Middle schoolers in the MEP program try out different tools for blowing bubbles.

  Children of migrant workers often find themselves falling behind in school because of frequent moves. That's why the federally funded Migrant Education Program (MEP) was created. Georgia runs its MEP through the Department of Education.

  For the first time, Georgia Southern University was host to a group of MEP middle schoolers from across the state who spent a week on campus in enrichment classes ranging from mathematics to leadership skills. Not only was it a first for Georgia Southern, this summer's program was the first MEP for middle schoolers. 

  That's how COE's Katie Brkich found herself in a room with 20 sixth, seventh and eighth graders along with several interpreters, teaching mathematics and science/engineering. An assistant professor in Teaching & Learning with a special interest in migrant education and Latino/a science education, Brkich used hands-on explorations of human body proportional reasoning and data graphing for her mathematics class and ran a week-long investigation in the science of bubbles with her students for science/engineering. "While blowing bubbles may seem like child's play, it is actually the result of numerous scientific concepts and many applications of product and materials engineering working simultaneously," Brkich explained.Click here for more on the program. 

Schools Partner with COE in Undergraduate Research Effort

School representatives discuss COE's new undergraduate research project.

  Four Bulloch County schools are working with the College of Education on a grant that will give six undergraduate educator candidates hands-on research experience and help the partner schools evaluate their school improvement plans as it relates to outcomes for specific learners.

  The project, Research to Practice, was funded this spring by the Office of Research Services and Sponsored Programs. Dr. Kymberly Drawdy, Teaching & Learning, Dr. Meca Williams-Johnson, Curriculum, Foundations & Reading, and Mrs. Kathleen Tootle, Teaching & Learning, are the grant administrators. Stilson Elementary, Brooklet Elementary, Southeast Bulloch Middle School and Southeast Bulloch High School were approved to participate by Bulloch County School Superintendent Charles Wilson. Click here for more information on the research project.    

  More than 100 clinical supervisors and 20 College of Education faculty discussed best practices for mentoring teacher candidates at a day-long "camp" coordinated by COE's office of undergraduate teacher education. In addition to discussions on development of the teacher candidate and how to be a successful clinical supervisor, educators received updates from faculty and staff on edTPA, the recent NCATE accreditation review and advances in technology in the P-12 classroom.

  "Clinical CAMP" (Coaching, Assessing, Mentoring and Planning) is an annual event bringing together teachers from COE's 36 partner schools. These schools provide a wide range of field experiences and clinical practice sites for teacher candidates who spend nearly 1,000 hours practicing and refining their skills as teachers before graduating from Georgia Southern University and the College of Education.  

1950-1959

William Edward Lewis ('52 B.S.) joined the military one month after graduating from Georgia Teachers College and spent his career working in military intelligence. He lives in Severna Park, MD.

1960-69

Jerry Wilcher ('68 B.S. Ed., Elementary Education) is retired and living in Macon. After graduating from Georgia Southern, he went on to earn two degrees from the University of Georgia and one from Augusta State.

1980-89

Lee Ann Roberts ('85 M.Ed., '80 B.S. Ed.) recently retired after teaching 33 years, 22 in Jeff Davis County and the last 11 in Tattnall. She now lives in Glenville.

1990-99

Brian Ronald Holt ('98 M.Ed., '97 B.S. Ed.) is the broadcast video production teacher and yearbook adviser at Worth County High School in Sylvester.

Ardis (Theus) Jordan ('94 Ed.S. School Administration) is a retired educator living in Brunswick.  

Suzanne (Jones) Tyson ('90 Ed.S. Counselor Education) lives in Metter.    

2000-09

Katie (Lamothe) Sriratanakoul ('06 M.Ed. Instructional Technology) works for Bryan County Schools at Carver Elementary School in Richmond Hill.

Charles Richard Webb ('01 Ed.D. Education Administration) has been inducted into the Georgia Athletic Directors Hall of Fame. He worked as an athletics administrator for more than two decades before concluding his 32-year career in education as Superintendent of Appling County Schools in 2008. He also earned an Ed.S. in School Administration ('94) from Georgia Southern and now is the owner and CEO of a leadership consulting firm. He and his wife, Lynda, live in Statesboro.

2010-

Rebecca Craft ('12 B.S. Ed. Special Education) received the Special Education Impact Award from the Middle Georgia GLRS and special education directors.  

Ru Story Huffman ('11 M.Ed. Instructional Technology) was recently named the Dean of Library Services at the James E. Carter Library at Georgia Southwestern State University.