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| While the poinsettia remains the most popular of the holiday plants, the stunning Christmas cactus — also known as orchid cactus — can’t be far behind. They are easy to care for and can be grown indoors throughout the year. The flowers range in color from yellow, salmon, pink, fuchsia, and white or cream. The pendulous stems make it a great choice for hanging baskets. More facts: - Cacti are believed to have evolved in the last 30 to 40 million years.
- Like many tropical cacti, Christmas cactus is also an epiphyte (an organism that grows upon or attached to a living plant).
- The Christmas cactus is native to Brazil and grows in the rainforest, perched on trees or shrubs as epiphytes or sometimes in shady places among rocks.
- The green, flattened, leaf-like structures that make up the majority of a Christmas cactus actually are modified stem segments called cladodes. In most cacti, the leaves have been modified into spines which have many different functions for the plant. In the Christmas cactus, however, the leaves and spines are absent.
- For holiday blooms, keep the plants in total darkness (such as a closet) until buds develop, usually during late September to mid October. During flower-bud formation, stop fertilizing and only water enough to keep the leaves from becoming shriveled. Once buds do form, you can keep the plant in normal light and temperatures.
Here’s to cactus blooms and other enjoyable festivities during your holidays! |
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Happy Holidays from Dean Marx
At the UA College of Education, we’ve long known of a surprising secret. In fact, this secret just may open the door to the much sought-after fountain of youth. And new research, recently published in The New York Times, confirms what those of us at the College of Education have been saying all along: “Stay in school.” It is increasingly likely that education plays a major role in health and life spans. We have a long history of knowing just how valuable an education can be. For decades, we have served as one of the nation’s leading contributors to K through 12 and higher education. The world was a much different place when we opened our doors almost 90 years ago. In this increasingly diverse and globally interconnected society, the College of Education hears opportunity knocking. We hear it loud and clear. It never has been more critical for us as a partner in one of the nation’s premiere research universities, to swing open our doors in a new way … to share our knowledge, talents, and research. Come with us as we shape the future of education through our remarkable research and scholarship … as we build a community that nurtures every child, regardless of that child’s story and background … as we open the doors of our college to share our services, knowledge, and creative activities with the community, the nation, and even the world. As this year draws to a close, I want to thank all of you who make it possible for us to reach out to make such a remarkable difference in the lives of so many. Without you, none of this would be possible. Sending grateful holiday greetings to you and your loved ones near and far,
Dean Ronald W. Marx
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Not Just for the Sports Fans
Why did Wildcat basketball star Chase Budinger allow five second-graders to trace his body on a very large piece of butcher paper? It’s all part of a College of Education Language, Reading & Culture class, and there’s only one way to find out more — click here.
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A Community Triumph
 | LRC doctoral student Yoo Kyung
Sung of South Korea discusses one
of the books at an earlier event |
The WOW Open House on December 8 was a community triumph! People came from all over — families, community members, librarians, teachers — people interested in books and people interested specifically in the two traveling exhibitions of children’s and adolescent books from around the world. Visitors from the UA Poetry Center, the UA Bookstores, and other university groups also dropped in. Lots of the visitors didn’t just come to browse — they took the time to read: We had people sitting for hours reading, fathers huddled on chairs reading to their children, mothers and daughters laughing together over a book, kids trying to read unfamiliar languages, people exclaiming over the illustrations. It was a wonderful day. Professor Kathy Short is looking at ways to have the collection open on a regular basis for the community. Please contact her for more information at 520-621-1843 or shortk@u.arizona.edu.
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Congratulations, Graduates!
