College of Education at USF Sarasota-Manatee hosts book signing for book collaboratively written by faculty members

 

SARASOTA, FL (April 25, 2007) – On Thursday, April 19 the College of Education at USF Sarasota-Manatee hosted a book signing to celebrate the release of the book, “ A Pig Don't Get Fatter the More You Weigh It: Classroom Assessments that Work,” written by several members of the USF Sarasota-Manatee faculty. 

 

The event was held at the Selby Auditorium on the new USF Sarasota-Manatee campus and featured comments from Dr. Arthur M. Guilford, CEO and Vice President of the regional campus, Dr. Laurey Stryker, past CEO and VP, and several of the authors themselves.

 

Donning pig snouts and pink pencils decorated with pigs, several of the authors signed books for students, faculty, staff, community leaders, school administrators, and the public, all who were able to purchase the book at the event.  Proceeds from the book will fund academic support and further collaborative efforts by the College of Education faculty.

 

Contributors to the book, many of whom represent the departments of Special Education, Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, and Research and Measurement at USF Sarasota-Manatee, include Rosemarie L. Ataya, Judy F. Carr, Janice S. Eitelgeorge, Janice Fauske, Stephen Graves, Phyllis Jones, Karen Kent,  Elizabeth Larkin, Sharon Miller Keller, Weimin Mo, Stephen Rushton, Susan Sheffield, Anne Marie Juola-Rushton, and G. Pat Wilson.

 

“We are extremely proud not only of the contents of the book and how helpful this can be for educators, but also for what the book represents in collaboration across departments in higher education,” said Dr. Richard King, Associate Dean of the College of Education.  “The faculty recognized important problems of assessment within schools and devoted several years to critical analysis of those problems and what might be done within classrooms to assess student learning and improve instruction.”

 

The book’s subject, classroom assessments, is a hot topic at the local, state, and federal levels.  According to the book’s description, “No matter how many times you weigh a pig, all you learn is how much it weighs. If you want to learn something else, you need a different assessment. This sensible book demonstrates the power of classroom assessments to improve both teaching and learning. In clear, straightforward language, the authors explain how well-constructed assessments provide data that is essential to the development of learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their backgrounds. This is an insightful overview of a subject that has, until now, generated far more heat than light.”

 

For more information, please contact the College of Education at USF Sarasota-Manatee at (941) 359-4778 or visit www.sarasota.usf.edu/coe.

 

USF Sarasota-Manatee is an upper-level campus for those with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree interested in pursuing a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification, or continuing education credit. The regional campus offers the prestige of a nationally ranked research university with the convenience of a hometown campus, including classes in south Sarasota County at Manatee Community College Venice.