ETSU Educational Foundations and Special Education

10/06/2022

A great training opportunity and a chance to be involved in research!!

09/28/2022

Congratulations to Dr. Arnold Nyarambi has recently published two articles. The citations are below.

Nyarambi, A & Nkabinde, E. (2022). The role of educator preparation programs in immigrants families and special education. In Sangini Keengwe: Research Anthology on Inclusive Practices for Educators and Administrators in Special Education (pp.987-1003). IGI Global Research DOIDOI:10.4018/978-1-6684-3670-7.ch053 *Published in the second edition on demand. https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/chapter/292926

Ntuli, E. & Nyarambi, A. (2022). Developmentally Appropriate K-3 Online Learning: Teacher preparation and professional development needs during the pandemic. Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education. Peer reviewed https://academicexperts.org/conf/site/2022/papers/59375/

09/23/2022

Have a great weekend!

09/22/2022

Support Access ETSU students with intellectual disabilities as they explore their career, academic, and social interests.

Click the button below to learn more about becoming a BucMate peer mentor.

BucMate promo image was designed in part by Access student Carter.

https://www.etsu.edu/coe/access/

09/21/2022

Happy Wednesday!

09/20/2022

https://www.wvlt.tv/2022/09/19/special-education-changes-coming-after-tenn-depart-education-settles-lawsuit/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cb_bureau_tn&utm_source=Chalkbeat&utm_campaign=16781a3ac4-Tennessee+Tennessee+asks+court+to+dismiss+school+v&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9091015053-16781a3ac4-1296917189

New changes and procedures are coming to Tennessee schools after the Tennessee Department of Education settled a lawsuit in June.

09/20/2022

Student Spotlight: Ashlette Lopez

ETSU has many examples on how its inclusive nature has given students a better college experience along with greater opportunities that some students may not get somewhere else. Clemmer college is no exception as we provide a great place for students from different backgrounds; including Ashlette Lopez. Ashlette is currently a grad student for Clemmer’s Special Education Graduate Program. Ashlette has had a passion for teaching that not only affects the classroom, but also the field as she has also taught archery to many blind students.

What are the best moments when working with kids and what are the benefits of teaching in special education?

"I absolutely love watching children achieve their goals, not necessarily the IEP or academic goals but THEIR goals, the things they cherish as a person and want to accomplish in their life. Special education seems to be one of the rare career fields that emphasizes collaboration and working as team toward a common goal. While other industries typically do work toward a mutual goal I’ve not seen the collaboration in quite the same way as it’s done in special education. Every on the team brings something unique to the table and we take the best effort from each person to help make a person’s life a bit easier. "

How did you and Dr. Olson meet and how has I had a positive impact on your experience at ETSU?

"Dr. Olson, Assistant Professor of Physical Education, was introduced to me through Dr. Rowe since she knew that Dr. Olson teaches the adaptive sports courses on campus as well as archery courses. Since me Dr. Olson not to long ago I feel more connected to campus life and the community from discussing her experiences and how she’s connected to the local school districts. "

"How did you get introduced to archery and how has it improved your life as a student?"

"My children were taking archery lessons at a range in Colorado when the owner asked my husband if he knew anyone who was blind so she could try some specialized equipment for the visually impaired that she had just learned about, he was working at the school for the Deaf and Blind at the time. He informed her I was blind and encouraged me to try archery. At first I was skeptical but after only a few short lessons I was in love. Archery was an amazing stress reliever and it was a sport I felt I could excel at as a blind person. After learning to shoot and participating in a few competitions I began instructing younger students. My passion for individuals with different needs soon began part of my archery life as well. I began working with the owner on ways to adapt equipment and instruction to meet the needs of our community. The range I taught at before moving now has a full-fledged adaptive archery program. I also used my skills at advocacy to recruit other VI members of the community to try archery as well as collaborated with the local school for the Blind on instructing and adapting archery equipment."

What separates the special education program at ETSU from other colleges?

"I’ve only been at ETSU for a short time but the support and encouragement I’ve received already has been nothing short of AMAZING! Whenever I’ve had a problem my professors, mentors, and advisors have gone above and beyond what I’ve experienced at other universities to make sure I will be success and have all the tools I need. "

Overall, how has your experience at ETSU been as a grad student?

"I’m loving it. As I said I haven’t been at ETSU long but the staff and students have been amazing. As an undergrad at another university I sometimes struggled to feel like a valued member due to my disability. After only a semester on campus there I switched to all virtual learning because the atmosphere on campus wasn’t very welcoming and I had a hard time navigating around campus as an outsider. At ETSU everyone has been incredibly friendly, once when I stopped to look at a sign on campus a student asked if I needed any help or direction. In each of my classes I’ve already made connections with other students and the professors know who I am. These gestures remind me of how inclusive an atmosphere ETSU really is."

Clemmer, and ETSU as a whole, takes major consideration to consider and help students with impairments to make sure that they get as much help as they need on campus to let them know that their impairments do not have to be a hindrance in their college career. Ashlette is a great example on how the inclusive environment ETSU provides can be a great benefit.

