Steinhardt’s CMJ Sessions @ NYU Offers Indie Bands State-of-Art Recording and Mixing

Bouts, an Irish band described as “modern pop-grunge noisemakers with a sharp, melodic edge,” recently recorded a song at NYU Steinhardt as part of The CMJ Sessions @ NYU.

Steinhardt’s partnership with CMJ offers music business students a chance to serve as talent scouts, artistic directors, and collaborators with bands during the recording and mixing processes.

The first CMJ Sessions @ NYU featured Old Monk. A song from the band’s first album, Birds of Belize, was recorded in the Department of Music and Performing Art’s Professions’ state-of-the-art James L. Dolan Recording Studio.

 

Posted by Debra Weinstein on June 14, 2013 2:00 pm | |

Teaching and Learning Fellowship Students Share Best Practices with Teachers

NYU Steinhardt’s NOYCE fellows conducted a workshop at the 8th annual NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Conference in Washington D.C. in May.

The students (from left to right), Janna Dougherty, Benjamin Osei-Bonsu, Bryan Mosher, and Joseph MacDonald, developed the workshop with Pamela Fraser-Abder, associate professor of science education, drawing from their NYU courses and their experiences in the CRISP teacher residency program as they observed and taught in schools across the New York City metropolitan area.

The workshop, Technology Resources for the Science Classroom, gave attendees web resources and instructional strategies to adapt and integrate into their own science curriculums. The team discussed strategies for using technology to expose participants’ students to institutional resources in their immediate neighborhoods, the country, as well as around the world.

To learn more about the CRISP program, visit NYU Steinhardt At a Glance:

CRISP Offers Aspiring Science Teachers Immersion, Education, and a Path to the Classroom.

Posted by Debra Weinstein on June 13, 2013 2:27 pm | |

Steinhardt Releases Teacher Education Materials and Evaluation Methods

In an effort to educate prospective students, future employers of its graduates, and the public, the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development today released a wide breadth of materials showcasing the school’s teacher training programs and evaluation methods.

“We are releasing this information because transparency is critically important in evaluating teacher programs,” said Mary Brabeck, dean of NYU Steinhardt.  “We understand that teacher preparation  is a complex developmental process. However, we want to bring attention to Steinhardt’s deliberate and conscientious effort to assess our programs and make the results transparent.”

Steinhardt’s comprehensive site, “Teacher Education at Steinhardt,” offers a broad inventory of the school’s teacher education programming and assessment practices. It contains course syllabi, professors’ biographies, candidate quality data, analyses of graduates’ teaching, assessments of graduates’ K-12 pupils’ learning, testimonials, graduates’ surveys, and an in depth look at Steinhardt’s outcome data showing its effectiveness in training teachers.

“We all need to know that teacher education programs are producing excellent teachers before they assume responsibility for a classroom,” said Brabeck.  “That’s what we are doing and we want the public to see how we are doing it at Steinhardt.”

The issue of how to train students to become effective teachers, and evaluating programs that do this work, is an ongoing debate within the education community. Organizations like the National Council for Teacher Quality (NCTQ), the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), and the soon-to-be Commission for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) continue to focus their efforts on tackling the issue; each organization is taking a different approach.

NCTQ and U.S. News and World Report are slated to release rankings of teacher education programs throughout the country. However, NCTQ’s methodology raises concerns about the meaning of the rankings.

“We don’t agree with NCTQ’s approach because we believe that teacher education is a dynamic and developmental process that can’t be judged simply based on syllabi and textbooks,” Brabeck said.

In a memo to U.S News Editor Brian Kelly and NCTQ President Kate Walsh, titled, “NCTQ Standards: Identifying the Methodology,” Dean Brabeck, in conjunction with 35 chief academic officers from the education schools of the Association of American Universities (AAU), expressed concerns relating to the process of the evaluation. Letters from the Council of Great City Schools and  Chancellors of the California State University System, the University System of Maryland, and the State University System of New York also raised concerns about NCTQ’s data collection process.

“We applaud all efforts to turn attention to improving teacher education.” said Susan Neuman, former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education and chair of Steinhardt’s Department of Teaching and Learning. “But we take our commitment too seriously to have our efforts evaluated in a simplistic way. We hope our transparency will encourage other programs to stand by their work. We are eager to collaborate on how to develop a reliable methodology for evaluation of all teacher education programs.”

