Capstone Experience

The Fritz Shurmur Center for Teacher Development enhances the Teacher Education Program by providing various resources that support teacher candidates as they take their final steps toward becoming teachers. The Capstone experience is the culminating academic experience for teacher candidates, much like the architectural capstone that completes and defines a structure. The teacher education program Capstone calls teacher candidates to integrate knowledge and skill they’ve fashioned through coursework and experiential learning.

The Center sponsors a Capstone Symposium on Teaching each semester. This symposium features teacher candidates as they present findings on their chosen teacher research project to the campus and broader community. The purpose of teacher research is to highlight a compelling question about teaching and learning. The process deepens a teacher’s knowledge and skill as they identify ways to change their teaching and more meaningfully support student learning.

Examples of Capstone Symposium on Teaching presentations:

• “Language is Not a Barrier: Using First and Second Languages to Build Relationships in an ESL Classroom” by Sondra Lee Sewell.
• “Helping Students Remain Regulated and Participate All Through Music Class” by Louis Kramer.
• “Eureka! Student Success Multiplies Through Class Engagement!” by Jacqulyn Schaefer.
• “Let’s Get Talking” by Hannah Stutler.
• “Dynamics of Desk Arrngement- Enhancing Student Engagement” by Brady Gawne.
• “Assisting Students with Personalized Strategies to Concentrate During a High School English 9 Class,” by Alura Reed.