University of West Florida Teacher Education Initiatives Spring, 2008

1. University of West Florida Teacher Education Initiatives Spring, 2008

2. Applied Behavior Analysis • Projects with the Escambia County School District, Westgate School. • Involvement with the creation of the Autism Society's summer camp for Summer 2008.

3. Career and Technical • 100% online certificate in Career and Technical Education • The CTE prepares students to teach in the Career and Technical Education arena • The CTE provides both theoretical and practical knowledge in the methods of teaching, assessment, modification for special needs populations, principles and history of CTE, and course design.

4. Community Outreach Research and Learning Center (CORAL) • Proposal for Autism Speak • Proposal for the William T. Grant/Spencer Foundation • Proposal for the Workforce EscaRosa for a Career Academy for at Risk Adolescents and an additional proposal for Workforce EscaRosa for a Transition Program for BRAC civil service employees. 

5. Education Online Offerings • UWF uses state-of-the-art technology to provide students with an in-class experience from any location in the world. • Dual online program for Exceptional Student Education and Elementary Education is a one-of-a-kind education certification program that draws military members and their spouses.

6. Tandberg System and Eluminate • Tandberg system provides face-to-face opportunities for students located at a distance. • Eluminate provides an enhanced online distance learning experience for students and the instructor. • Instructors can use both the Tandberg and Eluminate systems to record sessions and thus provide an opportunity for students to participate in the course sessions asynchronously.

7. Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science (HLES) • HLES co-sponsored the 18th Annual “Northwest Florida Drive-In Clinic for Physical Education, Health Education and Wellness” on February 9, 2008. • Dr. Todorovich, Chair of HLES, is currently working as a member of the writing team for the Florida Health Education K-12 Learning Standards for the FLDOE. • Mr. Danny Drost and Ms. Cheryl Butler, HLES students, have been selected to serve on the Florida Physical Education K-12 Learning Standards writing team. • Dr. Melissa Howard and Dr. Debra Vinci have recently partnered with the Santa-Rosa County School District to submit a large Alcohol Abuse Prevention grant through the USDOE Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.

8. Hometown Heroes Teach • Hometown Heroes Teach is a pilot collaborative program between the University of West Florida, local Workforce boards, and the US Department of Labor, aimed at recruiting fifty wounded and combat disabled veterans, training and placing them in Florida’s public schools for continued service to their nation as teachers.

9. Mobility Opportunities Via Education • MOVE is a research-based program that has been shown to improve functional mobility skills in children and adults with severe physical disabilities and to empower individuals to better direct their own lives. • Since 1999, the University of West Florida and MOVE International have worked collaboratively to promote and support the use of the MOVE Program with children and adults around the world.

10. Personnel Development Partnership • UWFPDP has focused its efforts on increasing the number of highly qualified professionals and paraprofessionals serving children with special needs and their families by providing support to students in UWF pre-service degree programs. • Project Access is a program designed for students wanting to major in Special Education. This project also accepts teachers teaching out-of-field needing certification in Special Education.

11. Science and Career Training Software Grant • UWF in partnership with the School District of Escambia County were awarded a Math and Science partnership grant from FLDOE. • This collaborative effort developed and deployed a virtual instructional system based on a digital gaming context that provides career counseling, algebraic tutorial content, and practical application of inferential and analytical reading skills.

12. Supplemental Educational Services (SES) Grant • During the three years of implementation, over 2600 students have participated in the reading tutoring program • Over 500 teachers have participated in the SES tutoring program, receiving training and instructional support from UWF • At least 550 teachers have attended seminars focusing on teaching struggling adolescent readers • UWF SES program has been implemented in 33 schools across 4 school districts

13. TeacherReady and Alternative Certification Program • Online instruction based on Essential Teaching Performances and the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices • Approximately 150 hours of field experiences, to include interviewing, observing, tutoring, volunteering, and substituting using mentor teachers in their local area for field experiences • Partner with Dantes and Troops to Teachers • UWF Institute for Innovative Community Learning administrators the district alternative certification program for Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties