Education Eclipse

It’s been well publicized that there is a teacher shortage. Well there’s also a shortage of individuals from Native or Tribal communities who are state-certified teachers. Enter in Ti’Tooqan Cuukweneewit, a project through Washington State University’s College of Education, that helps those in Tribal communities to take life experience and their already acquired Indigenous Knowledge … Continue reading "043 Ti’tooqan Cuukweneewit"

Anne Marie Guerrettaz is trying to figure something out: in Spanish foreign language classrooms, are the teaching or instructional materials helping or hindering students who are learning to speak Spanish? With the help of some recent recognition and grants, she plans to find an answer, along with potential solutions if things aren’t quite up to … Continue reading "065 Textbook problems with learning Spanish, literally"

Negative body image has been associated with low self-esteem, eating disorders, and mental illness. Many young people, including young girls, are dissatisfied with their bodies, even at an early age, and this has been shown to continue and worsen over time. As part of Washington State University’s Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities, Sport … Continue reading "064 Mindfulness and Body Image through Yoga"

Just over a year ago, WSU quarterback Tyler Hilinski passed away and the Hilinski’s Hope foundation began. Focusing on mental health awareness in student athletics, Hilinski’s Hope is continuing to make a difference. We caught up with Kym Hilinski to learn more about the recent progress of the foundation and the importance of Hilinski’s Hope … Continue reading "063 Better support of student-athlete mental health (Hilinski’s Hope)"

Roughly 45 percent of school children in Washington state are designated as people “of color.” But there’s only about 10 percent diversity among teachers and school administrators. This isn’t a new problem. And universities are certainly not just now working on solutions. But thanks to being the first recipient of the George Brain and Gay … Continue reading "062 Increasing teachers and leaders of color"

If you’ve ever watched the movie Moneyball, or read the book off of which it was based, you’ll know that the narrative goes something like this: everything we thought we knew about the game of baseball might be, at worst, just dead wrong, or, if we’re lucky, a little off. Either way, we’re wrong. The … Continue reading "061 Budding Moneyballers take on Phoenix"

Individuals with Cerebral Palsy suffer from all kinds of effects such as issues with muscle tone, posture, bone growth, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and so on. At Washington State University’s Bruya-Wood Undergraduate Research Conference, we spoke to Justin Harrer and Morgan Davis, two kinesiology students within the College of Education, about things that can be … Continue reading "060 Aquatic Intervention for those with Cerebral Palsy"

There’s a life-changing program at Washington State University. It’s called ROAR. It’s designed for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities and it gives them a traditional, on-campus experience. It’s also a first in Washington state. The initial class consists of four stellar students, and one of the best things about ROAR, is that it not … Continue reading "059 WSU ROAR and its ever-present impact"

Over the last few years, researchers and scholars within Washington State University’s kinesiology programs have touted the benefits of exercise, both informally, and as part of the Exercise as Medicine initiative. At this year’s Bruya-Wood Undergraduate Research Conference, we caught up with student Jessica Krull, who goes into more detail about how exercise can actually … Continue reading "058 Exercise aids fighting depression"

There are currently three main treatment options for Parkinson’s disease, though the downside to them include harsh side effects, invasiveness, and high cost. We caught up with kinesiology student Collette Edge at the Bruya-Wood Undergraduate Research Conference, and she told us about one other treatment option: high-amplitude action-observation (HAOO) group fitness and how it can … Continue reading "057 Exercise to improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease"

WSU College of Education professor Joy Egbert has received a Fulbright Specialist Award and in March will spend three weeks in Macedonia. It’s not the first time Joy has traveled abroad for Fulbright. Many years ago, she traveled to Russia. Since that time came more experience and more wisdom; an outlook that Joy recognizes will … Continue reading "056 A Fulbright to Macedonia and #AgentOfChange"

There are principals, and then there are principals-of-the-year principals. Valencia Toomer is the award-winning type! She’s a College of Education alumna, and we’re excited that she recently was honored in North Carolina for her excellence. We talk to her about the award, and how at the root of everything, she’s an agent of change by … Continue reading "055 Agents of Change: Valencia Toomer"

