This month, we welcomed back our Elon world travelers! In January, education and affiliated faculty taught courses in India, Ireland, Australia, Germany, France, Czechoslovakia and Costa Rica. Students studied government in Washington, D.C., and completed the History Study Tour.

These travels were just one item of news in our busy year. In September, we welcomed Angela Owusu-Ansah as associate dean of education and Heidi Hollingsworth as coordinator of our Early Childhood Program.

THANK YOU to all for your gifts to the School of Education! So far this year, we have received more than $19,000. We are using these funds to support students who are attending professional conferences and we purchased iPads for our practicum supervisors to assist with classroom data collection.

Significant scholarships were established, including the Hattie Strong Foundation Scholarships for Student Teachers. We also especially thank the LaRose family for endowing the Gail H. LaRose Scholarship, which will benefit an education major with demonstrated financial need.

On the National Survey of Student Engagement, our education majors from 2006 through 2011 scored the education faculty and programs higher than the average for all education programs in the nation. On quality of the "entire educational experience," 82 percent of Elon's senior education majors rated us as "excellent," much higher than the national average of 44 percent.

Thank you for your support for the School of Education, and please visit us when you're in the neighborhood.

David Cooper, Dean

Associate Dean Angela Owusu-Ansah
joins school's administration

The School of Education is pleased to announce the arrival of our first associate dean, Angela Owusu-Ansah. She also serves as director of our M.Ed. and teacher education programs, and coordinates our program assessment. She's looking forward to continuing "the good work established and actively participating in the growth and excellence of Elon's programs."

Ansah previously served as assistant dean of the Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies at Samford University. An associate professor in educational assessment, she taught several classes in Samford's graduate studies program and formerly edited the journal, The Educational Collaborative.  Click here to learn more about Ansah - and join us in welcoming her to Elon!

Molly Ellington G'08 receives
local Teacher of the Year award

Molly Ellington, a third-grade teacher at Alexander Wilson Elementary School and 2008 graduate of Elon's Master of Education program, this fall was named the 2011-12 Alamance-Burlington School System Teacher of the Year. It is the second year in a row that a graduate from the Master of Education program has received the honor.

“When I found out, I was just shocked. You do the best you can every day,” Ellington said. “I never imagined it would go this far.”

Click here to read more about Ellington's recognition.

School hosts international scholar

This spring, the School of Education and Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, are excited to host Giuli Shabashvili, a visiting research scholar from the Republic of Georgia's Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation and Tbilisi State University. During her time at Elon, Shabashvili will conduct her research, titled "Second Language Education: Problems and Challenges in Modern Educational Environments." She and Jessie Moore of the Department of English will host a discussion about the importance of improving second-language education around the globe on March 6, from 4:10 to 5:10 p.m., in Belk Pavilion 208.

Christopher Emdin headlines
Teaching Fellows spring program

Christopher Emdin, associate professor of science and technology at the Teachers College at Columbia University will deliver the annual Elon Teaching Fellows Spring Program on March 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Whitley Auditorium. Nationally renowned as a "hip-hop educator," Emdin examines issues of race, class and diversity in urban classrooms and explores the use of new theoretical frameworks to transform science education. He speaks on issues such as the "Obama Effect" on urban education, hip-hop culture and education, improving STEM education and various educational and sociopolitical issues related to urban youth of color. Emdin's address is free and open to the public.