Legacy Blog Posts
Browse archived UConn ECE Instructor professional development posts from 2022–23 through 2025–26. Find current updates on LinkedIn.
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Classics Workshop
Our Classics instructors took a trip to the Storrs campus on Friday, May 1st, for an engaging professional development opportunity organized by faculty coordinator Sara Johnson, Ph.D. Attendees engaged in a workshop entitled Teaching in the Age of AI, followed by a faculty presentation facilitated by Kevin Feeney, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Roman History at UConn. You can read more about Dr. Feeney’s research interests at his university webpage linked above! Thank you to our…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Computer Science and Engineering Workshop
We closed out the month of April with a virtual professional development experience for our certified ECE Computer Science & Engineering Workshop. The group convened on the 30th for a discussion with faculty coordinator David Strimple which included a recap of recent site visits, upcoming course and textbook changes, and an open forum for course feedback! Thanks to David and our attendees for their engagement at this event. UConn CSE courses offered through Early College…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Statistics Workshop
On April 21st, 2026, our team of ECE Statistics Instructors met virtually to share insights on useful classroom methods and programmatic updates. Additionally, they were able to engage in a keynote address which focused on Using Large Language Models (LLMs) on Opera Audience Survey Data. The speaker was Alan F. Karr, a Professor of Statistics, Operations, and Data Science in the Fox School of Business at Temple University. More information about Professor Karr’s address can…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Italian Workshop
This past Friday, April 24th, our community of ECE Italian Instructors enjoyed a morning on the UConn Hartford Campus for their annual professional development experience. The guest speaker for the event was Martina Di Florio, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in Italian Studies at Trinity College. Dr. Di Florio’s work explores modern and contemporary Italian literature and cinema, with a strong focus on migration — from postcolonial and migrant writing in Italy to Italian diaspora narratives. She…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE EDLR/EDCI Workshop
On Friday, April 10th, instructors certified to teach all three of our currently offered ECE Education Courses (EDCI 1100: If You Love It, Teach It, EDLR 1162: Health & Education in Urban Communities, and EDLR 2001: Contemporary Social Issues in Sport) convened on the UConn Storrs campus for a collaborative professional development experience! The keynote session, “Building Dialogic Classrooms: Strategies and Practice for Inclusive Dialogue”, was conducted by Tanya Williams, founder of Authentic Coaching and…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Communication Workshop
Our first April workshop of the year was an in-person workshop for our certified ECE Communication instructors. Designed and facilitated by faculty coordinator Svetlana Kalnova, Ph.D., this event allowed instructors the opportunity to discuss best teaching practices for COMM 1100 with Associate Professor-in-Residence Dr. Thomas Meade, and to engage in a hands-on activity surrounding dialogic classroom principles. Additionally, they were able to discuss recent general education curriculum changes and their impacts on COMM 1000 instruction…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Political Science Workshop
On Monday, March 30th, our current cohort of Political Science instructors connected virtually for their annual professional development experience! Attendees were given the opportunity to hear about newly emerging research in the field from four junior Political Science faculty members, and later got to engage in a tutorial for utilizing UConn Library resources to support their ECE students with a representative from the UConn Library staff. We extend our thanks to co-faculty coordinators Oksan Bayulgen,…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE English Workshop
On Friday, March 27th, ECE welcomed our English instructors to the UConn Stamford campus for our second professional development conference for the discipline this school year! Around 40 instructors convened for a packed day which included three workshops: a syllabus renovation session, a text lab, and a student work diagnostic. This allowed them ample opportunity to work collaboratively with one another, as well as to coordinate with our ECE English faculty coordinators, to share teaching…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Library Media Specialists Training
On Thursday, March 26th, UConn ECE and our partners from the UConn Library welcomed our ECE library media specialists for their annual spring training session. A team of UConn librarians joined us for a variety of engaging sessions, a summary of which can be found below! Accessing Newspapers and News Resources through the UConn Library John Rendeiro, Student Success and Engagement Librarian Engaged by Design: Thoughts on Creating High-Impact Library Instruction Erica Charis-Molling, Instructional Design…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE American Studies & Maritime Studies Workshop
On Thursday, March 26th, a group of our ECE American Studies and Maritime Studies instructors joined together at the New Britain Museum of American Art for an exciting and collaborative professional development experience! Through a variety of group activities, a guided tour of the museum, and organic conversations, instructors were asked to ponder the ways that they might integrate the exploration of art into their existing teaching strategies. How does the construction of an image…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Biology Workshop
On Tuesday, March 24th, UConn ECE hosted three professional development experiences for our instructors, including an event which welcomed nearly 50 ECE Biology instructors to the UConn Storrs Campus! The keynote address for the day was entitled “Same as it Ever was, prior to Biomineralization”. Additionally, instructors got to experience a presentation from third year Biomedical Engineering undergraduate student Tyrone Kennedy, who has conducted fascinating research while at UConn! We thank faculty coordinator Tom Abbott,…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE German Workshop
On Tuesday, March 24th, UConn ECE hosted three professional development experiences for our instructors, including an event geared towards supporting our German instructors. Faculty coordinator Anke Finger, Ph.D. developed an engaging session for attendees, which included a discussion surrounding the ongoing process in the CT State Senate to enact SB 132, a bill intended to establish the Connecticut-Germany Trade Commission. As a component of this discussion, instructors were informed of a number of German companies…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Digital Media & Design Workshop
