Bishop's Blog

My husband, Brian, caught this 5 foot shark today. 

I am reminded of the importance of rest and relaxation. Spending time with family (and the crane) at the beach is just what I needed. God's creation is awesome! I hope that all of you are finding ways to rest and relax this holiday season. 

Last Friday Memo of 2014 I know this phrase is often overused, but it is hard to believe how fast time flies. First semester 2014 has come to a close and now the glorious Christmas season is upon us. As we reflect on all of the good work and forward progress we have made, it is exciting to look forward to 2015 and all that the new year has to bring to our division and MBU. This past week we worked on the following: Mary Ann Conaway and I discussed the counseling program. Our school counselor students will be participating in the pilot state performance assessment for counselors. Jan Speck has attended statewide meetings to learn more about the pilot. Our office will assist in the organization and tracking of the pilot program. Erica Bumpers, Angela McGowan, Kathleen Wendt, Tom Knuckles, and I led the student teaching orientation on Tuesday. Thanks to all of the MBU university supervisors who attended the orientation to meet this spring's student teachers. This event is one ...

Happy Friday! I don't know about you, but this has been a REALLY LONG week for me. First of all, thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and kind words regarding my friend who was rushed to the hospital Monday night for what the doctors thought was an aneurysm. They have determined that he did not have an aneurysm, but they are continuing to run tests to determine the cause of the bleeding in the brain. Randy has been moved from ICU to a regular room, and he may be able to go home Sunday. Praise God! Doctoral Dissertation Defense - This week I had the pleasure of attending two different dissertation defenses. Steve Weinhold presented his study about standards based grading. Patrick Schwalbe defended his study about the effects of a high school advisory program. I always enjoy the opportunity to attend a defense. I always come away learning something I didn't know! Teaching in a Diverse Society - This semester is the first time we have offered this class as a requirement for ...

The Education Division and others at MBU are working together to bless those in need in Ferguson. Click for more information  MBU Blessing Ferguson Community this Christmas

All, Wow, what a busy week! My guess is that you have also had a lot going on as we all wrap up the fall semester and get ready for finals. Before I review the activities of the week, I want to simply share some of my thoughts during this interesting time to be in the teacher preparation business. I apologize in advance for the length of this post - it is a LONG one!!! Community Blessing - We have an opportunity to bless some Ferguson families that are registered with the United Way. The Education Division and the Health and Sports Sciences Department are collecting gift cards and items for families in need. We will be working with the Serve On Committee. You will receive an email shortly regarding this opportunity. Sorry for the short notice, but we will be collecting gift cards next week.   Mobile Learning and Special Education - The more I think about mobile learning the more excited I get.  I was at a meeting in Columbia this week with other educators fr...

US Department of Education New Regulations

Friday Memo 11/21/14 Prior to reading the list of happenings, please note that our strategic plan is complete. The plan was sent in an email so please take a few minutes to read the plan. I will be using this document to lead and guide us through the upcoming year. I will also be forwarding an email from Hap Hairston, Director of Educator Preparation at DESE. There is important information in this email about an upcoming webinar. You are welcome to participate in any and all webinars conducted by DESE. What we were up to this week: Professional Development - Shelton Smith presented  Artistry of Teaching  professional development in the Hazelwood School District. Franklin County adjunct workshop - Marsha Tierney and Shelton Smith conducted a workshop for the adjunct professors at the Franklin County Regional Learning Center. Sharon Sumner presented a technology presentation to the adjunct faculty at this workshop. Graduate Program Discussion - Alicia Noddings, ...

All, This was a busy week in the Education Division. This is a small snapshot of what we were up to this past week: Backpack to Briefcase – Career Services presented an excellent panel of alumni professionals, including Tammy Cardona. I particularly enjoyed the following quote from Tammy, “Every decision I make today impacts a child forever.” See picture below. The panel participants shared their experiences regarding the transition from college to the professional setting. Career Services will offer a similar session in the spring specifically for Education students. New items in the library – see below Program Design Task Force – Carl Holschen, Kathleen Wendt, Alicia Noddings, Mary Ann Bouas, Jim Chellew, Tonia Crane, and Judith Scott gathered to continue working on our program redesign to address the new DESE certification requirements. Work is continuing on the following: New course ECTA 323 Curriculum, Assessment, ...