School of Education

Four Alums Win Fulbright US Student Awards

rime — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 18:23:14 +0000

Four Alums Win Fulbright US Student Awards rime Mon, 06/02/2025 - 14:23

Five Students Earn Gilman International Scholarships

rime — Fri, 09 May 2025 17:46:02 +0000

Five Students Earn Gilman International Scholarships rime Fri, 05/09/2025 - 13:46

Increasing Postdocs' Sense of Belonging in Workplace

patenaude — Fri, 02 May 2025 14:05:53 +0000

Increasing Postdocs' Sense of Belonging in Workplace

Friday, May 2, 2025

patenaude Fri, 05/02/2025 - 10:05

Chelsea O'Brien, director of academic support & certification (SUNY Geneseo/Matt Burkhartt)

Chelsea O'Brien

Summary

Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, we reviewed qualitative data to better understand what actions can help postdoctoral scholars feel a sense of belonging in the workplace.

Abstract

Purpose Postdoctoral scholars can experience challenges leading to negative impacts on their personal and professional lives, including low levels of a sense of belonging (Yadav et al. 2020). While researchers have suggested needed improvements for better supporting the postdoctoral scholar workforce (Ålund et al., 2020), few studies have delved into postdoctoral scholars’ views on what would improve their belonging experiences in the workplace. The purpose of this study was to learn more about postdoctoral scholars’ experiences of belonging in the workplace in their own words. Postdoctoral scholars identified changes that could be made to increase their sense of belonging in the workplace, invoking a call to action within institutions of higher education and the broader research enterprise.

Research Questions

to what extent do postdoctoral scholars feel a sense of belonging where they work, if at all.
what, if anything, would contribute to postdoctoral scholars’ increased level of connection to the institution where they work?

What was known

Postdoctoral scholars face many challenges in the workplace, including low pay, employment insecurity, and career pathways. Postdocs across the world have reported having no set career paths, lack of professional development opportunities, and are not supported to learn about aspects of their current job or future positions.

What the research adds to the discussion

We are one of few published studies to use structured interviews to actually ask postdocs about their experiences with belonging in the workplace and how things could change to increase their sense of belonging.

Methodology

The authors investigated postdoctoral scholars’ experiences with belonging through structured interviews and asked participants (n = 30 postdoctoral scholars working in the USA) how their sense of belonging could be increased in their workplace. Using an ecological model as a lens, the authors organize findings at policy, institutional and office/lab unit levels. While previous research has found significant structural barriers to postdoctoral scholars’ sense of belonging, the research team specifically asked postdoctoral scholars to explain what would increase their sense of belonging.

Implications for Society

We provided five key actions supervisors of postdocs can implement to increase sense of belonging for postdocs. Postdocs are some of the most productive academic researchers around the globe, if they do not feel supported in their career paths to becoming academic faculty or researchers, we could lose potential research and life-changing findings across all fields of study.

Implications for Policy

We identified ways the federal government can better support international postdocs, including how visas are processed and regulations around federal grant money.

Elizabeth Jach, PhD, SUNY Albany

O’Brien, C. and Jach, E. (2025), "Using an ecological framework to identify what might increase postdoctoral scholars’ sense of belonging in the workplace," Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-05-2024-0055

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education (2025)

Student-athlete "Joe" Vogt ‘25 Earns Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

patenaude — Thu, 01 May 2025 16:00:38 +0000

Student-athlete "Joe" Vogt ‘25 Earns Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence patenaude Thu, 05/01/2025 - 12:00

James Oigara

lamontagne — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 15:16:04 +0000

James Oigara

Assistant Professor

lamontagne Thu, 04/03/2025 - 11:16

South Hall 221 C

585.245.5381

joigara@geneseo.edu

Dr. James Oigara is an Assistant Professor in the Ella Cline Shear School of Education, where he serves as a methods instructor with a strong focus on enriching social studies education. He collaborates closely with local community partners to create authentic, real-world learning experiences for students. Dr. Oigara's current research explores the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) into teaching and learning, particularly through the use of primary source instructional strategies. He is a Principal Investigator (PI) for the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) project, supported by the Library of Congress. In addition to his research and teaching, Dr. Oigara is an active scholar in the field. He is a peer reviewer for several academic journals and a board member of the International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning ( ISETL), where he contributes to advancing innovative pedagogical practices.

