Center Story

Education Research Forum Promises to Promote Dialogue on Educating Diverse and Urban Learners

September 12, 2011 - Union University’s School of Education is hosting its 5 th annual Education Research Forum on September 22-23, 2011. The conference will be held on Union’s Germantown, TN campus and will focus on this year’s theme: Transforming Education for Diverse and Urban Learners. The conference is sponsored by the Center for Educational Practice at Union University.

The Education Research Forum promises to bring together educators, researchers, teacher candidates, and the larger educational community to raise positive and constructive discussions about educating diverse and urban learners. This year’s keynote speakers are Dr. Thomas R. Rosebrough and Anissa Listak. Rosebrough is the Executive Dean of the College of Education and Human Studies at Union University and University Professor of Education. He is the lead author of the book, Transformational Teaching in the Information Age: Making Why and How We Teach Relevant to Students, published by ASCD in 2011. Listak is the Executive Director of Urban Teacher Residency United (UTRU), a not-for-profit organization that serves a growing national network of innovative teacher preparation programs. She has over 15 years of experience in pubic and non-profit sectors, having formerly served as Director of Development and Community Relations at the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL), where she raised several million dollars for their residency program.

In addition to these keynote addresses, the conference will offer a variety of breakout sessions on a range of educational topics related to the conference theme. Such sessions will address issues ranging from mentoring, technology, classroom community building, teacher self-efficacy, school culture, and assessment.

Dr. Dianne Morgan, Associate Professor of Education on Union’s Germantown, TN campus, is chairing this year’s Education Research Forum. Regarding the conference, Dr. Morgan states, “The theme this year is critical in the field and practice of education. I expect important conversations that will have far-reaching implications to begin during this Forum.”

Additional details about the Education Research Forum can be viewed online at the conference website (http://uu.edu/programs/education/forum/). Registration must be completed online, as onsite registration will not be available. The deadline to register is September 18, 2011.