7 Things You Didn’t Know About Regina Brandon

You may know Dr. Regina R. Brandon as an associate professor in the Department of Special Education where she’s the coordinator of the Preliminary Special Education, Mild/Moderate Credential Program. But did you also know she’s a popcorn-loving world traveler who pledges allegiance to Raider Nation? Find out more about Regina in this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff!

VIDEO: Graduate Student Discusses his Passion for Special Education

In our Student Spotlight series, Alex Moreno — a graduate student in special education with an autism emphasis — discusses his classroom motivation and the impact of his program.

Watch the video.

VIDEO: Meet COE’s Outstanding Graduates for 2019

Each year at Commencement, the College of Education chooses Outstanding Graduates from each of its departments. Learn more about the accomplished students from our Class of 2019 who will be on stage with their most influential faculty members during the ceremony at Viejas Arena on May 19.

Honors and Achievements, May 2019

The College of Education is delighted to congratulate the following members of the COE family for their recent achievements:

Faculty member launches online series focused on reaching students with Deafblindness

Dr. Christopher Brum launched the Advanced Learning Series in Deafblindness.

By Michael Klitzing

Imagine being blindfolded, fitted with earplugs and transported to an unknown location where a stranger gives you unintelligible commands. This isn’t a movie plot, but the everyday reality of going to school for young people with deafblindness.

According to recent numbers, more than 10,000 children in the U.S. and more than 1,100 children in California are living with the condition, defined as a combination of hearing and vision loss that causes severe needs. The relative rarity of deafblindness makes this population particularly vulnerable as there is a dearth of qualified professionals who know how to respond to the needs of these individuals.

Open Educational Resources Save Students Millions

By José A. Álvarez

More than $2.6 million.

That’s how much students at San Diego State University have saved by using the  Affordable Learning Solutions and open educational resources.

Affordable Learning Solutions allows faculty to choose and provide more affordable, quality educational content for their students, increasing the number of them who acquire the course materials they need for their classes. The materials are usually free or are available at a reduced cost.

Outstanding Graduates of the Class of 2018

Each year the College of Education recognizes a group of exceptional students as its Outstanding Graduates.  These outstanding graduates are selected from each department at the Graduate and Undergraduate levels based on their academic performance and dedication to their field. In turn, these students then select the most influential faculty member of their academic career. Outstanding Graduates and their Most Influential Faculty members will be recognized at the COE Commencement Ceremony on May 13, 2018.

COE Using Latest Technology to Prepare Teachers

Technology is being used everywhere.

That is why it’s not surprising that the College of Education is using it to prepare tomorrow’s teachers.

Dr. Idara Essien-Wood, a lecturer with COE, used the Teaching with Technology Classroom to conduct her course CFD 370, a research methods course for the Department of Child and Family Development.

COE Training Teachers to Work with Students with Autism

San Diego State University and the College of Education’s Department of Special Education is known as a national leader in training teachers to work with students with autism.

Since the Department of Special Education began offering classes focused on autism nearly 20 years ago, it has been busy training future and current teachers and other school personnel on how to best support students with autism spectrum disorder.

Making a Difference in the College of Education

Our COE students and alumni are receiving grants, recognition, and committee appointments that will contribute to the futures of children and adults in a wide variety of educational areas. These students and alumni are making a difference!

Update on COE Four-Year Teacher Preparation Programs

Planning teams at the College of Education are busy developing four programs which will allow students to get a bachelor’s degree and a teaching credential in just four years.

Five Ways the CSU Is Preparing More Great Teachers

Chances are good you've already heard about the desperate shortage of trained and credentialed teachers – about 20,000 are needed in California alone.

COE Faculty Presents at SDSU’s Research Foundation Event

The awards provide support and time for intensive career development experience for researchers starting their careers.

And since Dr. Jessica Suhrheinrich had received one of these prestigious awards—the Career Development Awards—it made perfect sense that she was invited to be a featured presenter at the San Diego State University Research Foundation’s event on the National Institutes of Health K Award Competition.

2017 Summer Session Courses Still Available

San Diego State University summer courses can help you get ahead in your coursework and stay connected to your professors and the campus over the summer. SDSU is offering hundreds of on-campus courses and more than 130 online courses in three short sessions. Taking just one summer session course can put you on track to graduate on time or leave room in your schedule for a valuable internship, study abroad experience, or participation in a student organization next year.

Outstanding Graduates of the College of Education's Class of 2017

Each year the College of Education recognizes a group of exceptional students as its Outstanding Graduates.  Outstanding Graduates are selected from each department at the Graduate and Undergraduate levels based on their academic performance and dedication to their field. In turn, these students then select the most influential faculty member of their academic career. Outstanding Graduates and their Most Influential Faculty members will be recognized at the COE Commencement Ceremony on May 14, 2017.

Nine Special Ed Students Get Ben Ziri Scholarships

Nine College of Education students have each received a scholarship to help them obtain a degree teaching students with disabilities.

Four got a $3,000 scholarship and the others got $500 from the Ben Ziri Caravan #218, a part of the International Order of the Alhambras, which raises funds to support individuals with intellectual disabilities. The scholarship, funded by an endowment established by non-profit organization and San Diego State University, is awarded to students enrolled in the moderate to severe teaching credential program.

7 Things You Didn’t Know About Dr. Christopher Brum

He travels with a purpose! Assistant professor in Special Education, Dr. Christopher Brum, worked at an orphanage in Haiti and spent a semester volunteering in an Appalachian center for persons with disabilities. Read on to discover more about Chris’s passions in this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff.

SDSU Working on 4-year Teacher Preparation Programs

Future teachers will soon spend less time and money to get a teaching credential in California.

That’s because San Diego State University and 16 other California State University (CSU) campuses have earned grants to develop four-year teacher preparation programs. SDSU expects to offer these programs for the first time in fall 2018.

SDSU was the only CSU campus which applied for and received three grants totaling almost $750,000 from the Integrated Program Grants from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Working to Decrease Teacher Shortage

24 to 1.

That is the California student-teacher ratio, the largest in the nation and eight more students per classroom than the national average.

The reason?

McClure Honored by Mayor for Students’ Volunteer Work

The College of Education is devoted to serving the greater San Diego community, and Special Education faculty member Mendy McClure has exemplified that by receiving the City of San Diego’s Mayoral Award at the Annual Volunteer Recognition Event.