Geneseo Professors Highlight Redlining in Rochester School District

barkan — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 19:29:05 +0000

Geneseo Professors Highlight Redlining in Rochester School District

Monday, March 31, 2025

barkan Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:29

League of Storytellers News

School of Education News

Written By Maria Frontera
Edited by Alyssa Alayon
Photography by Sammi McGiveron

SUNY Geneseo recently recognized the success of Dr. James Oigara and Dr. Julie Troman in hosting a Redlining Workshop alongside Coordinated Care Services Inc. (CCSI) to prepare Elementary Education majors for field placements within Rochester City Schools.

Dr. James Oigara and Dr. Julie Troman are both professors within the Ella Cline Shear School of Education at SUNY Geneseo. They each teach sections of CURR 317: Social Studies and Curriculum Integration course, which is required for Early Childhood with Childhood Education majors, specifically those with a concentration in Social Studies. Alongside CCSI, they hosted a workshop focused on Redlining in Rochester, NY on February 21, 2025. Students from CURR 317 were required to attend, and the presence of Geneseo students, faculty and staff interested in learning more about redlining was encouraged.

CCSI is a local organization that focuses on innovative solutions in human service delivery. Their mission: “to support and empower students, teachers, and communities with the tools to engage with and own their local history of civil rights through inquiry, equity, and civic action.” CCSI prepared an interactive powerpoint, as well as handouts for this workshop entitled: “Local History Matters: Teaching the Impacts of Racism, Resistance and Advocacy in Western, NY.” Activities for this workshop included primary sources, as well as personal narratives from individuals who lived during periods of redlining in Rochester, NY. Facilitated discussion as well as informational packets aimed to pick apart socioeconomic disparities that still exist today as a result of local racism.

Ella Cline Shear school of Education assistant director coordinator of field experiences, Dr. Julie Troman, engages with presentation done by Coordinated Care Services Inc., SUNY Geneseo, February 21st, 2025, Sammi McGiveron.

The pertinent issue of redlining in Rochester, NY had significant impacts within communities and school systems that can still be seen today. With SUNY Geneseo students fulfilling education placements within the urban areas of Rochester, Dr. Oigara communicated the goal of this workshop as planning “to help teacher candidates [learn] about the history of redlining in Rochester city and how it impacts communities today” as well as “help participants to become better future teachers, especially teaching in city schools.” Throughout the two hour interactive workshop, students were asked to look at maps and discuss with peers the implications of the actions displayed in the figures. Dr. Oigara explained that the structure of this workshop aimed to “help teacher candidates understand redlining as a systematic practice that disadvantaged the blacks and other minorities, especially being denied financial services, such as loans or mortgages. This explains the differences in level of education or school resources in city schools compared to suburbs”.

During the seminar, we spoke with Julie Troman who communicated that the workshop “is really related to the work we're doing in the classes, particularly in teaching social studies to elementary students… Through this program, we integrate student teaching while also raising awareness of the intersection between teaching social studies to young children and some of the history [of] our own community”. When asked about her prior experience with the topic of redlining, Dr. Troman responded, “I've read some books and I've seen some speakers talk about it. I think most people think about segregation as something that happened long ago in the past, often associating it with Jim Crow. However, there are still very real instances of racial segregation situations happening. So I think it's really relevant for our candidates to see that because a lot of them aren’t from the area”. With a primary role in organizing and scheduling students’ education placements, Dr. Troman tries to “[make] sure they have rural, suburban, and urban experiences”. She emphasized the importance of this workshop in preparing students for experiences within Rochester City Schools.

