Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University students studying elementary education recently hosted a “We Need Diverse Books” event at the SFA Charter School to promote diversity in literature.

Through this event and class project, 36 SFA students in a course taught by Dr. Lauren Burrow, elementary education assistant professor, read diverse books to elementary students and participated in group activities related to the readings.

“This event provided students with books and characters who act as a mirror for their own lives, serve as windows into the lives and experiences of others, and exist as a sliding door into those lives and experiences we want to learn more about because they are so different from our own,” Burrow said.

University students worked in groups to select the reading and create activities.

Books included “The Skin You Live In” by Michael Tyler, which is about race and accepting and valuing one’s skin color; “Women in Chemistry” by Mary Wissinger, which highlights the accomplishments of women in science; and “Mañana Iguana” by Ann Whitford Paul, a bilingual text.

Burrow developed this event as a class project to provide students with an opportunity to create lesson plans, build activities and work as a team.

Group members searched for multiple books within their diverse category and selected the best example based on Good Diverse Books guidelines and input from local librarians.

Each member recorded a 60-second book report video summarizing the book and explaining why it should be chosen for the event. Group members watched each other’s videos and voted on one book for the team to use. Groups then created lesson activities related to the books and made book bag souvenirs to send home for families to learn more about the books with their children.

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

Dr. Clive Muir, associate professor in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business, received the 2017 Pearson Award for Innovation in Teaching with Technology at the Association for Business Communication international meeting in Dublin, Ireland.

This award recognizes Muir for his use of technology in enhancing learning and engagement in business communication courses.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for my philosophical view and pedagogical approach to using technology,” Muir said. “My approach is based on the idea that technological tools should be used only to the extent that they enhance teaching and learning outcomes, not for mere exposure to cool software or to play ‘app scotch’ to excite students.”

Muir has been part of the SFA faculty since 2012 and credits the staff members in the Center for Teaching and Learning for training and supporting his technological endeavors.

Muir approaches his courses with a design challenge — meaning he considers the purpose of the course and selects the tasks and tools he should use.

“We have many options in the teaching and learning process, and we have less time and attention spans than ever before. I strive to be astute in developing the courses,” Muir said.

Another way Muir utilizes technology is by creating a reader-friendly syllabus and teaching students design principles in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

“Students learn to take control of their documents because formatting is important for making a good impression these days,” Muir said.

He designs online courses that are easy to navigate and created in modular form. He also employs interactive sites, discussion boards, business databases, annual reports and more to help his online students better understand the curriculum.

SFA senior Lori McCulloch said she appreciated the way Muir used technology in class and connected the course material to everyday life.

“Dr. Muir went the extra mile to help students be successful and was always prompt in replying to requests for assistance,” McCulloch said.

Additionally, Muir uses podcasts and YouTube videos to showcase the diversity of speakers and presenters in the business environment.

“It is great when we can find examples of effective presentations students can use to guide their own presentations,” Muir said. “To improve their listening and speaking skills, students access various corporate podcasts and then create their own using free online tools. They also create ‘expert’ videos, where they speak with confidence about a workplace issue they’ve researched.”

In both online and face-to-face courses, Muir emphasizes brainstorming, critical-thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, writing, presenting and teamwork skills.

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

Recent graduates from Stephen F. Austin State University’s DeWitt School of Nursing achieved a 96.58-percent first-time passing rate on the National Council Licensure Examination.

The NCLEX-RN is an exam nursing graduates nationwide and in Canada must take and pass in order to receive their nursing license. The NCLEX-RN is designed to test the knowledge, skills and abilities essential for the safe and effective practice of nursing at the entry level.

According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the national average first-time passing rate is 90.65 percent. Dr. Sara Bishop, professor and director of SFA’s DeWitt School of Nursing, said SFA students’ high marks are a testament to the quality of its nursing program.

“We challenge and encourage our students the entire time they are in nursing school to be the best nurses possible,” Bishop said. “This accomplishment shows we have some of the best prepared nurses in the nation graduating from SFA and entering the workforce.”

Jesus Tobias, a 2017 graduate from SFA’s DeWitt School of Nursing, works for Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital. He credits the nursing program’s faculty members with ensuring he was prepared to take the exam in early June.

“The nursing school instructors were great at over-preparing us to take the NCLEX-RN,” Tobias said. “The test is just one part of the process in becoming a nurse. The rest is about having the knowledge and experience to practice as a nurse. SFA helped prepare me for that.”

According to Bishop, nursing instructors do everything possible to prepare students for the exam. “This achievement means a lot to our faculty members. Every instructor knows how difficult the NCLEX-RN is, so to have so many of our students pass the exam the first time they take it means we’re doing something great.”

By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.