Newsletter
• January 2003|
F F I C E R S |
OFFICERS President: Gay Wiseman
(gwiseman@mindspring.com)
To reach the executive board email listserve: offpdk@waldenu.edu |
|
SURVEY OF MEMBERS
We are conducting a survey, to learn more about our members. The data will help chapter
leadership plan appropriate programs and service projects. If you have not yet participated,
please do so. The survey can be completed in less than ten minutes by completing an online
form that is located at: http://waldenpdk.org/membersonly/survey2002.html.
We need to hear from EVERY member! Log in with:
User name: member
Password: educate
DISTRICT 7 CONFERENCE
Susanne Beier represented our chapter at the November District 7 Conference in Jacksonville,
Florida. Thanks again, Susanne, for representing us so ably!
CALENDAR OF UPCOMMING CHAPTER MEETINGS:
Jan 12-19 Elections/budget review/vote on PDK International constitution revision proposal/survey
data discussion
Feb 16-23 Joint meeting with Tokyo chapter/revisit "best websites" program.
Mar 17-24 Special Program (to be determined)
May 12-19 Installation of officers/initiation of new members
Wanda Denise Willis* of Marietta, GA: GaCrayolaKid@aol.com
Dennis James Godsey* of Belle Chasse, LA: dgodsey@waldenu.edu
Jennifer K. Pullman of Egg Harbor, NJ: jpullman@waldenu.edu
Elynne Cunningham of Holt, MI: ecunning@waldenu.edu
Shaun Thomas* of Olympia, WA: olyshaun@attbi.com
Nita Mosby Henry* of Denver, CO: nita01@email.uophx.edu
BRIEF INTRODUCTIONS FROM SOME NEW MEMBERS:
Thanks for the warm welcome!
I am a new Walden Education Ph.D. student, with a self-designed specialization in Art Ed., K-12. My goals are to enhance my opportunities within the district and possibly become involved with teaching other blossoming art teachers in my hereby-undergraduate school, Stockton. I've been an art teacher in the Atlantic City School District for 10 years, and I taught Kindergarten and Third Grade prior to that. Until getting into teaching, I was raising my son, Ian, (also in college now!) and doing commissioned artwork along with other part-time jobs (read: Starving Artist!). Ian, my partner Michael, and I live in a woodsy area outside of A.C. with our beloved feline children, Kainoa & Smudgie. I'm involved with the local art center and love decorating, gardening, and working out at the gym in my extremely limited spare time! How do we pack it all in?! I'm honored to be a part of this exciting group.
Jennifer Pullman
--
Alittleaboutmyself...
I have been working with children for 18 years now. First as a Montessori teacher on the primary level and then as an elementary school teacher. I am now teaching 5th grade in Marietta, Ga. In addition to getting my masters, I am also getting an endorsement to teach in the gifted program. I am the team leader for my fifth grade team, and worked on the textbook adoption committee for Science. I have been married for 18 years and have two sons, Justin 15 and Travis 13. Thanks for the welcome. I look forward to being an active PDK member.
Wanda Denise Willis
--
My name is Shaun Thomas. I am in the middle of transitioning from the Rowland surname to Thomas as I was married this last August. I am a native of Washington State. I was raised on the Olympic Peninsula and currently live in Olympia. I have two children, Megan who is five and Johnny, age thirteen. I work as an Elementary School Teacher. This is my first year at my current position of teaching a fourth/fifth grade blended class. This position is providing me with a rich supply of field experience in areas such as urban poverty, serving a highly mobile, diverse population with high levels of ESL, and working at a school marked for possible "take over" by the state of Washington.
I am currently in my second quarter in Walden University's Ph.D. Education program. My focus is Social Foundations of Education. I am familiar with off campus learning as I received my Master's from a similar program at Goddard in Vermont. My future professional goals are to facilitate authentic educational change. The goals of Phi Delta are very much in line with my own. My future plans are to move from my elementary teaching position to that of a university professor in the next few years. I plan to continue research and publishing work thereafter.
I wish to extend my warm greetings to all in our fraternity and look forward to our growing relationships! I am enjoying the e-mails I have received and am in the process of responding.
Sincerely,
Shaun Thomas
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RECENT CHAPTER MEETING
During our November Chapter Meeting we were able to participate in a panel discussion,
and hopefully it was the first of many.
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FOLLOW-UP FROM THE LAST NEWSLETTER
1. Please send any news about yourself that you
would like to share with the members, i.e., promotions, marriages, births, new jobs, papers,
presentations, events, interesting happenings, things that happened at summer session,
training, etc. Let's get better acquainted, get to know each other. Email the newsletter
editor at rjenterprises@lycos.com
2. What part should we as a PDK Chapter play in educational reform? Should we be actively
participating? Should we sit back and let others do it? Should we poll our members and
go with the majority's opinion? Should we outline our position and seek member support?
