Everything Nac

Wesley Turner, lecturer in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Geology, is teaching his students to play in the sand.

With the help of an augmented reality sandbox, Turner brings geological concepts to life. The simplicity of the field and the way it helped explain the world around him was what originally attracted Turner to geology and gave him the desire to teach it to others.

“It involved stuff I already knew because it’s about the world we live in, but I’d never really thought about it before,” he said. “Questions I had about the Earth, the planets and space — they were all kind of answered by geology. I hadn’t previously realized that geology was so all-encompassing.”

After receiving his bachelor’s degree from SFA, Turner began teaching in the department in 2015 while obtaining his master’s degree. He currently teaches introductory geology courses, as well as online classes, and serves as the lab coordinator.

“I get to teach something that I love and I’m excited about, which I don’t think everybody gets to do,” Turner said. “It’s nice to see when people start to understand things about their world that they had an idea about already.”

The AR sandbox is one way Turner makes learning about geology a hands-on experience for his students. He and another faculty member built the box and hooked a 3D camera up to an Xbox Kinect and a projector. By manipulating the sand, students can change the way contours representing the topography are projected onto it.

“Being able to visualize it and make your own surface and see how the contours will reflect that surface helps students get the concepts a little better,” Turner said.

In recognition of his work, he was awarded a Bright Spot award by the SFA Faculty Senate, the Center for Teaching and Learning and the SFA vice presidents.

“Mr. Turner is a proficient lecturer and is highly regarded among his students and colleagues,” said Dr. Wesley Brown, chair of the Department of Geology. “He is known for his creativity outside of the AR sandbox and is a creative thinker behind several innovative activities in the Department of Geology.”

For more information about SFA’s Department of Geology, visit sfasu.edu/academics/colleges/sciences-math/geology.

By Joanna Armstrong, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Landscape Competition Team won multiple awards at the 2019 National Collegiate Landscaping Competition held in Fort Collins, Colorado, during spring break.

Anna Clair Cunningham, a junior horticulture major, was named Top Student and overall winner of the event’s school social media competition.

“I posted 153 photos to Instagram in three days,” Cunningham said. “The point was to promote the event, support other teams and raise awareness of the competition.”

For her efforts, Cunningham received $1,000, and the SFA Landscape Competition Team received $1,000 worth of landscaping equipment.

Dr. Jared Barnes, assistant professor of horticulture and faculty advisor for the team, won the faculty social media competition for his coverage of the event and also received $1,000.

“When you have a student and faculty member who win a social media competition, I think it shows that we also are teaching the concept that you have to share what you do and what you love,” Barnes said. “I think that is something we as an industry haven’t done enough.”

Junior horticulture major Jevon Richeson placed in the top 25 among 90 competitors in the interior plant identification competition and said that his work growing plants with the SFA horticulture program provided him with valuable experience.

“Every student competed with the best intentions,” Barnes said. “They were enthusiastic and really put their best foot forward in competing at a national level.”

More than 800 students from 60 universities across the U.S. and Canada attended the three-day event that hosts nearly 30 different competitions, as well as a career fair and student workshops.

While the event focuses on the horticulture, landscaping and tree care industries, Barnes said there are numerous other opportunities for students who have other skills related to business, sales and heavy equipment operation.

For more information on this event, as well as the SFA Landscape Competition Team, contact Dr. Jared Bares at barnesj@sfasu.edu.

Story by Sarah Fuller, outreach coordinator for Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. Contact information: (936) 468-1185 or fullersa@sfasu.edu.

What do you get when you add a passion for education and a love of mathematics? Dr. Mark Montgomery, assistant professor at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Four years ago, Montgomery joined the SFA faculty in the James I. Perkins College of Education and since then has been working to break the stereotypes associated with mathematics in his elementary education courses. Often people think they aren’t “mathematics people,” but Montgomery believes these negative feelings are linked to an unpleasant classroom experience.

“These moments can convince us we can’t do mathematics,” he explained. “My moment was in seventh grade mathematics with a teacher who would make fun of me for asking questions. It broke me and my belief in myself as a mathematician.”

In his classroom, Montgomery works to create a positive space for students to learn mathematics and how to teach the subject to elementary and middle-level students.

“Teaching is about relationship building. The relationships between the teacher and students, each student and their peers, students and the content, and the content to its purpose in the real world,” he said. “Creating environments where all of these relationships can flourish so every child feels appreciated and supported in taking risks, learning from mistakes and building understanding is critical for developing effective problem-solvers.”

At the beginning of each semester, Montgomery asks SFA students to identify with one of the five emojis he has in the room. Whether students stand by the smiling or crying face, this gives Montgomery an idea of how each student feels about mathematics.

“Once students realize many of their negative feelings came from outside forces and not from a lack of ability, it becomes freeing. They are often able to let go of their anger at mathematics and begin to repair the relationship,” he said.

Before teaching college students, Montgomery worked as an elementary teacher, middle-level mathematics teacher, instructional specialist and district instructional technologist in schools in Oklahoma and Texas. He holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a doctoral degree in curriculum and teaching from Baylor University, both focusing on mathematics education.

At SFA, he teaches mathematics methodology courses to both elementary and middle-level teacher candidates and supervises pre-service teachers in a field experience course focused on mathematics and science instruction.

“I want my students to understand that if they want to inspire their own students, they must realize the power they have over the children’s own belief in themselves and the impact that their decisions can make on the student, both during the school day and at home” he said.

Recently, Montgomery was recognized with an SFA Teaching Excellence Award for being an outstanding faculty member for the James I. Perkins College of Education. This award is based on knowledge of subject matter, quality of lectures and assignments, enthusiasm for teaching, interest in and availability to students, commitment to continuous improvement, and contribution to the quality of teaching at SFA by assisting and encouraging other faculty members.

Montgomery believes in the power of education and the important role of teachers.

“Educators throughout my life have seen something in me that I did not see for myself. This feeling is something that keeps me drawn to education as a career,” he said. “Education is more than a profession, it is a calling to serve my students, their future students and my community as a whole.”

By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will present the comic operetta “The Pirates of Penzance” by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan at 7:30 nightly through Saturday, April 6, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus. Memorable melodies, sharp dialogue, a twisting plot, and clever lyrics make “The Pirates of Penzance” one of the most beloved shows in the English-speaking world. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407.