May 2015 - College of Education

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
SCATTER
S CAT T E R
C H AT T E R
MAY 2015
HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS
ISSUE:
 CELEBRATING THE SPRING
2015 SCATTER GRADUATING
CLASS
 AUTHOR ELLEN KLAGES &
POET NAOMI SHIHAB NYE
VISIT USF
 ENGAGING IN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AND BECOMING V.I.T.A.L.
 STAY CONNECTED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
 MOTIVATION, SCHOOL LAW, EPORTFOLIOS, & MORE
Above: President Genshaft and James Jacobelli, a King O’Neal Scholar (4.0 GPA all four
years), a COEDU Graduate of Distinction Award Winner, and a V.I.T.A.L. SCATTER.
SunCoast Area Teacher Training and Educational Research
(SCATTER) Honors Program
Dr. Joan F. Kaywell, Director
E-mail: [email protected]
Andrea Thompson, Assistant
E-mail: [email protected]
Office Phone: (813) 974-2421
Above: Congratulations to the COEDU Graduates of Distinction Award Winners: James
Jacobelli, Veronica Uzar, and Maria Balazy.
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
A MESSAGE FROM DR. KAYWELL
PPS. 3-5
GENDER BENDING SCIENCE FICTION
MOTIVATING STUDENTS
PAGE 6
PAGE 7
NAOMI SHIHAB NYE PRESENTS AT USF
MEET COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR CHRIS JOY
PPS. 8-9
PAGE 9
SCHOOL LAW: RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
PAGE 10
READ AND WRITE THE WORLD OF MATHEMATICS
PAGE 11
TWO PERSPECTIVES: BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY
PPS.12-13
CREATING BRIDGES-UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
PAGE 14
IDIOMATICITY: WHAT EDUCATORS NEED TO KNOW
PPS.15-16
BEYOND SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE AT HCC
PAGE 17
GIDION’S KNOT
PAGE 18
ENGAGING IN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
PAGE 19
HOW TO DEVELOP AN E-PORTFOLIO
PAGE 20
AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. JEAN LINDNER
PAGE 21
ATTENTION:
Go to the SCATTER
Store and place your order for When I Grow Up,
I’ll Be a Bull! $12.00 if
you come by the office to
pick it up; $15.00 if you
want us to mail it to you.
March 2015
Newsletter Contributors:
Robert Basile, Melissa Black,
Cat Cibulis, Katelyn Clare,
James Jacobelli, Erin Courtney Jenkins,
Beth Landy, Ashley Ligon,
Lindsey Moser, Rebecca Nguyen,
Erin Otieza, Jalina Pittman,
Akshita Sathe, Brooke Warrington
The purpose of the SCATTER Chatter Newsletter is to inform,
enhance and educate the members of the SCATTER organization
as they seek and contribute to SCATTER’s Legacy of Excellence
Would you like to be a permanent reporter for the SCATTER Chatter Newsletter? Would you like to write an article for service hours? Do you have an idea
for an article that you would like to share with a reporter?
Please contact Jena Howard for more information
2
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
A MESSAGE FROM DR. KAYWELL
CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!
This graduating class has experienced many firsts. Two years ago
when I became their new director, we
changed our name from SCATT to
SCATTER by adding Education Research to the end of SunCoast Area
Teacher Training and emphasizing its
importance. In this issue, Jalina Pittman
and James Jacobelli talk about their experience conducting and presenting their
research at both the USF Undergraduate
Research and Arts Symposium and the
Third Annual College of Education Inquiry Conference (See pages 14 & 19
respectively).
We established three levels of SCATTER graduates: The highest level is
“Very Inspirational Teachers Accelerating Learning” (VITAL) who must graduate with a minimum 3.5 GPA, 8 workshops, 40 service hours, & something
extraordinary in their programs; The next
level is High Honors and students must
graduate with a minimum of a 3.5 GPA,
7 workshops, & 20 service hours; and
SCATTERs graduate with a minimum of
a 3.2 GPA, 5 workshops, & 10 service
hours; (all must attend Part 1 & 2 SCATTER Senior Seminars) This class had
51 graduates with 20 graduating with
High Honors and 20 V.I.T.A.L.
Not only did we decorate for Homecoming the last two years, last fall we also
marched in the Homecoming Parade for
the first time in SCATTER history (See
the November 2014 Issue of SCATTER
Chatter). We also instituted two social
events: Jingle Mingle where we fill Salvation Army stockings with toys and
Spring Fling where we gather nonperishable food for the poor. In three
semesters, this group participated in
4,275 service hours.
This class helped us enter the 21st century by revamping the SCATTER Website
and communicating more broadly via
social media. SCATTER also opened its
doors so anyone can join. From Freshmen and Sophomores, who are SCATTERs-In–Training, to Ph.D. students, the
Honors Program is now open to anyone
who wants join the best of the best.
Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of
this class is the creation of Leaders in
Education, the complete restructuring of
the SCATTER Leadership Team that is
open to the entire university. By writing
a fully functional constitution, we became part of USF’s Student Government
and received the rights and privileges
associated with student organizations on
campus: using the MSC Oval Theatre for
Above: Special Thanks to Leaders for
Education President Veronica Uzar
for Her Leadership, Time, and Commitment to the SCATTER Program.
free once each semester, acquiring free
printing, and receiving a small budget
from student fees.
My favorite first from this class has got to
be the SCATTER heart and air hug added
to the SCATTER applause; thanks Amanda Cooper for coming up with the idea.▪
Here’s an air hug
for the newest
teachers to join
the field!
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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
2015 Spring Graduating Class
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*Megan Aiton
*Rachel Albrecht
*Brook Albrest
*Chasity Anderson
David Ayres
Maria Balazy
Robert Basile
*Samantha Beattie
Samantha Blackman
Marissa Brookes
Kathryn “Brandy” Browning
Dalphna “Daffy” Bunch
Brianna Burt-Simpson
*Nichole Carter
*Angela Colonello
*Kayla Consolver
Amanda Cooper
*Lauren DiPiazza
Megan Donovan
Victoria Edmond
Erica Escobedo
*Crystal Frawley
Jennifer Giambrone
Patricia Gillezeau
Sara Gossman
*Allison Heflin
Cindy Ibarra
James Jacobelli
*Megan Jarvis
Hannah Knoke
Andrew Kocik
Jessica Leon
Thomas Mazzola
*Paola Lopez
*Chelsea Mayhew
*Michelle Moore
*Karla Molina
Stephen Musolino
Holly Osborne
*Erin Oteiza
Mia Peck
Jalina Pittman
*Kimberly Pridgen
Eloah Ramalho Caldas
*Nicole Rivera
Alex Schneiderman
Kathleen Sheridan
*Savannah Skuthan
Veronica Uzar
Te-Anka Williams
Bailee Wolfert
Graduates of Distinction
*High Honors Very Inspirational Teachers
Accelerating Learning
(V.I.T.A.L.) SCATTERs 2015 SPRING HONORS CELEBRATION!
Above: A Group Shot Taken after the Honors Celebration in the ROTC Building.
Above Left: Dean Vasti Torres Gives a Welcome and a Challenge.
Above Right: Dorina Sackman, the 2014 National Teacher of the Year Runner-up,
Gives the Commencement Address.
Above: Kaywell’s Surprise - Alan Sitomer,
2007 California Teacher of the Year,
Beams in to Congratulate.
Above: SCATTER Partner in Excellence Recipient Chef Frank Johnson
Prepares a Full Spread in TECO Hall.
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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
GENDER BENDING SCIENCE FICTION WITH ELLEN KLAGES
3/16/15
Attending this workshop
was very interesting. At first going
into the workshop I thought that it
was going to be a full lecture, but
it actually turned out to be a reading session followed by a question/answer period. The author
Ellen Klages read part of her short
story, “The Education of a Witch”
from the book Under My Hat:
Tales from the Cauldron.
By: Ashley Ligon
not be this. At this response, Lizzie screams at her teacher and is
put into timeout where she imagines her maleficent doll and suddenly feels peace.
Above: Author Ellen Klages
lar babysitter is out of town. Lizzie doesn’t like the neighbor because she is strict and does not
do the same activities with Lizzie that her regular babysitter
does.
The story is based upon a little girl
named Lizzie who is about four
years old. Lizzie lives in a small
town with both her father and
pregnant mother. Lizzie goes to
the movie theater to see Maleficent with her parents but during
the movie, she can’t understand
why the witch is killed and viewed
negatively. Lizzie thinks the witch
is beautiful and smart and questions her parents about why the
discrepancy.