On Tuesday, March 24th, UConn ECE hosted three professional development experiences for our instructors, including a virtual session for our Digital Media and Design (DMD) group. Thanks to the work of faculty coordinator Kenneth Thompson, M.S., our instructors were given the opportunity to engage with two exciting sessions! First, a workshop surrounding generative AI literacy was facilitated by Zhenzhen Qi, EdD, where instructors engaged in the process of building a “Tamagotchi”-style virtual pet through AI…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Educational Psychology Workshop
Thursday, March 19th was an exciting day for our ECE Educational Psychology instructors, who met virtually for their annual professional development experience. Attendees of the event got to hear from Patricia Wood, author of Lottery (2008) and Cupidity (2014). Wood’s Ph.D. research delved into diversity and access for disabled individuals, themes which also emerge in her fictional work. Following her presentation, instructors were given time to engage in open discussion with one another, about their…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Allied Health Workshop
Our ECE Allied Health Instructors met for their annual professional development conference on Monday, March 16th. Attendees were welcomed by the Department Head for UConn Allied Health Sciences, Justin Nash, Ph.D., before engaging in a discussion surrounding key challenges in their ECE courses, sharing teaching strategies and favorite classroom activities to foster a culture of collaboration and peer support. Many thanks to faculty coordinator Bruce Blanchard, Ph.D. for his commitment to creating valuable professional development…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Animal Sciences Workshop
ECE Animal Science Instructors convened on the Storrs campus on Thursday, March 12th. Instructors heard a presentation entitled “Artificial Intelligence, not Augmented Intelligence”, from UConn Engineering professor Arash Zaghi, Ph.D., then engaged in discussions surrounding the role of AI in their own teaching environments, before ending the day with a trip to the UConn Dairy Bar! Many thanks to ECE Faculty Coordinators Amy Safran, Ph.D., and Jenifer Nadeau, Ph.D., for their continued support for this…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Earth Sciences Workshop
Wednesday, March 11 was a busy day in ECE! We hosted three professional development conferences, including a virtual session for our Earth Sciences instructors. Hosted by ECE faculty coordinator Robert Thorson, Ph.D., the event gave instructors the opportunity to discuss geoscience communications, through engagement with three recent nationally published articles that illustrate how Earth Science Education topics are communicated in the media. The articles are linked below, along with some context from Dr. Thorson, for…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Spanish Workshop
Wednesday, March 11 was a busy day in ECE! We hosted three professional development conferences, including one for our Spanish instructors. A group of 75 instructors convened in the Student Union, for a keynote address from Dolores Juan-Moreno, Associate Teaching Professor of Spanish at Clark University. The talk centered around an intergenerational story of community engagement and experiential learning. This was a welcome opportunity to bring many of our Spanish instructors together to learn and…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE American Sign Language Workshop
Wednesday, March 11 was a busy day in ECE! We hosted three professional development conferences, including one for our American Sign Language instructors. The day was jam-packed with content, beginning with an overview of UConn’s ASL opportunities and resources. Additionally, instructors had the opportunity to engage in a Teacher Talk hosted by Mike Schlang from the UConn ASL faculty, and a student panel surrounding former ASL experiences in their high schools. Finally, Kristine Hall from…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE French Workshop
On March 9th, 2026, ECE held its annual professional development conference for certified French instructors. The event included discussions on Kettly Mars’ “Laquelle de nous était Eurydice”. Additionally, attendees conversed about the role of artificial intelligence in the service of education. A full day’s agenda is available in French below: 9h Mohamedou Moustapha: L’éducation en Mauritanie. 9h30 Fadi A. Elsaid: L’héritage visuel de l’Encyclopédie : La représentation des arts et métiers dans la Description de…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE History 1400 Workshop
On Wednesday, February 25th, our ECE History 1400 instructors gathered for their annual professional development experience under the guidance of ECE Faculty Coordinator Thomas Maulucci, Ph.D. Discussions were lively, covering topics including Marxist critiques of political economy, the Protestant ethic and spirit of Capitalism, the British Industrial Revolution, and economic divergence between Europe and Asia. Many thanks to Dr. Maulucci and all of the workshop attendees for making this a fulfilling day! We look forward…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Asian & Asian American Studies Workshop
On Wednesday, February 11th, our ECE Asian and Asian American Studies instructors convened virtually for an enriching and topical discussion surrounding birthright citizenship in the United States. Please engage with the event overview below: Teaching the 14th Amendment & Birthright Citizenship: Making Sense of the Political Moment Through Asian American Histories Birthright citizenship—a cornerstone of the 14th Amendment—is once again under attack. In partnership with Asian Law Caucus, this workshop delved into the history and…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Kinesiology Workshop
On Wednesday, January 28th, we hosted our annual ECE Kinesiology professional development workshop, in collaboration with faculty coordinator Allison MacKenzie, MS. The event was focused on providing instructors an opportunity to give feedback on the course, and share strategies to make improvements for future semesters. Additionally, they discussed a variety of fitness and addiction resources, including ideas for research and activities to integrate into the learning module. This was a welcome opportunity for our instructors…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Civil Engineering Workshop
On Thursday, January 15th, our ECE Civil Engineering instructors met for a virtual professional development discussion, facilitated by faculty coordinator Sarira Motaref, P.E.. Attendees engaged in two discussion sessions, focusing on AI integration into Engineering courses and Neuroinclusive teaching practices, respectively. We are grateful to all who attended, and look forward to the next opportunity to connect with our CE instructors! UConn Civil Engineering courses offered through Early College Experience.
