Local Reform Enhancement Program:  Felician College faculty members from the divisions of teacher education, health sciences, and arts and sciences support local teachers through district-wide initiatives such as professional development workshops for the faculty of Hasbrouck Heights, Moonachie, and Wood-Ridge school districts.  Teachers, administrators and professional staff benefit from programs focusing on topics like alternate assessment and learning styles, the use of technology in schools, and how to offer differentiated instruction to meet the varied levels of learning in the classroom from those who are classified with special disabilities to those who advanced learners.   

In addition to offering professional development initiatives to local school districts, the teacher education faculty has made presentations at local, state, and national conferences on topics like team teaching, professional development training, technology, community-based learning, and field experiences & environmental education.  They have also written grants to support future teacher education initiatives regarding special education, technology and local school-based needs.

National Education Goals: www.ed.gov/G2K/GoalsRpt  

TECHNOLOGY TRIADS

In addition to offering workshops, members of the faculty have provide on-going support to local school districts in need.  Prof. Robert Hillenbrand has worked on technology skills with the faculty of the Moonachie school district on a weekly basis throughout the academic year, and Dr. Maggie Liebmann has served in a weekly consultant role to the Hasbrouck Heights school district during the spring semester.  In an effort to meet the needs of parents in local school-districts, Dr. Donna Barron, Dean of the Division of Teacher Education, has met with a group of parents from the Wood-Ridge school district to share information on professional development initiatives and advance the idea of symposiums that would address topics of interest to them. 

HACKENSACK MEADOWLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER

Because of our collaboration with the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission, Felician education students have the opportunity to learn how to develop interdisciplinary areas of instruction using the environment as the key theme.  As part of the Junior Practicum, students spend two days at the Meadowlands Environment Center learning about wetland habitats and the ecology of the Meadowlands District. Students observe environmental experts use proven strategies to teach content across disciplines and participate in activities that integrate reading, math, art, etc.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently honored The Meadowlands Environment Center (link) as one of the premier environmental education centers in the nation.

To learn more about the Meadowlands Environment Center, go to www.fieldtrip.com.  Select New Jersey and then Environmental Education. Warning: this resource loads slowly, so be patient!

NEWARK CHARTER SCHOOL

Felician College Teacher Education Division has a strong relationship with The Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School, an alternative school program which serves thirty-two students in the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grades who have been recruited from the Newark School District. These students are offered their last and best hope of avoiding poverty, crime and personal failure due to their inability to compete in our high technology world. The school uses technology as well as more traditional teaching methods in the classroom and emphasizes the personal development of each student through group and individual settings to discuss issues preventing them from succeeding. Individual learning plans are developed with the students using their own academic potential and interest levels to open the gateway to education and personal development. The goal of the program is to re-kindle their desire to learn, grow and achieve.

As part of the Sophomore Seminar, a field placement based on the assumption that our students need an urban "experience," no fewer than 6-8 sophomores spend each Tuesday at the Charter School. They participate in lessons, grade papers, design activities, post bulletin boards, and provide supplemental educational services to the teachers in the school.

Tutoring Services:  Thanks to an Urban Initiatives Grant, students offer tutoring services to sixth, seventh and eighth graders once a week at the Maria Varisco Charter School in Newark.

PROJECT 30 ALLIANCE

The Project 30 Alliance is the only national organization bringing together faculty in Arts & Science with faculty in Education for the sole purpose of improving teacher education. Members recognize that teacher education graduates must come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and enter the profession well-prepared in liberal education, in content and pedagogical knowledge, and have a broad human perspective. In order to mold the best possible future teachers, it is necessary for faculty in both Arts & Science and Education to work together, assuring that all pre-service teachers develop a well-rounded knowledge of our world.

Along with Felician College, members of the Alliance include:

	Albany State University, GA		Bridgewater State College, MA
	Clarion University of Pennsylvania		Emporia State University, KS
	Florida A & M University		Howard University, DC
	Indiana State University		Millersville University of PA
	Northeastern University, MA		San Diego State University, CA
	Santa Clara University, CA		SUNY at Geneseo, NY
	University of Dayton, OH		University of Delaware
	University of New Mexico		University of Northern CO
	University of the Pacific, CA		University of Toledo, OH
	Vanderbilt University, TN		William Patterson of NJ
	Widener University, PA

THE ST. CROIX CONNECTION

The St. Croix Connection is a partnership serving teachers and students on the Island of St. Croix. The Education faculty and pre-service teachers at Felician College have visited two Catholic schools on the island, providing in-service workshops for the teachers, helping refurbish the physical buildings, assisting with classroom activities, and partaking of various cultural experiences on the island. In 2001, faculty from the St. Croix schools will be visiting Felician College as part of the exchange program.  

The latest project involved setting up  “See-U-See-Me” technology that enables teachers there to interact live with teachers at Felician during class time.

St. Mary's School
St. Patrick's School

VERIZON (BELL ATLANTIC) GRANT

The receipt of a Verizon (Bell Atlantic) Grant has allowed the Division to establish a telecommunication center as part of the Curriculum Resource Center to be housed in the newly refurbished Blessed Mary Angela Hall. From this state of the art model facility, students and faculty will not only be able to access high speed Internet activities and web-based projects, but through compressed video applications, be able to interface with experts in the field of education from any point on the globe, live and in real time. This facility will be opened in the late fall of 2000 and will provide a prototype for similar initiatives in Camden, St. Croix and Newark.  

EXCEPTIONALITIES IN THE HOME, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY

As part of the special education program, students assist parents of children with handicapping conditions, help them in finding services for their children, and participate in parent support groups..