FOR RELEASE: Thursday, November 09, 2006
Kinesiology Professor Receives Association's Top Honor
Jack Kern
Jack Kern, University of Arkansas clinical associate professor of kinesiology, was named Arkansas Higher Educator of the Year by the Arkansas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance at its state conference Nov. 2-3 in Hot Springs.
“This is a wonderful tribute to Jack’s work with our MAT degree in physical education as well as the leadership role that he has played throughout the state as a Praxis III assessor,” said Sharon Hunt, head of the Department of Health Science, Kinesiology, Recreation and Dance in the College of Education and Health Professions.
Kern supervises students in the Master of Arts in Teaching degree program as they work in local schools. He makes weekly visits to the Rogers School District to observe the master’s students and give them feedback on their work. The Praxis III test assesses classroom performance and is used by many states as part of their teacher licensure process.
Former students nominated Kern for the state honor. The annual state conference provides valuable opportunities for networking and education, Kern said. Because he spends time in the public schools, he has found sessions on public school education particularly helpful in providing information he can pass along to students. He presented a paper at this year’s conference on closing the gap between teaching theory and practice. Co-presenters on the presentation were Hunt, professor of recreation and a former recipient of the Higher Educator of the Year award, and Paul Calleja, UA assistant professor of kinesiology.
“The MAT program gets students into the public schools as early as possible so that there is less of a gap between what they learn at the university and what they encounter in their first job in the public school system,” Kern said.
Kern came to the university in 1996 from West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, where he was an assistant professor following 10 years as a science and physical education instructor in public schools.
Also at the conference, senior kinesiology student Sarah Evans received the Newman McGhee Scholarship, and Christy Ralph, a graduate of the MAT program, was named the Outstanding Middle School Educator of the Year. Ralph teaches in the Bentonville School District. Kim Mason, another graduate of the UA department who now works as supervisor of physical education for the Rogers School District, received the association’s honor award. Mason is a past winner of the Milken Foundation Award given to outstanding public school teachers in the United States.
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Contact:
Heidi Stambuck, director of communications
College of Education and Health Professions
(479) 575-3138, stambuck@uark.edu