Regular Spring Registration is open and ongoing until January 10. Before you leave for winter break make sure to contact your Academic Advisor and set up an appointment. Speaking to your advisor assures you are taking the right courses for your degree path.
FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW FOR REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS.
http://www.sulross.edu/page/966/banner-registration-instructions
A GREAT RESOURCE FOR K-12 EDUCATORS
ReadWriteThink (RWT) is a free online resource to assist in improving reading and writing skills for K-12 and adult learning. The RWK app allows students to engage in literacy-learning using tablet devices. No internet connection is needed for the app once it’s downloaded. There are materials for math, science, life skills, and history. RWT has classroom-tested online resources including student interactives and games, lesson plans, timelines for teaching objectives, classroom resources, and downloadable printouts. These resources are a helpful tool for educators looking to extend their student’s reading and writing skills. There are also professional development opportunities for educators and afterschool resources for parents and students.
Lesson plans and activities are well-designed by reading and writing experts and encourage depth of learning. Many of the games have integrated content matter. There are hundreds of engaging activities, lesson plans, and printouts for educators to use in designing lessons for their students. This site is easy to navigate and information is easy to access. There is an abundance of information including resources in Spanish available for both educators and parents. All of the lessons correlate to reading and writing standards. There is even a literacy calendar that includes literacy history with resources added so students can always find something special about any day to read about.
Betsy Evans
Ms. Evans came to Sul Ross in 2016 as the Education and Outreach Librarian and was recently named the Director of Library and Research Technologies in the new Division of Educational and Cultural Resources. “As a librarian, my lifelong goal is to foster curiosity and provide education in support of access to information.” As the Director of the Library, she ensures that the library functions efficiently and grows strategically with customer service that centers our students, staff, and faculty populations.
“I really have the best job at Sul Ross.” Ms. Evans enjoys the atmosphere of people working, learning, and collaborating on all floors of the library building. Whether in her office, at the front desk, or wandering the stacks, she invites conversation with fellow Lobos. When presenting to a room full of new students about what she affectionately calls “library stuff” she admittedly gets a little nervous until she sees smiles and heads nodding. “That feeling is a great memory!”
Ms. Evans enjoys being involved with the Alpine and Big Bend communities. She is currently the Chair of the SRSU Sustainability Council and loves visiting and working with the nice folks at the Hal Flanders Recycling Center. She is also on the Board of the Alpine Public Library where she shares her love of libraries with other dedicated and passionate library fans. “Our public library is beautiful and provides excellent service to residents.”
When Ms. Evans is not working, she loves to take walks and observe the beautiful scenery in Alpine, working in her garden, and watching her 16 pandemic chickens grow. Pictured above is Ms. Evans with her partner and favorite hen, Pierogi. Sul Ross State University is blessed to have Betsy Evans as a part of our incredibly talented library staff.
It is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Protecting your password privacy is your digital responsibility, but protecting the privacy of your institution is also part of your digital citizenship. Too many times we are stopped from work because of another scam email or alerted to a possible threat to the institution’s servers. Malware is used to monitor and steal information and can cause your device to crash. It can be difficult to remove. Knowledge is power. Information about malware and how to prevent or possibly remove it can be found in this government article.
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information
Using an added login process strengthens the security of your accounts. One-factor authentication requires your password, but two-factor authentication requires an additional step to log in. This added process makes it harder for unwanted attacks on yours and Sul Ross State University’s sensitive information. This method, (2FA) typically requires a code being sent to your phone or email to authenticate the user after your initial login/password process. Read more about 2FA and future changes that may be added to login security to your accounts here at Sul Ross State University to require two-step authentication.
Blackboard Collaborate is a video and web conferencing tool used for virtual classrooms in Blackboard. Sul Ross uses Blackboard for its Learning Management System (LMS). With the importance of using online video and audio conferencing during COVID, Blackboard Collaborate is a beneficial addition to the Blackboard LMS that is available for use in the course design itself. It was specifically designed to provide synchronous learning using live video and multimedia. There are many features including two-way audio, multi-point video, interactive whiteboard, application and desktop sharing, breakout rooms for group work, polling options, and session recording. Blackboard Collaborate provides all the online tools for learner engagement, academic effectiveness, and education insight. With more educators teaching online, Blackboard Collaborate can help with using effective teaching practices that have students collaborating, creating, communicating, and critically thinking. An advantage of using Blackboard Collaborate includes improved security and packaging on content within the LMS or Blackboard course.
