ECE

Teaching Genocide for Human Rights

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By Glenn Mitoma

 

This past November marked the 75th anniversary of the opening of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, which sought to bring to justice two dozen high ranking German leaders. Over 11 months, prosecution teams from the United States, France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union, led by US Supreme Court Justice Robert J. Jackson, conducted a systematic autopsy of the Nazi’s war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace. Alongside Jackson worked a young Connecticut lawyer named Thomas J. Dodd, for whom the University of Connecticut’s Thomas J. Dodd Research Center is named. Jackson, Dodd and the other prosecutors at Nuremberg were attempting not only to convict the individual Nazi leaders like Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, industrialist Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, and propagandist Julius Streicher, but also to present before the world the architecture of death and destruction we now know of as the Holocaust. The trial was an exercise in education as much as law, and many of the participants hoped that the lessons learned would help put the world on a path to peace and justice.

 

Seventy-five years later, the lessons of Nuremberg are as important as ever. In Connecticut, the General Assembly recently adopted a statute requiring education about the Holocaust and other genocides to be part of the social studies curriculum in every school district. Today, reflecting on the legacy of Nuremberg, we have a responsibility and an opportunity to teach about the Holocaust and genocide in a way that supports human rights.

 

Teaching and learning about the Holocaust and genocide, while important, can be fraught. By definition, these topics are traumatic and include episodes of extreme dehumanization, violence, and brutality. At best, students can find genocide difficult to comprehend; at worst, students can become traumatized (or retraumatized) in the face such material. Teachers, too, will grapple with the challenges of understanding and presenting age-appropriate learning materials about something so fundamentally inappropriate. Clear guiding principles and learning objectives, such as those provided by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, are essential.

 

Despite these challenges, the importance of learning about genocide and the Holocaust has never been greater. In recent years, rising authoritarianism, racism, and anti-Semitism have demonstrated that the building blocks of genocide exist in every society. At the same time, the spread of disinformation, propaganda, and conspiracy theories—often, like those targeting billionaire philanthropist George Soros, reviving anti-Semitic tropes—have found an all-too-eager audience online and in the real world. Effective genocide education can be on one important way of confronting these troubling trends and building a broader culture of human rights and democracy.

 

This semester, I piloted a new course for our Human Rights program, introduction to Genocide Studies. Designed as a critical, interdisciplinary, and practically engaged course, the learning objectives encompass areas of knowledge, values, and skills. These include:

 

• Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how and why particular genocides have occurred, with reference to the key historical, political, and social contexts.

 

• Students will analyze social and psychological factors that enable or constrain genocide.

 

• Students will apply their knowledge to the world outside the classroom to identify contemporary impacts or risks of genocide.

 

• Students will apply their knowledge to the world outside the classroom to commemorate, advocate against, or prevent the perpetration of genocide.

 

• Students will develop empathy for victims or targets of genocide.

 

• Students will foster the respect for diversity, common humanity, and justice.

 

The course materials, such first-person testimonials, primary source documents, documentary films, monuments and memorial, as well as scholarship, are selected to allow students to explore the ways historians, psychologist, lawyers, political scientists, and others have tried to understand genocide, and on what and how we can know about genocide as a human experience. Reflective journals, structured classroom dialogues, and an emphasis on supportive relationships are all used to try to avoid easy moralizing and distancing of genocide and to help students think about power and responsibility in relation to genocide perpetration and prevention. In the end, my hope is that the course is fundamentally anti-genocidal in that it pushes back against the frames of mind that makes genocide possible, and equips students with the ability to take action and contribute to or develop practical efforts commemorate, advocate against, or prevent the perpetration of genocide.

 

The design of this course follows not only recommendations for responsible teaching and learning about genocide, but also the basic tenets of human rights education (HRE). Rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the HRE framework emphasizes not only teaching about human rights as subject, but also teaching through human rights (i.e., pedagogical approaches that honor and uphold students’ dignity and humanity) and teaching for human rights (i.e., learning outcomes that make students better equipped to claim their own rights and respect the rights of others). For genocide education to avoid leaving students feeling depressed and disempowered, it needs to embrace the opposite of genocide: a vision of justice and humanity that teachers and students together can work toward.

 

Like the Nuremberg Tribunal, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the result of a post-World War 2 effort to come to terms with the legacy of violence, dictatorship, and atrocity that had characterized the preceding years. The UN Human Rights Commission, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, drafted the Declaration mindful, as the Preamble states, that “disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind.” But while Nuremberg provided the first autopsy of the horrific crimes of Nazi regime, the Universal Declaration provided a vision for how the world might build a more just, free, and equal world by centering “the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.” Toward that end, the Commission not only recognized that the right to education was among those “equal and inalienable rights,” but that teaching and learning were at the core of how we would build that better future.

 

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction. (emphasis added)

 

As we emerge from the forced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be much work to be done to address the devasting impacts it has had on our individual and collective lives. Among the things we can take from both the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is that the path to a better future often begins with learning the lessons of the past. This includes confronting difficult truths and acknowledging accountability for violations of human rights. But it also includes articulating a vision of the future, rooted in shared values and fundamental principles, toward which we can work together. Holocaust, genocide, and human rights education are an important part of that work.

The Heroes of Our Time

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By Brian A. Boecherer

 

For those of you familiar with the EuroVision Song Contest, you may recognize the title of this new section of the UConn ECE Magazine as a refrain from the 2015 song contest winning song, Heroes. The phrase is used in other modern songs too, and naturally, for those who know Russian literature, it is nearly identical to a famous Mikhail Lermontov novel from 1840 — Hero of our Time. We are using this as a title to highlight members of the UConn ECE community who help promote social well-being, social cohesion, and improve the lives of others. They are everyday heroes who engage in current issues of our times — they are members of the UConn ECE community who provide leadership in the form of education, the arts, activism, and more. Their energy and interactions change lives in a personal way and offer us examples of how our engagement helps others, as well as ourselves.

