College of Education News

Recognizing Native and Indigenous Heritage Month

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Native Americans are often misrepresented in the classroom, which reinforces stereotypes and contributes to racism.   

Dr. Kayla Lewis is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and professor of literacy at Missouri State University. 

In July 2022, Lewis spoke about the need for newer, more accurate literature to improve the representation of Native Americans in the classroom. 

  1. Newer literature more representative and accurate


Upcoming keynote speech 

Learn more about Lewis’ work by attending her speech at 5 p.m. Nov. 14 at the PSU, Room MCR PSU 101.  

She will talk about culturally authentic representations of Native Americans in children’s literature and K-12 curriculum. 

Plan to attend the keynote speech

Developing teaching skills through community engagement

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Community awareness is an essential component of teaching.  

“Teachers are community workers. Effective teaching requires ethical leadership and cultural literacies,” Dr. Jennice McCafferty-Wright said.  

“This is especially true when we engage with the newest members of our community and those who have fled exploited and war-torn homelands.” 

Wright is an assistant professor in the department of childhood education and family studies at Missouri State University. She teaches courses that help students become educators. 

To help her students develop teaching skills and community awareness, Wright incorporated a service-learning practicum into her course, Methods of Teaching Social Studies in Elementary Schools. 

Making a lifelong difference 

The English Language Institute at Missouri State provides free English classes for adult refugees from Afghanistan. While the parents are in class, Wright’s students engage with the parents’ children.  

A few evenings a week, the students provide a safe learning environment for the children to learn through play.  

The students follow the children’s lead. They engage with the children in English to help them learn the language, and express interest in the children’s cultures and home languages, Dari or Pashto.  

The students’ efforts have a profound impact on the children and their families.  

“Some of the mothers of these young children are preliterate. The Taliban did not permit them to learn to read or write in their home languages when they were younger,” Wright said.  

“Now, they live in a country where literacy is an essential requirement for providing for their families. The skills learned in their English classes are essential to their families’ survival in the United States.” 

Molding to the community’s needs 

Through service-learning, the students develop a deeper understanding of their course material.  

Students can connect course topics, such as teaching for global understanding and civic engagement, to their practicum experience.  

By working with children who are refugees, the students learn valuable skills that will help them teach students from all backgrounds.  

“The students practice strategies for working with children who are English Language Learners,” Wright said.  

“They also support the development of vocabulary that will help the children engage with social studies and other school subjects.” 

It is crucial that teacher candidates learn how to adapt their teaching approach to meet their students’ needs, especially those from vulnerable communities.  

“In a perfect world, there would be no need for teachers to know how to support victims of manmade crises,” Wright said.  

“But we must teach both for the world in which we live and the more perfect world our students have the potential to create.”   

Wright plans to incorporate the practicum in future courses to continue serving the community and helping her students become well-rounded educators.  

Learn more about education programs

Greenwood Laboratory School appoints new director

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A familiar face to Springfield Public Schools (SPS) students and families is the new leader of Greenwood Laboratory School.

Dr. Ronald Snodgrass, an educator with more than 30 years of experience, will assume the role of director June 1. Snodgrass has served as interim director since July 2021.

“I’m humbled and honored to be named the new director of Greenwood,” Snodgrass said. “Greenwood has a family atmosphere and is a special and unique place.

“Greenwood’s reputation of academic excellence will be of the utmost importance to maintain in the future. I look forward to working with the outstanding faculty currently in place to move the school to new heights and provide the best learning opportunities for our students.”

Educator brings teaching and administrative experience to the role

Dr. Ronald Snodgrass

Snodgrass first came to work at Greenwood as the assistant director in August 2015. Prior to that, he was a teacher and administrator with SPS for 29 years, a tenure that included stops as an assistant principal at Jarrett Middle School and Hillcrest High School.

He also served as a principal for 14 years at Central High School, and Pleasant View Elementary and Middle Schools.

Under his leadership at Pleasant View, the school earned several awards, including:

  • Accomplished School Award.
  • Gold Star nominee.
  • Top 10 Highest Performing School.
  • Top 10 Most Improved in Communications Arts.