09/19/2022

RITASEE Receives $1.25 Million Dollar Grant Thanks to Clemmer Faculty


Last week, thanks to the work of the Department of Educational Foundations and Special Education (EFSE) and the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA), were awarded a $1.25 grant for their Rural Initiative for Training Administrators with Special Education Expertise (RITASEE). This massive award will be used to rural school districts by improving communication and collaboration leadership, evidence based school improvement for diverse learners, implementing inclusive practices and developing a positive school culture for all students.

RITASEE Co-Director, Dr. Rowe, has high hopes for the new program, "We’re really leveraging our expertise to support people in the field and in the region to enable the development of leadership skills necessary to serve diverse learners". This is the first collaboration with these two programs with many more on the way. The combined efforts of the ELPA and EFSE with provide a unique opportunity for students as the they acquire, as Dr. Mims describes, "a coveted, alternative skill set." This grant will provide funding for at least 18 students and will provide them with books, seminars and leadership internships to help students in rural settings.

Applications for RITASEE are open and if you want to learn more about RITASEE and how to apply for the new program, please check out the ELPA website and click "Rural Initiative for Training Administrators with Special Education Expertise Scholarship."

ETSU faculty members with Clemmer College were recently awarded $1.25 million in grant funding to support a project known as the Rural Initiative for Training Administrators with Special Education Expertise.

03/22/2022

Faculty and Students present at ACRES
Recently, faculty and students from the department of Educational Foundations & Special Education attended the American Council for Rural Special Education (ACRES) conference. Drs. Cathy Galyon, Arnold Nyarombi, Dawn Rowe, and Pamela Mims presented sessions.

Dr. Pamela Mims presented “Academic Leaders: Facing Challenges and Finding Solutions” with colleagues Margaret Bausch, University of Kentucky; Mark Butler, Anderson University; Ginevra Courtade, University of Louisville; and Matthew Jameson, University of Utah.

Dr. Arnold Nyarambi presented “Supporting behavioral and mental health needs of students during the COVID pandemic: Lessons from the field.”

Dr. Cathy Galyon presented “Infusing Trauma Informed Practices into Inclusive Early Childhood Environments” with colleagues Kim Floyd, West Virginia University and Lora Lee Smith Canter, East Carolina University.

Special Education graduate students and CLINT scholars, Jonna Pickard, Jennifer Linebaugh, and Kristi Burnette, presented a poster with Drs. Rowe and Mims. The title of their presentation was “A collaborative model to train future teachers and speech language pathologists to work with students with extensive support needs.”

Congratulations to everyone on presenting at ACRES.

Below is a link to the ACRES organization.

02/07/2022

One of two 2021-2022 Tennessee Principal of the Year awards went to Dr. Chris Hampton, Principal of Dobyns-Bennett and alumnus of the Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis program. Dr. Hampton is a three-time graduate of ETSU receiving his Bachelor of Science in Special Education, 1995; Master of Education in Counseling, 1997; and a Doctor of Education in Administration, 2007.

In an interview with ETSU’s Alumni Association, Dr. Hampton said, “My education allowed for skill attainment and networking that opened doors for advancement while always keeping the focus on student growth and opportunities.” Regarding the Principal of the Year award he said, "It is an honor to be recognized by the Department of Ed for the Principal of the Year award for Tennessee. I am proud to serve my school and the families of Kingsport as the principal of Dobyns-Bennett High School. Serving in this role has been the highlight of my career and is a privilege I have been able to enjoy for the last 11 years."

Congratulations, Dr. Hampton. The Clemmer community is proud of your many accomplishments.

Read more here:
ETSU Alumni Interview:
https://www.etsualumni.org/s/974/bp18/interior.aspx?sid=974&gid=31&pgid=4280

Article"
https://www.k12k.com/apps/news/article/1537179

11/15/2021

Educational Foundations faculty represented ETSU at the American Educational Studies Association (AESA) Conference held November 3 – 7, 2021. From the conference program, “the American Educational Studies Association (AESA) is the place where academics, teachers, researchers, and community partners, connected to and by social foundations of education, meet to engage in critical discussion, learn new frameworks, and support one another.”

Dr. Jean Swindle, assistant professor, organized an AESA session titled, “The Herrenvolk Ethic, Equity-Aware Dialogues and More Important Musings on Teacher Education from the Central Appalachian Highlands.” Presenters for this session included Associate Professor Dr. Alison L. Barton, Scott E. Jenkinson, and Shelby J. Morris.

Mr. Jenkinson had an additional presentation titled “Naming Whiteness: A Poetic Autoethnographic Exploration of a Teacher Educator’s Unfinished/Continuous Journey Toward Anti-Racism.”

Lastly, during the AESA Conference, Dr. Swindle presented “Lucy is Talking but Who Is Listening?: Black Teacher Candidate Voices as Program Evaluation Heuristics at Predominantly White Institutions.”

http://educationalstudies.org/PDF/2021-Updated-AESA-conference-program.pdf