Welcome to the Summer 2022 edition of Learning Connections. The theme of this issue is “Rising to the Challenge.” Over the past few years, we’ve all been challenged to adapt to new circumstances. And organizations and institutions — through the people in them — are no exception. During my first year as associate dean of …
In May, UW–Madison and the School of Education celebrated with its spring 2022 graduates. We are tremendously proud of all our students — more than 600 of them — who graduated from School of Education programs. We reached out to a few of our graduating students, from those who earned bachelor’s degrees to PhDs, to …
Would you like to improve classroom discussions to better engage students and help them learn your course content and skills? A three-day professional learning opportunity for UW–Madison instructors, The Discussion Project focuses on developing skills in leading high-quality, small- and large-group discussion in undergraduate and graduate classrooms. The course is also part of the Discussion Project Measures …
By Laurel White In a high school classroom in central Wisconsin, a political ad campaign about state gun policy is in the works. Questions are in the air: Who are the advertisements trying to persuade? What is media coverage of the issue like in the area? How might factors like the local culture and economy …
The Discussion Project gives instructors vital skills to improve quality classroom discussion, learning By Todd Finkelmeyer Engaging classroom discussion fuels learning. But quality discourse doesn’t just happen — it takes structure and planning. Teaching these vital skills is the aim of The Discussion Project, a professional development series launched at UW–Madison in 2017 that’s designed to …
Politics can be divisive, confusing, and challenging to approach. The Teaching About the 2022 Elections Conference will help educators find ways to ensure their students can discuss these sensitive and important topics with care, knowledge, and facts. The conference will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. In-person sessions are …
By Kari Dickinson On State Street in Madison, a new monument stands prominently on the corner in front of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMOCA). At a distance, it evokes a tribute to a historic leader. Its subject’s seated pose echoes the iconic statue of Abraham Lincoln on Bascom Hill. But look closer and …
Travis Wright, an associate professor with the School of Education’s Department of Counseling Psychology, is the new faculty director of UW–Madison’s Morgridge Center for Public Service. Wright began his new role Feb. 1, following Earlise C. Ward, who returned to her full-time position at the School of Nursing after serving as director for three years. …
The UW–Madison School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) hosted a festschrift on June 3 to honor longtime faculty members Julie Mead and Julie Underwood (“the Julies”) on the occasion of their retirements. A festschrift is a collection of work by different authors presented in honor of a scholar. Instead of …
In the United States, the realm of education is often caught in the crosshairs of controversy. Whether it’s disputes about how best to fund public education, discussions about the most effective ways to close opportunity gaps, or politically charged debates about what should (and shouldn’t) be taught in classrooms, it’s not always easy to remember …