Category: Faculty (Page 1 of 2)

Faculty Spotlight: Cyndi Caniglia, Ph.D.

February 15, 2018 / ws-nhotchkiss / 0 Comments

Please tell us a bit about yourself:

I grew up south of here in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. I was raised riding horses and raising cows and graduated from DeSales Catholic School in Walla Walla, WA. I graduated from Gonzaga with a B.Ed. and M.Ed. in Special Education and from Washing State University with a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning, emphasis Special Education. I have taught in schools here in Spokane, consulted with schools for over 22 years across the United States, and adjuncted and taught in higher education for about 14 years. I enjoy it all! I simply want to make an impact on future children and love doing it by working with teachers and those who want to become teachers. I have a husband, 3 daughters (one attends Gonzaga University in the School of Nursing), 2 chickens and a Springer Spaniel. I love anything outdoors and like to be physically active with boot camp, running, hiking, and skiing. I also have a passion for youth in Kenya, Africa and look forward to future work improving education in villages near Nairobi.

What does an average day in the School of Education look like for you?

An average day is spent teaching courses and meeting with students. In between I move between preparing for courses and meeting with colleagues. When I am not doing these things you can find me in schools working with teachers, supervising Gonzaga students, or working on research.

How did you find your way into your field and into teaching in a university setting?

When I was a college sophomore I was a business major. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with that degree so I spent a Christmas break in a veterinary clinic and a third grade classroom. I fell in love with the classroom. Since then, I have always loved the classroom. My favorite classroom is one with undergraduate students, in particular Gonzaga students. And no, I am not just saying that. I have specifically chosen to be here at this university. It is for this reason I pursued my Ph.D. and a position here at Gonzaga.

What is the most rewarding part of your day?

The best part of my day is when I am teaching students, meeting with students or with colleagues on a collaborative project.

Are you involved in other groups or organizations (on- or off-campus)?

I belong to professional organizations which include Council for Exceptional Children and their Teacher Education Division. I also belong to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. I am a reviewer for Journal of International Special Needs. Locally I am a certified instructor and volunteer for Free Rein Therapeutic Riding program, which involves horse riding for children and adults with special needs. I am also a volunteer for Spring of Hope International an organization that raises money for a village in Kenya, Africa to support clean water, education, and sustainability.

Do you have a particular research area that you are interested in? Can you share something recent with us?

I am interested in many areas, but in particular Teacher Preparation and Universal Design for Learning. I am working on a publication from my dissertation recommending areas of focus for Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs and another one that recommends professional development practices for Special Education teachers. I have presented several times here on campus to faculty about making their instruction, materials, and documents accessible to all students in their classrooms. I am looking forward to including students here on campus in research related to this area.

What advice do you have for future practitioners in your field?

Pursue your passion if this is what God has called you to do and never, never stop learning. This field is everchanging and it is important to remain current. Teaching, whether regular or special education, is hard work but it is worth it. And, be sure to practice self-care and nurture relationships you have along the way. Achieving some kind of balance is critical to being an effective educator.

Faculty Spotlight: Lisa Bennett, Ph.D.

February 1, 2018 / ws-nhotchkiss / 0 Comments

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Elisabeth Bennett, but I have been called Lisa all of my life. I’m from a very small town in the far coastal north of California in the heart of the redwoods. My parents both came from loving hardworking farm folk who knew the value of hard work and the discipline needed to fulfill it and to instill these values in all six of their children. I find great joy in my work whether it be teaching, counseling, or caring for our home, land, and family. I’m rather shy but learned early to connect to others and to be brave enough to serve no matter the crowd. I treasure deep friendships, human dignity, and the art of working together for the common good.

What does an average day in the School of Education look like for you?

I often arrive early and appreciate the quiet in the 5 a.m. hour in our building. I provide a few hours of counseling each week often in these early morning hours to professionals and their partners and families before they head into their work lives. I teach mostly clinical courses and assessment as well as professional seminar with the steady stream of independent studies in areas of expertise all year round. I used to be committed to administrative duties which I can’t say I terribly enjoyed but at which I was efficient and effective. Now, I mostly enjoy time with my students and with colleagues who value joint efforts. I am deeply committed to helping students reach their goals and grow as they need and desire.

How did you find your way into your field and into teaching in a university setting?

I was a punky 21 year old with a mentor professor who encouraged me to consider and develop into this field. I became committed to counseling while working with my first client who found her way through a messy divorce and into a life of self-created joy.

What is the most rewarding part of your day?