 

Jane Yalof

UConn ECE Alumnus 2016-2017, Glastonbury High School
Singer, Mentor, Community Leader

 

"Think about what your own interests and passions are. Do what you want to do, not what others want you to do. Don’t worry about achieving leadership experience, that will come if you do what you love. If you are doing what you are passionate about, you will want to be a leader."

 

Jacob Skrzypiec
UConn ECE Instructor in Human Rights
Educator, Activist, Thought Leader

 

"We need to prepare students to be civically engaged, decent, educated, and paying attention. This is a response to the current political climate...We need students to practice human rights in the classroom and in their lives."

 

Fizza Alam
UConn ECE Alumnus 2016-2017, Waterbury Career Academy
Proactivist, Thinker, Optimist, Community Educator

 

"Because of the pandemic, we all have the opportunity to stay inside our house and look outwards. This is true about our own person too. There are so many communities that are hurting. I want people to have a little bit of sympathy. Take away your own personal interests for a second and see if you can consider someone else’s and help them. Don’t do it because you want..."

 

 

 

 

Jane Yalof
UConn ECE Alumnus 2016-2017, Glastonbury High School
Singer, Mentor, Community Leader

 

Young people need to understand that good leaders come with a host of other positive characteristics – humility, an adventurous spirit, and the ability to cultivate communities. Jane Yalof is such a leader, and her story is as impressive for a young adult as it is for a seasoned professional. Jane is active in a diverse array of activities at the University of Connecticut and is a leader in all of them. As she told me, she did not set out to be a leader, “it just sort-of happened”. And lead she does. Over her time at UConn, Jane has been active mentoring students, teaching mentoring to students, and continues to enliven female students as Music Director and singer in the all-female acapella group, Drop the Bass.

 

Jane is a UConn student who will be graduating Spring 2022 with a combined undergraduate and master’s degree in the Neag School of Education. She is light-hearted, bright, and has an optimism in society that has come from her deep engagement with it. Over the last five years she has seen how one person’s engagement can positively affect others. That’s how she started her activity as a mentor, by being mentored. Since then she has been actively involved as a mentor and teaching assistant through First Year Programs and through her involvement in Community Outreach. Jane engages in these community-oriented activities because her actions help others and teach others to help society in their own personal way. At the end of our hour-long conversation it is clear to me that Jane counts her successes in terms of the communities she fosters, the relationships she makes, and the tough conversations she helps other students have as a facilitator. It is impact on a personal level that counts. “[As a mentor and teaching assistant] we really created a safe space and helped students through tough issues. Many times, just by listening, and often by sharing our own personal stories. It is about learning to care for each other and protect each other.” Giving yourself to create a community makes you vulnerable, but it tends to make the community strong. Jane gives her time freely and extensively to help lead and educate others on the power of themselves.

 

In addition to her extensive mentoring and community outreach, which has also led her to a local elementary school as a tutor and to Alabama to engage on issues of racial injustice, Jane spends a great deal of time in the all-girl acapella group, Drop the Bass, where she serves as the Music Director and Vice President. “Do you get the name?” she asks me. “Drop the Bass – we are an all-girls singing group. ‘We don’t need no man’,” she says, with a joking lilt. This engagement, however, has become more than a creative outlet – it has become a community of young women who are interested in supporting young women and understand their layered identities, their power, and their impact on others. It is a community that works together to express important messages. As Music Director, Jane teaches music, runs rehearsals, supports others for voice parts, finds music to arrange (or arranges it herself) so the group of 16 young women can vote on what they will practice and perform for the community. “It is very girl-empowering, with a deep impact. It is about the singing, it is about enjoying what you are doing. It is about service too.” Their genre is female power ballads – “Cosmic Love”, by Florence + the Machine, and “The Village”, by Wrabel, (a gender power ballad) about a person who is transgender and their parents do not accept them yet. “The song is about there being nothing wrong with you. Rather, there is something wrong with them if they cannot come to you and ‘get’ you.” They are currently working on, “Don’t Worry About Me”, by Frances, which is dedicated to families and friends of those who lost their loved ones to COVID. It has not been easy working together during COVID, because they are working together at a distance, using Zoom. But they are recording their parts and working with another UConn student to synchronize it and make a video.

 

 

Jacob Skrzypiec
UConn ECE Instructor in Human Rights
Educator, Activist, Thought Leader

 

Talking with Jake about human rights and about making society kinder, smarter, and less polarized is anything but depressive. During the course of my interview, Jake makes me feel like I am the single most important person for making change happen. He is right, change starts with our everyday interactions with others. But indeed, in a climate where some politics has turned populist and daily human rights can be fragile, his words have a touch that unlock optimism and encourage a “benefit of the doubt” to others. What are we personally doing to make things better? Jake suggests that we should focus on what we can affect, make it better, and then reach a little bit further.

 

Jake (MA, UConn Neag School of Education, 2014) is a UConn ECE Human Rights instructor at Manchester High School (certified 2015) and is one of the founding figures in helping to develop a UConn ECE Human Rights program. Manchester High School (MHS) is unique in its vision of human rights as in June 2015, MHS made human rights a required course for graduation. Every student in Manchester has to take human rights, and with their five certified UConn ECE human rights instructors, most students are leaving the high school learning the “for and through” of human rights, but also walking away with UConn credit.

