About the Watson School of Education

Named in memory of Donald R. Watson (1926-1994), a Wilmington businessman and community leader, the Watson School of Education (WSE) strives to ensure its namesake’s belief that education was the key to a bright future for southeastern North Carolina.  To achieve its goal of producing competent educators and other educational leaders, the Watson School provides quality instruction in teacher preparation and educational leadership and ongoing professional development in a beautiful state-of-the-art facility by an outstanding, diverse, and dynamic faculty.

The WSE continues to educate and support the growth of educators and education administrators throughout the community, providing many opportunities for professional development and continuing education, earning it an exemplary rating by the North Carolina Board of Education in 2002 and maintaining its rank as the third largest producer of teaching professionals in the state. 

Professional Development

One of the strongest and most comprehensive examples of university–school partnerships in the nation is the exemplary Watson School of Education Professional Development System Partnership. This 13-year collaborative has established collegial working relationships with ten school districts. The university recognized early that true systemic reform of teacher preparation would require honest and aggressive partnerships among schools of education, public schools and the general public.

The Watson School of Education’s Professional Development System is a comprehensive university-public school partnership that aligns efforts and resources for the improvement of education for students in southeastern North Carolina. Ninety-eight schools and more than 1000 partnership teachers and administrators partner with university faculty at the Watson School to share the responsibility for building the teaching profession.

• Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology Institute (PT3)

The annual PT3 conference explores issues of interest to educators on the theme of technology.  For example, the 2005 PT3 explored the theme “Engaging the Millennial Learner Through the Use of Technology.” Participants learn how to meet the challenges of working with technology to enhance student learning in a wide range of hands-on workshops. Open to teachers, administrators, and technology support staff.  For more information, call (910)962-3900.

• Coalition For Transition To Teaching Program (CT3)

CT3 is teacher preparation program to enable mid-career professionals, especially military personnel, to become educators through an alternative pathway to licensure (sometimes referred to as lateral entry).  Funded through a US Department of Education grant, participants are provided a scholarship to help defray costs of tuition and expense, as well as a the use of a laptop computer if they agree to maintain employment as a teacher in one of the participating school systems in southeastern North Carolina for a minimum of three years.  For more information, call (910)962-3508.

For more Professional Development opportunities, please visit the Watson School of Business web site or contact Dr. Diane Calhoun, Department of Curricular Studies, (910) 962-7244 or email her at calhound@uncw.edu.

• WEBU

If you want to take a course, but find to difficult to schedule class times, WebU may be an excellent alternative.  Although there are courses on everything from digital photography  to desktop publishing, there is a special section entitled Courses for Teaching Professionals. Learn another language, gain more knowledge about computers, reading, literature, classroom management, or even handling stress. Sponsored by the Division of Public Service and Continuing Education, these courses normally run for 6 weeks, and require that you have online access to a server.

It is school, so you’ll have quizzes at the end of each lesson and a final. There may be some hands-on activities that are required as well. Still have questions? Find out more about the courses on the FAQ page or contact Woody Sutton, Continuing Studies Coordinator, 910-962-7074 or suttonc@uncw.edu.

For Your Students

• Storytelling in the Community
  
  Sponsored by the Department of Communication Studies, the Storytelling in the Community program is part of a two-credit hour, co-curricular course taught by Dr. Carole Tallant, in which students are instructed and coached to visit local elementary schools and perform stories for children, learning to  apply theoretical concepts related to performance and audience adaptation in actual settings. 
  
  The course and activities emphasize interactive storytelling that directly involves audience members.  Groups of eight to 12 students, supervised by Dr.Tallant, travel to the schools then divide into smaller groups to rotate through classrooms or perform in a larger venue to give performances for plarge groups or the entire student body. Although normally targeting K-5 students, the performances can be tailored to your particular needs, including customizing for both younger and older audiences.   For more information, call (910) 962-3443.
  
  
• Writers in Action
  
  Sponsored by the Department of Creative Writing, Writers in Action enables graduate students in UNCW’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program to tutor local elementary and middle-school students in reading and writing.  The program has previously worked with students at Blair, Johnson, and College Park elementary schools, the Cape Fear Center for Inquiry, and Noble Middle School.  Because of the program's success, Leland’s Lincoln Primary School was able to secure a grant to support a similar tutoring program in Brunswick County.
  
  Teachers interested in participating in this unique writing opportunity should call Creative Writing at (910) 962-3321.
  
  
• Possible Field Trips
  
  
  • North Carolina Legacy Hall and Watson School of Education
    
    The North Carolina Teachers Legacy Hall (pdf), located in the first floor of the beautiful, airy three-story atrium of the Watson School of Education, is open to the public and displays museum- quality pieces and interactive “niches” that honor the teaching profession, share the history of P-12 education in the state and highlight landmarks of teaching excellence. The building also features an extensive collection of original artwork.
    
    History comes alive for students as they explore how education has evolved from the one-room schoolhouse to present day campuses, providing them with an opportunity to learn about how schools and teaching have changed over the years and to contemplate their current educational experience.
    
    
  • MarineQuest
    
    MarineQuest programs run year-round, offering school field trips, summer enrichment camps and adult lecture/travel programs.  For the past 25 years, MarineQuest has provided hands-on, feet-wet , high-tech Ocean Education and Marine Environment Education.  In addition to lectures and laboratory experiences, sessions offer participants the chance to learn about marine life through salt marsh explorations; trips on the research vessel, RV Cape Fear; and educational beachcombing trips. The program offers MarineQuest adventures for K-12 students, including homeschooled students, scout groups, and class field trips, as well as birthday parties.
    
    For complete details of each camp: http://uncw.edu/dpscs/marinequest/index.htm.
    
    For more information, call (910) 962-2461. 

Teaching Supplies

Keeping your classroom or home office furnished with reasonably priced furniture or computers is not as difficult as you may think. Usually on the third Friday of each month, the Surplus Store opens its doors to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to allow public access to everything from computers to desks to beds to refrigerators. The inventory changes monthly, so you never know what you might find! Surplus Store is located at the at the University Warehouse Extension [Building 42] at the Plyer Street entrance, near the back of campus, behind the dorms and near University Police.  Because the sales are posted regularly online, be sure to bookmark the Surplus Web site under your favorites. For more information call (910) 962-7776.

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