One of the Oklahoma City fourth-graders in Maylan Dunn-Kenney’s inner-city classroom had spent years living inside her family’s car.
Equipped with this knowledge – thanks to a foster care placement with involved and caring guardians – Dunn-Kenney then watched in amazement as the bright girl quickly caught up to her classmates academically. Her reading level even reached the next grade.
“I gave her just a little special attention, maybe just a few minutes of review or stopping at her desk a little more often,” says Dunn-Kenney, now an associate professor of early childhood education in NIU’s Department of Teaching and Learning. “She had the ability to succeed in school but never the opportunity.”
Homeless children are likely found in every U.S. school but many keep their situation a closely guarded secret, probably unaware of federal protections that guarantee access to education. Teachers who recognize homelessness or are made aware of it can make a world of difference.
Dunn-Kenney, working with nationally known homelessness advocate Diane Nilan, has created a curriculum for future teachers that will help them recognize signs of homelessness and then intervene to provide the best-possible education under difficult circumstances.
Donna Martin, research development specialist in the Office of Sponsored Projects, paired Dunn-Kenney with Nilan and NIU communications professor Laura Vazquez after the filmmakers requested a teacher educator. Dunn-Kenney also received a College of Education Dean’s Grant to fund some of her activities.
The curriculum, already being woven into some College of Education courses, is available online at Nilan’s Web site (www.hearus.us) under “Jonathon’s Heart” and requires three hours to present.
Nilan’s site also includes “My Own Four Walls,” a video she filmed during her many trips across the country to make teachers more knowledgeable of the plights of homeless children. Vazquez and alumna Becca Berry helped to create the final form of the video.
“When you show the video, teachers become more sensitive,” Dunn-Kenney says, “but they really don’t know what to do. Now we have really specific instructions for the classroom so that if teachers are faced with this complex problem their own role is understandable.”
“I’m very excited that Maylan was able to put her experience, energies and passions into a project that’s going to help future educators recognize and understand that homeless kids are in classrooms across the country,” Nilan says. “Maylan really understands the issues, not only from an educator’s standpoint, but she’s also very sensitive to the plight of homeless students.”
Dunn-Kenney’s guidelines include several warning signs for homelessness, including a lack of continuity in education, attendance problems and poor health and nutrition.
Teachers also learn more about the McKinney-Vento Act, the federal legislation that guarantees school to homeless children and lays out expectations for schools to identify and assist homeless students.
McKinney-Vento also contains a mandate for each school district to provide a liaison to homeless families, Dunn-Kenny says, although many of those liaisons have other duties and lack the resources to perform adequate outreach and intervention.
She also provides case studies – about Anna, a first-grader who’s already on her third school; about Jason, a preschooler living with various relatives and is never sure who will pick him up; about Joseph, who sometimes leaves early with breathing difficulties and has missed a dozen days by October; about Tikia, who lives in a shelter, rarely brings supplies or homework and whose mother was a middle school dropout – and asks students to list potential assets and needs, resources and possible actions.
The curriculum includes a screening of “My Own Four Walls” and a discussion afterward with two main questions: What do homeless children need, and what do they need from teachers?
“Homeless children are ordinary children, and this is something that’s happened to them in their lives. Extremely intelligent children experience homelessness,” Dunn-Kenney says. “We need to provide stability and routine. They have emotional upheavals. They might be homeless on and off, causing lots of disruptions.”
Relieving the secrecy is a major step.
Families are more willing to communicate and cooperate when their situation is exposed because they no longer fear the revelation, she says. For children, the effect is even more dramatic: They can concentrate on schoolwork rather than subterfuge.
“Their anxiety subsides by not having to keep the secret anymore,” she says. “It’s really hard for children to keep secrets, and this makes them mentally cleared up.”
Sensitivity and understanding on the part of teachers is critical.
No two homeless children are alike nor are the reasons for their homelessness. Some parents are unemployed, perhaps the result of accidents. Others are in poor health, physically or mentally, and maybe because of drugs or alcohol. Others are the victims of dishonest landlords or the current subprime crisis.