 

Jake mentions the for and through of human rights throughout our conversation. A brief explanation for us newbies: The Council of Europe succinctly explains that education is a right, but also a way for realizing rights, and we “put our rights and democracy into practice, and defend our rights and those of other people, if they are not respected – LEARN FOR THEM. Experience and feel the principles of human rights and democracy — LEARN THROUGH THEM.”

 

“How do we move kids and adults to think about the for and through? By practicing human rights in the classroom and in their lives.” For the last five years Jake has engaged in tempestuous issues with students to model and teach civility and open dialogue. Among other things, Jake teaches listening to others, even when you disagree, so that you may learn about what motivates others.

 

An important pivot point for Jake happened about three years ago. In his UConn human rights course, he had two students debating about transgender rights — both on opposing sides. The conversation got heated and turned into what he called a “bickering match”. Jake had to separate the students and administration got involved. Jake has reflected on that moment and says, “That anger, deep fear, and the unknown of someone else’s perspective struck me. Students are still developing and trying to learn, often as they speak.” But it struck him as being emblematic of society. “It is important to focus on the skills of communication, academic discourse, basic patience, and humility with our students so that they can be good adults.”

 

In addition to his work in the classroom, which includes teaching human rights at UConn in the summer for University of Connecticut’s College Access and Preparation Program (UCAP), Jake has been at the forefront of bringing human rights to social studies curriculum throughout the State and on the national level. It started when MHS gave him and his colleagues the latitude and encouragement to develop a human rights program for the school. But to do that well, Jake reached out to the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center and the Connecticut Human Right Partnership — bringing organizations and individuals together for human rights advocacy. From there he helped to build the Human Rights Summit, which is a human rights workshop day for teachers, students, and the community. Then Jake, along with fellow UConn ECE human rights instructor, Chris Buckley (Brookfield High School), became the regional representatives for Human Rights Educators USA, to advance human rights education, advocacy, and opportunities on the national level. “It is a diverse organization, a powerful group,” Jake says bluntly and with pride.

 

Jake is also part of the leadership group in The National Council for the Social Studies, Human Rights Education Community, which works to promote human rights as an academic concentration in the high schools, and develop a new C3 social studies standard in human rights. “Four years ago [they] were more hesitant to embrace human rights education in K-12, but today that dynamic has completely changed. There is now a thirst for this curriculum to embed human rights into national social studies standards. There has been a cultural shift here.”

 

Circling back to the beginning, how does Jake stay positive and how does he help his students from turning morose in the face of historical and current atrocities?

 

“It’s hard; it’s not an easy task. We might be looking at a human rights violation — voting rights for example — and look at the history of suppression. We have to acknowledge there are screwed up things going on, but we also have to look at the positive work that is going on. Let’s focus on the accomplishments and the tools to make things better. It is important to give students tools to work at resolving issues.” It is also about self-care. Since COVID hit, Jake has been on over 70 hikes, not to lose himself or his connection with family and friends. “There still is positivity in the world. We need to focus on that too,” he says. He also invests time into writing. His recent article entitled, “A Ripple of Hope,” Media Voices for Children, Vol. III, explores how students are often more hopeful and ready to get involved than adults. “We need to build on youth voice. Support it, cultivate it. The kids get it,” he says with a smile in his voice. “Going to class every day, I love it, I can see hope in students’ eyes. They are engaged and excited about it. This is good stuff. We have to bring out that hope and optimism. That’s our job.”

 

 

Fizza Alam
UConn ECE Alumnus 2016-2017, Waterbury Career Academy
Proactivist, Thinker, Optimist, Community Educator

 

...to feel better about yourself. ...That’s fine too... But there are people out there — our neighbors — who are cold, hungry, and in need. Be empathic about one thing and try to make local action. See how you can help one person and execute it to the end. I don’t know all the ways, but people are innovative – donate clothes, start a community garden in a food desert, mentor... If everyone did one thing, all the problems wouldn’t go away, but we would know that we live in a caring society. We can be in a better place together. These things are so simple I sometimes don’t feel like I can put it into words.”

 

Fizza says many times during our 90-minute conversation, “I am just like everyone else.” By the end of the interview her insistence that we all share the same characteristics of a generous spirit and care of others leaves me wondering about the different stages of how environment influences conceptual schema — thoughts progress to words and words to actions. In other words, how do we stand up and take action in what we believe. Fizza says that she is a product of good luck — good parents, good mentors, and environmental inequality. The combination has given her insights into how neighbors live side by side — how they help each other and what may happen if they don’t.

 

Fizza was born in Pakistan, from a family that was forced to migrate due to the partition of India in 1947, and migrate again in 2001 because of societal dangers. When she was a year and a half old, her family immigrated to the United States — Waterbury, Connecticut. She enjoyed growing up in Waterbury, where “neighbor helps neighbor,” but it wasn’t until she was in the tenth grade that she realized that her majority-minority city “had serious issues”. She was recommended and was accepted to attend the Global Leadership Institute at Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, just one town over. “I went into this gorgeous building, and the dining hall was filled with nutritious foods, the teachers had advanced degrees, and everything was totally different. I saw the differences.” Fizza saw the inequality and realized that access to opportunity — access itself — was what made the difference in a person’s life. “I don’t think kids should be put at a disadvantage because of where they grow up. Kids have aspirations and need access.”

