Transform 2020-2021

p.18 The voice p.24 Classrooms p.28 Undercurrent
of support without walls of trauma

transform2020-21
Innovating the way we teach, learn, engage, and inspire

cover story

A new
way of
thinking

Students in high-needs,
rural schools approach learning

like never before

p.10

Dean Randy Penfield listens to a student explain his robotics
project, created in the SELF (Student Educator Learning
Factory) Design Studio — a collaborative makerspace designed
to foster a culture of STEM-based creativity through hands-on,
cutting-edge learning. The studio is a gift in honor of Dr. Luther
Winborne Self, who taught courses in textiles and apparel at
UNC Greensboro. In 1997, at the age of 73, he earned his Ph.D.
from the School of Education; he was the oldest person to have
received a doctoral degree from UNC Greensboro at that time.
Along with the Self Lecture Hall and the Self Fellowship, the
SELF Design Studio represents one family’s lasting gift to the

School of Education. Story on page 34.

Photograph taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020-21

transform
Innovating the
way we teach,
learn, engage,
and inspire

transform 3 ideas innovations

School of Education Research, teaching, and community
The University of North Carolina partnerships
at Greensboro
PO Box 26170 10 cover story
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170 18
A new way of thinking
Dean of the School of Education
Randy Penfield Using the foundation of computer science —
computational thinking — to teach creative
Public Communications Specialist problem-solving in rural school districts
Rosalie Catanoso
feature
Editor
Andrea Spencer The voice of support

Art Direction & Design Dr. Marcie Rock brings in-ear coaching
Lyda Adams Carpen online and into public schools

Contributing Writers 24 feature
Rosalie Catanoso
Quinn Dalton Classrooms without walls
Margaret Moffett
Liz Schlemmer Finding new ways to connect in an online-
Andrea Spencer learning world
Erin Stoneking
28 feature
Copy Editors 33
Katie Kane Working through the
Julie Palm undercurrent of trauma
Betsi Robinson
NCA-STAR provides solutions to address
Photographer the harmful impacts of trauma
Chris English
impact&inspiration
Contributing Photographers
Martin W. Kane Donor news and recognition
Liz Schlemmer

—

2,315 copies of this public document were
printed at a cost of $6,984 or $3.02 per copy.

TRANSFORM 2020-21 1

message from the dean

WITHOUT A DOUBT, this year has proven to be one of the most of Education is creating and fostering long-term partnerships
challenging in recent memory. The word “unprecedented” has with school districts and community organizations to affect lasting
become a frequent descriptor for 2020 and a new staple in our positive change on the educational and social-emotional well-being
vocabulary. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide of children and families across our state. You will also learn how two
reckoning with racial injustice, each day we are navigating faculty members study racial bias and its effects on the experiences
uncharted waters, both in our personal lives and in our communities. of Black students and students of color in higher education, and how
universities can better support them to ensure their success.
Some of you have heard me discuss the concept of “wicked
problems,” a term used to describe those greatest issues facing It is upon us — our School of Education community — to stand
society for which there is no single cause and no single solution, together in our collective responsibilities as scholar-educators and
such as poverty, disease, or climate change. One of the most education professionals to do all that we can to ensure any person
urgent issues facing our nation is that of educational inequity. can pursue their lives freely and safely. We will continuously strive
Inextricably interwoven with the impacts of poverty and systemic to expand our current work in promoting educational and social
racism, educational inequity has only been further intensified by the equity and seek new and broader ways to address social injustices
pandemic. of racism, prejudice, and related oppressions. It is through our
teaching, scholarship, practice, and community engagement where
It is here — within the wicked problem of educational inequity — that we will begin to affect change.
the UNC Greensboro School of Education finds its calling. We have
dedicated our lives to addressing barriers to educational oppor- I hope that this issue of Transform brings you a bit of optimism in
tunity and social-emotional well-being. We believe that nothing these “unprecedented” times. More than ever, it is our responsibility
should stand in the way of receiving a first-rate education — it is a to work together in partnership and actively seek ways to help one
human right. We are devoted to expanding an educator workforce another and our students. Please know that we are in this together.
prepared to support diverse communities across the state, broaden
educational services to better meet the needs of all learners, and With hope and gratitude,
uncover new ways to help children and families thrive.

In this issue of Transform, you will read about some of the ways we RANDY PENFIELD, PH.D.
are addressing a variety of challenges, from educational access Dean, UNC Greensboro School of Education
posed by the pandemic to issues of trauma and trauma-informed
practices in schools and communities. You will learn how the School

2 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

ideas innovations

$12.4M Recent Rankings
$12.4 million in economic impact to NC Piedmont Triad*
&Points of Pride
Services to the community, active research, and student
scholarships and assistantships in the 2018-19 academic year 3rd
Counseling and Educational
292K $4.8M Development Program ranked
hours 3rd in the U.S.
$4.8 million for research U.S. News & World Report

conducted in 2019-20 Top 10

292,000 community service $4.7M School of Education remained
hours provided by students in the top 10 regional schools
and faculty* in the nation
U.S. News & World Report
$3M $4.7 million in instruction and
$3 million in scholarships, services to the community* $32.3M
tuition waivers, and
graduate assistantships 471 degrees $32.3 million portfolio of
awarded sponsored research funding

Economic impact data reflects 2018-19 *
Scholarship, research and degree data reflects 2019-20

TRANSFORM 2020-21 3

Future elementary teachers talk to kids
about racism at civil rights museum

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON WUNC.ORG MARCH 2020 BY LIZ SCHLEMMER

On a recent Saturday, the International Civil Rights Center PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN PRIOR TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
and Museum at the old Woolworth’s in Greensboro
was buzzing with visitors. This year, the museum is CREDIT LIZ SCHLEMMER / WUNC
celebrating the 60th anniversary of the lunch counter
sit-ins there that ignited a movement. TO P: Friends Eden and Erykah hold hands in front of
In a quiet room in the basement, UNC Greensboro education the lunch counter at the old Woolworth’s in Greensboro
student Shelby Morris prepared a reading lesson for whoever might where four college students from North Carolina A&T State
walk through the door. She had chosen a picture book about the University began a sit-in that ultimately desegregated the
Greensboro Sit-In to read aloud. diner and started a movement across North Carolina.
“The introduction to my lesson is: Where you’re sitting is actually
where this happened,” Morris said. B OT TO M: UNC Greensboro education student Shelby
On each page of the book, she stuck bright pink Post-It notes with Morris reads “Freedom on the Menu” to a Girl Scout troop
questions to ask students — questions about difficult topics like racism, visiting the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.
segregation, and white supremacy. As she waited for students to
arrive, she felt ready, but a little nervous. from these story hours as a research project to inform
“The first step is just telling yourself, ‘It’s OK that I don’t know how he teaches the next generation of educators.
everything, my students may have more knowledge than I do,’” “If we don’t teach and talk about race, that’s a move
Morris says. “And that’s OK, we’re learning together.” that just holds white supremacy in place,” Hughes says.
“If we don’t continue to have those conversations and
In walked a Girl Scout troop from Raleigh. Most of the children puzzle through and muddle through how we might do it,
and parents who filled the room are African American. Morris, like a we’re not going to see any change.”
majority of elementary teachers in North Carolina, is white.
The students gathered in a circle around Morris as she read
aloud and engaged students with her questions.
“Who has the power in the situation?” Morris asked. “How does
the store manager show his power over the Greensboro Four when he
brings in a police officer and says you have to leave?”
A second grader named Erykah wore a sweatshirt with the logo
for North Carolina A&T State University, the historically Black college
the four protesters attended. Just as Morris anticipated, Erykah knew
a few things.
Erykah identified the setting of the story as the civil rights move-
ment, and when Morris asked where the Greensboro Four were from,
Erykah pointed to her shirt.
The point of this exercise is for future teachers like Morris to develop
the confidence to tackle topics of racism and oppression, especially with
students who come from a different background than theirs.
“It’s something I think about a lot,” Morris says, thinking back to
her student teaching experiences. “The school I was at last semester,
the majority of the students were African American so the students for
the most part don’t look like me.”
UNC Greensboro education professor Ryan Hughes organized
the project in partnership with the museum. He’ll use observations

4 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

ideas innovations

Morris says after this first try, she feels more prepared Reading Nation Waterfall
— and more likely — to plan a lesson like this for another
class. She learned specific techniques from Hughes about UNC Greensboro researchers join tribal leaders
teaching critical reading, by asking students about an and national community organizations to
author’s bias or about what might be problematic in a story. increase Native American access to libraries.
“Now I have a checklist I can go through when I pull
a book,” Morris says. “OK, I want to talk about women’s Dr. Anthony Chow (Library & Information Science) serves as
history, let me pull some books and determine is this really
a good text? And if it’s not, how can I still use it in a way to principal investigator for a team of UNC Greensboro researchers
benefit my students?”
After the story hour ended, the Girl Scouts toured the who are partnering with tribal leaders and two national orga-
museum, including a trip upstairs to the famous lunch
counter where the sit-ins began. nizations, Head Start and Little Free Library, to
“Is this the actual counter?” one student asked.
The girls walked through exhibits and faced diffi- address literacy in the Native American com-
cult images from the Jim Crow era. They saw a photo of
10-year-old Sarah Collins, who lost her right eye when The project steering munity. A $1.4 million Institute of Museum and
white supremacists bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church
in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, killing four other girls. committee includes Library Services grant supports their work — a
“I felt sorry for all the people. I didn’t know that hap-
pened,” Erykah said. “I didn’t know they got burned and representatives project they call Reading Nation Waterfall.
everything like that.”
One thing that left an imprint on Erykah was just how from each of the The project responds to research that iden-
recent this history was. Children and their parents gasped five Reading Nation tified access barriers to libraries for Blackfoot
when their tour guide explained that Ruby Bridges — who Chapters from children, collectively representing a book desert.
desegregated a Louisiana elementary school at the age Montana, North
of 6 — is still alive at the age of 65. Carolina and New The goal of the three-year project is to
“She’s younger than your grandma,” explained Mexico: break down these barriers and improve reading
Erykah’s mother, Vickie Meadows. scores. Native Americans may experience higher
Erykah’s eyes widened, as she looked up at her mom rates of poverty and unemployment than the
as if to ask if her grandmother experienced the things
she’d learned about at the museum. Crow, national average. Schools and school libraries
“Yeah, you can ask her when you go home, she’ll tell Eastern Band are often underfunded. Additionally, Native
you all about it,” said Meadows. of Cherokee American cultures may not typically have the
Then Meadows explained that her aunt is about the same tradition of visiting and using physical
same age as Ruby Bridges, and she helped to desegre-
gate her own school. Meadows said they could give her Indians, libraries; rather, they tend to have strong oral
aunt a call to keep the conversation going. Lumbee, storytelling traditions.
The story hour at the International Civil Rights Center Northern
and Museum will continue every second and fourth Saturday Cheyenne, With grant support, children and families
of the month all year, with various themes about race and and Santo who may live in book deserts will receive new,
representing different minority communities each month. carefully selected, culturally relevant books
— 70,000 in the next three years. The project,
U P DAT E : In 2021, this project will restart in a virtual format. The which includes specific plans for increasing
undergraduate teacher education students will develop lessons for
story hour remotely and the museum will post them to its website. Domingo parent/child reading at home, reflects a signif-
Pueblo. icant paradigm shift for traditional community
libraries. By placing Little Free Libraries in cen-

trally located and convenient places — schools,

grocery stores, Head Start programs, etc.

— and by giving away librarian-curated new

books instead of loaning them out, the team hopes to eliminate

socioeconomic and physical barriers for Native American youth.

“This grant is a perfect example of a university working closely

with community partners and leveraging its expertise to study

and address societal challenges,” Chow says. “For me, this grant

represents a lifetime achievement award. It’s a true privilege.”

Read more about Dr. Anthony Chow’s work on page 24.

TRANSFORM 2020-21 5

ideas innovations

Q&A Learners (ELLs) and attitudes toward immigrants. It
aimed to help school counselors better understand the
with Dr. Maria Paredes experience of ELLs and build their self-efficacy working
with ELLs. My dad’s family were poor immigrants and I
On being a counselor have experience as a second language learner spending
in the age of COVID-19 summers in Italy as a child. It taught me about code
switching, empathy, and the importance of taking others’
BY ROSALIE CATANOSO perspectives.