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Fall 2025 UConn ECE Math Workshop
Our final professional development workshop for 2025 was our virtual ECE Math event, held on December 15th. As has become a tradition of sorts for our math team, instructors convened for a morning meeting which allowed them the chance to break into groups (organized by the primary math course that they teach) and discuss the current state of affairs for their classrooms and the course as a whole. We extend our thanks to faculty coordinator…
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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Plant Science and Landscape Architecture Workshop
Welcome to 2026, ECE Family! We kicked off the new year with our annual Plant Science and Landscape Architecture professional development experience. This year, PSLA instructors were graciously invited to attend the 2026 UConn Extension Vegetable and Small Fruit Grower’s Conference, where they were able to attend a variety of learning sessions, observe research poster presentations, and network with other educators and individuals from the agricultural services industry. We extend our thanks to the UConn…
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Fall 2025 UConn ECE Human Development & Family Sciences Workshop
Tuesday, December 9th marked our final in-person professional development workshop for 2025! 25 certified Human Development & Family Sciences instructors convened on the UConn Storrs campus to hear guest addresses and engage in roundtable discussions surrounding issues of Artifical Intelligence usage in the classroom. We were joined in the morning by Erica Charis-Molling, an Instructional Design and Student Success Librarian at UConn, who presented a virtual AI literacy course that she designed for UConn students,…
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Fall 2025 UConn ECE English Conference
Our largest event this semester was our Fall English Conference on November 21st, which boasted over 100 attendees from high schools across the state. The theme of this year’s conference was Speaking Together: Discourse as Literacy, and throughout the day instructors were encouraged to “explore activities and strategies that put students in conversation with each other, hone their critical thinking skills, and build their confidence as consumers and producers of knowledge”. There were several panel…
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Fall 2025 UConn ECE Music Workshop
On Thursday, November 13th, 30 of our ECE Music instructors gathered for a virtual professional development workshop. Attendees were joined by Justin McManus, the Director of Athletic Bands at the University of California, Los Angeles, for a guest lecture and Q & A session. Many thanks to faculty coordinator Shannon McAllister for her continued support for our ECE instructors and community! We look forward to the next workshop. UConn Music Courses available through Early College…
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Fall 2025 UConn ECE Sociology Workshop
On Friday, November 7th, our ECE Sociology Instructors convened on the UConn Hartford Campus for their annual professional development conference. Instructors were given the opportunity to engage in a lively discussion of current successes and challenges in their classroom, followed by a presentation of exemplar assignments by instructors Mike Barile and Karen Prager, and faculty coordinator Ingrid Semaan. We extend our thanks to our contributors, and to Ingrid for her continued efforts to support our…
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Fall 2025 UConn ECE Library Media Specialist Training
On Thursday of last week, ECE hosted our Library Media Specialists for their semiannual training, thanks to the organization and efforts of Anna Twiddy, Student Success & Engagement Librarian. As always, we were joined by a number of librarians from the UConn Library who shared their expertise in four unique sessions. Details are below! Session Contributor Student Search Success Tips: Demystifying the Library Website Ery Caswell, Student Success & Engagement Librarian Helping Students Transition to…
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Fall 2025 UConn ECE Environmental Sciences Workshop
This past week, ECE took a field trip with our Environmental Sciences Instructors to the UConn Middlesex County Extension Center in Haddam, CT. Instructors were given lots of time to share resources and build connections with one another, as well as engaging in a keynote address entitled Building Connections to Urban Forests: Your Teacher’s Toolkit. We extend our thanks to faculty coordinator Morty Ortega, as well as Dr. Mayra Rodriguez, the UConn Extension Center’s Assistant…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Latino and Latin American Studies Workshop
On Monday, May 20th. UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Latino and Latin American Studies, Prof. Anne Gebelein, met with a group of 20 UConn ECE certified LLAS 1190: Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean Instructors for a professional development workshop on the Hartford campus. The day included a presentation and discussion with special guest Lorenzo Martinez Ruiz about challenges to indigenous sovereignty in Nicaragua. Lorenzo Martinez Ruiz is…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Art Workshop
On Tuesday, June 4th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Art, Professor Emerita of Illustration, Department of Art & Art History, Cora Lynn Deibler met with a group of 16 UConn ECE certified Art Instructors for a professional development workshop. After welcoming comments from Prof. Deibler, the teachers joined for a roundtable discussion regarding the fundamentals of drawing. They acknowledged the fundamentals of drawing can initially be “boring” for today’s…
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Fall 2024 UConn ECE U.S. Hist/MAST/AMST Workshop
On Friday, September 27th, UConn Early College Experience hosted a professional development workshop for approximately 75 certified ECE U.S. History, Maritime Studies, and American Studies teachers, under the guidance of Professors Mary K. Bercaw Edwards (MAST), Laurie Wolfley (MAST/AMST), and Matt McKenzie (AMST/HIST) our ECE Faculty Coordinators. The event kicked off with an illuminating discussion led by Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes, Mystic Seaport’s Senior Curator of Maritime Social Histories, which focused on the origins…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE EDLR1162 and EDCI Workshop
On Friday, May 17th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators from Education, Dr’s DeRosa and Levine met with a group of 20 UConn ECE certified Educational Leadership and Educational Curriculum and Instruction teachers for a joint professional development workshop. After welcoming remarks from leadership in Neag, the teachers took time to introduce themselves and discussed Making College Level Reading Accessible. Later they broke into small groups to discuss problems of practice. UConn…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Statistics Workshop