One day Lizzie’s mother goes into
labor suddenly, so Lizzie is
dropped off at her next door’s
neighbor house because her regu-
Lizzie is happy the next day
when her dad picks her up and
tells her that she now has a baby
brother. Family and friends
come over to see the newborn,
but no one pays attention to Lizzie anymore. Lizzie’s mother
takes notice of Lizzie not receiving any attention, and she decides to take her out to the toy
store because of it. Lizzie is told
that she can pick any toy in the
store that she wants, and she decides to pick the maleficent
witch. After much begging, her
mother finally lets her get the
doll.
Above: Lizzy playing with her doll
Ellen Klages told us the hardest
part for her writing the book was
to write in the point of view of a
four-year-old child even though
the inspiration for her story came
from her personal experience.
Ellen Klages is the author of over
20 short stories and novellas, several collections and two novels.
Her first novel, The Green Glass
Sea, about two misfit eleven-year
-old girls living in Los Alamos
during WWII, explores themes of
gender, science, and history, described in a review as “an intense
but accessible page-turner.”▪
Below: Beth Landy and her sister
Kristen frolic at Dr. Kaywell’s and
Frank’s home. Beth was the winner
of the semester dinner and requested a traditional Italian meal.
At school, Lizzie’s teacher also
pays special attention to Lizzie
because she knows what her
household is experiencing. Lizzie feels special at school until
one day she is asked what she
wants to be when she grows up.
Lizzie answers “a witch” and her
teacher tells her that she could
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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
W HRAAS
AT EVERY
Project
TEACHER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT
MOTIVATING STUDENTS
3/23/15
By: Erin Courtney Jenkins
all students to high expectations conveys to them that
they are capable of being successful when challenged. Empowering students to meet those high expectations is, of course, the integral portion of this as
poor self-efficacy is often de-motivating. Differentiation is particularly key as is the importance of being
flexible and dynamic in reference to goals, methods,
and processes of assessment for each student was
clear. In summary, student success is important, but
success looks different for each child.
Above: Dr. Sarah Kiefer asks who is motivated by Oreos.
Monday evenings around dinner time do not typically
inspire anyone to feel motivated, but a SCATTER
workshop featuring another favorite professor within
the College of Education drew an inspiring crowd of
pre-service and in-service teachers. Dr. Kiefer was instantly greeted with kind words and hugs from former
students – and that was before she started offering Oreo
cookies to everyone. SCATTERs in attendance were
asked to stand in a circle and share what motivates each
of us. This served to show how motivation was unique
to each individual, and there was no effective universal
extrinsic motivator. What Dr. Kiefer promised was that
teachers could work to cultivate intrinsic motivation for
each student, and all it would take is the alphabet.
The need for “belonging” was the second subject discussed. Before students want to learn, they need to feel
as if they’re in a safe place where they’re welcomed.
The emphasis was placed upon creating an inclusive
classroom where students have their social and emotional needs met. Classrooms where students have a
strong sense of belonging are characterized by peer and
teacher interactions that are evidence of a respectful
classroom culture that valued every opinion. Dr. Kiefer
further stated that the teachers who best fostered belonging were noted for being affectionate, attuned, and
dependable. In other words, they liked their students,
knew their students, and were there for their students.
Competence composed the final element of inspiring
student motivation. This could also be described as the
demanding part of being a warm demander. Holding
Something in particular did stand out in this workshop. For each evaluation a SCATTER completes,
one of the final question asks, “Did the presenter
model best educational practices?” Even in comparison to her charismatic personality and welcomingly
succinct presentation, Dr.Kiefer was exemplary in
illustrating best practices. It was impossible to ignore
the moving throughout TECO Hall, utilizing group
work and student discussions. Dr. Kieffer effectively
and effortlessly established a sense of autonomy, belonging, and competence with her first activity in
which students simply stated what motivated them.
Her presentation appealed to different learning styles,
she was organized, and clearly had everyone entranced and motivated to learn – even on a Monday
night.▪
Watch I Am and Be Grateful
I AM is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film
that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s
wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better? The filmmaker behind the inquiry is Tom Shadyac, one of
Hollywood’s leading comedy practitioners and the creative
force behind such blockbusters as Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, The
Nutty Professor, and Bruce Almighty.
However, in I
AM, Shadyac steps in front of the camera to recount what happened to him after a cycling accident left him incapacitated,
possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged
with a new sense of purpose, determined to share his own awakening to his prior life of excess and greed, and to investigate
how he as an individual, and we as a race, could improve the
way we live and walk in the world.▪
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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
Naomi Shihab Nye Presents at USF during National Poetry Month
Pictured above: Naomi Shihab Nye and
Dr. Joan F. Kaywell holding Nye’s books at
the Ted Hipple Special Collection of Autographed Young Adult (YA) Books on the
4th Floor of USF’s Library.
To kick off National Poetry
Month during the month of April here
at the University of South Florida, Naomi Shihab Nye was invited to present
a poetry reading. Born to a Palestinian
father and American mother, awardwinning poet Naomi Shahib Nye has
published more than 30 volumes, including poetry, essays, and novels for
both adults and children. To her, it’s
not life changing moments that make
an epic poem, but the understanding
of the ordinary world surrounding us.
Based on this philosophy, the most
important point from her presentation
is that each of us should always have a
notebook to record the little inspiring
things, those that will be remembered
and are relatable. As proof of this she
regaled the audience with several of
her poems that were inspired by life
experiences. Her poems had a huge
range - from benign topics such as discovering the existence of treedisguised cell phone towers to very
moving pieces about the oppression
faced by people in their daily lives and
the struggles they may face.
dawn, she awakens and goes to
an empty table for free-writing.
For about 45 minutes, she allows
her mind to come up with many
ideas and clears any blocks that
may come before beginning
work on her more serious pieces
of writing. Even with the increasing use of technology, Nye admitted that her first drafts are
done in pencil on paper. She
sometimes writes on construction
paper so it doesn’t have a full
feeling of finality or pressure. It
isn’t until she feels that the piece
of work is in the closing stages
of revision that she transfers the
work to her computer.
On Naomi Shihab Nye’s second
visit later that week, she presented with two others: Amir Rabiyah and Tahani Salah. These are
fellow members of the Arab and
Muslim culture and art group,
THIS Bridge. Each one shared
one or two pieces that they felt
were particularly relevant and
inspiring; each presented a hard
truth. Nye shared her two pieces:
“Jerusalem,” inspired by a quote
she once heard from a Swedish
author and “Holocaust Baby
Doll.”
By: Lindsey Moser
ing of Michael Brown and then
two police officers; that was her
hometown for many years. Rabiyah was next to share his piece,
“Our Dangerous Sweetness.” He
also draws support from quotes he
has heard or read before, but most
come from his personal struggles
with having his orientation questioned and being endangered by
the culture he is immersed in. Finally, Salah shared her poem
“The 1967 War,” which is about
the Third Arab-Israeli War. Salah
spoke with harsh words the truth
about how hard war is on the
home, and how others are not
heard or understood.
In the discussion between the panel members and the audience that
was held after their poetry readings, the following themes prevailed: justice, social change, and
sustainability. All three will, in
one way or another, weave into
each other, and there are small
steps we can all take to maintain
the connection among people. Allowing ourselves to be genuine,
available, and involved are all
major first steps. If we each take
those steps, the blending of community will follow. From this
“Holocaust Babydoll” by Naomi Shihab Nye
Brown satiny skirt with tucks, tiny stitched booties.
Red hood, crossed eyes, mouth in round shock.
I can’t imagine what she has seen.
Today when I woke she was screaming.
What happened to their memories?
A girl in Gaza had been stitching her sister.
Nye then recounted her writing pro- Much inspiration has come to her blending, people will interconnect
cess to the audience. The first thing in from the recent outbreak in Ferand will always have a support
the morning, with the first trickling of guson, Missouri, after the shoot
Continued on page 9
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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
system that is there to back them up. Finally, letting ourselves feel humility and share in the witnessing of burdens, atrocities, and other emotional impacts, opens up the door to avoiding the feelings of isolation and prevents our feeling crushed by the intensity of the subject .▪
USF’s College of Education Has a New Communications Director
Hi. My name is Chris Joy.
Check out the new COEDU Website.
Right: Click on the COEDU.
As part of a new communications strategy with the COEDU, I’ve updated and created a number of social media channels. Please
follow/like/comment/retweet/pin/view and share as much as possible. Your participation makes a difference . More activity will
increase the chances of our posts being in a student’s news feed, and widen the overall reach. This is a great way to get more students engaged with EDU programs and activities, and it only takes a few seconds.
