Fresno Pacific University

Student Teacher Placement Director
University Mentor for Single Subject Student Teachers in English

Bartsch Hall, Room 108
Telephone: 559-453-3666
Fax: 559-453-2001
Email: joan.ardovino@fresno.edu

What programs do you teach in?

Education

Share why you teach at FPU

I was always aware of my weaknesses as a teacher, but I also knew I had a gift for reaching students who lived in poverty and/or endured circumstances that affected their ability to succeed in school and in life. Although there was no greater pleasure for me than to see students begin to try, to enjoy learning, and to believe in themselves, I felt that my efforts were uninformed by anything much other than my personality and upbringing. Seldom were professional development activities specifically designed to impact such students. However, upon retiring from public school education and coming to Fresno Pacific University, I found an environment in which the things I had always believed in and practiced were fundamental to the teacher education program. I have felt at home here ever since.

Scholarly interests

I read extensively about issues in special education, particularly those related to Asperger Syndrome, autism, AD/HD, and learning disabilities. I also attend related conferences and workshops.

Publications

Multiple Measures: Accurate Ways to Assess Student Achievement, with J. Hollingsworth and S. Ybarra, published by Corwin Press, Inc., 1999
Making Every Piece Fit, et al, San Joaquin Valley Writing Project, 1995
“The Teacher Connection” (monthly column) in California English Journal, 1990

Honors and awards

Primary writer for successful grants and awards totaling over $3,000,000 while employed with the Fresno Unified School District
Master teacher and mentor teacher, Fresno Unified School District
English Department Nominee, Dean’s Medal, Outstanding Graduate Student, 1979

Professional and service experiences

Almost from the beginning of my twenty-five-year career in public education, I have been involved in school reform. My first venture was with the San Joaquin Valley Writing Project, through which I was trained in innovative methods for teaching writing and for which I served as a professional development consultant to schools and districts. Four other members and I published a booklet with ideas for teaching writing for several genres.
I continued learning about school reform through participation in the California Literature Project. Soon, however, a movement toward significant change began, and numerous grants and awards were available for schools wanting to restructure. I was the primary writer for several awards and grants at Roosevelt High School, among which was the SB1274 Restructuring Grant of $2,500,000 awarded to the school in 1992. I served as one of two coordinators of the grant along with Dr. Sylvia Ybarra and the following year took over all responsibilities, including the writing and distribution of a weekly newsletter, implementation of professional development activities, and handling the budget. The most challenging aspect for me was to encourage faculty and staff to improve their teaching and service to students, and the most rewarding was the creation and leadership of the school’s site-based decision-making board, which included representatives of every department as well as students, parents and community leaders.

Professional affiliations

Personal experiences

Over the past two years, I have worked with members of the teacher education faculty and the university mentors to revise the student teaching evaluation form in order to align it with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. The resulting form is called the “Assessment of Candidate Progress.” It incorporates directions for a collaborative decision-making process that includes the student teacher or intern, the master teacher or site mentor, and the university mentor. The group discusses and draws conclusions as to the degree to which the candidate has exhibited evidence of knowledge and skill relative to all six of the CSTPs. The standards are now in the process of being revised once again (Spring 2009). Although it appears that the standards themselves will scarcely change, the elements they incorporate may change to a greater degree.
Over the past four years, I have worked with the teacher education division chair and the directors of the multiple and single subject programs as well as other faculty members to revise and improve the teacher education handbooks.