At Washington State University, one aspect of the Drive to 25 initiative is to increase enrollment of international students. To achieve this, WSU became one of 11 universities in the United States to partner with INTO. INTO is a private organization that partners with universities to connect potential students with opportunities in higher education. Chad … Continue reading "054 INTO Higher Education"

Most educational experts agree that quality teaching is the single most important factor in improving educational outcomes for students. Improving that instruction then is perhaps the number one thing K-12 leaders can do, from Superintendent on down. Kristin Huggins, an associate professor of Educational Leadership WSU Vancouver, has always been interested in the field of … Continue reading "053 Leadership Development for Instructional Improvement"

In rural Washington, there is a shortage in both the number and diversity of students who enter biomedical careers. Thanks to two Washington State University professors, and a 1.2 million dollar federal grant, the HEAL project aims to solve this issue. HEAL stands for Health Education through Arts-based Learning. The two faculty members, Molly Kelton … Continue reading "052 HEAL project grant"

Heidi Rhodes is the first graduate of Washington State University’s Mathematics and Science Education doctoral program. Rhodes has completed this program from WSU Vancouver and talks about the highs and lows of earning her Ph.D., as well as shares her research about middle school principals and their perceptions about math.

A number of students who have been accepted to Washington State University (WSU) are underprepared to enter into a required mathematics course mandated by their selected area of study. In response to this issue, WSU created a course, Mathematics 100, to strengthen students’ basic math skills. Further analysis found that certain modifications to the online … Continue reading "050 The Online Developmental Math Course"

Every once in awhile, we run into one of our graduates whose career is NOT in their field of study. We often find those stories to be every bit as interesting as others we share. Well, here’s the story of CJ Robert, who graduated from WSU with a Kinesiology degree and now owns TWO businesses. … Continue reading "049 From Kinesiology Grad to Business Owner"

Every year, a Washington State University College of Education student wins the Inga Kromann Book Award. Dr. Inga Kromann was the children’s literature professor at WSU for 38 years. She created an endowment to support a book contest, which was created by her successor, Associate Professor Jane Kelley. The Inga Kromann Book Award contest is … Continue reading "048 Inga Kromann Book Award 2018"

Washington State University’s Learning and Performance Research Center (LPRC) hosts its sixth annual Methods Workshop May 10-11, 2018. The LPRC isn’t alone in its sponsorship. It’s joined by the College of Education’s Educational Psychology, CAHNRS’ Department of Human Development, and the College of Arts and Science’s Department of Psychology. There are multiple entities involved because … Continue reading "047 A Collaborative Affair: LPRC’s Methods Workshop"

It is commonly agreed that practicum-based learning is essential for success in a variety of different careers. This is especially true for educators who already get great experience through this process. Yet, many preservice teachers feel unprepared to work with culturally- and linguistically-diverse students. Enter case-based instruction which assistant professor of educational psychology Kira Carbonneau … Continue reading "046 Culturally-Reponsive Case-Based Instruction"

There’s a new program for students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. It’s called WSU ROAR. The WSU stands for Washington State University. ROAR stands for Responsibility, Opportunity, Advocacy, and Respect. If those also sound like VALUES, you may be right! We talk to co-founder Brenda Barrio about how WSU ROAR gives a college experience to … Continue reading "044 WSU ROAR"

Every year, as part of the sport management program capstone, students split into small groups and put together a fundraiser. This requires them to use all the knowledge they’ve acquired during their time in the program. This includes all event planning, from logistics to promotion. One group ran the Palouse Mental Health Resource Fair over … Continue reading "045 Palouse Mental Health Resource Fair"

Hannah Martian is a sophomore Sport Management major in the College of Education. She’s from Arlington, WA and has a desire to one day become a baseball play-by-play broadcaster. In the meantime, she has recently filed to run for ASWSU Senator and represent the College of Education.

