A Back To School Conversation With... Education Dean Donna Wiseman

COLLEGE PARK , Md. - The College of Education has a new dean - with a focused view on where she wants to take the college as it moves into the 21st Century. "Overall, my vision for the college is to become one of the best research, land-grant colleges of education in the country, and to be relevant and responsive, adding value in statewide education issues," says Dean Donna Wiseman.

Wiseman has a four-point plan to accomplish these goals, including:

• A focus on increasing the diversity of students and faculty in the college.
• The promotion of a global perspective by creating opportunities to travel abroad, hosting international scholars, and supporting scholarship related to international perspectives.
• Taking advantage of Maryland's location close to Washington, D.C. and Annapolis to influence state and national education policy decisions.
• Increase the use of technology and media in both teaching and research.

In a wide-ranging Back-to-School interview for 2008, Wiseman discusses a number of issues that are impacting education today. They include increasing concerns about state requirements that the class of 2009 pass the HSA (High School Assessment) tests, the state of teacher education today and whether teachers are being trained for the future, what can be done to keep young teachers in education, and what the college is doing to help recruit and train teachers for critical STEM (math/science/technology) courses.

The University of Maryland is a research university, and Dean Wiseman says "One of the things that is most impressive about the research in the College of Education is the wide range of topics related to teaching, learning and human development that become the focus of our scholarship." She says faculty are looking at everything from what constitutes good quality teaching, to assessment of national programs and even the development of video games to teach youngsters how to deal with conflicts peacefully.

Read the entire "Conversation With..." Dean Donna Wiseman ->

College of Education - University of Maryland
Wiseman Named New Education Dean

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