Student Scholar Day presentors from the School of Education

Graduate Certification student, Laura Inwards, presented a PowerPoint titled "Building Connections Builds Success in Learning."  The presentation showcased creative lesson plans Laura created throughout her course of study.  She stated "I believe the most essential part of any lesson plan is the degree to which it enables students to make personal connections with the new material. Learning becomes meaningful and relevant to students as they build connections using their own base of knowledge, experience, strengths, and interests."

Erica Morrison, an undergraduate, presented her Education Portfolio and showed a video of her teaching.  Erica so impressed the school where she student taught, that they offered her a job in the same room next fall.   

Special education majors in ED 353 were chosen to present a poster session at the Avila Student Scholar day held on April 10, 2008.  Each student presented a graphic representation explaining the characteristics, etiology, assessment, and treatment for a specific childhood disability.  A paper which described the cognitive processes used in creating this graphic was also presented.  These students in Dr. Sue Ellen McCalley's class were:

Samantha Bevins:  Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)

Mackenzie Davis:  Learning Disabilities

Emily Grayum:  ADHD

Nikki Gutierrez:  Down's Syndrome

Rebecca Hanes:  Mental Retardation (MR)

Stephanie Hart:  Asperger's Syndrome

Heinz Liebert:  MR

Kathryn Page:  ADHD

Warnelia Page:  Emotional Disturbance

Judith White:  Emotional Disturbance

Samantha Bevins and Emily Grayum

Mackenzie Davis and Judith White





Rebecca Hanes and Nikki Gutierrez

Kathryn Page and Stephanie Hart

Heinz Liebert

Melina Peeples, 2008 Robert J Greef Award Winner

The School of Education is pleased to announce
that Melina Peeples is the winner of the annual
Robert J Greef award.

This award is given by the Missouri Association of
Teachers of English (MATE). Recipiencts of this
award are degree seeking students who want to
be English teachers. The award is in honor of 
Robert J Greef who was an outstanding teacher at
Central Missouri State University.

Melina was presented her award at the MATE conference on Friday, February 15th. She was one of thirteen winners of the award in the state of Missouri. Melina will graduate in May 2008 and plans on teaching middle school language arts.

Kathy Mendenhall received the Alumni Award from the School of Education.  She is an Avila Alumnus, has served as a TEXT mentor and is currently an adjunct for us in Art Education.  She has also received many awards for her own artwork. 

Linda Irvin received the Recent Alumni Award from the School of Education.  She got both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Avila.  She is currently a teacher in the Paola School District.  She is a TEXT mentor and a cooperating teacher for us.  Last year she received the Kansas Teacher of the Year Award from Walmart.

A Special Award from the School of Education was awarded to the The Frye/Sears family in recognition of each of the recipients long time contributions to the School.  Dr. Harold Frye (father of Chris Frye) has served on our Advisory Council, been an adjunct instructor, guest speaker and guest interviewer for our student teachers.  Lou Sears (Heather's mom) has been an adjunct and has helped us develop several course guides in our Literacy Program, Heather Kernan-Frye (married to Chris) is an Avila Alumnus, former president of AEA and KDPi, recipient of the Eschbacher Excellence in Education Award and TEXT mentor.  Chris Frye (married to Heather) is also an Avila Alumnus from our graduate certification program and a TEXT mentor and cooperating teacher.

On January 23rd and 24th, 65 middle school and high school teachers, administrators and mentors from the Hickman Mills and Grandview School Districts will meet at Avila University. This is a regional training seesion for Project Success-Close the Gap, a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education initiative to help students achieve higher scores on the MAP tests. The training will be done by McRel Research Consultants. Dr. Reulan Levin, an Avila professor, has been involved in this project for the past 2 years and is currently on sabbatical to complete her work with Project Success.

Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce Honors Alumni Graduate

Kelly McKnight, who received his elementary certification in the fall of 2000, is a recipient of Lee's Summit's Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Teaching award. Mr. McKnight is a 5th grade teacher at Pleasant Lea Elementary School.

Linda Irvin selected as Kansas State Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year Award

Linda received her certification in Elementary Education from Avila in 1997. She was one of two teachers in the entire state of Kansas to receive this award. For being named Kansas State Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year, her school received $10,000 to spend on educational materials! Congratulations Linda.

Linda continues to serve Avila by being a mentor to other aspiring teachers
through our Teaching Excellence Team (TEXT) program.

Amy Cameron selected as the Walmart teacher of the year for the Grandview School District

Amy Cameron, who received her certification in English 1997 and her Master of Arts in Education in 1999 also from Avila, has been selected by the Walmart, at 135th and State Line, as the teacher of the year for the Grandview School District.  She received a $1000 gift certificate to be used for her classroom.  Ms. Cameron teaches English at the Grandview Alternative School.  She is also a member of Avila's Teaching EXcellence Team (TEXT) and an adjunct professor for the School of Education. Congratulations Amy!

Avila Graduate Receives Honors

Chris Frye, a Teacher Certification graduate, was named Ruskin High School's teacher of the year! Congratulations.

Brett Coffman, an Avila graduate, has been named Teacher of the Year in Raytown.

• their creative and effective use of instructional materials
• incorporation of innovative and effective instructional strategies
• fostering a spirit of inquiry and critical thinking
• fostering the development of democratic beliefs
• commitment to professional development
• utilization of new scholarship from history and the social studies

• Jamie Lecuru graduated in 2004 with a degree in Special Education. She is currently teaching at Peculiar Elementary School.
• Tracey Coffman completed Avila's Graduate Certification program in 2004 in middle school Language Arts. She currently teaches at Raytown Middle School.

The honorees were awarded certificates at a celebratory luncheon held at Lincoln University.

• Kappa Delta Pi/Avila Education Association
  October 18, 2005
  2:30-4:00 p.m.
  Marian Center
  Activities Room (next to the Dining Room)
  
  We are hosting Dr. Vallerie Tucker Blackwell, a psychology
  professor at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She will
  discuss how to motivate the students that really don't want
  to be motivated.

  Questions? Contact Rochelle Kroshus in Foyle 912 or call
  (816) 501-2960.
  

  ---

• Dr. Tom Garrison, Avila's adjunct professor of Special Methods of Secondary Vocal Music, was selected to spend a month in Vienna, Austria as a participant in the interdisciplinary institute "Mozart's Worlds." This institute was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and administered by the University of Dayton. Along with 29 other participants, Dr. Garrison studied two major works by Mozart -- The Abduction from the Seraglio and The Magic Flute -- engaged in institute discussions and carried out a program of individual reading and research. Dr. Garrison teaches music at Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri.
  
  

  ---

• Aletha Fulton, who earned her K-12 art certification at Avila in 2003, received the "Teacher of the Year" award at Benjamin Banneker Charter Academy of Technology for the 2004-2005 school year.