a canine companion might assist, click here for more information. Building Classroom Learning Communities and Empowering Students with SIM Janet Atallah- SIM Professional Developer The Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) helps stu-dents with disabilities participate effectively in a learning community and beyond. The SIM model

teaches skills outside of academics that are essential to becoming a member of the larger community. The three areas of primary focus are social skills, self-determination, and motivation. Through the “Possible Selves” component of the SIM model, students learn how to set appropriate goals and put a plan in place to meet those goals. Students are taught social skills through the “Socially Wise Program”, an interactive computer program that is self-paced and involves sce-nario-based instruction. The student is also taught self-advocacy, a vital part in transition.▪

Be the Educators who Live to Inspire & Empower Via Excellence! Team B.E.L.I.E.V.E.

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Click here to sign up for USF’s Relay for Life Event and walk from 3:00 pm until 6:00 am on

April 8, 3017.

Contact SCATTER Events Coordinator Grace Gardner for more information.

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F R E E P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T O P P O R T U N I T I E S

FREE 1-Hour Workshops from the USF Office of Undergraduate Research: RSVP IS REQUIRED - Go to the USF OUR Webpage! http://www.lib.usf.edu/undergraduate-research. Write up required for credit. “Creating a Personal Vision Statement and Credentialing Yourself”

3/20 (M) 3:30 - 4:30 LIB 210 & 4/24 (M) 12:30 - 1:30 LIB 210 “Researching a Mentor and Preparing for a Research Conversation”

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3/31 (F) 2:00 - 3:00 ALN 237

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Original Cartoon by Omar Cosme

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Beginning with the SCATTER Chatter Newsletter (September 2014), I in-cluded all of the responses given to me by former SCATTERs to three questions: 1. What year did they graduate and what are they doing now; 2. What was their favorite SCATTER memory; and 3. What did SCATT(er) teach them that has served them well? I compiled all of their responses to these aforementioned questions and pub-lished them in the SCATTER Chatter News-letter (July 2016). I will continue to publish new names and their responses as I meet former SCATTERs. If you know of SCATTER graduates not on this list, please ask them to contact me at kaywell@usf.edu or send me their contact information. Thanks much. 1981 - 1990 Director, Dr. Marcia Mann & Assistant Director, Dr. Joyce Swarzman Class of 1981 Celeste D. Nelson Class of 1983 Florence (Flo) Bailey Lori Delk Hartwig Brett Taylor Class of 1984 Vicki Guercia Caruana Teresa Joslyn Sophia Manoulian Kugeares Mark Nash Lynn Pabst Jeanne Petronio Dr. Yvette Powell Robitaille Class of 1985 Bruce Burnham Dr. Rebecca “Becky” Kaskeski Dr. Susan Wegmann Class of 1986 Candace Cannon COL Jay R. Popejoy Karen Getty Stewart Class of 1987 Dr. Gloria Howard Armstrong Dawn Coffin Constance J. Biggs Doughton Melissa Sawyer Hill Lois McKee Jill S. Middleton

Anne Newsome Virginia “Gini” Pake Class of 1988 Robb Bingham Dr. Jeany McCarthy (Gonzales) Dorothy Taylor Class of 1989 Dianne Azzarelli Stefano Biancardi Rose Bland AnnMarie Courtney Jodi Hacket Liam Lehn Hennie Moss Jan Pritchett Ottinger Dr. Jenifer Schneider 1990 - 1996 Director, Dr. Joyce Swarzman Class of 1990 Michele Fisher Ben Johnston Terri Mossgrove Raegan Rodriguez Class of 1991 Sherry Chappell Cindie Donahue Dr. Wendy Drexler Vicki (Kusler) Horton Tammie Keyes Diane Leikam Dr. Jennifer Morrow Darlene Wagner Class of 1992 Joy Baldree Lorinda Gamsom Linda Peterson Tammy Quinn Dr. Monica Verra-Tirado J. Michael Woods Class of 1993 Dr. Paula Clark Krysten Benenati Douglas Kimberlee Fowler Dr. Julia Fuller Stephanie Georgiades Irma Lucy Lancheros Pamela Rimby Dr. Cara A. Walsh Class of 1994 Paula Cimillo

W H E R E H A V E A L L T H E S C A T T E R S G O N E ?

