Following a decade at the University of Alabama, Dr. Marcie Rock has spent the past 15 years as a faculty member in the Department of Specialized Education Services at UNC Greensboro. In her current role, Rock has been integral in the department’s instructional coaching efforts.
Why UNCG?
Rock chose to come to Greensboro due in part to the university’s commitment to research and community engagement. She felt that the university’s mission and values closely aligned to her own interests in helping to prepare students for their future careers.
Current Projects
For nearly 20 years, Rock has had a primary focus on integrating technology in the development of special education teachers. That work has led Rock to collaborations with departments of education in multiple states around the country, as well as local schools and districts, and federal groups.
Rock said, “We’re always thinking about the research to practice gap and supporting special education teacher development from pre-service through in-service.”
Part of the technology innovation is centered around in-ear and eCoaching efforts. These in-ear sessions allow teachers to receive immediate feedback from an instructional coach who watches the lesson via video streaming. The video recordings also allow instruction and feedback to be provided after the lesson.
Rock is also involved with improving school mental health efforts, saying, “We have a crisis and it’s not going away. We need different ways of approaching it and thinking about it.”
Working With Students
Rock has worked closely with students for some of her projects. Students have co-written, co-published, and co-presented with her after assisting through the research and development process.
What To Do With $1 Million
Research and outreach require funding. While most funding is found through grants and internal sources, philanthropic efforts can make a difference in the innovative, life-changing work being done.
Looking at the impact $1 million could have on her work, Rock said, “It would have a tremendous impact because it doesn’t just impact me, it impacts graduate students, it impacts practitioners and schools. It impacts students with disabilities, and their communities, and families. It’s immeasurable to capture the human and educational impact that funding has had. This work is multi-faceted and multi-generational in so many ways.”