Dr. Troman also mentioned that “most people are most comfortable in the type of school they grew up in. They become an expert in the setting they went to school in. They tend to imagine themselves teaching in a similar environment and some may return to their hometowns to teach, others will discover whole new perspectives, whole new worlds.” During the workshop, she specifically noted that “it's also really important that we bring awareness to [the fact that] their students in their classrooms are different from themselves. And that they're thinking about that when they're doing their planning”. Teacher candidates were provided with tools in this workshop to use in their future classrooms that related specifically to the teaching of social studies content, as well as general tools for developing a strong classroom community.

Coordinated Care Services Inc representative interact with students during open dialogue, SUNY Geneseo, February 21st, 2025, Sammi McGiveron.

In between workshop activities, we talked to a few students regarding their thoughts on the topic of redlining and its significance in schools. One student explained that this workshop was a requirement for the course, “but then when I was here I was like oh my gosh this is really relevant to what I want to be doing later.. I think this is still relevant, especially because I'm a minority. So I need to know who I'm gonna be teaching, and there's a big education gap that we need to work to close”. Another student explained that “[The workshop] was required for a class but now being here l have seen how important it is because we're placed in the Rochester school district. So we're learning a lot about the demographics of our students and then I'm also from the Rochester area, so it gives me more knowledge of where I'm from.”

Following the workshop, we asked Dr. Oigara to explain how this workshop will enable teacher candidates to be successful within future placements. He explained that this experience will “help candidates develop equity-focused teaching practices that starts with recognizing that not all students come to the classroom with the same advantages. Some may face barriers, such as socioeconomic challenges, literacy skills or learning disabilities. As future teachers they will need to be aware of these disparities and adapt their teaching methods accordingly. The workshop provided the opportunity for the candidates to have the knowledge they need to be successful in the classroom.”

The success of this workshop lies in the knowledge gained by students which is applicable in both SUNY Geneseo field placements, as well as future classrooms. The dedication of Dr. Oigara, Dr. Troman, CCSI, and Geneseo students in understanding redlining in Rochester, NY, and its lasting impact on the community is admirable. This workshop provided teacher candidates with the tools to understand their student demographics, develop instruction that identifies the history of local racism and how these actions still affect schools today, and lastly, create a strong sense of community amongst students in their future classrooms.

Ella Cline Shear school of Education professor, Dr. James Oigara, oversees a redlining workshop hosted by Coordinated Care Services Inc. SUNY Geneseo, February 21st, 2025 Sammi McGiveron.

SUNY Geneseo is a 2025–26 Voter Friendly Campus

patenaude — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 16:33:46 +0000

SUNY Geneseo is a 2025–26 Voter Friendly Campus patenaude Wed, 03/26/2025 - 12:33

School of Education Faculty Selected to Partner with University of Virginia Curry School of Education on Project FRaME

galbraith — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 14:44:59 +0000

School of Education Faculty Selected to Partner with University of Virginia Curry School of Education on Project FRaME

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

galbraith Wed, 02/19/2025 - 09:44

School of Education News

Dr. Annmarie Urso and Professor Jennifer Waddington from the Ella Cline Shear SOE were selected to work with Dr. Michael Kennedy at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education in Project FRaME (Using Feedback, Reflection, and Multimedia to teach Evidence-based practices in classroom management). They attended training on the campus of UVA on January 10th on Project FRaME, which is a multimedia, multicomponent instructional approach for use in teacher preparation coursework and field placements. Project FRamE is funded by the National Center on Special Education Research within the Institute for Education Sciences.

SUNY Geneseo is one of approximately 30 teacher preparation institutions nationwide that are participating in the project to support teacher candidates' knowledge and implementation of tier 1 classroom management practices. Prof. Waddington will receive additional training on another US Department of Education Project that is part of Project FRaME called COACHED. COACHED is an observation and collaborative tool for reflective practices for pre-and in-service teacher candidates. Dr. Urso has been involved with COACHED for approximately 12 months and is looking forward to using this protocol in Block V practicum starting Fall 25.