Every time a student moves out of a stuck spot into their own…there is nothing like knowing that your student is about to go out into the world and love and serve better than they would have without that growth.

Are you involved in other groups or organizations (on- or off-campus)?

I support the board (ex-officio member) of REACH! For the Future. This group of mostly GU alums has supported an entire grade level of students from Lidgerwood all the way from second grad to their last of high school. They will soon go on to post secondary education and training which REACH will pay for and continue to provide the support to help them be successful. Talk about really giving back and changing the landscape for so many! I have many such projects going and have a keen heart for those that make for a more equitable world.

Do you have a particular research area that you are interested in?

I am about to travel to SE Asia where a pack of students, alums, and I will observe elephant mothers, nannies, and calves for human-like attachment behavior. I’m deeply fond of helping others learn about attachment and how to grow secure attachments in couples. I am also steeply vested in examining and practicing creativity in counseling.

What advice do you have for future practitioners in your field?

Love is a win-win. Build it everywhere you can.

Alumni Spotlight: Steve Ames, Sport & Physical Education, ’15

November 16, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

Tell us about yourself: My name is Steve Ames. I earned a B.Ed. in Sport Management. I transferred to Gonzaga in the fall of 2008 from Columbia Basin College. I finally graduated in 2015 after slowly working toward my degree while playing professional baseball for both the LA Dodgers (2009-2013) and Miami Marlins (2013-2015).
What are you doing now?: Currently I work for the Tampa Bay Rays as an area scout. I primarily scout amateur players at the high school and college levels. I currently live in Nashville, TN. My area consists of the entire state of Tennessee, Alabama down to Montgomery, and a small portion of western Kentucky.
Why did you choose a program in the School of Education at Gonzaga? Sports have always played a huge role in my life and I had always planned on working in the sport industry in some form after my playing days were over. A degree in sport management seemed like an obvious choice and the program at Gonzaga is highly respected.
What influenced you the most during your time at Gonzaga? Well first let me say, I met my eventual wife Allyson Powell at Gonzaga, a former volleyball player. There have been many teammates and coaches, who have had an obvious influence on my life as well. The School of Education department truly has a family atmosphere. Dr. Karen Rickel has had the greatest influence in my educational experience at Gonzaga. She was my advisor for the majority of my time at GU, and was always available to answer any questions. I can honestly say without her, I don’t know if I would have followed through and finished my degree after getting drafted. Dr. Heidi Nordstrom, Dr. Tunnell, and Dr. Park all worked with my unique schedule and were vital to my success as I slowly worked toward my degree.
What was your greatest lesson learned at Gonzaga? Just because the COG always has dessert, doesn’t mean you need to take one every meal.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in your field? Most challenging? The most rewarding aspect of scouting is watching guys you draft work their way through the minor leagues and get that call up to the Major Leagues. That’s what this job is all about, signing big league players. The most challenging aspect is just that, trying to get the sign the right guys. There is no perfect science to scouting, and that’s why it is so rewarding when you find big leaguers. Especially when they are later round drafts that you have a gut feel about.
What critical issues do you see that need to be addressed in your field? I wouldn’t call the use of analytics a critical issue, but it continues to grow. Its use affects how the game is played, and how players are evaluated. Scouts must continue to adapt to the use on technology like Pitch FX and Trackman in ballparks across the country. The use of analytics is a great tool to help evaluate and make decisions, but there is a human element to our game. It will be interesting to see how the use of analytics evolves over the next 10 years and beyond.
What advice do you have for future education professionals? Persistence pays off, which can be said for any profession. If you want something bad enough, go get it, keep chipping away until you reach your goal. I took 1 class per semester for 5 years and then was able to come back and finish. A college degree meant a lot to me. I was the first person in my family to earn one, and while they aren’t everything, I knew it would help me get a career once I was finished playing.

Alumni in Action: Making a Difference

October 19, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

This is the third and final part in a series featuring the value of a cohort-based approach to graduate education.

Dr. Elaine Radmer spent the last two years advising a group in Fernie, British Columbia. The Fernie cohort perfectly highlights the value of Gonzaga’s site-based approach. “All but one of the educators were from a single school district, but that district spans a number of communities,” Dr. Radmer wrote. “Geographically, they are spread along a single highway, but it takes almost two hours to travel between the outermost cities.” Candidates from the cohort have a story to tell about the way the program transformed their educational practices and philosophy.