Please encourage other students/colleagues/friends/alumni/pets to be a part of COEDU social media. This will be a great resource
for COEDU info, news, jobs and events within the college. Feel free to send me an email or contact me through any of the COEDU
social accounts.
With your help we can make COEDU social media a thriving community, and create an online presence second to none at USF.
Thanks! Go Bulls!
Below: Click on any one of these icons now and keep in touch.
Above:
Above:
Facebook
Twitter
iTunes U
You Tube
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Flickr
Instagram
Stay in Touch with the SCATTER Honors Program
Above: SCATTER Facebook
SCATTER Website
Leaders for Education
9
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
A FEW THINGS BEGINNING TEACHERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
SCHOOL LAW: RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES (3/31/15)
By: Melissa Black
Most classroom discipline is based on statutes, which are written law. In general,
statutes are laws affecting the discipline or
control of students. The first statute that
we looked at was 1003.31 - students subject to control of school. This statute deals
with how students shall be under the control and direction of the principal or teacher in charge; the Board of Education or
District shall fully support the authority of
teachers, and remove disruptive students
from the classroom when appropriate and
available. We also examined several other
statutes that regulated teacher responsibility regarding student safety, fights, and
even the Pledge of Allegiance.
Above from Left to Right: Jessica Iredale, Kate Kruza, Nicole Cotner, Dr. Steve
Permuth, and Dustin Robinson
School law is a murky and complex topic for any teacher. Dr. Permuth and a
panel of other school law students worked to help teachers navigate educational legislation. At the end of the session, Dr. Permuth wanted us to have learned two things:
classroom management rights and how to avoid the possibility of being found negligent.
Throughout this workshop, there were a
couple of overarching themes. The most
important thing that you can do as a teacher is to have peace and safety for you and
your students. Another overarching theme
is to CYA (cover you’re a**) and avoid
any possibilities of negligence or liability.
You as a teacher need to be able to document and utilize effective communication.
At the end of the workshop, the panel departed with some advice, particularly
about deciding whether or not to join the
teachers’ union. The union offers insurance/legal protections and/or homeowners
insurance on “errors and omission.” The
bottom line is to use common sense around
the dicta of peace and safety. Know your
school and district policies on discipline
and supervision; your handbook does little
sitting on the shelves. Dr. Permuth finThe law has four purposes: 1) preservation of peace and safety, 2) settlement of indi- ished the workshop saying, “Quality teachvidual disputes, 3) maintenance of security of expectations, and 4) resolution of con- ers not only know their rights but their
flicting social interest/channeling of social change. Preservation of peace and safety rights in doing it.”▪
(for everyone) means that you as a teacher are in loco parentis, meaning in place of the
parents. Teachers have a right to determine what is best for the safety and protection of
their students. Maintenance of security of expectations deals with your teaching contract, what it says and what is expected of you as a teacher. The last law deals with
changing social interests. If a changing interest becomes disruptive, it is no longer a
freedom of speech.
When the panel was asked about their personal opinion of the most important part of
school laws for teachers, Dustin Robinson, a 4th grade teacher, said that it was important to know where to find the laws and to know your rights as a teacher. Jessica
Iredale, who teaches 1st grade, also said that the rights as a teacher are the most important aspect of school law. Katie Kruza, who teaches 3rd grade, said that many district
and state programs such as Exceptional Student Education and school rules have a basis in law, and it is important to know the rules. Nicole Cotner said that having documentation is important, and that the Constitution of the United States is related to your
job in every way.
Types of law include constitutional law, statutes, administrative law, common/case
law, and contract law. The workshop dealt with Constitutional Law and focused primarily on statutes. As Nicole stated, the Constitution will affect you in every way.
Article 1 of the Constitution deals with communication about you outside of the classroom. Articles 4 and 5 deal with due process, such as using dogs to search lockers.
Article 10 deals with state rights versus federal rights, and the 14th Amendment deals
with due process and equal opportunity for all individuals under the law.
“Quality teachers
not only know
their rights but
their rights in
doing it.”
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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
Teaching Students to Read and Write the World of Mathematics
Dr. Eugenia Vomvoridi-Ivanovic
began the workshop by having everyone
introduce themselves to the person next to
him or her, waking us up by getting us
talking at 9 a.m.! She then discussed the
many ways math is applied in the world
around us. For example, we use math to
analyze the inequities between social/racial
groups, understand phenomena in our lives
and the world around us, and to analyze
media. Mathematics may seem like a cold
mechanical subject to students, so it is important to make real world connections.
Math can be used as a tool to make the
world more equal and just.
Social justice mathematics is a way to
teach math in which the curriculum is connected to social justice issues. To make
learning more meaningful, social justice
issues should be relevant to the students’
community. We watched a video about a
teacher who chose to connect math to the
foreclosure of homes, a problem that was
prominent in the area and many students’
families were experiencing. We saw evidence of this kind of teaching by watching
a video of a teacher teaching math to her
fifth grade class through a social justice
lens.
Above: Dr. Eugenia Vomvoridi-Ivanovic
The teacher connected previous knowledge
the students learned in social studies about
child labor and minimum wage. Personal
experience and a kinesthetic activity were
added to the lesson: the teacher had the
students check where their shoes were
made and then physically get up and put a
sticky note on a map indicating their shoe’s
country of origin. The students then made
the connection that most of their shoes
were from China because their minimum
wage was low and the production of shoes
was cheap. Students saw a bar graph of
the production cost of shoes and brainstormed where they could redistribute
money to go towards the underpaid
workers.
Social justice
mathematics is a
way to teach
math in which the
curriculum is
connected to
social justice
issues.
A word problem was then presented that
incorporated their new knowledge by
including the Canadian minimum wage
($10.25 per hour) and the Chinese minimum wage ($0.40 per hour). How
much money would each group make if
each group worked 10 hours? 100
hours? 1000 hours? Students worked in
pairs to work out the problem. Different
groups came up with the same answer,
but different methods of reaching it.
Multiple methods of problem solving
and thinking were valued. The teacher
did not correct the students if they used
a longer method to get to their answer.
She emphasized that all methods were
correct, even though some were more
efficient than others. The teacher had
one pair show the class how moving the
decimal point to the right for each multiple of ten was an efficient way to solve
the problem.
“Math can be
used as a tool to
make the world
more equal and
just.”
4/6/15
By: Cat Cibulis
This brought up a debate that everyone
seemed very passionate about. Is teaching efficiency or critical thinking more
important in mathematics? Some argued
that it is important for students to know
the fastest methods to prepare them for
higher-level classes, with the counterargument that it does not matter what method students use as long as they know how
they got their answer and can think critically about math.▪
Above: Dr. Eugenia Vomvoridi-Ivanovic
encourages us to watch more social
justice videos.
Above: Look to see where your shoes
are made.
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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
AprilRAAS
7, 2015 University Lecture Series Event: Two Perspectives on
Project
Bill Nye the Science Guy
Perspective One By: Robert Basile
Jena Howard, a SCATTER Leader in Education, managed to acquire four V.I.P. tickets to see Bill Nye the Science
Guy on April 7th. Jena, Dominique Cribb, Maggie Mendez,
and I attended the VIP reception prior to the lecture and were
able to be seated for the lecture without waiting in line. What
a fantastic presentation he put on! He mixed his great talent
for humor with a serious message for us to take action and
engage in environmentalism. Bill hopes we all will participate
in Earth Day which is celebrated on April 22nd this year.
Mr. Nye discussed at length his parents’ service to our country
during WWII. His father was captured by the Japanese and
was a POW for four years. His mother worked on the Enigma
Code. Her service, along with other decoders, was responsible
for shortening the war by more than a year.
Mr. Nye also discussed his odd passion for sundials, and he
was partly responsible for the placement of a sundial on a Mars
rover; he even gave a Ted Talk about it. Outer space, the next
frontier, is another one of Bill’s passions. As CEO of the Planetary Society, he is responsible for the planning of a launch of
a privately funded LightSail into space, a structure without
mass. He told us there are 100 times more stars in the sky than
grains of sand on all of Earth. Bill urged the audience to embrace current technology such as solar panels and solar heated
water.
