http://education.utsa.edu/ 2012-05-14T16:57:12+00:00 en deborahswolfe@gmail.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-14T16:57:12+00:00 http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/dr._barbara_gonzalez-pino_retires1/ http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/dr._barbara_gonzalez-pino_retires1/#When:15:57:12Z Article by Dr. Rosalind Horowitz Dr. Barbara Gonzalez-Pino has been a pioneer in contributing to the creation of a university that promised to be the “first of its kind” in the Southwest. She retires from The University of Texas at San Antonio in May 2012 after what is a remarkable 38 years of unyielding dedication. Dr. Gonzalez-Pino completed her doctorate at The University of Texas—Austin.   She began her tenure in 1974, a year after UTSA was established and opened its doors to graduate education, with undergraduate education to follow. As a pioneer, there were extraordinary challenges that today’s beginning professor may not encounter nor comprehend on a new assignment in higher education. Gonzalez-Pino held a joint appointment in the College of Education (earlier the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, in its Division of Education) and in the College of Fine Arts and Humanities where the Department of Foreign Languages resided. These assignments began the year she applied for tenure, in 1980, and continued through 2000 when the foreign language requirement was removed at UTSA. Since 2000, she served the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, now the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching in the COEHD. Dr. Gonzalez-Pino designed and taught 48 different courses, 3-4 per semester, including in bilingual education, in Spanish culture and language, foreign language pedagogy, adult education, curriculum and instruction; and cross-cultural and intercultural communication. Concurrently, she prepared the groundwork for the University language curriculum also assuming administrative assignments—as a Spanish Coordinator, hired lecturers, provided instruction for them, and coordinated the Spanish Program. In addition, there were catalogue changes, language instruction for special purposes—which included interfacing with multiple programs—Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, Criminal Justice, Business and others. There was a language lab to coordinate with, coordination of syllabi and testing, and work with Region 20. Despite all of this, Professor Gonzalez-Pino also procured nine training grants. Her research included study of oral proficiency training in Spanish and later live and online language proficiency testing. Her study of linguistic self-concepts of bilingual Mexican-American students demonstrated an important finding: Many heritage speakers have a negative self-concept of their skills that do not match their tested-documented language proficiency level. Finally, Dr. Gonzalez-Pino held leadership roles, as President of the Texas Foreign Language Association, President of the Alamo Language Association. She was selected as the College Foreign Language Teacher of the Year by the Texas Foreign Language Association and has received numerous additional awards. She served 30-years as a faculty sponsor for the Kappa Delta Phi Honor Society in Education. Dr. Gonzalez-Pino served as Chief Rater for the Texas Oral Proficiency Test of Spanish, completed by all bilingual teacher candidates and secondary Spanish teacher candidates seeking Texas Certification. She has been active in numerous language Societies including the South Central Modern Language Association. In her spare time, she has been a symphony presenter, member of the Opera Guild and Conservation Society. In closing, Barbara set the groundwork for instruction across numerous courses and programs that address language and culture and created student teaching supervision guidelines. Her dedication allows the present generation to assume a role of responsibility and educational development that, otherwise, would not be the case. On May 2nd and May 9th, the ILT Department and College will honor Professor Gonzalez-Pino for her contributions to The University of Texas at San Antonio.           Press Releases 2012-05-14T15:57:12+00:00 http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/nothside_board_taps_one_of_its_own_to_be_next_superintendent/ http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/nothside_board_taps_one_of_its_own_to_be_next_superintendent/#When:16:35:56Z For complete story click here: http://www.nisd.net/news/articles/1170/en 2012-05-02T16:35:56+00:00 http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/texas_universities_host_leadership_institute_for_aspiring_bilingual_educati/ http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/texas_universities_host_leadership_institute_for_aspiring_bilingual_educati/#When:19:11:51Z (San Antonio) … The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) and the University of Texas at Austin will jointly host the inaugural State-Wide Bilingual Education Student Organization (BESO) Leadership Institute, a gathering of more than 100 Texas college students who aspire to become bilingual education teachers. The inaugural BESO Leadership Institute is co-sponsored by the Texas Association for Bilingual Education and the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE). The BESO Leadership Institute is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 28 at Our Lady of the Lake University, 411 S.W. 24th St., San Antonio, Texas 78207. The event is free and open to all undergraduate and graduate bilingual education students residing in Texas.             