University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: School News

UW–Madison’s Odle testifies on statewide free college program before Minnesota state Senate committee

Taylor Odle, assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy Studies, offered expert testimony about a proposed statewide free college program before the Minnesota Senate Committee on Higher Education on Feb. 21. Odle’s research focuses on the economics of education and education policy, with a specific focus on college access and success. …

UW–Madison’s Parkins leads workshop for MMSD teachers to help bring dance into classrooms

By Kari Dickinson On a recent Friday afternoon, a couple dozen educators gathered in the gym of Van Hise Elementary School in Madison for a dance workshop with UW–Madison’s Chell Parkins. On their professional development day, the educators — all who teach K-5 music or K-8 physical education in the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) — had chosen …

UW–Madison alum Apps is co-author of new book urging creative thinking about environmental issues

Jerry Apps, who earned his doctorate in curriculum and instruction from UW–Madison’s School of Education in 1967, is the co-author of a new book that is titled, “Planting an Idea: Critical and Creative Thinking about Environmental Issues.”  Apps, who wrote “Planting an Idea” with his daughter-in-law Natasha Kassulke, has won multiple writing awards including an …

Adapted Fitness returns to ParaBirkie ski race after three-year hiatus

Clients of UW–Madison’s Adapted Fitness program and volunteers from the Leadership in Adapted Fitness (LAF) student organization made a triumphant return to the ParaBirkie ski race on Feb. 24 after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Adapted Fitness program is offered through the School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology. The ParaBirkie is a 3.7 km cross-country …

UW–Madison’s Kelly wins Gold Medallion for excellence in theatre education

UW–Madison’s Baron Kelly is a recipient of the John F. Kennedy Center Gold Medallion for Excellence in Theatre Education. Kelly is a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in the Department of Theatre and Drama who also holds a concurrent appointment with the Odyssey Project in the Department of Continuing Studies. The Kennedy Center Gold Medallion honors individuals or organizations that …

‘CCBC Choices 2023’ highlights the best children’s books of past year

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) released its latest “CCBC Choices” — and this year’s publication is shifting from print to online. This best-of-the-year list is created annually by the librarians of the CCBC. In addition to what is typically found in “CCBC Choices” — including annotations and age recommendations for each book highlighted — the “CCBC Choices 2023” features enhancements …

Tandem Press spring Friday Jazz Series starts tonight

Tandem Press will begin its spring Friday Jazz Series tonight, featuring students from the UW–Madison Mead Witter School of Music’s Jazz Studies Program, led by Johannes Wallmann, the John and Carolyn Peterson Chair in Jazz Studies, along with Emma Dayhuff, Chad McCullough, Nick Moran, and Les Thimmig. Come enjoy some great jazz music, learn about Tandem Press …

Returning home to teach science: Q&A with Teacher Pledge alum Abigail Laumer

The UW–Madison School of Education Wisconsin Teacher Pledge is dedicated to strengthening and diversifying Wisconsin’s teacher workforce. It pays the equivalent of in-state tuition and fees, testing, and licensing costs for all teacher education students who “pledge” to teach for three or four years at a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school in Wisconsin after they graduate. To …

UW–Madison’s Beth Fields works toward better training, preparation for family care partners of dementia patients

By Laurel White As shortages in home health care workers continue across the country, a UW–Madison School of Education assistant professor is working to help family and other non-professional care partners safely and successfully care for people living with dementia at home.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the number of Americans living with dementia is expected …