In closing, Bill called for us to be the Next Great Generation,
and to embrace all of the challenges we face and to take action
to solve Earth’s problems. Dominique Cribb, one of our
SCATTER attendees, stated that “the belief in science is starting to disappear. [Bill Nye] said it is important for us to go out
and vote.” Jena Howard, said “I feel like I was transported
back to fourth grade, except this time Bill Nye was right in
front of me still making science fun, engaging, and understandable!” ▪
Perspective Two By: Rebecca Nguyen
After a long three hours of waiting in line only to find
out that the Marshall Center Ballroom was full, I was transferred into the Oval Theatre to watch a live stream of Bill Nye
who finally made his way onto the stage at about 8:30 p.m., an
hour late. The room was roaring with cheers as USF students
welcome the famous Bill Nye, “the science guy,” the man who
many students loved watching in middle school.
Above: Bill Nye’s signature opening to his popular
Science Show.
Above: Bill Nye encourages us to embrace current technology such as solar panels and solar heated water.
Bill also recounted how he nearly witnessed the turning of the
population counter at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York to
two billion people when he was nine years old. The current
population is 7.2 billion, and he emphasized that we need to
control our population growth. Bill also discussed global
warming, and showed a map of Florida with the southern half
submerged by water. This will occur with only a five meter
rise in ocean levels. Bill’s newest book is about the Evolution
versus Creationism debate he had with Ken Ham on February
5, 2014. He adamantly opposes Creationism and it being
taught in public schools, especially how it relates to population
growth.
Bill Nye started off the night with a love story about his parents. His father, Ned Nye, was a part time rock scientist who
disappeared in 1941 in the Wake Islands. Bill’s mom met Ned
during college but couldn’t marry him until she graduated. She
ended up waiting for Ned Nye for 44 months until he was rescued. After sharing about his father’s obsession of sundials and
making up colors, Bill took the audience into our solar system.
He compared the carbon dioxide levels and atmospheric
makeup of planets like Mars and Venus to Earth’s atmosphere.
He emphasized the bizarre fact that Earth’s atmosphere is perfect for life. Our atmosphere consists of 0.03% of carbon dioxide but has now increased to 0.04%. The cause, he says, is due
to the growing population of the world, now about 7.2 billion.
If we continue to grow at the rate we are growing, we can literally deteriorate our atmosphere. In order to make the point that
Continued on page 13
12
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
people need to start caring about the atmosphere, Bill
used a deep voice and said, “We need people to change
the world.” Multiple times during his speech, Mr. Nye
put down Ken Ham and anyone who puts blind faith into
fundamentalist Christian belief systems. His main plea
was to encourage us students to critically think and make
a change for the sake of our planet. Change has to happen from the bottom up as well as from the top down.
Bill stated, “If we don’t do anything in our lives, we
should at least vote and save the planet!” Although I
only was able to see Bill Nye the Science Guy on a
screen, it was a fun and unforgettable night.▪
Below: A graph that depicts World Population
Statistics, including the countries with the highest
populations.
Above: Bill Nye says, “If we don’t do anything in our lives, we
should at least vote and save the planet!”
The Hunting Ground: A Documentary that Addresses the Issue of
Campus Sexual Assault Was Shown in Tampa 4/5-9/2015
The film, The Hunting Ground, addresses the issue of campus sexual assault. Courageous young women and men share their stories
and bring to light the now 107 universities under Title IX investigation, including USF. These students are resolved in holding their
universities accountable. The documentary is for administrators, professors, students, parents, grandparents, and anyone with any
stake in higher education. Click here to see the trailer.▪
End Rape on Campus (EROC) is a survivor advocacy organization
dedicated to ending sexual violence through survivor support,
public education, and policy and legislative reform
13
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
CREATING BRIDGES VIA UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Below: Jalina Pittman proudly presents the opening slide of her presentation at the URC.
Engaging in undergraduate research
has been an aspect of my degree program
since my first semester in the College of
Education, yet to say my desire to engage in
research was due to the requirements of my
program would be false. I recall attending a
workshop during my second year at the university in hopes that I would experience why
we at USF receive such high rankings as an
institution of research. This semester, I uncovered those reasons as I engaged in research myself.
I can attach to words. This ideology
became a guiding force in my choreography. I gravitated to this desire because I wanted my choreography to
imprint a lasting value with my audience, suggesting what Stephen
Nachmanovitch alluded when writing,
“And to do art only for the high feeling
of completion and connectedness in the
moment of inspiration would be like
making love for the moment of orgasm.”
I completed my senior semester by conducting a qualitative research project in which I
analyzed and enhanced two of my most beloved aspects of human nature: movement
and, more recently, words. Despite several
attempts to produce an inquiry outside of the
field of education, I discovered how significant education is to me personally and the
world at large. With the assistance of my
mentor, Anne Anderson, I felt both comfort
and strain in connecting two things that
seemed natural to me but possibly foreign to
others.
“Thank you for giving
me this opportunity. I
am looking forward to
continuing my research
as a teacher. ”
Using a systematic approach of observation,
I analyzed images of myself in two contrasting poses from two contrasting dances
that I choreographed. Overall, I was able to
discover the many words that I can attach to
an image and thus the many movements that
In regards to the implications for my
professional development, the levels of
visual framing in regards to choreography revealed connections to the writing
process. Future research will entail a
systematic approach to analyzing a
piece of my writing. Just as I plan to
begin my choreography with the ideals
I wish to convey, I will similarly teach
my students do the same with their
writing. This extends beyond the traditional beginning – middle, middle - end
By: Jalina Pittman
planning outline taught to students. I’m
looking forward to more discovery within the classroom to better construct a
plan of action.
Collaboration and discovery are the parents of research. Through presenting to a
room of dancers, we eagerly listened and
applied each idea from each presenter
into our understanding of what was specific to our “world.” It was an experience that exceeded all nerves and expectations. I was elated to be a part of
something so magnificent that it can
influence people from various disciplines of study. In my opinion, this is the
greatest aspect of participating in the
2015 USF Undergraduate Research and
Arts Colloquium – the creation of bridges from one field of study to another.▪
Above: The USF Undergraduate
Research Colloquium.
14
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
IProject
D I O M A RAAS
TICIT Y: WHAT EVERY EDUCATOR NEEDS TO KNOW
Below: Dr. Liontas explains the concept of Idiomaticity.
4/14/15
By: Katelyn Clare
Above: Idiomaticity is explained as a proficiency gauge.
This was one of the workshops I had been looking forward to for most of the semester — even though
going into it, I wasn’t exactly sure what “idiomaticity”
was. Dr. John Liontas gave the workshop and he had a
lot of energy for a Tuesday night. He worked very hard
to keep us all engaged and focused for the three hours
we were all there. For those of you who don’t know
(like a lot of us didn’t), idiomaticity has to do with
idioms (figurative language). Dr. Liontas is an Associate Professor of Foreign Language/ESOL Education
who specializes in the study of idiomaticity, which is
very impressive because English was his second language.
We started the workshop by Dr. Kaywell asking us to
“put our hands together,” for which we were quickly
stopped by Dr. Liontas. We were all clapping because
that’s what putting our hands together means to us;
however, literally speaking, it does not mean to clap.
He had us all clasp our hands to make the point, and
then showed us a painting that depicted over 300 common proverbs, catchphrases, and clichés such as "You
are what you eat" and "kicked the bucket". As the
workshop got underway, Dr. Liontas gave a piece of
information that I think is vital all teachers know
(especially those of us wanting to teach ESOL): if an
English Language Learner (or any second language
learner) can understand their new language’s idioms,
then they truly are proficient in the language.
Did you know that if we speak 100 words per minute,
we’ll speak 245 idioms per hour, and 493,920 idioms in
a year? Because of that, it’s very important to incorporate figurative language learning in your
classroom. Dr. Liontas gave us several resources
we could use like the Lion King book “The Flamingos are Tickled Pink: A Book of Idioms” by
Chip Lovitt and even the movie “Madagascar.”
While the book might be aimed more towards elementary students, students of all ages would enjoy
watching the movie. Both are really great tools to
use in idiomatic instruction. Songs are also a great
tool to use with older students such as the music
video by Lenka performing “Everything at Once.”
We listened to “Firework” by Katy Perry, saw the
many idioms used in the Geico caveman commercials, and were invited to take a quiz that tested
our knowledge of figurative language and poetic
terms. Some more activities to use in your
classroom are things like “idiom of the week,”
“idiom alphabet,”
figurative language
posters,
tongue
twisters,
and
Mother
Goose
Nursery
Rhymes
are great ways to
incorporate
idiomaticity.
Pictured Left: An example of an idiom.
Continued on page 16
15
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
Below: Proverbidioms - an oil painting by American artist T. E. Breitenbach completed in 1975 shows many idioms.
How many can you identify?
Dr. Liontas introduced us to figurative language from other languages.