On Monday, May 20th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Statistics, Prof. Nalini Ravishanker met with a group of 44 UConn ECE certified Statistics teachers for their annual professional development workshop. The day included a presentation by James O’Donnell, Prof. Marine Sciences Department, UConn, and Director of Connecticut Institute for Resilience & Climate Adaptation (CIRCA): “Analyzing Coastal Flooding in CT and Climate Resilience”. Prof. O’Donnell spoke about the impacts of sea level…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Classics Workshop
On Wednesday, June 5th, UConn Early College Experience hosted a professional development workshop for approximately 20 certified ECE Classics teachers, under the guidance of Professor Sara Johnson, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Classics. Following a collegial conversation and opening remarks from Professor Johnson, the group delved into a discussion concerning the current climate surrounding UConn Classics courses at the university. Later participants engaged in an insightful exploration of “Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony Doerr, a…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Allied Health Workshop
On Thursday, March 12th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Allied Health, Dr. Bruce Blanchard met with a group of more than 30 UConn ECE certified Allied Health Instructors for a virtual professional development workshop. The group introduced themselves and took time to speak about each course: AH 1100: Introduction to Allied Health Professions, AH 2001: Medical Terminology and AH 4092: EMT Training Veteran Instructors shared insight with some of the…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Library Media Specialists Training
On Wednesday, March 26th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Liaisons from the Babbidge Library met with participating ECE library media specialists for a professional development training. The group met virtually and heard from content specialists from the library. After a brief welcome with ECE Staff and Kate Fuller, from the library, the group heard from different library staff members: Laura Smith : Finding Primary Sources. Terry Palacios : StAIying Informed: Quick Overview of Generative…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Biology Workshop
On Tuesday, April 30th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Biology, Dr. Tom Abbott met with a group of 34 UConn ECE certified Biology Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. After opening remarks the teachers embarked on a campus trail walk led by Dr. Abbott. The theme for the day was “In the “Heat” of the Moment, Forests Move Center Stage” and the group took a campus field walk through small forest stands.…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Spanish Workshop
On Monday, March 25th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators from Spanish,Profs. Gustavo Nanclares and Eduardo Urios-Aparisi met with a group of more than 60 UConn ECE certified Spanish Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. Prof. Maria Acosta Cruz, Professor of Spanish in the Language, Literature & Culture Dept, Clark University shared her presentation “Ecocrítica, cultura y nación: La cultura puertorriqueña a través de cinco siglos” (“Ecocriticism, Culture, and Nation: Puerto…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE U.S. History Workshop
On Monday, May 13th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from U.S. History, Prof. Matt McKenzie met with a group of 50 UConn ECE certified U.S. History Instructors for a professional development workshop. After welcoming comments from Prof. Mckenzie the teachers took time to introduce themselves and listened to Prof. McKenzie’s talk titled “Using Experience as an Archive for Historical Research: Methods and Examples”. After a short break the group broke into a large discussion…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE HDFS Workshop
On Tuesday, May 7th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Human Development and Family Sciences, Shannon Weaver met with a group of 32 UConn ECE certified HDFS Instructors for a professional development workshop. The day began with introductions and welcoming remarks and ECE program updates. Later, Dr. Weaver spoke about “The New Reality of Aging: Impact on Families” and the teachers broke into small groups to discuss course objectives for Later Adulthood After…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE English Conference
On Friday, April 26th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from English, Prof. Scott Campbell and Graduate Assistant Adam McLain met with a group of almost 80 UConn ECE certified English Instructors for an in person professional development workshop on UConn’s Hartford campus. The theme for the Spring 2024 conference was “Inquiring About Writing: Syllabi and Texts in the ECE English High School Classroom”. The conference brought together ECE English teachers to reflect on how…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Italian Workshop
On Thursday, April 4th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Italian, Prof. Tina Chiapetta Miller met with a group of 10 UConn ECE certified Italian Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. After opening remarks and an announcement of the multimedia content winners, the group heard from, UConn current PhD candidate, Danielle Pieratti on “”Traduttore / Traditore? Translation Pedagogies for ECE Italian”. Danielle Pieratti is an educator, poet, translator, and PhD candidate…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Educational Psychology Workshop
On Wednesday, March 6th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Educational Psychology, Prof. Joseph Madaus met with a group of 6 UConn ECE certified EPSY (Special Education) Instructors for a professional development workshop. Instructors heard from author Terry Trueman, who spoke about his life and course text “Stuck in Neutral”. The book is about a teenage boy named Shawn who has cerebral palsy. Unable to communicate with the outside world and feeling trapped…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Political Science Workshop
On Wednesday, February 28th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators from Political Science, Oksan Bayulgen and Evan Perkoski met with a group of 14 UConn ECE certified Political Science Instructors for a professional development workshop. Instructors heard from a panel of two political science professor and two undergraduate students who are active in student organizations on how to address electoral issues and partisanship in political science courses and how to encourage in…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE German Workshop
On Thursday, March 7th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from German, Prof. Anke Finger met with a group of 6 UConn ECE certified German Instructors for a professional development workshop. The theme was “Blue Humanities, the Baltic Sea and Log Island Sound” which included some hands-on practice with ChatGPT. UConn German courses offered through ECE.
