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College of Education News

Joan Armstrong inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who

December 9, 2021 by Strategic Communication

Joan Armstong, alumna and current staff member of Missouri State University, was recently inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who biographical registry.  

Armstong earned a Master of Science in school counseling from Missouri State in 1987. She is now the director of Project ACCESS, which offers training, resources and support services to school district personnel who serve students with autism and related developmental disabilities.  

The Marquis Who’s Who registry holds biographies of accomplished individuals and innovators from many significant fields including medicine, law and education.  

Read the full biography  

Congratulations, Ms. Armstrong!  

Filed Under: COE Alumni, COE Staff, Uncategorized Tagged With: alumni, counseling leadership and special education, Graduate Program

Fall semester FAQ

July 15, 2020 by Sydni Moore

Hill Hall

Students in the College of Education asked questions. Faculty and staff were happy to provide answers. More information regarding the fall 2020 semester can be found in the Missouri State University Guide to Returning to Campus.

What is the university and College of Education’s plan for the fall semester?

We will offer traditional classes with social distancing in place, along with distance learning opportunities via Zoom, Blackboard and blended modalities.

How will I complete my practicum this fall if there are still restrictions? 

We have contingency plans for any scenario that might occur to ensure every student meets program and certification competencies.

Should I complete the requirements to participate in a practicum?

Yes. As long as you feel comfortable visiting the sites available to you, please complete all requirements to participate in a practicum or student teaching. Continue to watch your email for instructions from John Reinert regarding compliance for practicum and student teaching.

When will the testing centers open? What are the differences between the testing centers at Missouri State and Pearson Professional Center?

As of May 15, 2020, the Missouri-based Pearson VUE owned testing centers for the MEGA assessments are open where local guidance permits. MSU’s testing center is NOT a Person VUE-owned testing center. However, it is also open. You can view site availability on the MEGA website.

Some of my fall classes have switched from a seated to an online format since I registered for them. Will a lot of courses be online in the fall? 

No. In fact, as stated at the May 20 virtual town hall meeting, about 2/3 of courses at MSU are seated for fall 2020. Before the beginning of the semester, check your Detail Schedule under the Registration tab of Blackboard to reaffirm your classes’ formats and locations.

If students choose to take a class on a pass/not pass basis, how will this affect their future?

The pass/not pass policy was altered for spring 2020 due to COVID-19. Every spring 2020 student has an advising note explaining the spring 2020 pass/not pass policy. Students can contact their advisor or the registrar’s office for clarification. 

 

Filed Under: COE Faculty, COE Staff, COE Students Tagged With: COVID-19, fall 2020, practicum, student teaching, teacher certification

Congratulations #BearGrads

May 12, 2020 by Sydni Moore

Dr. David Hough congratulates 2020 spring graduates.

Congratulations to the College of Education’s Spring 2020 graduates! You have worked so hard, and we could not be more proud.

 

 

Filed Under: COE Faculty, COE Staff, COE Students Tagged With: BearGrads, commencement, Dean Hough, graduation

Bear POWER welcomes its second cohort, receives grant

February 26, 2020 by Sydni Moore

Bear POWER students and staff take a picture with Missouri State University President Clif Smart.

Bear POWER takes up a large space in its director’s heart. Rachel Heinz has been part of the nearly three-year-old program, designed for students with intellectual disabilities, since day one. 

It’s a special connection to Bear POWER, however, that makes her work feel so good. Her own son has Down syndrome and autism. 

He’s the reason why she initially became involved in the program.  

“I wanted to see an inclusive college program like this in our community,” Heinz says. “Initially, I started as a volunteer.” 

She describes working with a team of Missouri State faculty and staff, as well as others in the community, including her own mother.  

“It unfolded into a career path I was not expecting,” Heinz says. “Now, it’s my dream job.” 

It’s easy to be passionate about the program, she adds, when Bear POWER’s positive impact is so obvious in its students and others on campus.

“Bear POWER is opening doors to new possibilities for many students and their families,” Heinz says. 

Bear POWER students and others gather around a table inside a campus classroom.

Intern Support 

Heinz has watched Bear POWER grow mightier by the day. A recent grant by State Farm is aiding its development.  

“It will support the Bear POWER program’s internship component,” Heinz says.

More specifically, the program will soon subcontract an employee who will support Bear POWER students in their internships and collect data to improve the program.  

Bear POWER’s first cohort of students began their internships last fall.  

“We’re really excited. The internships are something we’re building on each semester,” Heinz says. “We’re partnering with a lot of departments on campus.” 

Heinz said several students are currently working at Missouri State’s citizenship and service-learning office and the child development center. Others have internships at businesses like Springfield Little Theater, Twin Oaks Country Club and Golf Course, and Bass Pro Shops.  

“It’s good for our students, because they’re getting hands-on experience in their area of interest while attending college classes,” Heinz explains. Bear POWER students also live on campus.  

The program’s second cohort began earlier this month.  

“Everybody’s doing really well,” Heinz says. 

Ambassadors for Growth 

Heinz believes Bear POWER Ambassadors are part of what’s led to so much success in the program. 