Dr. Maria Paredes, LCMHCS, CEDS-S, is an alumna of the Your practice in Greensboro, Three Birds Counseling &
Department of Counseling and Educational Development, Clinical Supervision, and your Instagram account (@
an adjunct professor in CED, and runs her own counseling with_this_body) largely focus on eating disorders. How
practice in Greensboro, NC. We spoke with her about her did your research and experiences lead you to that work?
research background, working with clients over Zoom, and
how her experience with eating disorders ties into larger I’m in recovery from an eating disorder and complex
social justice work with marginalized communities. trauma, and I’m intentionally very open about my lived
experience to help others feel less shame and to talk
Transform: What made you want to pursue a career in about their own experiences. Historically, people think that
counseling? only thin, rich, white women can have eating disorders,
Dr. Paredes: There are a lot of helpers in my family. My but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Folks who are
dad was a guidance counselor and my mom was a social at the highest risk of eating disorders are anyone who
worker before she was a nurse, and we were raised with has any kind of marginalized identity: people of color,
a very social-justice-centered mindset, to seek and help transgender and queer folks, undocumented immigrants,
support justice and access for others. I initially thought I fat individuals. But these groups are also the least likely to
was going to be a school counselor — I got my master’s in have access to and afford treatment, and their symptoms
School Counseling from the UNC Greensboro Department are often not seen through affirming lenses. I use the
of Counseling and Educational Development (CED), term “fat” purposely as a neutral descriptor, just like tall or
and then my Ph.D. was in Counseling and Counselor short. Our practice is proudly Fat Positive in our approach
Education. My dissertation was on English Language to treating eating disorders.
This connects to social justice work for me because I
believe eating disorders are rooted in typically oppressive
systems — like if you’re a Black person in America, and
people are telling you your body is wrong and you have
to suppress parts of yourself to stay safe and show up. Or
you’re a gay person in the Bible Belt South, and it may
not be safe to bring your full self into certain situations,
so it becomes a resiliency strategy to disconnect from
parts of yourself and to suppress. Or you’re higher weight
with an eating disorder and being told to lose weight
by diet culture. This can lead to disordered eating and
difficulty trusting that your body is safe to return to, and
you’re shutting down this organism that is the best source
of wisdom for you. That leads to dissociation, which is a
perfect breeding ground for eating disorders.
My practice, apart from treating eating disorders,

6 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

treats trauma, anxiety, depression, and infertility/ engage their senses and return to their bodies. I’ll ask
pregnancy loss. We also do hardship evaluations for them things like: Can you get outside, or even just open a
folks who are undocumented and are seeking asylum or window every day? Can you touch sand or grass? Is there
they’re facing deportation. We’re trying to make these a plant inside that you can take care of and smell? Can
services more accessible to people, and we’d like to you make comforting food that can remind you of people
eventually create a fund that raises money for hardship you’re not with?
evaluations so we can offer them for free all the time. Every day of the pandemic, I’ve had a cup of tea
with some heavy milk and honey, and it reminds me
How would you say that your research and experience of my mother. Emotional eating is something that gets
have prepared you to work with clients in this really pathologized, like we need to avoid it, and yet it’s
unprecedented time of COVID-19? something that we’ve always used as humans to cope
and to survive. I’ve been trying to help my clients use
What has helped the most has been my training and food as a way to connect to their body, and not judge
experience around trauma and complex trauma. So themselves for those needs.
much of my training focuses on helping people build
awareness of their bodies and seeing them as a resource, Anything else you want to share about your experience
as a place to return and settle into and trust, versus seeing being a counselor during a pandemic, or what your
their body as an enemy or something that’s not safe. practice might be like in the future?
People’s systems are so activated right now because It’s been a very unique experience because every
there’s this threat — COVID-19 — that’s both known and counselor is going through the pandemic, too. So we’re
unknown. We don’t feel safe, and wearing masks makes it holding space for other people while trying to cope with all
hard to read people’s social engagement cues. So when of the same fears, unknowns, and anxieties, and perhaps
I’m meeting with clients over Zoom, which is what my also juggling having our children at home. I’ve found that
practice has done and will continue to do until the spring, it’s really important to connect with other colleagues and
I try to help people feel grounded. I might give people a peer supervision and consultation. Knowing that others
tour of my office so that it creates a feeling of safety, or I’ll are experiencing the same thing makes it that much more
invite them to put their feet on the floor or hold something important for us to have that community, too.
soft and soothing to engage their senses so that they feel
safer looking into the screen. Follow Dr. Maria Paredes on Instagram (@with_this_body)
where she shares stories about her recovery from an eating
What are some common struggles that you’ve been disorder to connect with people who may be going through
trying to help clients navigate? similar experiences. Dr. Paredes runs a counseling practice in
Greensboro, NC: Three Birds Counseling & Clinical Supervision.
Definitely anxiety, because it is so overwhelming. I think
the unknowns are what have been so hard for folks. If
people can’t predict what’s coming, they can’t prepare and
feel secure or safe. The other thing I’m seeing a lot of is
loneliness, both from people who are really isolated and by
themselves and from people who are with folks but they’re
just feeling disconnected from the world and other people.
We’re social beings — we want to connect with others.

How have you helped your clients manage their anxieties?

Listening, making space, validating and normalizing
their feelings, and really encouraging people to try to

TRANSFORM 2020-21 7

ideas innovations

Growing stronger in The
the face of a pandemic barriers
stouccess
An update on Moss Street Partnership School, which
continues to thrive despite the challenges of COVID-19 Recent worldwide protests
stemming from the deaths of
Principal Tina MARTIN W. KANE, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud
Chestnut (right) Arbery, and other Black people have
hugs a student necessary technology resources at home,” amplified conversations about race and
back before school Chestnut says. “We want to give them injustice in the United States. Although
buildings had to all the tools they need to succeed, and police brutality is the main cause of
close due to the iPads are critical to maintain consistency concern, activists have expanded these
pandemic and when students with the curriculum and connection with conversations to include issues such as
and teachers were face-to-face. their teachers.” Steady communication economic justice, and access to health
It’s a new world at the moment, also is paramount, according to Dr. Carl care and quality education.
with online learning and social Lashely, co-director and faculty-in-resi- According to the American Council
distancing, but the Moss Street dence. “Our staff has done a great job of on Education’s 2019 Race and Ethnicity
Partnership School’s commitment staying in touch with students and families in Higher Education Report, while
to students is stronger than ever. daily, letting them know how important Black students in undergraduate and
The school opened in 2018 after they are, and how important it is to stay graduate programs have made gains
the North Carolina General focused on their schoolwork.” in enrollment and attainment, they also
Assembly required at least nine have lower persistence rates, higher
UNC-system universities with undergraduate dropout rates and the
teacher-education programs largest percentage of student debt.
to open laboratory schools in What accounts for these
low-performing areas. UNC disparities? How does racial bias affect
Greensboro selected Moss the experiences of Black students and
Street — a collaboration with students of color in higher education?
Rockingham County Schools to What barriers to success do these
invest in a K-5 school that emphasizes students face and how can institutions
experiential learning designed to be best support them?
authentic, active, learner-centered, Transform spoke with two faculty
challenging, and literacy-rich. members in the School of Education’s
Although historically under-resourced, Teacher Education & Higher Education
the school is known for its strong sense department, Dr. Jesse Ford and Dr.
of community, which Chestnut has been Delma Ramos, for some insight.
working to expand despite the pan- Ramos studies the ways in which
demic. As students transitioned to remote universities’ policies and practices
learning, Chestnut and her staff distrib- — often implicitly shaped by biases —
uted more than 230 iPads. “Our students discourage racially minoritized students
are eager to learn, but many lack the from participating and succeeding in
postsecondary education. Ramos says
students of color face a predetermined,

8 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

When it comes to racial disparities in the United States, education is a common topic
— but the focus tends to lean toward the K-12 experience. Two faculty members study
how racial bias affects the experiences of Black students and students of color in
higher education, and how universities can better support them to ensure their success.

BY ERIN STONEKING, PH.D.

deficit-based narrative that shapes how they are seen by Dr. Delma Ramos Dr. Jesse Ford
personnel at higher education institutions, including faculty,
student service providers, and leadership. nooses on one campus). All of these factors take an exhausting
“Historically, society has framed students of color as less- toll on a student of color’s mental health and sense of belonging.
than, as lacking the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed While there’s no quick and tidy solution, Ford and Ramos
in higher education,” Ramos explains. recommend that faculty and universities begin with intentionality
Educators who are predisposed — whether consciously or and responsibility: Higher education needs to flip the script and
not — to think of students of color as less likely to succeed in higher start asking how the professor, the department, or the institution
education may implicitly communicate that belief to the students is failing the student. Targeted recruitment and persistent,
by expecting less of them. Such a bias may also lead educators tailored outreach can go a long way to ensuring a student
to fail to see how other factors may be impacting a student’s has the resources and confidence to navigate challenges.
performance: for example, if a professor assumes a student has Establishing racial and ethnic affinity groups, hiring more faculty
missed a class because they lack commitment, when in reality the of color, and teaching from diverse syllabi can help students feel
student could have outside family, financial, or work obligations. a sense of community.
Ford researches the social and political influences of race On an individual level, faculty can commit to educating
and gender on academic socialization. He points to financial themselves and recognizing and correcting their own biases.
insecurity as a significant issue for Black students. They can work on being available, listening, and being culturally
“We often do not recognize the historical influence of responsive to students of color. Ultimately, Ford says, they should
generational racism and poverty that has impacted Black think about what they needed when they were younger.
students in higher education,” he says. “Challenges associated “Someone who is attentive to your needs, who understands
with racism and lack of generational wealth for Black people have what you are going through or who at least makes the attempt,”
increased the roadblocks facing Black students in education.” he says. “Be what you needed when you were younger and act
Black students often have to borrow higher amounts than as a support for students as they are learning to navigate our
their white peers to fund their education. They may be working ever-changing global society.”
in addition to their academic pursuits and may struggle to afford
textbooks, tuition, or housing. All of these concerns not only pose
a challenge to students’ performance, but to their retention and
matriculation.
Both Ramos and Ford identify lacking a sense of community
as hugely detrimental to students of color. For first-generation
college students, this may manifest in unfamiliarity with
navigating office hours, course expectations, or academic
jargon. Students of color, particularly at predominantly white
institutions, may feel isolated because of the absence of a critical
mass on campus and the exclusionary and sometimes hostile
culture traditionally present at higher education institutions.
Worse, they may experience racial microaggressions (like
being asked if they were admitted due to affirmative action)
or outright racism (such as a white student’s pointed display of

TRANSFORM 2020-21 9

O N T H E COV E R : High school students and UNC Greensboro
graduate student Jakayla Clyburn are ankle-deep in the stream
observing the organisms that thrive in this ecosystem. With mud
under their fingernails, students sift through their nets to see what
scaly treasures they’ve caught and ask Clyburn thoughtful questions
about the specimens and what they should be looking for.

10 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

cover
story

A new
way of

thinking

Using the foundation of computer science —
computational thinking — to teach creative

problem-solving in rural school districts

BY MARGARET MOFFETT » CONTRIBUTING WRITER ANDREA SPENCER

R And that involves collecting chemical and biological samples.
R A R E LY are the words “school,” “salamanders,” and “snails” After each discovery, she kneels beside them, peering at their
used in the same sentence. Nevertheless — here we are, wading collections and pointing out noteworthy things that catch her eye.
through a small stream behind Reidsville Middle School in The kids see it as a fun, engaging activity, hands-down more
Rockingham County, watching students scoop up slick, slimy interesting than reading about salamanders and snails in the
salamanders and snails with butterfly nets and plastic speci- classroom. They have no idea that Clyburn is building their com-
men cups. putational literacy, a problem-solving approach used in computer
By their side is Jakayla Clyburn, dressed in knee-high rubber science and STEM professions — and highly valued by employers.
boots, a gold UNC Greensboro Spartans T-shirt and, of course, a Clyburn is one of 13 graduate students currently enrolled in
face mask. Her job as supervisor of this expedition? Guiding stu- UNC Greensboro’s Piedmont Teacher Residency Program (PTRP),
dents in their ongoing quest to monitor the health of the stream. which seeks to create a new generation of educators who can
teach computational processes in rural K-12 classrooms. Graduate
students like Clyburn, who are working on a master’s of arts
degree in teaching (MAT), receive teaching residencies in rural
schools and professional development as they learn to incorpo-
rate computational content and practices into their lesson plans.
PTRP, now beginning its second year, is funded in part by a
$6.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education admin-
istered through the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program.
UNC Greensboro and two partner school districts — Rockingham
County Schools and Surry County Schools — provide the other
half of the funding through in-kind services and resources.
Dr. Christina O’Connor, director of professional education
preparation, policy and accountability, oversees the program.
Other School of Education faculty provide support, as does the
broader UNC Greensboro community.
One component: in-ear coaching, in which a faculty member
guides a classroom teacher during a lesson through the use of an
earpiece and Bluetooth technology. Dr. Marcie Rock, one of the
principal investigators who helped conceptualize, develop, and
now carry out the PTRP proposal, notes that teacher coaching

1 1TRANSFORM 2020-21

cover
story

is critical, particularly given the unprecedented shortage in the teacher to kind of go through and push away the

workforce. PTRP leverages a partnership between general and special information that doesn’t matter to solving

education teacher coaches to help support the transfer of learning into the problem and focusing on what does.”

the classroom. Computational thinking is the founda-

“Coaching is no longer a luxury if we are going to prepare people tion of computer science — hence its name

to be effective and to remain in the workforce,” says Rock, director of — but it’s applicable to other disciplines,

graduate studies and the doctoral program in the particularly those that are based in science,