 

Growing up, Fizza says, her parents were like her friends’ parents — they worked multiple jobs, sometimes 14-hour days — and Fizza, like her peers, would go home after school, take care of siblings and help around the home doing laundry and making food. She enjoys the diversity of Waterbury, although she admits that not everyone is welcoming of Muslims. She says it is because they don’t really know the culture. She recalled a situation that happened to her in kindergarten, when she was five, and had henna on her hands for Eid. “My teacher took me by the hands to wash them, forcibly, with soap and scolded me for “dirtying” them with marker. I couldn’t understand why and felt wrong.” It wasn’t until later that she realized it was a lack of education.

 

Since then she has made education and educational campaigns a central part of her approach to making change happen. In 2019 Fizza earned a summer internship with Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, where she worked directly with the congresswoman in Waterbury. As a capstone project, Fizza organized a panel on immigration at Naugatuck Valley Community College. “Congresswoman Hayes really gives women of color an opportunity and a voice.” Fizza told me that Congresswoman Hayes bought a select number of tickets for her interns to join a fundraising dinner so they could see what that “other world” looks like and sit at the table with leaders like Nancy Pelosi.

 

“I have had such great mentors in life. I rolled the dice and got really lucky. If I didn’t meet these people, I would have been very different. So, I am grateful for all that I have. It is luck. Really good luck.” It has also been really good effort.

 

Fizza has continued her education and awareness campaigns with a large voter registration effort in partnership with Be (A)Part, a non-profit that supports youth involvement, engagement, and activism. Fizza has been working on advancing the issue of absentee voting since 2018, when she was also working on the Hayes election campaign. She sees absentee voting as an issue of access. “We need to expand the vote, because the elderly and low income [people] need greater access.” Be (A)Part reached out to her as she had positioned herself as the youth expert in absentee voting. She says she brought the perspective of an urban woman of color and could speak to how people were being left out because of where they lived and how they lived. As part of the campaign, Fizza was part of a voter outreach and suppression panel. “I love how you can take an idea and then do something with it.”As Fizza is slated to graduate this spring with a double major in political science and economics, she is making plans for her next steps. “I want to make an impact on my community. God willing, I will attend law school next fall. I am an American, and an immigrant, and a woman.” I am not sure where I want to go with that, but I am interested in the impact of law on war and on inequality. Many things go back to laws.” Fizza tells me more about the Sharia and how it is counter to most people’s modern perception of it. She explains how the Prophet, who she modifies with “upon him be peace,” explained that war takes things away from people – possessions, symbols, churches, meaning, people, concepts – and that there should be restrictions on how war is conducted. “I want society to better understand these concepts and expand them.”

 

Fizza’s philosophies are instructive and they help give perspective on how we can build a better society in our local community. She sees education as offering people access to see how things work and gives them the tools to help themselves and others. She credits her parents and her faith with these perspectives.

 

“I want to make an impact and help people. For example, the attorney general impacts our lives in so many ways that we never see. You need an education to figure out these things. If I make it through law school, I will be able to understand a new world and bring it back to my community. [Slight pause] I am here, and I don’t know when the next person like me will be in this situation, so I need to do it. When you focus on helping one person or one community, you can stay motivated and stay focused. I hope everyone can feel this way. Learn, and bring it back to your community. I don’t understand how this is a controversial way of thinking.”

The Director’s Thoughts

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Welcome to the Winter edition of the UConn Early College Experience (UConn ECE) Magazine. I am happy to introduce this edition of the UConn ECE Magazine to you, because it also introduces a new approach to how the editorial board plans that the Magazine will continue for the future. This edition kicks off our vision of looking at our UConn ECE Community as a source of inspiration, positive change, and good work. We want the Magazine to engage with the issues of our time and show how our community is handling these issues. We want the Magazine to be a source of information, wisdom, and positive energy. The Magazine will continue to update our community on program changes, enhancements, and report important data. That part will not change. We are adding to the Magazine so that administrators, instructors, and students find useful examples of leadership and motivation. We want to tap into the richness of our community and reflect the best of what is going on as a guide to others. That said, we are not attempting to show inherent attribution – because they are UConn ECE, they are wonderful. Rather, the approach is, let’s all look at the successes of our UConn ECE community and let’s be inspired by their words and actions.

 

There is a great deal of research that suggests that the news we read influences our cognitive biases and mental health. Bad news reinforces the search for more bad news and confirms that all is going down the chute. We don’t want to stick our heads in the sand and pretend that there is no negative news; we want to be a positive source of information and discussion on what we can do about it. To that end, this edition of the Magazine will address issues of teaching and learning during COVID-19. Chris Malinoski, Ph.D., writes about moving biology labs to an online platform and Professors Glenn Mitoma and Alexia Smith write separately about teaching in the social sciences during a period when group inequality is evident in society. Four high school principals will lend us their voices and share how they are caring for their communities. We have also reached out to our community and are highlighting three “agents of positive change”. In addition, we have program statistics, the largest programs, the News Brief, and other interviews to keep you interested. Let us know your thoughts – we improve by listening, reading, and considering your words seriously. That is good advice for us all.

 

Thank you for being part of our UConn ECE community, and we hope you enjoy reading.

 

 

Brian A. Boecherer, Ph.D.
Executive Director

2020 UConn ECE Professional Recognition Awards Moves from Ceremony to Show

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By Carissa Rutkauskas

 

UConn ECE faculty, staff, and award winners look forward to the annual Professional Recognition Awards Ceremony each year. They enjoy an elegant sit-down dinner, serenaded by a trio of UConn jazz ensemble students, celebrating a successful academic year by recognizing outstanding instruction and administration for the UConn Early College Experience Program. This year it would have been on Tuesday, April 28 in the Gallery of the Jorgenson Center for the Preforming Arts. Things did not quite go that way.

