Presented by Phi Delta Kappa International
If you weren’t able to attend “Critical Thinking” on Wednesday, March 10th, I would like to briefly share my experience and encourage you to explore this author independently.
Jean Sausele Knodt, author of Nine Thousand Straws: Teaching thinking through open-inquiry learning, spoke on her Think Tank lab and its principles of the open-inquiry process, critical and creative thinking, innovation, risk taking and multi-generational learning. Wednesday night’s diverse audience of graduate students, alumni, faculty, staff and visitors, coming from backgrounds in everything from art to education to engineering, could equally relate to and benefit from the theories and strategies introduced. I would like to thank Jean for her intelligent, insightful and inspiring presentation and Phi Delta Kappa International for hosting this wonderful event at the Northern Virginia Center.
Handouts of the article, “Cultivating Curious Minds: Teaching for Innovation Through Open-Inquiry Learning”1 were provided. Virginia Tech employees and students can access this and other articles by going to http://www.lib.vt.edu/ and searching “Journals”. Jean also brought copies of her book, Nine Thousand Straws: Teaching thinking through open-inquiry learning 2 and two were raffled off at the presentation. I encourage anyone looking to polish his or her critical and creative thinking skills, or to inspire someone else’s, to check them out!
Publications by Jean Sausele Knodt
1 “Cultivating Curious Minds: Teaching for Innovation Through Open-Inquiry Learning.” Teacher Librarian. 2009. 37 (1), 15-22.
2 Nine Thousand Straws: Teaching thinking through open-inquiry learning. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, Teacher Ideas Press. July, 2008.
“Creative Collaborators: Teaching for Innovation Through Open-Inquiry.” School Library Journal. (Publish date, May, 2010).
“The Think Tank: A Discovery Room for Young Learners.” Harvard University Graduate School of Education. ALPS. January, 1999. http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/thinking/pop2.cfm
“Discovering Giftedness.” Apple, Fairfax County Schools, 1998. 17 (2), 16-17.
“A Think Tank Cultivates Kids.” Educational Leadership. September, 1997. 55 (1), 35-37.
Visit http://www.pdkintl.org/ to explore Phi Delta Kappa International, the experts in cultivating great educators for tomorrow and ensuring high-quality education for today.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Graduate Education Week 2010
ALL VIRGINIA TECH NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THE EVENTS OF GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK 2010. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
All Week
GRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Room T-2
The research exposition assembles visual and written descriptions of the most exciting research and work conducted at Virginia Tech. Posters and abstracts will be displayed for the entire week of March 22nd. They will be voted on and prizes will be awarded. Submit mounted posters and abstracts no later than March 19th to the Graduate Student Services Office (GSSO) in Falls Church. For more please contact the GSSO at gsso@nvc.vt.edu.
THROUGH THE GRADUATE STUDENT LENS, NCR STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
2nd Floor Lobby Windows
The GSSO is sponsoring a photography contest for all National Capital Region graduate students. Photos may be entered in one of the following categories: Life in the DC Area (photos taken locally, including Virginia Tech NCR facilities, area historical sites, monuments, nature or cultural events) or in the Open Category. Limit two entries per category per person. Photos may be color or black and white. Submit digital or printed photos, 8”x10”, to jesstodd@vt.edu or to the GSSO office, Room 200, NVC, by March 16th.
Monday, March 22
GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK KICK-OFF EVENT
6:00 pm, Room 217
Come and enjoy tea and cookies with the Graduate School, GSA and Faculty Association! The GSSO staff will be available to answer questions about the Graduate School. Voting for the NCR Photography Contest will take place - Winners will be announced and awards presented. Please bring a donation for our community service project (Details below).
Tuesday, March 23
THINKING ON YOUR FEET AND PUTTING YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD
6:00 pm, Room 217
Want to be better prepared for interviews? Want to effectively present your ideas? Want to hone your leadership skills in a safe environment? Check out Common Ground Toastmasters! It is part of a worldwide organization dedicated to helping people develop communication and leadership skills through practice, not lectures.
Wednesday, March 24
LET'S TALK RESEARCH!
6:00 pm, Room 217
Professor William Frakes will speak about the Research Methods Consortium at NCR. The purpose of the VT-NCR-RMC is to provide better support for research at NCR by coordinating research methods across Colleges with improved information importation and sharing, consulting support and coordinated teaching. The RMC is funded by Dean Karen DePauw of the Graduate School.