Department of Specialized Education Services (SES). math, and technology. It involves concepts

“There are so many aspects of PTRP that are innova- On page 18 like pattern recognition, abstraction, build-
tive and forward-thinking that should also be founda- ing algorithms, and decomposition — what
tional, aspects that we should have been doing for a Learn more about Heredia describes as breaking down the
very long time in teacher education.” Dr. Marcie Rock, who whole into its parts.
Clyburn is a member of PTRP’s first cohort of 13 pioneered the online use In other words, students learn to think
graduate students. The goal is to provide her cohort of in-ear professional differently while using the latest technology
and future ones — each with about 20 MAT students development coaching available to them.
— the chance for a fully immersive teaching resi- and now brings it to As the world becomes more digital
dency at a high-needs school in a rural community. public schools. and workplaces more technical, employ-

The program also supports the School of Education’s ers are increasingly seeking out workers

continuing work around equity, diversity, and inclu- who not only possess strong reading and

sion by offering a bridge across the “digital divide” to math skills, but the ability to solve complex

students in places like Reidsville. problems. Computational thinking can be

“Any kid out there could have the potential to cure cancer or bring applied in myriad ways — from identifying

peace to the Middle East or solve all kinds of problems that exist in our consumer buying patterns and analyzing

world that have been sticky and difficult,” O’Connor says. “But if nobody the stock market to creating new systems

helps them have the tools that they need to bring the potential out, then

we might never find that thing we need.” “It’s an overarching problem-

So what, exactly, is computational thinking? solving process that we engage

Something that sounds more complicated than it really is. in. It’s breaking the problem
“It’s an overarching problem-solving process that we engage in,” down into more manageable
says Dr. Sara Heredia (below, left), an assistant professor in the School pieces, being able to kind of
of Education and another of the program’s principal investigators. “It’s

breaking the problem down into more manageable pieces, being able go through and push away the

information that doesn’t matter

to solving the problem and

focusing on what does.”

— Dr. Sara Heredia

for administering health care. And that
makes it a valuable commodity to hiring
managers.
In early grades, teaching compu-
tational thinking might involve putting
random words in the right order to create
a sentence. In higher grades, it might mean
using personal finance software to track
spending for a month, then identifying

12 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

PICTURED: At Braxton Craven Middle School
in Trinity, the lunchroom flooded every time it
rained. Water would flow down a big hill, pool
at the bottom, then seep into the cafeteria.
Teachers Cory Bentley and Charlene Marsh
challenged their students to come up with a
solution. The kids created models of the hill
with Tinkercad, a software program that uses
3D printing. Then they explored designs for
a rain garden, including the best shape for
stormwater drainage, and configured the
number of plants needed and how closely
they should be planted — a classic example
of computational thinking.

Photographs taken before the
COVID-19 pandemic.

1 3TRANSFORM 2020-21

P I C T U R E D: Rockingham County teacher Katie Singleton and grad
student Jakayla Clyburn take a look at what the students have found
in their nets and discover some salamanders. They carefully move
their findings into the collection bucket for further study.

14 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

patterns and creating charts that predict future spending. The program’s principal investigators interview candidates
Heredia says she’s witnessed computational problem- to see if they’re a right fit not only for the program, but for
solving at a school whose lunchroom flooded every time it serving as teachers in rural schools in Rockingham and Surry
rained. Water would flow down a big hill, pool at the bottom, counties. That’s especially important; participants must repay a
then seep right into the cafeteria. stipend if they fail to teach in the district for three years.
One class set out to minimize the flooding. The kids created Acceptance comes with a $35,000 stipend for a one-year,
models of the hill with Tinkercad, a software program that uses full-time internship at a high-need school — while also working
3D printing, Heredia says. Then they tinkered with different full time on a master’s degree in teaching. Participants must
designs for a rain garden, including the best shape for storm- earn their degree in 18 months, then commit to working in either
water drainage, and configured both the number of plants Rockingham County or Surry County schools for three years.
needed and how closely they should be planted. Once admitted, the graduate students receive special train-
In the end, she says, they settled on a terraced strawberry ing in computational thinking that includes:
garden — a classic example of computational thinking. 
“It was a problem the kids located at their school, then used WHY it’s important for students to learn to think
science, technology, engineering, and math to solve.” computationally;

Wanted: teachers who think about learning WHERE to find points of intersection among
in a different way computational, design, and mathematical thinking;

PTRP isn’t for the faint of heart. WHEN to incorporate computational practices and
Students accepted in the School of Education’s graduate activities within the middle grade and high school
program undergo a rigorous selection process to participate math curricula and
in PTRP. Candidates can neither hold a teaching certificate nor
have earned one through a lateral entry program. HOW to create digital resources that other teachers
It’s recommended for those seeking careers in elementary can use.
education and special education, as well as those leaning toward
middle grade and high school science, math, and English courses. “Ultimately, we’re trying to prepare teachers who will think
about learning differently in a deeper way so that they’re really

P I C T U R E D : Singleton
directs students as they
determine the pH levels
of samples taken from
the stream.

1 5TRANSFORM 2020-21

cover
story

P I C T U R E D: After a long, productive day at the stream, the students
collect their nets and other discovery tools and leave their outdoor
classroom for the day.

prepared to think about their teaching as an iterative process rather than quality public instruction,” he adds. “A
like reading a cookbook,” O’Connor says. project of such scope and magnitude would
Faculty members within the School of Education, along with those from not have been possible without this award;
other departments, support the students as they work on using computa- we are grateful to the U.S. Department of
tional practices in their classrooms. Education for its generous support.”
The program offers obvious advantages for participants — even
beyond the stipend and three years of job security. These teachers are There’s a reason for rural
primed to become instructional leaders in their districts and across North
Carolina because of their specialized knowledge. They have an obligation PTRP’s focus on rural school systems is
to share their resources and expertise where they are most needed, some- strategic.
thing PTRP seeks to accomplish. Of the 115 public school districts in North
But the benefits of PTRP don’t end there. Students in the rural schools Carolina, the N.C. Department of Public
where the teachers are deployed not only gain skills they’ll need in the Instruction classifies eight as urban, 22 as
future, but receive a higher quality of instruction. And School of Education suburban and 85 as rural. The 12 largest
faculty members receive opportunities for research and authentic learning districts in the state serve about 50% of all
experiences for graduate students. public school students.
PTRP represents “truly transformational work,” says Chancellor That means half of North Carolina’s
Franklin D. Gilliam Jr.  children attend schools in predominantly
“Our faculty and students are committed to creating long-term, mean- rural districts, many of which do not have
ingful change in rural communities that need and deserve the highest the resources they need,” says Dr. Holt

16 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Wilson, an associate professor within I-PiE
the School of Education and another of
the program’s principal investigators. Institute for Partnerships in Education
Likewise, he says, teachers in rural school
districts often don’t receive the professional UNC Greensboro’s School of Education has created a new
development opportunities they need to way to support and expand its partnerships with North
stay current and improve their teaching. Carolina’s 115 school districts — including those forged
A student’s ZIP code shouldn’t deter- through the Piedmont Teacher Residency Program (PTRP).
mine the resources he or she is given to In March, the School of Education established the
learn, according to Wilson, nor should it Institute for Partnerships in Education (I-PiE), which will
restrict a teacher’s access to opportunities serve as a liaison between UNC Greensboro, public schools
to learn and grow professionally. and other education-related entities, such as libraries and
PTRP’s work with rural school districts museums. Dr. Holt Wilson, a principal investigator for PTRP,
honors the University’s commitment to will serve as co-director.
equity, diversity, and inclusion. In the appli- Educators at UNC Greensboro have been planning
cation for the computational literacy grant, I-PiE for a long time, says Wilson, an associate professor
the principal investigators noted that society of mathematics education in the Department of Teacher
is increasingly reliant on technology for Education and Higher Education. 
day-to-day activities. And because of that, Schools of education, which prepare and educate
schools must prepare students to engage teachers, and public school districts, which employ those
with technology in productive ways. teachers after graduation, share the same goals: providing
But, as the application noted, econom- what is best for students. But they often work independently
ically disadvantaged students, students of of one another, with separate structures for accountability,
color, and students with disabilities often lack different mechanisms for funding — and disparate ways of
access to technology, something referred to measuring quality teaching.
as the “digital divide.” These students need The relationship currently operates like a transac-
access to instructional settings that develop tion, he says, with schools of education and public schools
their computational literacy if they are to find partnering for a grant. And when the grant ends, so do the
a place for themselves in an ever-evolving resources to support the grant’s innovation.
workforce. “We have people at the University who are on the
“By integrating computational thinking cutting edge of what we know about learning and teach-
and interdisciplinary problem-solving, the ing, but how do we get it into the classrooms?” Wilson asks.
PTRP prepares students and teachers for I-PiE seeks to answer that question through long-term
future advancements as the field of com- relationships where college-level and public educators work
puter science expands across industries,” the together to improve or enhance teaching and learning.
application said.  “Students and schools will be served,” he says. “But we
Kids in rural communities have just as will learn, too. Everybody learns and everybody benefits.”
much a right to learn how to solve problems
with creativity and innovation as their urban 1 7TRANSFORM 2020-21
counterparts, O’Connor says. Especially
when their future success will depend on
their computational literacy
“Humanity needs as many creative
problem-solvers and thinkers out there as
possible,” she says. “It can’t be limited to just
a privileged few who have the tools that are
necessary to do that.”

feature story

THE BY ANDREA SPENCER

VOICE
OF
SUPPORT
Dr. Marcie Rock pioneers in-ear professional development
coaching by bringing it online and into public schools.

For most, a little guidance spoken wisely into the ear during challenging, pressure-filled moments
would be a welcome source of support. Even the seasoned professional, with many year’s experience
can use some real-time coaching when transitioning to a position of leadership or shifting careers.
Performance-based feedback, delivered in real time, and applied immediately for greater success —
that’s the goal of a highly effective component of professional development known as in-ear coaching.
Think of the inner ear speaker that newscasters use to receive cues from the producer. Or the speakers
inside NFL quarterbacks’ helmets that allow players to receive feedback from coaches. What if teachers
could get this kind of instant feedback while in the classroom?
Dr. Marcie Rock, a professor in the Department of Specialized Education Services (SES), is the preem-
inent scholar researching online in-ear coaching for educators. She paved the way for this tool, and she’s
seen how powerful it can be.

Retaining knowledge and putting it into practice

Studies show a staggering 95% of professional development never transfers to the workplace — unless,
however, coaching is in place before, during, and after the workday to reinforce training.
Thirteen years ago, just before she pioneered the online use of in-ear coaching, that statistic bothered
Rock. Back then, technology was not as pervasive and accessible as it is today. And Rock was not a professor

18 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Heather Kelley ’06

D R. R O C K H O L D S A B LU E TO OT H E A R P I EC E , which makes it possible to
deliver clear feedback to pre-service and in-service teachers from Rock’s
office to their classroom miles, counties, or states away.

1 9TRANSFORM 2020-21

BACK IN 2007, ROCK AND HER SON
conducted trial runs of the technology to
troubleshoot the remote setup that would
make it possible to deliver in-ear profes-
sional development coaching to anyone
around the nation.

at UNC Greensboro, rather a faculty member at the University of focused on the coach than on the teacher, which Rock says can
Alabama, serving as principal investigator on a grant to prepare become disempowering.
general education teachers for special education. “Having to be on-site was a limiting factor. I wanted to over-
“I was trying to figure out how to support the transfer of come any potential hurdles of distance, travel time, or classroom
what these in-service teachers were learning in their master’s space,” Rock says. “I thought, let’s pioneer taking in-ear coaching
program courses to their current classrooms of students,” Rock online so that we can be anywhere and still provide real-time
recalls. feedback to teachers.”
And then came a fateful discovery, along with an exciting Moving coaching online — something no one else had done
idea. Rock found Dr. Mary Catherine Scheeler at Penn State before — would create access to coaches from any location,
University’s College of Education. Scheeler had developed an and advance the lasting effects of professional learning and
interesting approach to helping teachers retain their profes- development.
sional learning: the use of bug-in-ear technology, much like But how? Remember, this was in 2007. Smartphones were
what quarterbacks wear in their helmets during a college or NFL not ubiquitous, and other similar technologies and conveniences
football game. did not permeate society. Rock did have something very useful
at her disposal, however: Bluetooth technology.
Pioneering a new approach It was a great theory, with one problem: lack of a video
conferencing platform. So, she went to the experts.
Rock, excited and intrigued by the idea of coaching teachers in “I started talking to my undergraduate students who were
real time, imagined how she could not only leverage this tech- gamers. I asked them, ‘How do you connect online affordably?’”
nology for her teaching students, but take it to the next level: live One of Rock’s students introduced her to Skype. She gave it
coaching delivered remotely. a try, and it worked.
On-site coaching, while extremely effective, includes a “I was jumping up and down in my office,” Rock recalls.
few barriers. For example, unless there is an observation room, “I had done on-site, face-to-face coaching for more than a
the coach must be in the classroom. Students might be more