 

Posted by Courtney Bowe on June 10, 2013 2:32 pm | |

Gerald Voelbel of Occupational Therapy Department Builds a Case for Brain Mapping

 

Following a year-long review of the most significant traumatic brain injury (TBI) research spanning 17 years, NYU Steinhardt Assistant Professor Gerald Voelbel, concludes that the use of the neuroimaging (brain mapping) technique, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), can be used to repair the brain.

Voelbel’s conclusions are highlighted in his recent study, “Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Traumatic Brain Injury Review: Implications for Neurohabilitiation.”

“When someone suffers from a TBI the brain chemicals and pathways are disrupted. The white matter pathways that carry these brain chemicals can be over excited, stretched and even torn,” Voelbel explained. “These disruptions are what alter the cognition, or behavior, of the patient. This research demonstrates that through diffusion tensor imaging, we can look at the disrupted pathways and determine how to reconnect them or create new ones during patient rehabilitation.”

Approximately 1.7 million people sustain traumatic brain injuries each year. President Obama’s  “BRAIN Initiative,” will provide approximately $100 million of his 2014 budget to help researchers find new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

According to Voelbel, moderate to severe TBI can result in loss of verbal memory, short-term memory, executive function, and the ability to process information or concentrate.  During patient rehabilitation, clinicians work to restore these abilities through various “brain training” methods that may include writing tests or memory games.

“This research builds a strong case in measuring how these white matter pathways are associated with behavior changes resulting from TBI,” said Voelbel. “However, as clinicians seek to rehabilitate TBI patients, work still needs to be done on taking pre and post rehabilitation trauma images.  We will be able to compare the images to identify – at the brain level – what changes are being made during rehabilitation when treating patients. But this is a good start.”

VIDEO: Voelbel talks concussions and mild brain injury

Posted by Courtney Bowe on June 10, 2013 2:15 pm | |

NYU Steinhardt Recommends: A Trip to Jane’s Carousel

This summer, take a trip to Jane’s Carousel.   Located in Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo, the carousel – which hails from Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio – was lovingly and painstakingly restored by Steinhardt alumna Jane Walentas (MA ’85).

Jane and her husband David Walentas purchased the carousel in 1984 for the Brooklyn waterfront.  A graduate of the Department of Art and Art Professions, Jane refurbished the horses in her Dumbo studio, chipping away at each layer of paint until she arrived at the original color and design.  The restoration, which included repair, repainting, detailing, gold-leafing, and mural cleaning – took more than twenty years.

The carousel opened in 2011.  On a beautiful day, the view of the horses in their transparent acrylic pavilion remind us how much a singular vision can change the landscape.

(Photo:  Debra Weinstein/NYU Steinhardt)

 

Posted by Debra Weinstein on June 10, 2013 1:00 pm | |

New Book by Diana Sidtis Explores Voice, Perception, and Social Life

This spring, Steinhardt faculty members took part in A Celebration of Voice, an event launching Foundation of Voice Studies (Wiley Blackwell, 2013) by Diana Sidtis, professor of communicative sciences and disorders (NYU Steinhardt), and Jody Kreiman (UCLA). The book explores questions of how voice quality influences perception and the role it has in social life.

The evening included presentations and lectures about topics covered in the book as well as musical performances by students from the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions and the B. & B. Singers – students and faculty members from Steinhardt’s Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders.

Speakers included: Jane Tylus, director of the Humanities Initiative (New York University), J. Martin Daughtry (NYU, FAS), Brian Gill (NYU Steinhardt), Christina Reuterskiöld (NYU Steinhardt), John Sidtis (NYU Langone) and Diana Sidtis.

(Photo:  Diana Sidtis, holding flowers; with Christina Reuterskiöld, associate professor, NYU Steinhardt)

 

Posted by Debra Weinstein on June 10, 2013 2:54 am | |

Steinhardt’s McAllister Byun Says Make Sound Visual to Help Treat “R” Speech Errors in Children

If you’ve heard rabbit sound like wabbit, and your name is Robert, not Wobeht, it’s possible that you’re on the receiving end of one of the most challenging and treatment-resistant speech sound disorders,  misarticulation of /r/.  Research by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders has shown that approximately 10 percent of preschool and elementary school-aged children are affected by speech sound disorders.

According to NYU Steinhardt professor, Tara McAllister Byun, the use of acoustic and ultrasound biofeedback can significantly increase the accuracy of  /r/ pronunciation in children and adolescents, although few clinicians currently use the method as a means of speech sound intervention.