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE French Workshop
On Friday, March 1st UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from French, Florence Marsal met with a group of 30 UConn ECE certified French Instructors for a professional development workshop. Joëlle Vitiello, Professor of French and Francophone Studies, Macalester College shared her presentation “Enseigner les trésors d’Haïti” (Teaching the Treasures of Haiti). Later Mary Catherine Decoteau, Career Consultant from UConn’s Career Services spoke to teachers about enhancing and highlighting career competencies in ECE French classes.…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Environmental Science Workshop
On Thursday, February 22nd UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from NRE Dr. Morty Ortega met with a group of 32 UConn ECE certified NRE 1000E Instructors for a professional development workshop. Instructors went on “A journey through Ecotoxicology” with Anika Agrawal, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, UConn. Anika Agrawal (she/they) is a third year PhD Candidate in Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Connecticut. Prior…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Chemistry Workshop
On Thursday, November 16th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator Chemistry, Dr. Fatma Selampinar met with certified ECE Chemistry Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. After a brief welcome and introductions Assistant Professor and Lawrence E. Posner and Amy E. Newburger Fellow, Dr. Kerry Gilmore spoke to the group about his research on Green Chemistry. For more information about Dr. Gilmore and his lab see: https://gilmore.lab.uconn.edu/. UConn Chemistry courses offered through ECE.
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Chinese Workshop
On Friday, December 1st, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Chinese, Dr. George Yang met with certified ECE Chinese Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. Dr. Yang spoke to the group updates to the current CHIN 1114 course and plans for adding UConn’s CHIN 3210 and 3211 to UConn ECE’s course offerings in the near future. ECE Instructor Feng Xia from Amity High School discussed Chinese program development, and later the Instructors heard…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Math Workshop
On Tuesday, December 19th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators from Math, Profs. Rizzie and Jaramillo met with certified ECE Math Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. Prof. Rizzie shared an overview and updates with the group about the ECE Math program and then participants split into smaller breakout groups to discuss Math 1030Q and 1131Q and 1132Q. After a short break the group discussed the addition of Math 1070Q for 2024-2025 and…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Digital Media & Design Workshop
On Friday, January 19th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from DMD Assistant Professor in Residence, Ken Thompson met with a group of six UConn ECE certified DMD Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. Instructors learned about creativity in the classroom and examined current pedagogical methods and evaluation tools for creativity. Group discussion and tip-sharing were invaluable to the Instructors as they continue to enable students to think creatively in their classrooms.…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE European History (HIST 1400) Workshop
On Thursday, October 26th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for European History (HIST 1400), Prof. Tom Maulucci met with certified HIST 1400 Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. Prof. Elizabeth Della Zazzera (UConn History Department), shared her talk “How to be Modern in Post-Napoleonic France,” followed by questions and comments from the Instructors. Later, the Instructors shared their insights from the assigned readings and videos on the 1848 Revolutions by…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Human Rights and Genocide Studies Workshop
On Thursday, October 26th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Human Rights and Genocide Studies, Sandra Sirota, EdD met with certified HRTS Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. The ECE meeting was held in conjunction with UConn’s Human Rights Summit. Details about the summit can be referenced at: https://summit.humanrights.uconn.edu/2023-summit/. Instructors listened to the Keynote Address by Oleksandra Matviichuk a Ukrainian human rights and civil society leader based in Kyiv. They also…
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Spring 2024 UConn ECE Earth Science Workshop
On Monday, February 26th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Earth Science Prof. Thorson met with a group of three UConn ECE certified Earth Science Instructors for a professional development workshop. Instructors discussed Using Stone Walls for Teaching Earth Science ECE Courses. Historic fieldstone walls are usually within easy reach of most schools and can be used for field trips or local visits enhancing ERTH 1051: Earth’s Dynamic Environment and 1000E: The…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Library Media Specialists Training
On Wednesday, November 8th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Liaison from the Babbidge Library, Zach Claybaugh met with participating ECE library media specialists for a professional development training. The group met virtually and heard from content specialists from the library. Literature Resources and Tools for Research: Collections & Humanities Librarian, Richard Bleiler, will walk participants through a variety of UConn Library resources that support literature-focused research. The session will highlight resources available for locating…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Animal Science Workshop
On Tuesday, November 14th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators for Animal Science, Drs. Amy Safran and Jen Nadeau met with certified ECE Animal Science Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. After introductions, Dr. Safran went over guidelines for all ECE Instructors including sample syllabi with course descriptions, philosophy, required texts, and grading policies. Later the group participated in a discussion about their courses and ideas for future professional development meetings. After…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Music Workshop
On Thursday, November 16th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Music, Shannon McAlister met with certified ECE Music Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. After introductions, where the group shared their teaching history, the UConn music courses they teach, and their favorite part of being a teacher they discussed their goals for the day. Next the group engaged in conversation with Assistant Professor of Music Theory, Dr. Stefanie Acevedo on popular…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Philosophy Workshop
On Wednesday, October 18th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Philosophy, Prof. Mitch Green met with certified PHIL Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. Prof. Green spoke with instructors about grading student essays. Each instructor provided three anonymized graded samples of student essays for the conversation. Later, Prof. Green led a discussion on “post-truth” epistemology after instructors watched, a Ted Talk by UConn Professor Michael Lynch(below): “How to See Past…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Sociology Workshop
