COLLEGE PARK, MD (March 2004) —Two sessions remain in the Spring 2004 Maryland Institute for Minority Achievement and Urban Education Colloquium Series, co-sponsored by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Members of the campus community are cordially invited to attend.

Rebecca Oxford will speak from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17, on the topic: "Using Language Learning Styles and Strategies to Understand Diversity," On April 21, also from 4 to 6 p.m., Mariam Jean Dreher will discuss: "Balancing Learning to Read and Reading for Learning: Using Information Books in Title I Classrooms." Both presentations are in Room 0113 of the Cole Student Activities Building, Room 0113. Refreshments are provided by the College of Education Outreach Office.

Oxford is a professor of Second Language Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Her presentation will focus on ways to use information about student learning styles and strategies in the classroom. Styles, such as visual, auditory, and hands-on, are broad approaches to learning and strategies, such as planning ahead for a task or breaking down a word (or a math problem) into its components, are the specific thoughts or behaviors that learners intentionally use to improve their own learning. According to Oxford, an understanding of styles and strategies promotes greater instructional quality by dealing effectively with student diversity.

Dreher is a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She will be joined by three research colleagues from the psychology department at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County: Linda Baker, Angela Katenkamp, and Lisa Beall. Their presentation will demonstrate that that although children in the primary grades overwhelmingly encounter stories as they are learning to read, there is good reason to believe that enhancing young children's experience with information books will increase their reading achievement and motivation to read. The professors will describe their research on reading achievement and motivation and will discuss children’s literacy experiences and competencies.

Complete description of both presentations can be found on the MIMAUE web site: www.education.umd.edu/MIMAUE.

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For more information, contact Martin L. Johnson, Associate Chair and Director of the Maryland Institute for Minority Achievement and Urban Education, at 301.405.0256.