Louisiana Tech’s College of Education recently celebrated two educational accomplishments, the fifth anniversaries of both International Dot Day and the TEAM Model Clinical Residency program. 

International Dot Day was inspired by The Dot, the first of three bestselling books by Canadian-born author Peter H. Reynolds that encourage creativity and celebrate teachers who honor the potential within every student. Its theme is that every idea begins with nothing more than a dot, then grows.

The day stimulates worldwide collaboration for students and educators to share their talents and gifts and make an impact through their diversity.

In hosting its fifth Dot Day celebration, the College offered opportunities for students, faculty, staff, partners, and guests to share how they have made their marks in education with inspiration boards, Promethean boards, selfie stations, finger painting canvases, TEAM Clinical Residency Program alumni dots, and Quiver innovative technology, which allowed participants to decorate their dots on special paper and then use Quiver’s virtual reality technology to bring the dots to life in 3D.

Students also had the opportunity to experience innovative technology available through the new College HUB that specializes in providing creative ways to enhance educational experiences.

Residents and other education majors had the opportunity to join student organizations, tour the resource rooms and library available to accommodate various needs of the students, network with partner districts, meet faculty and staff, and make friends.

The College’s Clinical Residency and Recruitment Center (CRRC) celebrated the fifth anniversary of the TEAM Model Clinical Residency program, the first year-long residency program in the state. By coordinating with district partners and liaisons, clinical residents can teach with assigned mentor teachers and gain their first year of teaching experience.

“Louisiana Tech University has trained more than 400 mentors across 15 school districts that host residents in the yearlong clinical residency program,” said Dr. Amy Vessel, director of CRRC. “Over the past five years, more than 200 clinical residents have earned or are currently ‘earning their dots.’”

Throughout Woodard Hall, dots remain on the walls to symbolize the TEAM Model Clinical Residents over the past five years. Vessel said that her favorite tradition is to welcome back alumni who return with friends and family to see their dot on the wall and share memories of their experiences co-teaching in classrooms across the Interstate-20 corridor. Most of these alumni are still teaching in classrooms nationwide. 

A.E. Phillips Laboratory School students joined in on the Dot Day fun with the encouragement of their clinical residents, who shared the message that each child has the opportunity to make a difference.

“A.E. Phillips is blessed to have the students and teachers of Louisiana Tech as an extension to our school,” said Stephanie Whitten, Curriculum Coordinator at AEP. “The activity the residents shared with our first grade students on Dot Day allowed them to see the potential of what their dot could become. The students were thrilled with the Quiver virtual reality tool, and the teachers were able to relate this to how the students can become great when they start with a mark.”

For more information on Dot Day, visit latechcrrc.org.