The needs of homeless children could prove as simple as a free supply of paper and a few minutes before class to complete homework, things that Dunn-Kenney says teachers should happily provide.
Classroom teachers should avoid criticism of homeless parents if they want to keep the students in their good graces, Dunn-Kenney says. “All children will defend their parents,” she says.
Academically, homeless children need diagnostics and perhaps remediation. For example, they quickly will fall behind if the day’s lesson plans involve fractions and they barely know long division.
Dunn-Kenney found much of her information on the Web site of the SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The SERVE Center supports and promotes teaching and learning excellence in the P-12 community through research, development, dissemination, evaluation and technical assistance.
Now educators across the country can access Dunn-Kenney’s curriculum at no cost along with several links to places such as SERVE that provide further data.
“She made it simple,” Nilan says. “It’s information that you can take at face-value and plug right into a college curriculum, but it also leaves a lot of room for adaptation and offers a lot of resources for those who are interested in the topic and want to pursue it deeper.”
Nilan is convinced the work of HEAR US Inc. and the Jonathon’s Heart curriculum will make a difference.
“I’ve seen kids who are homeless and, because of a sensitive teacher, I’ve seen these kids thrive in school and reach great heights,” she says. “That’s the best any teacher can hope for.”
They live more than 5,000 miles apart, one at the edge of Illinois cornfields and the other at the foot of the Andes. And their cultures are about as different as the tango and the twist. But in some ways, Mirta Pagnucci and Corina Murcia speak exactly the same language.
They’re both leaving home with the same goal in mind – to experience cultural immersions that will enrich their own teaching skills.
Pagnucci is an instructor in the NIU Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. She will head soon to the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, located in the city of Mendoza, Argentina, where she will teach English literature and composition in a collaborative course with five Argentinean professors.
Meanwhile, Murcia is an English professor at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Early last month, she arrived on the NIU campus, where she will teach several sections of Spanish this semester.
The two are each recipients of the prestigious Fulbright Teacher Exchange grant, awarded on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential. This will be NIU’s second exchange with Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in three years.
Pagnucci lives in DeKalb with her husband, NIU Law Professor David Gaebler. She is one of about 450 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad through the Fulbright Teacher Exchange during this school year. A 5-year veteran of NIU, Pagnucci teaches Italian, French and Spanish language courses and also works with the teacher certification program. She previously taught at Oak Park and River Forest High School, where she was the department chair of foreign languages for two decades.
“Spanish is my fourth language, and I started with Spanish later in life,” she says. “This is a wonderful opportunity to live and function in a totally Spanish-speaking environment while getting to know the Argentinean culture.”
Pagnucci will be living in Argentina with Professor Amparo Argerich, who came to DeKalb on a 2006 exchange with NIU Spanish instructor Kerry Chermel.
Pagnucci’s counterpart, Murcia, is already getting to know the NIU campus, as well as the City of Chicago and a diverse cross-section of NIU students. She is living in International House – a wing of Douglas Hall that houses the Foreign Language Residence Program, the political science/public service floor and a wide array of international students and domestic students with international interests.
“We are thrilled to have Corina with us this semester,” says Anne Birberick, chair of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
“Being able to have a Fulbright exchange teacher in the classroom enriches the cultural experience for our students,” she says. “They not only get a first-hand introduction to Argentina, but they also experience a different style of teaching. Our first exchange was a terrific experience and this one promises to be the same. We’re also excited because, by having a second exchange, the department and NIU can work toward establishing a more permanent relationship with the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo.”
For Murcia, the flatlands of Illinois are quite different from her mountainous homeland in Mendoza, although the rolling fields remind her of the Argentine province of Buenos Aires. This is Murcia’s second exchange. She spent a school year in 2001-2002 at Webster University in St. Louis as a teaching assistant.
“I knew this would be a good opportunity to revisit that experience, which was so interesting and enlightening for me,” she says. “People have been very welcoming.”
