“Anne of Green Gables” was performed by Studio 1 as a shadow play, designed for a deaf or hard-of-hearing audience. Some of the actors could hear; others were deaf. Each was paired with an interpreter who provided sign language or verbal speech. They worked with Interpreting, Deaf Education and Advocacy Services in UNCG’s School of Education to make it happen.
In February 2024, alumnus Mohammed Alshuayl ’18 received a call from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education nominated him to join a group of experts tasked with updating the Kingdom’s special education regulations.
Dr. Diane Ryndak, a professor in the UNC Greensboro Department of Specialized Education Services, has been selected for induction to the Illinois State University College of Education’s Hall of Fame. Ryndak is one of eight ISU alumni being celebrated with this honor later this month.
Melanie Sellers, enrolled in the Birth-Kindergarten licensure program, was selected as the 2024 UNCG Student Teacher of the Year. Sellers completed her student teaching at WNCSource Children’s Center in Hendersonville, N.C.
The 2023-2024 Belonging Project Grants, led by Dr. Heather Coleman and alongside three Ph.D. students in the Department of Specialized Education Services (SES) – Kyle Dunlap, Rahaf Alsaidalani, and Faris Alshahrani – aim to engage a sense of belonging among the department’s doctoral students at UNC Greensboro. This initiative seeks to hold more events to meet the needs of doctoral students and faculty members in the SES department to build an interactive community.
You probably remember a teacher who went above and beyond. Someone who encouraged you, showed you new possibilities, or created a fun place for you to learn. Believe it or not, that teacher was once taking the reins of a classroom for the very first time. This spring, many UNCG student teachers are taking that first step themselves. Soon, they’ll be a life-changing teacher for the next generation.
Parents, each with a Bluetooth device in their ears, sit in a play-based early intervention therapy session with their autistic child. As they interact through a series of exercises, they receive instruction, feedback and encouragement audibly through their earbuds. The voice talking to them is a community-based early intervention professional trained by a team of coaches led by Heather Coleman, UNC Greensboro Assistant Professor in the Department of Specialized Education Services. The goal: support early intervention therapists, who work with families of autistic children to help them better understand and communicate with each other.
The Smiley Award supports global educational opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students in UNC Greensboro’s School of Education and is presented annually. One of last year’s recipients, Dauria Harrison, was able to spend part of her summer on an immersive and service-learning program in Costa Rica.
It is with profound sadness that we share with you that Dr. Jonathan (Jon) Henner passed away following a battle with cancer. Jon joined the School of Education faculty in 2016 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Specialized Education Services and the Interpreting, Deaf Education, and Advocacy Services program. He became the first Deaf tenured professor at UNCG when he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2022.
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has announced that Dr. Julie Bost, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Specialized Education Services, has been named 2024 CEC President-Elect. Bost will assume the presidency on January 1, 2025, overseeing CEC’s committees and Board of Directors and providing critical leadership on the organization’s planning and programs.