11/16/12 jgm
HAYS,
Kan. -- Instructional delivery that's "beyond the box" is the focus of
the Kansas Center for Innovative Education at Fort Hays State University.
KCIE,
housed in the FHSU College of Education and Technology, is a resource center
that supports the delivery of instruction for school districts, school staff,
individuals or business and industry. The workshops, seminars and graduate
courses are offered at the client's location, in Hays or virtually.
The
idea stemmed from Dr. Robert Scott, dean of the College of Education and
Technology, through discussion with Provost Larry Gould. In response to FHSU's
Red Balloon initiatives, Scott said he wanted to create an avenue where the
varied and tremendous talents of the COET faculty could be shared with the
local and broader community.
"The
Red Balloon Project inspired a strategy of looking at new ways of doing old
things," said Scott. "I see this model as placing the College of
Education and Technology at the forefront of new-age thinking by embracing this
unit-specific model of professional development and growth."
Asked
to bring the idea to reality, Dr. Lorie Cook-Benjamin, assistant professor of
teacher education and KCIE director, created a KCIE Advisory Board to assist as
a sounding board to develop the mission, goals and offerings.
"KCIE
offerings build upon faculty members' unique research and educational expertise,"
said Cook-Benjamin. "By doing this, duplication of current educational
offerings are avoided and faculty talents are emphasized."
KCIE
assists educators by offering graduate credit courses for teacher recertification,
school and district workshops, seminars, educational consulting, grant
facilitation, and the
most up-to-date instructional delivery methods.
Business
and industry are also part of the KCIE mission. "People outside the
education field have content expertise but may not understand the pedagogy
needed to collaborate with or train employees," said Cook-Benjamin. "KCIE
offers short-term or long-term customized assistance that can help businesses
enhance their instructional methods."
KCIE
registration costs include $50.00 for a half day and $90.00 for a full day. The
registration fee includes all materials and morning refreshments. Lunch is
provided for day-long sessions. Offerings, for one hour of graduate credit,
require an additional fee and acceptance to the FHSU Graduate School.
"To
test the waters, this summer a graduate-level workshop was offered," said
Cook-Benjamin. "Attendees came from Hays and nearby communities including
Great Bend and Junction City."
In
this workshop, Dr. Beth Walizer, associate professor of teacher education, and
Dr. Joyce Ellis, assistant professor of health and human performance, instructed
the participants on how to prepare the brain and body to learn by providing
opportunities for movement.
"One
participant, a teacher, commented that the workshop 'exceeded her expectations'
and she was 'thrilled to take home valuable ideas and tools to use,'" said
Cook-Benjamin.
This
workshop and other KCIE offerings build upon faculty members' unique research
and educational expertise. By doing this, duplication of current educational
offerings are avoided and faculty talents are emphasized.
"The
idea that the COET faculty will work together as a unit will produce more and
better results than when faculty acted as unconnected individuals," said
Scott. "Opportunities for professional growth will flourish as the faculty
of COET embrace this approach."
For
complete listing of offerings, dates and registration information, visit the
KCIE website at www.fhsu.edu/KCIE or contact Cook-Benjamin at 785-628-5847 or
by email at llcookbenjamin@fhsu.edu.