Keynote speakers will include Carmen Tafolla, UTSA College of Education and Human Development writer-in-residence for Children’s, Youth and Transformative Literature and San Antonio poet laureate, and Joe Bernal, a former state senator who authored the first Texas bilingual education act. Robert Milk, chair of the UTSA Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies; Ellen Riojas-Clark first BESO faculty advisor and BESO founder; and Belinda Flores, first BESO president, will be honored for their service to bilingual education. UTSA alumnus Belinda Treviño Schouten ‘97, bilingual education coordinator at OLLU, and Margarita Machado-Casas, UTSA assistant professor in the Department of Bicultural Bilingual Studies, are the event co-creators. The Leadership Institute will serve as the kickoff event to the National Association for Bilingual Education BESO Special Interest Group that was recently approved by NABE. This group will bring bilingual students from universities across the U.S. and abroad for the first time. Machado-Casas from UTSA and Schouten are the chairs of the BESO National Special Interest Group. The national event will host prominent speakers during the NABE annual BESO meeting. The Leadership Institute agenda includes presentations from local school districts. Participants may also choose from a series of professional development seminars focused on classroom engagement, the use of technology in the classroom, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, the TExES Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test, classroom pedagogy, lesson planning and building a professional portfolio. To learn more about this weekend’s institute, contact UTSA Professor Margarita Machado-Casas at margarita.machadocasas@utsa.edu or 210-458-5571, or OLLU professor Belinda Schouten at 210- 434-6711, ext. 2473. To register, visit http://www.tabe.org/news.cfm?story=42091. 2012-04-26T19:11:51+00:00 http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/books_by_utsa_professor_emeritus_marian_martinello_distributed_in_menard/ http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/books_by_utsa_professor_emeritus_marian_martinello_distributed_in_menard/#When:20:56:08Z Story by Claire Jenkins Public Affairs Specialist (April 17, 2012) -- Marian Martinello, retired professor from the UTSA College of Education and Human Development, was the guest speaker at an April 17 luncheon at the Menard Public Library to kick off the City of Menard "Menard Reads Together" program, which provides free books to the community. Menard County is regularly listed between the first and fourth poorest county in Texas with 80 percent of its population at the poverty level. Among the most popular of the library's community programs, "Menard Reads Together" provides books free of charge to the entire community from young readers to senior citizens. This year's program runs April 17-May 3. Three of Martinello's award-winning books, "The Search for Emma's Story," "The Search for Pedro's Story" and "The Search for the Chili Queen," were chosen as the core books for the community reading program. Martinello began her career at UTSA in 1975, where she helped to design and then direct the interdisciplinary studies degree and certification program for elementary and middle school teacher preparation. Her work won federal funding, enhanced collaboration among classroom teachers and museum educators, and influenced curriculum development in San Antonio area public schools. Her publications focus on learning through research, interdisciplinary curriculum and teaching. Martinello is a founding member of the UTSA Retired Faculty Association (RFA) and currently serves as its president. Established in 2011, the purpose of the RFA is to provide retired faculty with the opportunity for continued interaction with the UTSA community and to serve as the voice of the retired faculty to the administration. "The time and expertise Marian is giving to the 'Menard Reads Together' program perfectly exemplifies the impact our retired faculty continue to have on not only the UTSA community, but the community at large," said Betty Merchant, dean of the UTSA College of Education and Human Development. 2012-04-23T20:56:08+00:00 http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/utsa_niied_sign_agreement_to_support_utsa_student_teachers_in_south_korea/ http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/utsa_niied_sign_agreement_to_support_utsa_student_teachers_in_south_korea/#When:18:49:57Z Story by Sherrie Voss Matthews, International Media & Marketing Coordinator The University of Texas at San Antonio and South Korea’s National Institute of International Education entered into an agreement of cooperation to establish a program of exchange and collaboration.  