Monday Minutes
Faculty and Staff Edition
Here are your Monday Minutes for April 5-9, 2021.
From the Department Head
Dear Students and Colleagues,
With just a few weeks remaining in the semester, there is so much to celebrate. Tune in tonight at 5:30pm to the Teacher Education Program Induction and Student Teaching Send-Off ceremony livestream and mark your calendars to attend our Graduation Open House on April 30!
Take good care,
Dr. Ann Ewbank
News and Announcements
- Our next department meeting is on Tuesday, April 6, 12:15-1:30pm in Ann‘s WebEx Room. Dr. Chris Fastnow from the MSU Office of Planning and Analysis will provide a brief presentation on the university strategic plan, with discussion thereafter. Our final spring department meeting is on 4/20.
- We need facilitators for student teachers’ Reflective Educator Project poster presentations on Friday, April 30, 9-11:30am. Please contact Joe Hicks to volunteer.
- Call for Curriculum & Instruction Graduate Programs Leader: After quite a few years shepherding the C & I graduate programs, Nick Lux is stepping down. Thanks Nick for all your efforts! If you are interested in the graduate C & I program leader position in AY 20-21, please send Ann Ewbank an email by 4/15. This position is compensated with either one course release or $6000 additional compensation.
- The Spring 2021 Doctoral Hooding ceremony will take place outside of Montana Hall on Friday, Apr 30, 2021, from 3-6 pm. This is a separate hooding ceremony held before the main commencement scheduled for Saturday, May 1. Doctoral chairs, if you have not been contacted please contact the Graduate School to ensure your time slot. The full schedule will be released shortly.
- Please see the attached document outlining MSU policies for student external research and academic projects and providing for an alternative assignment if needed.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Opportunities
- NPR recently featured a poignant comic about a Pueblo (New Mexico) tribal teacher getting students online during the pandemic.
- The next library media certificate program webinar is April 6th, 6-7pm MDT. Dr. Sarah Pennington will present “Change Your Language; Change Your Perceptions.” Dr. Pennington will discuss how expanding our definition of what counts as "real" reading can support those who may not see themselves as readers based on our traditional definitions. Registration is required to participate in the webinar. All registered participants will receive a recording of the webinar after it has occurred.
- The final Center for Bilingual and Multicultural Education webinar by Dottie Susag of Humanities Montana will take place on April 7 2:00-3:30 (MDT). She will discuss The Night Watchman and Native Poetry. Please see the attached flyer and handout. All past webinars are available.
- Please join us for our last EHHD DEI workshop on Wednesday, April 14th, 1-3pm: Strategies for Inclusive Teaching and Course Design. During this session we will review tools, resources, and strategies for integrating DEI into course content. Participants who attend the session will be able to return to their programs and facilitate discussion and planning for the development of scaffolding of DEI content across their program. Contact Kayte Kaminski if you need a calendar invite.
Professional Development & Engagement Opportunities
- April is Citizen Science Month! The Science Math Resource Center and MSU Renne Library offer free citizen science kits on April 12 and 13. The kit includes supplies to complete three citizen science projects; details on several more free projects; and information on how the subjects of the projects connect to authentic MSU research. 100 kits will be given away on a first-come/first-served basis on Monday, April 12 from 2pm to 4:30pm and Tuesday, April 13 from 9am to 11am on the second floor of the MSU Library. Those who complete the projects by April 26 will be eligible to win prizes, including the Field Guide to Citizen Science! For information about Citizen Science Month at MSU, visit http://www.montana.edu/smrc/citizenscience.html or email smrc@montana.edu. The kit is sponsored by SMRC and the MSU Library with support from Montana NSF EPSCoR, the People-Places-Water Lab, NASA AEROKATS and ROVER Education Network, the NSF-supported WAFERx project, and the Montana Institute on Ecosystems.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
- Our department’s success is determined by our collective accomplishments. Share your own accomplishments with pride! Or if you hear of a colleague or student’s accomplishment, please share. Please send accomplishments and kudos to ann.ewbank@montana.edu.