“Visual biofeedback enhances the sensory experience of producing a sound like /r/,” said McAllister Byun, a certified speech-language pathologist. “In addition to hearing the sound of speech, the child sees a visual display of her own speech and a model representing the correct pronunciation of the sound. The model creates a target. Using the visual display, the child can adjust her speech to achieve a better match with the target.”

McAllister Byun attributes the success of the treatment model to the unconventional approach it brings to the task of learning speech.

“In traditional methods, the clinician typically asks the child to imitate the /r/ sound that she hears,” McAllister Byun explained. “However, many children who are unable to produce a good /r/ sound also have trouble hearing the difference between correct and incorrect /r/. We think that biofeedback is successful because it bypasses that auditory channel. Even if the child can’t hear the difference between good and bad /r/, they can see whether they’re hitting the target on the screen. That lets them know if they are saying the /r/ sound correctly.”

According to McAllister Byun, speech sound disorders in childhood pose a barrier to academic and social participation, can result in bullying, and may even have lifelong consequences for educational and occupational outcomes. Particular challenges are faced by children with residual speech errors, or atypical speech patterns that persist past nine years of age. These errors, which frequently involve sounds like /r/ and /s/, often remain unchanged despite years of therapy.

Even with its promising nature, very few clinicians have adopted biofeedback due to equipment costs or lack of familiarity with the method. However, recent technological advances have lowered the cost of biofeedback equipment, creating an exciting opportunity for widespread use of these methods.  McAllister Byun is currently looking to expand her research and build the case for the effectiveness of biofeedback intervention through a research grant from the National Institutes of Health. She is now seeking research participants for a new treatment study.

McAllister Byun’s previous study, published in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, “Investigating the Use of  Traditional and Spectral Biofeedback Approaches to Intervention for /r/ Misarticulation” (with Elaine Hitchcock, Montclair State University), examined whether children who fail to respond to traditional forms of treatment  for /r/ can benefit from acoustic biofeedback intervention. Only two out of 11 participants made progress during an initial phase using traditional treatment methods, but six more went on to make measurable gains after biofeedback was introduced.

“We’re seeing a shift in the field of speech-language pathology toward increased incorporation of technology into treatment—whether it’s a simple iPad app or something as complex as ultrasound imaging of the contours of the tongue,” McAllister Byun explained. “My goal is to make clinicians aware of biofeedback as a tool that they can reach for when they meet these truly challenging, treatment-resistant cases. In the long run, I hope that this will help us increase the effectiveness and efficiency of treatment for difficult sounds like /r/.”

 

 

 

Posted by Courtney Bowe on May 30, 2013 3:06 pm | |

On Brown Anniversary, Steinhardt Hosts Civil Rights Activist Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Writer Calvin Trillin

On May 17th, the 59th anniversary of the Brown decision, the Department of Teaching and Learning hosted Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Calvin Trillin for a conversation on civil rights.

Hunter-Gault and the late Hamilton Holmes – with the support of an all-star legal team– desegregated the University of Georgia in 1961.  An award-winning journalist, she is the author of  In My Place, and To The Mountaintop: My Journey Through the Civil Rights Movement.

Trillin – best known as a humorist, food, and travel writer —  wrote a series of articles for The New Yorker on the UG desegregation in the 1960s and published them as An Education in Georgia: Charlayne Hunter, Hamilton Holmes, and the Integration of the University of Georgia.

The event was the final session of the Teaching American History workshop series for New York City public school teachers, and was co-sponsored by NYU, the New York City Department of Education, and the New York Historical Society.

“Our goal is to connect teachers to the best scholarship in American history so that they can become more effective history teachers,” said Robby Cohen, professor of social studies education in Steinhardt’s Department of Teaching and Learning, and lead historian on this federally funded professional development program.

“Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Calvin Trillin have written very powerful books about the black freedom movement and the struggle to implement the Brown decision, to tear down the color line in public education.  Charlayne lived this history, which makes her story all the more compelling for our teachers,” Cohen said.

The session was attended by teachers from NYU’s partnerships schools, as well as NYU America Reads tutors. Prior sessions sessions led by renowned historians — including Eric Foner, Linda Greenhouse, Linda Kerber, Richard Bernstein, Maeva Marcus, Waldo Martin, and Melvyn Urofsky – focused on U.S. constitutional history.

