The University of Delaware School of Education (SOE) colloquium series begins on Sept. 20 with a presentation on “Community and Informal Approaches to Teaching, Teacher Education, and Learning,” from Charles Hohensee, associate professor of education in the SOE, and education doctoral students Diane Codding, Andrea Drewes, and Marcia Shirilla.

Learning happens not only in schools, but also in places like community organizations, museums, after-school programs, and libraries. In fields such as science and technology, these informal environments are critical in supporting learners from under-represented groups and in providing resources that might not be available in K-12 classrooms.

This colloquium series presents research and practices that bring community knowledge to a variety of learning environments. It aims to help new and practicing teachers engage with communities and build bridges between their K-12 classrooms or teacher education programs and informal learning environments.

The first presentation will introduce the rationale for this speaker series, engage in a discussion about the importance of community and informal learning, and highlight related research from our UD community.

The series will be held on select Wednesdays throughout the semester, beginning at 1:25 pm in room 207 in Willard Hall. A discussion and question-and-answer period will follow each speaker’s presentation at 2:25 pm.

Students, faculty, and community members with interests in education, teacher preparation, community engagement, and educational partnerships are encouraged to attend. These events are free, and no advance registration or RSVP is required.

The speakers and topics for each presentation follow below.

Sept. 20: Charles Hohensee, associate professor of education and education doctoral students Diane Codding, Andrea Drewes, and Marcia Shirilla, School of Education, University of Delaware. Presentation title: “Community and Informal Approaches to Teaching, Teacher Education, and Learning.”

Oct. 4: Eva Zygmunt, professor of elementary education, and Patricia Clark, professor of elementary education and chairperson, Department of Elementary Education, Ball State University. Presentation title to be announced.

Nov. 1: Ricardo Nemirovksy, research professor, Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. Presentation title to be announced.

Dec. 6:  Marina Mattheoudakis, associate professor of applied linguistics, School of English, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Presentation title: “Content and Language Integrated Learning: The European Type of Immersion Education.”

For more information about this series, please visit the SOE colloquium series webpage.

Article by Jessica Henderson | Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson