RIC Hosts Panel Discussion on Educational Best Practices Four Award-Winning Alumni from Around the State Serve as Panelists

PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island College is tapping the expertise of its own graduates for an upcoming program, “Award-Winning Educators: A Conversation with Alumni from the RIC Feinstein School of Education and Human Development,” on Tuesday, April 5, from 3-4 p.m. in Alger Hall 110, Rhode Island College, 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave., Providence. The event is co-sponsored by the Office of the President and RIC’s Feinstein School of Education and Human Development. The event is free and open to the public. To register, email pmckeon@ric.edu.

This public discussion on educational best practices includes the following panelists: Kendra Borden ’04, an English teacher at Samuel Slater Junior High School in Pawtucket; Georgia Fortunato ’81, M.Ed. ’85, superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools; Tracy Lafreniere ’98, a teacher at North Smithfield Elementary School; and Alan Tenreiro ’98, M.Ed. ’05, principal at Cumberland High School. The program will be moderated by Scott MacKay, political analyst for Rhode Island Public Radio.

“RIC is a hub for teacher education in the region,” said Dean Donald Halquist of the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development. “The ‘Award-Winning Educators’ panel discussion will provide an opportunity for some of our recent, highly recognized alumni to return to campus and share important career experiences and life lessons with the next generation of teachers.”

“Rhode Island College has a strong track record of graduating stellar teachers and educational leaders who help guide and shape Rhode Island’s young learners,” said RIC President Nancy Carriuolo. “Behind every successful student, you will discover a whole team of educators working diligently and selflessly to support that individual’s academic achievement. And many of those educators started their careers here, in Rhode Island College’s classrooms.”

Some of the panelists offered valuable insights in advance of the April 5th event. Lafreniere, 2016 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year, said, “A critical factor in supporting a student’s desire to learn is fostering a personal connection with that student. Knowing your students and attending to their emotional needs allows you to personalize your teaching.”

Tenreiro offered the following advice to fellow educators: “Students need to be actively involved in a learning process that combines academic depth of understanding with higher-order thinking, problem-solving, risk-taking and creativity.” Recently, the National Association of Secondary School Principals named Tenreiro the 2016 National Principal of the Year.

Other panelists shared reflections on their time at the RIC campus. “An impactful lesson I learned from my RIC education is how to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom,” said Borden, Rhode Island recipient of the 2015-16 Milken Educator Award, which targets early-to-mid career professionals who have already made impressive achievements in education.

Fortunato, named the 2016 Rhode Island Superintendent of the Year by the Rhode Island School Superintendents’ Association, recalled her first student-teaching experience at RIC, adding, “It was so rewarding to see a student have that ‘aha moment’ and know that you made a difference in his or her life.”\

Established in 1854, Rhode Island College serves approximately 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students through its five schools: the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, the School of Social Work, the School of Management and the School of Nursing. For more information, visit www.ric.edu/.

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