Karen Fullam Kelly McMillan Seth Hoffman Dr. Jeanine Romano Andrea Weaver (Tracy) Janet Kengott (Beversdorf), Class of 1994 I am currently teaching 8th graders at Dr. John Long Middle School in Pasco County. My favorite memories are really just about how collaborative and energizing those days were. It always felt like were getting to the heart of teaching. Workshops were meaning-ful, relevant, and fun! I remember thinking, I can do this, and I will definitely use that! I developed friendships with classmates through SCATT that would not have formed in class alone. We supported each other, cel-ebrated together, and even sought each other out later when we had our own classrooms. When I think about what has served me well through the years, I think about those first forays into the real world of teaching. I re-member how we worked on the interpersonal skills that are so necessary - skills like inter-viewing for a job, talking to parents, defus-ing a conflict, etc. When I went to school-based trainings over the next few years, I realized that I already knew a lot about what Pasco County was just starting to emphasize. I felt competent and confident right from the start, thanks to SCATT!

By: Joan F. Kaywell

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“Workshops were meaningful, relevant, and fun! I remember thinking, I can do this, and I will definitely use that! I developed friendships with classmates through SCATT that would not have formed in class alone. . . . I felt competent and confident right from the start, thanks to SCATT!”

~Janet Kengott (Beversdorf), Class of 1994

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Class of 1995 Alberto Danny Camacho Tracy Graves Angela Helm Kimberly D. Jones Kathy Ogilby Langdon 1996 - 1998 Director, Dr. Hilda Rosselli Class of 1996 Mike Hill Carol L. LaVallee (Hitchcock) Kristy Jones Michele C. Martinez Karen Sochor (Mynes) Stacy Pedrick Jennifer Hale (Stickler) Shirley A. (Gabbard) Rutter, Class of 1996 Currently, I teach at Weeki Wachee High School in Hernando County. I teach Dual Enrollment Comp I and Comp II, Skills for College Success, and next year I will be piloting a Teacher Academy Program to partner with the Future Florida Educators Association to encourage high school stu-dents who want to become teachers; it will be a four-year four-course program. My favorite memories are the exceptional workshops we had, especially Spencer Ka-gan and one on the art of personal commu-nications. Being a SCATT Graduate has taught me that being a part of a profes-sional network of teachers and having the support system among our peers is one of the single most important factor in the suc-cess of any new teacher. To know that you are not alone, especially when you are just figuring things out, can make the difference between whether you stay in the classroom or leave to go on to some other profes-sion. Teaching isn’t easy, but teaching in isolation is next to impossible. Like a fami-ly, we need each other, and we must all be mentors and be willing to support one an-other, especially as the demands of teaching become greater and greater. Class of 1997 Elizabeth Bolstridge Susanna Deck Condon Susie M. Hardee Kimberly Koparan Roy Moral Christie Ray 1998 - 2005 Director, Dr. Jean Linder

Class of 1998 Crista Banks Alicia Burgos Dr. Christi Hildebrand Diana Jorgenson Joe Kelly Rhonda Mau Amber Norris Deborah Pettingill Erin K. Schult Heather Vanderveen Dalila Lumpkin (Vasquez)

Desiree Daerr, Class of 1998 I am currently teaching 8th grade math at Walker Middle Magnet IB World School and am a co-team leader. My favorite memories are the many friendships I developed through SCATT. SCATT taught me that dedication and encourage-ment are the most important qualities any teacher can possess, regardless of the subject matter or grade level being taught. Class of 1999 Joseph Bockus Wes Holtey Tammie Keyes Shaun Kunz Zoie Wikert Class of 2000 Mechel Albano Jennifer Campbell Mary Freitas Tara Tahmosh-Newell

Class of 2001 David Richtberg Pam Widlak Class of 2002 Cynthia Bauman Jennifer Conrad Jenna Moore Kacie Nadeau Stephanie (Jay) O'Rourke Rebecca Wilson Class of 2003 Kylie Aliberto Nancy Erickson Jessica Iredale Nadia Helton (King) Audra Kondash

Class of 2004 Rachel Ann Foster Micky Gerding Amy Butler (Givens) 2005 - 2006 Director, Dr. Roger Brindley Class of 2005 Jennifer Heinze Cassie Hernández Renee Bowser (Prianos) Allison Rick Taylor Tracy Tilotta Nicole Brandt (Weingart) 2006 - 2007 Director, Dr. Roger Brindley & Assistant Director, Lori Yusko (Delk) Class of 2006 Keith Fedor Brandi Grafer Rachel Pepper (Kirby) Kimberly Riesenberger Tanya Stanley 2007 - 2013 Director, Lori Yus-ko (Delk) Class of 2007 Magalie Frederic Dan Penoff Kodie Petrangeli (Rogers) Nichole Styron Kathleen “Kat” Dilorenzo, Class of 2007 I currently teach two sections of IB HL Literature (junior level) and three sections of freshmen English (with ESOL students) at F. W. Springstead High School in Spring Hill (Hernando County). I loved

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“SCATTER taught me persistence, positivity, and continuing education. . . . via workshops and trainings, like those provided by SCATT, help us to ever evolve our methods to help our students meet their educational goals.”

