Faculty List

Nicola J Findley, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Education
Joined Alma College Faculty in 2001
SAC 241
(989) 463-7184
Office Hours: M 1:00-2:30; T&TH 2:30-4:00; W 9:30-11:00; and by appointment

Education

  • Ph.D. Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy. Michigan State University. 2000.
  • B.Ed. with honors. Bristol University, U.K. 1979.

Research Interests

Curriculum and instruction; Teacher education; civic engagement and service learning; Interdisciplinary teaching and learning; literacy and language arts; social studies education.

Recent Courses Taught

  • Foundations III: Issues and Contexts.  EDC 400T.
  • Topics Seminar B.  EDC 312.
  • Teaching Elementary Reading and Language Arts/Field.  ED 360/EDC 302.
  • Foundations II: Teaching in Context.  EDC 120/EDC 120T.
  • Teaching Elementary Social Studies/Field.  EDC 363/EDC 301.
  • Teaching Reading in Middle and Senior High School.  EDC 346.
  • Educational Psychology/Field.  EDC 220/EDC 201.
  • Elementary Science and Social Studies Methods/Field.  EDC 341/305.
  • Elementary Language Arts /Field.  EDC 340/EDC 304.

Selected Articles

  • Nicola J Findley, Ph.D..  "Defining 'community partner' in service learning."  Academic Exchange Quarterly.  Fall 2007, pp 63-67
  • Nicola J Findley, Ph.D..  "What do we mean by 'short attention span'?."  Phi Delta Kappan.  May 2005, 652-653
  • Nicola J Findley, Ph.D..  "As we see it: Prospective teachers address the question, 'Why me?'"."  Michigan Reading Journal.  Winter 2004, Vol 36, No 2, 41-45
  • Nicola J Findley, Ph.D..  "In their own way: Student responses to integrated curriculum."  Educational Leadership.  2002, 60 (1), 60-63

Recent Presentations

  • Findley, N. with Mulry D. (Schreiner University).  "Best practices of experienced department/division chairs."  Council of Independent Colleges.  Louisville, KY.  May 24, 2011.
  • Findley, N. and Franoli, K (College of St. Rose).  "Small Colleges and Universities: Challenges and Possibilities - Collaborative Network."  College and University Faculty Association, National Council for the Social Studies, Annual Conference.  Washington D.C..  December 2006.
  • Findley, N. with Navarro, J..  "Finding diversity in our own backyard."  Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters.  Rochester, MI.  March 3, 2006.
  • Findley, N with Navarro, J..  "Finding diversity in a rural setting: Service learning in an alternative high school."  10th Annual Institute on Service-Learning.  University of Michigan, Flint.  February 17, 2006.
  • Findley, N. with Navarro, J..  "Exploring literacy and democratic schooling through service learning in an alternative high school."  Practitioner's Conference on Civic Education.  New Orleans, LA.  January 2005.
  • Findley, N..  "Proceed with caution: Integrating across subjects with literature."  Michigan Reading Association Conference.  Grand Rapids, MI..  March 2005.
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Selected External Research Grants

Awards, Honors, Recognitions

  • Faculty Barlow Award
  • Alma College 2006 Outstanding Junior Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award
  • Service Learning Faculty Fellow

Professional Memberships

  • Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
  • National Council for the Social Studies
  • National Council of Teachers of English
  • American Educational Research Association
  • International Reading Association
  • American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Service to the College

Service to the Community

  • EDC 346 Service Learning at Republic alternative and adult high school

Service to the Profession

 

The Alma College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team has won 11 consecutive regional championships. The competition awards the SIFE teams that are most effective in teaching the principles of market economics through outreach projects in their communities. Last year’s team presented 12 projects, including teaching ethics and entrepreneurship skills to students at a juvenile detention center and launching an entrepreneurship competition for students with business ideas.

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Student Profile

Daniel Jaremko

Daniel Jaremko
Graduation: 2013
Major: Chemistry

Daniel Jaremko didn’t expect to take hold of a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrophotometer his first year of college, but research opportunities are just one of the many elements that make up the Alma College experience.

Working with Joel Dopke, assistant professor of chemistry, the New York senior used equipment like this to research the synthesis and characterization of semi-organic molecules.

“Research has pushed me to learn things I might not learn in class,” says Jaremko. “A lot of the work depends on how much I put into it and how well I know my stuff. It definitely lets me think on a level that is more challenging.”

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