We have a stunning group of College of Education graduates this December, and here are the standouts: Outstanding Senior, College of Education
With her professional and positive approach, Brianna Marie Maxwell is a credit to the University of Arizona College of Education and the teaching community. A fifth-generation teacher, she is both an Erasmus Circle Scholar and a Rodel Exemplary Student Teacher. As a student teacher, she conveys warmth and understanding, but is clearly in control of the classroom. Her relationships with students are built on mutual respect, caring, and a sense of humor. She plans to continue her education with a master’s degree and hopes to be a principal one day. She is committed to teaching in a high-poverty school and says, “I was educated in Title 1 schools, and I saw the impact great teachers had on me and my peers. I hope to have an impact on the lives of my students in the same meaningful and powerful ways.” Outstanding Senior, Special Education, Rehabilitation & School Psychology
Using his own recovery to help others, Robert John Whiting is an inspiration to those around him. As a full-time clinical liaison on the Young Adult Intensive Recovery Team at Cope Behavioral Health Services, he handles case management and documentation, including diagnoses and intakes. In addition to his coursework in rehabilitation at the UA College of Education, he is working toward a LISAC (licensed independent substance-abuse counselor). He also hopes to pursue a master’s degree and adds, “Healthy individuals are fostered through healthy communities. I want to take what I have learned and turn my attention to the community, including working with soldiers as they come home from protecting our freedoms in the war.” Outstanding Cross-Categorical Special Education Student Teacher
A two-time Rodel Promising Student Teacher, Jamie L. Huber recognizes the fine line between appropriately challenging a student and when to quietly support that student. She establishes predictable routines for her students at Homer Davis Elementary School, which provides structure and coherence. These skills are especially important in the special education classroom setting. She is always patient and encouraging in her day-to-day interactions with students. They are naturally drawn to her as she easily builds trusting relationships. She consistently volunteers to assist other teachers within the district and participates in school functions after hours, giving up her personal time to help. Outstanding Elementary Student Teacher
No stranger to the Dean’s List (including two semesters studying in Manhattan and Melbourne), Jaclyn M. Wickham comes from a long line of teachers. She says the best part about teaching is watching the students grow academically and socially. She is an Honors College student and the recipient of the UA President’s Award for Excellence. Now eager to make her imprint on the world of education, she hopes to instill core values, such as responsibility, respect, flexibility, and perseverance. Her cooperating teacher, Lucy Popson, adds, “Magic unfolds every morning in my third-grade classroom as she engages the students in meaningful learning adventures. She is a master of lesson planning and design.” Outstanding Secondary Student Teacher
Caitlin Palmer has grown from a quiet student into one of the best students in the physical education program at the College of Education. A frequent member on the Dean’s List and the recipient of numerous scholarships, she has an innate ability to think on her feet and to modify a lesson based on the needs of her students. As a student teacher at Miles Exploratory Learning Center, she creates a fun and supportive environment while establishing high standards. She possesses a special gift for developing a rapport with her students. Kind and caring, she is a great role model and has spent countless hours volunteering at the same school, working with autistic students.
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Our New Associate Dean
 | Milem |
Congratulations to Higher Education Professor Jeffrey F. Milem, who will begin serving as our new associate dean for academic affairs in January. Before joining the UA College of Education in the fall of 2006, Milem, who received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, was an associate professor and graduate program director in the Higher Education Program at the University of Maryland, College Park. He also was the director of the Provost’s Research Collaborative. “I want to take this opportunity to thank Professor Luis Moll for his leadership and service as the current associate dean," says Dean Marx. "It is all too easy in the press of administrative work for us to lose sight of our mission. Bureaucracy can easily replace reason in huge organizations like the University of Arizona, but Luis has an extraordinary ability to ensure we stay on course. “I’d also like to welcome Professor Milem to the Office of the Dean. He is recognized as a national expert on campus climate and racial dynamics in higher education. Much of his work informs public and institutional policy debates regarding campus diversity. His research expertise includes the historical, structural, and interpersonal aspects of higher education.”
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Summit Is Tops!
More than 260 education leaders and policymakers from across the state participated in the Arizona Summit on 21st Century Skills in October. Recommendations were developed for action for the state in four topic areas: professional development, assessment, teacher preparation, and youth development. These recommendations are going forward to policy leaders and organizations throughout the state, including the Governor's P-20 Council, in a report to be released in January. | | Dean Marx at the summit with
sponsors from the Helios Education
Foundation. From left: President
Paul Luna, Dean Marx, Vice President
and Director of Arizona Early Childhood
Education Karen Ortiz, and Senior Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer
Barbara Ryan. |
Dean Ronald Marx was extremely pleased by the day’s accomplishments and he commended the summit sponsors, guest speakers, and facilitators for their involvement. “The Arizona Summit on 21st Century Skills brought together a diverse group of stakeholders with far-reaching issues and ideas, Marx said. The excitement generated through the comprehensive recommendation process will infuse discussions on the potential to incorporate the skills into the Arizona Standards.” There's more. Click here for an opinion piece on the summit.