~Kat Dilorenzo, Class of 2005

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all of the workshops provided to enhance my understanding of pedagogy and social theories that related to the classroom. My favorite workshops were the ones prior to entering the final internship. So many of the aspects discussed during those work-shops were applicable to the final intern-ship that it definitely made taking it worth-while. SCATTER taught me persistence, positivity, and continuing education. I find that it is extremely important in our socie-ty to persevere, especially when working with students who may not believe in their own abilities. Positivity in our negative society is essential, and although some-times negativity will invade our thoughts, I often think back to the positivity training that I received as a SCATT student. We have to maintain positivity in ourselves, our students, and our education system, even when it seems that our system is fighting against us. Finally, it is important to continue our education in improving our methodology to better support our stu-dents. Continuing education via work-shops and trainings, like those provided by SCATT, help us to ever evolve our meth-ods to help our students meet their educa-tional goals. Class of 2008 Lakesia Dupree J. Booker (Preiner) Jessica Teston-Loadholtes Lorena Lucas Jenalisa Zummo Class of 2009 Robin Bishop Jonathan Broner Sherree Brown Kenny Gil Debbie Goodwin Michael Hosea Dawn Hudak-Puckhaber Trudy Hutchinson Heidi Johnson Yesenia Mejia Greg Morgan Andrea M. O'Sullivan Holly Crum (Pfriem) Jael Noda Vera Stacey Conrad (Wallace) Class of 2010 Ashley Arnold Kelly Budnick Jennifer Larson Jaclyn Lockhart (Dubois) Vincent Natoli Tara Rowe

Class of 2011 Jennifer Austin Dylan Barnes Alex Dashner Catherine Davis Jacob Dunn Jamie Karnetsky Breanna McBride Emma Powers Cari Sadler Valerie Rey (Wozniak) Class of 2012 Alexia Taylor (Baldwin) Megan Bender Shannon Fleming (Bock) Alexis Cranendonk Sara Destree Blanka Fuzvolgyi Kelsey Harrell Zac Lewis Meghan Masciarelli Kaitlin Vaccarello (Riesenberger) Kristen Tavolaro Sarah Turner 2013 - 2014 Director, Dr. Joan F. Kaywell Class of 2013 Megan Ackerman Milissa Francis Lexi Gaber Jessica Hagood Maranda Holley Kira Mark Erica Martin Alexandra Munzing Mariam Razak Heather Stocks (Rice) Chelsea Swann Melissa Whitcher Eva Decresie, Class of 2013 I have been teaching for two years at Chasco Middle School, Pasco Coun-ty. There were just so many good memo-ries in SCATTER. I definitely loved all of the programs throughout the year in which we were able to participate, but the happiest moment was when we had our own private graduation. My family from Hungary flew in to watch me graduate, and it meant so much to me that they could have been the part of that experi-ence. SCATTER taught me many skills that I still use on a daily basis in my classroom. I believe the most beneficial skill I learned in the program was the interview skills that pervious SCATTERs shared with us. Hearing their stories and their experiences definitely helped me get

through a lot of hurdles. I often think back my USF years with much love and appre-ciation! 

2014 - Director, Dr. Joan F. Kaywell & Assistant Director, Andrea Thompson Class of 2014 Janeli Acosta Jessica Feth Alea Frazier Ashley Gondek Julie Johnson Rachel Kline Kelly Koch Meghan Krstyen Elizabeth Kubiak Stacy Mairs Tammy Mangrum Elizabeth Moran Geornesia Moses Erica Nelson Theresa Novak Jessica Pickett Eloah Ramalho Amber Rodgers Alexia Ruiz Nathalie Sainval Susannah Spear Trista Willard Cady Baer, Class of 2014 I am the AVID Coordinator and head cheerleading coach at Ridgewood High School in Pasco County. My favorite SCATTER memory were the senior semi-nars. Dr. Swarzman was so engaging and inspirational; this event also allowed me to make bonds with other SCATTER members that still exist today. The semi-nars set me up for success as an intern and new teacher in numerous ways and I will always be grateful for the opportunity. While SCATTER has taught me many valuable keys to being a successful teach-er, the first thing that comes to mind was Continued on page 47

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“SCATTER taught me many skills that I still use on a daily basis in my classroom.”