 

As high schools began closing in early March, first for 2 week, then for longer, the University told college students not to return to campus from Spring Break; faculty and staff began working remotely; and the opportunity to honor those nominated by their students and colleagues was not going to happen in person. So, we embraced technology and the good nature of the award recipients and went online. The prerecorded 2020 UConn ECE Professional Recognition Awards Show premiered on Monday, May 4 with a private screening on the UConn ECE YouTube channel. Friends, relatives, students, and colleagues were able to watch and interact with the 25-minute production. Eleven award recipients, 7 staff members, and 1 faculty member had submitted video footage that was then edited together by Austin Gao, Digital Media and design student, to create a memorable evening for all.

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to the 2020 winners:

Award Name School Discipline
Thomas E. Recchio Faculty Coordinator Award for Academic Leadership Scott Campbell UConn English
Principal Award for Program Support & Advocacy Thomas Moore Wethersfield High School Principal
Site Representative Award for Excellence in Program Administration Alicia Melillo Cromwell High School School Counselor
Instructor Award for Excellence in Course Instruction Eric Bosley Plainville High School European History
Angela Brower RHAM High School Latin
Libbi Intemann Trumbull High School Philosophy
Geoffrey Kern Edwin O. Smith High School Statistics
James DeCesare The Master’s School Drawing
Sarah Tibbetts Daniel Hand High School Chemistry
“Rookie of the Year” Award for Excellence in First-Year Course Instruction Carla Toney Newington High School Italian and French
Jan Pikul Award for Continued Excellence in Instruction William Schultz Enfield High School Chemistry

Overcoming Adversity: UConn ECE Strong

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By UConn ECE Program Office Staff

 

A committee of four reviewed and selected the cover for the Spring 2020 edition of the UConn ECE Magazine from student submissions responding to a call to show adaption to distance learning that embodies “Overcoming Adversity – UConn ECE Strong.” The winning photo includes the caption “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” and captures one of the many signs that the community displays in their front yards thanking essentials workers.

 

The committee recognizes the essential work that teachers continue to do from a distance during such unprecedented times and have had to adjust their lesson plans and schedules to meet the needs of their students. We have also included two runner up photos, one depicting the abstract passing of time during such a surreal experience and the other capturing what school at home looks like for a student.

Erin Blanchette Transitions to Another Office

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By Brian A. Boecherer

 

The office is experiencing another transition – Erin Blanchette – our long-time colleague has transitioned to another job at the University in the accounting division. We are sad to see Erin go, and her departure has left a noticeable hole in the office. We are, however, so happy for her, as this is clearly a good progression and a new exciting adventure for her. Erin joined the office in 2006 and has filled many positions over the years. Some may remember her as the registration coordinator and also assistant to the previous director. In more recent times Erin has led our financial area – modernizing student billing, collections, and developing a billing customer service presence for the office. Erin is also responsible for deepening our relationship with the Avery Point Campus and working with the leadership on that campus to host a UConn ECE Cardboard Boat Race in conjunction with Avery Point’s boat race. Erin created the UConn ECE store and has been a big part of our student outreach and UConn ECE marketing and branding. Not only has Erin accomplished much, she has created relationships that will last. Erin has been an important team builder in the office, instigating office lunches, holiday parties, birthday parties, and being one of the “special ingredients” that have made the office fun and familial. Erin leaves a lasting mark on the program and with whom she has worked. Thank you, Erin, for all that you have done to support the program and the people who make the program.

Registration 2020-2021

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By Todd Blodgett

 

As colleges, universities, and K-12 education moved to distance learning due to school closures, UConn proved to be no different. With the conclusion of the 2019-2020 academic year, UConn Early College Experience (ECE) moves into the new registration year. Our program has made some adjustments to our application in order to better accommodate students who are applying while physically away from their high schools.

 

1. Students do not need to obtain a Site Representative or school counselor signature on their consent form. High schools will confirm student enrollment in the Fall.

 

2. There will be no additional $25 administrative fee for students who cannot apply before June 30th and need to apply in the Fall.

 

While the Spring 2020 semester was not what our students expected, we are excited to get everyone back in classrooms and engaging in our UConn ECE courses soon. Please continue to monitor your e-mail, our website (ece.uconn. edu), and our social media platforms for registration news. Students should continue to engage with their school counselors about taking UConn courses through Early College Experience.

 

Have a great Summer and we look forward to collaborating with you this Fall as we begin a new academic year!

UConn First Summer: The Transition to UConn

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By Melanie Banks

 

How do students prepare for the transition to a university after graduating high school? There are many different ways and approaches a student can take. At UConn, incoming first-year and transfer students are able to receive academic and social engagement support through the UConn First Summer (UCFS) program. We are delighted to share the adoption of UCFS to the Office of Early College Programs as part of our mission where students can explore the transition to collegiate life prior to their first semester at college.

 

Students participating in UCFS take two General Education courses during the 5-week residential program, with the goal of providing participating students a strong start to their academic, residential, and social experience at UConn. Available courses include ANTH 1000, COMM 1000, ECON 1202, HDFS 1060, MUSI 1003, PHIL 1104, PSYC 1100, and SOCI 1501. But college is not all about academics! Students reside on campus with a roommate, have meals at the dining halls, network with campus departments, explore interactive activities, attend social and career development workshops, and make long-lasting friendships.

 

As one chapter closes, another begins. The months prior to becoming a Husky can be overwhelming, but we are here to help! The staff at UCFS partners with campus departments to ensure students feel prepared and have resources available to take on their undergraduate career.

