Photo by Ken Levinson
Faculty members from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education (GSE) took part in a range of workshops and panel discussions focused on everything from technology to preparing teachers for urban schools at Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21’s Celebration of Teaching and Learning on March 23 and 24 at Pier 94 in New York City.
Fordham was a sponsor of the two-day conference that drew more than 7,000 teachers and administrators from throughout the tri-state area and the country. This year, the event focused on science and global awareness in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the launching of Sputnik and the influence of globalization on families and communities.
Vincent Alfonso, Ph.D., associate dean for academic affairs at GSE, discussed urban teaching initiatives as part of panel discussion hosted by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. He highlighted some of Fordham’s urban teaching initiatives, including the Teaching Fellows program in which new teachers pursue a master’s degree at Fordham while teaching in New York City schools.
“The research shows that to become an expert in almost any profession takes five to 10 years,” Alfonso said. “If teachers are leaving after one, two or three years, we’re losing the expertise so important and needed to serve our children.”
In addition to Alfonso, four GSE faculty members delivered presentations for teachers and administrators.
Barbara P. Heuer, Ed.D, assistant professor and coordinator of the Master of Arts degree program in adult education and human resources, and Arlene Moliterno, Ph.D., clinical professor of education, discussed digital and text-based strategies to help adolescent and adult learners in accessing and assessing useful information. Carol Kahan Kennedy, Ph.D., a principal investigator at the Fordham Center for Educational Partnerships, hosted a standing-room-only session on using e-books and hypertext to enhance the literacy of at-risk readers.
Meanwhile, Joanna Uhry, Ed.D., professor of education, focused on literacy in a workshop for elementary school teachers on vocabulary in literature meant to be read aloud.
By Victor M. Inzunza