The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international educational exchange, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program operates in more than 150 countries worldwide.
Students and faculty who would like to learn more about study abroad programs at NIU are invited to attend the 16th Annual Study Abroad Fair.
The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center. It is free and open to NIU faculty and students as well as to students in high school or community college.
All attending the fair will receive free goodie bags and have a chance to win one of several raffle prizes. Fair participants also can cast a vote in the Study Abroad Office Photo Contest. Raffle and photo-contest prizes have been donated by several area businesses and offices on campus.
Students will have the opportunity to meet with representatives of study abroad programs in about 75 countries. During the 2008/09 academic year, NIU faculty are scheduled to direct programs in Austria, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, England, France, Ghana, Italy, Ireland, Kenya, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and Turkey. These faculty-led programs provide faculty development while also promoting internationalization of curricula.
Students also will be able to talk with representatives from independent study abroad organizations working with the Study Abroad Office to offer programs that earn NIU academic credits.
Student Financial Aid Office staff members will be present to answer questions about financial aid and to provide information on loans and scholarships. Representatives from NIU Career Services, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, the Latino Resource Center and other campus organizations also will be on hand.
“The fair is a great opportunity for students to find out everything they ever wanted to know about study abroad all in one place,” said Anne Seitzinger, director of the Study Abroad Office.
“There are programs available for every major and various lengths of time, from Winter Break to summer to a full semester or academic year,” she added. “Some students will prefer programs that offer a variety of courses, while others might want to focus on a topic such as information technology in China, the history and culture of Malaysia or Spanish language in Spain. It’s imperative that NIU students understand their areas of study from a global perspective.”
Each year, the Study Abroad Fair draws about 500 NIU students seeking study abroad experiences outside the United States. The Study Abroad Office helped more than 300 students to participate in such programs this past year.
“Students who attend the fair will learn how to make the dream of study abroad become a reality,” Seitzinger said. “Past study abroad students will be participating in the fair and can give students first-hand information on how beneficial studying abroad has been for them as well as tips and encouragement on how to make it a reality.”
The fair is geared for faculty and staff, as well as students.
“The fair gives faculty members an opportunity to learn more about creating their own study abroad programs,” Seitzinger said. “It’s a chance to talk with the Study Abroad Office staff and current faculty program directors to learn just how personally and professionally beneficial directing a program can be. In addition to the faculty-development opportunities, conducting a study abroad program is also a means for internationalizing on-campus courses. We hope more faculty will consider attending this year’s fair.”
Students who aren’t able to attend the fair can plan to attend “Study Abroad 101: First Steps to Study Abroad.”
The informal presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session, is designed to provide information to students who are considering studying abroad or who are in the first phases of the process. Content is the same at each session, so students need only attend once to learn the basics. Study Abroad 101 will be offered every Wednesday and Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the NIU Study Abroad Office.
For more information, visit http://www.studyabroad.niu.edu, send an e-mail to niuabroad@niu.edu or call (815) 753-0420 or (815) 753-0700.
The NIU Foundation is calling for proposals for its annual Venture Grants, which be awarded this fall.
This year, the Foundation has altered its Venture Grant program to support the university’s strategic planning initiatives. Grant awards will be selected based on their potential to advance two of the plan’s major imperatives.
“We recognize the tremendous efforts invested by the academic community in the strategic planning process and wish to provide grant funding to help gain traction on important new initiatives,” Foundation President Mallory M. Simpson said.
In FY 2009, the Foundation expects to make just two awards for a total of $50,000.
To be considered for FY2009 grant awards, proposals must be received in the Foundation Office in Altgeld Hall 135 by Monday, Oct. 6.
All faculty and staff from units within the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, the Division of Administration and University Outreach, and Intercollegiate Athletics are eligible to apply. Awards will be announced in mid-December.
Even with the grant program’s new focus and direction, one thing remains the same: the NIU Foundation’s goal of supporting NIU faculty and staff in their commitment to excellence in teaching, learning, and in effecting positive change in the larger community.
