By Lisa Bauer, Division of Continuing Studies Born in rural Illinois in 1927, Marge Engelman’s parents had a traditional path planned for her: marriage, children and a life dedicated to family. But Engelman had other plans. At age 98, she reflected on the life she built that did include family, but also four degrees, a pioneering …
By Laurel White Near the end of their six-week professional development program in Madison last fall, three members of the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (FTEA) program from the Czech Republic had an idea. They wanted to bring some of what they experienced at UW–Madison to other teachers in Central and Eastern Europe. After months of …
The UW–Madison School of Education will honor the 2025 recipients of its Rockwell Awards and Lois Gadd Nemec Elementary Education Award during a Nov. 15 celebration on campus. The Rockwell Awards recognize exemplary teachers and other school professionals who mentor and provide high-quality field experiences to UW–Madison students preparing to work in schools. Recipients of …
UW–Madison alumnus Matthew Knoester, who earned his PhD from the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction in 2010, has co-authored a new book titled, “Fostering School–Family Relationships in Multicultural Communities,” published by Teachers College Press on Sept. 26. Knoester is a professor and chair of the Educational Studies Department at Ripon College. His …
By Tawny Morrison, PBS Wisconsin Education PBS Wisconsin Education, in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education, recently launched Whoopensocker, a new educational resource collection for upper elementary learners that provides an on-ramp to writing through group games and scaffolded lessons. Whoopensocker was first developed as a six-week teaching artist residency by Erica Halverson, a …
By Marian Cracraft A team of UW–Madison students in the spring 2025 Game Design 1 course (Curriculum and Instruction) has received international recognition for its work on a new game addressing global hunger. The student group — including Sam Askling, Uzen Huang, Sukrit Kapahi, Jiayi Yan, and Lauren Turf — participated with classmates in the …
UW–Madison’s Thomas Popkewitz, a professor in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, continues to share his scholarship with colleagues around the world. Popkewitz is an internationally recognized researcher with six honorary doctorates and is an elected fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). His work focuses on the cultural politics of …
UW–Madison’s Erica Halverson, a professor in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction and chair of the Department of Theatre and Drama, has received the 2025 Ear Worthy Award for Best Education Podcast for her show, “Arts Educators Save the World.” The Ear Worthy awards recognize excellence in podcasting across multiple categories. Halverson …
By Karen Rivedal, WCER Communications A new working paper from the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison investigates how professional learning in the form of embodied arts experiences can help schoolteachers understand, design, and deliver better social-emotional learning practices in the classroom, such as increased educator empathy and student-centered instruction. …
Two UW–Madison School of Education alumni are among the recipients of the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s (WAA) 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards, which honor individuals for exceptional service, leadership, and impact. Mary and Ted KellnerDistinguished Service Award Mary T. Kellner, who earned a BS in elementary education from the School of Education in 1968, was honored with …