Faculty Research Day

Every spring the University of Central Missouri's Information Technology and Instruction and the Center for Teaching and Learning host Faculty Research Day. It begins with a call for research papers in the fall. The deadline for these papers is at the end of January. These papers are anonymously reviewed by our colleagues and winners are announced in March. The first place winner earns $500 while the second place winner earns $250.

I submitted a paper based on my dissertation data (hiss!). I wrote the paper for the ASTE conference in Connecticut in January and presented with my advisor, Dr. Wavering. I was also second author on another paper, "Persistence of Meteorological Misconceptions." My gal pal, Sal (aka Dr. Zellers) was first author and the paper shared findings from our initial study on weather misconceptions common to undergraduate students. This paper was also presented at the ASTE conference in January.

Winners were announced Tuesday. First place for Education and Human Services went to a colleague for his paper, "Effects of an Inner City Preschool Teacher-Directed Curriculum on the Achievement of Third Grade Students Following Standardized Assessment Measures for English and Mathematics" and the second place went to ME for my paper, "Alternative Conceptions in Earth Science and the Preservice Teacher." (Special thanks to my editor and advisor, Dr. Wavering, who served as co-author!)

Both of these papers came from our newly formed department, Elementary and Early Childhood Education! A major coup for us. And while I didn't place first ~sob~ I did spend several hours editing the paper that earned first place so I like to think I helped a little. The award ceremony will be Friday, March 6, in the Union! I can't wait!