Penny did her capstone on improving the experience for athletes through recognition dinners and social media. This rejuvenated her passion for the role she plays as athletic director. On paper, it seems like a small part of her job, but in reality, it is a huge commitment. Her capstone work led to many more plans for improvement – coaching clinics, sports camps, etc… Additionally, in an effort to involve the community in sports programs, she created the first alumni basketball game, which has become a highly successful fundraiser.
Jill continued her work as leader in school literacy goals, working on a collaborative literacy grant with colleagues. They implemented two school-wide initiatives. The first, “Storm Reads Challenge,” set a school wide goal of reading 500 books (which they exceeded) and featured grade level competitions (Grade 7 read more books than any other grade). The second, “Storm Reads Week,” saw every human in the school spend 15 minutes reading during an assigned time.
Leanna implemented the “MindUp” program in Kindergarten/Grade 1 class. It is a social-emotional learning program to teach mindfulness and improve self-regulation. Their class made a Gratefulness tree bulletin board and invited anyone at the school to add a leaf so it would grow over time.
Kathy has started to work with Grade 4 through Grade 6 students at her school to apply math in designing a garden housed at the school.
Andrew started making movies to highlight student achievement. He started with his own classes, but now has a leadership role across the school — gathering videos and pictures and posting “highlight reels” on school websites.
Renee is a Kindergarten teacher who is passionate about student activity levels. She developed and delivered materials to help kids at all grade levels understand options for being active at recess and expectations for their behavior (e.g., problem solving rather than fighting, etc.). Due to her efforts, kids became more active at recess and teachers reported fewer behavioral problems. She also implemented several other school-wide initiatives. She changed the volleyball approach to Triple Ball, which gives younger kids more chances to play and gain skills. To do this, she gained approvals from senior management, and then collaborated with a local college to provide training. Ultimately, she organized a district tournament that was a hit in the community. She also implemented a Golden Shoe challenge to inspire everyone to ride, bike, scooter, or walk to school.
Ian created a collaborative, school-based team that launched an initiative to explore inter-curricular inquiry-driven projects. They changed the bell schedule to create “Inquiry Fridays” for project-based learning. On Fridays, three teachers from different subjects worked together on grade-wide inquiry teams. Ian’s background and expertise as an outdoor education instructor was helpful to support this initiative. In addition, Ian stepped into leadership by organizing activities: staff events, school-wide track-and-field event, and a field trip to Calgary for cultural experience for students in Social Studies and English.
After deciding to commission an art piece as a focal point at the school’s entryway, Jane collaborated with the staff and allowed the plan to evolve until the artwork represented the recent combination of two schools into one. She raised over $3,000 for this project. The unveiling will be in the fall. She also wrote a grant for a collaborative project to build a greenhouse at their school. As an inquiry project, students filled out the permit application, drew up plans, and decided how to heat the greenhouse.

Check out our first post in this series: Alumni in Action: The Elk Valley Arch

Check out our second post in this series: Alumni in Action: The Rainbow Crosswalk Project

Alumni in Action: The Rainbow Crosswalk project

October 5, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

This is the second part in a series featuring the value of a cohort-based approach to graduate education.

The Rainbow Crosswalk in Fernie. Shared from e-know.ca

Inspired to undertake additional project with students to improve their communities, Tara and Janet spearheaded the Rainbow Crosswalk project in Fernie, BC. In her role supervising the Student Council, Tara was able to mobilize the students. The project unfolded over months, as community experts came to school, students taught lessons to peers, and they presented to school and city boards. The project culminated with the painting of a crosswalk by the high school and four additional crosswalks in the downtown area to promote inclusion. Local media covered the project:

http://www.summit107.com/news/east-kootenay-news/six-rainbow-crosswalks-to-be-painted-by-fernie-high-school-students/

https://www.e-know.ca/regions/elk-valley/fernie/first-rainbow-crosswalk-opened/

Check out our first post in the series: Alumni in Action: The Elk Valley Arch

Welcome from Dean Alfonso

September 26, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

Greetings and welcome to the inaugural Gonzaga University School of Education (SOE) e-newsletter. Through this medium, I hope to keep you apprised of our initiatives, which are based on mission and vision, and build community with you: our students, friends, alumni, and colleagues around the world.

As we begin another academic year, and I begin my fifth year as Dean of the SOE, I see our initiatives coming to fruition faster than ever before. Our school, guided by our strategic plan, continues to transform in ways that allow us to serve our students and community all year round. However, we are far from finished and have much more to accomplish in the months and years ahead.

The stories in this e-newsletter provide only a brief glimpse of what is happening in the SOE. Please visit our website at www.gonzaga.edu/soe and our blog at http://blogs.gonzaga.edu/soe/ for more stories, events, and celebrations. Thanks for being a part of the SOE!

