Mary Morningstar

Morningstar and Transition Coalition team honored for online short courses delivery

This spring, online short courses developed through the Transition Coalition received the 2008 Award for Excellence from the Midwest Division of the Association of Continuing Higher Education (ACHE). The Coalition’s innovative project has also been nominated for national ACHE honors.



At top, Mary Morningstar, Director of the Transition Coalition. Above, pictured at March 2008 ACHE regional awards ceremony, at right: Amy Gaumer Erickson, Transition Coalition staff member, and at left: Jean Redeker, KU Continuing Education assistant dean, accept the award.

Amy Gaumer Erickson, who received the award on behalf of the Transition Coalition, said, "It is an honor for the KU Transition Short Courses to receive the award. The success of this series of courses covering vital information in special education transition planning and services was made possible through the collaboration of Drs. Mary Morningstar and Pattie Noonan in the Department of Special Education and Jean Redeker at KU Continuing Education."

Morningstar, associate professor of special education and director of the Transition Coalition, added that they "couldn't have set up the program without the support from KU Continuing Education. "It has been a positive and successful collaboration," said Morningstar.

Chriss Walther-Thomas, Department of Special Education chair, said, "Mary Morningstar and the Transition Coalition staff have made important contributions to KU's online instruction through federally and state-funded outreach projects."

"Initially, Mary and her colleagues developed online instructional modules for use in both short-term, continuing education credit courses and as components of face-to-face instruction," explained Walther-Thomas. "Next they created online courses for a new University of Kansas Graduate Certificate Program (GCP) in Secondary Transition Education and Services. These learning materials help teachers develop advanced transition planning and transition education skills. This GCP was the first online program in the School of Education—and one of the first GCPs on campus. It has been very well received throughout the Midwest and nationally from the east coast to Hawaii and Alaska."

Gaumer Erickson shared a quote from a student regarding the series of courses: "I appreciate the incredible volume and quality of information and range of content in the courses… the many examples and templates that I can use immediately."

Assistant Dean Jean Redeker of KU Continuing Education, who worked on the project with Morningstar and her colleagues, said: "Drs. Mary Morningstar, Amy Gaumer Erickson and Pattie Noonan are passionate about making transition services educational opportunities available to educators in Kansas and throughout the country. The online curriculum they developed addresses the critical shortage of educators serving students with high incidence disabilities and will improve the lives of these students. Their intention and vision to reach as many educators as possible is inspiring."

~ Adapted from KU School of Education publication by Paula Naughtin

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