On Friday, November 3rd, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Sociology, Ingrid Semann met with certified Sociology Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. After some general introductions and a discussion of the successes and challenges instructors have in their UConn courses the group heard from a panel of UConn faculty. Fumilayo Showers, Kim Price-Glynn, and Noël A. Cazenave comprised the panel. Fumilayo Showers Dr. Showers’ research focuses on the social organization of…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Physics Workshop
On Monday, October 23rd, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Physics, Dave Perry met with certified PHYS Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. Dr. Perry shared a program overview and discussed labs and exams with the Instructors. Later the group heard from ECE Instructor Alina Britchi (Daniel Hand High School) about her CERN experience this summer and from Keynote speaker Heather Osborne, Lab Technician/Curator from Wesleyan University regarding “Playing Science”.…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Economics Workshop
On Wednesday, October 25th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Economics, Prof. Natalia Smirnova met with certified ECON Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. Presentations by a UConn ECE Instructor Ian Tiedemann (Greenwich High School), Scott A. Wolla, Economic Education Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and Ariel Slonim, Curriculum Designer, Marginal Revolution University (MRU) made up the day. Presentation topics are below: Success Sharing: Journal of Future Economists — 2023…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Marine Science Workshop
On Friday, October 13th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Marine Science, Prof. Claudia Koerting met with certified MARN Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. The purpose of the day’s workshop was to familiarize teachers with both old and new equipment used to sample and analyze water quality and to make connections among faculty new to the ECE program and veteran Instructors. The group of 13 ECE Instructors set out on a boat…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems (SPSS) Workshop
On Wednesday, October 11th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for SPSS, Julia Kuzovkina met with certified ECE SPSS Instructors at this professional development workshop at Southington High school. This year the group implemented a different approach: instead of UConn faculty developing a program, the teachers designed their own workshop to provide them with relevant experiences. The workshop included diverse activities: during a field practicum Brian Bostrom explained how to analyze the…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE HDFS Workshop
On Tuesday, May 9th UConn Early College Experience Human Development and Family Sciences Instructors met with UConn ECE HDFS Faculty Coordinator, Shannon Weaver and ECE HDFS GA Jessie Gentilella for the Spring UConn ECE HDFS Workshop. The day included a celebration of past year successes, program updates, and a keynote presentation: “Covid Three Years Later: Implications for Individual and Family Development and Well-being from a Longitudinal National Study and Human Development” Shannon E. Weaver, Ph.D.,…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Biology Workshop
On Thursday, May 4th Early College Experience Biology Instructors visited the Storrs campus for a professional development workshop. Instructors worked with UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator, Dr. Tom Abbot, Dr. Chris Malinoski, and Rebecca Newcomer on a laboratory exercise where Instructors received hands on experience. Instructors performed a colorimetric assay allowing them to observe the activity of the mechanism that yeast use to import maltose. UConn Biology courses offered through Early College Experience.
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE French Workshop
On Friday, May 5th Early College Experience French Instructors participated in their annual professional development workshop. The day included the following sessions: Podcasts in French: UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for French, Professor Florence Marsal, spoke to teachers about different podcasts in French, and brainstormed ideas for activities in the classroom. Examples of interesting podcasts: « L’Heure du Monde », « une vie une œuvre », « French voices », « pile ». Multimedia Medievalisms, Elisabeth Buzay, Visiting…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Statistics Workshop
On Wednesday, May 10th UConn Early College Statistics Instructors met with UConn ECE Statistics Faculty Coordinator, Prof. Nalini Ravishanker for their annual professional development workshop. The day included STAT 1100 content and problem discussions with presentations by fellow ECE Instructors. After a break the group took part in a virtual presentation by Dr. Bonnie K. Ray, VP of Data at Chartbeat: “Using statistics to measure engagement with the news”. Dr. Ray provided examples of fairly…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE LLAS Workshop
On Thursday, May 22nd UConn Early LLAS (Latino and Latin American Studies) Instructors met on the Hartford campus with UConn ECE LLAS Faculty Coordinator, Anne Gebelein for their annual professional development workshop. Instructors heard from guest speaker, Dr. Rodolfo Fernandez on “Liberalism and Neocolonialism in Latin America 1870-1920”. After lunch ECE Instructors Bonnie Nietupski (Glastonbury High School) and Dan Marak (Manchester High School) shared resources with the group. Bonnie spoke about Developing Latin America-centered Curriculum and Dan…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE American Studies Workshop
On Wednesday, October 11th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for American Studies, Laurie Wolfley met with certified ECE AMST Instructors at this professional development conference. Instructors received a copy of Ann Petry’s The Street which they read beforehand. Shawn Salvant, Professor of English and Africana Studies (UConn) shared his presentation “Ann Petry’s The Street: Revisiting a Classics” and discussed how curriculum can be designed around the text. Later groups of Instructors…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE Environmental Science Workshop
On Thursday, October 12th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Natural Resources & the Environment, Prof. Morty Ortega met with certified NRE Instructors for their annual professional development workshop. The workshop was held at Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area in Burlington, CT. Presentations by the Sessions Woods staff included: The private life of bears – Melissa Ruszczyk (DEEP) The private life of bobcats – Jason Hawley (DEEP) Habitat – Peter…
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Fall 2023 UConn ECE English Conference
On Friday, October 6th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for English, Profs. Scott Campbell and Jason Courtmanche, and GA Adam McLain met with certified ECE English Instructors at this professional development conference. The theme was “Salutations, Congratulations, and Critiques” The conference built on the work of Deonna Smith on joy and the anti-racist classroom, Gholdy Muhammad on cultivating genius and unearthing joy, and Felicia Rose Chavez on the anti-racist writing workshop…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Allied Health Sciences Workshop
On Tuesday, May 2nd Early College Experience Allied Health Instructors visited the Storrs campus for a professional development workshop. After a welcome by Allied Health Sciences Department Head, Dr. Justin Nash, the group introduced themselves and discussed AH 4092: EMT Training, AH 1100: Introduction to Allied Health Professions, and AH 2001: Medical Terminology in roundtable sessions discussing best practices and strategies for engaging with students. UConn Allied Health Sciences courses offered through Early College Experience.