Blackboard Collaborate makes it easy to reach your students wherever they might be. After you record your lessons, they are stored in a default room in the course so students can go back and view at any time. Recently upgraded it is convenient and simple to use. Everything you might need for your flipped classroom is quick and easy to design. Your students will find that a huge benefit is it is mobile-friendly.
There are many learning resources online to help understand the features in Blackboard Collaborate. Available resources are also found on the Sul Ross State University website.
FOR FACULTY:
https://www.sulross.edu/page/3286/faculty-e-learning-resource-center
FOR STUDENTS:
Educational Instructional Technology is a field of study that investigates the process of analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the instructional environment and learning materials in order to improve teaching and learning.
The use of technology in every area of education is only increasing and the skills needed to effectively integrate technology into learning environments are in HIGH DEMAND. There is no better area to specialize in if you wish to prepare yourself for a future where knowledgeable and technology savvy specialists, instructors, and administrators are highly valued and much needed.
Learn more about this degree program and how to apply by going to the website below.
https://www.sulross.edu/page/4805/master-education-educational-instructional-technology
Administrative Assistant for the Education Department
Madison Owen is here for you! As the administrative assistant to the Education Department at Sul Ross State University, she helps students and potential students with general questions regarding our Education programs. Ms. Owen is located at the front desk in the Education Department and greets everyone with a smile.
Her duties are extensive including assisting with the process of student teaching placements every semester for each student, organization of student files, and providing answers for students that call. Ms. Owen is there to assist and direct in any collaboration of communication with all faculty, staff, and students. She enjoys working with a supportive community that welcomes anyone. “Working with and helping the SR students are my most favorite part of my position. I feel that a hard-working college student deserves a University that works just as hard for them”.
Ms. Owen’s mom, Jennifer Mustain is a Sul Ross alumni and brought her along to her classes on some occasions when she was young. Feeling the excitement of university life and feeling “the big kid life” inspired and motivated her to work hard to earn her bachelor’s degree in 2018. This fall, she started pursuing her master’s degree in Licensed Professional Counseling here at Sul Ross and is enjoying it. Ms.Owen is family to Sul Ross State University. The experience she brings to her position is an asset to the Education Department.
It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Creating strong passwords, different passwords for multiple accounts, and changing your password frequently prevents others from stealing your information. Using a password manager is an easy option for keeping your passwords protected and accessible to only you. Keeping your password secure is your digital responsibility. Read more about it here:
Using Zoom for incorporating the 4C’s (communication, creativity, critical thinking, and communication) into discussions and virtual lessons present an opportunity for increased engagement with students. Keeping students’ attention can be difficult, but using the features in Zoom for engaging your students is easy.
Create a poll to interact with students! Feedback and reflection are excellent ways to keep students engaged. Everyone likes to know what people think about their work. Giving student’s a chance to respond in a poll supports critical thinking skills and gives them self-efficacy.
The priority registration schedule begins on November 2nd! When you will be able to register is determined by your classification. Please see registration dates for detailed information, as well as for instructions on how to register. The schedule is available now for planning purposes.
You must clear all holds before registration will be possible. Check for holds by logging in to mySRSU, then contact the appropriate offices to clear them.
Dr. Rebecca Schlosser-Professor of Education -Alpine Campus
Dr. Rebecca Schlosser teaches Educational Leadership and Principal Preparatory courses and Educational Law at Sul Ross for the last 15 years. Originally from Houston, her first teaching job was in 1977. Beginning in the 1980’s she practiced school law and represented districts all over Texas. She attributes her law experience as an asset to her career in Educational Leadership which is her passion. Known as a “legal educator”, she tries to close the communication gap to what is dictated by the legislature and what educators need to do and holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University and a J.D. from the University of Houston.
Dr. Schlosser loves being a professor and is invested in her students’ success, engagement, and persistence throughout their educational career. With optimism and a caring heart, she believes everyone has a right to a college education. She recently submitted cycle four of the Principal Residency Grant which could financially support certified teachers attending Sul Ross State University aspiring to become principals.