Thursday, March 25
SPIRIT NIGHT - GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
6:00 pm, Room 217
The GSSO is collecting supplies for the Reading Intervention Program at Shrevewood Elementary School in Falls Church. Bring pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, journals, notebooks, and new or used books appropriate for grades 1-6 (fiction and non-fiction) to Room 200, NVC. Graduate students are invited to assemble and decorate literacy bags during the Spirit Night event. Wear your VT colors and give back!
All Week
GRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Room T-2
The research exposition assembles visual and written descriptions of the most exciting research and work conducted at Virginia Tech. Posters and abstracts will be displayed for the entire week of March 22nd. They will be voted on and prizes will be awarded. Submit mounted posters and abstracts no later than March 19th to the Graduate Student Services Office (GSSO) in Falls Church. For more please contact the GSSO at gsso@nvc.vt.edu.
THROUGH THE GRADUATE STUDENT LENS, NCR STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
2nd Floor Lobby Windows
The GSSO is sponsoring a photography contest for all National Capital Region graduate students. Photos may be entered in one of the following categories: Life in the DC Area (photos taken locally, including Virginia Tech NCR facilities, area historical sites, monuments, nature or cultural events) or in the Open Category. Limit two entries per category per person. Photos may be color or black and white. Submit digital or printed photos, 8”x10”, to jesstodd@vt.edu or to the GSSO office, Room 200, NVC, by March 16th.
Monday, March 22
GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK KICK-OFF EVENT
6:00 pm, Room 217
Come and enjoy tea and cookies with the Graduate School, GSA and Faculty Association! The GSSO staff will be available to answer questions about the Graduate School. Voting for the NCR Photography Contest will take place - Winners will be announced and awards presented. Please bring a donation for our community service project (Details below).
Tuesday, March 23
THINKING ON YOUR FEET AND PUTTING YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD
6:00 pm, Room 217
Want to be better prepared for interviews? Want to effectively present your ideas? Want to hone your leadership skills in a safe environment? Check out Common Ground Toastmasters! It is part of a worldwide organization dedicated to helping people develop communication and leadership skills through practice, not lectures.
Wednesday, March 24
LET'S TALK RESEARCH!
6:00 pm, Room 217
Professor William Frakes will speak about the Research Methods Consortium at NCR. The purpose of the VT-NCR-RMC is to provide better support for research at NCR by coordinating research methods across Colleges with improved information importation and sharing, consulting support and coordinated teaching. The RMC is funded by Dean Karen DePauw of the Graduate School.
Thursday, March 25
SPIRIT NIGHT - GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
6:00 pm, Room 217
The GSSO is collecting supplies for the Reading Intervention Program at Shrevewood Elementary School in Falls Church. Bring pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, journals, notebooks, and new or used books appropriate for grades 1-6 (fiction and non-fiction) to Room 200, NVC. Graduate students are invited to assemble and decorate literacy bags during the Spirit Night event. Wear your VT colors and give back!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
VT NCR attends the Army National Guard Bureau Education Fair at the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington
March 1st and 2nd I had the opportunity to attend the Army National Guard Bureau Education Fair at the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington. There were quite a few attendees who had a serious interest in pursuing Graduate degrees at Virginia Tech, NCR. Our table was very popular due to our accessible location, wide variety of graduate-level degrees, class schedules catered to working professionals, and Commonwealth Campus program.
There is a great support for education from the community at the Center, and I was very happy to be a part of it. It was a wonderful opportunity to recruit students with distinctive work experience and a strong interest in and motivation toward higher education, and who have unique funding opportunities through the military (see below).
The group is working to expand the Education Fair for next year - I highly recommend it to other local universities!
Veterans Affairs Benefits page at the VT Registrar's site
GI Bill at the US Department of Veterans Affairs website
Education Benefits at goarmy.com
Army National Guard website
Thank you to the Army National Guard for including Virginia Tech NCR in your event, thank you for your fearless service to our country, and the best of luck to you all in your pursuit of higher education.
~Jessica Todd, Graduate Student Services Coordinator
There is a great support for education from the community at the Center, and I was very happy to be a part of it. It was a wonderful opportunity to recruit students with distinctive work experience and a strong interest in and motivation toward higher education, and who have unique funding opportunities through the military (see below).
The group is working to expand the Education Fair for next year - I highly recommend it to other local universities!
Veterans Affairs Benefits page at the VT Registrar's site
GI Bill at the US Department of Veterans Affairs website
Education Benefits at goarmy.com
Army National Guard website
Thank you to the Army National Guard for including Virginia Tech NCR in your event, thank you for your fearless service to our country, and the best of luck to you all in your pursuit of higher education.
~Jessica Todd, Graduate Student Services Coordinator
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Map of the Northern Virginia Center location in Falls Church, VA.
