Welcome to the School of Education's newsletter, Sigma. You can access Sigma online at http://www.soe.umich.edu/sigma/index.html. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to . Deadline for submissions is noon on Wednesday. The next Sigma will be Friday, November 15, 2002.
Sigma Vol. XXXI, No. 35, November 8, 2002
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CALENDAR: NOVEMBER 10 - NOVEMBER 18
**"Fireside Chat" with Steve Lerman, South Bank University, London, ENG
Date: Tuesday November 12
Time: Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Brownlee Room, 2327 SEB
CPEP Colloquium
"Mentoring Relationships in a School of Education: Doctoral Students' Socialization as Educational Researchers"
by Mark Hager
Date: Wednesday, November 13
Time: 12:15 - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Room 2346, SEB
**'02 Pattishall Lecture
"Re-Framing Youth: A Study of the Strategic Nature of Youth Literacy and Culture"
by Elizabeth Birr Moje
Date: Thursday, November 14
Time: Noon, following Faculty Meeting (Tribute Room)
Location: Whitney Auditorium
**"Cognitive Flexibility Theory and Learning for Transfer in Complex Domains: New Ways to Structure Video Cases to Develop Adaptive Flexibility, to Foster a Mindset for Complexity, to Accelerate Experience Acquisition, and to Exploit Cognitive 'Bandwidth'"
Presenter: Rand J. Spiro, Professor of Educational Psychology and Senior Researcher, College of Education, Michigan State University
Date: Friday, November 15
Time: 10:30 a.m. -Noon
Location: Brownlee Room, 2327 SEB
**"Strengthening the Mathematics Education of Elementary School Teachers: A Mathematics-Mathematics Education Partnership at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln"
Presenters: Ruth Heaton, Associate Professor, Center for Curriculum and Instruction, and James Lewis, Professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date: Friday, November 15
Time: 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Brownlee Room, 2327 SEB
Fall Awards Ceremony
Date: Friday, November 15
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Index
1. SOE STUDENT FIRST RECIPIENT OF HACU AWARD
2. NEW GRANTS
3. GRADSHARE WRAP-UP
4. CENTER FOR THE PROFICIENCY IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS: "FIRESIDE CHAT"
5. CENTER FOR PROFICIENCY IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS PRESENTATION
6. LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM PRESENTATION
7. ATTENTION GRADUATE STUDENTS: YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED
8. CANDIDACY DEADLINE
9. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL WARNING
10. COPYRIGHT
11. HRAA NEWS: NOVEMBER 4
12. '03 MICHIGAN ROAD SCHOLARS
13. FACULTY EXPLORATORY WORKSHOPS
14. HRD COURSES
15. CAMPUS EVENTS OF INTEREST
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1. SOE STUDENT FIRST RECIPIENT OF HACU AWARD
Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, Xavier E. Corona a Maters has received the first Student Leadership Award for "Outstanding Support and Commitment as a Champion of Hispanic Success in Higher Education by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Xavier will be graduating in December with a master's degree, concentration in policy, and is planning to pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science or take part in the Presidential Management Internship Program.
2. NEW GRANTS
==Michael Nettles and Catherine Millett have received an award from Goldman Sachs Foundation for continuation of the project entitled "Goldman Sachs Signature Initiative: Preparing High Potential Youth for Excellence and Leadership" in the amount of $215,000.
==Karen Wixson has received $12,855 from the Spencer Foundation for a project entitled, "Fifth Retreat for Deans/Directors Participating in the Spencer Foundation's Research Training Group (RTG) Program."
3. GRADSHARE WRAP-UP
Thank you to all those who helped set up and clean up and share at the GradShare. All in all, things went great and the event goal, which was to create an opportunity for grad students to talk about their research and learn about the work of their colleagues, was met. The GSCO learned from this event and will be working to make the next GradShare even better for all SOE graduate students! --GSCO
4. CENTER FOR THE PROFICIENCY IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS: "Fireside Chat"
with Steve Lerman, South Bank University, London, ENG
Date: Tuesday November 12
Time: Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Brownlee Room, 2327 SEB
(Refreshments provided)
Professor Lerman is Head of Educational Research in the Division of Education, in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He is also Director of Doctoral Programmes, Head of the Centre for Mathematics Education at South Bank University and former President of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education as well as of the British Society for Research into the Learning of Mathematics.