 

Spring 2020 Professional Development News

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By Stefanie Malinoski

 

During the Spring 2020 semester we elected to cancel sixteen of our discipline-specific professional development workshops.We chose to cancel these events as we understand everyone’s distance teaching and learning environments are different and did not want to cause any undue stress on our UConn ECE Program partners during an already uncertain time.

 

Our solution for these missed Spring 2020 events is to grant over 300 workshop attendance waivers to Instructors who were in need of attendinga spring workshop in order to maintain their certification with UConn ECE. These waivers are usually only issued occasionally to Instructors due to extenuating circumstances under the condition the instructor attends the next discipline specific workshop opportunity. This year, the Spring 2020 workshop attendance waivers will be different as they will be granted for a two-year term allowing 300+ instructors’ certification to remain in good standing. This two-year waiver should help alleviate our 2020-2021 events from being over capacity, and overall, it will allow Instructors more time to plan to attend a UConn ECE workshop to continue to maintain their certification.

 

 

We are currently working to schedule our Fall workshops and events in hopes that we will all be able to meet in person once the Fall semester begins. Should we not be able to gather in person there will be alternate plans set up to host professional development workshops at a distance in conjunction with each discipline specific UConn ECE Faculty Coordinator. More details will be shared with the UConn ECE community this fall should this occur. In the meantime, we encourage you to check out our professional development events from the past which are posted on our UConn ECE PD Blog on the UConn Early College Experience website. The blog showcases the many scholarly and exciting events we’ve been able to offer to certified UConn ECE Instructors and includes pictures and detailed information about each event.

 

Although the Spring semester did not go as planned, Faculty Coordinators have been reaching out to Instructors regularly and the community has been staying in close contact about program matters. Look for more information about our 2020-2021 events to be shared soon. UConn ECE Program Staff and many of our Faculty Coordinators have been taking advantage of the tools and training resources provided through UConn’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). We are hoping our Fall semester events will be in-person events, but we know if we must transition to virtual professional development events that we are well prepared to do so. We look forward to seeing everyone again soon either in person or virtually.

"I’d just like to give a thought felt thanks to my amazing Master’s School Drawing ECE Students for making the transition from the classroom to online learning as painless as it could possibly be."

— James DeCesare, The Master’s School

UConn ECE Strong

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By Kathrine Grant

It goes nearly without saying that the past few months have changed lives fundamentally and profoundly. Schools and offices are closed, graduations are cancelled or postponed, and our daily lives have been disrupted in ways that will radically change our future. The ramifications of COVID-19 are unlike anything anyone has seen before. Yet, in like, the strength of our Students, Instructors, Site Representatives, Library Media Specialists, Faculty Coordinators, and the entirety of the UConn ECE Community has been unmatched.

These are trying times. Students and Instructors have shifted to online learning, both synchronous and asynchronous, in the matter of days; Faculty Coordinators gone through the same transition in their courses and shared resources with the Instructors they support. Parents, families, and school communities have gathered around their students to support them as they transition to online learning, make decisions about post-secondary plans, and grieve the many losses that have come as a result of this pandemic.

We wanted to highlight the strength, ingenuity, and resilience of our community that has shown through in these uncertain and challenging times. As we have seen in our community and beyond, profound challenge requires creativity, adaptation, and compassion: it is in our greatest challenges that we come to know the true depths of our strength, resilience, and courage. Our community has shown time and time again, together we are UConn ECE strong.

Note: Interviews have been edited for clarity.

Juan Jose Vazquez-Caballero, UConn ECE Instructor: Lyme-Old Lyme High School (SPAN 3179)
Mr. Vazquez-Caballero grounded his transition to distance learning through using the goals of his original, in-person curriculum to inform online learning and create an analogous digital environment through the effective use of technology. Three days a week, Vazquez-Caballero hosts synchronous learning with students, where they converse in Spanish to check in about their learning and upcoming work. He found the greatest challenge to be supporting students as they continue to develop listening and speaking skills in a digital space; he has begun using Screencastify to create mini-lessons with questions and pause points for students to answer as they would in the classroom.
The biggest success that Mr. Vazquez-Caballero has seen with the transition to distance learning is how his school “gathered feedback from families and spent a lot of time discussing how to best adapt to the circumstances and support our students and their families. We have given a lot of thought to make the curriculum flexible, engaging, and meaningful, and we have set up a structure to focus on continual improvement.”

Ann Trapasso, UConn ECE Instructor: Central High School (ENGL 1010)
During the transition to distance learning, Ms. Trapasso shifted her ENGL 1010 course to task students with coming to terms with the pandemic, where “they would notice what most interested them about the pandemic and collect materials that, when curated, would develop into a multimodal project.” She shared that “the need for each student to ‘make sense’ of the pandemic was very real and immediate,” and so she recalibrated her class to be a space where students could document, process, and understand their own experiences. Providing students with this creative outlet allowed students to develop projects that were intimately tied to their experiences; one student, whose mother is a nurse, is creating an infographic “that clarifies how much these nurses are contributing and the conditions under which they must work, including those who are the least skilled and must work at more than one facility in order to earn a living.” The strength and humanity of this project is twofold: it has provided some students a lifeline to document and process their experiences and the opportunity to create something that “allows them to send a message out—where it might be heard and might do some good.”

