Category: Post

Twelve College of Education and Human Development students were initiated into the Nu Alpha Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi education honor society on Monday, November 13 at a ceremony in Thompson Hall.  The new members were nominated by faculty as exemplars of scholarship, leadership, and service – the core values of Kappa Delta Pi.

Members were welcomed by Chapter Counselor and Teacher Licensure Specialist, Rebekah Flis. Dean Mark Ginsberg gave the charge to initiates, reminding them of Nelson Mandela’s words, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  Flis and CEHD Student Engagement Coordinator Brandon Quiles then led the new members in their oath to uphold the society’s values. Each member was presented with a certificate, pin, and Kappa Delta Pi’s distinctive purple and green cords to be worn proudly at commencement.

Kappa Delta Pi is an international organization with an initiated membership of over 1.2 million, stretching back more than a century, with the goals of fostering excellence in education and promoting fellowship among those dedicated to teaching. Mason’s initiates take their places alongside distinguished members including Margaret Mead, Eleanor Roosevelt, James William Fulbright, and Albert Einstein.

The newest members of Mason’s Nu Alpha Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi are:

Maimoona H. Al Abri	PhD, Education Learning Technologies Design Research
Catherine L. Daniel	MS, Educational Psychology  Learning, Cognition, and Motivation
Leticia A. Guzman	PhD, Education Higher Education
Christopher Kidd	MEd, Curriculum and Instruction Early Childhood Education for Diverse Learners
Carla Mowen	MEd, Special Education Early Childhood Special Education
Syed Mustafa Hassan	PhD, Education
Ruth F. Narcisse	MEd, Curriculum and Instruction Literacy Leadership for Diverse Schools: K-12 Reading
Danielle Reese Nixon	MEd, Curriculum and Instruction ASTL Literacy: Reading Specialist
Karen V. Priftis	MEd, Curriculum and Instruction ASTL Literacy: Reading Specialist
Stephanie Reininger	MEd, Curriculum and Instruction Early Childhood Education for Diverse Learners
Wendy Thomas	Graduate Certificate Literacy K-12 Reading Specialist
Boshra F. Zawawi	PhD, Education Learning Technologies Design Research

Click here to read more about Alumni Association scholarships available to undergraduates.  Applications due by January 9, 2018.

Are you looking for upper-level elective credit with few or no prerequisites?  Click below to read the full guide created by master’s student Kaylie Etheridge during her academic advising practicum.

A little squeal of delight went up from a woman at the check-in desk for the fall CEHD Writer’s Retreat.  This was unusual not only because it was barely 8 am on a Saturday morning, but because graduate students generally don’t squeal.  In this case, the outburst was followed by a cry of, “I thought I was the only one!” as she scanned the names of fellow PhD students who also signed up to spend the day focused on writing.

The common misconception among students that they are the only one “in the struggle” with the breadth and volume of writing encompassed in earning a graduate degree is one important reason the Office of Student and Academic Affairs (SAA) organizes a Writer’s Retreat once each semester.  The retreat aims to provide a comfortable space where writers can set aside time to commit to their work away from distractions of home life, cellphones, and the thousand other things that make it so easy to procrastinate.  To that end, the twenty-nine doctoral and master’s students began the day by setting goals for themselves and agreeing to hold themselves and each other accountable. They wrote those goals in magic marker on big sheets of paper and taped them to the walls by their workstations to serve as a constant reminder during the retreat.  Rather than being intimidated or embarrassed to show their peers their unfinished workload or admit their struggles, most students found it liberating, cheering each other on as each task was crossed off the goal sheets.  “Writing is obviously important in graduate school, but so is community,” said Brandon Quiles, SAA Student Engagement Coordinator and event organizer, “Establishing a sense of community where everyone relates to some degree how each other feels about being a graduate student, creates this atmosphere of support and productivity that the students enjoy and need. “

While most of the day was dedicated to blocks of writing time, there were other resources offered to the writers.  The CEHD librarian, Anne Melville, led a workshop on navigating databases and stayed afterward to work one-on-one with students needing help finding research. Indigo Eriksen and Madeline Graham from The Writing Center held appointments with individual students, assisting with everything from simple proofreading to organizing literature reviews and portfolios.  Students chose from an assortment of work areas on the third floor of the Johnson Center, including lobby lounges, a designated quiet classroom, and a collaborative classroom with snacks and coffee to refuel throughout the day before gathering once more at the end of the day to revisit goals and assess their progress.  

Overall, the writers gave the day high marks and expressed interest in participating again in the spring.  One participant commented, “Having time dedicated to writing with no distractions from home [was the most valuable part].  It was helpful to have other students around to know that what I’m going through is a shared experience.”