Curriculum & Instruction
Neag School Grad Supports Literacy, Leadership at Local School
Isabella “Bella” Gradante ’20 (ED), ’21 MA says she always knew she would pursue a career in education, having been raised by a family of educators and around schools her whole life. It wasn’t until she entered her master’s year in the Neag School’s Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s (IB/M) program that she found what truly called her to the field: the practice of culturally relevant and sustaining teaching.
Reading and Language Arts Center Champions Literacy Amid Pandemic
In the wake of the pandemic, schools have pivoted to online learning. Rachael Gabriel, associate professor of literacy education and director of Neag School of Education’s Reading and Language Arts Center, knew she wanted to help the education community amid this major shift.
Students Build Fictional World With Real Educational Impact
Polykosmia is a universe dreamed up by students in two classes led this spring by Stephen Slota (he/him, they/them), Neag School assistant professor-in-residence of educational technology. The project, an exercise in both worldbuilding and lesson planning, involved designing everything from mythologies to local governments to individual character arcs. Students also learned how to adapt worldbuilding activities into K–12 classrooms and how to design lesson plans that connected story objectives in a fictional world with learning objectives in the classroom.
New Online Graduate Certificate on Educating Bilingual Learners
The Neag School’s Educating Bilingual Learners online graduate certificate program offers general education teachers and other school personnel an opportunity to learn how to better support English Learners in their classrooms. The four-class, 12-credit graduate certificate can be earned fully online, making it accessible to educators across the country.
Spring 2020 Neag School Faculty and Staff Appointments
This month, the Neag School of Education announces new appointments to its leadership, welcomes three new faculty members, and also announces staff updates in the Dean’s Office.
10 Questions With Michael Forsyth, Navy Veteran Turned Math Teacher
Michael Forsyth ’15 (CLAS), ’16 MA had already served in the U.S. Navy aboard two submarines and started a family when he decided in his late 20s to work toward a college degree. After completing his undergraduate degree in mathematics at UConn in 2015, Forsyth went on to earn his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction through the 11-month Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates at the Neag School of Education. He has since been finding creative ways to teach math to students at Connecticut River Academy in East Hartford, Conn.
Op-ed: Just Passing Tests Won’t Make Teachers Good
If the responsibilities of a teacher go far beyond academics, why isn’t that what we are testing teacher candidates on? writes Olivia Singer, a master's student in the teacher preparation program.
An ‘A’ Student Gives Teachers 8 Pieces of Advice
'One day, I realized I could do less and still be OK,' writes master's student and self-described overachiever Taylor Hudak '18 (ED).
Degrees of Change: UConn Increases Diversity in Teaching Programs
The Neag School of Education has made a concerted effort to increase diversity in the teacher preparation program, with a view to putting more teachers of color in classrooms.
UConn Responds to Need for K-12 Mandarin Teachers
The program will be taught on two different levels – in the five-year Integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s Program and the post-graduate Teacher Certification Program.