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Faculty & Staff News
Language, Reading & Culture  |  | Rubinstein-Ávila | Moll |  |  | Gonzalez | Goodman |  |  | Anders | Betts |
Associate Professor Eliane Rubinstein-Ávila recently published a chapter, “In their words, sounds and images: After-school literacy programs for urban youth,” in Literacy for a New Millennium: Adolescent Literacy, Guilford Publishers, Inc., and an article, “Examining representations of young adult female protagonists through critical race feminism” in the international journal, Changing English. In addition, she and Professor and Associate Dean Luis Moll coauthored one of three commentaries in Reframing Sociocultural Research in Literacy: Identity, Agency, and Power. The book earned the Edward B. Fry Book Award, presented at this year’s National Reading Conference and annual meeting in Austin. Professor Norma Gonzalez has been elected president of the Council on Anthropology and Education. Here's more. Professor Emeritus Kenneth Goodman spoke at the national convention of the National Council of Teachers of English in New York in November. His topic, Scientific Realism in Studies of Reading, highlighted a data-driven and theory-driven understanding of reading. Miscue, eye-movement, and reading-flow were discussed. Each year, the convention draws thousands of K-12 teachers, college faculty, administrators, and other educational professionals from around the world. Here's more. Department Head Patty Anders and Assistant Professor J. David Betts received an ARRO (Arizona Regents Reach Out) grant to put the reading specialist endorsement (which also is a graduate-certification opportunity) courses online. ARRO grants are funded by the Arizona Board of Regents to improve higher education. The regents also recommended that Anders and Betts work toward making the project a federal Improving Teacher Quality grant, which makes even more money available. Special Education, Rehabilitation & School Psychology  |  | Chalfant | Kampfe |
The Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Students Services, honored Professor Emeritus James Chalfant with its Leadership Award at the annual Directors Institute in October. The tribute was “in recognition of his outstanding service to Arizona students with disabilities.”
Associate Professor Charlene Kampfe has been selected to be a participant in the 34th Institute on Rehabilitation Issues. The institute will focus on “The Aging Workforce.” The IRI is a collaborative process that involves the preparation of a document by a small group of individuals who have interest, expertise, and perspective on specific issues. Teaching & Teacher Education Indigenous and student leaders from Latin America will be coming to the University of Arizona to learn about the region’s history and culture thanks to a $1.3 million federal grant the UA will share with two other institutions.
Assistant Professor Alberto Arenas, the grant’s principal investigator, said, “This grant allows us to bring in two groups of 20 university student leaders from Latin America. Each group will be at the UA for one month. The groups will learn about U.S. history and culture, including Native American history and culture, and environmental and sustainability issues. “The first group, from Bolivia and Peru — all indigenous leaders — will be here in February. The second group, from Central America and the Caribbean, will come in July. “Once the participants return home, they are each expected to initiate a program or activity that will incorporate what they learned while in Tucson.” Here’s more.  |  | Johnson | Iddings |
Department Head Bruce Johnson received an Improving Teacher Quality grant — in collaboration with TTE, the College of Science, and BIO5 — from the UA Office of Outreach and Multicultural Affairs. The two-year grant, Academic Quality for Teachers, will provide online science and math courses for teaching in Sunnyside Unified School District. “We want to increase the number of highly qualified math and science teachers in the district,” Johnson adds.
Assistant Professor Chris Iddings hosted the XIV Research Conference for Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Learning at the College of Education. Scholars from all over the world discussed unresolved challenges that connect sociocultural theory and second language learning, including pedagogical applications (curriculum design and course development, pedagogy and methodology, teacher cognition, etc.) and data analysis. Combined Academic Efforts  | Rios-Aguilar |
Higher Education Assistant Professor Cecilia Rios-Aguilar and Language, Reading & Culture Associate Professor Eliane Rubinstein-Ávila received a Pima Education Research Collaborative grant for survey research of all 7th and 11th graders in Pima County public schools on three main issues: academic outlook, well-being, and engagement. The project is cross-sectional and longitudinal. In four years, they will survey the current 7th graders again, who will be in 11th grade by then. The professors are working in collaboration with Voices for Education, a nonprofit organization of parents, educators, and community members working to improve public education for every Arizona child. “Sunnyside and Tucson Unified School Districts also are on board. This is really a collaborative effort. The ultimate goal is to give a voice to each student in Pima County, so decisionmakers can design better programs and policies that meet the students’ needs,” said Rios-Aguilar. Field Experiences  | Greeno |
Carolyne Greeno is the fall recipient of the Emily Krauz Staff Endowment Scholarship. The scholarship, open to any benefits-eligible UA classified staff member, can be applied toward educational expenses, such as registration costs, books, and supplies. There were only nine recipients across campus this semester. Congratulations, Carolyne!
