Professor Robert Kronick was honored as a visionary of Knoxville community schools at the Community Schools Celebration – an event co-hosted by the League of Women Voters and South Knoxville Elementary on Thursday, February 25^th 2016.

Photo submitted by Susan Martin.

Kronick is the founder of University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) and was awarded a framed piece of art created by Pond Gap Elementary student, Rylee Greaney.

UACS currently meets academic, social, and economic needs of students at Pond Gap Elementary and Inskip Elementary, and of Knoxville community members.

The Community Schools Celebration celebrated the twelve community schools in Knox County and honored two other visionaries – Superintendent Jim McIntyre and Buzz Thomas, Great Schools Partnership president.

For more information, see the article about the event in South Knox’s Shopper News.

Counselor Education

Isabel is currently seeking her PhD in Counselor Education. Originally from Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela, she received her BA in psychology and MS in counseling psychology from Northeastern State University and came to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2015. We asked her to reflect on some of her past and current experiences. Read her responses below.

Awards

2016 National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship Program (NBCC MFP)
Award ceremony May 24th, 2016

Recipients must demonstrate knowledge of and experience with racially and ethnically diverse populations, and commit to providing mental health and/or substance abuse and addictions counseling services to underserved minority populations through direct practice or the training of direct practitioners.

The NBCC MFP helps ensure that the behavioral health needs of all Americans are met, regardless of language or culture, thereby reducing health disparities and improving overall community health and well-being. The NBCC MFP strengthens the infrastructure that engages diverse individuals in counseling and increases the number of professional counselors providing effective, culturally competent services to underserved populations.

Accomplishments

Conference Presentations:

• The Four Women Project: On Becoming a Counselor Educator (February 27, 2016)
  Co-presenter, Smokey Mountain Counseling Association Annual Conference
• An Ethical and Multicultural Discussion about Immigrant Clients (February 27, 2016)
  Chair, Smokey Mountain Counseling Association Annual Conference

Position

• Graduate Student Liaison (February, 2016 – Present)
  Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselors Association, Knoxville, TN

Accepted Proposals

• An Ethical and Multicultural Discussion about Immigration Clients (March 31 – April 1, 2016)
  Presentation at the 10th Annual Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselors Association (TLPCA) Conference
• Treatment and Prevalence of Substance Abuse with Co-Occurring Eating Disorders (July 14-16, 2016)
  Poster Presentation at the 2016 American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) Annual Conference
• Our Lives Are Stories: Healing Through Creative Expression (July 14-16, 2016)
  Poster Presentation at the 2016 American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) Annual Conference

Refer to Curriculum Vita for more details

Current Occupations

Graduate Research Assistant
Working under assistant professor, Laura S. Wheat, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Special focus on grief and loss experiences of LGBTQ+ self-identified individuals, grief and loss among graduate students and peer bereavement.

Co-Instructor of COUN 545: Critical Issues in Counseling Lifespan Development
Working under associate professor, Casey A. Barrio Minton, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Addressing themes and issues affecting clients’ development with relevance to counselor interventions, including family and personality development, crises and trauma, addiction and addictive behaviors.

Personal Interests

I grew up in Venezuela, I moved to the US when I was seventeen-years-old to pursue a career in counseling and reunite with my mother who moved to the US when I was thirteen-years-old. I come from a big family of three brothers, one niece (two others on the way) and five step siblings. I am newlywed to a wonderful husband named Patrick, we have been married for almost a year and we have an adorable dog named Ares.

My hobbies include biking, running and baking. My biggest passion is traveling, I have been to twenty-two countries and five continents. One of my goals is to visit all the new seven world wonders (five done, two to go!).

Future/Vocational Goals

My goal for the future is to be a counselor educator that provides appropriate multicultural training to my future students. Diversity is a complex subject that cannot be covered in one multicultural class. I wish to bring cultural awareness to each class I teach by incorporating exposure to diverse populations. I aspire to continue serving the Hispanic community throughout my doctoral journey and beyond. Bringing awareness to our society about the effects of immigration and the struggles many immigrants face. Also, I want to better understand the grief and loss many immigrants face while transitioning to a new culture. My goal is to shine a light on the population’s struggles and pain, and help to combat the racism, discrimination, and neglect Latino(a)s daily face.

What sold you on this program?