NIIED, which is affiliated with the South Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, encourages the development of cultural exchanges between South Koreans and other countries worldwide. Globalization and international education are important components of the ministry’s work. The TaLK (Teaching and Learning in Korea) and EPIK (English Program in Korea) allow English-speaking tutors and teachers to be recruited from multiple countries to assist in teaching language skills. “This is an opportunity for UTSA to collaborate with another country in a way that allows both of us to improve our educational resources for our students,” said Julius Gribou, UTSA executive vice provost and senior international officer. “This agreement reaches out to some of South Korea’s most rural residents. This offers a chance for both countries’ students and teachers to expand their global perspectives.” This outreach effort is part of a Korean national effort to not only expand the English-speaking skills of its children, but also to assist the country as it expands its globalization efforts to its more rural populations. This agreement is a first step that will allow UTSA to expand its participation in TaLK and EPIC. In the future, UTSA plans to develop more comprehensive collaboration with NIIED, Gribou explained. The TaLK and EPIC programs are two different opportunities for students or alumni interested in participating in the cultural exchange. TaLK is a two-year scholarship program for students who have at least two year’s of bachelor-level studies. They are paired with a Korean instructor and will teach English to elementary school children in rural areas. EPIK participants must have a bachelor’s degree and be able to teach primary and secondary-level students as full-time English instructors who assist or team-teach with a Korean teacher. UTSA currently has one student and two alumni teaching in South Korea as a part of the TaLK program. “With this agreement, UTSA is showing our interest in collaborating with NIIED more,” added Mimi Yu, associate director of UTSA’s East Asia Institute. “Korea started these two programs to improve international education, especially in its rural areas.” The East Asia Institute also offers Korean culture and language classes in collaboration with the Houston Korean Education Center. The classes have been funded through grants from the South Korean Ministry of Education, Science & Technology. This series of events will help to expand UTSA’s presence in Asia.   _______________________ The Ministry of Education, Science & Technology is responsible for education, international exchange and cooperation in education. It began as an education center for overseas Koreans affiliated with Seoul National University in 1962. In 1992, it became the NIIED designated as an executive agency in the South Korean government. TaLK and EPIK accept scholars from English-speaking countries, including the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. 2012-04-23T18:49:57+00:00 http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/utsa_scholar_carmen_tafolla_named_san_antonios_inaugural_poet_laureate/ http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/utsa_scholar_carmen_tafolla_named_san_antonios_inaugural_poet_laureate/#When:18:29:36Z Story by Christi Fish Associate Director of Media Relations (San Antonio) … To promote a love of literacy, Carmen Tafolla, the writer-in-residence for Children’s, Youth and Transformative Literature at The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Education and Human Development, has been selected by San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro to serve as the inaugural poet laureate for the Alamo City. Tafolla, esteemed for authoring books, poems and articles that authentically portray Hispanic life and culture, is known in literary circles as one of the godmothers of Chicana literature. Twice honored by the U.S. Library of Congress, Tafolla is a San Antonio native who was born on the city’s west side in 1951. As a teen, her writing abilities were “discovered,” and she was given a four-year scholarship to a private high school. There, she reflected on the differences between her West San Antonio home and her high school environment, and she realized that neither her community nor her neighbors were positively portrayed in literature. “I realized that I needed to do something to help connect people from different communities and different cultures,” she recalls. “So I began writing about what I knew—the Hispanic culture, the sights, the smells, the sounds, the language and the people.” Tafolla’s work was well-received by the literary community. In the 1970s, she began publishing her work in local Chicano magazines, and in 1976 she published Get Your Tortillas Together, a collaborative project with poets Reyes Cardenas and Cecilio García-Camarillo. Eventually, she became the head writer for Sonrisas, a bilingual children’s television program deemed extremely unique at the time. In 1982, Tafolla earned her doctoral degree in bilingual education from the University of Texas at Austin. One year later, she published Curandera, a collection of poems highly regarded by her peers for its presentation of literary code-switching. The book continues to be used today in bilingual education and related courses. Presently, Tafolla’s work appears in more than 300 anthologies, textbooks and books targeting every age group from kindergarten through college. “Everybody has a story, an authentic narrative that is intrinsic to their unique life experiences,” said Tafolla. “As poet laureate, I will encourage people to share their stories, to record their stories and to listen to the stories of others. That is how we will ultimately develop authentic connections with one another.” “I can think of no one more worthy of this honor than Carmen Tafolla,” Castro said in a statement. “She’s not only an accomplished poet and educator; she is a homegrown talent who embodies the power and poignancy of art in our community. I am pleased to call her San Antonio’s first poet laureate.”             “Truly, she reaches all segments of the population, from the academic literary experts to the kindergarteners,” said Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte. “I congratulate San Antonio for having a responsible government that supports the arts, because it promotes our great city as a great place to live and raise families.”             