Dr. Urso and Professor Waddington look forward to bringing their knowledge back to campus to improve the teacher preparation of students in our programs.

Dr. Annmarie Urso (SOE), Dr. Michael Kennedy (UVA - Curry SOE), Professor Jennifer Waddington (SOE)

Peter Kalenda

lamontagne — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 20:15:48 +0000

Peter Kalenda

Assistant Professor

lamontagne Thu, 01/30/2025 - 15:15

South Hall, 221b

pkalenda@geneseo.edu

he/him/his

Dr. Peter Kalenda (he/him/his) is an educator, researcher, and advocate for hands-on, inquiry-based science learning. He joined SUNY Geneseo in 2023 and has taught full-time at SUNY since 2016. Dr. Kalenda specializes in offering courses in inquiry-based science education methods (B-6 & 7-12), action research, program evaluation, and student teaching supervision. His research on technology integration in science education helps future teachers explore innovative ways to engage students in the classroom. Additional areas of research include developing global competency skills among teacher candidates, program evaluation, and exhibit design in informal science education spaces (zoos, aquariums, and museums).

Dr. Kalenda serves as the Assistant Regional Director of the New York State Master Teachers Program (Finger Lakes Chapter). In this role, he develops and facilitates professional learning opportunities focused on the learning needs of regional PreK-6 STEM educators.

At the Seneca Park Zoo, Dr. Kalenda serves as the Community Partner for Evaluation & Research (Seneca Park Zoo Society). He develops evaluation plans for zoo education programs, conducts research on exhibit design, and serves as a liaison between SUNY Geneseo and the zoo.

As an informal science educator, Dr. Kalenda is also a certified scuba and freediving instructor, bringing his passion for hands-on learning to both the classroom and the natural world.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

B.S. Biology, Canisius College, 2002
M.S. Adolescence Education, Canisius College, 2006
Program Evaluation Certificate, University of Rochester, 2015
C.A.S. School Building and District Leadership, University of Rochester, 2015
Ed.D. Teaching & Curriculum, University of Rochester, 2015

Classes Taught

CURR 316: Teaching Science & Math to Children
EDUC 300/500: Exploring Connections Between Culture, History, and Education: Iceland
H&PE 220: Freediving Skills for Marine Research

Publications

Kalenda, P., Rath, L., Abugasea Heidt, M., Wright, A. (2024) Pre-service Teacher Perceptions of ChatGPT for Lesson Plan Generation. Journal of Educational Technology Systems (JETS). https://doi.org/10.1177/00472395241301388

Kalenda, P. (2024) ChatGPT Can Write My Class Assignments, Right?: A Guided Classroom Activity for Teaching the Strengths and Weaknesses of Generative-AI Tools. Artificial Intelligence, 2024-25. 2. https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/ideas-that-matter-24-25/2

Olmstead, K., Kalenda, P. J., Rath, L. T., Xue, J., Zhang, J. (2023). Empathy throughout the curriculum: Using picture books to promote activism & equity. The Language & Literacy Spectrum, 33(1), 69-88. https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/lls/vol33/iss1/4/

Kalenda, P. J. (2021). The benefits of collaborative zoo exhibit design through action research. Museums & Social Issues. 14(1-2), 23-44. https://doi.org/10.1080/15596893.2021.1964934

Kalenda, P. J., Rath, L. T., Glor, H. (2020). Building partnerships: Using 3D printing to support take-home science activities. Teacher Librarian. 47(5), 26–31.