Applications and forms are available online. For more information, contact Judy Schneider at (815) 753-1389 or e-mail jschneider@niu.edu.
Tune in Tuesday mornings to WNIJ (89.5 FM) this fall and you’re likely to hear the voice of NIU Political Scientist Matthew Streb.
Every week until Election Day, Streb will do a weekly segment with host Dan Klefstad, providing analysis on this year’s congressional races. The segments will air at 5:33 a.m. and 7:33 a.m. (Because of Labor Day, his segment will be heard on Wednesday morning this week.)
Streb also will also talk about his new book, “Rethinking American Electoral Democracy,” during a Sept. 10 live show on the RFD Radio Network. The book provides a critical examination of the state of electoral democracy in the United States and an analysis of the major debates that rage among scholars and reformers.
Today is the deadline to register and pre-pay for the first of three “Get-on-the-Bus” trips scheduled this fall by the NIU Art Musuem.
Art lovers who want to meet other art lovers, keep up with the art world, see innovative historical exhibits and travel without the hassle of traffic, tolls and parking are encouraged to participate: Staff at the museum schedule the trip and make the itinerary and arrangements.
All trips depart from the NIU School of Art parking lot.
The first trip takes place Friday, Sept. 5, to Chicago. Travelers will see where Kurt Perschke’s RedBall Project is on display and then head to River North (for galleries and shopping at Paper Merchant and Pearl Paint) and the West Loop for more gallery openings.
The bus departs at 2 p.m. and returns at 10 p.m. The cost is $12 for NIU Art Museum members, $15 for students and seniors age 65 and older and $18 for others. Meal costs are not included.
Prepayment and registration deadline is today.
Other trips are scheduled Saturday, Oct. 18, to Pilsen Open Studios and Friday, Nov. 7, to SOFA Chicago.
To register for these trips, stop by the museum on the first floor of Altgeld Hall, call (815) 753-1936 or e-mail darntzen@niu.edu or jburke2@niu.edu. More information about the museum and its programming can be found online at www.niu.edu/artmuseum. Payment may be made with cash, a check made out to NIU or a major credit card. Payment must be made in advance to
guarantee a seat on the bus.
Dates and prices of bus trips are subject to change, and trips are frequently added throughout the year. Check the Web site for the most updated information.
The DeKalb Festival Chorus invites vocalists to join for this season’s exciting performance of Daniel Pinkham’s Christmas cantata, “Sinfonia Sacra” (Dec. 7), as well as the Holiday Concert (Dec. 14) and Haydn’s “Theresienmesse” in the spring.
The holiday program takes shape around the beloved story by Dylan Thomas, “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” Robert Dean Ludden has been secured as the dramatic reader.
Rehearsals are held from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays in Room 171 of the NIU Music Building. Auditions are required; e-mail the director at festivalchorus@gmail.com to arrange a brief audition.
Rehearsals begin Monday, Sept. 8. Come before 7 p.m. to register. Adult membership costs $30. Full-time student membership is $15.
For more information, visit www.dekalbfestivalchorus.org or call (630) 453-8006.
A trio of NIU alumnae shares its passion for creative expression in a collaborative art exhibition, “Patterns of the Mind,” on display at the DeKalb Area Women’s Center during September.
While Linda Tillis (M.A. ’73, Ph.D. ’88), Diane Johns (M.S. Ed. ’06) and Jana Mirs (B.G.S. ’94, M.F.A. ’00) have known each other for years, this is the first time they have teamed up for a show. The exhibition features more than 60 wall-hung pieces, each one a tribute to the design process. Most are intimate pieces, spotlighting a detail on which the artist focused at that particular moment in time.
Tillis, an NIU retiree following 23 years of service as associate director of Student Housing and Dining, uses quilt-like patterns as a framework to embrace her expressions with color, design and objects of day-to-day experiences or fancies. She constructs her own patterns and has recently become particularly drawn to a “fractured” quilt pattern, which is featured in many of the pieces on display.
Johns, who currently serves as a thesis and dissertation adviser in NIU’s Graduate School, is using the show’s theme to delve into the world of the subconscious. In her latest series of quilts, she depicts several of the marvelous and magical elements which thread their way through her dreams. She uses color, printed pattern, the quilting stitch and other surface design to explore powerful images such as the tornado.
Mirs’ personal research into the concept of “home” – coupled with her intuitive use of design, color, scale and relationships – has resulted in a series of art quilts depicting fantastical houses and their environments. These are constructed from a variety of whimsical prints and sometimes populated by surprising creatures.
All three artists share a zeal for intense examination and artistic expression. Each juxtaposes geometric shapes and design imagery to make the familiar appear unfamiliar – and vice versa. All together, their patterns of the mind are worth navigating.
The public is invited to view the exhibit from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, from 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays, from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, or by appointment. An artists’ reception will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, and will include musical entertainment provided by violinist Ann Montzka and cellist Linc Smelser at 5 p.m. followed by a performance of the Bread & Roses Women’s Chorus at 6 p.m.
The DAWC is located at 1021 State Street in DeKalb. Parking is available in the paved lot off of Eleventh Street, one-half block south of the building. The handicapped-accessible lift can be reached from the alley north of the building. For further information, or to arrange a group showing, call Anna Marie Coveny, gallery director, at (815) 758-1351 or (815) 761-1735.
Hazel Domangue, recruiter for the Peace Corps, will come to campus Thursday, Sept. 18, and Friday, Sept. 19.
Domangue will attend the Study Abroad Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center.
From 5 to 7 p.m. that evening, she will host a general information meeting in Room 306 of the student center. This important session is one of the first steps in learning more about the process of joining the Peace Corps. Handouts are available; questions are encouraged.
On-campus interviews take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, in the Career Center (Room 260) of the Campus Life Building. Applications must be submitted and appointment must be scheduled by Friday, Sept. 12.
Contact Domangue at (312) 353-5224 or hdomangue@peacecorps.gov for more information.
Malaquias Montoya, one of the nation’s top Chicano artists, will visit DeKalb for the opening reception of an exhibition of his artworks.
The reception for Montoya will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the Nehring Gallery, 111 S. Second St., DeKalb. The exhibit will run through Oct. 15.
Montoya’s works, titled “Globalization & War: The Aftermath,” depict the consequences of power and conflict. The artist’s 23 paintings and prints facilitate the understanding of the destruction, displacement and loss of culture brought on by man-made conflict. Each piece illustrates the human spirit in its most vulnerable state: fighting between obliteration and survival.
Montoya is a leading figure in the West Coast political Chicano graphic arts movement, a political and socially conscious movement. His works are in the collections of the Smithsonian, the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum in Chicago, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and more than a dozen other museums, libraries and universities.
“Malaquias Montoya is among the most prominent living Chicano artists,” says Emily Prieto, director of the NIU Latino Resource Center, the organizing sponsor of the event.
“His work is extremely powerful because the edgy imagery evokes many emotions in his audience, and all of the pieces are tied to social protest messages,” Prieto says. “Looking at his art pieces compels a person to do something to positively impact humanity.”
Other sponsors of the exhibit include the NIU Student Association, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Center for Black Studies, Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, Campus Activities Board, International Programs and Unity in Diversity.
More information on Montoya is available online at www.malaquiasmontoya.com.
The NIU Women’s Golf team will host its annual Huskie Golf Day Friday, Sept. 26, at Whisper Creek Golf Club in Huntley. Foursomes will be paired with NIU women golfers.
Check in takes place at noon with tee times from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Cost is $125 per player. A cocktail hour, awards and raffle follow play.
Registration deadline is Sunday, Sept. 19. Contact Women’s Golf Assistant Coach Ashley Anast at (815) 753-6668 or aanast@niu.edu.
All letters of nomination for the 2009 Presidential Teaching Professorships should be submitted to Vice Provost Earl “Gip” Seaver, Office of the Provost, Altgeld Hall 215, no later than Monday, Sept. 29.