~Eva Decresie, Class of 2013

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the training “What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Social/Emotional Learn-ing.” The presenter gave us a foldable that I still use today. One of the keys to my success is creating an environment that focuses on strong mutual respect and sta-ble rules and procedures. It is my focus at the beginning of each year and every time I receive a new student. I was given so many tips and tricks to running a welcom-ing, productive classroom that I can’t im-agine what my teaching experience would be like without them!

Kassandra “Kassie” Vitelli, Class of 2014 I am a third grade teacher at Heritage Ele-mentary School. My favorite memory is the Senior week training at Corbett Prep! Many of those SCATTER trainings helped me prepare for managing my class-room and structuring my teaching. Sign-ing up for trainings as a teacher is a lot like what we were required to do in SCATTER.

Melissa Whitcher, Class of 2014 I am teaching English 1-4 and Literature in Media at Disston Academy for Pro-gress and Enterprise, an alternative School in Pinellas County. My favorite memory is the seminar given by Dr. Zickafoose, which inspired me to no end. He talked about his underachieving students and the pride they felt in gradu-ating. This continues to mean so much to me as I know work in an alternative high school. SCATTER taught me to be con-fident in the dream of educating and be a life-long learner. Class of 2015 Rachel Albrecht Chasity Anderson K. Brandy (Browning) Yopp Patricia Gillezeau Allison Heflin Paola Lopez Karla Molina Rebekah Plourde Kathleen Sheridan Amina Stevens Veronica Uzar

Holly Osborne, Class of 2015 I am currently a nanny in Texas, and I am able to apply a lot of what I learned in my education program in this job; I enjoy the personal, one-on-one nature of nannying. My favorite memory is the week-long seminars we attended right before gradu-ation. I learned many key skills, but gen-erally, I learned that it is important and worth-while to go the extra mile to edu-cate yourself with additional classes and semesters. Fields are always changing, so it is important to stay up to date.

Class of 2016 Donna Heath  Katelyn Clare, Class of 2016 I am currently teaching at Yates Elemen-tary School. My favorite memory is hearing from different celebrated authors Alex Flinn and Lesléa Newman. SCAT-TER really helped me get those skills we don't learn in class like "teacher talent," how no student is ever the same, and how culture and language can have such a big impact on students.

Cory Puppa, Class of 2016 I teach social studies and math at Mar-tinez Middle School in Hillsborough County. It is so hard to pick just one of my many amazing memories from SCATTER. If I had to pick just one, I would pick the SCATTER Success Sum-mits; they were awesome and I learned so much! I also loved the workshops because I gained a wealth of knowledge that I use today in the class-room. SCATTER taught me early on to go above and beyond, attend my confer-ences (I attended the Florida Council of the Social Studies conference this year!), to be positive even on tough days, to attend professional development, and to

never stop learning. ▪

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SCATTER gave me “so many tips and tricks to running a welcoming, productive classroom that I can’t imagine what my teaching experience would be like without them!”

~Cady Baer, Class of 2014

“Many of those SCATTER trainings helped me prepare for managing my classroom and structuring my teaching.”

~Kassie Vitelli, Class of 2014

SCATTER taught me “that it is important and worth-while to go the extra mile to educate yourself with additional classes and semesters. Fields are always changing, so it is important to stay up to date.

~Holly Osborne, Class of 2015

“SCATTER really helped me get those skills we don't learn in class.”

~Katelyn Clare, Class of 2016

“SCATTER taught me early on to go above and beyond, attend my conferences, to be positive even on tough days, to attend professional development, and to never stop learning.”

~Cory Puppa,

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S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 S C A T T E R W O R K S H O P S

FEE SCHEDULE

COEDU students who are not SCATTER members pay $15.00 per workshop. No deals. No refunds. USF students who are not COEDU students pay $20.00 per workshop. No deals. No refunds. Educators who are USF graduates pay $20.00 per workshop. No deals. No refunds. Educators who are not USF graduates and are not registered as a COEDU student pay $25.00 per work-

shop. No deals. No refunds. Educators who are USF SCATTER graduates pay $10.00 per workshop; once a SCATTER, always a

SCATTER. No deals. No refunds. “Principals’ Panel: What Every Teacher Needs to Know about Being a Successful Educator” 3/22 (W) 5:30 - 8:30 pm USF COEDU’s TECO Hall. To register, go to the SCATTER Store.

