Education Department Newsletter, February 18, 2022

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NewEducation Department Endowed Scholarships for 2022-2023: The Education Department of Augsburg University is pleased to announce that we are currently accepting applications for several scholarships to be awarded for the upcoming academic year. Please note that unless otherwise indicated, most of the scholarships are meant for Day Undergraduate students. More information regarding the specific requirements for each scholarship may be found here (you’ll need to be logged into your AugNet account to view this document).

Any student interested in any of these scholarships is invited to send to Jennifer Diaz <diazj@augsburg.edu> their name, contact information (phone and email), class (fr., soph., jr., sr.), GPA, declared or intended major, scholarships being applied for, and a brief paragraph stating qualifications for each scholarship for which the student is applying. The deadline for all applications is 4:00 pm on March 11, 2022. 

NewFulbright Info Session – Get Funded to Teach, Study, or Research Abroad: The US Student Fulbright Program provides students full funding to teach English, study, or conduct research in one of 140 countries after graduation for about 10 months. Since you are an education major, you can be an excellent candidate to be a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. To be eligible, you must be a US citizen, have at least a 3.0 GPA, and have graduated with a bachelor’s degree by the time you leave. It is also important that you are involved in campus or community activities. 

This is a competitive program, so it is good to start preparing to apply early, no matter if you are a sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student.  

URGO is hosting a Fulbright info session on Thursday, March 3rd at 1 pm. You will have a chance to hear from Fulbright staff and to join a breakout session with Dixie Shafer, Augsburg’s Fulbright Program Advisor, to learn more about the opportunity and application process. To register for the information session, go to: <https://apply.iie.org/register/GPS3.3.22>. A zoom link will be sent to you if you register closer to the date of the info session. 

If you have any questions or can’t attend the online info session, email <urgo@augsburg.edu> to set up an appointment. 

NewGrowing Youth Leadership through Service Learning–A Gathering of Service Learning Practitioners: An online discussion focusing on how to lead productive service-learning activities in a virtual environment is scheduled for Monday, March 7, 7:00-8:30 pm on Zoom. Click on this link to register for this event

This informal gathering will offer opportunities to share ideas and create a supportive network of community relationships. The goals of this gathering are to strengthen and build mutually beneficial service-learning programs and lessen the isolation of school and non-profit leaders as we work toward more equitable, inclusive, healthy, and connected communities. 

■ The Education Department Moves to Anthology Portfolio: The Education Department is introducing a new program, Anthology Portfolio. The purpose of Anthology Portfolio is to create an online, accessible record of students’ clinical experience, evaluation, and assessments.

Students will use Anthology Portfolio for:

    • Completing surveys like the request for field experience and the student teaching application
    • Logging field experience hours
    • Accessing feedback from field experience and student teaching
    • Submitting key assessments and reviewing feedback on key assessments.

For more information on Anthology Portfolio and to access the single sign-on account link, please visit the Education Department Anthology webpage: <https://sites.augsburg.edu/edstudents/anthology/>.

If you have any questions about Anthology Portfolio, please contact the Education Department Unit Leader, Erin Moore, <mooree2@augsburg.edu>.

Clinical Team Drop-in Virtual Office Hours: Starting February 8, the Clinical Experience Team will hold two virtual drop-in office hour sessions every-other Tuesday.

    • Morning – 11: 00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    • Afternoon 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Office Hours Link: https://augsburg.zoom.us/j/9344846835

During these times, members of the Clinical Experience Team will be available to answer questions about program requirements, field experience, student teaching, licensure, Anthology, and other Education Department questions.

■ COVID Guidance for Clinical Experience: During this academic year, you may complete field experience hours or student teaching in a school setting. Augsburg’s commitment to safety for our students and community remains at the forefront. If you are currently working in a school or will be working in a school, it is important to be aware of current COVID guidelines for the school districts.

Augsburg’s contract with school districts states that the school has the right to exclude from the Program any student who does not provide all information required under the school’s policies and procedures in a timely manner. School districts continue updating their guidelines regarding COVID-19 mitigation strategies like vaccination, wearing masks, social distancing, etc. For instance, on October 15, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) implemented a vaccine requirement for staff and volunteers in the building. Augsburg students completing clinical experience (field experience or student teaching) at a Minneapolis school site must follow the District’s policy and processes for vaccination and testing.

Other sites may make updates to their COVID-19 guidelines. Any vaccination or testing requirements with school sites must be completed with the school site. As a clinical experience student, you are responsible for following the school site guidelines. Augsburg cannot send vaccination information to your school site. Make sure to watch for communication from your school for any changes in policies and procedures.

■ COVID-19 Vaccine Connector Information: If you haven’t already done so, go to the vaccine connector website to sign up: <https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/connector/connector.jsp>.

Submitting news to Augsburg:

    • To the Education Department News: Send your news to Joseph Erickson at C.B. 312 or erickson-AT-augsburg.edu.
    • To the Augsburg Now published by the Augsburg University Office of Public Relations and Communication: Send your news to C.B. 145 or now@augsburg.edu.
    • To the daily A-Mail electronic newsletter: Go to AugNet Home Page and login. Then click on the “Submit News and Announcements” link.

Connecting with Alumni and Friends:

Augsburg University provides several ways to stay connected with alumni and friends. Here are some links to get you started:

    • Alumni Information Update: Submit news and contact information changes to the university’s Alumni Office.
    • TC2 New Teachers’ Blog

Other Sources of News for K-12 Teachers:

Here are links to some of the very best online news sources for K-12 teachers:

    • Education Week
    • Teacher Magazine
    • Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (also, subscribe to ASCD SmartBrief, a daily email news resource delivered right to your inbox).