Following receipt of a letter of nomination, the selection committee will invite each nominated faculty member to prepare materials in accordance with the published procedure. Only full professors with tenure and at least six years service at NIU are eligible for the award.
The Presidential Teaching Professorships were established in 1990 to recognize those outstanding teachers who have demonstrated over time that they:
The procedure calls for a rigorous and thorough portfolio review including contacting former students. The 2009 recipients will be announced next spring.
As the new semester gets under way, the NIUConnect/MyNIU team reminds faculty and instructors that the new student information system is up and running for Fall 2008. All faculty and instructors assigned to a Fall 2008 course now have access to view their class rosters via the faculty self-service page in MyNIU.
Learn more about the Self-Service Faculty Center by attending one of the MyNIU Faculty Center open labs being held in Room 100 of Altgeld Hall from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Sept. 3, and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4. Faculty are invited to come and go in an informal lab setting; stay for a few minutes or longer to become familiar with the MyNIU Faculty Center pages.
A user guide for faculty self-service can be found at http://www.niu.edu/myniutraining, or call the ITS Helpdesk at (815) 753-8100 for additional assistance.
An outstanding undergraduate senior from each of the four-year degree-granting institutions of higher learning in Illinois is chosen annually to receive the Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Award. The University Scholarships Committee is requesting assistance in identifying the student graduating during 2008-2009 (August 2008, December 2008 or May 2009), who will be NIU’s recipient of this year’s award.
Lincoln Student Laureates are honored for their overall excellence in both curricular and co-curricular activities. The NIU Student Laureate should have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and should have demonstrated leadership in extracurricular activities.
The person selected will represent the university at one of the most distinguished gatherings in the state, a special ceremony held in late October or early November in the House of Representatives of the Illinois State Capitol. Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich (or his designee), president of the academy, will present each Student Laureate with a Lincoln Academy Medallion and a check for $150. The ceremony will be followed by a luncheon. Nominator(s) of the recipient also will be asked to represent the university at this event.
Please be selective in your nomination: The person selected from NIU to receive this award should be the university’s most outstanding undergraduate senior student.
The nomination form and any supplementary pages should be returned to the Office of Scholarship Coordination/Scholarship Services, 245K Swen Parson Hall, by noon Friday, Sept. 12, for the nomination to be considered by the selection committee.
The NIU Community School of the Arts’ popular Art Express is free to children of staff, faculty and students. This class begins Saturday, Sept. 13, and runs for five weeks. The class is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m.
This innovative and hands-on program encourages creative thinking in children ages 4 to 12. Teachers are students in an advanced art education class working under School of Art faculty supervision.
More information and a registration form are available online at www.niu.edu/extprograms or by calling (815) 753-1450. Students and employees of NIU should indicate their status at the top of the form. Although the tuition fee of $30 is waived for children of NIU staff, faculty and students, a $15 program registration fee and the form should be sent to the NIU Community School of the Arts in Room 132 of the Music Building.
The NIU Alumni Association has launched a new membership program. Open to alumni and friends, the program is an excellent way to show support for, and pride in, NIU. Members enjoy many benefits on campus and in the community.
Membership opportunities are available at two levels: Cardinal & Black and Legacy. Visit myniu.com for more information.
NIU’s Alumni Association has several exciting travel destinations coming up.
Celebrate the winter holiday season with a Hawaiian Escape. Warm trade winds and a traditional Hawaiian “Aloha!” await guests on this three-island touring itinerary. The islands of Maui, Hawaii and Oahu offer a vast diversity of landscapes, natural beauty and attractions.
Travelers also are invited to discover the jewels of Northern Ireland next spring. Don’t miss out on the charm and the zest that encompasses the Emerald Isle. Northern Ireland brings back the joy of touring with breathtaking Irish landscapes, historical forts and palaces, famous coastlines and ancient accounts that mingle myth and legend.
Visit myniu.com for more information about these travel destinations.