Learning Connections

Discover the Art Department’s free public colloquium on Wednesdays through academic year

February 6, 2021

Discover the latest developments in fine arts, craft, and design at free public lectures by some of the most prominent artists, critics, and gallery and museum directors! The Visiting Artist Colloquium, hosted by the School of Education’s Art Department, is held on Wednesdays from 5 – 6:15 p.m. during the academic year, and is free and open to the public.

PLACE providing transformational learning experiences

January 4, 2021

Serving the School of Education at the nexus of research, mission, and community, the office of Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE) draws on the best ideas and people across the School to provide transformational learning experiences for artists, educators, leaders, and lifelong learners around the world.

Spotlight: Counseling Psychology Training Clinic pivots to offering services remotely

January 3, 2021

Despite the initial challenges brought on by the pandemic, the Counseling Psychology Training Clinic has been able to successfully pivot to serving its clients remotely. The clinic is staffed by graduate students in the Department of Counseling Psychology’s master’s and doctoral programs who are supervised by licensed psychologists.

Spotlight: ‘This experience will open doors and their mind’

January 3, 2021

Alexa Posny recently created a scholarship for students who are studying to become administrators. Two students each year spend a summer in Washington, D.C., working in policy and networking. “This experience will open doors and their mind,” Posny says. “They will have such a wider understanding. The laws are more flexible than many people think.”

Innovation roundup: Virtual tutoring program connects MMSD students with future teachers

January 2, 2021

When the coronavirus moved nearly all teaching and learning opportunities online in the spring of 2020, the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) and School of Education utilized existing partnerships to quickly create plans for a virtual Summer Tutoring Collaborative. The efforts were made possible via Forward Madison, a partnership launched in 2015 that formally strengthened the longtime relationship between the School of Education and MMSD.

Innovation: Real Talk for Real Change symposia aim to inspire action on racial injustice

January 2, 2021

The UW–Madison School of Education’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI) teamed up with its Office of Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE) this fall to produce a series of symposia focused on critical issues of racial justice. The goal of the virtual series, titled Real Talk for Real Change, aligns with the vision statement for PLACE, which aims to provide transformational learning experiences, said Lisa Barker, the education director for PLACE and one of four program coordinators for the series. In addition, the symposia strive to create a platform that “lifts up the work and scholarship and voices, especially of faculty of color,” she said.

Innovation: Puntambekar contributing to $20 million, NSF-funded artificial intelligence initiative

January 2, 2021

UW–Madison’s Sadhana Puntambekar will collaborate with national researchers on establishing one of five artificial intelligence (AI) institutes and education hubs. A $100 million initiative of the National Science Foundation, the centers are the single most significant federal investment to date in exploring how AI can benefit the United States’ quality of life, economy, and international competitiveness.