Dr. Jim Upchurch, dean of the School of Education, has been elected as the chairman of Nazarene Educators Worldwide, an organization that serves the Church of the Nazarene providing resources and encouragement for Christian educators. An ONU Press Release was recently posted about this achievement. Congratulations to Dr. Upchurch!

The School of Education brought children’s author Laura Crawford on campus on Monday, March 23rd, to talk with university faculty, students and one elementary school class about being an author and using her books in her classroom. Crawford was very well-received by all who attended, speaking to two different classes during the day, as well as at an event that evening. On April 21, a wonderful press release regarding these events was issued by Olivet Nazarene University. A special thank you goes to Professor Roxanne Forgrave for all of the planning and preparation that went in to making this a great event and wonderful learning experience!

On Friday, March 13th, Jonathan Bartling, assistant professor of Education, successfully defended his dissertation! His Ph.D. from Capella University will be conferred on March 31st and he will attend commencement in Minneapolis in August. The School of Education faculty held a small reception in his honor on Tuesday, March 17th, on the 3rd floor of Weber (See Picture). Make sure to stop by and congratulate Dr. Bartling when you get the chance!

Dr. Susan Moore

A new full-time faculty has been added to the School of Education!

Dr. Susan Moore comes from Olathe, Kansas, where she has served as a Professor of Education at MidAmerica Nazarene University. Prior to that, she worked as the director of a teaching center at MidAmerica, and as a 5th grade teacher in Olathe. Dr. Moore has also been a Preschool director and instructor in the Early Childhood program at Trevecca Nazarene University. Please make sure to welcome her when you get the chance!

Have you considered studying abroad but are unsure whether you’re up for the challenge? Did you know that you can find programs that relate to teaching? This past semester, one of our School of Education students, Lauren Green, spent time traveling and teaching in Ecuador as a part of the ONU study abroad program. She has written a short response to her experiences below, and we hope you’ll both enjoy her reflections and consider, yourself, whether the study abroad program is right for you.

Lauren’s reflection:Through my study abroad program in Ecuador, I had two opportunities to teach.  The first was in a Spanish-speaking Christian school and the second in an English-speaking missionary kid’s school.  I don’t think I have ever felt as challenged as I did when teaching in a foreign language, in a foreign country, to a foreign culture.  However, with a lot of preparation and help from the Lord, the Ecuadorian students had fun with the hands-on activities and probably watching the gringa make mistakes as well.  One of the three lessons that I taught was a big success and knowing that the students had not only retained the information but had also laughed and enjoyed learning was, to me, the greatest reward.  As a result of this experience, my classmates and I bridged two cultures by breaking down stereotypes and blessing others, while also being blessed in return. 

Rebecca Ganger, a 2008 graduate and elementary education major, was spotlighted in the Kankakee Daily Journal on Sunday, May 4, celebrating her achievement of an almost 20 year goal: graduation. To text from the article is below. The School of Education congratulates Rebecca and all of our 2008 graduates!

Single mom magna cum laude

05/03/2008, 11:27 pm

By Janet Cremer
janetcremer@daily-journal.com
815-937-3384  

The chill in the air during Saturday’s Olivet Nazarene University graduation ceremonies had little effect on Rebecca Ganger of Bradley, one of the record 521 undergraduates to cross the dais.

Holding her coveted diploma, the 38-year-old basked in the warmth of achievement.

It was “a long time coming,” Ganger said of her graduation and bachelor of science degree in elementary education. A single mom, she had begun taking college classes at nights and during the summer, some 20 years ago at Kankakee Community College.

At the same time, she worked as a teacher’s aide at Kennedy Middle School in Kankakee. She later quit that job to have more time to devote to ONU classes, a decision that forced her to rely heavily on the financial support of her parents, Ron and Gale Dodge of Manteno.

“My mom and dad were wonderful and helped me out tremendously,” she said.

But now, their help and Ganger’s hard work has paid off.

Not only did she manage to graduate magna cum laude — the next to the highest of three special honors for above average grades– but she’s already landed a job as a teacher at Manteno Middle School.

“It’s very exciting,” Ganger said of her new job, which will start this coming school year.

She joins teaching tradition in the Dodge family. Her parents each taught 32 years at Manteno and her sister, Robin Hamann of Grant Park, is a speech pathologist at the Peotone School District.

Just as significant is what her message of hard work and perseverance has sent to her son, Zach, a sophomore at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School.

“He knows what it takes,” she said of her son witnessing time spent hitting the books. The lesson is especially significant since Zach has dreams of being an orthodontist.

So how does Ganger plan to celebrate, with 20 years’ worth of hard work finally behind her?

Well, she and Zach plan to battle it out in boxing match courtesy of her family’s graduation gift — a Nintendo Wii.

 Our very own Dale Oswalt, Olivet professor of education, received the 2008 Richard M. Jones Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence during the University’s annual Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 3. To learn more about this great honor, view the ONU Press Release and/or click on the pictures. Congratulations, Dr. Oswalt!

Laura Taube, a 2001 graduate of the School of Education at Olivet Nazarene University, was recently spotlighted on Olivet’s website. The article shares Laura’s journey and commitment to her students at Clara Barton Elementary school in the Chicago Public School system. Hers is an inspiring story of a professional who is truly influencing lives with God’s help. Be sure to read this recent article and also view http://www.donorschoose.org to learn more about how to help her students and others like them.