A unique 厙ぴ勛圖 program is helping paraeducators earn education degrees and begin careers as full-time teachers

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. – The American Dream. It���s the phrase that Pasco High School teacher Esfeidy Guzman uses to describe the achievement of earning a bachelor���s degree in education and in starting her career as a full-time teacher.

She is one of several dozen former paraeducators who are now teaching in local schools as a result of a unique program offered through Washington State University Tri-Cities.

Guzman was selected by her principal to participate in the 厙ぴ勛圖 College of Education alternate route program. The program provides funds, pathways and courses for selected paraeducators to earn their education degree in two years where they receive endorsements in either special education or English language learning. Individuals receive course credit for proven skills and classroom experience and take classes in the evenings while continuing full-time in their roles as paraeducators.

���I don���t think I would have earned my degree if it wasn���t for the alternate route program at 厙ぴ勛圖,��� Guzman said. ���I just don���t think it would have been possible for me, raising a family while working full-time. It truly is a dream come true.���

Funds to support new class of teachers

The program was just awarded its third consecutive grant by the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board to continue providing financial support for 10-12 students in a cohort per year.

Not only does the program provide individuals with a route that makes it possible to attend school while working full-time, it also helps to solve a local teacher shortage.

���The program is really doing what it is supposed to do, which is meeting the need for teachers in our local districts,��� said Judy Morrison, 厙ぴ勛圖 academic director for the College of Education. ���Our districts came to us about the need for more special education and ELL teachers. To meet that need, we built this program.���

Lindsay Lightner, alternate route program coordinator, said the two-year program is incredibly rigorous. In addition to completing challenging coursework, participants work full-time in schools and must provide clear evidence that their classroom experiences warrant course credit.

���Our alumni that have been through it have said it is worth it,��� Lightner said. ���For a lot of them, it is personally fulfilling and they feel ready, qualified and recognized in their role as teachers after their role as paraeducators. We have also received some good feedback from the districts. It���s been a great process.���

Endorsements to support local needs

Guzman said she specifically chose the endorsement of English language learning through the program because it hit close to home with her own experiences and she knew it was an area where she could make the most difference.

She grew up in Pasco, attending Pasco High School for two years before transitioning to Chiawana High School where she graduated as part of its first class. She now serves as an English language development teacher at Pasco High School where she works with students who are not fluent in English.

Guzman said she knows what it is like to grow up speaking a language other than English in the home, learning English through the school system, and then trying to navigate the school process. Through the advancement of her skills as an educator through the 厙ぴ勛圖 program, she feels equipped and passionate about educating the next generation of Tri-Cities students.

���I wish this program would have been around for my teachers because I believe that the strategies that I was taught for ELL students would have benefited me or any number of other students,��� she said. ���This is a program that is made with the well-being of the community in mind.���

Passion for serving, support to do well

The desire to serve local needs is a common theme among many of the paraeducators participating in the 厙ぴ勛圖 alternate route program. For recent 厙ぴ勛圖 alternate route graduate Susan Payne, her love and passion for education came out of wanting to serve a population of students who may struggle with the language component of their education.

���I have worked with some very bright children who feel that they are not smart because they are struggling with a second language,��� she said. ���I wanted to be in a position that helps these students celebrate their achievements of developing dual languages and content areas.���

Payne said what she enjoyed most about the program is the support of dedicated staff and faculty, especially since the program is difficult due to its time commitments and requirements.

���It���s much harder than it sounds, but the WSU campus has some extremely dedicated staff to help and guide you,��� she said. ���Teachers are very helpful and accessible, which is vital to this program because the students are working at their schools during the day and taking class at night.���

Payne said the support of her school mentors were also invaluable.

���The alternate route program is dependent on the support the student receives from her or his work school and mentor,��� she said. ���With a supportive mentor and school, the alternate route student has the perspective and access to the students��� personalities, already built relationships and co-workers��� advice to help along the way.���

For more information about the 厙ぴ勛圖 College of Education alternate route program, visit tricities.wsu.edu/education/undergraduate/alternate-route. Interested in pursuing a career in education? Visit tricities.wsu.edu/education.

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. ��� Registration is now live for the Washington State University Tri-Cities Education Summit that features a presentation and panel discussion by award-winning teacher and education advocate Erin Jones. The event is sponsored by STCU.

The summit will take place from 8:30 a.m. ��� 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 12, and provides local educators and administrators with the opportunity to earn six clock hours and choose sessions of their choice in the following subject areas:

• STEM education
• English language learning
• Diversity and social justice

The cost is $15 for the day, which includes a light breakfast, full lunch and the sessions.

Jones is an award-winning educator who speaks to educators and schools across the country on how they can help individuals recognize their purpose and develop their strengths, in addition to helping organizations identify their gaps in service and determine ways to better meet the needs of those they serve. Jones travels nationally as she trains educators, students and non-profits in equitable and culturally responsive practices.

���We have a great schedule planned for teachers, principals and others in education that is geared toward student success, innovative teaching strategies, and generally, how to better reach students through educational techniques,��� said Judy Morrison, 厙ぴ勛圖 academic director of education. ���Erin is also an incredible speaker and has lots to share about how to better meet the needs of students.���

Individuals can register by visiting . Spots at the summit go fast, so individuals are encouraged to sign up early. Registration closes Monday, Oct. 7.

For more information on degrees in education from 厙ぴ勛圖 and the 厙ぴ勛圖 College of Education, visit tricities.wsu.edu/education.

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. ��� A group of Washington State University Tri-Cities education students and current teachers are the first to benefit from a new course focused on how to teach computer science in the K-12 classroom.

