“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” says Associate Professor Jennifer Beller, after her first gig at Future Cougars Day.  During the Saturday event that’s part of WSU’s annual Seattle Week activities, Jennifer answered questions about kineseology programs while Director of Field Services Chris Sodorff and Clinical Assistant Professor Guy Westhoff explained the teacher preparation program.

In some instances, Jennifer said, she was asked for specifics, such as “What kind of classes should I take senior year?”  Other times she addressed big-picture concerns. When one young man expressed interest in movement studies, and his mom urged him to earn a science degree, Jennifer was able to suggest a middle path.

Guy describes the experience as “three hours of non-stop conversations” on the crowded concourse of the Qwest Field Event Center. The two most common questions he received: What’s the admissions process like? What endorsements can education students complete?  Everyone was impressed by the number of

college alumni who stopped by to say hello.  That continued even when the faculty trio went for a sandwich afterward. Chris reports that the first person who saw them in the restaurant was a recent grad who saw them and proclaimed, “I got a job!”

Kim Holapa, our director of development, has experienced WSU Seattle Week five times.  She reports that Cougar enthusiasm was as high as ever.  For Kim and Interim Dean Phyllis Erdman, one highlight was a very productive meeting of the college Advocacy Board.

Elevating engineering at Garfield-Palouse High School
In an update of an earlier College of Education article, Washington State Magazine’s latest edition includes  a story about College of Education alumnus Jim Stewart and the amazing project his students tackled over the last two years. Be sure to check out the time-lapse photos in which WSU photographer Bob Hubner captured the Gar-Pal design team putting the finishing touches on their agriculture lift for paraplegics.

Facebook boosts brainpower!
We’re not just saying that because the WSU College of Education has a Facebook group. According to a scholar in Scotland, Facebook boosts IQ — but Twitter doesn’t.

Reading matter
How Obama’s Pep Talk Became a Publicity Headache. What started as a simple question on a suggested lesson plan tied to the president’s speech to students ended up as the first major political misstep for a recently minted U.S. Department of Education team.
The Rubber Room. The battle over New York City’s worst teachers.