Tina Riccio, UConn ECE Instructor: Southington High School (SPAN 3178, SPAN 3179)
Ms. Riccio is using a blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning in her transition to distance learning: she hosts small groups with students in seminar formats and uses the “room” feature in their video conferencing platform for students to take part in group discussion. Her students were eager to participate in the live breakout sessions and shared how much they missed school and were excited to see one another. She grounded their smooth transition partly in the strong relationships that were already established with SHS students.
Ms. Riccio’s school took on the adaption to technology through collaborating with their district technology director who trained teachers. Her department then taught themselves many different educational technologies and created tutorials to share with one another; they hosted Q&A sessions for department members to troubleshoot any issues or problems. The use of technology also allows all live sessions to be recorded and then posted for any student who may have to miss class so that teaching and learning are more responsive the lives of students under current circumstances. The collaboration between professionals allowed her department to “keep the integrity of their curriculum and teach the big ideas” so that their essential questions and enduring understandings have not changed. She shared that “we have made the best of a difficult situation, but teaching and learning were not meant to occur in this format.”

Joshua Welch, UConn ECE Instructor: The Woodstock Academy (PHYS 1402Q)
Mr. Welch has found that the transition to distance learning “has presented some challenges but nothing that some creativity and flexibility can’t address.” This perspective has propelled him to incorporate a variety of lesson structures across his classes to allow students the same laboratory experience with his Physics courses—but all classes begin with a wellbeing check in with students. This has allowed him to continue to build a classroom community even as they are physically apart. As he shared:
“We just need to listen to the kids, keep an open line of communication, and move with them. Spending a moment to just talk every day and really consider their feedback is important. Being able to evaluate our teaching, and being willing to start all over if needed, requires a lot of effort, but we owe it to these kids who are missing out on so much right now.”
The transition to distance learning has been a challenge for all, but Mr. Young finds his inspiration in the motivation and resiliency of his students.

Christian Chlebowski, UConn ECE Student: Somers High School (ENGL 1011)
It is important to remember, in this time of uncertainty that everyone is struggling to deal with their emotions. Reaching out to anyone and everyone can not only help you, but help them, too.

“‘Congratulations again, Class of 2020. I wish you the best of luck in college, the military, or wherever your life path takes you!’” That phrase is one I had been rehearsing in my head for months – the traditional farewell the senior class president confers upon his or her peers during their class address at graduation. But this year, no one knows if I will ever get to say it.’

Senior year is supposed to be the pinnacle of high school achievement; after the stress of eleven long years of academic and social pursuits, one’s final year in high school is a celebration. While the fall semester is difficult, especially due to college applications, the spring semester at my high school includes prom, the senior outing to Boston, the senior banquet, senior awards, and, the ultimate achievement: walking at graduation.

For the Class of 2020, none of those might happen.

Adjusting to that reality, and the unknown that accompanies it, has been the greatest challenge of my academic career. And while myself and my fellow class officers are working closely with school administration about how to handle this and how to make the conclusion to our senior year meaningful, barrier after barrier seems to have been erected. It’s tough to plan for something that might never happen. It’s tough to work with peers who are as emotionally distraught as you are. It’s tough to deal with the unknown.

Unknowns permeate throughout life, and how we deal with them often shapes our futures. But nothing – no challenge I can foresee – will ever surmount this one. The world is at a standstill; it would be nice to be wearing a cap and gown, marching through that standstill and up to receive my diploma, but that is cast in doubt.

It seems that, out of four graduations I have played (or will play) a role in (either by playing in the band, conducting the band, or marshaling for the senior class), this will be the defining one, and the most challenging one to boot. No academic or social pursuit can surpass that.

Perhaps, instead of the traditional class president remark, I will have to adapt it.

‘Congratulations again, Class of 2020. Although we cannot be together celebrating right now, we have survived what may well be the greatest challenge of our lives – surviving a global pandemic. No matter what you do in college, the military, or wherever your life path takes you, remember that you survived this challenge, just as you can survive any other challenge you face.’”

Anindita Chakravarty, UConn ECE Student: South Windsor High School (HIST 1400)
I now understand how important it is for people to work and come together during times of crisis such as the COVID-19, and how it is time to change not only what we think about ourselves but the world around us.

When distance learning all started, the transition from a normal school day to distance learning was overwhelming and tough. The students, as well as the teachers, were confused about how the material was going to be presented. During the first week of distance learning, I had to figure out a plan of how to finish up all my schoolwork and be able to study for exams, as there was material constantly being posted every day on google classroom. The biggest help through the whole transition process were the teachers. Their compassion and understanding during this difficult time are what really helped the transition process go smoothly. Many teachers were very lenient when work was handed in and were more than happy to give extra credit and help students out in any way possible. Since then, distance learning has been a very positive experience in my life.

Many people around me are constantly dealing with consequences due to this virus, one of the main issues being people's jobs. It is lucky that many people still have them and are able to work and provide for their families. What worries me is the families that are having a difficult time providing for themselves, either because they don't have a job or due to many necessities being limited around us. This thought really boosts the emotional empathy and motivation I feel, and the willingness to help other people. This idea of coming together was shown to me just a couple of days ago when my community came together to drive their cars around different neighborhoods alongside firetrucks and policemen to show our support and appreciation to the first responders. Each person holding out a "Thank you" sign from their car to everyone around the community. This just showed me the strength and power we all have within us when we come together. Just seeing smiles on all the first responder's faces as we passed them was enough to show them that there are people who care and are rooting for them.

Esther Deutsch, UConn ECE Student: Bais Yaakov of Waterbury (AH 4092, ENGL 1010)
Yes, we are covering less, and things have changed. But we haven’t lost the beautiful atmosphere that makes our school what it is. The love, care, happiness, determination, and laughter that keeps our school running will always be with us, no matter what.