The one we focused the most on was
“to put his two feet in one shoe.” All
of us were perplexed by this Greek
idiom and it wasn’t until we learned
all that goes into understanding
idioms: graphophonics, syntax, semantics, and context are all things
that are necessary. Even then understanding the idiom might be difficult.
After a grueling process, we finally
figured out that the phrase “to put his
two feet in one shoe” means to put
someone in his place and is
something like our “wrapped around
her finger,” “ball and chain,” “under
her thumb,” etc. Having an idiomatic
expression from another culture was
very eye-opening because we’ve
grown so used to our English ones
that we don’t even realize when we
use figurative language most of the
time.
Studying abroad is a great way to
acquire a heightened appreciation for
our ELLs and will reiterate how important it is to constantly teach idio-
maticity to students. It is impor- dogs.) For the best joke ever,
tant for all teachers to be aware click here.▪
of the idiomatic expressions they
use in their classrooms, and be
sure to translate them for their
students by involving everyone
in the class to define their actual
meanings.
Studying abroad is a
great way to acquire a
heightened
appreciation for our
ELLs.
Finally, Dr. Liontas ended the
session by sharing several idiom
riddles with us. What happens
to a refrigerator when you pull
its plug? (It stops running.) Why
did the girl put sugar under her
pillow? (She wanted to have
sweet dreams.) Why did the student put his head on the piano?
(He wanted to play by ear.)
Why was the mother flea so sad?
(Her children were going to the
Above: Dr. Joan Kaywell and Dr. Jenn
Jacobs are taking a group of students to Costa Rica this summer.
The deadline has been extended to
May 25, 2015, by 11:59:59 p.m. to
submit your application.
16
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
B E YRAAS
OND SUSTAINABILIT Y
Project
CONFERENCE AT HCC
By: Brooke Warrington
April 15, 2015
As I left the Beyond Sustainability conference hosted by Hillsborough Community College Ybor Campus with my arms full of complimentary gifts and applicable literature, it was hard to believe that this was a
free event. Along with the free goodies, which included reusable grocery bags, pens made from recycled materials, and flower seeds, I left with a much better idea of what sustainability is and how I can do my part to
contribute. The conference featured numerous speakers spaced throughout the day with a network of booths to
peruse during the times between speakers. I will admit I felt a bit apprehensive about attending the conference
on behalf of SCATTER because I am a secondary English education major. However, I found I did not need
an extensive science background to connect with the messages the conference had to share, thus I highly recommend attending this conference to my fellow SCATTERs, including those with zero science background
like myself.
The first speaker I had the pleasure of hearing was Lisa Meredith of the Hillsborough County Extension Service. Meredith, the compost, vermi-compost, school, and community garden program coordinator, had some
helpful advice for those of us with yards for which to care. She offered nine principles to follow for having a
more “Florida friendly” yard using minimal fertilizer, pesticides, and water. The principles shared pertained to
plant placement, water efficiency, appropriate fertilizer, mulch, planting to attract wildlife, managing pests responsibly, recycling, reducing stormwater runoff, and protecting the waterfront. Her talk was thoroughly informative and were someone (you! I mean you!) interested in learning more about responsible landscaping,
they need only contact the Hillsborough County Extension Office (813) 744-5519 for their schedule of Florida
-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) workshops.
Following Lisa Meredith was another speaker with a directly applicable message of sustainability, Jim Igler of
the Florida Aquarium. Igler was at the conference to share information about the Florida Aquarium’s sustainability initiative. The Florida Aquarium, as Igler relayed, has officially done away with any usage of single-use
plastics. He explained that we too can follow in the aquarium’s footsteps, and stressed the serious need by referencing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. For those of you who do not know what that is (I was one of you-don’t worry), it’s a large gyre of debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Much of this debris is plastic, hence the
need for everyone to do their part by cutting down on their use. Igler suggested that we all help by using reusable grocery bags instead of grocery stores’ provided plastic bags. It’s a small adjustment for each of us that
can make a big difference.
Another speaker, Hillsborough Community College’s own student Tyler Parke, introduced the school’s Food
Forest Permaculture Project. Hillsborough Community College Brandon Campus will be planting their own
sustainable garden for the use of students and the community. Parke hopes to be planting by this summer and
explained that the garden, once in full bloom, will need only a few hours of maintenance per month. Parke
shared some helpful tips for gardening, stressing the need for diversity in planting. Rather than plant the same
type of plant in a row, which leaves the roots of each fighting one another for water and soil nutrients, one
should diversify the plants so they may complement one another instead. Parke also explained that planting in
rows does not mimic how plants grow in the wild, so we should instead plant in “guilds” which mimic natural
plant systems like those seen in forests.
Ending the evening was the keynote speaker, Dr. Edgar Mitchell, an Apollo 14 astronaut and the sixth man to
walk on the moon. Dr. Mitchell shared a touching account of his consciousness-enlightening experience in
space when looking at Earth from far away. Dr. Mitchell’s advice to us is to serve the greater good, always.
He explained that “we are one grain of sand on a huge beach and if we are not careful, we will lose our grain
of sand.” He shared that he thinks social media can be used to raise consciousness when employed appropriately, and not to fight one another, along with stressing that war is the last thing we should be doing, with regards to sustainability. Dr. Mitchell left us with the message that love will have everything to do with how we
save this planet and that we must do it together.▪
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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
GIDION’S KNOT: A Play Performed at USF in April
On April 17, 2015, I attended
USF’s School of Theatre and Arts production of Gidion’s Knot, an 80minute play written by Johnna Adams.
The play counted as a SCATTER
workshop when combined with the
panel discussion that occurred directly
afterwards. College of the Arts faculty
member Fanni Green directed the production, starring students Danielle
James and Vanessa Watson; Selena
Frey and Amanda Zappia starred in
the production on alternative nights.
Both of the actors as well as the director composed the discussion panel:
Assistant Stage Manager Kaitlyn
Vaughn, and College of Education
representatives Dr. Joan F. Kaywell,
Laura Sabella, and Brianna Bartlett.
Pictured above and below: Gordian knot
is a proverbial term for a difficult problem that only can be solved by bold action. The phrase “cutting the Gordian
knot” means a bold solution has been
found to a complicated problem.
Before the play began, two other
cast members performed a preproduction piece by reading actual pieces written by bullies, victims of bullies, and parents of
students who ultimately ended
their lives after being bullied in
school. The play itself focuses
solely on one event – a parentteacher conference.
Corryn Fell wishes to discuss her
son’s recent suspension with his
teacher Ms. Clark who is surprised that Mrs. Fell showed up
since her son Gideon had just
committed suicide. The situation
quickly becomes complicated as
one might imagine, and countless
relevant topics are introduced
during their exchange: bullying,
single parents, censorship, LGBT
students, parenting styles, cyberbullying, violence, and scandalous school events that had been
kept from parents.
This play without set changes,
lighting effects, and only a cast
of two commanded the stage for
80 minutes with conflict as its
driving force. The production
succeeded in evoking an emotional response from the audience, though during the discussion it became apparent that each
audience member likely found
themselves with a response unlike their neighbor’s.
The post-production discussion
panel helped to bridge issues
brought forth by the play with
those faced daily by parents,
teachers, and students. One audience member voiced an opinion
stating that he felt the play was
too complicated because so many
issues were introduced without
By: Erin Courtney Jenkins
resolution. Laura Sabella mentioned that the truth is that all of
these issues are occurring in a single classroom on a daily basis
while students are trying to learn.
Dr. Kaywell said that she wished
that a new kind of English language arts teacher would be produced, one who is half English
teacher and half guidance counselor. The issues that plagued Gidion such as bullying, identity, and
being a child of a single parent are
evident in students everywhere
and teachers should expect to encounter students who, as Dr. Kaywell stated, are “12 going on 40
due to the issues that they face.”
The play and the post discussion
had much to offer for pre-service
teachers. It was evident that the
fictional classroom of Ms. Clark
lacked an environment that supported community among students, and I personally felt frustrated that she wasn’t encouraging
students to know each other better
and be respectful within the classroom. The discussion in particular
was helpful as it gave a glimpse
into the general public’s belief
about schools and teachers. One
of the audience members was employed in a youth residential rehabilitation program. She graciously
explained that many students
aren’t necessarily driven to depression by who they are but how
those around them react to who
they identify as. Ultimately, everyone was affected differently by
the production – some voiced
confusion and frustration, while
others said it made them feel
hopeful that the people involved
would begin to heal.▪
18
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
Engaging in Undergraduate Research
Project RAAS
By: James Jacobelli
I’m sure all of use have heard and cringed at the
phrase, “Those who can, do; and those who can’t, teach” and at
other derogatory comments made about our decision to become educators made by peers, friends, family, and strangers.
