Carlton-Mellichamp Lecture in Education
Next lecture set for February 27-28, 2025
The Carlton-Mellichamp Lecture in Education, the sixth in this sponsored series which began in 2018, returns on February 27-28. This year's professional development opportunity centers on the science of reading, with featured guest speaker Bianca Nightengale-Lee, PhD, from Western Michigan Unviersity.
Nightengale-Lee's keynote address "Teaching Literacy Fearlessly: How to Get Into 'Good Trouble' for the Literacy Future of All Students" kicks off the the two-day event on Thursday, February 27 from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and is open to all. Small group presentations for UNI faculty, students and interested profeessional colleagues follow on Friday.
The event is free and on campus, but registration is encouraged.
Questions? Contact coe-events@uni.edu.
Bianca Nightengale-Lee, PhD
Bianca Nightengale-Lee received her Ph.D. from the University of Louisville in 2017. Her work studies the confluence of race, literacy and culture as it relates to socially conscious and humanizing curricular development. With articles published in Multicultural Perspectives, The Journal of Literacy Research, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Research, as well as the Bloomsbury Handbook of Hip Hop Pedagogy, she examines Afro-Indigenous pedagogical frames that characterize the preservation of liberation, identity and self-expression for Black and Brown students. Her authentic and humanizing approach has garnered awards from the Journal of Literacy Innovation, The National Council of Teachers of English, The American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, and the Literacy Research Association. As a critically engaged community scholar, her work nests within academic, school, and community-based settings, where she works alongside teachers, community stakeholders and youth to develop pedagogy relative to the lives, and literacies of our most vulnerable student populations. She currently serves as director of the Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations.
Keynote: "Teaching Literacy Fearlessly: How to Get Into 'Good Trouble' for the Literacy Future of All Students"
Lecture Schedule
All times CST
Thursday, February 27
4:30 - 6 p.m., SEC 220
Keynote: Teaching Literacy Fearlessly: How to Get Into 'Good Trouble' for the Literacy Future of All Students
Teaching literacy fearlessly means introducing children to books that dare tell the truth about the socio-historical realities of our shared American history, as nestled within the truth of our collective stories we can find commonalities that position us to understand our own humanity and connect with others.
With a focus on science of reading with particular attention to fluency development (accuracy, automaticity, prosody) this keynote will introduce visual media, pop culture, and music as ways to awaken the power in each of us to teach literacy fearlessly for the educational futures and freedom of all students.
Friday, February 28
9 - 10:15 a.m., SEC 216
Faculty Dialogue
Drawing on Nightengale-Lee's research, let's explore how we can collectively equip pre-service teachers with the tools and knowledge needed to master the science of reading.
10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., SEC 216
Hip Hop Literacy Teaching Demonstration
Join this engaging, interactive session to explore how to integrate Hip Hop Literacy into your classroom, with a focus on building fluency in a fun and dynamic way.
Noon, Schindler Second Floor Lobby
Lunch
Enjoy a networking lunch while you discuss the topics of the conference. Open to all attendees.
About the Lecture Series
The Carlton-Mellichamp Lecture in Education, sponsored by Suzanne Carlton and Duncan Mellichamp, allows the UNI College of Education to annually host a nationally-recognized scholar in the field of education, educational psychology or health and human services. The series stimulates the dissemination, public scrutiny and implementation of ideas with the potential to bring about significant improvement in professional practice and educator preparation.
This professional development series is open to faculty, students and staff at the UNI College of Education and across campus, as well as professionals in the region.
Previous speakers have included:
2024: Selin Akgun, PhD, Michigan State University, focusing on AI in teacher education.
2023: Ebonee T. Johnson, PhD, University of Iowa, focusing on community-engaged research to build capacity to address youth mental health.
2021: Justin Haegele, PhD, Old Dominion University, focusing on adapted physical education and inclusiveness (virtual)
2019: Natalie Tran, PhD, California State University, Fullerton, focusing on social emotional awareness and mindfulness as well as bi-literacy.
2018: Mark Wiest, PhD, University of South Carolina, focusing on meeting the behavioral needs of K-12 students