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Holiday Drive
The College of Education Staff Advisory Council invites you to celebrate the holiday season by participating in this year’s holiday drive. Please join us in supporting the college’s collaborative project with a deaf and hard of hearing school in Los Mochis, Mexico. (A little background: In 2005, a group of faculty and students traveled to Ciudad Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, to work in an elementary school for deaf children and students with other disabilities. Now, each May, several faculty and staff members and students in Rehabilitation and Deaf Studies travel to Ciudad Los Mochis to continue this remarkable sign-language interpretation program. For some families, it’s the first time they’ve been able to communicate with their deaf children!) Help support this great cause this holiday season by donating items from the following wish lists: School items needed
Pencils, crayons, markers, glue, construction paper, rulers (metric!), scissors (don’t forget the lefthanders), pens, notebooks, folders, erasers, chalk, pocket calculators, highlighters, binder paper (both wide-rule and college), craft supplies Basic care items needed
Socks, toothbrushes, soap, bandages, deodorant And some fun stuff
Soccer balls, basketballs, footballs, jump ropes, books (Spanish only, please!) Collection boxes are available throughout the college. And monetary donations are always welcome! For more information, please contact
• Michelle Lozano at 520-621-1463 or mlozano@u.arizona.edu
• Rebecca Zapien at 520-626-2960 or zapien@u.arizona.edu
• Jackie Collins 520-621-7822 or jkc@u.arizona.edu
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Honoring Our Special Alumni
 | Alumni browsed through yearbooks
from the 1950s |
In November, we welcomed the Class of 1957 into The Golden Circle, a group of very special alumni, who were honored during a luncheon at the Arizona Inn. Here’s what a few of them had to say… Harriet Leece: “You always seem to have a way of making it all special. All the food selections were so beautifully presented, and hearing pianist Andy Hawkins in the background made it perfect. I look forward to next year and seeing all of you again.” Alice Hinton: “The people who spoke and the ones who were acknowledged were outstanding and accomplished. Thank you, Andy Hawkins, for the beautiful music.” We also heard from alumni who couldn’t be there, including Olga Pace: “Working with children has been a most rewarding career and, yes, I would do it again!”
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Upcoming Events |
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Cyberbullying Workshop
March 29, 2008
The University of Arizona College of EducationCyberbullying uses modern information and communications technology to harass, tease, intimidate, threaten, coerce, or slander. Most cyberbullying occurs on the Internet, in e-mail messages, instant messages, chat rooms, and Web sites. Cell phones with cameras pose a particularly difficult threat. Cyberbullies sometimes surreptitiously take compromising photographs of others and send them to their friends, or even post them on the Internet. The dangers of cyberbullying are slowly becoming apparent to parents and educators, as news reports of student suicides, educational disruptions, and lawsuits are becoming more common. Unfortunately, educators find themselves in a legal “no man’s land” when they look for guidance in disciplining students for cyberbullying, and many schools and educators have been sued when students and parents argue a violation of Constitutional rights. The West Regional Equity Network at the College of Education is pleased to announce a workshop on identifying and preventing cyberbullying in schools. One of the world’s foremost experts in the law of cyberbullying and cyberthreats, Nancy E. Willard, will present the full-day workshop. She is the director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use and author of Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenges of Online Social Aggression, Threats, and Distress. This workshop will be of particular importance to teachers, administrators, and counselors in K-12 schools. Parents, law-enforcement personnel, and members of the legal profession also will benefit from the presentation. This workshop will offer six clock hours of professional development/salary-increment credit for teachers and counselors. Registration forms will be available on the WREN site beginning January 2, 2008. For more information, contact Mike Tully at 520-626-4627 or jmtully@u.arizona.edu. |
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Announcing...
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Donate Online Now! The finances of higher education remain as one of our most serious problems. As Arizona continues to invest smaller portions of its budget in higher education, we must turn to other sources of revenue. We want to open our doors to all students who wish to study with us. For the first time, you can support the College of Education online. Here’s how. And thank you for supporting our mission to build a community that nurtures every child and to shape the future of education through our remarkable research and scholarship. For more information, contact Director of Development Nina Daldrup at 520-621-7143 or ekd@u.arizona.edu. |
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