Tag Archive for: education

Raider Education Day and keynote speaker Jay Schroder come to SOU Ashland

Raider Education Day for new and prospective teachers

(Ashland, Ore.) — Author, teacher and consultant Jay Schroder will deliver a keynote address, highlighting the third annual Raider Educator Day – an event on Saturday, April 5, that will allow new and prospective teachers to gain insights into the field. The forum, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Rogue River Room of SOU’s Stevenson Union, is hosted by Southern Oregon University’s School of Education, Leadership, Health & Humanities.

The annual Raider Education Day provides an opportunity for prospective and current students, and recent alumni, to connect with seasoned education professionals and explore career opportunities.

Schroder has taught high school English and social studies for 24 years. He’s the creator of the “Teach from Your Best Self” professional learning programs and the author of the book “Teach from Your Best Self: A Teacher’s Guide to Thriving in the Classroom.” Schroder is an affiliate faculty member at SOU, a teacher consultant for the Oregon Writing Project and a certified instructor of social emotional learning and character development.

Schroder currently works for the Southern Oregon Regional Educator Network (SOREN), supporting schools and educators throughout the region. He offers professional learning experiences that help educators increase resiliency, avoid burnout and thrive in the challenges of education.

“Jay Schroder is a tremendous resource for our region and for those who have chosen careers as teachers,” said Dustin Walcher, dean of SOU’s School of Social Sciences and interim dean of the School of Education, Leadership, Health & Humanities. “Raider Educator Day gives newcomers to the field of education a chance to learn from our most respected educators.”

Schroder has received High School Teacher of Excellence Awards from both the Oregon Council of Teachers of English and the National Council of Teachers of English. Schroder has also trained for more than 25 years in the martial arts, and holds a sixth-degree black belt in karate. He was recently inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Other presenters at the event include South Umpqua School District Superintendent Erika Bare and Tiffany Burns, principal at Ashland’s Walker Elementary, who are co-authors of the book “Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students.” Bare and Burns will lead a breakout session on tools and strategies for communicating and building relationships with students that enable learning while avoiding power struggles.

Raider Education Day each year includes sessions and mock interviews with superintendents, administrators, hiring managers and teachers from local school districts – many of whom are SOU alumni. School of Education faculty members and student leaders also participate.

The day is intended to provide valuable career and pathway advice to attendees. Topics include teacher preparation programs, scholarships and insights into the evolving landscape of the education field.

Raider Educator Day is open at no charge to all who are interested. The schedule and sign-up information are available online. More information about the event is available from Mary Patridge, student success coordinator for the School of Education, Leadership, Health & Humanities, by email or by phone at (541) 552-7154.

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New director for Division of Education, Health and Leadership

North Carolina educator accepts SOU director position

(Ashland, Ore.) — Vance Durrington, currently a program coordinator at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, has accepted an offer to become director of Southern Oregon University’s Division of Education, Health and Leadership. He will begin work at SOU on Sept. 12.

“We had an excellent group of finalists for this key position, and I am thrilled to have Dr. Durrington join SOU,” said Susan Walsh, the university’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. “It will be exciting to work with him as he implements his vision for the Division of Education, Health and Leadership, which has a rich tradition at SOU.”

Durrington has been with UNC-Wilmington for 15 years, serving as an associate professor and chair, and as coordinator of the Workforce Learning and Development program in the Department of Instructional Technology. He was previously coordinator of the Master of Science in Instructional Technology program in Mississippi State University’s College of Education.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Harding University in Arkansas, his master’s degree in educational supervision from Abilene Christian University and his Ed.D. from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. His research interests include distance education, diffusion of innovations, computer mediated communication, social network analysis and digital literacy.

Durrington started his career as a middle and high school teacher of math and computer science for four years, before returning to college for his graduate studies.

As director of SOU’s Division of Education, Health and Leadership, he will provide leadership for the university’s undergraduate programs in American Sign Language, education, English, health and exercise science, military science, outdoor adventure leadership, philosophy and Spanish. He will also oversee the division’s graduate programs in education, outdoor adventure and expedition leadership and teaching.

Durrington will succeed John King as the division’s director. King joined SOU’s education faculty in 2006, served as program chair for three years and then was division director for seven years before leaving in July to become director of ORS Impact, a social impact consulting firm in Seattle.

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SOU Education Professor to Discuss Teaching, Learning and Research in Greenland

(Ashland, Ore.) – What’s it like to teach in Greenland? What’s it like to BE in Greenland? Over three years, Dr. Geoff Mills traveled nine times to Greenland’s arctic region to teach education research to graduate students. “Traveling and teaching in Greenland has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my 25 years in higher education and a unique opportunity to work in one of the most isolated places on earth,” says the former dean of SOU’s School of Education. Read more

SOU School of Education and the University of Oregon Work Together to Deliver Education Doctoral Program

(Ashland, Ore.) – Southern Oregon educators have a new opportunity to advance their careers without leaving the region.
Faculty in the SOU School of Education will collaborate with the department of Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership in the College of Education at the University of Oregon to offer a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership (D.Ed.). The degree provides practicing educational professionals with an advanced graduate degree that emphasizes leadership development, oral and written communication, and understanding of educational assessment and research. Read more