Una Professor Selected To Have Super Teacher Workshop

Jan. 29, 2020

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256-606-2033 or 256-765-4392 FLORENCE, AL - Dr. Lorie Johnson, a University of North Alabama Assistant Professor in Elementary Education, has been selected by the Alabama Humanities Foundation to have an AHF SUPER Teacher Workshop. School and University Partners for Educational Renewal, or SUPER, is a program of the AHF and receives support from diverse sources, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, individuals, and private and public corporations and foundations. "It is an honor to, once again, partner with the Alabama Humanities Foundation to host a SUPER Teacher workshop for teachers across the state," said Dr. Lorie Johnson, Assistant Professor of Elementary Education. "This workshop will focus on Alabama's tremendous musical heritage and share strategies for K-6 teachers to incorporate music into innovative STEAM instruction in their classrooms." The hands-on workshop, "We Rocked the World: Exploring Alabama's Bicentennial Musical Heritage with K-6 Teachers," will offer creative methods for elementary teachers to explore Alabama's rich musical heritage within the science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, or STEAM, framework. Teachers will visit famous studios, interview recording artists, explore the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, create instruments, and learn how to integrate music and our state's musical history into their instruction. "We'll explore why Muscle Shoals is known as the Hit Recording Capital of the World and how we can leverage the amazing talent and music heritage in this area to provide innovative learning experiences for all students," said Dr. Johnson. The workshop will be Tuesday, March 3, at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia. It is free, but registration is required at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlyCRr5hBiEfwyUhzjGbskyc7KqU4XkqTLteko-_naxprW6w/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2sYvKcZJO9tZ5Z5BaCYTbRK4GF0JPlwJwY4Ff3V8BE64_hRme4TADNsdY. The Alabama Humanities Foundation will offer each participant a $100 stipend to cover the cost of a substitute teacher for the day. Initiatives, such as the SUPER Teacher workshop, are a vital part of ongoing education for teachers, according to Dr. Katie Kinney, Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences. "Expanding and deepening the content knowledge of Shoals teachers is a top priority for the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of North Alabama," she said. "Therefore, providing opportunities like the SUPER Teacher workshop allow UNA's Educator Preparation Program to support the professional development of area teachers who, in turn, strengthen UNA's future teachers and P-12 learners in the Shoals community." The Alabama Humanities Foundation's SUPER program builds lasting relationships among Alabama's higher education institutions, elementary and secondary schools, and the state's historical and cultural organizations. SUPER fosters a collegial environment for Alabama's teachers to engage and explore multidisciplinary approaches to the humanities at no cost to them or their schools. Further, SUPER increases Alabama teachers' subject knowledge and boosts their confidence, enthusiasm, and effectiveness as educators. The content in these programs integrates directly with the Alabama State Department of Education's Courses of Study. Upon completion of a SUPER workshop, teachers receive a certificate documenting hours earned toward professional development for submission within their own districts. About The University of North Alabama The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I's ASUN Big South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/