The sad truth is that there is a negative image of teachers that
actually exists. As SCATTERs, we hope to combat that image
by being professional educators. One way we can do that as
pre-service teachers is to engage in USF’s Undergraduate Research.
As a student in an Honors College program (in which education majors are vastly underrepresented), I was required to
engage in research as an undergraduate student. Over the past
three semesters, I have researched and written my undergraduate thesis, “Special Education Teachers’ Beliefs on Least Restrictive Environment” under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth
Doone from the Department of Teaching and Learning. Going
though this process has given me so many wonderful experiences that I would not have had if I had not engaged in research.
I presented my thesis at the 2015 USF Undergraduate Research
and Arts Colloquium on April 9th at the Marshall Center, again at
the College of Education Inquiry Conference on April 27th at
MOSI, and received an Excellence in Research Award. At the
USF Research Colloquium, I conveyed my research to a wide audience of people from outside of the field of education. Knowing
how to effectively communicate your work as an educator to a non
-educator is an important skill. Helping non-educators realize the
importance of our work as teachers will help break down the image that teaching is for the less skilled and incompetent students. Above: James Jacobelli Presenting his Research at the
College of Education Inquiry Conference on April 27,
2015, at MOSI.
Above: James Jacobelli Presenting his Research at the
USF Undergraduate Research and Arts Colloqium on
April 9, 2015, at the Marshall Center.
For my thesis, I conducted a literature review and designed a
survey to measure special education teachers’ beliefs about
least restrictive environment - the idea that students with disabilities have the right to learn with typical peers. I completed
the IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval process for conducting human research and was cleared to send out my survey
to the special education teachers of a large urban public school
district. Going through the IRB process helped me to empathize with the daunting process our professors constantly undergo to engage in research. Along the way I also had the opportunity meet with the ESE directors of this district to communicate and discuss the results (talk about networking!).
If writing a thesis sounds like a lot of work to you, you’re right. It
is! But it is definitely well worth it and makes you V.I.T.A.L.
There are, however, less daunting ways to engage in research. It is
possible to assist professors with their research projects as well as
to engage in research in a group with other students. If you want to
contribute to conveying that teachers are professions, I challenge
you to find an opportunity to engage in undergraduate research.
To find out more, contact the Office of Undergraduate Research
and attend SCATTER Workshops that feature the research experience.▪
19
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
HOW TO DEVELOP AN E-PORTFOLIO
On a late Thursday afternoon,
SCATTERS gathered in the TECO room to
learn how to create an e-Portfolio that will
knock the socks off any employers. An ePortfolio is an electronic collection of projects, assignments, achievements, and a resume to showcase to future employers, colleagues, or whomever you think might want
to see it. An e-Portfolio can also be used as a
way to reflect, which was something new
that Dr. James Welsh, Director of the Florida
Consortium of Instructional Technology,
explained while going over the definition of
an e-Portfolio.
Dr. Welsh also explained that Chalk and
Wire is an e-Portfolio tool that we all might
have experience using. From there, we
moved into viewing example e-Portfolios.
As we looked through the e-Portfolios, we
found things we liked about each one as well
as things we disliked. We made a list of
these things on our online meeting room, the
one that Dr. Welsh created for our workshop.
Here are some of the things we came up
with that one might want to think about
when creating an e-Portfolio:
1. Make sure to think about what you
are linking with your e-Portfolio (i.e.
Facebook, Pinterest, etc.)
2. Make sure everything relates to the
message of your e-Portfolio.
3. Think about the fact that people may
view your e-Portfolio on different devices (i.e. Tablet, smartphone, etc.)
4. Remember less is more!
5. Consider how you are dressed in any
pictures on your e-Portfolio,
6. If including links, make sure they
work!
7. Formatting DOES matter (be careful
with too much white space)
8. SPELL CHECK!
9. People are more likely to look at pictures and videos than long text!
10. Linking your resume is good, but
make sure it is easy to return to the eportfolio.
11. Think of 5 special reasons to give
you the job (in bullet point form).
12. Use logical flow when organizing ePortfolio and keep it well-organized!
13. Ask more than one person to proofread your e-Portfolio.
Dr. Welsh’s tips for making your
BEST e-Portfolio:
1. Select the strongest examples
(Keep it current and show AND
tell)
2. Create clear and distinct categories
3. Showcase YOUR creative style –
(Make it personal, but keep it
professional)
By: Beth Landy
Dr. Welsh’s list of six things to think
about and include in our video:
1. Think of your audience!
2. Give a brief introduction.
3. Explain your experience.
4. Emphasize YOUR teaching style!
5. What is your Teaching Philosophy?
6. What sets YOU apart?
He gave us four technical tips:
We then moved into learning how to
create our very own e-Portfolios using
one of the many webpage creation tools
provided. Each of these sites provides
lots of free tools and there are options
for premium features upon purchase. If
you need any help with any of these
webpage creation tools, you can head
over to the iTeach lounge to get assistance.
These tools include:
Wix
Joomla
PBworks
Google Sites
Snappages
Drupal
Yola
Weebly
Jigsy
LiveBinders
Jimdo
Dr. Welsh showed a YouTube video of
a brief introduction to using
LiveBinders and then allowed us to
experiment with creating our own ePortfolio using any of the tools he
listed early on (shown above). During
this time, we all experimented with the
different tools and found that we each
had our own preference for which of
the tools we were most comfortable
with using to create our e-Portfolio.
Some people found LiveBinders helpful because it was similar to a threering binder, but online. Others found
Wix was easily editable and had tons of
different templates for them to use on
their portfolio. Others had previous
experience using Google sites and
Weebly so they chose to stick with
what they knew how to use to create
their e-Portfolio. Therefore, when creating your own e-Portfolio, feel free to
try out the different tools, but stick with
the one you are most comfortable with
using and the most helpful for you.
1. Audio- Keep it close to the camera or
use an external microphone to eliminate background noise!
2. Lighting – The main light source
should be IN FRONT of you.
3. Background – Keep it professional.
4. Wear professional attire!
After our time creating our e-Portfolios,
Dr. Welsh moved on to explain how we
can create a video to use on our portfolios that we just created.
With technology coming to the forefront
in our society, creating an e-Portfolio
with a video of yourself just might be
just the way that you can get noticed by
a future employer. With the tools and
tips that Dr. Welsh provided, you have
just what you need to create your very
own e-Portfolio to showcase your own
achievements and experiences!▪
Click left for Livebinders
App for iPhone or iPad.
Above: Congratulations to Dr. James
Welsh who just completed his Ph.D.
He acknowledged that this was the
first time a group referred to him as
Dr. Welsh.
20
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. JEAN LINDNER,
SCATT DIRECTOR 1998-2005
By: Erin Oteiza
Pictured left to right: Dr. Jean
Linder, former SCATT Director; Dr.
Colleen Kennedy, former Dean of
the College of Education, and Dr.
Ron Lindner, husband of Jean and
co-founder of the annual USF COEDU’s Children’s Festival.
Steve Barkley did a series of workshops
on positive communication, problem
solving, and cooperative learning. He is
a fantastic presenter and is a very funny
guy. Also, Dr. Elizabeth Shaunessy is a
terrific presenter with really good teaching techniques and skills.
What do you feel was your greatest accomplishment when you were director?
I think one of the greatest accomplishments
was the intimacy we were able to develop as a
group. When I became director, I wasn’t sure
how that would go. I had been doing different
kinds of things with my life, and we were
doing all different kinds of workshops. In
final seminars, students shared really risky
things about life and why they were there,
things of that nature. I felt I developed a really great trust and rapport with the students
while I was there.
What is the one (or more) thing(s) you wish
you could've done while in SCATT(ER)?
I wish we had more students who were able to
take advantage of the opportunity. At the time
I was director, it was a different kind of program than it is now. It has always been such
an exciting program. I really felt it should be
the college program for teaching. My greatest
disappointment was that SCATT model didn’t
become the College of Education model.
What was your favorite aspect of SCATT
(ER)? Why?
We were able to hire some of the very best
faculty and a few people from outside of the
college to do workshops. The most notable
was Spencer Kagan who did a really great job
at the workshops. I liked having other faculty
involved in the program and having
outside people enriching the program.
How do you incorporate your time
at SCATT(ER) into your current
job/lifestyle?
I’m retired so it’s just a memory
now. One of things we emphasized in
the program, though, was being positive and the idea of “don’t say
don’t—say we can!” We practice
stating things in positive ways to
focus on the positive. That kind of
practice is really lasting.
