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

 

Alma College boasts a 13-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, a liberal arts approach to undergraduate education, 33 academic majors, self-designed programs of emphasis, pre-professional programs in law and medicine, and an intensive Spring Term that provides opportunities for innovative courses, travel classes, research and internships.

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Student Profile

Taylor Boehler

Taylor Boehler
Graduation: 2013
Major: Integrative Physiology and Health Science

As a nursing assistant, Saginaw senior Taylor Boehler is finding ways every day to make a difference in people’s lives. Little did she realize that it also would change her own.

“I needed patient contact hours in order to get accepted to physician assistant school, so I started working at Masonic Pathways,” she says. “I ended up falling in love with working with geriatric populations. Honestly, if you would’ve told me in high school that I would end up in geriatrics, I would have thought you were nuts, but Masonic helped me find my niche.”

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