The ambassadors are traditional MSU students who provide at least two hours of direct support each week to Bear POWER students.  

What might that support look like? It’s helping Bear POWER students fill in their planners and improve their social skills. The ambassadors also often take them to lunch.  

“We have over 40 ambassadors, and that number is growing each semester,” Heinz says. “We plan to start a waiting list, because we have many students who are interested.”

A lot of those students are female, Heinz says, so the program has visited classrooms, as well as fraternities, to find more male volunteers. Graduate students can volunteer, too.  

Heinz says many Bear POWER Ambassadors have expressed the program is one of their favorite things they have been involved in at Missouri State. One of them is junior Julianna Vogt.  

“Bear POWER students inspire me every single day with their positive attitudes,” Vogt says. “I have learned so much from them.” 

A Bear POWER student and ambassador.

Trailblazing Bears 

Heinz says there are 270 schools that have a similar program to Bear POWER. That number may seem like a lot, but it’s only 6% of colleges and universities across the country.  

“We need to encourage other universities to start programs for students with intellectual disabilities,” Heinz says. “Students needs choices. Every university and program will look different, and they need to make the right choice for themselves and their family.” 

Bear POWER students have come from as far as Arkansas and Kansas, though families from all over the country have shown interest. Bear POWER is seemingly a trailblazer in offering students with disabilities the chance to be part of higher education. 

“We’re the fourth program like this in Missouri, and there are more programs that will launch in the next couple of years,” Heinz says. “We’ve been able to share information and resources through a regional alliance we co-founded.” 

The alliance is known as Midwest Inclusive Post Secondary Alliance, or MIPSA.  

“The collaboration with existing and new programs is very exciting,” Heinz says. 

Equal Education 

As for Heinz’s son, he loves Missouri State. He attends countless basketball games and knows the fight song at heart.  

“He listens to it all the time at home,” Heinz laughs. 

Whether he’ll be a Bear someday is up to him, Heinz says. She hopes by the time he graduates high school, he and students like him will have more options.  

Heinz says students like her son deserve education past high school as much as everyone else.  

“If students with intellectual disabilities want to pursue a higher education, they should have the chance to do that.” 

Rachel Heinz holds her son.

Filed Under: Bear POWER, COE Staff Tagged With: ambassadors, Bear POWER, education, Rachel Heinz

Winter gathering brings together Bear in Every Building members

February 3, 2020 by Sydni Moore

Bear in Every Building teachers take part in a photo booth at the winter gathering.

How good it felt to have so many Bears in one building. Missouri State University’s College of Education held its second gathering for the Bear in Every Building initiative Jan. 31, at Old Kinderhook Resort in Camdenton.  

The night kicked off with socialization and fun with props and a photo booth. Dr. Rhonda Bishop, MSU clinical instructor and Bear in Every Building Chairperson, and Dr. David Hough, dean of the College of Education, soon took the floor.  

They welcomed approximately 70 teachers from across Missouri—all of them part of the initiative to promote their profession to young students.  

Hough additionally spoke about the importance of building a network of educators. 

“You need to know that there are a lot of people across the state supporting you,” he said.  

Success Stories 

Following a dinner buffet and table discussions, Dr. Kayla Lewis spoke to attendees. A reading foundations and technology assistant professor, Lewis shared MSU opportunities for advanced degrees and certificates. She additionally shared information about university-provided professional development.  

Lewis encouraged BIEB members to promote Missouri State programs to their students in the hope it will support their achievement. Such programs include Bear Partnership, an initiative to increase the number of COE students from underrepresented backgrounds.  

Encouraging students to take college tours and dual enroll are also great ways to get students thinking about a career in education, Lewis said.  

Jennifer Baxter, a family and consumer science teacher at Willard High School, and Symantha Campbell, a math teacher at Farmington High School, discussed their experiences as part of the program.  

Both teachers have encountered parents who do not want their children to be educators. They hope the BIEB initiative will help parents think more positively about the profession, too.  

After all, the College of Education is hard at work shaping students’ lives. Two student success stories were additionally shared at the winter gathering.  

Junior Abby Coffman, an education student following in the footsteps of her mother, shared her family’s love for the Bears. She explained how proud she felt when an educator she looks up to said she may one day teach their child.  

Freshman Cameryn Porzelt talked about her Bear Partnership involvement. She remains in touch with the students she met in the program.  

“It was a great experience,” Porzelt said.  

Big Ideas 

Toward the end of the gathering, MSU’s Alumni Association thanked Bear in Every Building teachers, and attendees shared takeaways from their earlier table discussions.  

“The winter gathering for Bear in Every Building was so successful,” Bishop said. “Not only did faculty and staff from the College of Education connect teachers who graduated from Missouri State, we were able to obtain many plausible suggestions and ideas to move our initiative forward.” 

One teacher suggested providing special education professional development to all educators. Another suggested COE Instagram takeovers by BIEB participants to further show off the world of educators to prospective students. 

The night concluded with giveaways, including Missouri State sweatshirts, water bottles and license plates.  

Be A Bear in Every Building

Filed Under: COE Faculty, COE Staff, COE Students Tagged With: Bear In Every Building, David Hough, education, event, Rhonda Bishop

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