Kalenda, P. J. (2015). Creating learning experiences that promote informal science education: Designing conservation-focused interactive zoo exhibits through action research. University of Rochester. Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development. http://hdl.handle.net/1802/29685

Affiliations

Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)
International Consortium for Research in Science and Mathematics Education (ICRSME)
National Science Teaching Association (NSTA)
The Association of Science Teacher Education (ASTE)
Online Learning Consortium (OLC)
Scuba Schools International (SSI)

Pre-service Teacher Perceptions of ChatGPT for Lesson Plan Generation

patenaude — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 16:01:53 +0000

Pre-service Teacher Perceptions of ChatGPT for Lesson Plan Generation

Monday, January 27, 2025

patenaude Mon, 01/27/2025 - 11:01

Assistant professor of education Peter Kalenda

Peter Kalenda

Summary

A study of pre-service teachers' perceptions of ChatGPT's ability to write lesson plans finds that perception of ChatGPT's abilities declines following a guided analysis process.

Abstract

This study explores preservice education student perceptions on ChatGPT's ability to write lesson plans through the use of a guided analysis process with 59 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in STEM, TESOL, and Social studies methods courses for grades PreK-12. A pre- post-survey and a reflection on the strengths and weaknesses of ChatGPT were written by participants. Statistically significant findings were revealed regarding student perceptions of ChatGPT's ability to write a complete lesson plan in their content area and ChatGPT's ability to write a detailed lesson plan for a substitute teacher. In both cases, students’ perceptions of ChatGPT to complete these tasks decreased after they engaged in analysis of the content. Students shared that they plan to use ChatGPT for lesson planning as a practicing educator, but indicated that revision of output is necessary. A call for future work is explored.

Main research question

How do students’ preconceptions of ChatGPT’s ability to generate a lesson plan compare to their analysis of ChatGPT generated lesson plans?

What was already known

Emerging research from 2023 & 2024 on ChatGPT and other generative AI use in PreK-12 and higher education settings.

What the research add to the field or discussion?

This study shares perspectives from pre-service teachers regarding ChatGPT after engaging in analysis of ChatGPT-generated lesson plans. After engaging in a guided analysis process, these college students identify the weaknesses of ChatGPT to complete context lesson plan writing. The college students identify ChatGPT as a place to get ideas, outline a lesson plan, or as a helpful tool, however, a skilled teacher is still needed to do the bulk of the lesson plan development.

Novel methodology

Pre-service teachers were issued a random number and engaged in a pre/post quantitative survey. They also wrote a letter to their future self outlining how they should use ChatGPT for lesson planning when they have their first classroom. Quantitative data was analyzed using Excel and jamovi version 2.3 to complete a paired 2-tailed t-test to measure the mean differences in responses for each pretest-post test pair (Creswell & Creswell, 2023). Qualitative data was analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques (Saldaña, 2021).

Implications for society

—How we teach lesson planning: Students took ownership of the analysis process and walked away with a strong understanding of what constitutes a good lesson plan.

—How we engage students in lesson plan analysis: Students were much more willing to be critical of a lesson plan written by a computer. Students have shown much more apprehension when analyzing lesson plans written by peers or established authors. - How we teach students that generative AI is a tool and not a replacement for writing skills: Professors share that generative AI should not be used as a replacement for writing, however, plagiarism in courses can still occur. These pre-service teachers came to their own conclusion that ChatGPT has many weaknesses and that they need a strong understanding and skills related to the content area and pedagogy to write a lesson plan. They determined that ChatGPT can be a helpful tool.

Implications for research

A call for research with new versions of ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms. - A call for research where pre-service teachers use generative AI platforms themselves to create stronger lesson plans through prompt generation and revision.

Implications for policy

This paper can serve as a helpful tool to inspire college-wide or course-level policies for generative AI use. Specifically, to inspire the use of these tools in courses to prepare students on how to use these tools effectively in their future careers.

Logan Rath; Marium Abugasea Heidt; and Allison Wright, all at SUNY Brockport

Kalenda, P. J., Rath, L., Abugasea Heidt, M., & Wright, A. (2024). Pre-service Teacher Perceptions of ChatGPT for Lesson Plan Generation. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 53(3) Perceptions of ChatGPT for Lesson Plan Generation. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 0(0).

Journal of Educational Technology Systems (2024)