Alumni in Action: The Elk Valley Arch

September 21, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

This is the first part in a series featuring the value of a cohort-based approach to graduate education.

The Department of Leadership & Administration is celebrating the 40-year anniversary of our Master’s programs in Canada. For four decades, the department has formed cohorts of working educators in their locales, and applied course content and assignments in their professional settings. Graduates of our Master’s programs have consistently reported that the program changed their life.

In many ways, the Fernie cohort is very typical for our programs. Their coursework structured for application in our students’ professional work, so at the end of their program, they have a list of accomplishments advanced by their involvement in the program. Graduates often tell us that the program modeled experiential education for them. Faculty think of it as Ignatian pedagogy.

Our latest Fernie cohort’s graduation year coincided with another celebration: Canada 150 (a provincial change to the curriculum structure. Their district responded to B.C.’s new curriculum by encouraging project-based learning. Inspired by the cohort’s collaboration, their instructors, and the program content, some of our candidates decided to facilitate students in a project that would memorialize Canada 150 and represent unity among different schools who typically only compete in sports. Thus, the Elk Valley Arch project came to realization.

The Elk Valley Arch. Shared from elkvalleyarch.com

One of the candidates in the cohort, Steve, envisioned and spearheaded this major inter-provincial project, involving four schools to design, build, and erect 14’ x 16’ cedar archway at the top of mountain pass on Alberta/B.C. border. The story and images of the 3,000 kg arch are on a student-launched website, which was part of the learning embedded in the project: https://elkvalleyarch.com/.

Preparation spanned 10 months. Steve wrote 10 grants, raising $23,000 for the project. He involved colleagues, administration, School Board, government officials and private business people. They were able to obtain permissions to build the structure on crown land leased by a hydro company.

Students in a number of classes at the different schools were involved in designing, creating and transporting the memorial. In Sparwood, Social Studies and Grade 5 students helped identify symbols of the valley. The metal shop built a cart to haul the massive logs up mountain. The Woods class worked on the scaffold. Foods classes prepared granola for students to eat while camping, etc…

Students also played leadership roles in Elkford. Students presented the concept to the Town Council, informed the media and newspaper, and sought out businesses and volunteers willing to support the project.

Seven staff from 3 different schools, 5 volunteers, and 20 students moved the wood up the mountain by hand, and then constructed the arch. Local media covered the Arch. Additionally, a group of students participated in a 3-day outdoor education program, camping on the mountain.

New Programs Bring New Opportunities

September 15, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

Over the last few years, our departments have worked to create dynamic, new offerings that meet the demands of the ever-changing world. This required comprehensive reviews of our current curriculum, identification and development of new material, and the willingness to evolve to stay ahead of the curve. The dedication and effort of our faculty is apparent as we are launching two new programs in the coming year: our Doctor of Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) and Master of Education in Educational Leadership (online).The new programs increase our program offerings to 3 Undergraduate majors and 16 Graduate or Doctoral options across five academic departments.

Our Ed.D., housed in the Department of Educational Leadership & Administration, will enroll the first cohort in Summer 2018. This 51-credit hybrid program prepares candidates for administrative, academic, professional, and research positions in education, civil organizations, private organizations, and public institutions. In American universities, the Ed.D. is recognized as qualification for appointment as a professor.
Our Master of Education in Educational Leadership (online), also housed in the Department of Educational Leadership & Administration, will enroll the first cohort in Summer 2018. This degree is designed for working educators, with a focus on linking theory and research to practical issues in teaching and leadership using their local districts as the context for their study. Students are welcomed into an online cohort of educators and experience the benefits of a collaborative learning community delivered in a dynamic, fostering environment.

The application for admission to each program is open and we are already reviewing potential candidates’ applications. Spread the word: Apply Today!

DELA Celebrates 40 Years in Canada

September 14, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

For 40 years, the Department of Educational Leadership and Administration (DELA) has provided high quality masters programs across British Columbia (BC) and Alberta (AB), graduating knowledgeable, skilled, and committed leaders who operate from a strong value base. This year marked the 40^th anniversary of program offerings in Canada, and three celebrations were held across the provinces over the summer. Faculty, alumni, and friends of the program united in Victoria, BC; Kelowna, BC; and Calgary, AB, for food, fellowship, and festivity. “The impact of our graduates reaches nearly everywhere across BC and AB,” Dean Alfonso remarked. “We are proud to celebrate our alumni and our department on this impressive milestone.”