RHODA DANIELS ROBINSON
EDUCATION –
University of St. Thomas St. Paul, MN Ed.D.Educational Leadership, 1994
Harvard University Cambridge, MA M.Ed.Curriculum Development,1983
University of Illinois Urbana, IL M.Ed.Special Education, 1971
Emory University Atlanta, GA B.A.English/Education, 1966
WORK EXPERIENCE –
University of Wisconsin-Superior
2001 – present Assistant Professor – Primary responsibility in the Teacher Education
Department for Master’s program leading to licensure in Emotional/Behavioral
Disabilities and for the undergraduate Minor in Adaptive Education, designing
and teaching courses and advising students
1996-97 Lecturer – Taught graduate and undergraduate courses in the Teacher
Education Department and supervised graduate students doing practicum experiences
in teaching students with emotional and behavioral disabilities.
United States Peace Corps
1998-2000 Volunteer – Worked with the Ministry of Education in
Turkmenistan as a
curriculum consultant and teacher trainer and in the
capital city of Ashgabat as a community development worker
College of St. Scholastica
2000-2001 Adjunct Professor – Taught classroom management course in the
Master’s of Education via Distance Learning Program
1997-98 Assistant Professor – Taught special education, classroom
management, research design and writing courses in the Master’s of Education
via Distance Learning Program
.
1996-97 Adjunct Professor – Taught special education and research design
courses in the Master’s of Education via Distance Learning Program
Duluth Public Schools
1993-97 Teaching Specialist – Designed and managed educational programs
for students with multiple severe disabilities who are included in regular classrooms; case
managed their school program, coordinating teaching, nursing, therapy and personal attendant
services as well as working with families, guardians and social workers.
1986-93 Transition Specialist – Developed and implemented educational,
vocational, social and home living training programs for students with disabilities
who were aged 14-21. Services were coordinated public school, community services
and agencies serving adults with disabilities.
1984-86 Work Experience Coordinator – Developed and implemented Minnesota’s
first community-based work training curriculum for students with moderate to
profound mental disabilities.
1973-82 & 83-84 Classroom Teacher – Taught elementary and secondary students
with profound to mild disabilities. Initiated community-based training and
functional curricula.
University of Minnesota at Duluth
1988-89 Instructor – Taught “Vocational Needs of the Handicapped” graduate/
undergraduate class
Minnesota State Department of Education
1976-79 Project Coordinator – Wrote and received a 3-year grant to develop and
implement a community-based recreational training program for students with disabilities.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
1989-98 Christian Education Director – Developed and managed education
program for large parish.
1997-98 Neighborhood Project Coordinator – Researched and developed
program for parish congregation to work collaboratively with neighborhood residents on
community development.
Wisconsin Heights High School
1971-73 Special Education Teacher – Developed and taught secondary program
for rural students with mild mental retardation and emotional disabilities.
University of Illinois at Urbana
1968-69 Research Assistant – Worked as a part of a team doing linguistic analysis
of papers written by children who were deaf.
Atlanta Public Schools
1966-67 Classroom Teacher – Taught English and history to secondary students
repeating grades and/or classes in one of Atlanta’s first racially integrated schools.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Grants Designed and Received
Electronic Portfolios for Teacher Education (2002 – present) – Provides
funds for the UW-S Teacher Education Department to develop an electronic
portfolio system for all their graduates – meets Department of Public Instruction
mandates
POET – Professional Organization of English Teachers in
Turkmenistan (1999-2000) – Provided funds to establish,
furnish and equip a resource library for English Teachers in Turkmenistan
Teacher’s English Immersion Summer Camp (1999 and 2000) –
Provided funds to establish and run a 2-week intensive English
immersion summer camp for English teachers and their children in Turkmenistan
Neighborhood Computer Labs (1998-2001) – Provided funds to develop neighborhood
computer labs which would serve school children living in a low income neighborhood
Computer Accessibility for Families (1998-99) – Provided funds to purchase computers
and training for the newly established neighborhood computer labs.
Team Work (1990-91) – Provided funds to recruit and train volunteers who were
employed in the community to mentor students with disabilities, assisting those
students in becoming employable.
