INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Science Circus! ................................. 2

Resident Homeschooling Expert .... 3

Literacy Night! ................................. 4 Dr. David Hazen .............................. 6 Rachel Holderman ........................... 7

Welcome to the Department of Edu-cation! ............................................... 8

Movie Night with Students from Downey! ............................................ 10 Happenings at Messiah College’s Early Learning Center ..................... 10

October 2017 Messiah College Department of Education

Happenings In Education A WORD FROM THE CHAIR. . .

I t’s hard to believe it is October. The student teachers have been in school for

four weeks and are hard at work co-planning and co-teaching. Fall break is creeping up and the first round of exams are underway. The Education Department and Teacher Educa-tion Program have already hosted our Scholarship Reception by recognizing four of our outstanding seniors. There are many upcoming events so please continue to check your e-

mail and Facebook for all the upcoming events. Please continue to pray for all persons impacted by the numerous disasters in our country. Pray for your professors and pray for each other. Too Tired to Stay Awake? Some days you simply cannot stay awake. No matter the cause, we all face times (maybe even daily) when it’s hard to keep our eyes open—and not only during that common

“afternoon slump” (while you are in class). Here are a few ideas to try:

Take a short walk. Walking gets your adrenaline going, pushing endorphins into your system which raises your energy and increases your alertness. Even a short 10-15 minutes will do the trick. If the weather isn’t cooperating, take a few trips up and down the stairs, or a few walks around the various floors in the building. Enjoy some fresh air and sunlight. (don’t ask your professor to hold class outside) Bask-ing in the sunlight and breathing in some fresh air can have tremendous benefits. Sunlight lets your body know it’s daytime; time to stay awake! Deep breaths of fresh air help your blood flow and bring clean oxygen into your body making you feel refreshed. Get a drink…of water! Dehydration can cause fatigue. If you continue to dr ink water all day long—and turn this into a habit—you’ll find that you’ll be more refreshed all day and you’ll be doing something healthy for your body. Turn on some tunes. (not dur ing class) Have a playlist ready of all those upbeat and energizing favorites you like and let them play. (Not only will this pep you up, but

by blocking out the distractions, you’ll find you’re more productive!) Chew on some ice. (careful not to chip your teeth) The noise inside your head of chew-ing ice should be enough to keep you awake. But the cold will also turn on your senses. Keep some ice at your desk at all times. And, since ice melts, you’ll find that you need to make occasional trips to the breakroom or cafeteria for refills. Munch on a snack. Try foods with natural sugar like fruit or veggies and even something with protein such as cheese.

Blessings to you and your families.

Department of Education, Chair

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Science Circus! The Ringling Brothers have nothing on our juniors (PK-4 and EMID)! The Science Circus

was in town at Downey Elementary on March 10th. Instead of a paltry 3-ring circus, this

circus boasted 18 rings each hosted by 2 or 3 talented and engaging juniors. It was

standing room only with about 140 Downey students, 42 Messiah pre-service teachers,

and at least 8 staff members packing the library, the science room, and the 3rd/4th

grade hallway.

No elephants were harmed at this circus, but we did make elephant toothpaste! We

explored slime and foam, wondered at lava lamps and foamy fountains, and fine-tuned

our senses of sight, touch, and smell. We learned about animal adaptations and chemi-

cal reactions. Magnet investigations helped us understand how compasses work and

revealed iron in our cereal.

It was a morning of fun AND science!

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Resident Homeschooling Expert

W hen you want to know something quickly—you go to Wikipedia; when you want to

know about homeschooling—you ask Milton Gaither. That is what Wiley Blackwell publishers did

when they wanted to publish the first edition of The Wiley Handbook of Home Education. Long

regarded as an expert in the field of Homeschool Education, Milton has edited an impressive and

comprehensive overview of home education. From the History of Homeschooling (written by our

own Milton Gaither) to legal issues, motherhood and homeschool, teaching children with special

needs at home, to a global perspective of homeschool education around the world, this edition will

serve scholars, students, and researchers for years to come.