The course, which specifically focuses on introductory levels of computational thinking, fundamentals of computers and the basics of introductory programming, will be included in an eventual series of courses as part of a proposed computer science education endorsement at 厙ぴ勛圖.

���Computer science is a crucial component of a student���s education, which is why it is important to offer a program that will support the preparation for our schools��� teachers in this area,��� said Jonah Firestone, education professor at 厙ぴ勛圖. ���As a result of that, we submitted an Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction grant to create a program that would eventually lead to an endorsement.���

Thanks to a second grant from OSPI, matching funds from Battelle and in-kind donations from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory this spring, the 厙ぴ勛圖 team was able able to move forward with a first course this fall semester, Firestone said.

Developing the course

Firestone and Judy Morrison, director of the 厙ぴ勛圖 College of Education, worked with PNNL computer science professionals to develop the course, in addition to holding summer institutes with current teachers to determine the types of material that would be incorporated.

Benjamin Stuermer, a PNNL software engineer and instructor for the course, said the course and eventual endorsement program has immense benefits for K-12 education.

���I think it���s really important that we���re doing this because teachers are currently going in radically different directions with the material they are teaching students in the area of computer science,��� he said.

Stuermer said this is at no fault to teachers, as they are doing the best they can with the materials they can find. But by solidifying applicable courses and an endorsement program, teachers would be better equipped with materials that are proven to be effective at various grade levels.

Introducing new concepts

The students in the course are learning the patterns by which computer coding is formed and how to develop the mindset for eventually writing code by means of

sequencing certain steps in certain orders. The teachers are using a program known as ���Scratch��� to develop basic computer code in a visual form. Additionally, they���re learning how to write lesson plans for the material and how to break down these technical subjects into language that a young student can understand and retain.

���I work in a STEM school, so having this course is a great resource,��� said Diane Hollis, a fourth-grade teacher and master���s of education student at 厙ぴ勛圖. ���It will allow me to incorporate more technology into my class and will be crucial to what we regard as the growth mindset for our students ��� ���even if you can���t do it yet, you will be able to.��� My students will be learning a new skill that they can use for the rest of their life.���

Sumiyyah Jalalyar, an eighth-grade teacher and master���s of education student at 厙ぴ勛圖, said the computational ways of thinking she is learning through the course will serve as an immense benefit for her students in math and science.

���Having more teachers knowing about computer science and being knowledgeable about computational thinking serves as a resource for students,��� she said. ���It���s the direction that education is headed in for the future, so it���s a great opportunity for us as teachers to learn.���

Refining for the future

Stuermer said they will continue to refine the course, making it better and better for future teachers. They will then focus on developing further courses, he said.

Firestone said he hopes to attract teachers from a variety of subjects and fields in education for future courses, in addition to those with a background in technology, mathematics and computer science.

The ���Foundations of Computational Thinking��� course will be offered a second time during 厙ぴ勛圖��� spring semester, with potential tuition assistance for course participants available from the project���s grant. For more information, contact Firestone at 509-372-7198 or jonah.firestone@wsu.edu.

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. �����厙ぴ勛圖 is developing a teacher endorsement program in computer science that has attracted a $49,000 grant from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and a matching contribution from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Currently, there is no teaching endorsement program at any universities in Washington state for computer science, which makes program development in the subject increasingly important in today���s advancing technological society, said Jonah Firestone, 厙ぴ勛圖 assistant professor of teaching and learning and campus lead on the grant.

���The state of Washington has pushed to have at least one computer science teacher at every school who has an endorsement in the subject,��� Firestone said. ���Up until now, it was usually a math or science teacher who also had an interest in computing that would serve that role. But we need to take that further and offer an endorsement in the subject in order to best prepare our teachers.���

The first phase of the grant funds, he said, will fund the development and offering of professional development workshops with teachers from five districts that include Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, Prosser and Othello. The workshops, which currently are being developed by 厙ぴ勛圖 and PNNL and will be taught by PNNL computer scientists this spring, will provide training on computer science concepts and skills and for designing computer science curriculum.

The funds will also go toward stipends for educators who participate.

Firestone said there will be a combination of teacher recruitment for the program and recommendations from districts for current instructors who would immediately qualify for the program based on their roles in schools.

���We���re looking at teachers who are already in technology classes, plus we���re working with our contacts at the local science, technology, engineering and mathematics schools to inquire about teachers who would qualify and be interested,��� he said.

The second phase of the grant entails the analysis of data collected over the course of the workshops, which will then be used for the development of a computer science certificate program for educators. Firestone and Judy Morrison, associate professor of teaching and learning, will co-lead the project. Together they will analyze the workshops and develop the certificate program.

Firestone said the certificate program will combine education courses with computer science courses.

���Classes on the content are not enough,��� Firestone said. ���We have to have classes on how to teach this material to the kids.���

厙ぴ勛圖 is the only university in the state selected for the grant program. Twenty-four other districts, schools and nonprofits also were selected for the program, who will use the funds to train teachers, provide and upgrade technology, and expand access to girls, students from underrepresented populations and communities who have historically been underserved. The grants awarded to higher education institutions across the state total nearly $1 million.

���We are very grateful to OSPI for presenting this opportunity and to PNNL for providing the in-kind matching funds that will go toward the program and their time in working with us on this endeavor,��� Firestone said. ���This grant is allowing us to get this program started and off the ground. This is stage one of a multistage process.���

 

Contacts:

• Jonah Firestone, 厙ぴ勛圖 assistant professor of teaching and learning, 509-372-7198,��jonah.firestone@tricity.wsu.edu
• Judy Morrison, 厙ぴ勛圖 associate professor of teaching and learning, 509-372-7176,��jmorriso@tricity.wsu.edu
• Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 public relations specialist, 509-372-7333,��Maegan_murray@wsu.edu