20 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

decade. It was amazing to think that I RUNNING
could now be there for students in this way, COMMENTARY
helping them transfer what they were learn-
ing into their classrooms, no matter where Rock and her fellow coaches follow a general guideline to
they were.” provide more strength-based feedback than corrective,
At first, Rock worried that her students a 4:1 ratio in which they offer four positive comments to
would not embrace the technology. Perhaps every one instructive or corrective comment. Their “running
the internet would be down, the connec- commentary” approach allows teachers to build on their
tion would drop, or the Bluetooth would not strengths and on what’s going well in their classrooms.
connect quickly enough. Instead, they found
the support so valuable that they overlooked “You really established a powerful, real-world
the typical glitches and recommended wider connection with the students. Way to go!
adoption so that all teachers could benefit But you’ve got a kid in the back in a green
from wireless in-ear coaching. They had sweatshirt who’s disconnected. Let’s use
been through more traditional approaches, proximity and move over to her so she can
where feedback and coaching happens focus better on what you’re saying.”
after the fact, when class is over and their
students are dismissed. This was much dif- “Wow, you did a fabulous job stimulating their
ferent. More effective. prior knowledge, going back and reminding
“We know from research that we get them what they learned yesterday. Let’s do a
very small transfer when we are not coach- turn-and-talk or partner share to get them
ing directly in practice, in the moment,” Rock thinking about the real-world application —
explains. where do you see fractions in the real world?
According to a 2002 study on the effec- Let’s turn and talk to a partner.”
tiveness of professional development, less
than 5% of what one learns is transferred “Let’s lean in. Let’s lower our voice.”
to the workplace if coaching is not used to
reinforce it. “They are really with you, hanging on every
With that research to inspire her, Rock world and waiting patiently to jump into the
asked her son, a middle school “techie” at experiment. Let them know how much you
the time, to help her troubleshoot the remote appreciate their attention this late in the
setup that allowed coaching to happen afternoon.”
online, from anywhere. With son at home
and mom at the office, they put the technol- “Hmmm … what do you think you should do
ogy to the test. now?”
“At that time, we were trying to electron-
ically record the sessions so that we could 2 1TRANSFORM 2020-21
code them for research purposes,” Rock
says. “We would go back and forth trying
different options until we knew the technol-
ogy would work.”

Real-time support to improve
instruction

A few years later, when Rock and her family
relocated to North Carolina and the UNC
Greensboro School of Education, she began
working with the North Carolina Department
of Public Instruction (DPI), Exceptional
Children Division. Dr. Paula Crawford, DPI’s
Section Chief of Program Improvement and
Professional Development, reached out

IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK FOR EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION —

WITHOUT COGNITIVE OVERLOAD

In-ear coaching has a wider reach and longer history than most consider
at first blush. It dates back five to six decades, when coaches provided
performance-based feedback to counselors and psychologists during their
sessions with individuals, couples, and families. Today, in sports, the NFL coach
always is in the quarterback’s ear and the Olympic coach trains athletes
this way. News reporters use a monitor along with the in-ear component for
feedback. What Rock and her team succeeded in doing was to revolutionize
the approach for the digital age by taking it into the online realm.

“When you’re receiving feedback in the moment, you learn how to make
those adjustments immediately to be more responsive,” Rock says.

But is it disruptive to have someone speaking to you while you are teaching
an entire classroom of students? According to Rock, no.

“What we know from research that goes back to the 1950s is that it takes
about three trials. At first, people feel anxious and self-conscious. They are
juggling multiple forms of auditory stimuli — kids talking, teacher talking,
coach talking. You can exceed your cognitive load very quickly. But after
about three times, people feel comfortable, at ease, and able to process.”

Rock gives teachers the choice of jumping right into in-ear coaching or
easing into it with a few trial runs.

TAKING IN-EAR COACHING TO SCALE

The application of in-ear coaching across the nation varies, but is gaining great ground.
Some universities embed in-ear coaching in their teacher preparation programs. Some
states use it to further professional development. Individual school systems or districts
include it in their own professional learning programs.

UNC Greensboro’s Impact Through Innovation — an initiative that provides faculty, stu-
dents, and alumni opportunities to develop innovative ideas into powerful projects — is
helping to take in-ear coaching to scale.

“We are working with Launch UNC Greensboro to identify potential partners outside the
University who may share an interest in Marcie’s work,” says Dr. J. Scott Young, Dean’s
Fellow of Innovation in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development.
“The vision is that e-coaching will be used in education, nonprofit, and for-profit settings
to teach teams an approach for self-monitoring and developing their performance so
that they can function at higher levels.”

22 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

with a request. Could Rock help her incorporate coaching into grant work IN-EAR COACHING
aimed at improving instruction in North Carolina’s public schools? IS ONE PART OF A
Rock’s only condition: Real-time coaching must be non-negotia-
ble. Rock would not conduct stand-alone workshops without also giving CONTINUUM
the teachers pre-coaching before an actual class, coaching during the OF COACHING
class, and post-coaching, where she would review how the lesson went.
“Research shows that’s most effective,” Rock says. “I’ve been around long North Carolina’s State Improvement Plan uses
enough that I only want to put my efforts toward work that we know, from in-ear coaching as one component of many
research, will be effective in supporting our teachers and our students.” aimed at improving learning and student
To date, Rock has conducted more than 800 coaching sessions in success. Rock’s book, “The eCoaching Continuum
two states and worked with professionals in 12 states to carry out tech- for Educators,” outlines four critical components
nology-enabled coaching. As an e-coach, she always makes a point of to rounding out the coaching experience:
ensuring that classroom students know she is on the other end of the
earpiece, coaching their teacher. How to use technology to study what needs
“I greet the students and interact with them very briefly. Then I review improvement in teaching. Take an online
quickly with the teacher what we’re focusing on. At the end, I review how course. Read an e-book. Follow an expert on
the session went and I say goodbye to the students — because this is their Twitter and engage in a conversation with
classroom and I am a guest in it, and I want them to know we are working that person — all with the goal of building a
on teaching and learning together.” knowledge base.

Students learn from watching their teacher learn How to use technology to Zoom into another
teacher’s classroom and observe how a
Rock believes being forthright about in-ear coaching demonstrates that certain approach is carried out skillfully, or
teacher, coach, and class can learn together — a powerful message to to view a video that models what you want to
students. It shows students that their teacher never wants to stop learning learn.
or working to improve the learning experience.
“We value learning alongside one another,” Rock says. “I learn just How to be coached on a skill one-on-one
as much about how I might strengthen my approach to coaching from (including in-ear coaching).
those sessions. Together, we become an authentic learning community.
Rather than one person having all the answers, we are co-constructing How to coach one another as peers in a
the learning and figuring things out together in different ways. Given the teaching community.
complexity of the world in which we live, I think that becomes even more
important.” In-ear coaching is flexible and customizable.
Rock specializes in special education; she coaches teachers who It is reciprocal, and empowers students, the
tend to face an additional layer of challenge. Students with Individualized teacher, and the coach at the same time. It has
Education Plans (IEPs) and disabilities typically learn at different rates. all kinds of relevant and useful applications in
Some are considered twice exceptional and, therefore, need both acceler- education — general education, special educa-
ated and decelerated approaches and programming. tion, music education, physical education, ele-
“All students, whether or not they have identified disabilities or mentary, secondary — and can aid pre-service
exceptionalities, have different strengths and different needs,” Rock says. and in-service teachers.
“Teachers are most successful when they have the tools to make the
correct adjustments and decisions in the moment. Real-time coaching But it is not meant to be a stand-alone
supports teachers as they carry out what they know as best practice to approach.
their classrooms. This includes when and how to modify it, and for whom.”
The idea is never to scrap a lesson when it’s not going well. It’s about “When you put all four components together,
working to achieve previously established goals and helping teachers you can develop a plan that allows you to take
fine-tune their approach as they carry out their goals. the lead in your professional learning and
“In-ear coaching gives you the outside eye and calms down the development while working together to improve
amygdala, that emotional portion of the brain, that ‘fight or flight’ that schools, address community needs, and grow as
overreacts,” Rock says. “As coaches, we are not the nagging mother. We a teaching and learning community,” Rock says.
are not the annoying brother. We are the supportive other, embracing
teaching, and learning in a collaborative way.” 2 3TRANSFORM 2020-21

feature story:

The School of
Education finds new
ways to connect

BY QUINN DALTON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER
KATIE KANE

Michele Cantwell sits down at her desk and lectures, assignments, advising meetings, and maybe an all-
prepares for class. She has her com- nighter or two, but all of that will take place from her desk in
puter ready and her mind focused on her Winston-Salem, NC, apartment. It’s certainly challenging to
immersing herself in today’s lessons. After focus on school when your “classroom” is steps away from your
meeting with Program Director bed, but Cantwell reminds herself it was this pandemic that was
Dr. Anthony Chow, she’s excited about the push for her to return to school and the reason she is excited
being a part of the first class to start the to see what this new career has in store.
new Master in Education in Instructional Technology program and “This is a really in-demand program,” Cantwell says. “I
even more excited about where this new chapter will lead her. didn’t really realize it, but I think the pandemic set this whole
“We’re the first students to see how far we can take this and thing into motion. There’s a lot of growth that can be made in
how much light we can shed on this program on campus, so online schooling, and we are just starting to scratch the surface
I think that in itself is exciting,” Cantwell says. “I’m also looking and trying to get everybody on the same page, but now we can
forward to where my career is going to go after this. From what go even further with it.”
I heard from Dr. Chow, there are so many opportunities already
waiting for us.” Supply and demand
It has been a few years since she graduated from UNC
Greensboro with an English degree, and she has eagerly looked The new instructional design master’s program within the
forward to returning to school, although this was certainly Department of Library and Information Science (LIS) is part of
not how she initially thought it would look. Sure, there will be a growing need for intuitive programs to train and educate stu-
dents and employees across many industries. Dr. Lisa O’Connor,

24 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

D R. A N T H O N Y C H OW uses a Lightboard Unit, a large piece of Starphire Glass that allows
instructors to draw and write with colored dry erase markers that glow in LED. A video then displays
the writing of the instructor as students would see it from their perspective behind the glass,
resulting in an instructional video ready to be shared.

Multifaceted ways to engage students in processing new information through sharing resources,
multimedia, and guided discussions

online Quick and efficient assignments, communication, and grading
Engagement from students and a more comfortable, inclusive environment for all types of learners

teaching (e.g. you can spend a long time crafting a discussion post vs. raising your hand and asking a
question or answering an instructor’s question)

offers: Archiving of teaching and comments for students to go back and watch/read what was said

Multimodal content such as slides, watching and hearing videos, and a “third” space for students to
chat and socialize with one another while an instructor is teaching

Department Chair of LIS, has worked in distance learning since utilized courses built by instructional designers.
2003 and is excited to see how this program can fill that gap. “Even before COVID-19, there has been a very real and
“We saw a clear need to offer a broader and deeper rapidly growing need across industries for instructional
instruction on instructional design and technology that could be designers who can employ best-practice design supported
used across industries — military, corporate, public health, etc. — by technology as appropriate,” Chow says. “Performance is
and not just in the K-12 learning context,” O’Connor says. dependent on people continuously learning. There is a huge
This deficit in instructional design is nothing new. There need out there with excellent and well-paid employment
are only 56 LIS programs accredited by the American Library opportunities.”
Association (ALA) in the United States, and North Carolina has With the current surge in online instruction due to COVID-
four; only New York state has more. Even in the early 1990s, 19, that need has swelled. Wynette Oliver has spent a decade
UNC Greensboro offered some distance learning through video in education as a vocational instructor at Central Carolina
conferencing when there were even fewer LIS programs and a Community College and is currently enrolled in the new master’s
shortage of librarians. program. She sees the need for instructional design profession-
According to Educationdata.org, 6.6 million college als within the community college system and is excited to pursue
students participated in some form of distance learning in this new career.
2017. That is over a third of students enrolled in courses at “I think instructional design is the new wave of the future,
degree-granting, postsecondary institutions that year. The site especially when it comes to the education sector,” Oliver says.
also notes that just under 70% of instructors teaching online “There is definitely a greater demand in the face of COVID-19,
built their own digital courses compared to only 17% who with classes and training taking place virtually.”

2 5TRANSFORM 2020-21

CHOW SHOWS STUDENT MICHELE
C A N T W E L L the Merge Cube, a device
that lets you hold virtual 3D objects,
enabling an entirely new way to learn and
interact with the digital world. It’s used
by schools in classrooms, makerspaces,
and STEM labs, and works well for remote
learning, home school, and online school
to engage kids in hands-on science
lessons.

A focus on technology for an online world and model best practices in design, devel-
opment, and assessment, and use the best
The School of Education has worked tirelessly to reap accessibility and technologies to ensure teaching and learn-
instructional benefits of distance learning long before it became a health ing is accessible to all.”
and safety necessity. For some time, O’Connor has been a part of the
initiative to integrate technology into the LIS department to enhance Access anytime, anywhere,
quality of education and accessibility. and for anyone
“Library and Information Science really led the way in both develop-
ing and leveraging technologies that have made higher education pro- Distance learning may be a trending head-
grams of all kinds more accessible for students who might not otherwise line in today’s world, but it is nothing new.
be able to pursue them,” O’Connor says. Many students prior to COVID-19 sought
LIS’s long history of prioritizing and enhancing distance learning out this type of education, either pursuing
paved the way for converting other School of Education programs. This a blend of in-person and online courses
also made the School of Education — and the University as a whole — or a degree entirely online, because of its
more prepared to be proactive in using technology to respond to other flexibility and accessibility.
realities that affect students’ abilities to access in-person higher education. According to Educationdata.org, nearly
“I learn best in-person,” Cantwell says. “Most of these classes are syn- half of students choosing to learn online in
chronous learning where you are learning in real time, you are visualizing 2018 made this decision because of existing
the lesson and you are part of an in-class discussion — a very close repli- commitments that made attending in-
cation of being in in-person classes and an alternative to online learning person courses difficult or impossible. Many
for students who maybe don’t learn best online.” of these students work full time or have
It was both the utilization of engaging online learning and the focus families to care for, making a traditional,
on technology within the curriculum that peaked Cantwell’s interest in this in-person degree out of the question.
program.
“It is such a mix of arts and sciences, and you don’t really find that in
any program in academics or even in the career field, but it’s something
I’ve always been passionate about,” Cantwell says. “I love technology and
using technology on a daily basis especially with work, so when I read
about this program I saw that it was mainly arts based, but there was also
this component of technology that is driving this program. I thought it was
the perfect mix for me.”
That focus on technology was no accident. Chow has been an
advocate for integrating technology into his courses and sharing
these resources with his students for when they begin their careers as
instructors.
“We saw this coming,” Chow says. “We wanted to broaden the ways to
teach and learn to fields outside of traditional educational environments

26 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

One of the many things the students have access to is
a podcasting studio (left).

ST U D E N T C A M E R O N R A I S S I (below) uses Oculus
Rift virtual reality goggles in the lab. The School of
Education invests in educational tools and technology
that opens students up to the latest advances in
teaching and learning.

Dr. Jewell Cooper, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Student without compromising her current job or
Success and School of Education professor, has dedicated her career to safety. And she is looking forward to provid-
this same goal. “In the spirit of our values of equity, diversity, and inclusion, ing this same kind of access to students who
we want to make it possible for everyone to access quality education even need it most.
if they can’t do so in a face-to-face, brick-and-mortar setting.” Cantwell worked at the UNC Greensboro
Cantwell has dreamed of going back to school ever since she com- Writing Center as an undergraduate. Most
pleted her undergraduate degree at UNC Greensboro, however, life got in of the students she worked with were ESOL
the way. She had to find a full-time position to support herself and ended speakers, so English was not their primary
up moving to Winston-Salem, about 40 minutes away. language.
“Since I work full time, it’s kind of impossible for me to go on campus “Between students that speak a differ-
and be a student, so the fact that this was 100% online appealed to me ent primary language, students with dis-
because it’s an actual program that I can do while keeping my full-time abilities, adult students, and many minority
position.” students who don’t get as many resources,
This program has allowed Cantwell to pursue her career goals there is a great need for online learning. I
want to be able to make a big difference
there,” Cantwell says.
It is these kinds of aspirations that have
led the School of Education to create this
new program in the first place. Instructional
design is about revolutionizing the learning
experience to broaden access and reach.
“We want to prepare instructional
designers to empower people in their own
learning goals and to help organizations
foster a culture of continuous learning that
solves real problems and supports all kinds
of learners,” O’Connor says.
“This is a line of work that really pro-
vides a great deal of quality of life,” Chow
says. “Graduates will have a lot of choices
in the marketplace and the satisfaction of
helping people to be more successful, to
improve their quality of life, and to support
teams and organizations in doing better
work. It’s enormously rewarding.”

2 7TRANSFORM 2020-21

feature story

BY ANDREA SPENCER

working

through the

undercurrent

of trauma

The new NC Academy for Stress, Trauma, and Resilience
(NCA-STAR) will serve as a centralized hub to address the harmful

impacts of trauma and provide solutions for moving forward.

A F I F T H-G R A D E teacher leads a lesson for her class. on the rise among all ages. In one study published in
Aside from the usual buzz of energy in a room full the “Journal of Children and Adolescent Counseling” by
of 11-year-olds — shifting in seats, giggling at some School of Education faculty Dr. Carrie Wachter Morris
unnamed pre-adolescent humor — most of the class is and Dr. Kelly Wester, 12.5% of high school students identi-
focused and engaged. One student, however, seems fied as a serious suicidal risk.
lost. Disconnected. “Zoned out,” you might say. And it’s Cone Health has reported a steady increase in the
not the first time this semester, or even this week. rates of depression among the Medicare population
Across town, two people mind their own business at (older adults, typically 65+) in North Carolina’s Alamance
the grocery store, placing items in their respective carts and Guilford counties.
and quickly moving through their errands. They meet And, with the onset and escalation of the COVID-
at the checkout aisle at precisely the same time, both 19 crisis last spring, domestic violence calls spiked in
believing they are next in line. As one proceeds ahead, Guilford County by 30%.
the other lashes out. Makes a comment. Throws his These are North Carolina examples, but the
hands in the air. An overreaction that will likely ruin his same kinds of trends can be seen across the country.
morning and that of the person now in front of him. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, nearly
Down the street, it’s time for a staff meeting at a half of Americans report that the coronavirus crisis
large corporation. One employee hasn’t been as pro- is harming their mental health. A federal emergency
ductive as he — or his supervisor — would like. He feels hotline for people in emotional distress registered a
weighed down. Unable to complete his projects with more than 1,000% increase in April 2020 compared with
the same efficiency and high-level thinking that he once April 2019.
could. His job and his livelihood are at risk. Whether challenged by the pandemic, economic
These examples are fictional and yet true-to-life. In stressors, family dynamics, genetic predispositions, or a
each one, frustration sets in for people on all sides of the variety of other factors, one’s mental health can have a
story: Why can’t she/I focus better? Why did he/I blow significant impact on behaviors and choices.
up? Why can’t he/I perform better at work? “People are in a survival mode and, therefore,
The growing mental health crisis in North Carolina not able to thrive because there is this obstacle, this
and the nation might provide some clues. weight that they carry around with them, sometimes
Many studies show that mental health issues are without even realizing it,” says Wachter Morris, Associate

28 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Professor and Coordinator of School Counseling.
Wachter Morris is one of the faculty members heading
up a new initiative to address mental health chal-
lenges in North Carolina’s schools, universities, and
communities. The NC Academy for Stress, Trauma, and
Resilience (NCA-STAR) will begin its work close to home,
in Rockingham County.

Finding the source of the problem

Given the prevalence of mental health issues among
today’s schoolchildren and university students, NCA-
STAR mobilizes around an intriguing focus: trauma —
specifically its impact on performance. When attention
issues, poor grades, and classroom disruption show
up in the younger grades, and alcohol abuse, eating
disorders, and self-injury in older students, what’s really
going on? And, how can we help students build resil-
ience so they don’t succumb to these behaviors? The
initiative posits that many students may be grappling
with a trauma response to any number of life events
and circumstances: divorce, poverty, abuse, loss of a
parent, etc. Better understanding the origins of their
behavior enables a recourse less focused on repetitive
disciplinary action and more focused on breaking the
cycle of unhealthy choices.
But how does one learn to be “trauma-informed?”
That’s what the principal investigators aim to share.
“We realized so many of us in CED (Department of

2 9TRANSFORM 2020-21

Counseling and Educational Development) have The trauma-informed mindset:
work that is rooted in trauma or that points back
to trauma,” Wachter Morris says. “NCA-STAR Respond as if trauma is an
formalizes what we’re doing and makes it more underlying issue.
readily available to the teachers and clinicians
who need it.” Recognize that trauma is
ubiquitous and embedded in
In its first year, NCA-STAR will get right to work: our culture.

• Eight second-year master’s in counseling stu- Recognize that a trauma
dents will serve as interns inside Rockingham response could be happening
County Schools (or virtually, if the pandemic wherever you are — school,
brings more school closures). A grant will church, your neighborhood, the
make it possible for the interns to offer training grocery store.
around trauma-informed pedagogy to school
counselors and educators. When you see certain behaviors
in people, ask yourself, “Could
• UNC Greensboro faculty will continue research this be a trauma response? And,
on how to prepare educators and mental therefore, how will I respond
health providers to be trauma-informed in differently knowing that?”
order to support their communities.

• UNC Greensboro will support the training of
mental health providers and educators. This
is in response to a request from community
agencies and will involve CED doctoral stu-
dents who are already engaged in trauma-
informed work.

• The University’s new Stress Management
course will be expanded to reach more stu-
dents and even staff — and eventually scaled to
help other universities offer the course as well.

“We’re in the process of building something
that has an incredibly wide reach once it is firing
on all cylinders,” Wachter Morris says.

A response, not an event

To appreciate the work being done in this arena,
it is important to understand what trauma is and
is not. It is not an event, as many think; rather,
a response — either physical, emotional, and/
or psychological — to an event. Think about war
veterans who suffer psychological fallouts from
their experiences whether or not they were phys-
ically injured. Think about the state of racism
right now and the daily grind of experiencing
such hurdles. (The George Floyd murder brought
trauma responses back to the forefront for many
people who deal with the pain of racism). The
COVID-19 pandemic could cause a trauma
response for some. And, for many schoolchil-
dren from poverty-stricken families (63% of
Guilford County students live in poverty and 27%

30 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

of Rockingham County students live under the poverty line), a lack of food and school counselors will be equipped to

and proper nutrition takes its toll and eventually can affect how a student use this approach so that when a teacher

behaves and learns. needs support, there are people in the

“Growing up in that kind of environment tragically impacts the brain building who can help. Teachers and coun-

over time, so that by the time you get to school you are starting at a really selors alike will consider what’s going on

challenging place,” says Burlington Industries Excellence Professor L. DiAnne with the child at home, and what challenges

Borders. “Your brain shifts in order to cope and survive. You experience the child’s family may be facing.

‘fight, flight, or freeze’ because your brain has been retrained to view certain “As more teachers build trauma-in-

things as threats. Even what others would see as neutral or positive things.” formed classrooms, teachers will be able

According to Borders and Wachter Morris, traumatic experiences leave to recognize when a child’s response is less

victims struggling with distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and subse- about a discipline issue,” Borders says, “and

quent behavioral problems, including addictions. Young people may hide more about a survival issue.”

harmful or devastating life experiences, and counter them with detrimental That distinction is important. According

behaviors. But training and treatment can help alleviate the suffering of to Borders and Wachter Morris, when a

those who experience trauma and life crisis and instead arm them with teacher can accurately assess the problem,

hope, healing, and resilience. That’s where NCA-STAR enters as a central- she can determine how to help the child

ized hub for trauma-informed services to directly promote the health and move forward. Failing to recognize a

wellness of K-12 students and educators, members of the campus commu- trauma response at play could result in

nity, and residents of surrounding communities. poor outcomes. Kids become isolated when

“I think this work is some of the most important work that

can be done,” says Mia Dadian, a graduate student in school

counseling and one of the eight interns working with Rockingham

County Schools to support school counselors and teachers in We’re in an era where depression
trauma-informed pedagogy. “It is powerful, meaningful, brave and substance abuse temptation
work, and I feel very humbled to be a part of their journey and are high for schoolchildren.
experience.”
UNC Greensboro assigned Dadian to Rockingham County One of the University’s partners at Rockingham County
Middle School. For the first semester of her yearlong internship, Schools is Stephanie Ellis, Executive Director of Behavioral
she will learn as much as she can from her direct supervisors so Health, Crisis Intervention and Student Safety. According to
that she can act as a part-time counselor for the second semester. Dr. Carrie Wachter Morris and Dr. L. DiAnne Borders, Ellis’

Working through the lens of trauma position is unique — but much needed in most school districts.

“Our immediate focus is on how to train clinicians to be trau- Recently, Rockingham County Schools became one of just
ma-informed,” Wachter Morris says. “The grant focuses mostly three districts in North Carolina to secure a grant — written
on these interns and helping them support and instruct schools in collaboration with Borders and Wachter Morris — for
around how to respond to students’ behavioral and learning nearly $2.6 million to expand its mental health services.

challenges with a trauma-informed lens.” The funds will help put more mental health care providers

Borders describes one nuance in approach that is subtle, but inside schools for all grade levels, and pay for mental health
potentially transformational. “When you see certain behaviors education and training for teachers and staff.

