Department of Education Monday Minutes

Here are your Monday Minutes for November 9-13, 2020. 

From the Department Head

Dear Staff, Students, and Faculty, 

As we wrap up this fall semester, I am reflecting upon the incredible accomplishments of our Department community. We have overcome some significant hurdles and learned many new things along the way. The next two weeks, there will be many events celebrating students, staff, and faculty. Make sure you take the time to think about what you have accomplished over the past four months. This reflection is critical for growth. Sometimes growth can be uncomfortable or even painful, but we are better because of it. I invite each of you to ask one peer or colleague what they are most proud of this fall. Let’s support each other and finish strong!

Prince tipping his hat.

Take good care,

 Ann Dutton Ewbank's signature 

Dr. Ann Ewbank

News and Announcements

  • The TEP Induction and Student Teacher Send-Off virtual ceremony is TODAY, 11/9 @ 6:15pm. Please join us to welcome our new teacher education students and bid adieu to our Spring 2021 student teachers. If you received an invitation to the Webex meeting, please use the link you received. Friends or family who wish to share in the event can watch and cheer on the YouTube Livestream linked above. 
  • Our final department meeting in Fall 2020 is on Tuesday, November 10, 3:10-4:30 in Ann Ewbank’s WebEx room. As is our department tradition, we will reflect upon and celebrate our #EdGoals. Hats off to all of us! I invite you to wear a hat that has a special meaning for you. We will have a contest for best hat in these categories: Funniest Hat, Most Outrageous Hat, and Best 2020-Themed Hat. Winners will be awarded a reusable cloth mask!
    • Join by phone
    • +1-855-797-9485 US Toll free
    • +1-415-655-0002 US Toll
    • Access code: 920 310 123 
  • Please join us for the following dissertation defenses. The public is welcome to attend: 
    • Chelsey Wilson, Candidate for Doctor of Education in Adult and Higher Education (Dr. Tricia Seifert, Chair), “Investigating the relationship of an early semester intervention program and first year college student sense of belonging” on Wednesday, November 18th from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. 
    • Hailey Hancock, PhD Candidate in Curriculum and Instruction (Dr. Christine Rogers Stanton, chair). “A multisite case study of state policy and teacher perceptions of recruitment and retention in rural school districts impacted by the critical quality educator shortage” on Friday, November 20th from 9:30 am to 10:30 am. (access code): 120 888 7744, Meeting password: Nov2020 
  • Graduate Research Methods Course, Spring 2021: Dr. Alexandra Aylward is offering EDU 608 Advanced Quantitative Research, Thursdays, 5:10-8pm, with a virtual attendance option. The course focuses on applied quasi-experimental methods in education and other social sciences using R. The course will introduce students to causal inference and the validity of inferences. This course is designed for advanced graduate students, who must be comfortable with the basic toolkit of quantitative methods. Students who are interested in educational/social policies and practices will find additional value in this course. 
  • KORU Mindfulness Training now at MSU:

Koru Mindfulness Training is the only evidence-based mindfulness curriculum designed for college-aged adults. The program was started by two doctors at Duke Medical School over 10 years ago. It is now taught at over 100 institutions in the US and abroad and over 10,000 students have taken the Koru Basic course. Koru’s randomized, controlled trial shows results including  students reported feeling more calm, experienced improved mindfulness, felt more rested, and had greater self-compassion. Here is the Koru website for further information: https://korumindfulness.org/

KORU classes are 75 minutes and meet once a week for four weeks.  The materials for the course (Mindfulness for the Twenty-Something ebook and Koru app) and all instruction are completely free.  

One course is scheduled specifically for graduate students over the Snowmester: Monday, November 30, 2020 to Monday, December 21, 2020, from 6:00pm to 7:15pm.   https://www.montana.edu/calendar/events/36186

The course will be taught by 2 MSU staff who have been trained as Koru teachers. The course will be taught via Webex so you will just need a good internet connection to join. Class size is limited to 12 students.

Additional courses will be offered in spring.  Information about course dates and schedule can be found at: http://www.montana.edu/oha/koru-mindfulness-training/index.html

If you have questions about KORU classes or would like to get on an email list, email Catherine Ebelke at: [email protected] 

  • Contact Micki MacGregor at [email protected] if you are having difficulty registering for a course or need to be enrolled in a “Consent” course such as Independent Study or Dissertation Credit.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

  • Congratulations to Drs. Rebekah Hammack and Christine Stanton who were awarded an MSU VPREDGE Scholarship and Creativity grant to develop pre- and in-service video learning tools for rural K-8 STEM teachers! 
  • Our department’s success is determined by our collective accomplishments. Share your own accomplishments with pride! Or if you hear of a colleague or student’s accomplishment, please share. Please send accomplishments and kudos to [email protected].

Professional Development & Engagement Opportunities

  • Please join ImagineIF Library (Kalispell) for an engaging class on Civic Literacy on Thursday, November 12 @ 6pm. At its heart, our political system is designed to foster balance, debate, and participation. But it can be daunting to get involved and feel like what we are doing is having an impact. This session addresses a core question: how do we take action and make a difference?  
    • Meeting ID: 893 1229 9085
      Passcode: 068422

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Resources

  • Check out this TED Talk performance by Wobbly World: As twelve musicians from disparate cultures harmonize their eastern and western scales, they show the long bridges that music can build. 
  • Do you have a resource to share? Please email Ann Ewbank.

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