Nicole Sparbanie

Professional Development Experiences

National Celebration of Undergraduate Research 2015

 

I will have the opportunity to present the research Krista and I did at NCUR on the campus of East Washington University in April. I am looking forward to another great experience learning from others and sharing our research.

 

 

National Council of Teachers of English Convention 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan Council of Teachers of English Conference 2014

 

My research partner, Krista Luedke, and I had the amazing opportunity to present our research at the MCTE Conference held in East Lansing in October 2014. We were so excited to have a whole session to share what we studied over the summer with current teachers! It was awesome to celebrate our findings and to engage in conversation with teachers who shared our passion for changing the stereotypical way that boys interact with English class.

 

This is our session's description, as it appeared in the conference booklet:

Penny Kittle’s recent book, Book Love, draws our attention to the reality that many of our students do not read the texts we assign. Male students, in particular, are often reluctant readers who struggle with being able to read or being motivated to read. In this interactive presentation, we will explore the concept of “boy books”, and analyze the kinds of books that are often recommended or marketed to boys. Participants will receive book recommendations as well as practical strategies and advice for how best to encourage their male students to read more. 

 

Michigan Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Conference 2013

 

MAHPERD was held in East Lansing, Michigan in November 2013. This conference was valuable, and helped me set goals for my future as a physical educator. I saw how critical it is to remain both physically active and passionate about physical education throughout my teaching career.

 

I also had the opportunity at this conference to co-present with one of my professors, Nicki Flinn. Our session was about using dance stations in PE to introduce students to creative movement. We walked teachers through a variety of stations they could use. I focused on cross-curricular stations with dance and obstacle courses. It was an awesome experience to prepare for and present at a conference for the first time. 

 

Christian Educator's Conference 2013

 

I attended the CEA conference in South Bend, Indiana in October 2013. The conference as a whole was energizing. I felt encouraged about going into education and by the sheer number of teachers present who love Jesus and desire to further the Kingdom through their work. It was helpful to hear the wise words of passionate, experienced teachers. Their musings and stories were meaningful and thought-provoking. It was also centering. The entire day was a constant reminder why I’ve chosen to pursue a career in education, and why it is important. It was a great first experience at a professional conference.