Tafolla was named poet laureate from among 21 nominations. She will serve in the role for two years.            2012-04-23T18:29:36+00:00 http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/kim_cuero_receives_fulbright/ http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/kim_cuero_receives_fulbright/#When:14:34:59Z Cuero will research Colombia’s school choice and the decision-making process of stakeholders in choosing a school. Story By:  Sherrie Voss Matthews International Media & Marketing Coordinator A family vacation in July 2011 was a bit more than a family vacation when Kim Cuero visited her husband’s family in Colombia.  Her daughters wondered why mom was always off at meetings at La Universidad del Valle (Univalle) and exploring the schools around two neighborhoods in Cali, Colombia. When Cuero explained that her plan was to apply for a Fulbright research/scholarship grant so that maybe the family could return and live in Colombia near their extended family for a few months, the girls began to understand. The Cuero family will be in Cali either during fall 2012 or spring 2013 as Cuero, an associate professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching, teaching at La Universidad del Valle (Univalle) and doing a qualitative research study on school choice in two vulnerable urban communities. During her visit last year, Ingrid Carolina Gómez, director of the Psychology Institute invited her to return to teach and collaborate with the Tier One researchers and graduate students at the Centro de Investigación en Psicología, Cognición y Cultura (Research Center of Psychology, Cognition and Culture). She will teach one doctoral-level course while at Univalle; the rest of the time she will concentrate on her research. This collaboration will also allow her to join their publishing group, which will allow her to collaboratively publish research in Spanish-language journals. “It was just a smashing meeting,” Cuero explains. She will teach Qualitative Research Methods to doctoral-level students. “I sought out Univalle as my host institution for three primary reasons. First, Univalle is committed to extensive and rigorous research as evidenced by its recognition as the region’s tier one university. Second, it is the only public university in and around Cali that boasts a socioeconomically and ethnically diverse student population much like my home institution that is classified as a Hispanic-serving institution. “Lastly, Univalle is known for its commitment to social justice and equity, which have been at the center of my own work as an educator and researcher.” Cuero will spend her research time examining school choice as it exists in the two adjacent urban communities in the east side of Cali, Agua Blanca and Potrero Grande. She will visit at least six schools and interview parents, students, teachers and other stakeholders about why they chose the schools they did, the results, and expectations. Among the schools she plans to study include:   El Nuevo Latir (The New Heartbeat). El Nuevo Latir will soon open in Agua Blanca as the premier public school in the city featuring the latest technological and pedagogical innovations. It has been a controversial school, though, because of the funding given to it rather than other schools in nearby neighborhoods. Private, community run schools, which range from one-room schoolhouses to vocational and typical elementary and secondary schools that cover a city block. Nonprofit schooling options, such as an early childhood center and K-12 school in Potrero Grande run by COMFANDI (a large nonprofit company that offers a wide range of social services and support). Cuero hopes to shed some light into the complicated choices that parents, teachers and communities must face when it comes to education and school choice. The U.S. discourse has often been over-simplified, Cuero argues, looking at the perceived problems, such as bad teachers, and not examining the deeper inequities in funding and other influencing factors. “We in the U.S. can learn much from developing nations, like Colombia, that have been grappling with these educational choices and false choices for decades,” Cuero says. “School choice is part of the discourse in the U.S., it is messy, but it is an issue in neighborhoods like the ones I’ll visit in Cali.”   2012-03-29T14:34:59+00:00 http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/alan_shoho_named_american_council_on_education_fellow/ http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/alan_shoho_named_american_council_on_education_fellow/#When:20:43:18Z Story by:  Rebecca Luther Communications Coordinator, Office of the Provost Program sharpens leadership skills, prepares participants to address higher education issues Alan Shoho, professor in the Department of Education Leadership and Policy Studies, has been named an American Council on Education Fellow for 2012–2013. The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing promising senior faculty and administrators for responsible positions in college and university administration. Shoho is one of 57 Fellows selected this year. Shoho joined UTSA in 1994 and has served on the University Assembly, the Faculty Senate and as chair of the University Faculty Grievance Committee. He served two terms as graduate adviser of record and initiated the ELPS Scholarship Golf Tournament, which is now in its tenth year. In 2010, he was recognized with the President’s Distinguished Achievement Award for University Service. Shoho