— perhaps a student is ‘overreacting’ to a situation, for example “The funds come at a critical time for students in need,” Ellis
— a flag should go up. You should assume it could be about says. “Thirty-seven percent of students at the county’s four
something completely different from what is actually happening. traditional high schools report depression symptoms.” At
Ask yourself, ‘Could this be a trauma response? And, therefore, about 3,190 students in 2019-20, that correlates to about
how will I respond differently knowing that?’” 1,180 kids in potential peril.
For a teacher struggling with a student, the question should

not be, “What’s wrong with you?” rather “What happened to you?” “That statistic is particularly troubling, considering North
In their master’s-level courses, interns learn strategies Carolina ranks suicide as the second leading cause of death
around this approach. Their trauma-informed curriculum helps among young people, ages 14-24,” Ellis notes. “In our state,

them, in turn, coach teachers to respond to poor classroom per- for every 200 students reporting a mental health need, only

formance, less often as a behavior issue, and more frequently as 10 get access to resources they need to improve.”

a trauma issue. The vision is that down the road, more teachers

3 1TRANSFORM 2020-21

disciplinary action removes them from the classroom. They get behind in care — they all belonged to the Kaiser
school. Perhaps they are then labeled by their peers and their teachers. Permanente HMO. Imagine what the data
They may even act out in a way that gets them expelled. Researchers want might look like in high-needs schools, where
instead to look at what interventions can help break this cycle. students have at least two handicaps: The
“This is not just about policy, it’s about procedure,” Wachter Morris says. school typically has fewer resources (so a
“We want to help evaluate how students are behaving and how teach- lack of equity), and the students often live
ers are responding with the goal of making the school environment more in challenging situations (e.g., poverty) that
trauma-sensitive so that students who are challenged have a better path make it difficult for them to focus on their
forward.”
This approach helps teachers sidestep a power struggle, work on According to the Centers
de-escalation and remove a perceived threat for the student. Teacher and for Disease Control and
student both can pause, breathe, and regroup. Prevention, about 61%
It could also help right a wrong diagnosis. “The way some students of adults surveyed in
behave presents as ADHD,” Wachter Morris explains. “But it’s not typical 25 states reported that
ADHD, it’s a trauma response. When we don’t recognize this, the students they had experienced at
are given the wrong treatment, and it doesn’t work. So, for example, if the least one type of Adverse
behavior is due to a trauma response and not ADHD, then medication pre- Childhood Experience
scribed for ADHD wouldn’t be useful.” (ACE), and nearly one
“We want to avoid pathologizing kids who just need to be understood. in six reported they had
Help give them ways to cope and manage,” Borders adds. experienced four or more
Based on their research, Borders and Wachter Morris believe there types of ACEs.
always is something more under the surface, and not addressing that
undercurrent can doom a child to a lifetime of emotional suffering — or at studies at school and at home.
the very least, not realizing his or her potential. “Instead of bringing the hammer down,”
Borders says, “we want to provide the time
The eye-opening ACE Study connects trauma to health and resources and, eventually, the policy
change to allow teachers to ask different
Early experiences have a broad and profound impact on an individual’s questions and to help build empathy and
development and subsequent emotional, cognitive, social, and biological understanding because they are able to see
functioning. Researchers cite the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood the trauma behind the behaviors.”
Experiences (ACE) Study, one of the largest investigations connecting Wachter Morris adds, “If I only look at
childhood abuse, neglect, and household challenges to later-life health and the diagnosed condition or the presenting
well-being. For the original ACE Study conducted at Kaiser Permanente from problem, whatever I am doing is not going
1995 to 1997, more than 17,000 health maintenance organization members to be as effective until I see the trauma
from Southern California completed confidential surveys about their child- response behind the problem.”
hood experiences and current health status and behaviors. Borders and Wachter Morris believe
What came out of the study, in short: a list of common adverse child- this work allows you to see everything
hood experiences (ACEs) — stressful or traumatic events — that may have differently. Diagnoses. The neighborhood
a lasting impact on children’s health and well-being. There are 10 types of kid. The co-worker. Even oneself. “Often,
childhood trauma measured in the ACE Study. Five are personal — phys- there are invisible traumas causing one’s
ical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional behavior, and we can thrive better when
neglect. Five are related to other family members: a parent who’s an alco- we increase our empathy for one another,”
holic, a mother who’s a victim of domestic violence, a family member in jail, Wachter Morris says. “This is about healing
a family member diagnosed with a mental illness, and the disappearance and building resiliency. Instead of making
of a parent through divorce, death or abandonment. Each type of trauma people feel punished, it’s about giving them
counts as one. Survey respondents score a point for each one they’ve the grace to respond more positively.”
experienced prior to their 18th birthday. As their ACE score increases, so
does the risk of disease, and social and emotional problems. With an ACE
score of 4 or more, things start getting serious, with physiological impacts.
The likelihood of chronic pulmonary lung disease increases 390%; hepatitis,
240%; depression, 460%; attempted suicide, 1,220%.
Study participants were 17,000 mostly white, middle and upper-mid-
dle class, college-educated San Diegans with good jobs and great health

32 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

school of education

We extend our deepest appreciation to alumni, friends, Mr. Jason Abraham Cathcart and
parents, faculty, and staff, both present and retired, Mrs. Vicki Cathcart
whose generosity allows students to pursue their dreams
in class and across the world, and supports outstanding Mrs. Marlene Cato
professors, technology, and resources. Mrs. Carol Collier Caudill*
Mrs. Jane H. Chandra* and

Dr. Suresh Chandra
Mrs. Marilyn Nance Chism*
Mrs. Tamara Simon Clarida* and

We are proud to recognize our alumni, indicated with an asterisk (*) as well our John H. Dr. Brian Clarida
Cook Champions for Education, indicated in bold, who have made annual leadership level Ms. Ann B. Clark
gifts to any fund in the School of Education of at least $1,000. Mrs. Joan Kearns Clodfelter*
Mrs. Mary Liles Coates*

The following list reflects all donors to the School of Education between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. Mr. Paul Douglas Coates* and
Mrs. Jacqueline Terhaar Coates

Mrs. Polly McDonald Cobb* and
Mr. Albert H. Cobb

Alamance Community Foundation Mrs. Cynthia Williams Bell* Mrs. Patricia Crowell Brittain* Dr. Larry Dale Coble* and Ms. Ellen Coble
Mrs. Becky La Dage Alexander* Dr. Aerin Workman Benavides* Mrs. Sandra Broadhurst Brooks* Ms. Carol Clark Colebrook*
Ms. Beverly Alford* Mr. Jeff Benedict and Mr. Stephen Brooks* and Mrs. Carey Mrs. Maria Vandenberg Collins*
Mrs. Lynne B. Allen* Community Foundation of
Mr. Will Almand* and Mrs. Amy R. Benedict Jefferson Brooks
Ms. Eunice Marie Bent* Ms. Alice G. Brown* Greater Greensboro
Ms. Shannon Mary O’Donnell Dr. Silvia C. Bettez Ms. Kathryn Kujawski Brown* Mrs. Betty Cone* and Mr. Benjie Cone, Jr.
Dr. Margaret Bordeaux Arbuckle* and Mrs. Anne Blalock Beverly* and Mrs. Sue Brown* Dr. Frances Susan Connelly*
Mrs. Patty B. Bruns* Ms. Rebecca L. Connelly
Mr. Howard B. Arbuckle, III Mr. Gerald M. Beverly Dr. Lisa Brown Buchanan* Dr. Katherine O. Conrad*
Dr. Sonia Marie Archer-Capuzzo* and Dr. William Black ° Mrs. Elizabeth Farrior Buford * and Dr. Sharon L. Contreras
Mrs. Lynn Young Blackburn* and Mrs. Nancy Stilwell Cook* and
Dr. Guy Capuzzo Mr. Donald G. Mathews
Armstrong Family Foundation Mr. Larry Blackburn Ms. Patty Burgess Mr. J. David Cook
Mr. Jack Henry Armstrong Mrs. Ruby Swisher Blackwelder*° Dr. Sue Fisher Burgess* and Mrs. Lynne Cooper-Pyle* and
Mr. Thomas L. Armstrong* and Mrs. Linda Morris Blakely*
Dr. Roy E. Blanton* Mr. Davidson Burgess Mr. Darrell Cooper-Pyle
Mrs. Karen M. Armstrong Ms. Kendra Neressa Bledsoe* Ms. Elizabeth Connelly Burkhead Mr. Elvie C. Cooper and
Mrs. Mary Gordon Austin-Tugman* and Mr. Charles H. Bliss Miss Ann Fair Burns*
Ms. Shannon Lee Blotzer* Dr. Karen Conner Burress* Mrs. Daphine Cooper
Mr. Dana F. Tugman Mr. Steven Edward Blum* Mrs. Marie Sizemore Butler* Dr. Jewell E. Cooper*
Mrs. Nancy McLemore Ayscue-Moody* Ms. Kristen S. Bonatz Mr. Andrew Cagle Miss Lauren Corbett*
Mr. Joey Bahamundi Mrs. Katherine Barrier Bondurant* Mrs. Joanne Kiser Caldwell* Mr. Ned Covington and
Mrs. Angela Lindsay Baker* and Mrs. Gaye Bonnell* Dr. Jean S. Camp*
Dr. Leslie DiAnne Borders* Dr. David A. Carlone and Mrs. Katherine H. Covington
Mr. Robert E. Baker Dr. Berry Bostic and Mrs. Helen S. Bostic Dr. Lillie Matilda Cox*
Mrs. Eleanor McCain Baker* and Mrs. Beth Harward Bowling* Dr. Heidi B. Carlone Mrs. Yvonne Potts Cregger*
Mr. Randall Hunter Bowman* Dr. James Vinson Carmichael, Jr Mr. Charles R. Crenshaw, Jr.* and
Mr. Mack Stuart Baker Mrs. Martha Foster Bradberry* and Dr. Nora Kathleen Carr*
Miss Susan E. Bales* Dr. Talula Elizabeth Cartwright* and Mrs. Patricia Crenshaw
Mr. William Ervin Ball and Mr. Barry A. Bradberry Mrs. Jill Brown Crews* and
Mrs. Frances Bryant Bradburn* and Mr. Richard England
Mrs. LuAnne Ball Mr. Randolph N. Carver Mr. Charlie W. Crews, Jr.
Mrs. Margaret Allen Barclay and Mr. John Thomas Welch Mrs. Frances Harris Casey* and Mrs. Barbara Borneman Croom*
Dr. Ann R. Brady* Mrs. Pat Roos Cross* and Mr. Pete Cross
Mr. Ned Barclay Ms. Barbara Rankin Brakebill* Mr. William Eller Casey Miss Helen M. Crouch*
Ms. Peggie Barker* Mrs. Patricia Thomas Brame* and Dr. Craig S. Cashwell* Mrs. Flora Allen Crow* and
Mrs. Nancy Hatley Barnhardt* and Ms. Jennifer L. Catania
Mr. John M. Brame Mr. Needham C. Crowe, Jr.
Mr. Brooks Barnhardt Ms. Sarah Cassandra Crump*
Mr. Robert W. Barrett* Mrs. Annie Flye Cullen*
Axel Battista
Dr. Tasha Becton*

* Alum Mrs. Jean Harman Branch* and Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this report. However, as
Mr. Steve M. Branch with any work of this nature, inadvertent errors or omissions may occur. If we
° Deceased have erred on, or omitted, information, we apologize and ask that you contact
*° Alum, Deceased Mrs. Linda McCown Branch* us at 336.256.0496 or email [email protected].
Ms. Maggi Braun
Bold Cook Society Member Mrs. Elizabeth Green Bridges*

3 3TRANSFORM 2020-21

&impact inspiration

Smith Self carries on
his father’s legacy

BY ERIN STONEKING, PH.D.

After years of running his own successful chil-
dren’s clothing company, Dr. Luther Winborne
Self taught courses in textiles and apparel at UNC

Greensboro. In 1997, at the age of 73, he earned

his Ph.D. from the School of Education; he was the

oldest person to have received a doctoral degree

from UNC Greensboro at that time.

Although Self passed away just a few months

after earning his degree, his presence is still felt

strongly on campus. Self’s wife, Sara “Sally” Smith

Self, and son, Smith Self, established the Luther

Winborne Self Fellowship to support doctoral

students in the Department of Educational OLIVER THOMAS SMITH AND REBEKAH SELF
Leadership and Cultural Foundations.

Smith Self, who fondly remembers the moment

he walked his father across the stage to receive his doctoral To Smith Self, the Self Fellows represent a legacy that reaches

diploma, credits the idea for the fellowship to Self’s generosity beyond their time at the School of Education. “That’s more than

and passion for learning. As he was working toward that degree, 200 people who have become educators and administrators and

Self anonymously extended financial aid to a struggling fellow are in positions to inspire others with more to follow,” he remarks.

student to ensure that the classmate could complete their degree. “They’re the ones making the difference. That’s a real legacy.”