During his tenure at Central High School, the school earned silver and gold medals from U.S. News & World Report, and Snodgrass was named an Outstanding Administrator-Counselor Advocate.

Dr. Barri Tinkler, dean of the Missouri State University College of Education, said she’s glad Snodgrass is continuing the work he started a year ago.

“Ron brings a wealth of school leadership experience to this role,” Tinkler said. “He’s been an excellent interim director this past year and we’re lucky to have him continuing as the director.”

Snodgrass completed his bachelor’s, master’s and educational specialist degrees at Missouri State. He completed his doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Missouri.

Helping students SHINE

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Parent work schedules and school schedules do not always match up perfectly. This can leave some families in a sticky situation.  

To resolve this struggle, Springfield Public Schools (SPS) joined local organizations to provide quality before and after school care through the SHINE program.  

Students pursuing a degree in elementary education at Missouri State University can complete a 30-hour practicum (that is required in the early stages of their degree program) while working at the YMCA.  

“Many of our students work to support themselves through school. Their schedules are very tight, so this opportunity is a win-win,” said Rhonda Bishop, clinical instructor in the department of childhood education and family studies.  

“It provides the necessary workforce for SHINE, and our students are getting paid while they satisfy a requirement for their class.” 

Working in after-school care 

Most early practicum experiences involve observing a certified teacher and taking on a few lessons or tasks in the classroom.  

In the SHINE program, students are immersed in classroom skills from the start – planning activities, working with students in small groups and managing the after-school schedule.  

“Each day, we do a math activity and a literacy activity,” said Sophia Crabtree, an MSU elementary education major and YMCA employee.  

“You have to plan ahead, and you learn classroom management skills when you’re working with the kids.”  

Having experience working with children is an important part of building your resume as an education major.  

“It’s always helpful on your resume if you can show experience working with children,” Bishop said. “I encourage my students to start gaining that experience as soon as possible, and the SHINE program provides that for them.”  

Closing the gap 

The recent pandemic conditions caused some students to return to school in-person with some additional needs.  

“Teachers are realizing that there are some educational gaps for their students,” Bishop said. “So, schools are implementing strategies to lessen that gap. After school care is one of the ways kids can get extra support outside of the typical school day.”  

Employees working in the SHINE program can build relationships with students and address needs that may not be met in the classroom that day.  

“I can connect with students and give them the attention they need when they have something they want to talk about,” Crabtree said.  

“It’s rewarding seeing them progress throughout the year and maybe even handling situations differently because you talked with them about it.” 

Explore a degree in elementary education

Rhonda Bishop with an award plaque for distinguished clinician.Distinguished clinician award 

Bishop was recently awarded the Distinguished Clinician in Teacher Education Award from the Association of Teacher Educators.  

This award was granted in recognition of her support of students in and out of the classroom.  

Bishop’s work to find creative solutions for students to complete their programs, such as the SHINE program, is a valuable part of her contribution as an educator.  

Congratulations, Dr. Bishop!  

 

Dr. Kewman Lee featured in Mind’s Eye magazine

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Dr. Kewman Lee studies modern communication to understand language development. His most recent research into spontaneous language creation in global online spaces is featured in the 2022 issue of Mind’s Eye.   

The full story is available on the site now.  

Here is an excerpt:  

In his research, Lee observed a website called Asianfanfics.com. Here, Korean pop music (K-pop) fans write and share stories about K-pop icons and celebrities. 

“Contributors create their own social language spontaneously. There is intrinsic motivation to learn the language to become an insider of the group,” Lee said. “It is quite similar to the history of the development of language thousands of years ago.” 

The conditions for this modern, spontaneous social language creation are unique. 

“English speakers use the translanguaging of English and Korean or the K-pop social language. Some Spanish speakers or Japanese speakers also mix their language using Japanese and Spanish words,” Lee said. “They’ve created their own standard of reading and writing.” 

Read the full story 

Congratulations, Dr. Lee!