also was a driving force behind UTSA's membership in the University Council for Educational Administration, and he served as president of that group in 2010. His research targets aspiring principals and assistant principals, high school reform, and organizational cultures. “Alan Shoho is truly deserving of this recognition and I applaud his opportunity. He has proven to be an effective and inspiring leader at the departmental, college, and university levels.” said Betty Merchant, dean of the College of Education and Human Development. The ACE Fellows Program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, campus visits and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single semester or year. The Fellows are included in the highest level of decision making while participating in administrative activities and learning about an issue to benefit their home institution. Shoho plans to spend one semester at a host institution and one semester working directly under Provost John Frederick, who sponsored his nomination for the program. Fellows attend three week-long retreats on higher education issues organized by ACE, read extensively in the field and engage in other activities to enhance their knowledge about the challenges and opportunities confronting higher education today. “I am looking forward to the challenge of participating as an ACE Fellow,” Shoho said. “My goal is to use this opportunity to learn more about higher education leadership and effective initiatives to foster UTSA’s aspirations toward becoming a Tier One research institution.” Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation. 2012-03-28T20:43:18+00:00 http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/third_annual_student_research_colloquium/ http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/third_annual_student_research_colloquium/#When:20:00:59Z The College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) presents the Third Annual Student Research Colloquium on April 25, 2012.  The colloquium is open to all COEHD students, and awards will be given for research projects at all levels, undergraduate, master's and doctoral.   The purpose of the colloquium is for students to share their research from a class project, thesis or dissertation, a work in progress, work with a faculty member, or research that has been previously presented elsewhere.  To participate, students must complete the online poster session registration form http://www.surveymonley.com/s/H7CSYX7 no later than April 20, 2012. In order to have your poster printed for FREE you must turn in your  work by April 16. For poster instructions and deadline: https://rowdyspace.utsa.edu/xythoswfs/webui/_xy-2496711_1-t_QncgBrA2 For  the poster template click here: https://rowdyspace.utsa.edu/xythoswfs/webui/_xy-2494141_1-t_7o7CH9kZ The research poster competition will breakdown into the following categories: Undergraduate Master's  Doctoral In each category there will be a first place winner ($400), second place ($300), and third ($200) respectively.   In addition, there  will be an Outstanding Dissertation Poster Competition for doctoral candidates who have or will complete their dissertation in fall 2011, spring or summer 2012, to share their dissertation work in the form of a poster.  The awards for this competition will be: first ($500) and second ($400). The Colloquium Event Schedule: Location: University Ballroom, UC 1.106 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.      Dr. Kris Gutierrez, University of Colorado at Boulder  (undergraduate student session) 1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.           Students set up posters. 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.           Viewing and judging of posters; Students should be at their posters during this time. 5:30 p.m.                               Welcome by Dean, Betty Merchant 5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.           Dr. Kris Gutierrez speaks about research in education 7:00 p.m.                               Poster Session Awards & Reception     If you have any questions about student registration or the colloquium, please contact Dr. Howard L. Smith at: howard.smith@utsa.edu               2012-03-22T20:00:59+00:00 http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/commencement_ticket_information_for_spring_ceremony/ http://education.utsa.edu/news/article/commencement_ticket_information_for_spring_ceremony/#When:16:27:53Z Commencement Ticket Information for the College of Education and Human Development for Spring 2012 Ceremony If you want to pick up your tickets early, you can do so during Grad Fest Days Wednesday, March 21, 2012 & Thursday, March 22, 2012 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  After these two days, ticket districbution will resume until Monday April 16th.  See Below.  Pick up tickets at:  COEHD Dean’s Office – 1604 Camps  Main Building MB 3.304.  You MUST bring a valid student ID or current driver's license to pick up tickets. Tickets will be handed out starting Monday, April 16 trough Saturday, April 28th. Monday through Friday (M,T,W,R,F) 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday (April 21, 2012 & April 28, 2012) 9:00 a.m. to noon • Please remember that if you don’t pick up your tickets by April 28th you will forfeit your tickets and those tickets will be used for the ticket lottery. • The COEHD will have a ticket lottery on Friday, May 4, 2012 time and location TBA. For any  questions regarding tickets please contact Cynthia Davis 458-4486 or Christopher Kibbe at 458-6737. 2012-02-27T16:27:53+00:00