How do you think SCATTER compares to other Honors Programs?
What makes SCATTERs stand out?
I think it’s unique in the sense that it
focuses on a single professional program. The university honors program
focuses on all kinds of backgrounds
and has a special mission in bringing
people from a variety of majors together. Also, the fact that it’s voluntary in nature and focuses on progression makes it unique.
Was there a particular speaker, or
workshop that stood out during your
leadership? Tell me about it.
Living in the age of Social media, how
do you think we can use technology to
better advance our cause and expand as
an honors program?
I think the fundamental advantage is
social interaction. There are other people
on the end of computers who have
thoughts, careers, lives, families and so
on. Technology enables us to reach more
people but not necessarily more deeply.
We have to be careful in order to reach
people meaningfully. Students can take
advantage of this and learn more and
learn more quickly, but they still need to
meet people and interact with people in
person. That’s what teaching is about.
Any final comments? SCATT was a great opportunity and
comeback for the college. To be integrated in the College of Education and working with students is a great advantage
and SCATT students are great people.
Teachers are great people, but working
in SCATT makes them extremely special
in the ways they work with children.▪
“Teachers are great
people, but working
in SCATT makes
them extremely
special in the ways
they work with
children.”
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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
WHERE HAVE ALL THE SCATTERS GONE?
In the last several SCATTER
Chatter Newsletters, I included all of the
responses given to me by former SCATTERs to three questions: 1. What year
did they graduate and what are they doing now; 2. What was their favorite
SCATTER memory; and 3. What did
SCATT(er) teach them that has served
them well? What follows are all of the
people who have responded thus far and
the responses of those not included in the
last newsletters. With this being our 34th
year of existence, I am planning a huge
35th SCATTER Anniversary Celebration
and am trying to contact as many SCATTER graduates as possible. If you know
of SCATTER graduates not on this list,
please ask them to contact me at [email protected] or send me their contact
information. Thanks much.
If you know of
SCATTER
graduates not on this
list, please ask them
to contact me at
[email protected] or
send me their
contact information.
1981 - 1990 Director, Dr. Marcia Mann & Assistant Director,
Dr. Joyce Swarzman
Class of 1981
Celeste D. Nelson
Class of 1983
Lori Delk Hartwig
Brett Taylor
Class of 1984
Teresa Joslyn
Sophia Manoulian Kugeares
Jeanne Petronio
Dr. Yvette Powell Robitaille
Class of 1985
Bruce Burnham
Dr. Rebecca “Becky” Kaskeski
Dr. Susan Wegmann
Class of 1986
COL Jay R. Popejoy
Karen Getty Stewart
Class of 1987
Dr. Gloria Howard Armstrong
Dawn Coffin
Constance J. Biggs Doughton
Melissa Sawyer Hill
Lois McKee
Jill S. Middleton
Anne Newsome
Class of 1988
Robb Bingham
Dr. Jeany McCarthy (Gonzales)
Dorothy Taylor
Class of 1989
Dianne Azzarelli
Stefano Biancardi
Rose Bland
Jan Pritchett Ottinger
Dr. Jenifer Schneider
1990 - 1996 Director, Dr.
Joyce Swarzman
Class of 1990
Michele Fisher
Ben Johnston
Terri Mossgrove
Raegan Rodriguez
Class of 1991
Sherry Chappell
Cindie Donahue
Dr. Wendy Drexler
Vicki (Kusler) Horton
Darlene Wagner
Class of 1992
Joy Baldree
Linda Peterson
Dr. Monica Verra-Tirado
J. Michael Woods
Class of 1993
Dr. Paula Clark
Kimberlee Fowler
Dr. Julia Fuller
By: Joan F. Kaywell
Irma Lucy Lancheros
Dr. Cara A. Walsh
Krysten Benenati Douglas, Class of
1993
I left teaching and am currently a real
estate agent for the Gilfillan Group Realtors in Columbia, South Carolina.
Stephanie Georgiades, Class of 1993
I taught gifted Math grades K-5 at Gorrie
Elementary School until I had my first
child, Jack, in 2002. I am currently the
President of the Florida Association for
the Gifted, and have served on the FLAG
Board of Directors since 2008. I also
worked at the Florida Council on Economic Education (FCEE) as Program
Director for a year, during which time I
created the Competition Of Decisionmaking with Ethics (C.O.D.E.) Program. My favorite memory of SCATT
was working as Dr. Rosselli's assistant. I
also developed my love of learning, specifically attending conferences, through
my participation in SCATT. SCATT
taught me to celebrate being a DWIT (do
whatever it takes). I still feel that it is one
of the best character traits any professional can have. It is what earned me the
Sally Mae First Class Teacher Award for
Florida in 1999.
“SCATT taught me to
celebrate being a
DWIT (do whatever it
takes). I still feel that it
is one of the best
character traits any
professional can have.”
Stephanie Georgiades,
Class of 1993
Class of 1994
Kelly McMillan
Seth Hoffman
Dr. Jeanine Romano
Continued on page 23
22
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
Class of 1994
Andrea Weaver (Tracy)
Class of 1995
Alberto Danny Camacho
Tracy Graves
Angela Helm
Kimberly D. Jones
Kathy Ogilby Langdon
1996 - 1998 Director, Dr. Hilda
Rosselli
Class of 1996
Mike Hill
Shirley A. Rutter (Gabbard)
Carol L. LaVallee (Hitchcock)
Kristy Jones
Michele C. Martinez
Karen Sochor (Mynes)
Stacy Pedrick
Jennifer Hale (Stickler)
Class of 1997
Elizabeth Bolstridge
Susanna Deck Condon
Susie M. Hardee
Kimberly Koparan
Roy Moral
Christie Ray
1998 - 2005 Director, Dr. Jean
Linder
Class of 1998
Crista Banks
Alicia Burgos
Diana Jorgenson
Joe Kelly
Rhonda Mau
Amber Norris
Deborah Pettingill
Heather Vanderveen
Dalila Lumpkin (Vasquez)
Class of 1999
Joseph Bockus
Wes Holtey
Tammie Keyes
Shaun Kunz
Class of 2000
Jennifer Campbell
Mary Freitas
Tara Tahmosh-Newell
Class of 2001
David Richtberg
Pam Widlak
“SCATT helped me
remember to
always give 110%.”
Jacob Dunn,
Class of 2011
Class of 2002
Cynthia Bauman
Jennifer Conrad
Jenna Moore
Kacie Nadeau
Stephanie (Jay) O'Rourke
Rebecca Wilson
Class of 2003
Nancy Erickson
Jessica Iredale
Nadia Helton (King)
Audra Kondash
Class of 2004
Rachel Ann Foster
Amy Butler (Givens)
2005 - 2006 Director, Dr. Roger Brindley
Class of 2005
Jennifer Heinze
Renee Bowser (Prianos)
Tracy Tilotta
Nicole Brandt (Weingart)
2006 - 2007 Director, Dr. Roger Brindley & Assistant Director, Lori Yusko (Delk)
Class of 2006
Keith Fedor
Brandi Grafer
Rachel Pepper (Kirby)
Kimberly Riesenberger
Tanya Stanley
2007 - 2013 Director, Lori
Yusko (Delk)
Dan Penoff
Kodie Petrangeli (Rogers)
Nichole Styron
Kathleen “Kat” DiLorenzo, Class of
2007
I currently teach English at Springstead
High School.
Class of 2008
Lakesia Dupree
J. Booker (Preiner)
Jessica Teston-Loadholtes
Lorena Lucas
Jenalisa Da Silva (Zummo)
Class of 2009
Robin Bishop
Jonathan Broner
Sherree Brown
Kenny Gil
Debbie Goodwin
Michael Hosea
Dawn Hudak-Puckhaber
Trudy Hutchinson
Heidi Johnson
Yesenia Mejia
Greg Morgan
Holly Crum (Pfriem)
Jael Noda Vera
Stacey Conrad (Wallace)
Class of 2010
Kelly Budnick
Jaclyn Lockhart (Dubois)
Tara Rowe
Class of 2011
Jennifer Austin
Dylan Barnes
Alex Dashner
Jamie Karnetsky
Breanna McBride
Emma Powers
Jacob Dunn, Class of 2011
I teach at Forest Hills Elementary
School, first grade. I'm the team leader,
and am involved in many school activities and committees. I will soon be taking the Clinical Educator Workshop so
that I can host interns. My favorite
memories were from the workshops that
had speakers who were currently in the
classroom. I really enjoyed hearing
about their experiences and perspectives
as we were about to embark on our own
classrooms as professionals after gradua-
Class of 2007
Magalie Frederic
Continued on page 24
23
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
ting. SCATT helped me remember to always give 110%.