The faculty! I still remember after the interview I was at the airport waiting for my flight back to Oklahoma. I remember calling my dad and telling him “I feel like I am meant to be here.” The faculty makes you feel special, appreciated, and at home. I never feel unsupported by them and they see more in me than I see in myself.

What would you tell an incoming student who joins the program/department?

Make the most of it and don’t be afraid to try things out. Fellowships, presentations, manuscripts, anything is possible. You will be supported and encouraged to just try! Let someone else say yes or no to you, and don’t limit yourself because you are capable of incredible things.

Instructional Technology

Craig D. Howard joined the University of Tennessee and the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling as an assistant professor for Instructional Technology in August of 2015. We asked him to reflect on his first semester here. Read his responses below.

What sold you on UT?
I was already familiar with a number of EPC faculty members’ research from reading, and I already knew about the synchronous online approach— so I jumped on the chance to apply. I was excited when my value system revolving around online learning matched so well with faculty here. I was sold before I got to the airport to head home.

What do you think was most rewarding or challenging about being a new faculty member?
Every new place takes a while to learn. I kind of expected that, but what I did not expect was such a warm welcome from students and colleagues. I have made an effort to be on campus as much as possible this past year and I think that has paid off in a good rapport with the people I have met so far.

What has been your most memorable experience this semester?
The sense of community in the online classes among students would be the most memorable set of events, for sure.

Name one fact about yourself that most people don’t know.
I have an uncanny ability to get myself food poisoned. I have lost count on how many times so far; my strategy of selecting the most unusual item on the menu has proven adventurous but also sometimes debilitating.

Everett Painter, PhD student in Counselor Education, has been chosen as one of ten Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) Leadership Fellows and one of only two CSI Interns.

“I very much value the role CSI plays in our profession. So I consider this a privilege and am grateful for the opportunity. It also means a great deal to know the faculty were supportive of the nomination.”

Chi Sigma Iota is an international honor society that focuses on promoting academic and professional excellence in counseling. CSI was established in 1985 and was created for counselors-in-training, counselor educators, and professional counselors.

The CSI Leadership Fellows Program is a yearly award designed to cultivate and support graduate counseling students by developing their skills, network, and competencies as future counseling professionals in a changing, multicultural society. Painter explained, “It requires previous leadership experiences at the chapter level, support of two faculty members and the chapter advisor, a financial commitment on the part of the chapter, and application process including the writing of an essay.” He is currently the president of Upsilon Theta, the CSI chapter at UT Knoxville.

Painter will be attending the American Counseling Association (ACA) Annual Conference and Expo in Montreal, Canada next month. As CSI Leadership Fellow and Intern, he will provide a minimum of fifty service hours on a CSI task force/committee and one hundred hours on special projects, attend the CSI Leadership Training, attend CSI activities, receive a $600 grant from CSI, receive a hundred dollar grant from their nominating CSI chapter (Upsilon Theta), and be recognized at the CSI Awards Ceremony with a plaque at the ACA Annual Conference and Expo. After a successful CSI Internship year, Painter will also receive a certificate of recognition at the 2017 CSI Awards Ceremony and an additional $600.

Instructional Technology

Duren is currently seeking her MS in Education with a concentration in Instructional Technology and completing a graduate certificate in Online Teaching and Learning. Originally from Chaplin, Connecticut, she received her BS in Business Administration and an MS in Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and joined EPC in 2012. We asked her to reflect on some of her past and current experiences. Read her responses below.

Accomplishments

Publications

• Yamagata-Lynch, L. C., Do, J., Skutnik, A. L., Thompson, D. J., Stephens, A. F., & Tays, C. A. (2015). Design lessons about participatory self-directed online learning in a graduate level instructional technology course. Open Learning. 30(2) 178-189. doi:10.1080/02680513.2015.1071244

