thomas.arend

In the heart of Kelso, Washington, stands Lane Salvig, an alumna of the WSU College of Education. Lane has dedicated the past eight years to shaping young minds as a high school math and social studies teacher. Her commitment to fostering global understanding and cross-cultural collaboration recently earned her a prestigious recognition: a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program award.

Lane’s award comes with a journey. She will go to Morocco in April, where she will collaborate with educators from the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (MACECE). Her mission? To explore how students from different cultures can learn from each other and work together.

The Fulbright Program, managed by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, is all about international educational exchange. For over 75 years, it has provided countless individuals with opportunities to learn, teach, and connect across borders.

Lane’s selection for the Fulbright award highlights her passion for global learning and teaching innovation. Through the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, she hopes to not only share her knowledge but also build meaningful connections that span continents.

As Lane embarks on this journey, the College of Education is honored to have her represent Cougs, demonstrating the profound impact educators can make in fostering understanding and collaboration across diverse communities. She encourages her colleagues and peers to embrace the spirit of international exchange. By sharing her experiences when she returns, Lane hopes to inspire others to explore the world, learn from different cultures, and foster connections that transcend boundaries.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, please visit, https://eca.state.gov/fulbright.

On a brisk February day on the Palouse, education students at WSU in the K-8 Art Methods Integration class visited the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMOA) to learn the effectiveness of art in the classroom.

TchLrn 390 equips future educators with the tools to seamlessly integrate art into the curriculum. This course operates on the belief that learning through the arts enriches experiences, extends learning, and deepens understanding across subjects. During the museum tour, students engaged with art and exhibits firsthand, guided by Kristen Becker, Curator of Education at JSMOA. The tour provided practical examples and resources for integrating art into the classroom, emphasizing its potential to enhance learning outcomes across various subjects.

In a landscape of standardized testing, classes like TchLrn 390 emphasize non-traditional learning experiences. Art isn’t just another subject; it’s a tool for fostering creativity, critical thinking, and empathy among students.

As educators, we must recognize the profound impact of art integration in education. Initiatives like TchLrn 390 class inspire future educators to embrace the transformative power of the arts.

The College of Education remains committed to providing students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to become visionary education leaders. We actively advocate for the integration of art into teaching and learning through initiatives like TchLrn 390 and partnerships with institutions like the JSMOA.

We are pleased to share the accomplishments of two of our doctoral students, Elise Wilson and Pranjali Upadhyay, who have recently been accepted into distinguished programs showcasing their dedication to educational leadership and policy studies at the 2024 American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting. 

Elise Wilson (left) Pranjali Upadhyay (right)

Elise has been accepted to the prestigious David L. Clark Seminar which is part of our major educational leadership research organization, the University Council of Educational Administration. Her research topic is, “Student Voice and Teacher Learning: An Action Research Study of a Youth-Adult Learning Community in a Rural High School.”

Pranjali has been accepted into the seminar as a Jackson Scholar, aligning with her ongoing commitment to educational equity and social justice. Her research topic is, “Counternarratives of Global Majority Leaders in the field of Educational Leadership”. 

Pranjali has been a dedicated representative of WSU since Fall 2022. This AERA meeting marks her final conference as part of the two-year Jackson Scholar Program, highlighting her significant contributions to the field of educational leadership and policy studies.

Ths AERA meeting is scheduled to be held in Philadelphia this spring. It provides a valuable platform for emerging scholars like Elise and Patanjali to engage in mentoring sessions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. 

We extend our sincere congratulations to Elise and Pranjali for their notable achievements. We look forward to their continued contributions in the realm of educational leadership as they represent WSU.

First year ROAR student, Richard Roloff had the opportunity to intern with the WSU Football media team. We wanted to ask him a few questions about his position.

Q: What did you do with the football team this past semester?
A: I did photos and media for the football team. My friend, Dallas, helped me out. I got to be with the team for the last three home games.

Q: What did you do on the field during games?
A: I would take pictures of the football team down on the field during pre-game and during the game. I also got to go up to the press box with Dallas and had some really nice food up there.

Q: What was your favorite part of this internship?
A: The jersey reveals. We got to take the photos and videos on Mondays and we would post them on Wednesdays. We had one jersey reveal photo shoot for the Colorado game that was at 11 o’clock at night which was really cool. We were at Gesa Field and it was really cloudy outside. We had all of the stadium lights off while keeping all of the LED lights on red and that looked really cool on the field. They wore all gray with the “WAZZU” helmets that week which I really liked.

Q: What got you interested in this role?
A: I played football during my freshman year of high school. My sophomore year, I wasn’t interested in playing anymore, so I became an equipment manager for my high school team. That made me realize how much fun working for a football team can be. I also took a photography class in high school which helped me prepare for taking pictures for football and running social media.

Q: Can you tell us about a fun time during your internship?
A: I got to go to the tailgates with Dallas before some of the games. At the tailgates, I got to meet Brennan Jackson’s mom, meet a lot of the football fans, and eat a lot of yummy food. Another fun memory was walking into the locker room with the team. I got to shake hands and introduce myself to a lot of the team. That is a memory that I will have for a very long time.

Q: What would you be interested in doing for a career 10 years from now?
A: Someday, I would love to work for the Spokane Chiefs in the Western Hockey League. I would like to run their social media or be an equipment manager.