Class of 2012
Megan Bender
Shannon Fleming (Bock)
Sara Destree
Blanka Fuzvolgyi
Zac Lewis
Meghan Masciarelli
Kristen Tavolaro
Alexia Taylor (Baldwin), Class of 2012
I am currently a second grade teacher at
Colson Elementary School. I loved the
Project Wet Training and the Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies.
Alexis Cranendonk, Class of 2012
I am teaching 4th grade at Bellamy Elementary School and am a Social Studies
District Trainer. My favorite memories
include the water training and our director,
Lori. The resume help and the Kagan
training have really served me well as an
educator.
“I loved the
friendships and
connections I made
within SCATT. ”
Kelsey Harrell,
Class of 2012
Kelsey Harrell, Class of 2012
I am currently teaching 4th grade, all subjects, at Roland Park K-8 School for International Studies (also IB). I loved the
friendships and connections I made within
SCATT. I also enjoyed the "trainings" we
went to. SCATT trainings taught me a lot
about teaching and classroom management/procedures. It also helped me gain
some confidence while also gaining
knowledge.
Sarah Turner, Class of 2012
I am teaching English I Honors and 8th
grade language arts at R. Dan Nolan Middle School in Bradenton. My favorite
memory was our senior seminars and the
SCATT graduation ceremony evening.
The workshops teach you the art of teaching; whereas, the classes you take
through the college teach you the science
of teaching. By having both components,
the art and science, you are able to teach
the hearts and minds of the kids because
they are engaged both emotionally and
academically in your classroom. This
balance makes all the difference.
2013 - 2014 Director, Dr. Joan
F. Kaywell
Class of 2013
Megan Ackerman
Milissa Francis
Erica Martin
Mariam Razak
Heather Stocks (Rice)
Chelsea Swann
Melissa Whitcher
Lexi Gaber, Class of 2013
I am currently a fifth grade ELA teacher
at Lee Magnet Elementary School. My
favorite memory as a SCATTER was the
final workshop where we did a cool language barrier activity where the group of
us splits into two groups, separate, then
go visit the other group to observe how
they speak and try to figure out their
code. It was a lot of fun! As a SCATT
member, I learned to go above and beyond what the school system asks. Don't
just take the necessary courses, take
more! Also, take what suits YOU. As an
ELA teacher, I don't teach math or science but as a part of the TIP program in
Hillsborough County, as a first year
teacher (and second year), you have to
take a bunch of classes (not all of them
will apply to you). So take more; more
that will suit you best in the classroom
just as SCATT did for my educational
career at USF. It's something you choose
to join, so you're going above and beyond
what is asked of you.
SAVE THE DATE
FOR SCATTERS’
35TH YEAR
CELEBRATION!
FRIDAY, MAY 6,
2016 AT 5:30 PM
SHARON DRAPER,
1997 NATIONAL
TEACHER OF THE
YEAR & AWARDWINNING
AUTHOR, TO
KEYNOTE.
2014 - Director, Dr. Joan F.
Kaywell & Assistant Director,
Andrea Thompson
Class of 2014
Janeli Acosta
Julie Johnson
Meghan Krstyen
Stacy Mairs
Tammy Mangrum
Geornesia Moses
Erica Nelson ▪
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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
SUMMER 2015 SCATTER WORKSHOPS
To attend any of the SCATTER Workshops, YOU MUST REGISTER by going to the SCATTER Store,
emailing [email protected], or calling the SCATTER Office at 813-974-2061. Please remember
to give 48 hours’ notice for your RSVP and at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel. Failure to cancel within 24 hours
negates any credit; credit applies only to SCATTERs.

FREE 1-Hour Workshop (you may take this one time for credit/remember three 1-hour workshops equal one SCATTER Workshop): “Office of National Scholarships Personal Statement
Workshop” 5/20 (W) 2:00 - 3:00 ALN 252 (located in the Honors College, 2nd floor of the Allen
Building, formerly the Administration Building, enter through ALN 241). (Note: This workshop is
available three more times during the summer: Thursday, May 21st from 9-10 am in ALN 252; Tuesday, June 16th from 10-11 am in ALN 252; and Thursday, June 18th from 2-3pm in ALN 252). To register, go to the SCATTER Store.

FREE 3-Hour Workshop (you may take this one time for credit): “Safe Zone Ally Training Session” 5/21 (R) 3:00 - 6:00 MSC 3705. You must register in advance by clicking here or by going to
https://orgsync.com/88085/forms/144979 and following the directions. (Note: This workshop is available three more times during the summer: Wednesday, June 17th from 2-5pm in MSC 3705; Tuesday,
July 21st from 3-6pm in MSC 1306; and Wednesday, August 5th from 1-4pm in MSC 1306).

FREE 1-Hour Workshop (you may take this one time for credit/remember three 1-hour workshops equal one SCATTER Workshop): “Office of National Scholarships Gilman Spring Application Workshop” 6/23 (T) 3:00 - 4:00 ALN 252 (located in the Honors College, 2nd floor of the Allen
Building, formerly the Administration Building, enter through ALN 241). (Note: This workshop is
available one more time during the summer: Wednesday, July 22nd from 10:00 - 11:00 pm in ALN
252). To register, go to the SCATTER Store.

“Twenty (20) Principles of Psychology that Every Teacher Should Know” 6/26 (F) 1:30-4:30 EDU
416. To register, go to the SCATTER Store.

"FIELDTRIP: Experiencing WaterVentures Like Your Students" 7/11 (S) 10:00 - 1:00 pm Crystal
Springs Preserve. To register, go to the SCATTER Store.

"What Every Teacher Needs to Know about WaterVentures’ Florida Learning Lab" 7/11 (S) 2:00
- 5:00 pm EDU 413. To register, go to the SCATTER Store.
SUMMER 2015 NATIONAL, STATE, & LOCAL CONFERENCES
(For Workshop Credit/NOT SCATTER-Sponsored Events/Separate Registration Required):
TESOL (Elementary – Secondary): May 7-9, 2015, Sunshine State TESOL of Florida (SSTESOL) 36th Annual Conference –
St. Petersburg
Early Childhood: June 7-10, 2015, NAEYC's 2015 National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development, New
Orleans
Middle (across disciplines): June 12-13, 2015, The Florida League of Middle Schools (FLMS) 44th Conference - Hyatt Regency
in Sarasota http://www.flms.org/13.html
Technology (Elementary – Secondary): June 28-July 1, 2015, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 36th
Annual Event – Philadelphia
K-12 (across disciplines): July 18-20, 2015 International Literacy Association (ILA) Annual Conference – St. Louis
25
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3
SCATTER NEEDS YOUR HELP
The SunCoast Area Teacher Training and Education Research (SCATTER) Honors Program is continuing
the “Legacy of Excellence” that was started with its “Mission of Excellence” in 1981.
It may be hard to believe but in two years, SCATTER will be celebrating its 35th anniversary. The
planning has already begun, but we need your help now more than ever. With over 10,000 graduates, we
want to make this event truly sensational. Think of the impact that 10,000 SCATTER *DWITs have had
on society.
In the words of the 1986 SCATT Graduates (to the tune of WE ARE THE WORLD):
“They are the world. We are the TEACHERS.
They need the BEST that we can give, so let’s keep giving.
There’s a goal we’re seeking, a vision in our minds,
A mission in excellence for you and me.
A mission in excellence for you and me.”
SCATTER has been charged with becoming self-supporting. Your donation supports the SCATTER
Program— materials, scholarships, and programming for SCATTER students, especially for those in
need. Please help us by contributing what you can. **Please make your check payable to USF
Foundation, and mail it to the SCATTER Office, USF College of Education, STOP 105, Tampa, FL 33620
-5650 or pay by credit card on line HERE by scrolling down and clicking on 210040 SCATT-SunCoast
Area Teacher Training Fund.
Leave a legacy and buy a personalized brick:
-4 Lines (21 characters each line) for $100.00.
Click here for an order form.
If you have questions about the SCATTER Honors
Program, please contact Dr. Joan F. Kaywell,
Director, at (813) 974-3516.
* Do Whatever it Takes
**Your name will be listed in the Honors’ Celebration Program the semester following your gift, upon
request.
SCATTER
S.C.A.T.T.E.R. Office DAC 201
Phone: 813-974-2061
Fax: 813-974-5910
4204 E. Fowler Avenue EDU105 E-mail: [email protected]
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL 33620-9132
26