In this panel-presentation, administrators will share their insights on what it takes to be a successful educator in today’s high-stakes testing and common core world. Bring your questions to this interactive session. (NOTE: SCATTERs in Part 2 of Senior Seminar attend for free). Heath Beauregard, Principal at Adams Middle School A. Danny Camacho, Former Assistant Principal at Seminole Heights Charter School, Current Academic Assistant Dean of Associate in Arts at HCC, & 1995 SCATTer graduate Dr. Paula Clark, Former Assistant Principal of Winding Waters Elementary K-8, Supervisor of Federal Programs and Professional Development, & 1993 SCATTer Graduate AnnMarie Courtney, Former Principal of Aparicio-Levy Technical Center, now Supervisor, Career & Technical and Adult Education & 1989 SCATTer Graduate Vincent Natoli, Assistant Principal of Tarpon Spring High School & 2010 SCATTer Graduate

“Becoming a Master Digital Educator: Using an iPad and an Apple TV to Transform Your Classroom” 4/10 (M) 3:00 - 6:00 pm USF COEDU’s TECO Hall. To register, go to the

SCATTER Store. Creating change in your classroom may be easier than you think. During this live, hands-on demonstration, see the tools that some teachers use to transform their classroom learning environments. You will see how a few devices can be combined to solve many different problems. Think these tools are beyond your reach? We will also cover strategies for acquiring these tools without going broke. An iPad is not required, but bring your own if you have one. James Welsh Assistant Director, Florida Center for Instructional Technology University of South Florida

To attend any of the SCATTER Workshops, YOU MUST REGISTER by going to the SCATTER Store, email-ing EDU-SCATTOPS@USF.EDU, or calling the SCATTER Office at 813-974-2061. Please remember to give 48 hours’ notice for your RSVP and at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel. Failure to cancel within 24 hours negates any credit; credit applies only to SCATTERs.

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Elementary & Secondary Physical Education: March 14-18, 2017, Society of Health and Physical Edu-cators (SHAPE America) Convention – Boston, MA. For registration information, go to http://www.shapeamerica.org/events/convention2016/ Elementary & Secondary Science: March 30-April 2, 2017, National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Convention “Sun, Surf & Science” – Los Angeles, CA. For registration information, go to http://www.nsta.org/conferences/national.aspx Elementary & Secondary Math: April 5 - 8, 2017, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Convention - San Antonio, TX. For registration information, go to http://www.nctm.org/Conferences-and-Professional-Development/Annual-Meeting-and-Exposition/ All levels, all content areas: April 27 – May 1, 2017, American Educational Research Association (AERA) – San Antonio, TX. For registration information, go to http://www.aera.net/EventsMeetings/AnnualMeeting/tabid/10208/Default.aspx All levels, all content areas: May 12-14, 2017, Sunshine State Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (SSTESOL) 38th Annual Conference – West Palm Beach, FL. For registration information, go to http://sstesol.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/conflogoimage.png

Elementary: June 22 - 24, 2017, Children’s Literature Association Conference - Tampa, FL. For registra-tion information, go to http://www.childlitassn.org/annual-conference and visit their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/chla2017

Elementary & Secondary English: July 15 - 17, 2017, International Literacy Conference - Orlando, FL. For registration information, go to ilaconference.org *NOT SCATTER-sponsored events, but you earn workshop credit for attending and can obtain VITAL for presenting as long as other requirements are met; a separate reg-istration is required! Student pricing may vary.

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* 2 0 1 7 S P R I N G S T A T E C O N F E R E N C E S

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The SunCoast Area Teacher Training and Education Research (SCATTER) Honors Program is continuing the “Legacy of Excellence” that was started with its “Mission of Excellence” in 1981. In the words of the 1986 SCATT Graduates (to the tune of WE ARE THE WORLD):

“They are the world. We are the TEACHERS. They need the BEST that we can give, so let’s keep giving.

There’s a goal we’re seeking, a vision in our minds, A mission in excellence for you and me. A mission in excellence for you and me.”

Leave a legacy and buy a personalized brick: - 4 Lines (21 characters each line) for $100.00. Click here for an order form.

Your $100.00 donation supports the SCATTER Program— materials, scholarships, and events for SCATTER students, especially for those in need. Please help us by contributing $100.00 or give what you can. **Please make your check payable to USF Foundation, and mail it to the SCATTER Office, USF College of Education, STOP 105, Tampa, FL 33620-5650 or pay by credit card on line HERE by scrolling down and clicking on 210040 SCATT-SunCoast Area Teacher Training Fund. * Do Whatever It Takes **Your name will be listed in the Honors’ Celebration Program the semester following your gift, upon request. If you have questions about the SCATTER Honors Program, please contact the Director of SCATTER Dr. Joan F. Kaywell at (813) 974-3516.