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Earth Sciences Workshop
On Wednesday, April 26th UConn Early College Experience Earth Science Instructors met with faculty from UConn’s ERTH Department. ECE Faculty Coordinator for ERTH, Dr. Robert Thorson led a walking tour around campus. After leaving Rowe, they headed east to Augustus Storrs Hall, the oldest masonry building on campus, which set the precedent for the campus layout in 1906 to follow the glacial grain. Crossing Swan Lake, they examined in sequence: the Stone Pavilion, a rubble of glacial…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Art Workshop
On Wednesday, April 26th, UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Art, Prof. Cora Lynn Deibler, met with ECE Art instructors for their virtual professional development session. Dr. James J. Hughes was invited to speak with the group about AI in the art world. Dr. Hughes is an American sociologist and bioethicist. He serves as the Executive Director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies and as Associate Provost at UMass Boston. He is the author of Citizen…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Environmental Science Workshop
On Tuesday, April 25th UConn Early College Experience Environmental Science Instructors met with faculty from UConn’s NRE Department. ECE Faculty Coordinator for NRE, Dr. Morty Ortega invited Dr. Cynnamon Dobbs to share her talk, “Urban Forests for a Resilient Future” with the group. Dr. Dobbs is an Assistant Professor in Urban and Community Forestry with University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on urban forest ecosystem services and its link to the sustainability and resilience of…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE English Conference
On Tuesday, April 18th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for English, Profs. Scott Campbell and Jason Courtmanche, and GA Maddie Gehling met with certified ECE English Instructors at this professional development conference. Topics for the day included, reading in ECE English, using UConn library resources, and building text into the course inquiry. After a working lunch a brief Q&A period occurred before the day concluded. For additional details see: https://ece.english.uconn.edu/spring-2023-conference/ UConn English…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Educational Leadership Workshop
On Tuesday, April 4th, UConn Early College Experience and the faculty from Educational Leadership met with EDLR 2001 Contemporary Issues in Sport Instructors for a virtual professional development meeting. UConn Adjunct Faculty member, Doug Glanville, discussed contemporary issues in sports and held a short question and answer period with participants. Later the group discussed EDLR 2001 and course updates. UConn Educational Leadership courses offered through Early College Experience.
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Medieval Studies (HIST 1300) Workshop
On Monday April 3rd, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for HIST 1300, Prof. Sherri Olson met with certified ECE History Instructors for their annual professional development conference. Guest speakers: Professor John Sexton, Bridgewater State University and Professor Andy Pfrenger, University of Mississippi presented to the group on “The Viking Sagas – and Board Games”. They spoke about the game hnefatafl and its history and place in Viking culture and the sagas.…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE English Workshop: Infographics in ENGL 1007
On Wednesday, March 29th, UConn Early College Experience English Instructors and faculty from the English Department met for a virtual professional development workshop. The topic was “Infographics in ENGL 1007”. Infographics can be a powerful tool for remediating one’s original written work, can be used to interpret data or other textual information, or can stand on their own as a way to present information to the audience in an engaging way. Visual design is a…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE EDCI & EDLR Workshop
On Thursday, May 18th UConn Early College EDCI (Education Curriculum and Instruction) and EDLR (Educational Leadership) Instructors met virtually with UConn ECE EDCI and EDLR Faculty Coordinators, Tom Levine and Danielle Derosa for their annual professional development workshop. Instructors discussed the concept of justice as it relates to equity, within education specifically, and society broadly. In preparation for this portion of the workshop, instructors read “Justice a Short Story” by Mariame Kaba and engaged in a restorative justice workshop…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Political Science Workshop
On Wednesday March 29th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators for Political Science, Department Head and Associate Professor Oksan Bayulgen and Assistant Professor Evan Perkoski met with certified ECE Political Science Instructors for their annual professional development conference. After introductions, a panel of UConn Political Science Faculty spoke with the group about “Challenges and Opportunities of Teaching Introductory Political Science Courses”. Panelists included Associate Professor Thomas Hayes, Professor Jeremy Pressman, and Associate Professor Fred…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Classics Workshop
On Tuesday, March 21st, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Classics, Associate Professor Sara Johnson met with certified ECE Classics Instructors for their annual professional development conference. Associate Professor Roger Travis spoke with the group about UConn’s CAMS 1103 course and discussed the process for certification to teach the course in a partner high school. Teachers must audit Prof. Travis’ course and work with him to develop a version of the syllabus…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Anthropology Workshop
On Thursday, March 10th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Anthropology, Dr. Alexia Smith and Dr. Noga Shemer, Assistant Professor-in-Residence of Anthropology at UConn met with certified ECE Anthropology Instructors for their annual professional development conference. This workshop focused on practical strategies for teaching anthropology today. The focus was on some of the recent changes within the field, “hot topics,” participation agreements, accessibility issues, and engagement modalities. Dr. Alexia Smith serves as…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE German Workshop
On Thursday March 23rd, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for German, Professor Anke Finger met with certified ECE German Instructors for their annual professional development conference. The group discussed Intercultural Literature in the German Classroom and discussed their UConn courses. UConn German courses offered through Early College Experience.