What positions should we take? Do we believe in charter schools or not? What is our position
on implementing technology in the classroom? Who should pay for this? Do we support using
tax dollars to send children to private schools? Religious schools? There are many topics,
and I would be surprised if we all felt the same way on all of them! I will compile the
results and include them in the next News Letter.
3. Our chapter continues to investigate and is nearing a decision on supporting a worthy
cause. More on this as developments solidify.
Some of our chapter officers got into some interesting
discussions when tossing around ideas for future chapter programs. Here are some of the
comments made on the officers mailing list that you may find interesting:
How about changes in political office and how they are changing schools. Different states
have different modes of supplying money to their schools. Laws change the tenure process
(as I am finding out there are areas w/out tenure). I know Illinois at least has some changes
in store.
Sandi
--
As to the issue of tenure or any other issue we wish to engage, let me offer this observation.
Those kinds of issues have to do more with conditions of education than with the essence
of education. That is to say, today in the absence of any national philosophy of education,
each locality and each State provides and suffices some sort of agenda, which, in the final
analysis only promotes and extends the status quo.
What we NEED, in my humble opinion, is to transcend those kinds of "issues", i.e., tenure, and look to what education SHOULD be -- we NEED a national philosophy of education. Would our Chapter be willing to engage THAT kind of discussion? Because THAT is what needs to be done in America, rather than looking at which regime is in power. Far too long, now, I have seen teacher groups become overly politicized and the process of education, the art of teaching, the student, is left by the wayside.
Forgive the diatribe, but there are far more important issues than tenure, which are vital to education in America. But I do agree that we should look at WHAT education must do in these perilous times. It appears to me that our students at all levels, including my graduate students, have a certain anxiety about the direction we pedagogists are headed. We must be "A-political" and grapple with the issues in a detached mode so we can truly serve as beacons for our students.
I'll sit down and shut up now.
Arthur G. Ogden '95
--
It may not seem as though politics has much to do with education, but it does. Teaching
in certain areas, like science and technology is driven by what experiences you can offer
students. While having a National policy for education would help, if you don't have funding,
you can't teachas effectively.
Sandi
--
I agree, but I am philosopher enough to know that while funding is vital, the most important
element in the classroom is the pedagogist, who MUST remain above the political dust. No
argument that funding is absolutely crucial. But classroom accountability is also fundamental.
The real issue, it seems to me, nevertheless, is HOW we spend our money as a society. Why
do we pay people who "play" the parts of life (i.e., actor types, and professional
athletes) huge sums of money then complain when we are asked for a mill levy increase in
property taxes to fund a new science lab? That is an issue of distribution of wealth and
income, along with societal values. And the sad fact is that students KNOW this!
We have a real battle with social values, as you are aware, and they all too often manifest
themselves in the classrooms. So what happens to education really reduces itself to what
we VALUE in society. And the complexity of this issue emerges in reactions to public schooling
such as vouchers. I am not surprised. (But I do not want to engage THAT discussion here.
Mention of it is evidence of the frustration of parents who DO care, but do not know what
else to do.)
At any rate, these are stimulating topics. The only problem is my prolixity of palaver bordering on the pontifical. Please forgive me. My passion for change in American education is too pervasive.
Regards,
Arthur
--
Arthur,
I agree with you 100%. One of the issues that have bothered me for a long time is the lack of the entrenched educational system's lack of coordination as it affects school-to-career transitions. We are still focused on "tracks", that is, college, non-college, etc. As a result I, in my career counseling practice, see college-aged students who come to mesaying, "Wow I have no clue as to which direction to go. I just went to college because that is what my parents said I had to do". We need to find a better way to prepare our high school students what career goals they might be able to identify and how to pursue them.
Okay, I will now sit down and be quiet also.
Susanne
--
Sounds like we have far to go on the yellow brick
road to OZ....
Baby steps.....
Sandi
--
What is the Philadelphia project? [Answer: The
Philadelphia schools have an award-winning program to help prevent violence by using relational
practices & classroom circles. This may become the focus for our ]
I wouldn't mind the policies for teachers; Illinois is undergoing a change that involves
all of higher education. I have been to several conferences to discuss this as an advocate
for stronger Math and Science representation in everyday classroom (general ed requirements)
for teachers. I am also on a curriculum board through Purdue NW that is investigating the
same types of changes for Indiana. More interesting is the move for Home Schooling students
to hook up with colleges online.
To send input for the next newsletter, email to:
rjenterprises@lycos.com
To send a message to the email list for all chapter officers, send to: offpdk@waldenu.edu
WU PDK Chapter Website Home: http://waldenpdk.org/
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Newsletter created by Theran Mugleston; edited and posted to the membership
by Gay Wiseman.