Volume 29, No. 24
March 13, 1998
Scott A. Miller
Contact: MU PR Office 662-4844
NEWS
MU Link-to-Learn project to benefit 41,000 PA students
A $482,000 grant to Mansfield University from Gov. Tom Ridge's Link-to-Learn initiative will help teachers and students in 14 school districts in Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan and Tioga counties become part of a regional high-tech education and information network.
The new network, christened NorthCentral Net (NCNet), will combine and distribute the educational resources available throughout Intermediate Unit #17 (BLaST) and Bishop Neumann Junior-Senior High School with those of the university, Guthrie Healthcare System, Susquehanna Healthcare System, Williamsport's James V. Brown Library and the Internet. More than 40,000 students in all grades -- and their teachers -- are expected to benefit.
"Part of our public mission in Pennsylvania is to provide ongoing educational opportunities for teachers and access to information for primary and secondary school students," says Dr. Joseph Moore, MU vice president for academic affairs and provost. "Gov. Ridge's vision of a technology-ready workforce means Pennsylvania students need more access to technology now. Mansfield University's mission includes making sure Pennsylvania students are ready to compete in the new knowledge-based economy."
NCNET will address several educational challenges that exist in the rural districts that comprise it, one of which is geography.
"The smaller, more rural districts have fewer resources and less access to resources because the vast ruralness of the region limits telecommunications service," says Dr. Larry Nesbit, MU director of information resources and primary author of the NCNet proposal. "NCNet will connect all partners and provide for future expansion, which could be especially important to private schools like Bishop Neumann that often don't have enough funding for high-tech initiatives."
The grant will bring advanced technology to many schools that don't have it, along with the training and support to use this technology.
"Lack of training in the use of educational technology for students, teachers and other school personnel is an ongoing problem for many educators, rural and urban; if teachers aren't trained, students won't be either," Nesbit says. "We want all partners to receive adequate technical support, so we have made that part of our project."
Link-to-Learn is Gov. Ridge's three-year, $132 million initiative aimed at expanding the use of technology in the classroom, including new and upgraded computers for schools and technology training for teachers. Mansfield was one of 21 recipients of grants totaling $6 million.
The school districts taking part in NCNet include: Southern Tioga, Northern Tioga, Wellsboro Area, Montoursville Area, Athens Area, Towanda Area, Sayre Area, Sullivan County, Troy Area, Canton Area, Northeast Bradford, Wyalusing Area, Jersey Shore Area, Loyalsock Township.
University to host two prominent directors
MU will host two of the nation's hottest up-and-coming choral directors for seminars and performances in the coming weeks.
On Thursday, March 19, Judy Willoughby-Miller will lead a workshop on children's choirs in Steadman Theatre.
She is the founding director of the Temple University Children's Choir, with whom she made a triumphant appearance at the 1997 American Choral Directors Association National Convention in San Diego. Willoughby-Miller will work with the Warren L. Miller Elementary School Singers under the direction of Joan Berresford and the Hamilton-Gibson Children's Chorus directed by Thomas Putnam. She will rehearse them and demonstrate vocal techniques for children's choirs beginning at 1 p.m. in Steadman Theatre.
At 4 p.m., each group will perform several selections individually and then combine on four selections under the direction of Willoughby-Miller. Featured works include "Art thou troubled" by Handel, "The Birds" by Britten, "Hine Ma Tov" by Naplan, and "The Storm is Passing Over" by Tindley. Visitors are welcome anytime during the workshop from 1-5 p.m.
The following week, Dr. Anthony Leach of Penn State University will be on campus for MU's annual school choral festival. On Monday, March 23, at 8 p.m., Leach's renowned Gospel choir, "Essence of Joy" will present a concert in Steadman Theatre. This group is rapidly becoming the definitive ensemble for Black Gospel music.
Leach will remain on campus two more days to work with area choirs as well as the university ensembles. Fourteen choirs from elementary through high school age will perform at 45-minute intervals from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, March 24-25.
On Wednesday at 4 pm, Leach will give a lecture/demonstration on Black Gospel music style and literature. The public is invited to attend any part of the festival.
For more information, call Peggy Dettwiler at 4721.
Saturday, March 21, 8 p.m., Steadman. The MU Fine Arts Series will present a recital by violinist Greg Fulkerson. Fulkerson is one of the best known and most sought-after of the younger generation of American violinists. Among his honors are a first prize in the International American Music Competition, formerly sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation (now sponsored by Carnegie Hall). His performing career has included debuts in New York, London, Paris, Rome, and Brussels.
Sunday, March 22, 3 p.m. Steadman. The MU Jazz Ensemble under the direction Michael Galloway will perform its annual concert of the finest modern jazz by today's top big band composers and arrangers.
Have an Updater announcement? Send it to Scott A. Miller
Sandra Woolley, education, gave a presentation titled "Modeling Effective Early Childhood Teaching Strategies," at the 1998 Annual Meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) in Dallas Feb. 13-17. As chair of the Early Childhood Teacher Educator Special Interest Group, she also led the group's business meeting.
Sophomore point guard Tommy Harvey was selected as a repeat member of the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division basketball team in voting conduced among the PSAC East head coaches. Harvey, who earned All-PSAC East second team and Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman, was again named to second team honors. A starter in all 25 games for the Mountaineers this season, Harvey led the team and ranked fourth in the PSAC East in scoring averaging 17.0 points per game. In addition, Harvey ranked second in the PSAC in steals (2.4 spg), third in assists (5.6 apg), third in 3-point field goals per game (2.8), fourth in free throw percentage (79.8) and sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (40.9).
The softball team improved to 3-0 on the season when junior Brooke McManus delivered a one-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift MU to a 4-3 win over Truman (MO) State at the West Florida Spring Fling Tournament in Pensacola Tuesday afternoon. The baseball team stood at 2-3 with a national ranking of 17 after its first five games, which included a 25-5 win.
Freshman swimmer Candace Cipolla took fifth place in the 100 backstroke at the PSAC Swimming Championship to earn a trip to the NCAA Division II National Championship. Cipolla finished with a personal best time of 1:01.31 to qualify.
The indoor track season came to a close at the ECAC Division II Indoor Championship held at Lehigh University. The Mountaineer men behind place winners Dave Coyle of Sayre and Mike Lane of Ulster finished in a three-way tie for 11th place with 11 points. Kutztown University won the team crown with 165.5 points. The MU women placed 14th with one point on a sixth place finish in the 800 meters by Colleen Ryder (2:25.34). Shippensburg University won the women's team crown with 118 points. Lane finished third in the 800 meters with a time of 1:57.92 while Coyle was fifth in the 400 meters at 51.13 and sixth in the 200 meters with a time of 23.55.
This page is maintained by Scott A. Miller.