Presentations

• Feb. 2016 Conference Keynote Presentation: ” Educators Taking the Lead: Professional Development that Empowers YOU to Reach Your Goals” invited speaker with honorarium, Roane State Symposium on Powerful Teaching, Feb. 27, 2016 https://www.roanestate.edu/?5915-Symposium-on-Powerful-Teaching
• Feb. 2016 “Evaluating the Flipped Approach: How can it work for your learners?” & “Avoid the Talking Head: Creating Effective Educational Video;” invited speaker with honorarium, Liberty Technology Magnet High School, Jackson, TN (4 hour interactive workshop combining both sessions).
• July 2015 “Evaluating the Flipped Learning Approach: Can it work for my adult learners?” invited speaker, Academy for Instructional Excellence, Nashville, TN (core/required session).
• July 2015 “Avoiding the Talking Head: Creating Effective Educational Video” and “Learning Through Doing: Models for Flipped PD,” accepted speaker, FlipCon 2015, East Lansing, MI.
• April 2015 “Evaluating the Flipped Learning Approach: Can it work for my adult learners?” accepted speaker, Commission on Adult Basic Education Annual Conference, TX.
• Oct. 2014 “Evaluating the Flipped Learning Approach: Can it work for my ESL & EL/Civics learners?” invited speaker with honorarium, GA ESL & EL/Civics Summit, Forsyth, GA (blended, extended professional development).
• May 2014 “Evaluating the Flipped Learning Approach: Can it work for my adult learners?” LINCS RPDC Region II online event (pilot of blended, extended online professional development for US DOE agency).
• April 2014 “Avoid the Talking Head: Creating Engaging Online Instructional Video” (with Bill McNutt); accepted speakers, Technology and Learning Conference, Myrtle Beach, NC.
• July 2013 “Social Media: Planned AE Program Marketing”; invited speaker Academy for Instructional Excellence, Nashville, TN.
• Oct. 2012 “Learning Disabilities: Quick and Dirty Tips for Busy Adult Educators”;
  accepted speaker with honorarium, Georgia Adult Education Conference, Atlanta, GA.

• Refer to Resume for more details

Current Occupation

Program Coordinator for Professional Development
Center for Literacy, Education & Employment, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

As CLEE is wholly contract and grant-funded, work responsibilities have varied widely due to assignments across dozens of education-related projects for adult literacy and K-12 professionals both statewide and nationally. Professional focus over the past 15 years includes effective internet-based instructional methods for professional development, design and implementation of effective educational accountability and evaluation tools and effective support for adults with learning disabilities.
Originally focused solely on technology-associated projects for the Division of Adult Education with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, my valued experience and expertise is now spread across multiple state and federally focused projects. Current responsibilities focus on leading collaborative projects in design, implementation, and evaluation of online, blended and face-to-face professional development via a variety of learning management and software tools. Asked to regularly serve as content expert and trainer at both state and national levels on a wide variety of topics, both face-to-face and via interactive webinars. Additional duties include assistance in grant writing, integration of social media tools into program management and instruction, graphic design/layout and basic web page design.

Personal Interests

UT Staff Advisor for the Thor’s Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Society student group on UT campus, as well as administrative and educational leader in the local and regional chapters of the Society for Creative Anachronism – a world-wide organization dedicated to the hands-on study and exploration of medieval life, culture and martial activities. Particular focus on Norse culture and textile arts (hand spinning, weaving, and natural dyeing).
Mother of eight-year-old daughter, Solvi, who is mastering 3rd grade in Knox County with only minor traumas.
Fan of fantasy and sci-fi books, games and films, currently fighting a Netflix addiction.

Future/Vocational Goals

At this time, I am happy in my current position at the UT Center for Literacy, Education, and Employment and hope that the skills and expertise gained via this program will assist the center in obtaining funding for applications of online learning and technologies for our target populations.
Through and beyond my work at the center, I wish to further establish myself as a leader, researcher and facilitative collaborator in the field of instructional technology and design for education professionals. In particular, I wish to a) continue my work in creating effective professional development learning environments, systems and activities for busy education professionals and b) conduct research and facilitate training that contributes to the effective transference of theory into everyday practice.

What would you tell an incoming student who joins the program/department?

As this program of study is delivered (almost) entirely online, each course provides you with not only the knowledge and skills listed on the syllabus, but also a model of how to structure and deliver instruction in online environments. Do not ‘fight’ the online nature of the program – consider it a valuable part of the learning process. Take the time to step back and evaluate each professor’s approach to the course, determine what is effective (and not), what feels comfortable to you (and isn’t) in order to build or enhance your own ‘toolbox’ of preferred approaches to online (and blended) learning.

What do you think has been the most rewarding/challenging about this program?

The structure of this program affords participants with the opportunity to learn from peers with a wide range of education and training perspectives. I am honored to have participated over a dozen rewarding course partnerships resulting in excellent instructional technology products. I greatly value the friendships I have gained through this process, with both peers and faculty and hope to continue building these friendships once I graduate.