Living in Alpine holds fond memories for Dr. Schlosser. Of those, she remembers volunteering as a parent for the high school Alpine Band while her son was in school. She was a member of Lion’s Club and was a judge for the municipal court here for a period of 3 years. She now lives in Houston with her husband and is proud to be a cancer survivor. Her favorite hobby while in Alpine was walking with her husband and was nicknamed “the walking people” in Alpine. “We walked every day. Did the loop twice a day, 10 miles a day”, she says. She also loves animals. She represented a no-kill animal shelter, The Lone Star Animal Shelter in Midland. Her favorite memory at Sul Ross State University is the staff Christmas parties. “They were happy and festive”. Dr. Schlosser is happy that President Gallego is providing a fall celebration for faculty and staff. “He is a mover and shaker, very supportive, and invested in the university and community.”
Sul Ross State University is proud to have Dr. Rebecca Schlosser belong to our faculty community.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has standards for technology use in education. The organization provides a framework of technology standards for educators and students and is available free in a downloadable format. Adopted by all states in the US, these standards address ways technology can be utilized and implemented for educators, students, and educational leaders to be innovative in today’s world.
Why do ISTE standards matter?
These standards are designed to create effective and quality teaching and learning through the use of technology. Digital citizens and digital leaders are needed to compete in a global market that focuses on the many uses of technology, work collaboratively on projects using technology, and interaction in different working environments. Learners gain digital fluency, develop higher-order thinking skills, and exhibit digital citizenship skills. Empowering students with the opportunity to be innovative, creative, and collaborative using technology provides meaning and motivation to their work.
Join today or browse the many resources available to you for free.
Using Zoom for incorporating the 4C’s (communication, creativity, critical thinking, and communication) into discussions and virtual lessons present an opportunity for increased engagement with students. Keeping students’ attention can be difficult but using the features in Zoom for engaging your students is easy.
Screen Share in Zoom (Creativity)
As the host, you can share your videos, publications, examples of coursework, and project-based work. Instructors can also let others share their screens by making them the host. No worries. Instructors can switch back to the host whenever you like. Any creation starts by observing other’s creations. Choosing the whiteboard during your zoom class allows you and the class to annotate.
We will be electing officers and honoring our December graduates.
Congratulations TSTA-AE Graduates:
Alma Baeza
Destany Munoz
Rebecca Ramos
We are so proud of you! Best Wishes in your career!
If you are an education major and need an organization that inspires and supports educators in Texas consider joining TSTA today.
Professor Kimra Rogers has a history at Sul Ross State University. Along with teaching Reading and Literacy for our Education Department, she is also an elementary school counselor at Alpine Elementary School. Serving now for 27 years in education, she has taught 2nd grade, kindergarten, and was even a music teacher for one year. She is now in her 16th year at Alpine Elementary School as a counselor.
She received her Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree in M.Ed. Reading and Counseling certification from Sul Ross State University. Her career in education began in Lorenzo, Texas then taught in Mansfield, Texas, and Fort Stockton, Texas. Kimra comes from a strong family of educators. Her father was a professor and chair of Industrial Technology at SRSU for many years. Her mother was a professor of education and director of field experiences at SRSU. Her sister is currently a second grade teacher in Alpine.
“My favorite memory of Sul Ross is growing up around the Industrial Technology building with my dad. Sul Ross had a very active Industrial Technology Club. We participated in parades and cookouts at Kokernot Lodge. I also spent a lot of time with my mom in the Education Dept. They both made a tremendous positive impact on my life. I hold Sul Ross near and dear to my heart!”
Sul Ross State University is very fortunate to have Professor Kimra Rogers here to serve our students.
Using Zoom for incorporating the 4C’s (communication, creativity, critical thinking, and communication) into discussions and virtual lessons present an opportunity for increased engagement with students. Keeping students’ attention can be difficult, but using the features in Zoom for engaging your students is easy.
Need a virtual project? Use the option to assign students to breakout rooms. Instructors can monitor and participate in each room to instill they are on target. Make sure to tell them when to come back to the main room or assign a time in the settings.
Tabatha Rosproy
Educators are invited via Zoom to hear from the 2020 National Teacher of the Year.
Over the next few weeks, we will provide suggestions on how to integrate technology into your lessons using Zoom.
Using Zoom for incorporating the 4C’s (communication, creativity, critical thinking, and communication) into discussions and virtual lessons present an opportunity for increased engagement with students. Keeping students’ attention can be difficult, but using the features in Zoom for engaging your students is easy.
