1

APRIL 2019 ISSUE 4

Personalized Learning Trip to

Charlotte

Sarah Chang

On March 23rd 2019, SAIL and WSL sponsored a trip to

UNC Charlotte for a professional development workshop.

When I first heard about this trip I was very hesitant to go

due to the cost. Luckily this was all free!

Continued p. 5

SAIL News

SAIL is inspired by YOU!

Check out Advising by the Numbers

to see what our advisors were up to

during spring semester.

p. 2

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Brian Brinkley discusses his

greatest influence, the best part of

working in the Ed Lab, and the best

piece of advice he has ever received.

P. 3

Watson Student Leaders

Watson Student Leaders have been busy participating in

community outreach events to promote education, recognize

great educators, and interact with local families. p. 7

Watson Student Leader applications open today. Attend a

fall information session for more details about this exciting

opportunity! P. 7

2

Greetings Watson Students!

Spring has been a busy semester in the SAIL Office. We’ve seen approximately 473 students to

discuss summer and fall registration or plans after graduation. Please keep in mind applications for

spring admission to WCE must be submitted by May 1st via Seaport. For those of you interested in

applying over the summer, Praxis must be completed by June 15th and application submitted by

August 1st.

As the semester comes to a close we wanted to acknowledge all your hard work this spring.

During our advising sessions we have listened as you recount enthusiastic stories about your field

experiences, time you spent volunteering in local schools, or plans you have to explore the world

during your study abroad programs. We are inspired by your drive and willingness to give back to

your communities. If you need additional support during this week, finals week, or during the summer

the SAIL Office is open to support you.

Total Appointments

473

Total Minutes Spent

Advising

17,074

Total Hours Spent

Advising

284.5

3

Faculty Spotlight

Of all the people in Watson College, perhaps one of the best known is Brian

Brinkley. As director of the Betty Holden Stike Education Laboratory (Ed Lab, for

short) for the last 12 years, Brinkley has worked with over 8,000 education

students as they begin tutoring and lesson planning in the formative years of

their teacher preparation.

Asked who had the greatest influence on him growing up, Brinkley said it was

his fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Ziegler. “She would read the book, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, to

us after lunch,” he said. Another memorable teaching method was her writing questions on the board

and asking students to find the answers in their new social studies books. “She inspired me to be a

teacher by inspiring me to become a learner. She taught me that learning is about making connections.”

The best part about working in the Ed Lab, said Brinkley, is

watching future teachers put on their teaching hats for the first time. “I

get to help them work through all the tough parts – deciding curriculum,

learning to use instructional technology, assessing students’ learning –

and reveling in the successes, the ‘lightbulb’ moments that tutors share

with their first students,” he said. And to do that, he strives to create

conditions that are conducive to learning, helping students figure things

out for themselves.

In terms of the best advice he ever received, Brinkley said his daughter shared words of wisdom

on a sticky note while he was working on his dissertation: “Strive for progress, not perfection,” she

said. It is in much the same way Watson education majors work with their students, viewing learning

as a continual process, one grounded in construction of new knowledge.

Brian Brinkley recently earned his Ph.D. in Curriculum & Developmental Supervision from North

Carolina State University and will graduate in May. The title of his dissertation is Innovating in an Era of

Standardization: A Case Study of a Teacher’s Implementation of Inquiry-Based Teaching. Congratulations, Dr.

Brinkley!

“I get to help them work

through all the tough parts –

deciding curriculum, learn-

ing to use instructional tech-

nology, assessing students’

learning – and reveling in the

successes, the ‘lightbulb’ mo-

ments that tutors share with

their first students”

4

Major I am majoring in Elementary Education (K-6), with a concentration in behavioral studies. Classification I am a Junior this semester and will be considered a Senior in the Fall. Hometown I am from Jacksonville, North Carolina which is only an hour away from UNCW. Hobbies/Interests I am a full-time Soccer Mom and enjoy getting out there with them, as well as watching their games. I also enjoy family outings, art, music, and genealogy. Plans after graduation I plan to teach in Onslow County after I graduate and get more involved with coaching soccer. Inspirational words to live by Something I live by is "If you want it bad enough, you'll work hard and make it happen." I've learned it's important to find your passion in life and every day I leave the classroom, I'm happy and smiling, that's how I know I've chosen the right path. Professor(s) who have influenced you (and how have they influenced you) Since attending UNCW, I would have to say Mrs. Debbie Phillips who teaches in the UNCW Ed Lab has influenced me the most. Her personality, her honesty, and the way she is willing to help her students, has really touched me. Advice for new/incoming extension students My advice for any new or incoming extension student is to enjoy the experience and to not overload your schedule. If you can complete concentration classes beforehand, do so. The most important advice I can give though, is to work hard, have fun, and learn as much as you can during this experience.

Extension Student Spotlight: Jessica Nichole Tolin

This month’s bulletin board comes to us from

senior Peyton Perry. She is interning with Ms.

Bianca Bozeman’s 5th grade math and science

class at Anderson Elementary.

