Millikin University - School of Education

10/07/2026

A couple of weeks ago, our Junior ELED majors started their first round of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) presentations. For this first presentation, each student selected a NGSS and then created an instructional unit for classroom implementation. In the classroom, each ELED major set up a table for one or more of the inquiry learning activities embedded into their unit so that their peers could experience the activity through the lens of both a teacher and a student. The focus was life science (biology), engineering, and design.

09/30/2026

Dr. Lauritzen’s ED337 Art Integration class did some fun integration of theater, social studies, and ELA standards with Constitution Day! Students practiced making freeze frames and tableaus to make 2nd grade standards come to life!

09/25/2026

The ED314 Physical Development and Health class explored a variety of interdisciplinary parachute activities this week on a perfect fall day outside Shilling Hall. Interdisciplinary parachute activities that were covered included math, science, literacy, music, and art.

09/23/2026

The School of Education will hold its Tomorrow's Teachers Conference on Monday, October 19 for high school juniors and seniors. Students can spend the day attending sessions and panels that showcase the latest in teacher education and innovative instruction.

Register at millikin.edu/TomorrowsTeachers or scan the QR code listed on the flyer. Please register for this free event by October 12.

09/17/2026

Click the link to listen to Dr. Cunnings and Elementary Education major Katie Howell's interview with Byers & Co. about our October 19 Tomorrow's Teachers Conference!

September 16, 2026 - Director of the School of Education at Millikin University, Dr. Chris Cunnings, and student ambassador, Katie Howell, joined Byers & Co to talk about the 2026 Annual Conference of Tomorrow's Teachers and navigating the modern classroom. Listen to the podcast now!

09/14/2026

Last week, our junior Elementary Education majors were hard at work learning about the implementation of STEAM, physical health, and active learning in their future classrooms. In our Physical Health & Development (ED314) course, ELED students participated in "Bubble Walk" and "Capture the (Math) Flag" peer presentations, both of which focused on students' knowledge of rules, safety, physical space, and cooperative/team strategies during learning. In Elementary Science Methods (ED306), students participated in a Paper Planes inquiry learning activity, with the focus being on physical science concepts, engineering, design, and evidence-based reasoning. Students also discussed interdisciplinary instruction by focusing on mathematics integration, as all of the different resources that could be used to design their planes (and carry the "washer load" that each plane had to successfully deliver) had various costs. Both a total spending cap and a distance-to-cost ratio were utilized to assess the design success for each group's plane.

09/04/2026

It may have been dangerously hot outside this week, but our elementary education majors in ED314 (Physical Health and Development) students had plenty of fun in the classroom learning how to integrate physical activity and active learning into math, social studies, language arts, and fine arts lesson plans. The class also discussed the integration of multicultural and culturally responsive teaching while learning folk dance traditions from Eastern Europe, as well as a variety of interdisciplinary instructional approaches for numerous active learning experiences.

08/31/2026

It was an exciting first week for our junior ELED majors in their Science Methods and Physical Health & Development courses. Students participated in a variety of activities and experiments as they prepare for a much deeper dive into the art of designing and implementing engaging, student-centered instruction. Our "junior block" of ELED courses provides students a powerful series of learning opportunities to assure that they enter student teaching well-equipped for success.

08/26/2026

Earlier this month, Dr. Choi took a group of Millikin students to Korea for his ED360 course. During the first half of the immersion course, students lived with Korean host families, experiencing the family life, community and culture of Korea as authentically as possible. The second half of the immersion experience involved the exploration of various cultural and historical sites in Seoul and Busan. Students deepened their understanding of multiculturalism and engaged in meaningful reflection on what it means to be a global citizen. Great job, Dr. Choi and all of our students that participated in this immersion course!

08/21/2026

Our School of Education faculty and staff are excited to start another academic year with all of our outstanding and ambitious education majors. Best of luck this fall semester, Big Blue students!