Dear Constructivist SIG Colleagues:

We would like to update you on preparations for the 2018 Annual Meeting and announce
items that may be of interest to you in this e-newsletter.

As always, please dont hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.
Thank you!

Best regards,

Susan Donohue, Chair (skd9f@virgnia.edu)

Tingting Xu, Program Chair (tx06c@my.fsu.edu)
Vicki Thomas, Treasurer (thomasv@sfasu.edu)

Contents

*Nominations for SIG Officer Positions Open (due 11.17.17)

*Student Travel Award Application Reminder (due 12.15.17)
* Call for Manuscripts Middle Grades Review (due 10.15.17)
* New SIG Montessori Education
* Preparations for the 2018 Annual Meeting (4.13 4.17.18 in NYC)
* Call for Items of Note for the Spring Newsletter

Nominations for SIG Officer Positions

The open positions are for 2019 Annual Meeting Program Chair (will become SIG Chair
for 2020) and Secretary/Treasurer. According to AERA Bylaws, we need to have a
minimum of two nominations for each position. Terms start after the 2018 Annual
Meeting.

Please send your (self) nomination to Tingting Xu, tx06c@my.fsu.edu, by Friday,

November 17, 2017. A nomination must include the following:

Name
Position
Affiliation
Contact Information

A brief bio (200 words maximum) detailing the nominee's research interests and
professional accomplishments
Section 2. Secretary/Treasurer. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for
managing and reporting on the financial accounts of the SIG and the safe keeping of all
financial documents of the SIG.

Section 3. Program Chair. The Program Chair shall be responsible for determining
sessions, reviewers, discussants and chairs for the annual meeting along with sending
acceptance and rejection notices to authors of submitted proposals. The Program Chair
will act as Chair in the event of the absence of the Chair.

The election timeline is:

January, 2018 Election Launches

February, 2018 Voting Ends
March, 2018 AERA Central office will notify candidates of the election results.
Election outcome is announced in Highlights

Student Travel Award Application Reminder

We have a great review committee established! Please send the following information in
a pdf to Susan (skd9f@virginia.edu) by 12.15.17:

*An abbreviated CV of 2-3 pages, including your name, title (as appropriate),
institutional/department affiliation, and full contact information.
*Copy of the AERA acceptance note for your paper proposal.
*Title of your paper presentation and a short abstract of your paper.
*A brief description of your need for travel assistance.

Please put the following in your subject line: AERA Student Travel Award Application.

Call for Manuscripts Middle Grades Review

Call for Manuscripts: Middle Grades Review

Issue 3(3): General Issue
Submission Date: October 15, 2017
Publication Date: December, 2017

About Middle Grades Review

Middle Grades Review provides a provocative forum for debate within the fields of
middle grades education and early adolescence. Inviting a critical perspective, the Review
is a peer-reviewed, open-source, indexed venue for scholars and practitioners who wish
to broaden the discourse of middle grades education by challenging conventional
wisdom.
In this general issue, the Review seeks pieces that explore the three key themes of
democratic education, innovation, and social justice, in relation to early adolescence
and/or middle grades education.

Types of Submission

1. Essays pose opinion, positing or discussing theory, and/or offering critique (under
3000 words, excluding references).
2. Research and Inquiry are reports of original research that represent any paradigm or
methodology. The Review prioritizes inquiry that involves middle grades students in at
least one of the following ways: as participants, consultants or co-researchers (under
7500 words, excluding references).
3. Practitioner Perspectives are accounts of teacher and/or student practice (under 3000
words, excluding references).
4. Responses are brief responses to previous articles in any of the above three categories.
Responses should stimulate debate in the middle grades community by extending the
original manuscripts content, or by presenting an opposing interpretation or perspective
(under 2000 words, excluding references).

Manuscripts can be submitted online here or at http://scholarworks.uvm.edu/mgreview/.

Penny Bishop, Editor

University of Vermont

New SIG: Montessori Education

Angela Murray, University of Kansas, has been instrumental in helping organize a new
SIG focused on Montessori Education. The new SIGs purpose statement is:

To support, promote, and disseminate information, research, and

evaluation of Montessori education and philosophy, in both the public and
private sector, through diverse research approaches and collaborations.

Please contact Angela (akmurray@ku.edu) if you have any questions.

Preparations for the 2018 Annual Meeting

Tingting Xu, Program Chair, is busy planning for the 2018 Annual Meeting in
partnership with AERA Headquarters. Thanks to her hard work and that of proposal
submitters, reviewers, and others involved in the process, the SIG will have a great
program! Be sure to save the dates: Friday, 4.13.18 Tuesday, 4.17.18.

Announced on 9.27.17 via email was a great workshop opportunity for undergraduates
who have promise as graduate students in educational research or other fields concerned
with education issues. The workshop will be conducted at the 2018 Annual Meeting, and
the application deadline is 11.15.17. Please contact George Wimberly, Director of
Personal Development and Diversity Officer, at fellowships@aera.net for additional
information.

Call for Items of Note for the Spring Newsletter

Please also start gathering items of note for the spring newsletter! Take the opportunity
to let us know what youre working on, which initiatives have promise, which courses
(yours or ones you helped design) benefitted from the use of constructivist pedagogies,
which students are graduatingall good things happening! Send them to Susan
(skd9f@virginia.edu) by 3.1.18.

Have a great fall!