5. CENTER FOR PROFICIENCY IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS PRESENTATION
"Strengthening the Mathematics Education of Elementary School Teachers: A Mathematics-Mathematics Education Partnership at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln"
Presenters: Ruth Heaton, Associate Professor, Center for Curriculum and Instruction, and James Lewis, Professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date: Friday, November 15
Time: 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Brownlee Room, 2327 SEB
Reception: 4:30 - 5:30, following talk, in 1600 School of Education
RSVP: Brenda Ely at elb at umich.edu
The talk will review a partnership at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that involves faculty in mathematics, faculty in mathematics education, and Lincoln Public School teachers. UNL's Math Matters is a NSF-funded project designed to strengthen the preparation of future elementary school teachers. There will be discussion about experiences in building a partnership between education faculty, mathematics faculty and mathematics teachers as well as the efforts to deepen students' understanding of mathematics while connecting the mathematics they study to the tasks faced by an elementary school teacher.
6. LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM PRESENTATION
"Cognitive Flexibility Theory and Learning for Transfer in Complex Domains: New Ways to Structure Video Cases to Develop Adaptive Flexibility, to Foster a Mindset for Complexity, to Accelerate Experience Acquisition, and to Exploit Cognitive 'Bandwidth.'"
Presenter: Rand J. Spiro, Professor of Educational Psychology and Senior Researcher, College of Education, Michigan State University
Date: Friday, November 15
Time: 10:30 a.m. -Noon
Location: Brownlee Room, 2327 SEB
Cognitive Flexibility Theory is a theory of advanced learning in complex and ill-structured domains. As compared to other cognitive approaches, this theory is complementary (rather than antagonistic) to situated approaches to learning. The presentation will cover some current developments in the theory, with emphasis on applications to learning from video cases. Illustrations will be presented of ways that video cases can be used to develop more complex understandings (for example, understandings which incorporate aligned and interlocked multiple perspectives to more fully represent case complexity).
7. ATTENTION GRADUATE STUDENTS: YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED
You are invited to a Graduate Student Advisory Working Session related to issues of Social Justice and Educational Equity facilitated by Stella Raudenbush and Steve Raudenbush on Thursday, December 5, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (lunch provided), in the Whitney Auditorium. The School of Education is progressing in its efforts to make more visible its intellectual thrust around issues of equity and social justice in education. Student input is imperative in this process. This session will involve processing issues related to: "What does the School mean by social justice and educational equity?" "What is the School already doing towards these goals?" "What will it look like to link SOE research and teaching explicitly to these issues?" "What are recommendations for continued action within the SOE Community?" Please RSVP Becki Spangler at spangler at umich.edu.
8. CANDIDACY DEADLINE
If you are planning to become a candidate for Winter Term 2003, please submit a request to the Office of Student Services no later than: Friday, November 15 for winter advancement. For information on achieving candidacy and other important deadlines, please refer to the SOE web site at http://www.soe.umich.edu/deadlines/index.html.
9. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL WARNING
The U-M International Travel Oversight Committee has issued a memo regarding a US State Department Worldwide Travel Caution to US citizens. Complete information about the travel advisory is available on the web at http://www.umich.edu/~icenter/overseas/travel.
10. COPYRIGHT
The United States Fair Use for Education doctrine says that making and distributing multiple copies of the same materials without getting the written permission of the legal copyright holder circumvents the spirit of the copyright law. Therefore such copying/distributing is illegal and expensive. The SOE community is urged to remember these legal issues when considering copying materials, or having them copied, for distribution to students.
11. HRAA NEWS: NOVEMBER 4
**Confirmation Statements will be mailed to home addresses in late November for all benefits eligible faculty and staff whether or not changes were made during Open Enrollment. If your statement is correct, you do not need to do anything. Keep the form with your personal records. If your Confirmation Statement is not accurate, use black ink to circle the incorrect information and print clearly the correct information next to it. Return the Confirmation Statement by December 5, 2002. You can fax the form to 734-763-0363. This is the recommended way to return the form.
