Cato College of Education

At one time, news coverage centered on worries about video games’ negative influence on kids — but these days, they are making headlines because of the ways they are being used to help students learn.  An avalanche of research supporting video games’ ability to encourage academic development has driven momentum on this issue.

Many of North Carolina’s school superintendents are skeptical of the General Assembly’s education policies, according to a new UNC Charlotte survey.

The survey of 67 N.C. superintendents, published in the Journal of Applied Educational and Policy Research, examined attitudes on state and national educational concerns.  The study indicated “the most significant priorities that need to be addressed were teacher morale, inadequate funding and teacher pay.”

UNC Charlotte, in conjunction with numerous community partners including Central Piedmont Community College, will present the Dedication to Community Tour, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, April 10, in the Cone University Center.  

 The Dedication to Community Tour (D2C) is an international forum for the exchange of ideas in business and society. This year’s theme is “Empowering Dreams: Realizing the Future.”

Reading and elementary education professor Tracy Rock is a recipient of the 2015 UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award.

This annual honor recognizes one professor at each of North Carolina’s public institutions. The 17 recipients were nominated by individual campus committees and selected by the Board of Governors’ Committee on Personnel and Tenure. Each award winner will receive a commemorative bronze medallion and a $12,500 cash prize; the honor will be presented formally during the spring graduation ceremony on each campus. 

Four graduate students in the College of Education’s Department of Middle, Secondary and K-12 Education have received summer fellowships to participate in the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s prestigious Teacher Seminar Program.

Roslyn Mickelson was named the 2014 University Professor of UNC Charlotte.  This honor recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement in a professional field, as well as demonstrated ability to excel in interdisciplinary research, teaching and service.  The University Professor is recommended to the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees by the chancellor and holds this title for life.

Associate professor Spencer Salas will spend most of December in Oman to continue professional development efforts with that country’s K-12 teachers.

The UNC Charlotte Urban Education Collaborative recently organized and convened a two-day International Conference on Urban Education (ICUE) in Montego Bay, Jamaica, for a group of about 500 educators. The theme of this year’s conference was “Building and Sustaining Global Partnerships for Learning and Development.”

UNC Charlotte senior Jameka Parker has been recognized for outstanding leadership and service by North Carolina Campus Compact, a statewide network of colleges and universities committed to community engagement. Parker is a recipient of the Community Impact Student Award, which honors one student leader at each member school.

Parker, from Fayetteville, is one of 18 students across the state to receive the 2014 award, joining more than 200 college students honored by the organization since the award was first presented in 2006.

Preparing high school students with disabilities to transition to college or careers requires interagency cooperation and proven strategies, which will be the focus of a new national technical assistance center to be housed at UNC Charlotte’s College of Education.