The little earths on the board are coordinate

plane graphs plotted by the students.

5

I heard about this trip from the Kappa Delta Pi Honors Society and

the Watson Student Leaders Program. One thing I was hoping to get from

this experience included networking with various education students and

teachers. Dr.Oyarzun and Dr.Sadaf were not only welcoming to Watson

students but very helpful in providing tools to incorporate personalized

learning into our future classrooms. Dr.Oyarzun and Dr.Sadaf spoke to us

about the importance of personalized learning which helps students set

goals individually and allows the teacher to meet the needs of each student

while letting students learn at their own pace. Incorporating personalized

learning in the classroom includes having various interest centers with new

and familiar materials. This classroom setup would challenge students and give them the right amount

of materials to enhance their learning. In a classroom with personalized learning you may see a teacher

working and discussing goals with a student or even the student setting a goal for them self. The

benefits of personalized learning includes each student working at their own pace, which leads to less

anxiety from the students to prevent them from falling behind, as well as gaining a better

understanding of the material being taught. Students can benefit because they learn how to set realistic

and achievable goals that will follow them throughout their education. Dr.Oyarzun and Dr.Sadaf

presented us various websites and resources to enhance teaching in the classroom and to get students

engaged with the material and programs such as Newsela and EdPuzzle.

We also had the opportunity to speak to two Cato Education students from UNCC’s educational

leadership program. These leaders welcomed us to their school, discussed the different programs they

offered, and showed us their Education building. After having experienced this professional

development workshop, I came to realize how grateful I am to Watson for their helpful staff. This

workshop was not only useful for my future as an educator but a great networking opportunity as well!

Personalized Learning Trip to Charlotte Sara Chang

6

Pursuing Our Passion Through the ELC Kalyn Smith

This spring, several students in the Education Learning Community participated in EDN 105. This

course allowed my fellow peers and I to gain hands-on experience with students by tutoring once a

week or more. Each of us worked within one or two locations such as the Girls Leadership Academy of

Wilmington or a refugee ministry, as well as D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy, where I spent my time. I

was assigned three middle school boys and although the task seemed daunting at first, I have fallen

more and more in love with my chosen profession with each session. Through this opportunity, we were

able to use the skills that we had previously learned in our fall semester classes by developing lesson

plans to accommodate different learners, practicing time management, and working towards fostering

relationships with our students. It became a common occurrence in our class discussion with Ms.

LeAnne Smith, that each of us would say that we felt as if this experience confirmed our choice to teach.

It gave us all reassurance that in pursuing our passion we will see real change and reach true fulfillment

on the good days and the bad. Within my own personal experience, my students have taught me three

things; there is never a day where learning isn’t possible, it’s okay to be wrong, and no matter what

happened or what is going on, show up anyways – it's always worth it.

Volunteer Opportunity

Dr. Robert Smith is looking for volunteers for the Innovation Conference occurring Mat 13th at UNCW.

Beyond helping during the conference, volunteers will have access to attending sessions that are

designed to help clarify the term “innovation,” learn how innovative programs and practices are

engaging students in meaningful and challenging learning, collaborate with attendees to develop an

innovation focus, and identify next steps to making innovation a priority in our public schools.

More information about the conference can be found on this website: https://uncw.edu/ed/

innovation/

If interested in volunteering, please contact Dr. Smith at smithrw@uncw.edu or 910-962-4076.

7

Watson Student Leaders

Razor Walker Awards: The Razor Walker

Awards was an amazing night of interacting

with community members, enjoying a delicious

meal, and hearing from award recipients and

their impact in education within the state.

Parsley Spring Fling: Parsley Elementary

School goes above and beyond in creating a

spring festival for their students. Watson

Student Leaders volunteered at various

stations, interacting with the students and

their families.

Watson Preview Day: It is always a great op-

portunity and experience to get to show off

Watson College to a group of high school and

transfer students interested in education.

Watson Student Leaders are enthusiastic students who are passionate about the teaching profession and are dedicated to representing the Watson College of Education as ambassadors through service, leadership, and professionalism. The application for fall recruitment opens Sunday, April 28th and closes September 13th. The application can be found on our website: https://uncw.edu/ed/wsl/application.html Fall information sessions are planned for the following dates: August 26 5:00-6:00pm EB 162 August 28 4:30-5:50pm EB 162

August 29 5:00-6:00pm EB 387 September 3 4:30-5:50pm EB 235 September 4 5:00-6:00pm EB 387 September 5 4:30-5:30pm EB 387 September 9 5:00-6:00pm EB 387 September 10 5:00-6:00pm EB 162

Interested in Joining WSL?

8

Interested in Contributing?

Doing something interesting this summer related to your

future occupation as a teacher? Interested in sharing your

experience with others?

We are looking for contributions that highlight the work of

WCE students or provide information about exciting op-

portunities for future teachers. Please forward all contribu-

tions or inquiries for the September Voyager to Erika Han-

son at hansone@uncw.edu by September 13th.