“That was my dad,” Smith Self says. “It was about doing the But the Self family hasn’t stopped short at honoring Dr. Self’s

right thing, not about getting acknowledgement for it.” generosity and zest for learning and scholarship. In honor of his

Twenty-four years later, the fellowship has helped more father’s creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, Smith Self, together

than 200 students working toward their doctoral degrees since its with his daughter Rebekah, opened the SELF (Student Educator

founding in 1996. In 2019, Oliver Thomas was one of those students Learning Factory) Design Studio at the School of Education in

— he was working to support himself as a Ph.D. candidate, which 2014. The studio is a collaborative makerspace designed to foster

left little time and energy to focus on his research and writing. a culture of STEM-based creativity through hands-on, cutting-edge

“I said, you know, this is really not going to work,” Thomas learning.

recalls. “One of the two had to go: either the job or the disserta- Along with the Self Lecture Hall on the first floor of the School

tion. The Self Fellowship allowed me to transition to writing the of Education building, the SELF Design Studio and Self Fellowship

dissertation full time.” represent one family’s lasting gift to the School of Education, but

Thanks in part to the financial support provided by the their impact is wide-reaching.

Self Fellowship, Thomas completed his dissertation, “Toward As Smith Self himself put it, “If anything, my family could be

a Pedagogy of Critical Liberative Theological Consciousness: said to have thrown the initial rock into the pond. The ripples

Cultivating Students as Agents of Change,” and graduated in created have since spread but that first rock has long since disap-

May 2020. He is teaching at his undergraduate alma mater, peared beneath the surface. The first ripples have now created

North Carolina A&T State University, this fall. ripples of their own.”

34 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

continued from page 33 Ms. Shanice Renee Foye* ERICA HORHN ’20 Mrs. Clara Morris Hedberg* and
* Alum Mrs. Gwyneth Benjamin Foy* Mr. Carl Stanley Hedberg
Dr. Diane L. Frost* and Mr. Steve J. Frost “Because I want to
° Deceased Ms. Christine Marie Fry* celebrate the legacy of Ms. Anna Elizabeth May Hedgepeth*
*° Alum, Deceased Dr. James N. Fuller* impactful educators and Mrs. Sammy Hodges Helminger*
Mrs. Nancy Scott Fuller* and acknowledge those who Mr. Joe C. Helms and Lou Outen Helms*°
Bold Cook Society Member have made a difference Mr. Robert L. Hensley* and
Mr. W. Erwin Fuller, Jr. in my life here at UNC
Mrs. Susan Culp Mrs. Shirley Stilwell Fuller* and Greensboro, I made my Mrs. Nora H. Hensley
Mr. Kendall Cumbee and gift to the Inspirational Dr. Julia A. Hersberger
Mr. Arnold W. Fuller Educators Endowment Dr. Kimberly Kappler Hewitt
Mrs. Ginny Cumbee Ms. Connie Peninger Garner* and Fund.” Ms. Brenda Wyrick Hicks*
Ms. Lora Parker Cunningham* Mrs. Connie Koch Hiller*
Ms. Devon C. Currie* and Mr. Tim Garner BRAD JOHNSON ’09 (FACULTY), Mrs. Dottie Parks Hinton* and
Mrs. Gean Jones Gault* and RIGHT, AND SPOUSE JASON
Mr. Cameron Prevatte ROBERTSON ’02 Mr. Derek L. Hinton
Mrs. Gail Broadway Curry* and Mr. Frank A. Gault Ms. Frances Starr Hipp*
Mrs. Alberta Proctor Gearhart* “Because we want to Mrs. Betty Isley Hobbs* and
Mr. Wayne Curry George Andreve Foundation, Inc. provide opportunities for
Mrs. Madeleine Anne Dassow* and Mrs. Martha Brooks Giles* students to meet their Dr. Daniel R. Hobbs
Mr. Douglas M. Glasgow, Jr.* educational goals, we Mrs. Diane Holding*
Mr. Duane A. Dassow Dr. Katherine Howard Glenn* made our gift to The Mrs. Carolyn Stephenson Holland* and
Ms. Amber Nicole Davila* Miss Patricia A. Glover Dean of the School of
Mrs. Katherine Bland Davis* and Mr. Justin Thomas Golding* Education’s Greatest Mr. Dave Holland
Mrs. Marjorie Leder Goldstein* Needs Fund.” Mrs. Julie E. Holland and Mr. R.B. Holland
Mr. Robert Wade Davis Dr. Josh Goodman* and Ms. Janie Copple Ms. Tamara Dawn Holtzmann*
Mrs. Martha Roe Davis* and Mr. Carl Davis Ms. Aimee Rebekah Gordon* Dr. Debra Gordon Holzberg
Mrs. Mary Bassett Davis* Mrs. Izoria Sheppard Gordon* Mrs. Jennifer Smith Hooks* and
Dr. April M. Dawkins Mr. Donald Leon Gorham
Mrs. Cynthia Hedrick Day* Deborah Davis Gough* Mr. Jacob T. Hooks
Mrs. Betty S. Dean* and Mr. James R. Dean Mrs. Laura McMeans Graham* Mrs. Bonita Broyles Hooper*
Mr. David DeHart* Mrs. Marilyn M. Gramling* and Ms. Kristen E. Hoover*
Ms. Alison DeYoung Dr. Erica Horhn*
Mrs. Merrill J. Dillon* Mr. Roger M. Gramling Dr. Elaine Swartout Hotaling*
Ms. Amber Treshawn Doniere* Mrs. Phyllis Davis Gray* and Mr. Dick Gray Ms. Robin Lynnette Howard
Mr. James Loos Donnelly and Ms. Bonny P. Green Ms. Ann C. Howe
Mrs. Frona Conn Greenspun* Ms. Kayla Nicole Howell*
Mrs. Abby Donnelly Mr. William R. Grey, III* and Mrs. Ann Grey Dr. Scott Howerton, IV*
Ms. Suzanne Hockaday Doub* Mr. Lee W. Grier* and Mrs. Nancy G. Grier Mr. Frederick M. Hoy*
Mrs. Linda Rowland Douglas* D.H. Griffin Ms. Mary Linker Hoyle*
Mrs. Mary Howard Franck Downs* Mr. Ross A. Griffith* and Ms. Casey A. Hudgins*
Dr. Manuel Carzell Dudley* and Mrs. Doris Ward Huff*
Mrs. Betty Turnage Griffith Ms. Vicki C. Humphries*
Mrs. Kimberly Arnetta Moore-Dudley Mrs. Barbara Southerland Griset* The Honorable James B. Hunt, Jr. and
Mrs. Sandra Wall Dudley* Mr. Roman Macfield Gunn*
Mrs. E. Lucille Branch Duncan* Mrs. Anne Perry Gutekunst* and Mrs. Carolyn L. Hunt
Mrs. Lindsay Harrison Duncan* and Ms. Cynthia Loope Hupper
Mr. Richard Martin Gutekunst Mrs. Christine Hurley* and
Mr. Spencer B. Duncan Mr. Charles T. Hagan, III and
Mrs. Joanne Horn Eaker* Mr. Daniel Hurley
Mrs. Midge Eason* The Honorable Kay Ruthven Hagan*° Mrs. Jennifer Lohr Hurley and
Mrs. Carolyn Rountree Eaton* and Ms. Brandi Frazier Hagerman*
Mrs. Gail Jenkins Hahn* and Mr. Joshua Lane Hurley
Mr. Walter Cary Eaton Mrs. Beth Martin Hutchens* and
Dr. Mary Catharine Eberhart* and Mr. Robert Hahn
Ms. Barbara Halbert and Mr. John Pate Hutchens
Dr. Pete Eberhart Mrs. Deanne Hill Hutchinson*
Ms. Debra Kay Edney* Dr. Martin Douglas Halbert Dr. Bryant Lindsay Hutson* and Dr. Ye He
Mr. Robert L. Edwards* and Mrs. Patricia Kinsey Hall* Mrs. Dot Kanipe Hyatt*
Mrs. Karen C. Ham* Dr. Kathy Hytten
Mrs. Kathryn Oakes Edwards Dr. Kelly Marie Hannum* Mrs. Cynthia Secor Ingle* and
Mrs. Carole Whedbee Ellis* Ms. Kathryn Marie Harding
Ms. Paige Ellis* Dr. Beth Garriss Hardy* Mr. Gwyn B. Ingle
Ms. Ashlee Elizabeth Eplee* Dr. Joe Harmon Mrs. Mary Turner Ipock*
Mrs. Gloria Yvonne Evans* and Dr. Melanie Harper* Mrs. Alice Joyner Irby*
Ms. Cheryl Harrelson* Mrs. Dianne Smith Iseman* and
Mr. Sherman A. Evans Miss Rhea Harris*
Mrs. Kelly Connelly Evans* and Mrs. Sue Cooke Harris* and Mr. James M. Iseman
Mr. Stephen Israel and Mrs. Nina Israel
Mr. David F. Evans Mr. Claude Harris Dr. John J. Ivers* and Mrs. Connie L. Ivers
Dr. Colleen Mayme Fairbanks and Mrs. Evelyn Fisher Hart* Mrs. Terri Jackson* and Mr. Clint Jackson, IV
Ms. Kasandra Hart The Honorable Maggie Moore Jeffus*
Mr. Paul Knowlton Ms. Elizabeth Hassard*
Ms. Karen Elizabeth Feeney* Ms. Maria Moss Hayden* and Mr. David B. Goltare
Dr. Rebecca Hobgood Felton* Mrs. Louise Luther Haynes* and Ms. Rita B. Jennings*
Mrs. Anne S. Ferguson* Mr. Talmage M. Jobe, Jr.*
Mrs. Patricia Helgesen Fesperman* Mr. John D. Haynes Dr. Brad Johnson* and
Mrs. Jean Hogshead Few* and Mr. Leigh Gordon Hebbard, Jr.* and
Dr. Jason O. Robertson
Dr. John F. Few Mrs. Michele S. Hebbard Mrs. Emily Cox Johnson*
Mrs. Beth Fischer and Mr. AJ Fischer Mrs. Ann Cragan Johnston*
Ms. Kathy Mabry Fischetti*
Mrs. Margaret Swann Flaherty* 3 5TRANSFORM 2020-21
Mrs. Jo Anna Barnes Fonville*

