Prominence
The CEHS Welcomes the Inaugural Class of the Honors Track |
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Michelle Connavino spoke at The Patton College's Third Annual Convocation and Welcome, welcoming incoming freshman along with the first group of Honors Track students. |
“Every year, we see CEHS students who excel in academics and are looking to be challenged, and that is where the Honors Track comes in,” said Dean Renée A. Middleton. “These students are more likely to study abroad, complete research projects and present with faculty at professional conferences. The honors track is designed to support those high achieving students.”
Student Senator Michelle Connavino, a CEHS senior majoring in middle-childhood education, proposed the idea for an honors track in The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education and Human Services. “I believe the best way to start improving our education system is to recruit smart, driven, and qualified teachers for the classroom,” said Connavino. “Creating an honors track and providing extended research opportunities will help attract the type of students needed to affect change in our schools.”
Michelle developed the proposal for the honors track as a project for Student Senate last fall. “I submitted the proposal to Dean Middleton for review last fall, and I was extremely pleased when she accepted it without hesitation,” said Connavino. “I was even more excited that the program is beginning this year. I’ll get to meet and speak to the first class of honors track students during the 2009 The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education and Human Services Freshmen Convocation, which is an incredible honor.”
Students accepted into the Connavino Honors Track will complete rigorous inquiry-based courses, which will augment their regular requirements. Honors students will also participate in a collaborative research project that addresses a significant pedagogical issue. Continued involvement in the honors track will enable the students to develop products, such as conference papers and manuscripts, by collaborating with faculty and other honors track students.
The experience offers students opportunities for leadership, professional development, intensive classroom experience in Professional Development Schools, and a close rapport with a core group of faculty. Honors students will also engage in multi-cultural field experiences such as those made available through The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education and Human Services' Rural-Urban Collaborative, a partnership recently established with The Ohio State University and Columbus Public Schools.
"I am excited about the collaborative," said Associate Dean Linda J. Rice who will coordinate the honors track. "It will provide future teacher-leaders with an experience that stretches across cultures (rural and urban), and will help prepare students for their roles as teachers in an ever-changing world. As the landscape of teaching shifts, we too need to shift and ensure that our students are ready to enter any environment with confidence and competence."
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