Since May 2012, a group of students at UTSA has been receiving computer training from the College of Education and Human Development faculty, staff and students, but these students aren’t typical college students. They’re housekeeping staff members. And, many of them had never even been in front of a computer before they started these classes.
The classes began when facilities worker Erlinda Castillo, who was interested in learning some computer skills, asked Ilna Colemere, M.A. ‘79, senior program coordinator in the Office of Teacher Education Services, for help. Staff members participating in the training began calling it “Erlinda’s Wish.”
“She was very hungry to learn, and because we are in the business of education, we knew it was important to educate everyone in our midst,” Colemere said.
Colemere took on the challenge and one student soon turned into more than 80. The class graduated May 30 from their third year of classes.
They celebrated their achievements — many going from not even knowing how to turn on a computer to learning how to communicate via email — with a special ceremony.
Since they began, the classes have expanded to include English-as-a-second-language skills. The housekeeping staff is allowed one hour a week to attend the classes taught by College of Education and Human Development faculty, staff and students.
Colemere recently won the Extra Mile Award at the UTSA University Excellence Awards ceremony for her work on the program.
More than 200 people gathered in the Aula Canaria auditorium at The University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus for a standing room only screening of “Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four” on Tuesday, March 4. The event was part of the Women’s Studies Institute’s Women’s History Month and featured a panel discussion with the San Antonio Four, Elizabeth Ramirez, Anna Vasquez, Kristie Mayhugh, and Cassie Rivera, and their families. The screening marked their first public appearance together since Rivera, Ramirez, and Mayhugh were released from prison in November of 2013.
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Teachers from the South San Antonio Independent School District, COEHD Dean Betty Merchant, Dr. Misty Sailors, Dr. Bekisizwe Ndimande, Senior Vice Provost Jesse Zapata, College of Public Policy Dean Rogelio Saenz, Vice Provost for International Initiatives and Senior International Officer Rene Zenteno, and other UTSA leaders traveled to Chile to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with La Universidad de los Andes.
The University of Texas at San Antonio Urban School Leaders Collaborative (USLC) was presented with the inaugural University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) Exemplary Educational Leadership Award at a special presentation ceremony at the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) Burnet Leadership Center.
The USLC, which is housed in COEHD’s Department of Educational Leadership and policy Studies, was developed by Dr. Encarnacion Garza, associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, and former SAISD Superintendent Dr. Ruben Olivarez as a partnership between the university and SAISD. The program, which is in its sixth cohort, prepares SAISD educators to effectively work as educational leaders in Latino-majority schools.
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Students, faculty, staff, and community members gathered in the Business Building on Monday, December 8, for the African American Culture, Leadership and Social Issues class, taught by Dr. Dorinda Rolle. The class, which hosted the Consortium for Social Transformation and the African American Studies Program’s first event in their Beyond February speaker series, featured a presentation from Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Central Region President, Marv Abrams, and two Tuskegee Airmen, Dr. Eugene Derricotte, USAF Col. (Ret.), and Mr. James Bynum, USAF Senior Master Sergeant (Ret.).
Dr. Belinda Flores, chair of the Department of Bicultural- Bilingual Studies, presented during the White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics’ monthly webinar in August. Flores presented on Hispanic teacher recruitment.
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"I chose the word motivating because I think the teachers and professors motivate us and inspire us to work hard and to continue to be driven in this profession. The faculty motivate me as an alumni now to continue to be successful."
Lorena Herrera
College of Education and Human Development Alumna,
2013-2014 First-Year Teacher of The Year for Northside ISD,
Teacher at Mead Elementary School
Dr. Anne-Marie Nuñez, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, presented her research at a research and policy briefing in Washington, D.C. this past September.
Nuñez’s presentation, “How the Shortcomings of a Postsecondary Ratings System Could Lead to Shortchanging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and their Outcomes,” which was based on a policy paper co-authored by Awilda Rodriguez at the University of Michigan, explored accountability policies in higher education and their influence on minority students and HSIs. She was one of seven presenters from universities around the United States.
TOPThe UTSA Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies and the Academy for Teacher Excellence presented their book, “Generating Transworld Pedagogy: Reimagining La Clase Mágica,” at a special presentation last March at the UTSA Downtown Campus.
“Generating Transworld Pedagogy: Reimagining La Clase Mágica” takes an in depth look at the last five years of La Clase Mágica, an after-school program sponsored by the Academy for Teacher Excellence that brings together bilingual teacher candidates and bilingual elementary students in low-income schools.
The book is the result of three years of collaborative work between the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, ATE, and colleagues from other countries and universities, and features chapters written by several COEHD professors and research conducted by COEHD graduate students.
Several students from the Department of Educational Psychology’s School Psychology program traveled to Austin on Saturday, October 25, to meet Dr. Richard Woodcock, a leader in the field of educational psychology. The event was part of The University of Texas at Austin’s Richard Woodcock Institute For Advancement of Contemporary Cognitive Assessment. Woodcock was a special guest speaker for the institute.
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