Athens, Ga. – Some 20 Georgia educators who work with students with disabilities will go on a scavenger hunt, make bubbles and brainstorm other imaginative teaching techniques at the Mathematics and Technology Happen Today workshop June 18-22 hosted by the University of Georgia’s College of Education.
Math teachers who work with middle and secondary school students with disabilities will hear motivational speakers and investigate creative instructional methods to help their students learn in a uniquely challenging environment. The annual workshop will be held at the River’s Crossing complex on College Station Road.
The workshop is conducted by Karen H. Jones, a professor in the department of workforce education, leadership and social foundations. Assisting Jones with the workshop are Crystal Bryant, organizer for the Coordinated Vocation Academic Education (CVAE) program and Melissa Meade of WorkKeys and KeyTrain Administration, a technology-based training system for developing common skills required by all jobs.
Jones has spent most of her 20-year career as a UGA faculty member studying teacher education, teacher effectiveness, use and effectiveness of paraprofessionals in career and technical educational settings for students who have special needs. Much of her scholarly activities have been interdisciplinary, combining efforts from vocational education and special education.
She has co-authored numerous guides and handbooks that are used by special needs coordinators throughout the state, including The Georgia Intervention Guide, a handbook for vocational academic coordinators to use with students who are at risk for failing or dropping out of school, first published for the Georgia Department of Education in 1997 and revised in 2004.
She was named the National Outstanding Career and Technical Educator for 2005 by the Association for Career and Technical Education.
Jones received her Ed.D. in vocational education from UGA. Prior to that, she taught family and consumer sciences at Groves High School in Savannah for seven years.
In conjunction with Title II of the No Child Left Behind Act, MATH Today is funded by an Improving Teacher Quality grant from the state of Georgia. The grant program provides Georgia with nearly $2 million each year to support professional development for teachers in science, mathematics, language arts and social studies.
Registration for the MATH Today workshop is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Sheila Hudson at 706/542-0258 or sheilah@uga.edu.