Use the Zoom Chat Feature (Communication)
Putting directions and links into your chat will send to all your participants immediately. Maybe it’s a link to a slideshow or additional resources. By putting links into the chatbox, the entire class can simply click and copy. Instructors can also require a response from everyone during a lecture to keep them engaged.
Explore How To:
On 9 November Sul Ross State University’s local chapter of TSTA-AE hosted a district conference, with future educators attended from El Paso Community College, UTEP, and our Sul Ross State University TSTA-AE students. The conference was a success as it was “a really big turnout for Sul Ross, many students attended [from Sul Ross] and outside of Sul Ross.” Conference keynote speaker, Pat Dasch, was one of the Apollo mission astronauts, working side by side taking pictures of the Apollo missions work . Dash, who has a degree in American Studies from the University of East Anglia, U.K., later worked in the space program at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas and NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC., while also championing public advocacy of space exploration as editor-in-chief of Ad Astra magazine. Since retiring to Alpine Dash has served as the founding administrator for the Rio Grande Research Center at SRSU, and more recently has enjoyed providing editorial assistance to CBBS.
After talking to Dash, students split up into two groups to attend break-out session focusing on: time management, classroom management, family involvement and team building. The time management seminar was presented by Alpine High School Principal Justin Gonzales and Alpine Middle School Teacher Macy Downey. Meanwhile, Classroom Management presented by representatives of the Region 18 Service Centre. After a lunch break, the next two break-out sessions were held. Family involvement was presented by Selena Garcia (Sul Ross Teacher Education alumnus), a second-grade teacher in Andrews ISD. The other seminar was Team Building, presented by Megan Miller who was previously district president for TSTA-AE. A student there described it as a “very informative event for teachers now and aspiring students. Also, the conference was very informative for future teachers giving them approaches on how to teach and what they will be doing. It even gave students a bigger idea of what it’s like to be a teacher.”
Part of the Microsoft Office family of products, Sway is a type of presentation program that became available for general use in August 2015. Sway allows users, who have a Microsoft account, to combine text, images, videos, and more to create a presentable website. Available in 39 Languages, it a very fast, simple, detailed and easy program to create with because Sway does the work.
How to use the Microsoft Sway app in the classroom:
Teachers in the classroom can easily pull content locally from internet sources such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, OneDrive, and YouTube into their brief and engaging Sway presentations. Teachers can easily create presentations on nearly all topics ranging from science to history, social studies, English and even more. With brief and detailed pictures, videos, text information and sounds from different music genres students can also use sway to easily create class presentations.
SharePoint is an app that allows students to collaborate and share documents with one another, within Microsoft Office 365. SharePoint allows students to work together by sharing a simple link. With this link, users can grant people access to view or edit documents. Microsoft SharePoint lets people view what users are working on and allows them to work collaboratively in real time. Many people actually enjoy using SharePoint because it helps keep everyone on the same page since everyone has the same version of the documents, reducing confusion and improving productivity. SharePoint also makes data sharing easy thus improving communication, making it very useful/handy for students, especially for presenting or working together as a class. While using SharePoint you can limit what people have access to. You can see everything, but they can only see what you allow them access to. Overall, SharePoint is a resourceful app that teachers and students should use to improve collaboration, communication, and creation of files.
For more information or help using SharePoint click the link below:
Our Educational Technology specialization allows for maximum flexibility for interested graduate students who may already be working in the educational or technology field and aren’t able to commute to a campus and attend face-to-face classes..
Educational Technology is a field of study that investigates the process of analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the instructional environment and learning materials in order to improve teaching and learning… with this degree you can become a K-12 technology coordinator, online distance Ed instructor at the community college and university level, instructional designer, corporate trainer / technology specialist and so much more. https://www.sulross.edu/sites/default/files//sites/default/files/users/docs/education/sr_edtc_info-overview_packet_fall_2019_00.pdf
Students in Dr. Jeanne Qvarnstrom’s teacher education course, ED 3303, have been developing lesson plans that teach science concepts while including sustainability issues. Telisa Jones took her lesson , “Planting a Seed”, to Alpine Elementary School and taught it to third graders in Librarian Jennifer Mustain’s classes. Telisa’s lesson centered on the book “A Seed Is Sleepy”, about the life cycle of a seed. Featured in the photo is Telisa Jones and Jennifer Mustain.