The coronavirus. COVID-19. Pandemic. Quarantine. Social distancing. Stuck at home for weeks. Stores closed. School canceled. One tiny, miniscule virus has brought the world to its knees. What the virus has done to the world is beyond belief. It’s unimaginable. And we are just trying to figure it out. We are confused. How could this happen? And the hardest question of all… now what?

Being stuck at home is definitely tough. But what's tougher is the thousands of people fighting for their lives. I think of children that have lost grandparents, adults losing their parents, and the elderly, who have lost their husbands and wives. I think of the doctors and nurses, risking their lives, working endless hours to take care of our nation. I see the bigger picture, and I pray for them every day.

But then, there’s me. The smaller picture. Me in my daily life. Without school, without my teachers. Without my friends, without shopping. And while I’m aware of the bigger picture, I know that there’s something I can take out from this. There's a message for me. And suddenly, I look around, and I know. I know exactly what coronavirus is here to teach me. I start to appreciate life. Appreciate the normal. Embrace the regular. When have I ever been grateful for merely getting in the car, going to the store, meeting people, and driving home? Just visiting my neighbors. Hanging out with my friends. Attending family obligations. Celebrating weddings. Going to school. Connecting with my teachers, my friends. Never. Never have I once thought, wow, it's so beautiful that we are all able to be here together. I just take it for granted. That’s what happens because it’s normal. Usual. Expected. But what gives us the right to expect everything to go right for us?

Coronavirus has made me a grateful person. It has changed me. I have realized that I can lose so much in just seconds that I need to hold on to everything I have. Appreciate it. Seize my opportunities. It’s hard to learn through a screen. It’s hard to not see my teachers and friends every day. We all know distance learning is not ideal. This is reality now. So what can I do?

I can be thankful that for the past ten years of my schooling, I got to go to school every day. See my teachers and friends. And even though it’s different now, I can learn to be grateful in other ways. I am healthy right now. I have enough food. I am home, safe with my family. When we just change our perspective, the ugliest, most horrible circumstances become beautiful gifts bestowed upon us.

Emma Browning, UConn ECE Student: Norwich Free Academy (CHEM 1127Q/1128Q, HIST 1501/1502)
Now, I have the leisure to do my assignments when and where I want. Although some tests are online and have a set time, they rarely occur before 11 a.m., and my mind is fresh when I take them.

Admittedly, a lot of the distance learning process has been unprecedented. As a member of the class of 2021 undergoing the early phases of the college application process, I've seen countless schools cancel their testing requirements-even Ivies like Cornell or Columbia. Drastic changes in AP testing has also impacted my two AP classes this year and our current course load. For my UConn ECE courses, I have noticed two things: the flexibility of my teachers in continuing our education, and their utter dedication to us and our learning. Neither of these are surprises, per se, but they have been highlighted by the recent epidemic.

Regarding flexibility, my ECE U.S. History class has substituted multiple choice for graded essays that demonstrate our knowledge, interactive presentations, and voiceovers of the class notes to bolster our understanding. In UConn Chemistry, my teacher, who had almost no experience using screen recording techniques, taught herself overnight and asked for our input on what learning strategies worked.

Regarding dedication, both of my ECE teachers have done their best to make sure we walk away with the knowledge (and credit) of a UConn class, but also the utmost care and concern. My U.S. History teacher, Mr. Howard, would often discuss current events with us in class and joke around with us at times, and set up a Google Meet to check in on us and talk about the changes that occurred in light of distance learning. He also uploaded all of our unit materials to Classroom so that we could start studying and reviewing them at our own pace. My Chemistry teacher, Mrs. Trotochaud, has truly gone above and beyond. In light of these circumstances, she has done her best to make sure we receive course credit following the exacting UConn standards, and has made her expectations clear for the class-all the while doing her best to help us adjust. Simultaneously, she runs several Google Meet help sessions a week, regularly quizzes us, sends supplemental materials to aid our learning, and makes numerous explanatory screen recordings. The night before a major test, she sent me a thoughtful email checking in on me and asking if I had any questions since I usually check in with her a week before a test, and sent me an individual screen recording explaining a problem late at night.

Many of the academic changes have been unprecedented, but the UConn ECE teachers have truly, if not entirely surprisingly, stepped up to the task.

Lina Singh, UConn ECE Student: Staples High School (ILCS 3239, ILCS 3240)
The most surprising thing that has happened to me with distance learning was that I've actually learned new things about myself and my goals by having more downtime in my day.

Before quarantine, my brain was constantly preoccupied with school for the majority of the day. But now, I've had the time to be able to tap into my interests, research possible majors and colleges, improve my writing skills, and spend quality time with my family. These are all things I never realized I missed during the school year, especially junior year, but with distance learning, I feel like my life has more balance to it and I've surprisingly grown as a person and knowing who I am and what I want to be.

While living in quarantine and hearing about the turmoil due to COVID-19 has been distressing, I’ve taken some time to think about what’s truly important in life, and that’s the notion of living in the present. As cliche` as it may sound, this mantra has never been so apparent. I put my own spin on the saying: “make time for memories”. Prior to quarantine, I was constantly worrying about the next test, homework assignment, researching colleges, and everything else in a junior’s agenda. But this extraterrestrial-like pause in time has forced me to live in the moment. I finally have the time to do the things I’ve always said I would but never had time for. I’ve opened my eyes wider to the world around me. Every day, I’m either cooking meals, talking with friends and family, or refurbishing old clothes. While the current conditions of our world are truly unfortunate, I know we will bounce back stronger than before. I know that when things return to normal for me, I will definitely be making more of an effort to halt the brakes of everyday life once in a while, wave to a stranger, and ultimately, “make time for memories.”