{"610982":{"#nid":"610982","#data":{"type":"news","title":"VSU Students Gain In-Depth Teaching Experience at Georgia Tech Summer Program","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Csup\u003EOriginally published by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.valdosta.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EValdosta State University\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;-\u0026nbsp;August 2, 2018 \u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.valdosta.edu\/about\/directory\/profile\/jsstephen\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJohn Stephen\u003C\/a\u003E -\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ECommunications Specialist -\u0026nbsp;Valdosta State University\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.valdosta.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EValdosta State University\u003C\/a\u003E education majors spent the summer gaining real-world teaching experience while also making an impact in the lives of young learners.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESix VSU students worked as paid, full-time interns at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ceismc.gatech.edu\/horizons\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHorizons at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, a summer program at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E that offers free academic and recreational instruction to under-served students in grades first through ninth in the Atlanta area.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/about\/staffdirectory\/sirocus-barnes\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESirocus Barnes\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026mdash; who earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and counseling in 2006 and a Master of Arts in public administration in 2011 from VSU \u0026mdash; is the program director for Horizons at Georgia Tech. For the past three years he has partnered with VSU\u0026rsquo;s Office of Career Opportunities to hire VSU students as assistant teachers for the six-week program that takes place throughout June and July.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;While at VSU, I learned the true meaning of hard work and how to work with others that were different than me,\u0026rdquo; said Barnes, who is also a member of VSU\u0026rsquo;s Alumni Association Board and serves as president of the VSU Alumni Chapter of Atlanta. \u0026ldquo;It was while at VSU that I developed my love for youth programming through clubs and working for a local youth program in Valdosta. While in my master\u0026rsquo;s program, I learned grant writing skills, government budgeting and finance, and best human resources management practices. VSU definitely prepared me for the workforce. Through this internship, I hope to also help prepare our undergrads\u0026nbsp;for their next step in life.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe VSU interns supervised Horizons participants, developed and implemented project-based learning lesson plans, and assisted with hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities. They also assisted with swimming lessons that served to build confidence in the children.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The Horizons program has been a memorable experience that I will forever cherish,\u0026rdquo; said DaShon Walton, one of six VSU students hired for the 2018 program. Walton is a middle grades education major from Americus, Georgia, who expects to graduate in Spring 2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The scholars there are amazing, as well as the staff,\u0026rdquo; Walton said. \u0026ldquo;I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with the scholars at the program and develop impactful relationships. This internship at Horizons has truly prepared me for what\u0026rsquo;s to come in my field.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMatthew Ramsay, a middle grades education major from Snellville, Georgia, who expects to graduate in Spring 2021, said the internship was \u0026ldquo;rewarding.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Every day I learned new things about teaching, relating to scholars, and how to create a productive classroom,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;The days went by fast, and I never really felt like I was at work.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKamryn Brantley, a communication sciences and disorders major from Powder Springs, Georgia, who expects to graduate in Fall 2020, said her own experiences as a child motivated her to apply for the internship.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One reason\u0026nbsp;why I wanted to work with the program is because I\u0026#39;ve been in\u0026nbsp;the same shoes as the\u0026nbsp;scholars\u0026nbsp;\u0026mdash; as a\u0026nbsp;child, I\u0026nbsp;attended programs like\u0026nbsp;Horizons,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;One thing\u0026nbsp;I love about the program is the field trips we got to take the scholars on. The scholars got to learn in more\u0026nbsp;than one way. With the campus of the program being in the heart of Atlanta, it opens so many\u0026nbsp;doors for so many different opportunities.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EErin Cole, a middle grades education major from Suwanee, Georgia, who expects to graduate in Fall 2018, said her classes at VSU prepared her to succeed at Horizons.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Throughout my years at VSU, I have learned different ways of teaching a class and a subject, as well as how to manage a classroom effectively,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;Using those differentiation strategies allowed me to provide the scholars at Horizons with an enriching environment that supported and promoted inquiry, excitement, learning, and curiosity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I believe in this program\u0026rsquo;s mission to educate children with high quality academics in an engaging summer environment. I know I made a difference in these children\u0026rsquo;s education and aided them in skipping the summer slide.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHorizons at Georgia Tech is committed to the development of the whole child through experiences that build problem-solving skills, foster awareness of community responsibility, instill respect for themselves and others, and encourage a lifelong interest in learning. The program\u0026rsquo;s primary goals include preventing summer decline in academic achievement and raising students\u0026rsquo; expectations and aspirations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELink to VSU story:\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.valdosta.edu\/about\/news\/releases\/2018\/07\/vsu-students-gain-in-depth-teaching-experience-at-georgia-tech-summer-program.php\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.valdosta.edu\/about\/news\/releases\/2018\/07\/vsu-students-gain-in-depth-teaching-experience-at-georgia-tech-summer-program.php\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Atlanta Horizons at Georgia Tech Partners with Valdosta State University Office of Career Opportunities"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EValdosta State University education majors spent the summer gaining real-world teaching experience while also making an impact in the lives of young learners through Atlanta Horizons at Georgia Tech program.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"VSU education majors spent the summer gaining real-world teaching experience through Atlanta Horizons at Georgia Tech program."}],"uid":"28054","created_gmt":"2018-09-06 16:32:01","changed_gmt":"2018-09-07 13:23:50","author":"Steven Taylor","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-08-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-08-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"611074":{"id":"611074","type":"image","title":"Atlanta Horizons at Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1536325545","gmt_created":"2018-09-07 13:05:45","changed":"1588960141","gmt_changed":"2020-05-08 17:49:01","alt":"VSU student DaShon Walton pictured with Horizons at Georgia Tech scholars at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.","file":{"fid":"232639","name":"horizons-at-georgia-tech.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/horizons-at-georgia-tech.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/horizons-at-georgia-tech.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":326577,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/horizons-at-georgia-tech.jpg?itok=kQN-Xgyn"}}},"media_ids":["611074"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.valdosta.edu\/about\/news\/releases\/2018\/07\/vsu-students-gain-in-depth-teaching-experience-at-georgia-tech-summer-program.php","title":"Link to VSU Story"},{"url":"https:\/\/ceismc.gatech.edu\/horizons","title":"Atlanta HORIZONS at Georgia Tech"},{"url":"https:\/\/ceismc.gatech.edu","title":"CEISMC"}],"groups":[{"id":"361651","name":"Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC)"},{"id":"598218","name":"K-12 Connection"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"173989","name":"Sirocus Barnes"},{"id":"411","name":"CEISMC"},{"id":"174373","name":"Atlanta HORIZONS at Georgia Tech"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESirocus\u0026nbsp;Barnes, MPA\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nProgram Director- Horizons at GT\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Tech - CEISMC\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n817 West Peachtree Street\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nSuite 300\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nO: 404-894-9707\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nF: 404-894-9675\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["sirocus.barnes@ceismc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}