Hunter-Gault offered the audience a vivid portrait of her coming-of-age as a civil rights activist.  After, she took questions from the audience on a range of topics, and encouraged teachers to engage deeply with their students.

“You might have to be the mother, the father, and the auntie,” Hunger-Gault said.  “What goes on in your classroom could save a kid from a dangerous and unproductive life.”

 

(Photos:  Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Calvin Trillin:  Debra Weinstein/NYU Steinhardt)

 

Posted by Debra Weinstein on May 21, 2013 4:32 pm | |

Graduation Profile: The Complicated Journey of Andrew Cory Greene

Among NYU Steinhardt’s 2,100 graduates this week is Andrew Cory Greene, banner bearer at the Baccalaureate Ceremony at Radio City Music Hall.

The road to Radio City was a complicated one for Greene who dropped out of high school at sixteen, spent eight years in jail for his part in a homicide, enrolled in LaGuardia Community College upon his release, then transferred to NYU Steinhardt.   Through the support of NYU’s Community College Transfer Opportunity Program, Greene will earn a B.S. degree from the Department of Applied Psychology.

“Cory Greene is a great example of the transformative power of education,” says Jonathan Zimmerman, professor of education and history. “To me, Cory embodies the best ideals of the liberal arts: curiosity, enthusiasm, and especially persistence in the face of challenge. Few of us have faced the kind of circumstances and obstacles that Cory has overcome. But all of us struggle every day to make meaning of the world and also to make it a better place for human beings to live.”

Greene credits his young son with helping him turn his life around.  He’s committed to helping others, too, through H.O.L.L.A.!, a community-mentoring organization he founded.  H.O.L.LA! holds group sessions for middle school students in Brownsville, Brooklyn on Saturdays, “encouraging, engaging, and empowering them both socially and academically,” Greene says.

To many, Greene serves as an example of what can be achieved through sheer determination.  His struggle to rise above circumstance is the subject of Christine Pigott’s short documentary film, From Prison to NYU.

His journey continues next fall at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY),  where he has been accepted to the Ph.D. program in psychology.

(Photo:  Debra Weinstein/NYU Steinhardt)

Posted by Debra Weinstein on May 20, 2013 3:39 pm | |

Internationally Renowned Fashion Designer, Charlotte Ronson, is 2013 Alumni Achievement Award Recipient

Fashion designer Charlotte Ronson launched her first collection in 2000, opened her flagship boutique two years later in New York’s Nolita neighborhood, and shows her collections at New York Fashion Week.  A 1999 graduate of the Studio Art Program within Steinhardt’s Department of Art and Art Professions, Ms. Ronson is one of the 2013 Alumni Achievement Award recipients. She will accept her award on Monday, May 20 at the Steinhardt baccalaureate ceremony at Radio City Music Hall.


Ms. Ronson took a few minutes to speak with At-A-Glance about life after Steinhardt and offers words of wisdom to the 2013 grads.

So, what is a typical day in the life of Charlottle Ronson?
In the mornings I grab a coffee and quick bite to eat on the way to the office. I meet with my design team and we go over any approvals that are needed for either my “I ‘Heart’ Ronson” collection for JCPenny or my runway collection. This can range from fabrics to color to design ideas and fittings. I usually have interview questions or shoots to attend and collaborations that I work on.

A typical day is usually pretty great, I feel very lucky to be able to do what I love every day. In the evenings, I try to relax and meet up with friends for dinner or just spend time at home catching up on my TiVo.

How did your education at Steinhardt prepare you for your career?
Steinhardt prepared me by instilling in me the knowledge, awareness, and strength to follow my dreams and create my own company and business as a woman.  Now, I’m able to do what I love everyday.

The Steinhardt mission seeks to impact social change. How do you incorporate the Steinhardt mission into your everyday life?
As a woman, I have never let gender stop me from starting my company or being seen as serious designer.  We should all take advantage of the times we’re living in as limitations are fewer and far between.  I truly believe that you can do anything if you are passionate, & put your mind and heart into it, and work hard.

I’m also involved in numerous charities. I think it is imperative to do your part and to give back and carry on a positive message. One must encourage the next generation of women to be their own role models.

What advice do you have for current students and soon to be graduates?
Follow your true passions and give it your all. That is the key to success and happiness and your job will never feel like work.

 

Posted by Courtney Bowe on May 15, 2013 4:51 pm | |