GYO September NEWSLETTER

September 2nd, 2022

UPCOMING EVENTS include the Tech Mini-Conference, the GYO/STG Lunch Meeting, and the Networking Night! Register ASAP and don't miss these opportunities! Details below!

RTC Back To School Lunch Meeting

On August 24th the Rural Teacher Corps had their first gathering of the semester. Nine students and two faculty members gathered to learn about the Rural Teacher Corps and our goals for this year. There was a lot of excitement from students about the upcoming semester. They are eager to begin working with schools again! If your school would like to do a project with the Rural Teacher Corps, please contact the RTC Student Coordinator Holly Higgins (hchiggins@eiu.edu).

Mini-Conference on Technology in Education

Saturday, September 24, 2022 (8:00 am – 12:30 pm)
Buzzard Hall @ Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois

Cost: FREE

Registration and Breakfast Begins at 7:45am 

The aim of this conference is to bring together educators to share ideas and experiences with curriculum, pedagogy, and implementation, related to bringing computational thinking to schools.

Technology Playdate

The Southeastern Illinois P-16+Computational Thinking Network hosted a tech playdate on June 24th. The grant purchased a variety of robots, drones, and STEAM materials for both active and unplugged activities. Educators were encouraged to bring their own “toys” to share. It was a full day of hands-on fun for teachers. The floor, tabletops, and airspace were filled with activities. They plan to offer more hands-on opportunities this fall. The goal is for teachers to test drive these new tech toys so they can be ready to use them with their students.

New Teacher Highlight: Rylee Watson

Martinsvile Elementary School

Rylee Watson has returned to MES! She was a student teacher under the direction of Bethani Conzen in the Spring of 2021. Miss Watson is a graduate of EIU Elementary Education Department. Miss Watson says she loved her student teaching experience and is "glad to be back at MES!" She believes, "the most important part of teaching is building relationships with students." She will also be coaching the HS softball team. Let's welcome Rylee Watson to MES! 

Mini Grants

The recent mini grant deadline has passed and there will not be an extension. More information about the winners will be announced later. Thank you. 

September 13th Planning Meeting 

On September 13th, the Rural Teacher Corps is excited to welcome several students, EIU faculty, and local area administrators to our RTC planning meeting. At this meeting, they will collaborate with local schools to determine the best ways for the Rural Teacher Corps to be involved with their communities. They will also hear what students are interested in learning about through professional development opportunities this semester. 

Rural Networking Night

October 18th, 2022 - 6:00pm - 7:30pm 

Every year, the Rural School Initiative puts together a networking event for preservice teachers and rural school districts called the Rural Networking Night. This year, the event will be held on October 18, 2022, from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Buzzard Hall Atrium. They hope that you will attend this event to build connections with the preservice teachers we have here at EIU! Please use this google form to register for this event. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Holly Higgins (hchiggins@eiu.edu).

Episode 15: Makenna Boyd

Episode 15 features Makenna Boyd, an Education and English student at EIU who has begun her first semester of student teaching. She teaches English at the Arcola High School. She discusses her experiences leading up to where she is today, her current experiences, and what she is looking forward to in the field of education. Click to listen!

Whether you have any questions to ask or stories to share, we'd love to hear from you!