**Long-Term Disability (LTD) plan did not appear on the Open Enrollment Personal Enrollment Worksheet as it is not part of Open Enrollment. However, if you are enrolled in LTD, it will appear on the Confirmation Statement. If you have questions about your current coverage level in LTD, call the HR/Payroll Service Center at 734-615-2000.
**In early December, health statement forms will be mailed to faculty and staff who enrolled in life insurance during Open Enrollment and need to complete a health statement. The mailing will include the form you need to complete (long or short version), information on how to complete the form as well as where and how to return the form.
**New Benefits Books Section online provides convenience to faculty and staff who want detailed plan information at their fingertips. Benefits books are posted to this section in PDFs, set up in Bookmarks format for ease in locating specific topics. To review plan books online, go to http://www.umich.edu/~benefits/books/index.htm.
**You can now make contributions to new or existing Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP) accounts by payroll deduction. For information visit http://www.misaves.com.
12. '03 MICHIGAN ROAD SCHOLARS
A faculty advisory committee chaired by Dean Earl Lewis of the Rackham Graduate School will select 30 participants for fifth annual Michigan Road Scholars educational tour to occur April 28-May 2, 2003. Designed to increase mutual knowledge and understanding between the University and the people and communities of the state, the five-day tour will introduce participants to the places the majority of U-M students call home, encourage university service to the public, and suggest ways faculty can help address state and local issues. In addition, the experience is expected to develop beneficial ties and promote interdisciplinary discussion among the touring faculty. More information is available online at: http://www.umich.edu/~govrel/mrs.html. Application deadline is November 29, 2002. If you have questions, please contact David Lossing or Lew Morrissey, Director of State Outreach, at 764-9256, or via email, dalossin at umich.edu or morrisse at umich.edu.
13. FACULTY EXPLORATORY WORKSHOPS
Information about Faculty Exploratory workshops is available on the web at http://www.lib.umich.edu/exploratory. You can register for any Faculty Exploratory workshops on the web, https://www-a1.lsa.umich.edu/es_conf/app/ShowSessions.asp?confid=2&spsr=5&shwd=1&FormEvents_Sorting=3&FormEvents_Sorted=&tpl=facexp.htm, via email, lib.workshops at umich.edu or directly on the CourseTools web site, https://coursetools.ummu.umich.edu/training/workshops.nsf for CourseTools workshops.
14. HRD COURSES
"Beyond Customer Service: Managing Confrontational Clients"
Date: Thursday, November 14
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
"Beyond Customer Service: The Next Steps"
Date: Wednesday, December 4
Time: 8:30 a.m. - noon
Further information about professional and organizational development opportunities can be found at http://www.umich.edu/~hraa/hrd
15. CAMPUS EVENTS OF INTEREST
The following events will be taking place around campus. You may get more information on each event via the listed web site, email or telephone (when available).
Blood Battle
U-M vs. Ohio State
Date: November 11 - 22
The Red Cross is setting up a donation site around campus and appointments can be made online at https://givelife.redcross.org/HomePage.asp?AID=goblue. This year you can also register to give bone marrow, which benefits those with certain blood disorders, such as leukemia and aplastic anemia, as well as certain immune system and genetic disorders.
English Language Institute
"Language Learning and Instruction, Problem Spaces and Cognition: Reading Acquisition in Syllabic, Alphabetic, and Logographic Scripts"
Speaker: Nick C. Ellis, Professor of Psychology, University of Wales, Bangor
Date: Friday, November 15, 2002
Time: 10:30 am
Location: English Language Institute Conference Room A (Room 3200 TCF Building), 401 East Liberty Street (corner of Liberty and Division Streets)
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Sigma is a weekly publication of the University of Michigan School of Education (bi-weekly during the summer). To subscribe to Sigma, please send an email to . SUBSCRIBE should be the subject. Deadline for submissions is noon on Wednesday. Please send items to . The next issue of Sigma will be Friday, November 15, 2002.