Judith Marshall Finkelstein Papers
Scope and Contents
This collection is strong from at least two points of view. First, it documents Professor Finkelstein's career at the University of Northern Iowa. It records in depth her innovations at the Laboratory School, often from local, early proposals for enhancements in her own classroom all the way to the scholarly documentation of her findings. As a bonus, the collection also includes the tangible classroom results in the form of a selection of the artwork and writing of her students. The material relating to the curricular units of classroom work deserves special attention. In many cases the unit work is accompanied by extensive collections of photographic images. These images provide a good look at what went on in Professor Finkelstein's classrooms.
Second, the collection is valuable because it provides a general look at instruction at the elementary level in the Laboratory School from about 1970 through about 1990. Professor Finkelstein was involved in many aspects of the work of the Laboratory School during those years, and she was a meticulous record keeper. Her papers help to show how the Laboratory School reacted to and, in some cases, adopted various philosophical trends in education in that time period.
Note to researchers: Material relating to specific topics may appear in several parts of this collection. In some cases, this simply relects the good order in which the University Archives received the collection. However, in other cases, material may appear initially in parts of the collection relating to Professor Finkelstein's own classrooms; later it may appear as she polished those experiences for publication; and then it may appear in portions of the collection which show how she used her experiences as bases for instructing her undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Education.
Dates
- 1968-2010
Creator
- Finkelstein, Judith M. (Person)
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions. Materials are open for research.
General Use, Reproduction, and Copyright Policies
Many items housed in the Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives, including unpublished images and manuscripts, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, trademarks, or model release rights which the library does not own and for which the library cannot grant permission or licensing. Materials currently under copyright are usually still available for research and limited reproduction under Fair Use laws. However, it is the sole responsibility of the patron to determine whether or not their use of a given material falls within Fair Use guidelines and to obtain permission for said use from the rightful copyright owner.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy or similar laws, and the Iowa Open Records Law (see Iowa Code ยง 22.7). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of Northern Iowa assumes no responsibility.
Biographical / Historical
Judith Marshall Finkelstein was a distinguished member of the University of Northern Iowa faculty for over forty years. She received her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the University of Illinois in 1954. She received her Master of Arts in education from the University of Northern Iowa in 1968 and her Ph. D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Minnesota in 1983. She taught in the Minneapolis Public Schools from 1954 to 1956, in the Waterloo Community Schools from 1957 to 1960, and the Cedar Falls Public Schools, 1962-1963 and 1964-1965. She served as Director of Head Start for the Cedar Falls Schools in 1965-1966. In 1968 she joined the faculty of the Malcolm Price Laboratory School at the rank of instructor. She was promoted to assistant professor in 1971, to associate professor in 1984, and to professor in 1989.
Professor Finkelstein was an innovative teacher in her nursery, kindergarten, and first grade work at the Laboratory School. She documented and published her work for the benefit of others in a wide variety of venues including workshops; presentations at local, state, and national meetings; books; and articles. Among her areas of specialization were early childhood education, kindergarten scheduling, and curriculum development in early childhood education, especially in the social studies. In the course of her Laboratory School work, she supervised many student teachers and assisted in their placement.
Professor Finkelstein assisted in the establishment of the Regents' Center for Early Developmental Education and served as its director on an acting basis. She completed her career by serving as a member of the faculty of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education. She retired in 2009.
Extent
20.25 Linear Feet (23 boxes plus 3 items)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
In the summer of 2010, Professor Finkelstein contacted University Archivist Gerald L. Peterson about the disposition of her papers. Professor Finkelstein delivered the contents of Boxes 1-17 to the Rod Library in August 2010. She delivered the contents of Boxes 18-21 in November 2010.
Processing Information
Collection processed and Web inventory created by University Archivist Gerald L. Peterson, with assistance by student assistants Amy Yates, Dylan Mulfinger, Kim Nurre, and Julie Herrig, August-September 2010; updated December 3, 2010 (GP). Updated by Library Associate Dave Hoing, January 2018. Linear feet updated on September 20, 2017.
- Title
- Judith Marshall Finkelstein Papers
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script