To put together this impressive volume, Milton worked with 30 contributors from around the

world, including three individuals from Messiah—Christine Gleim, Robert Lyon, Kaitlin Wingert—

who were Messiah College students at the time of their contribution.

This was an impressive year for Milton as he had not one, but two books pub-

lished in one year. The second book, Home School: An American History, is the

revised second edition to his 2008 edition. Joseph Murphy from Vanderbilt

states that it is “the best book on home education written to date. A cross-

disciplinary gem. Comprehensive, deep, beautifully constructed, alive and

amazingly accessible,” and Robert Kunzman from Indiana University shares,

“Gaither reinforces his status as the foremost scholar of American homeschool-

ing, and his text is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this com-

pelling educational phenomenon and what it means for families, communities,

and broader society.”

On April 27, the college celebrated Dr. Gaither’s achievements with an

“Accolades in the Athenaeum.” Congratulate Milton Gaither the next time that

you see him.

~Dr. Caroline Maurer

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1349950556?ref%5F=mt%5Fpaperback&me=&pldnSite=1

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Literacy Night!

The Preparation . . .

Ready to Go . . .

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! Action

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W hat are your degrees in? B.A. in History, M.A. in Social Studies Education, Ed.D. in Teacher Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction What courses are you currently teaching at Messiah? Educational Psychology, Instructional De-sign and Assessment for Middle and Sec-ondary Grades, Social Studies: Climate, Curriculum and Instruction Any advice you wish to impart on first year students? Try a course whose title makes you a bit uncomfortable, ask questions, and talk to people. Do you have any hobbies? Lately, my hobby has been watching my sons play sports. When I do have time to myself, I enjoy fishing—fly fishing in particular. When I lived in the mountain-ous west, I fell in love with wading in ice cold mountain streams fishing for Snake River cutthroat trout. Something about needing to study the environment while in the midst of rushing white water rapids is incredibly peaceful and chal-

lenging all at once. Where was/is your favorite place to trav-el? I love the Rocky Mountains in the west, especially in the Bitterroot and Salt River Ranges of Montana and Wyoming. Per-haps my favorite place to visit is String Lake in Grand Teton National Park. It sits at the base of Munger Mountain where one can easily see the cathedral group of the Grand Tetons from its shores. The lake is full of crystal clear glacial fed water and is no more than a few feet deep in the middle. Perfect for a very cold swim. My family spent many summer days there when my children were young, so it holds a lot of good memories as well. What books can you read over and over again because they are so good or useful? My all-time favorite history books are 1776, Truman, and Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough. I also keep a copy of Cooperative Learning by Spencer Kagan, Teach like a Champion by Doug Lemov, and Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in close proximity to my desk when designing lessons. How have your life and teaching experi-ences thus far influenced or changed your life? I think growing up in a small town in Wisconsin taught me a good deal about hard work and perseverance. It also taught me to appreciate opportunities and to take full advantage of them when they present themselves. I see each class as an opportunity to provide learning for my students but also for me to learn as well. The reciprocity that exists in a dynamic learning environment excites and energizes me each day.

Dr. David Hazen

“The reciprocity that exists in a

dynamic learning environment ex-

cites and energizes me each day.”

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Degree: BA in Psychology, with clinical concentration BA in Spanish Graduated from Messiah in 2017

Since graduating from Messiah in May, I have had to explore myself and learn what I like to do in my spare time. All students know that evenings and weekends are filled with homework and academic obligations; now that those are gone, I am finding that I have a lot to learn about myself.

Playing music also bring me joy. I have played the oboe since fourth grade and have been part of concert bands and orchestras for many years. I currently play in the Messiah College Symphony Orchestra. Come and listen some time! The con-certs are free and high quality.

After work I enjoy going to the new fitness center to run. I ran cross country and track in high school and the joys of elevating my heart rate, opening my stride, and taxing my

lungs has not disappeared.