RASH – Recreational Activities for Students with Handicaps (1975-78) –
Provided funds to design and implement a community-based recreational
training program for students with disabilities
Publications
2000 – co-author of Grade 6 English Textbook published by the
Ministry of Education, Turkmenistan
1999 – co-author of Grade 5 English Textbook published by
the Ministry of Education, Turkmenistan
1994 – “Interagency Collaboration” in Transition Strategies that Work II,
a MN State Department of Education Publication
1990 – “TAP – Transition into Adulthood Program” in Transition
Strategies that Work, a MN State Department of Education Publication
1990 – consultant to the editors for Teaching the Possibilities: Home Living, a
MN State Department of Education Publication
Paper Presentations
“Fundraising Strategies for English Immersion Summer Camps” at the Annual Summer Camp
Planning Conference in Mary, Turkmenistan, spring 2000
“Effective Teacher Training” at the International Education Conference sponsored by the
Institute for World Languages in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, spring 1999
“Using the Five Senses to Enhance Language Instruction” at the International Education
Conference sponsored by Turkmen State University in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan,
fall 1998
“Making the First chance a Real Chance: Bridging Education and Work for All Minnesota Youth
and Adults” at the Annual Conference of the Minnesota Vocational Association,
summer 1993
“Making the First chance a Real Chance: Bridging Education and Work for All Minnesota Youth
and Adults” at the Spring Conference of Secondary Vocational Administrators,
spring 1993
“An Education to Employment Transitions System” at the New Minnesota Workforce
Conference, co-sponsored by the Minnesota State Departments of Jobs and Training,
Economic Security and Education and State Labor Organizations, fall 1992
“Transition into Adulthood Program” at the State TASH (The Association for Persons with
Severe Handicaps) Conference in St. Paul, MN, spring 1987
“Transition into Adulthood Program” at MCEC (MN Council for Exceptional Children) in
Minneapolis, MN, spring 1987
“Community-Based Transition for Students with Disabilities” at the International TASH (The
Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps) Conference in Boston, MA, fall 1985
“Community-Based Work Training for Students with Moderate Handicaps” at the MN
Interagency Conference on Transition Issues sponsored by the MN State Departments
of Labor and Industry and Education in Minneapolis, MN, fall 1984
“Teaching Recreational Skills to Students with Handicaps” at the State Convention of the
Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation in Brainerd, MN, spring 1979
“RASH – Recreational Activities for Students with Handicaps” at the International Council for
Exceptional Children Conference in Dallas, TX, spring 1979
“Teaching Moderately and Severely Retarded Students in a Public School” at the International
Council for Exceptional Children Conference in Chicago, IL, spring 1975
Workshops Designed and Presented
Using Reference Materials to Enhance English Language Instruction - Week-long workshop
to train English language teachers in Turkmenistan in the use of new reference materials
they had recently received in a grant from the United States, summer 2000
Through the Year with Holidays – Week-long workshop to help English language teachers
in Turkmenistan develop language lessons around monthly holidays, summer 2000
American Traditions and Conversations – a week-long workshop presented to English
language teachers in Turkmenistan to help them improve their own English speaking
skills, spring and summer 1999
Teaching Persons with Developmental Disabilities – Training regular
educators and community education staff how to work in their classes with
students who have developmental disabilities, spring 1996
Transition for Low Incidence Populations – Training teachers of students with low
incidence disabilities (e.g. hard of hearing) how to design transition programs for
their students, spring 1996
PUHK (Poor Unfortunate Handicapped Kids) – Training high school
students with disabilities to be self-advocates, spring 1993
Transition Planning and Programming – Training regular educators how to assist
students with special needs in their transition into adult programs at the Head
of the Lakes Inservice Conference, fall 1991
Families in Transition – Teaching parents/guardians of students with disabilities
how to access and use resources as their children leave the public schools, spring 1989
and spring 1990
Helping Kids with Mental Disabilities – Teaching foster parents how to work
with kids who have mental disabilities in St. Louis County Social Services Workshop,
fall 1983
Mainstreaming Handicapped Kids in Phy Ed – At the request of the MN State
Department of Education, trained physical education teachers how to work
in their classes with students who have disabilities, fall 1978
National, State and Local Memberships
Member, Douglas County Transition Action Team, 2002 – present
Member, Minnesota Coalition for Education Reform and Accountability, 1994-1997
Task Force Member, State Task Force on Education to Employment Transitions
1991-1993
Council Member, State Council on Vocational Technical Education, 1991-1998
Council Member, Arrowhead Regional Development Commission’s Developmental Disabilities
Advisory Committee
Member, Duluth Transition Interagency Committee 1984-1993
Chairperson, Duluth Transition Interagency Committee, 1984-1990
Professional Memberships
Council for Exceptional Children
Council for Children with Behavior Disorders
Teacher Education Division of CEC
Wisconsin Association for Children with Behavior Disorders
Association for Curriculum and Development
Phi Delta Kappa
PROFESSIONAL HONORS ~
Friend of Education Award, Quality Schools International, June 2001
Minnesota Council on Quality Education EDDY Award for Education of the Decade, 1980
Bush Leadership Fellow, 1982
Minnesota Association for Retarded Citizens Teacher of the Year, 1987
Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society Membership, 1966