Quite simply, we can teach better, as a society, when we better know how students learn. A lot of research has been done through classroom observation. But getting down to learning from a neurocognitive perspective, can really help researchers better assess what works and what doesn’t. Jonah Firestone, from WSU Tri-Cities, runs a lab, called… … Continue reading "039 Learning how to learn (SIMIAN Lab)"

We’ve all heard the phrase “best practice,” or, as is often used after research, “evidence-based practice.” Not all current teachers know what that best practice may be because they are uninformed about the newest research, or professional development hasn’t been provided to them. That certainly holds true for special education. We met up with Yun-Ru … Continue reading "038 Evidence-based practice in SPED"

For stage actors, it’s not just about what is said, but how it’s said. And the body language that is used. The same can be said for teachers. Educational psychology doctoral student David Alpizar talks about something called “signaling,” which can be a variety of ways to emphasize thing for students; to draw their attention. … Continue reading "037 Signaling in the multimedia classroom"

During a teacher shortage, one place to look for teachers is the classroom itself. Washington state already has a lot of paraeducators… folks who are in the classroom day in and day out, and aren’t certified teachers for a variety of reasons. Lindsay Lightner is at WSU Tri-Cities, and introduces us to its Alternate Route … Continue reading "036 From Parapro to Teacher"

This might sound like a no-brainer, but something that captivates a students’ attention, will help them to then better engage in the lesson, activity, discussion, or what have you. Personal interest is something that is more long-term… more innate… it’s value-based. Situtational interest is something that teachers often have incredible ability to control, and it’s … Continue reading "035 Increasing classroom situational interest"

Law enforcement officers often consider their fellow officers as a brotherhood or sisterhood. That extends to canine officers. Police dogs. Quite frankly, some officers spend more time with their canine companions than they do with their own families, making those dogs de facto family. But how do we train police officers to render first aid … Continue reading "040 A special police bond"

Every year, a WSU student wins the Inga Kromann Book Award. We’ve highlighted previous winners on our podcast. The purpose of this award is to recognize the literary talents and efforts of the students. This year’s winner is Stephanie Sparks, with her book A Pencil Named Benson. She tells us more. Education Eclipse starts now.

People are bringing dogs into schools more than ever before. Usually, the reason deals with social aspects or social skills. Comfort dogs, for example. A lot of times, we call it canine therapy. But do we know the effect that dogs truly have on learning? Some research suggests there are some benefits to dogs in … Continue reading "034 Dogs in school"

Research has shown that small interactions between students during small group learning environments can help the overall achievement of that group. But then do those small group interactions help the collective, whole classroom level of interaction? It’s not something recognized as having previously been investigated. We talk to Josh Premo, a graduate student in the … Continue reading "033 From small group to big classroom"

You may have heard, but Sesame Street is debuting its first autistic character, Julia. Good timing, because, April is also Autism Awareness Month. As one reporter from a Staten Island news outlet wrote: “Producers of Sesame Street said they took a lot of care in how they portrayed Julia. They worked with autism advocates, teachers, … Continue reading "032 How Literature Treats Autism Spectrum Disorder"

Classroom technology integration has always been vital. So with every new building built, we must look at not only how to integrate current technology, but how to prepare for future technology, whatever that may be. That’s no easy feat. Educational psychology doctoral student Kripa Sundar joined some of WSU’s AMS experts to research active learning … Continue reading "031 Active Learning Classrooms"

It’s the academic advisor who is on the ground floor and sees the student’s whole academic career pass. They’re there when the students start and when they graduate. They see the struggles. They see the triumphs. Dan Overbay is an academic advisor at WSU Vancouver. We talked to him about the differences between being a … Continue reading "030 The Role of an Academic Advisor"

We talk about STEM all the time. Well, since half of STEM is math and science, it stands to reason that a doctoral program that has both of those in it might be fairly important. The Washington State University College of Education has just that. The Mathematics and Science Education program is led by Dave … Continue reading "029 Math and Science Education program"

On this edition of Education Eclipse, intern Brittni Willis sits down with Pullman Police officer Riley Myklebust. In addition to Officer Myklebust having been ASWSU president during his time as a student, he was actually a College of Education graduate. So how does a guy who is an elementary ed major become a cop? And, … Continue reading "028 From Teacher to Cop"

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. In a complex world, with complex societal grand challenges, it’s important for our nation’s youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve these tough challenges. Yet, how we teach these is also under the microscope then. STEM Education is a passion of Tamara Holmlund … Continue reading "027 Today’s STEM Education"

There’s never been a more important time to have really good teachers. And, as long as we’re talking about teachers, we might as well talk about school principals. Whenever you hear about a school turn-around, or an amazing reform effort, one of the indispensable components of these is a good principal. On the flip side, … Continue reading "026 WSU Principal Certification program"

Salina King is a recent graduate from the College of Education. You could say that she’s doing a victory lap as she is using this Fall 2016 semester to finish her program and receive her teaching certification. She’s student teaching in a 4th grade classroom in Colfax, WA.

Today’s education requires more than just the status quo. That’s where Washington State University’s College of Education comes in. The college has a dynamic statewide educational leadership program, including superintendent certification, principal certification, and the best, most well-respected educational doctorate program in the state. One of the college’s ed doctorate grads is Jared Hoadley, the … Continue reading "024 Making a difference through educational leadership"

Right now, there’s a big focus at Washington State University on the health sciences. WSU Spokane has the new medical college, the College of Nursing, and the College of Pharmacy. However, only select populations tend to gravitate toward careers in the health sciences. There are definitely underrepresented groups of students. Janet Frost is a clinical … Continue reading "023 Health Science STEM Education Research Center"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that one out of four older people, meaning 65 and older, falls every year, but less than half tell their doctor. One out of every five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury. There’s also a tremendous cost attached to falls. … Continue reading "022 Improving balance among pregnant women"

A new fitness program is being introduced at Washington State University. The president and provost offices are giving financial support to the program, while the College of Education is administering the program, due to its scholarly research in sport science and athletic training. The program is called Cougar Employee Wellness Program, and is for all … Continue reading "021 Setting up an employee wellness program"

Imagine the difficulties of being a student in the U.S. while also being an immigrant. On the WSU Tri-Cities campus, Eric Johnson researches the difficulties, and talks about the engagement he does in this field that helps the students, as well as the teachers who teach those students.

The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) is a group of 80 colleges and schools of education, all of whom have committed resources to work together and strengthen the educational doctorate. The WSU College of Education was one of the founding members of CPED. While the college has always had a very strong ed … Continue reading "019 Improving the education doctorate"

If you hadn’t heard of augmented reality before, you probably have by now! That’s the technology behind the worldwide Pokémon GO craze. Augmented reality has both similarities, and differences than virtual reality. Special education professor Don McMahon tells us what the difference is. So why would a special education professor talk with us about augmented … Continue reading "018 Augmented Reality and the Assistive Technology Lab"

When it comes to student enrollment, most of the attention is spent on total enrollment, including record-breaking classes of incoming freshman. But, what good is it if the retention rate is terrible. How can universities hang on to students they do have? We talk to Evelyn Martinez, a recent WSU College of Education graduate. She … Continue reading "017 First-Year Student Engagement"

Sustaining health is one of WSU’s identified societal grand challenges. Though some rates are improving, overall, we live in an age where physical activity is too low. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 1 in 5 American adults meet desired physical activity. Less than 3 in 10 high school students get … Continue reading "016 Resistance Training and Running Economy"

Critical thinking is an essential skill for students to develop through their formal and informal education. The measurement of these skills is a challenge, especially with younger students. Several critical thinking assessments exist, yet their validity is in question. Educational Psychology doctoral student Latisha Sternod talks about her research in this arena, and gives implications … Continue reading "015 Improving Critical Thinking Tests"

Sports are part of our culture. We might remember playingbaseball or soccer as a kid. Perhaps we played some pick-upbasketball after schools. Or a nice flag football game in the briskautumn weather. Working in sports can be a little different then you think.Until you’re in the trenches, many don’t even know all thecomplexities of the … Continue reading "014 Getting to Know You: Kiley Maag"

English Language Learners are people learning English in addition to their native language. The Washington State University College of Education has a robust ELL program. The No Child Left Behind Act, as well as subsequent legislation, demanded educational success of all children, throughout the entire curriculum. Thus, children aren’t merely pulled aside and put in … Continue reading "013 Improving the ELL Experience"

There have been almost 300 school shootings since Columbine, and the rate is increasing. When a school goes through something like this, how do the victims cope and recover? We spoke with doctoral candidate Patricia Maarhuis at the 2016 Academic Showcase about ways that schools, teachers, students, and communities can bounce back from devastation.

The past few years has seen increased awareness of racism and bigotry in our country. Of course racism has always been present, but today many are noticing a number of disturbing trends and incidents. Our national dialogue has increased on issues of institutional racism, a spike in blatant actions by some police against people who … Continue reading "011 Globalization Conference overview"