Rachel Linn Holderman (Kreiger) Administrative

Assistant

I like learning languages—as evidenced by my Spanish degree. Growing up, my mom taught me a lot about the English language (grammar, vo-cabulary, etc.) and that has translated to other languages, as well. Spanish is fun because I like the challenge of conjugating verbs and the feel-ing of it as it rolls off my tongue. It is so re-warding when I understand a native speaker and can respond appropriately. I am currently work-ing on learning American Sign Language. I learn well when I use my hands so I want to see if combining English, Spanish, and ASL vocabulary will help me remember all three.

I got married in May—two weeks after graduation—to Benjamin Holderman. I met him at Messiah during our freshman year. My favorite part of being married so far is having a best friend who is obligated to do everything with me. Family gatherings? He’s there. Trips to the gro-cery store? He’s there. Do-ing the dishes? He’s there. I don’t think I’ll get tired of his presence.

I love cooking and baking for others. I spend lots of time in the kitch-en trying new rec-ipes and perfect-ing my favorites. My favorite des-sert to make is my mom’s chocolate chip cookie recipe; I may be biased, but I think they are the best.

I like to knit while I am sitting at home watching a show or listening to music. I dislike that when my fingers need some-thing to do, my phone is my default form of entertainment. I taught myself to knit in order to deter me from mindless look-ing at my phone. So far I have made hats and scarves, but my next project is going to be a chunky blanket. I think they look so warm and comfortable! I hope to make them as gifts so other people can experi-ence their coziness, too.

My favorite television genre is crime dramas. NCIS, Bones, Hawaii 5-0, Blue Bloods, Elementary, Sherlock, and Castle are all on my Recently Watched list on Netflix. I enjoy watching how the teams interact to solve the mysteries.

Fun fact: My sister-in-law’s name is also Rachel Holderman. Family gatherings are still challenging because we both turn around when someone calls our name. We usually differentiate between the two of us by calling her “Tall Rachel” (she is 5’11”) and me “Little Rachel” (I am 5’6”).

Welcome to the Department of Education!

Where we work hard and play hard . . .

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Thanks to everyone for participating. It seemed like a nice debriefing for student teachers after their first day and a way of connecting cohorts—

especially for the first year students. ————

Thanks especially to Jadee, Trent, and Jennie for their work on planning this event and organizing the mingling.

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Happenings at Messiah College’s Early Learning Center… Fall is an exciting time of year for preschoolers as they begin their lifelong journeys of for-

mal education. Children at Messiah College’s Early Learning Center returned to school on Sep-tember 4th with their families to meet their teachers and enjoy a day of fun and activities. This transitional time allows children to become familiar with the classroom, interact with their peers, and experience the routines of preschool prior to being immersed in the preschool experience. In addition to establishing routines, children learn the importance of social interactions and transitioning through activities during the first few weeks of school. As the school year continues, children will become engaged in learning through a series of activities associated with Project-Based Learning. The pro-ject approach is an in-depth investigation of a topic undertaken by a class, group of children or individual child in an early childhood classroom or at home where children are nurtured in an environment that does not place limits on their creativity or enforce time restrictions. This flexible framework promotes brain development by encouraging children to collaborate with each other and solve challenges as they arise throughout their project.

The goal is for children to become engaged in their own learning while educators serve as guides rather than instructors. There is no right or wrong answer in project development, which encourages children to take risks and embrace learning through creative thought.

Children have a strong disposition to explore and discover. The Project Approach builds on natural curi-osity, enabling children to interact, question, connect, problem-solve, communicate, reflect, and more. This kind of authentic learning extends beyond the classroom to each student’s home, community, nation, and the world. It engages children in learning everyday skills as well as makes children active participants in their learning pro-cess while they freely explore their world.

At the ELC, projects are grounded in the interests of the children and are formulated through conversa-tions between the children and teachers. Messiah students completing their Internship in Early Childhood will be assisting with the development of the projects throughout the fall semester , ensuring children are exposed to the wonders associated with learning. http://projectapproach.org/

Come see a classic with kids from Downey!

Sunday, November 5, 2017

2:00-4:00pm in Parmer Cinema

Be a part of the magical experi-ence as children from Downey Elementary School watch the

sweet story of friendship between Charlotte and Wilbur.

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