Education Eclipse

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"