school of education

continued from page 35 Mr. Scott Lineberry* and KATHY GLENN ’92 Ms. Kelsea K. Munyan*
* Alum Mrs. Susan P. Lineberry Dr. Melissa Anne Murray*
“Because I want to support Miss Yoonjung Na*
° Deceased Ms. Mitzi Ann Lorenz the Counseling and Mrs. Sally Derr Nelson*
*° Alum, Deceased Ms. Elizabeth Louis Educational Development Mrs. Wendy Walker Nelson* and
Dr. Hilda Love* Department in its
Bold Cook Society Member Ms. Eboni Shakia Lowry* outstanding efforts to Mr. Lee W. Nelson, Jr.
Mrs. Phyllis Smith Lupton* provide the highest Dr. Elinor F. Newberry*
Mrs. Celia Gomedela Jolley* and Mrs. Celia Caldwell Maddry* quality of education and Mrs. Gloria Crook Newman* and
Mr. David Styles Jolley Dr. Sarah Ragna Magann* training of professional
Mrs. Patsy Mainous* counselors, I made my Mr. Harold B. Newman
Dr. Deborah Elaine Jones* Dr. Rebecca Smith Mann* gift to the CED Alumni Mrs. Barbara B. Newnam* and
Ms. Jennifer Lynn Jones* Mr. Leonard West Mansfield* and Endowment Fund.”
Mrs. Joan Ash Jones* Mr. Ed Newnam
Mrs. Lillie Sasser Jones* Mrs. Amy Mansfield AMOS OLAGUNJU ’87 Dr. Todd Alan Nicolet*
Mrs. Linda Johnson Jones* and Mrs. Sarah Walker Marley* Mrs. Kathryn Friday Nicol*
Mrs. Sandra Green Marsh* and “Because I hope to help Ms. Jenna Deyoung Nielsen*
Mr. Kevin R. Jones attract talented students Mrs. Jo Ann Payne Norris*
Mrs. Linda J. Jones* Mr. Jim Marsh to UNC Greensboro, I North Carolina Community Foundation
Mrs. Linda Atkinson Jones* Mrs. Jane M. Martin* made my gift to the ERM Dr. Christina Koelb O’Connor*
Mrs. Eleanor McCallum Jordan* Mrs. Barbara Nichols Mason* Alumni Endowment Fund.” Dr. Lisa Gaye O’Connor
Mrs. Sarah Cole Jordan* and Mr. Don G. Matney Dr. Amos Omotayo Olagunju*
Mrs. Reba Reba Maxson* Ms. Brittley D. Oliver*
The Honorable Robert B. Jordan III Mrs. Rena Farrell McAllister* and Mrs. Billie Jo Wall Olsen*
Mr. Jeff Katz and Ms. Ila Rosenthal Dr. Don Olson
Mrs. Kimberly B. Kaufmann* and Mr. W. H. McAllister, III Oscar and Mossie Teague Foundation, Inc.
Mr. Collin Patrick McColskey-Leary* Dr. Danita Miskiewicz Ostasiewski*
Mr. Eric Kaufmann Mrs. Kay Marie McEntire* Dr. Jean D. Owen*
Mrs. Rebecca Springs Kaylor* Ms. Sarah H. McFee Mrs. Kay Pennington Ownby*
Ms. Amy Price Keaton* Ms. Patricia Buffington McGee* Dr. Sammy R. Oxendine*
Mrs. Carol Haviland Keller* Mr. Steven E. McKeand and Miss Elsie Painter*
Mrs. Jane Tew Keller* and Mr. Edwin Keller Mr. Robert Palmer*
Mrs. Ometa Brown Kenan* Mrs. Lou McKeand Mrs. Marilyn A. Parker* and
Mrs. Michele Kennedy* and Mrs. Gail McLeod*
Mr. Ned McMillan, III Mr. Robert L. Parker
Mr. Mike Kennedy Dr. Karen Meadows* Miss Phyllis C. Parker* and
Miss Billie F. Keye* Ms. Carol Hewitt Melvin*
Mrs. Alice Sharpe Kilgore* and Mrs. Vickie Lynn Mendenhall* Mr. Paul E. Parker
Mr. Santiago Mendoza Guerrero Dr. Katherine M. Pasour*
Mr. Tim Kilgore Mrs. Salem Rainey Metzger* and Mrs. Mary Wilson Pauly*
Mr. Ben F. Kimbrough and Dr. Craig Martin Peck
Mr. Jay Metzger Mrs. Nancy Conrads Pendergast*
Mrs. Kelly Kimbrough Dr. J. Wayne Miller* Dr. Randall D. Penfield and
Dr. Judge N. Kornegay* Dr. Johncarlos McThurston Miller*
Dr. Stephanie A. Kurtts* Dr. Sam Miller and Dr. Kara Elizabeth Penfield
Mrs. Andrea Louis Lacey* and Miss Hazel Perritt
Mrs. Jane Depietro Miller Dr. Audrey Lail Perselay*
Mr. David W. Lacey Mr. Ryan P. Milligan Dr. Donna Cox Peters* and
Mr. John R. Landry, Sr. and Ms. Betty Tusai Mitchell*
Dr. Lisa Nanette Mitchell* Mr. Rick L. Peters
Mrs. Shirley K. Landry Mrs. Marie McNeil Mitchell* Mrs. Lorene Moore Pfeiffer* and
Dr. Heather Michele Moorefield Lang* Dr. Suzanne M. Mitchell*
Mrs. Jennifer Cornell Monges* and Mr. Frank Pfeiffer
and Mr. Jeffry Lang Mrs. Derusha Darden Phillips*
Mrs. Nancy Allen Larsen* and Mr. Dan Monges Mr. Harold Wayne Phipps* and
Mrs. Jane Elder Moore*
Mr. Les I. Larsen Mrs. Bonnie Williams Morrah* and Mrs. Susan S. Phipps
Ms. Margaret R. Lathan* Mr. John L. Pinnix* and Ms. Sally Pinnix
Ms. Barbara Davis Lavin* Mr. James E. Morrah Dr. Richard Pipan* and
Mrs. Gloria Eudy Lawrence* Mrs. Anne Tice Morris*
Mr. Thomas S. Smith Lee* Dr. Carrie Ashford Wachter Morris* Dr. Barbara Ann Israel
Mrs. Barbara Friedmam Leibowitz* Ms. Marcia Vann Plyler*
Dr. Mary Joe Lentz* and Mr. Brandon Matthew Morris Mrs. Carrie Davis Ponder* and
Ms. Gabrielle Patrice Leonard* Mr. Cody Dale Morris*
Ms. Raychelle Leonard Dr. Linda Mellete Morris* Dr. Reginald W. Ponder
Mrs. Carolyn Crews Lester* Mrs. Patricia Mary Morris Mrs. Pam Powell* and
Ms. Barbara Barry Levin Mrs. Carol Maguire Moser*
Dr. Henry A. Lewis* Mr. Robert W. Powell
Shirley Councilman Lindley*° Mr. Norwood Pritchett
Dr. Ethan Claude Lindsay*

36 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Dr. Beverly Sheets Pugh* MANUEL DUDLEY ’94 Mrs. Hilda Horsman Smith* Dr. Nancy N. Vacc*
Ms. Jennifer Wiley Pugh* AND SPOUSE KIMBERLY Ms. Karen Lynne Smith* and Ms. Kansas Jade Vaughn*
Mr. Larry W. Putnam* and MOORE-DUDLEY ’97 Dr. Leila E. Villaverde
Mr. James Albert Smith Mrs. Vienna Kern Volante*
Mrs. Carol Rankin Putnam “Because we want to Ms. Kathelene Smith* Ms. Lea Ann Walden*
Ms. Qi Qin* support bright minds Ms. Stephanie Smith* Mrs. Ann Winstead Wall*
Dr. Leslie M. Rainey* and and talented future Mrs. Susan Mendenhall Smith* Ms. Jill Walsh*
educators, we gave to Miss Catherine Solomon* Mrs. Margaret Jarrett Walton*
Dr. Steven K. Rainey The Dean of the School Mrs. Carol Van Name Sorensen* and Mrs. Mary Lou Ward*
Ms. Kate Elizabeth Rawson* of Education’s Greatest Mrs. Mary Lain Ward*
Ms. Katie Raynor* Needs Fund.” Dr. Richard E. Sorensen Mrs. Peggy Warlick*°
Ms. Doris Peeler Redding* Ms. Joyce E. Speas* Dr. Kevin Martin Matney Washburn*
Ms. Joyce Reeder* SILVIA BETTEZ (FACULTY) Dr. Sharon Lynn Spencer* and Mr. John Henry Watson, II*
Mrs. Tina Blanks Reeder* and Mrs. Anne Hicks Weaver*
“Because I want to increase Mr. Charles K. Hurlbert Ms. Joyce Lynn Weaver*
Mr. Johnny Kyle Reeder equity in education and Mr. Alan R. Spiewak* Mrs. Kristi Hall Webster*
Mrs. Barbara Pillatt Resnick* recognize those who Mrs. Lynda Brewer Stanley* Ms. Taylor Nicole Whelchel*
Mrs. Katie Swain Reynolds* do social justice work in Dr. Jennifer Tomon Stephens* Mrs. Mary McDaniel White*
Dr. Torry Lynn Reynolds* education, I made my Ms. Barbara Anne Steslow* and Whitener Foundation
Mr. Edward N. Richards gift to the Inspirational Ms. Holly Nicole Whittington*
Dr. Kerri Danielle Richardson Educators Endowment Mr. Terry Akin Mrs. Becky Gerber Whyte* and
Mrs. Delores Hinson Riley* Fund.” Mrs. Rebecca Sherrill Stevens* and
Dr. Jan W. Roberts* Mr. Paul Whyte
Ms. Adyera R. Robinson Mr. Herbert B. Stevens Mrs. Mary Wicker*
Dr. Jean Rattigan Rohr* and Ms. Susan M. Stevens Mrs. Polly Wicker* and Mr. Gene A. Wicker
Dr. Yvette Aurelia Stewart* Ms. Jelilah Wiggleton
Mr. John A. Rohr Mr. Paul Edward Stiles, Jr. Ms. Lynette Wikle*
Dr. Jonathan Darrell Rollins, III* Dr. Elaine Sells Stiller* Mrs. Mary Lillie T. Wilkins*
Mrs. Blanche Eure Rountree* Mr. Richard Stilley* and Ms. Harriett Williams*
Mrs. Sheri Napchen Ruffle* and Mr. Ashley James Williamson* and
Mrs. Amanda Plumlee
Mr. William C. Ruffle Mrs. Patricia Clifton Stradley* and Mrs. Sonya Loving Williamson
Mrs. Mary Charles Sage* and Dr. Mary Arnold Williamson*
Mr. J. Bryan Stradley, II Ms. Sheryl Ann Williamson
Mr. George B. Sage, Jr. Mrs. Irene W. Strickland and Ms. Angela Alise Wilson*
Mrs. Beverly Brannock Sagneri* Mrs. Anne Chagaris Wilson* and
Sara Smith Self Foundation Mr. James R. Strickland
Mrs. Mary Francis Sayre* and Mr. Stephen Aaron Strother* Mr. Larry K. Wilson
Summit Rotary Foundation, Inc. Mrs. Elnora Calloway Wilson*
Mr. Stevan F. Sayre Ms. Liliana Sznaidman* Mr. Jimi Wilson* and Ms. Lynn Paluga
Miss Emily Layne Schneider* Mr. Daniel Scott Talbert* Mrs. Nancy Dwiggins Wilson*
Dr. Cynthia Glascock Schroder* Ms. Susan Tanahey* and Ms. Shameeka Monay Wilson*
Dr. Dale H. Schunk Mrs. Etta Wrenn Winslow*
Dr. Gayle Wimberley Scott* Mr. George Edward Tanahey Winston-Salem Foundation, Inc.
Mr. Kyle Taylor Scott* Mrs. Nancy Gail Teague* and Dr. Karen Kring Wixson
Ms. Teresa Louise Sedberry* Ms. Caryl Wollert
Mr. Smith Winborne Self and Mr. Tommy L. Teague Ms. Sandra Celeste Womble*
Mrs. Cindi M. Teel* Mrs. Linda Wilson Woodard* and
Miss Rebekah Madea Self Mrs. Carol Campbell Thanos*
Dr. Shuying Sha Sha* Mr. Dwight Thompson, Jr.* Mr. John R. Woodard
Dr. Randall Ray Shaver* Mrs. Linda B. Thompson and Mrs. Jane Sowers Wood*
Ms. Barbara Jean Shaw* Dr. Monette Weaver Wood*
Mrs. Elizabeth Davis Shearin* Mr. Jerry Thompson Mrs. Linda A. Wooten* and
Robert N. Shelton Dr. Robert J. Tilidetzke*
Mrs. Pamela Ruth Sherman* Mrs. Patricia Tiska-Rivers* Mr. Billy J. Wooten
Dr. Ronald E. Shiffler* and Ms. Mary Allen Todd* Mr. Michael J. Woyahn
Mr. Nathaniel Gray Todd* Ms. Colleen MacDonald Wright*
Mrs. Barbara Shiffler Mrs. Joan Morrison Tolley* and Mrs. Bonnie Chandler York*
Dr. Paula Myrick Short* and Dr. Rick J. Short Mrs. Gwendolyn Jones York*
Mrs. Christine Davis Shuford* Dr. Jerry R. Tolley, Sr. Mrs. Betty Troutman Young*
Dr. James E. Sibert* and Mrs. Joann Sibert Dr. John Garrett Tomlinson* Dr. Scott Young* and Mrs. Sara D. Young
Ms. Patricia Whitley Sickles* Lt. Col. Robert F. Tomon, USMC, Ret. Mrs. Shirley Knott Young*
Mrs. Susan S. Sigmon*
Mrs. Dee McNamara Simmons* and Mrs. Catherine T. Tomon
Dr. R. Dale Simmons* Ms. Brit’ny Danielle Towns*
Mrs. Jeanne Pritchard Singleton* and Mrs. Betty Routh Trosper* and

Mr. Chesley W. Singleton Mr. Gregg Trosper
Mrs. Mary Hedrick Skeen* Mrs. Ann Bowman Tucker*
Mrs. Daphne Wingate Skidmore* and Mrs. Kay Leach Tucker*
Mrs. Lucy Billman Tyndall* and
Mr. Frederick Skidmore
Mrs. Sandy Margolis Smiley* and Mr. Irvin D. Tyndall
William C. Ulrich and Betty G. Ulrich
Dr. Gary R. Smiley
Mrs. Janice Mcdowell Smith-Coaxum* Contact Terri Jackson OR GIVE ONLINE
Mr. Bernard Smith
Mrs. Betty Bell Smith* and Senior Director of Development soe.uncg.edu/giving  
[email protected] QUICK. EASY. SECURE.
Capt. Thomas M. Smith
336.256.0496

37TRANSFORM 2020-21

Non-Profit Org.
US Postage Paid
Greensboro, NC

Permit 30

School of Education Building
PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170

Twitter @UNC GreensboroSchoolofEdu
Facebook UNC Greensboro School of Education
Instagra @UNC GreensboroSchoolofEdu

Our educators are heroes

Honor their care and courage

Educators are on the frontline of the pandemic in the critical roles they play with students
and families. They are truly redefining what it means to be an Inspirational Educator.

Our Inspirational Educators program supports students whose dream is to be an educator
and enables us to honor their service. Individually, as a group, or as a classroom, you can
recognize the significant impact that a teacher, counselor, coach, professor, or another
education professional has made in your life.

The deadline for next year’s nominations is May 31, 2021. questions?

For more information on how to honor your own Inspirational Contact Kim Kaufmann
Educator, visit soe.uncg.edu/giving/inspirational-educators.
Alumni Relations & Events Coordinator
[email protected]

336.420.0382

38 UNC GREENSBORO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION