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Adjunct Professor Participates in Egypt Education Forum
Walsh University adjunct education professor and Lake Middle School teacher Barbara J. Cockroft, was selected to join a delegation of 30 National Board Certified teachers from across America to participate in an educational forum with Egyptian educators in Cairo, Egypt. The forum was held from November 26 through December 9, 2007. The purpose of the trip, sponsored by People to People International was:
- To gain a better understanding of the Egyptian educational system
- To learn more about the full scale renovation of Egypt’s educational system
- To investigate how Egyptian schools are incorporating critical thinking into their curriculum
- To observe model schools created by a 2001 pilot program with funding and technical assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development
- To create a partnership between Egyptian schools and American Schools
A full itinerary ensured both an educational as well as cultural experience for the delegates. In addition to visiting various schools, discussing common challenges and setting up potential areas for collaboration, the delegates visited several Egyptian ancient monuments which included museums, the Sphinx, the Giza pyramids, Elephantine Island, the Nile River and the Valley of the Kings and Queens.
In the fall, Cockroft was also selected to serve on Ohio Governor Ted Strickland’s panel to discuss education innovation in Ohio. She has been an adjunct professor in Walsh’s education department for three years and a teacher at Lake Middle School for her entire career.
DEFAZIO'S CLASS WELCOMES PRENTKE ROMICH REPRESENTATIVES
North Canton, Ohio, March 20, 2007 - Walsh University Professor of Intervention Specialist Education and Coordinator of Hannon Center Programs, Dr. Jeannie DeFazio has invited two representatives for Prentke Romich ( PRC - www.prentrom.com) to speak at her ISE 340 Assistive Technology class on Monday, March 26 at 11:30 a.m. in the Paul and Carol David Family Campus Center Atrium at Walsh University.
Representatives of the Prentke Romich Company, Amy Sontag and David Chapple will be the guest speakers for the event. Chapple both uses and helps develop the assistive technology that Prentke Romich manufactures for people with debilitating conditions such as cerebral palsy that make it difficult to communicate physically and verbally. Defazio's students complete service-learning projects each semester that apply to their Education degrees and the event is designed to give students experience and insight when engaging people with disabilities who use augmentative devices.
Chapple was nominated an AAC Hero by Prentke Romich. David uses an augmentative computer which consists of a head-pointing system designed to relay messages to the computer that communicates for him. Coupled with time and practice, augmentative computers take a unique accuracy that David has mastered and demonstrates for the community.
David is a 1994 graduate of Cleveland State University and has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Computer, and Information Science and a Minor in Communications. David started as an ambassador for PRC in 1996. In 2000, He became a Remote Troubleshooter, returning after-hours customer calls to PRC regarding technical service. David has also worked as a computer assistant, programmer, and software engineer for various companies around Northeast Ohio.
Amy Sonntag has more than 8 years experience in providing clinical services and serves as a per diem consultant for PRC in North Carolina. She earned her bachelor's degree from the College of Wooster and M.A. from Ohio University. Her interest in PRC began in high school with a friend who used one of PRC's previous devices. Amy serves the Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, Mansfield and Youngstown regions.
Based in Wooster, Ohio, Prentke Romich Company (PRC) is the world-wide leader in the production of augmentative communication devices, computer access products, and other assistive technology for people with severe disabilities.
