Today we interview Dr. Mary Little, a Professor of Exceptional Student Education at the University of Central Florida and in expert in partnerships. Tune in to learn about her experience and her goal to improve K-12 student learning, especially within diverse, urban schools.
Don't forget we love to hear from our listeners. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. We look forward to receiving your questions on our Google Phone (407) 900- 9305, Facebook (Practical Access), Twitter (@AccessPractical), or Instagram (@Practical_Access).
Today we interview Dr. Mary Little, a Professor of Exceptional Student Education at the University of Central Florida and in expert in partnerships. Tune in to learn about her experience and her goal to improve K-12 student learning, especially within diverse, urban schools.
Don't forget we love to hear from our listeners. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. We look forward to receiving your questions on our Google Phone (407) 900- 9305, Facebook (Practical Access), Twitter (@AccessPractical), or Instagram (@Practical_Access).
Welcome to Practical Access. I am Lisa Dieker.
Rebecca Hines:And I'm Rebecca Hines. And Lisa, I am so excited about today's guest. I have wanted to feature Dr. Mary Little on our podcast for a long time because I can tell you I've known Mary a long time now. And I don't know anyone who, who brings the kind of energy that she does to this profession.
Lisa Dieker:Yeah, and you know what we're gonna deem you today, our dear friend, Dr. Mary Little as the partnership expert, and we're gonna kick it off by letting you celebrate the great award, that UCF in Orange County Public Schools just got together, you want to tell our listeners a little bit about that. And then we can highlight some of the great partnership work you're doing.
Mary Little:Just first Thank you, sir, for such kind words, and the opportunity to share with your audience and with you. We all know that there's no I in team that everything that we do is together in partnership. And so this award is not about Mary Little. It's about so many educators that are very, very dedicated to learning for our children, our children in the most vulnerable schools and
Rebecca Hines:And Mary, I know, I know about the work that you've done with the TQP take up grant, which is very much of a community schools and university partnership. So without specifics, you know, does matter what the grant is, but can you tell us on a ground level? What does this look like? What is this project look like? Yeah,
Mary Little:feature quality partnership, it's federal funds. But the bottom line is to recruit, develop and retain the very best teachers for schools that we know, have critical needs. For the very best teachers. We know the state of Florida just released they're 2500 Teachers short, they don't, they don't even have teachers, much less high quality teachers. And so what this grant is about is to differently and being open to be innovative as I'm looking at Dr. Hines, right. It's, it is about innovative, trying things out there. Don't say Don't tell me to not do it. Let's try it if it's gonna work for kids and families. Let's try it out.
Lisa Dieker:Well, and one of the things that you've always done well, I mean, if you look at your, you know, Legacy time in your career, it's always been about partnering with the state or school or district? What do you recommend for some of our listeners that are like, wow, I want to get a business partner, I want to get a university partner. I'm a family and I need to partner with a community
Mary Little:I think ultimately, it's looking for the common vision. There isn't it doesn't matter, we, it doesn't matter what each represents. It is it's about the vision for children. It's about the vision for learning. It's about the vision that everybody has something to contribute, and finding that common vision and what each of us can contribute as we all move forward. Because everyone has
Rebecca Hines:Yeah. So Mary, Give me it. Let's say like, give me a a specific. So where does it start? Do you pick up the phone and cold call someone? Do you see a name in the paper at a school or a district somewhere, you know, if I'm, if I'm a teacher, an administrator or a faculty member somewhere, and I'm like, wow, I'm really on board with the idea of this kind of immersive experience and
Mary Little:You look for people and opportunities that are doing the work. And then you go and you go to them and talk with them. First you listen. And yeah, listen for common understandings, so that you can then collaboratively move forward. There are always opportunities for connections, as long as we listen and make those opportunities. And to think that a flyer you know that I'm sitting in my
Rebecca Hines:Becky? Yeah. And you know, Mary, and I share a real interest in a passion, you know, for preparing undergraduate students to become great teachers. Mary, you also mentioned parents and families, can you give us a specific example of how any of your undergrads might have interacted with or done work with parents or families?
Mary Little:Oh, absolutely, very early on, we provide them multiple opportunities for service learning. And, you know, a lot of times they they have in their hearts that they want to make a difference, you know, they want to make a difference. But they're don't know how to get started with that. And there's sometimes fearful because making a difference might be very different in very then the big knights who are scholars that are undergrads and it just it brings tears to your eyes because it's about the mission, the learning the love of education, and the connections with the people that are there.
Rebecca Hines:Yeah. Well, my
Lisa Dieker:last question for you is that I know TQ P is also really helping faculty and teachers. So what is it that the faculty and the teach, not the pre service teachers, but the practicing teachers in those schools, the leadership and the faculty, what is it you're finding is the nugget that they're gaining from all this rich support and partnerships that you that you've developed?
Mary Little:Oh, absolutely. I think education is such an isolated profession, that we don't realize what I do every day as a teacher, right? I mean, it just and so we have the supervising teachers with our bridge fellows, they're co constructing what these experiences look like, they're, we're doing that research to practice Gabbard very explicitly. They're part of our design teams, they create
Lisa Dieker:Yeah, I love that statement, co facilitation. So anything you want to wrap up with
Rebecca Hines:no other than to thank you for all of the all of the work and all of the years together of trying to make a difference? You know, even those of us in higher ed are trying to make a difference. And Mary embodies that.
Lisa Dieker:So thank you, Dr. Little Mary, our friend and colleague for all your work in partnerships and sharing those tidbits with our our audience today. If you have questions, please send us a tweet and we will also forward it to Dr. Little if you have questions at Access practical or you can send us a question on our Facebook page at practical access. Thank you again for joining us, Mary.
Mary Little:Thank you so much. What an honor and respect the work you are doing so much as well. Thank you all