COE STORIES: Dr. Griselda Palma and Yuting Qiao

Yuting Qiao and Dr. Griselda Palma.

 

In our latest installment of COE Stories, meet lecturer Dr. Griselda Palma and student Yuting Qiao from San Diego State University's new Mandarin teaching credential program. Learn how the creation of the program honors a promise Palma made 15 years ago. 

Video by Ian Ordonio.

Donor Gift Furthers Partnership Between HEY Clinic, Local Elementary School

Photo courtesy of San Diego Unified School District. 

By Michael Klitzing

At schools like San Diego’s Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary, what goes on in the classroom or the Zoom room is often only part of the story. 

On the surface, a teacher might see a student with a behavioral problem or poor attendance. What’s harder to see at this urban school, where 100 percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch, is the trauma many children face outside of class. Maybe it’s a parent facing a job loss, or a family facing food insecurity, or loved ones separated by immigration issues. 

Inspired to Lead: Ed.D. Candidates Embrace Start of New Professional Journeys

Karen Stills and Yolanda Cataño

By Michael Klitzing

As a new year draws near, the finish line has come into view for Karen Stills and Yolanda Cataño. 

Both candidates in San Diego State University’s Ed.D. program with a concentration in community college leadership (CCLEAD) are on track to complete their doctorates in May. Their long journeys as students are almost complete. 

But as their final semester before hooding beckons, both are celebrating the start of exciting new journeys as community college leaders. This fall, Stills was named Associate Vice Chancellor at Dallas College in Texas while Cataño was named Interim Associate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, Equity and Student Success at Imperial Valley College.

COE Salutes Retiring Mainstays Ludvik, Booth and Hernandez

Clockwise from top: Ludvik, Hernandez and Booth

By Michael Klitzing

As the semester draws to a close, the San Diego State University College of Education bids a fond farewell to three longtime members of the COE family. Dr. Marilee Bresciani Ludvik, professor of postsecondary educational leadership; Dr. Jacki Booth, lecturer and study abroad coordinator in the Department of Child and Family Development (CFD); and Sylvia Hernandez, credential analyst in the Office of Student Success (OSS); will be retiring from SDSU at the end of the year. 

Faculty Honored for Dedication to Student Support During Virtual Instruction

Frank Harris III and Marissa Vasquez

Assistant Professor Marissa Vasquez and Professor Frank Harris III in the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation and Postsecondary Education are among 12 recipients of San Diego State University's Faculty Forward Awards, recognizing their agility and dedication to student support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The honor, presented by Faculty Advancement and Student Success and the Center for Teaching and Learning, celebrates the extraordinary dedication, collaboration and innovation of faculty offering courses virtually in fall 2020.

Vasquez and Harris worked together to develop a single comprehensive assignment to assess student learning in their two doctoral courses. Students were asked to design a campus approach to address the equity issue of their choosing, and present this approach in a one-hour, publicly accessible training webinar for education leaders. This ambitious project is a powerful and scalable example of public scholarship.

 Read the full story at SDSU NewsCenter.

Ready Teacher One: Alumna Builds Vibrant Community for Student Gamers

By Michael Klitzing

In her spare time while earning a teaching credential at San Diego State University, Angelique Gianas would often livestream on the popular video game broadcasting platform Twitch. Yet when she was subsequently hired as a teacher at Helix Charter High School in La Mesa, the lifelong gamer decided it was probably time to pull the plug. 

“I told myself, ‘There’s no way this can transfer over,’” said Gianas (’13, ’16, ’19), a graduate of the College of Education's teaching credential and online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. “I stopped streaming because it’s kind of a weird place to be as a teacher — I don’t want my kids to find me.” 

Four years later, it’s safe to say that the gamers of Helix found Ms. Gianas.