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Digital Media & Design Workshop
On Thursday, March 2nd, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Digital Media & Design Ken Thompson met with certified ECE DMD Instructors for an in person professional development conference. The day included a variety of workshops and discussion sessions: • Sound Capture/Engineering Workshop Faculty: Catherine Masud, Assistant Profesor in-Residence, Digital Film/Video Production | Storrs • Non-Linear Narrative Tools Workshop Faculty: Ken Thompson, Assistant Professor in-Residence, Digital Game Design | Storrs • Design…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Animal Science Workshop
On Thursday, February 16th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators for Animal Science, Dr. Jen Nadeau and Dr. Amy Safran met with certified Animal Science Instructors for their annual professional development conference. Instructors met for a tour of UConn’s animal facilities including the voluntary milking system. Later, Drs. Safran and Nadeau went over guidelines for all ECE instructors including sample syllabi with course description and philosophy, required books, and course specific grading policies. The group discussed…
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Fall 2022 UConn ECE Math Workshop
On Friday, December 19th, UConn Early College Experience and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Math, Associate Professor in Residence, Anthony Rizzie met with ECE Certified Math Instructors for their annual professional development meeting. After a short welcome and discussing the UConn Math courses offered through ECE including course schedules, expectations, and general updates the group broke into groups to discuss MATH 1030Q and 1131Q and 1132Q. Later the group had a discussion about AP Precalculus…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Educational Psychology Workshop
On Thursday, March 2nd, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Educational Psychology, Prof. Joe Madaus met with certified EPSY 1100: Special Education Instructors for their annual professional development conference. Dr. Jason Irizarry, Dean of the Neag School of Education welcomed the group and then Dr. Madaus spoke to the instructors about the courses they are teaching in their high schools. Later in the afternoon we were joined by Patricia Wood, author…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Spanish Workshop
On Friday, March 3rd, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators from Spanish, Profs. Urios Aparisi and Nanclares met with certified SPAN 3178 and 3179 Instructors for an in person professional development conference. After welcoming remarks by UConn Early College Experience Director, Christopher Todd, the group discussed their courses with the faculty and later heard from special guest speaker: Maria Lourdes Casas, Professor in the World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Department, Central…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Italian Workshop
On Thursday, March 9th UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator from Italian, Prof. Tina Chiappetta-Miller met with certified ECE Italian Instructors for their annual professional development conference. After welcoming remarks by UConn Early College Experience Director, Christopher Todd, the group discussed their courses and ideas for student events with the faculty, and ECE Assistant Director Jessica Dunn. Later the group heard a presentation by Melina Masterson, Senior Lecturer in Italian Studies at…
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Fall 2022 UConn ECE European History Workshop
On Tuesday, November 15th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for History, Thomas Maulucci met with ECE certified HIST 1400: Modern Western Traditions Instructors for their annual professional development conference. Prior to the meeting Instructors listened to “As Ukraine Goes, So Goes the World: Thoughts on propaganda, violence, and democracy” a lecture by Timothy Snyder, Richard C. Levin Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the…
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Fall 2022 UConn ECE Chinese Workshop
On Friday, December 9th , UConn Early College Experience and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Chinese Associate Professor of Chinese and Applied Linguistics, George Yang met with ECE Certified Chinese Instructors for their annual professional development meeting. After a short welcome with some general questions from the group and a discussion about recruitment of additional instructors, keynote speaker Dr. Phyllis Ni Zhang, Associate Professor of Chinese and International Affairs, George Washington University joined the meeting to share her…
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Spring 2023 UConn ECE Library Media Specialists Training
On Thursday, February 16th, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Library Liaisons and Student Success Librarians Zach Claybaugh and Kelsey Brown met with Library Media Specialists from ECE partner high schools for a training workshop. Sessions included: Jason Nicosia, Associate Systems and Technology Administrator (UConn Health Sciences Library) “Linking Library Resources: An Overview” An overview of how to integrate library resources such as articles, videos, and other electronic items into any course within a learning management system. Linking resources…
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Fall 2022 UConn ECE Human Development & Family Sciences Workshop
On Friday, December 2nd, UConn Early College Experience and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) Associate Professor, Shannon Weaver met with ECE Certified HDFS 1070 instructors for their annual professional development meeting. After sharing ECE news and updates and celebrating past year successes the group spoke with Charles Super, Ph.D., Professor, Dept. of Human Development & Family Sciences Co-Director, Center for the Study of Culture, Health, & Human Development,…
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Fall 2022 UConn ECE Spanish Workshop
On Friday, November 18, 2022 our UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators for Spanish Eduardo Urios-Aparisi and Gustavo Nanclares ran the workshop “Cinema in the Spanish classroom.” This is their first online workshop out of the four that they will conduct this year (three will be held online and a fourth one in person). The goal of these online workshops is to discuss a single topic and present some practical ideas and resources for the classes and…
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Fall 2022 UConn ECE Chemistry Workshop
On Thursday, November 3rd, UConn Early College Experience, and the UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator for, Chemistry, Fatma Selampinar met with ECE certified CHEM Instructors for their annual professional development conference. The group heard from Dr. Michael Kienzler, Assistant Processor, Chemistry, UConn. Dr. Kienzler discussed molecular photoswitches that reversibly interconvert between isomers when irradiated with different wavelengths of light. At the same time, using ring strain to increase reactivity of a substrate is a well-established technique for…