Sign up: https://www.efcollegestudytours.com/professors-trip/2212922NM We are pleased to announce that our Director of Teacher Education, Diana Rodriguez, and M.Ed. Reading Specialist program coordinator, Dr. Jennifer Miller-Ray, will be escorting our students on a study abroad trip to the UK during the Summer of 2020.
Interested in learning about 21st century literacy approaches abroad? Discover how diversity has impacted teaching and learning in British schools, in comparison to those in America. During the Summer of 2020, Sul Ross State University will offer 2 education courses for both undergraduate and graduate students, ED 4313 Reading Comprehension and Enrichment and ED 6313 Teaching Reading in the Content Areas. We will visit a range of schools in the UK, June 5-15, to deepen our understanding of language development, literacy learning, multimodality and the education of young people in the world’s most diverse city, London. Students will be provided with models and opportunities to differentiate instruction and develop multimodal approaches to working with diverse learners. Trips to cultural sites along with round out the program.
Education is an important part of life in the U.K., and plays a pivotal role in shaping students’ identity, self-esteem, and future success. In Edinburgh, experience education’s transformation into a modern institution that emphasizes a depth of learning across a range of subjects. From here, explore how London is staking its claim as a center for global education, with one of the largest populations of international students in the world. Students will have the opportunity to visit Oxford University and learn about teaching certifications and opportunities in the UK.
7:00pm – 8:30pm at the Espino Center Students, Faculty, Staffs and Community are invited… Light Refreshment will be provided.
Theron Francis Life stories in Peace Corps April 5th, 1 pm at the Library Periodicals Area, 1st floor… By the panoramic picture window.
Sul Ross State University’s Department of Education would like to invite your leadership team to the 2nd annual Science of Learning Conference on Monday, August 5, 2019 at the Morelock Academic Building at Sul Ross State University. The purpose of the Science of Learning Conference is to provide educational leaders, K-12 teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty the opportunity for in-depth discussions exploring how the science of memory and learning impacts instructional and curriculum design approaches toward improving student learning outcomes. This year our conference will have a literary focus. Participants will engage in learning experiences that focus on the following learning strands. Early registration is now open! Participants who register before June 1 receive our Early Bird Rate, of $10. After June 1, registration is 25. To register, please go to the following Registration Link. School districts who send more than 5 teachers will receive an additional discount, with a flat rate of $50. · Literacy and the Diverse Learner· Pedagogy and Assessment· Program Design and Evaluation· Professional Preparation and Learning· Community Partnerships Interested in sharing with other educators? We are searching for presenters to share about best practices, improving intervention approaches, and provide a wealth of information on the factors influencing the successful acquisition of skills in language, literacy and numeracy. It will be particularly relevant to classroom teachers, school principals and administrators, school psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, allied health professionals, tutors, parents and other key stakeholders concerned with effective education and support of all school-aged children – including those with learning difficulties. Presenters attend for free! Call for proposals is open until June 1, 2019.
SRSU Education Study Abroad Meeting Tuesday, 3/12/19: SRSU Education Study Abroad Meeting Tuesday, 3/12/19: The SRSU Education Department will have an informal talk about the Summer 2020 opportunity Study Abroad to London & Edinburgh from 12-1 pm Tuesday, 3/12/2019 in the Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library. Pizza will be served to attendees. Interested in learning about 21st century literacy approaches abroad? Discover how diversity has impacted teaching and learning in British schools, in comparison to those in America. During the Summer of 2020, Sul Ross State University will offer education courses for both undergraduate and graduate students, Thus far courses that will be offered for credit for this study abroad are ED 4313 Reading Comprehension and Enrichment, ED 6313 Teaching Reading in the Content Areas, and ED 6344 Counseling in a Multicultural Society. We will visit a range of schools in the UK, June 5-15, to deepen our understanding of language development, literacy learning, multimodality and the education of young people in the world’s most diverse city, London. Students will be provided with models and opportunities to differentiate instruction and develop multimodal approaches to working with diverse learners. Trips to cultural sites will round out this study abroad opportunity. Students that will graduate prior to Summer 2020 can still take part in this study abroad opportunity, there would just not be course credit given.
